we had an amazing three-day weekend celebrating luke’s birthday & celebrating our good friends’ first home!
our dear friends have had a series of unfortunate events these past couple of months. when they arrived home from vacationing in oregon, they were met with a flooded home along with all of their belongings soaked & damaged. this sweet family of four lived in a hotel for several weeks until finding a home just down the street from us (woo!). they finally moved in over the weekend so a housewarming gift was definitely in order!
if you’ve read this blog, you know that we budget gifts. our budget is a very small amount each month so creativity is always key. for our dear friends, i wanted to make their housewarming gift very practical but also cute. i added my favorite scent of hand soap with a handmade tag. i purchased a small bouquet of flowers from the farmers’ market & added some cuttings of basil for scent. pretty scraps of fabric as ribbon & in a little mason jar it went.
when i heard the news that they were buying their home, i made them a dish mat. everyone needs a dish mat. it’s perfect for drying fragile dishes next to the sink without having to change the towel as frequently.
finally, i added some blueberry muffins. i wanted to purchase a large jar to add the items, but i was running out of budget money & i wasn’t crazy about mixing muffins & hand soap. so, i used berry baskets we already had & placed the muffins inside with a bit of parchment paper. i gathered all of the goodies & placed them in the cute strawberry tray i found in luke’s farm truck. i was so happy to gift this little labor of love to them… they sure need it!
love,
natalie
we visited the county fair this week. i haven’t been to the fair in quite some time, but i hope to visit every year!
it was an exciting mix of farm animals, award-winning preserves, corn dogs, roller coasters, ferris wheels, hand quilting, petting zoos & so much more. my favorite part was scoping out my competition for next year’s canning. i plan to enter my strawberry jam & pickles. my dear friend, lorna, plans to enter the fair too with her beautiful hand knits.
we also loved roaming the different barns looking at various breeds of goats & chickens. we are adding a large number of chicks to our flock this fall, including a rooster oh my, so it was fun to chat about our favorites.
summer, please stay around for a bit longer… we crave more evenings like this one!
love,
natalie
i have some really amazing friends. friends both close & far away. friends i’ve shared coffee with weekly & friends i’ve only exchanged word through email. i am so thankful for all of these individuals who speak into my life, visit the farm, take an hour or two for a cup of tea & mail packages of heart-shape garland honoring our dear state.
my sweet friend, jessie of the kind pilot, just recently sent me this lovely little arkansas garland just because. jessie & i were in a small & dear-to-my-heart women’s group at church & shared large parts of our life together for some time. i was just recently hitched & she was welcoming her first son. jessie’s home is gorgeous & her personal aesthetic is inspiring. also – hands down- she has the best handwriting on the planet.
so, when i received a package from her filled with a little note & something to place in my own home, i was absolutely giddy. it’s the perfect pop of color & inspired this little corner in our home.
my mom came over recently for a surprise trip & saw the garland. she instantly found the heart with the name of her town where she grew up. it’s such a fun little piece to have in our home & it hangs on a a piece of art my other dearest & kindest friend, jessie, drew. i am officially calling this my jessie wall.
so, if you have a little moment, stop by & welcome jessie’s new etsy shop, the kind pilot. she spreads cheer through paper & thread. & really, who doesn’t need a bit of cheer?
oh, & just in case you thought i was all moved in with a perfectly clean home…
think again.
love,
natalie