yesterday i celebrated another sweet, sweet year of life! the day was spent with family & friends enjoying homemade cake, opening gifts, eating waffles & sushi & then sweet crepes, working with amazing kiddos out in the school garden, making a stop at the thrift store & simply savoring this precious day of life.
i am writing this blog post mostly for me, although perhaps you will get a kick out of it, too.
i started this blog in september of 2008. luke & i were freshly dating. we had just started our second year of college & we were smitten with one another. we lived in columbia, missouri. fast forward five years, we are married & we adore one another. we love & understand each other more now than we ever could have imagined. we live in luke’s hometown in arkansas. i am still writing here.
i absolutely love this space because it serves as my life journal. it doesn’t include my fights with luke or the gritty details of our arguments. it doesn’t include a lot of life’s frustrations or the day-to-day heaviness. but it does include our wedding, our graduation from college, our gardens sprinkled here & there, our losses & our gains, our growth as we moved south, & our creative adventures. it includes the magic of life.
we have a tradition of taking photos on our birthday. we were just babies when i started this space. we probably still are.
today, as i reflect on these last (almost) five years, i want to say thank you for following along on our journey. some of you have been here from the very beginning & we have formed deep friendships. thank you. it’s been an adventure & i have loved every moment.
in celebration of this year, before turning 25, i am going to complete 25 creative projects. these projects will be home projects, garden projects, sewing projects, self-care projects & anything else i might think up. this year, more than anything else, i want to make time for creating.
welcome, 25 before 25 projects!
i will share my first project on monday!
thank you all for following along! you make my days so much brighter! love to you all, sweet friends.
love,
natalie
i know some of you are still in the thick of winter weather, but it is officially spring in our neck of the woods! we are spending more hours outside than in, our floors are more often covered in mud than not & our hearts are full as we soak up these beautiful, sunny days.
we spent most of our saturday morning at the first farmers’ market of the spring season. we purchased a basket of lettuce & a bundle of tender swiss chard. it was such a treat to see our dear friends out & about around the market. one of my favorite weekend activities has begun!
we also finished a few backyard projects. with each new addition to our backyard, i fall more & more in love with our home. our projects are inexpensive (or free!), but add such a cozy feel to our home life.
i had been collecting cans for a few months with no real reason in mind. i spotted little tin can lanterns on pinterest a few weeks back & decided to give it a go.
it’s a very simple project! i dipped the cans in paint & luke drilled holes using a large drill bit. we strung the cans with garden twine & wrapped our tree in twinkle lights for a little happy touch.
we also carved out a little fire pit spot in our backyard just in time for sunday evening. luke & our neighbor spent sunday afternoon sawing several tree trunks into stools for sitting around the fire. we spent sunday evening cuddled around the fire, chatting & celebrating the end of a wonderful weekend.
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before i go, i want to know- what would you like to see more of in this space? i am excited to hear from you & would love to read your suggestions!
love,
natalie
in april 2013, i will:
– celebrate
– travel
– create pillowcases
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april, i cannot believe you are here – my favorite month! i am a spring chick, an april baby. i absolutely love celebrating birthdays because it’s the perfect excuse to come together & celebrate the unique life of a special person. it is also a special time to reflect on the year & how you’ve grown into the person you are. this month i am turning 24 & celebrating with all of my loved ones (you’re invited!) in our backyard!
this month, i will also travel. travel to colorado for an artsy ladies retreat to meet an amazing group of dear online friends. i am nervous, scared, anxious, excited & thrilled at the opportunity to share life with these ladies in-person. i want to savor this adventure & soak up every moment of our weekend together!
this month, i will make pillowcases. i have thrifted several pillows over the last several months that have been stashed away in my “projects” corner of the studio. i want to make bright, happy pillowcases to use around our home in celebration of the arrival of spring & summer. i will do that this month!
what are some of your monthly goals? i love reading your thoughts!
love,
natalie