Hooked On The Laundry Line

We are now living life on the line.  The laundry line that is.  I went looking all over for a retractable laundry line and could not find one. I was starting to get a bit frustrated at not being able to find something so simple.  Once again my mom came through and happened to find one at her local hardware store.  Hubby J. helped me to get it up and running.  We are now enjoying our sheets being line dried in the sunshine.  LOVE IT! Hoping that it gives the kids a great sensory memory.  That wonderful smell of clean sheets on the line.
Of course one is not limited to sheets. 

So far I have had shirts, skirts, and a favorite tablecloths! I also cannot get over how quickly things dry in the sun.  It is amazing. 

Trying New Things

  Once again I owe this adventure to the SouleMama (a.k.a. Amanda).  Her post on The Laundry Line was very inspiring.  I have taken her recipe on how to make your own laundry soap and tried it out.   It was very easy to find everything and my favorite part was picking out what Dr. Bronner's soap to use. 

All kinds of questions ran through my head.  Will it really work?  Will it leave a residue behind? Will it smell?  My concerns were all put to rest right after the first load.  The smell was very subtle ( I think due to an error on my part, need more castile soap next time!)  Everything is coming out clean.  It is fantastic.  For really tough stains, I am trying vinegar.  I am keeping a spray bottle in the laundry room to have on hand.

 My next project is to get a clothes line for the backyard.  I just need to get out and get it.  Oh, and I also need to finish a little landscaping project that we have going on. That would give me some space for the line. Hoping very very soon to have that under control!! In the meantime, I am enjoying this new adventure in to a chemical free, cheaper, and fun way to do laundry.

Snow Day Is No Problem

We survived the crazy weather this week! We were able to stay busy and also nice and toasty. We baked, cooked, and were crafty. I was very excited that my Burda Style came in the mail yesterday. There are some great ideas in the December issue. We also baked cookies and made some ornaments.
The ornaments were fun to make. The two pictured are my attempt at playing with felt and a little embroidery work. J.D. has given his away already! He loved working with the felt and buttons. Rory was done after just 1, but was so proud to hang his on the tree.

I made Ina's tomato basil soup to keep the chills at bay. Seemed like a good thing for winter.
It was very easy and super fresh tasting. Can you smell the freshness?? There are plenty of leftovers, which is great for lunch. Just picked up some crusty bread for some carb goodness and there you have it. All in all it has been nice to relax, take it easy, and have the family home in the middle of the week. A nice treat.

The Fabric Finds A Home

The results are in from the Ikea shopping trip. The fabric above is to become a new bedspread! I just need to find some brown matching material to be the boarder around this fun print. The print below will coordinate great for matching pillows.

The birdie fabric was clearly an impulse buy. There was only a yard and half left on the bolt and I could not let it go. At only 2.99/yd. how could you not take it home??? I am not sure what I am going to do with it yet, but it looks nice in the stash!!

A Very Crafty Day

This has been a very interesting week so far. Today I decided it take a break from the everyday and do a little scrap busting. My in-laws will be here next week for a few days of merriment. Since the kitchen is not finished yet, I thought I would try and cozy things up a bit. I went in the scrap stash and just started to cut and sew some squares together.

Sorry for the poor picture quality! All my fabric friends were invited to the party. We have Amy B., Heather B., Alexander H., Joel D., and more. My goal was to add a little something to my favorite piece of furniture.

I am hoping that the pinks will work out next to such a rusty color. With all the mish-mosh of color, I think it will be okay! The squares make a sort of runner for the "hutch". I do have to find the backing yet. Maybe tonight I can get out the fabric store to get enough fabric to finish off this piece. In the meantime I have a knitting project to work on and a couple of small sewing projects to complete as well. Nothing makes you feel like you are getting something done like busting through some scrap fabric!!

Here It Comes

Our world is less and ideal, but we are making progress. The work is slow and sometimes trying, but we see results. I cannot wait to have our kitchen table back and things are back under control. After the floor goes in we only have 2 major things standing in the way. Our back splash and getting the butcher block put on one section of counter top. I hope to have that ordered today and then pick it up on Tuesday. I did pick a color for my furniture piece. I love how rich and warm this color is!!! Ahhh Benjamin Moore, you have done it again.

Also we have the window treatments all picked out! Maybe later this week things will start to feel like home again!!

The Helper

This remodel is taking over our lives! Our youngest is now willing to pitch in and help out. I think we are all ready to get things back to normal. He is holding our local Menards Hardware Store add. Maybe it is a hint to keep things moving along so we can have a kitchen again! I have to say that the cabinets are almost done and the entry way has been tiled!! Next week comes the counter tops and more painting. The electrician has been here, and now my lovely husband must finish patching the ceiling so we can paint and get our new lights up! Then the floor. Things are moving along and we are happy with how everything is turning out so far. I am trying to hold off on pictures until we have more progress.

A Girl And Her Kitchen

Our kitchen is maybe one of the most loved and important rooms in our home. We bond and hang out there with friends and family. We now want to give some love back to a warm and wonderful room. We are painting our cabinets white and we will (eventually) have white appliances. As this is not our forever home there are no stainless appliances or granite counter tops in the works. We are, however, going to get new flooring, counter tops, lighting, knocking out some cabinetry to have a more open look, tile the landing floor, and of course new paint.

Some of my inspiration is coming from this little starter house kitchen. I love the warmth and how simple and clean looking it is. I am very excited, intimidated, and overwhelmed all at the same time. It is going to be hard for a while around here with things in chaos, but I am hoping that the reward will be great. The goal is to have all the major work done before the weather is way to cold! The cabinets start the paint process next week, tomorrow we start at The Home Depot!