Friday

Autumnal Delights...


To see the full post please click...HERE !


Images: Rachel Whiting

Wednesday

Meet Homespun Alchemist (tm)...Manuela!

Click HERE to learn more about Homespun Alchemist, Manuela!

Saturday

What is a Homespun Alchemist (tm)?

Please enjoy this occasional feature in which we highlight...


Homespun Alchemists!!!


What is a Homespun Alchemist (tm)? They are Kindred Spirits who demonstrate the uncanny abilities to ...


Make Something From Nothing (tm)


(well...almost nothing!).



Today we'll visit THIS INSPIRING POST written by Terri of the PennyAnn Poundwise blog. In it she extents a charming glimpse into her pretty, practical world of lovely living within a limited budget. I highly recommend reading it as she generously shares a plethora of her secrets for making something from nothing...or very little.


I found it to be pure magic and, of course, was very compelled to share it here...with all of you kind kindred spirits...where I know it'll be appreciated.


Love and good thought to all.


Warmly,


Tracey and Family


x0x


~~~~~~

Thursday

"The New Can~Do Spirit"...


Recently we wrote HERE about frugal luxuries found in farm~stand bounty.


Imagine our delight when we found THIS very interesting and useful article in the LA Times reporting on the resurgence of the oft forgotten/lost skill of putting~food~by for future meals. It offers some valuable links to canning blogs that I thoroughly enjoyed reading...especially as I'm trying to preserve the bounty of the season in my own kitchen as well!


Hope you find it as interesting and useful as I!



Love and good thoughts to all.




Warmly,



Tracey and Family



x0x



P.S. If you haven't seen our simple secret for preserving fresh tomatoes click HERE!

Saturday

Summer Luxuries...DIY S'Mores Kits for Concerts in the Park

DIY S'Mores Kits

~~~~~~


Before...
after.

Every summer we meet friends and neighbors at our local marina and enjoy the 100 year tradition of city~sponsored concerts in the park. It's a frugal pleasure that we all look forward to and enjoy.


One of the little luxuries we often treat ourselves to...during the evenings of music,food and friends...is melting marshmallows over votive candles (very carefully, of course :) and using them to build s'mores! Last week, I promised some of the children that they could count on me to bring the s'mores fixing's for our next concert!

When browsing online this morning I came across these charming little gift~boxed~s'mores~kits from Project Wedding! Of course I fell in love with the way they took these very simple ingredients (see image #2) and repackaged them into charming gift/kits for easy sharing...and as my mind was on the idea of sharing I was compelled to post them here to share with all of you kind souls!!!


If you want to read detailed instructions and see more images be sure to visit HERE!
http://www.projectwedding.com/wedding-ideas/diy-s-mores-kits

Hope you're enjoying a lovely weekend...and summer.



Love and good thoughts to all.



Warmly,


Tracey and Family


x0x

Tuesday

soothing images of summer gardens...







...never enough lovely images and inspiration from the talented photography of Christine Bauer!!!



(You may also enjoy our other posts featuring Christine Bauer's work...see HERE and HERE.)




Images:Sources

Sunday

Everything's Coming Up Roses...

...see more rose~y images here !

Friday


Frugal Luxuries

Monday

Stocking the Spring Gift Pantry


"Necessity never made a good bargain."

~~Benjamin Franklin


~~~~~~


Click below to see how we're...

Working Ahead of Need: Preparing for the Holidays All Year Round

Sunday

Salt of the Earth...

Click HERE to see what we're doing with old salt shakers and pregnant onions!!!

Saturday

Rummaging Up Emblems of Spring




Please click HERE for more Rummaged~Up Emblems of Spring!

Friday

Disclosing Secrets...Magic Mottos..."Making Something From Nothing" tm


I have a little secret...actually it's not really a secret...I just haven't written about it on these blogs yet. Today, then, is the day I will tell you my little story.


Please click HERE to continue.


Tuesday

We've Been Trying to Create a Bit of Order from Chaos...






To see a little more... please click HERE !

Lace Garden Fence


Our creative Kindred Spirit, Cindy McNatt, over at...

Dirt du Jour

has an amazing post (and links) for

dressing up a utilitarian chain link fence!

I was so charmed with the concept

I had to share it with you!

Saturday

A Happy Valentine Wish


WISHING YOU LOVE ON VALENTINE'S DAY & ALWAYS.

Wednesday

Fragments of Love and Loveliness






~~~~~~

To see more click HERE.

Friday

Do You Use "The Movie Watching Technique" to Get Things Done?

Do you use "The Movie Watching Technique" to get things done?

We do!

Click HERE to see what those vintage Valentines inspired...

as we watched the Audrey Hepburn classic movie

Sabrina!




Wednesday

Ephemera...Love...Inspiration






The rain has been pelting down all afternoon!


As I rummaged through my long~time collection of vintage Valentines


I am inspired to make three or four of my own...


using material from my brimming box of recycled paper,


ribbon and doily scraps.


These are a few of my favorites...


I think I'll borrow the doily and silhouette motif to start with!

~~~~~~

Are you making Valentines this year?

How about envelopes?

Saturday

Kindling More Light...


Still inspired by light...


candles...


and ordinary things...




we continue to kindle bright ideas !!



Click HERE to see more photos!

Friday

Inspiration to Illumination: More About Candlelight Graces and Winter Luxuries




Yesterday I posted about these Winter Luxuries & Candlelight Graces


on our Frugal Luxuries blog


I made a promise to tell you more about them...


from Inspiration to Illumination!


Here's how this idea was born out.


~~~~~~~~~


I was rummaging through my tea cupboard


looking for ways to bring light to an ordinary day...


when I spied these teacups. (Below)

Note: I sought out cracked and chipped cups for this little project.



I still had the tart pans in mind from my

Magic Mason Jar project a few days ago...

(see post below)



I thought it would be fun to see if the tart pans would work well

in conjunction with the tea cups...

and came up with this look (below).

A tea cup atop a vintage tart pan.


I perched it on this log~slice that Mike had cut for me a few months

ago for our Thanksgiving buffet table.

(By the way, if you haven't already,

you need to see all the creative

things Clarice at "Storybook Woods"

does with these little log slices.)


I then began thinking about some crystal coasters I had

in my craft pantry (see below)

and began playing around to see how they looked with the teacups.

When I put them beneath the cups,

as with the tart pan above,

they too imparted a romantic, pedestal-ed look!




I then took out my Dollar Store Candles

and the Earthquake Wax/Adhesive Stick~Em Putty

and rolled little bits of it into tiny balls and

tucked them inside the center of the teacups...

firmly pressing my candles atop the putty until they were quite secure.

This is what makes the candles stand upright!





A Note of Caution:

While we've been doing this in our kitchen for years

(using all manner of holder) with no problems,

I wouldn't advise you to leave any candle unattended...

especially wispy yet charming little lights like these.

Even still,

they are lovely on the table during a meal

and they brighten~up a dark kitchen while I'm cleaning and/or cooking

...and add charm when the girls and I are

sharing a story and a pot of tea!



Here's a closer look a the tea cup atop the crystal pedestal

(formerly known as a crystal coaster).


If you'd like to see the original post click HERE!



 
CURRENT MOON