it has been a great week! i made some real progress at my job & managed to keep the house somewhat clean throughout the week. i spent my evenings re-decorating our bedroom & crafting some valentine’s day card for far-away friends. i found ice cream sweetend with agave (thank goodness!) & received the most beautiful package from my best friend. i sipped on coffee from home & began dreaming of spring.
& even bigger news came our way-
next week, luke will pack up his second home in oklahoma & moving here full-time to work locally !!! he will work at the university on organic fruit production & season extension while also (hopefully!) pursuing his master’s degree. i am so, so, so happy to have him home & thrilled to share every evening with him. & the icing on the cake? he will ride his bike to work! thankful.
i hope you have a wonderful weekend. thanks for reading, friends.
love,
natalie
here’s a simple diy project for loved ones just in time for valentine’s day!
when luke & i were dating, we exchanged post-it notes of love tucked inside favorite books for the other to borrow. one summer when we were long distance, we exchanged pages & pages of love letters on embellished papers with handmade envelopes. my letters were always elaborately decorated while his were quite simple with the perfect words. he loved my handmade style & i loved his writing.
just a bit shy of four years into our marriage, we continue to write cards to one another for special holidays & even just ordinary days. we enjoy showing our love in that way & we do it often. well, when i happened to find this adorable little mailbox tin in the dollar section of target, i had the perfect idea for a diy that i would like to share!
you’ve got mail diy project!
1. gather your supplies.
this project cost me only $1 because i had all of the supplies on hand except the little mailbox from target. dig in your supply closet & use things you already have!
2. decorate your mailbox!
i used washi tape & a kraft heart for my mailbox flag & a white card along with fun tape & a doily tied with red gingham ribbon.
3. fill your mailbox with little notes.
i had some kraft paper so i cut it into little strips. i keep it close by on my desk so once i remember something i love about luke, i quickly write it down & tuck it away in his mailbox
4. gift it!
luke & i will not be sharing valentine’s day together as he will sadly be out-of-town so i plan to tuck this in his car the morning before he leaves as a surprise. other ideas might be to place it on their nightstand on valentine’s day morning or in their work bag for them to find that day.
do you have any other ideas for valentine’s day projects? i would love to hear!
love,
natalie
i have wanted to make one of these little gnomey hats since i first saw ella’s kiddos wearing them a couple of years ago. when i heard the news that i would be an aunt (yay!), i knew exactly what to knit up this new bundle of sweetness.
this little project was off the needles just as quickly as it was on making for a very satisfying knit. i found the pattern here & i love the results. i made a few adjustments & decided to knit the hat in the round. i used leftover yarn in a wool blend for easy washing. i also made it a bit bigger so he can grow into it as my little nephew oliver will be due in early april just as it is warming up here.
with all of the excitment of a new babe, i have started peeking at the baby section at the local thrift. i picked up this little outfit for just under a dollar & added a little handmade touch of simple embroidered hearts.
i cannot wait to meet little ollie!
oh & one more thing- the quilt is FINISHED! here’s just a peek!
happy monday!
love,
natalie
p.s. if you are not a knitter, you can pick up a gnomey hat of your own from ella’s darling etsy shop!