wedding season

It is definitely that time of year again that wedding weekends are the norm (and I truly love weddings!).

In honor of having started this blog and trying to be more creative, I decided to make some homemade gifts for the happy couples. Some of the most memorable things we got for our wedding were homemade and original.  One of my favorite wedding gifts is a set of four aluminum coasters that my cousin designed and created- he calls them the "Custom Custer Coasters".  I love them!

In lieu of my recent spray painting project, I decided to keep that train on the tracks and come up with some personalized tea towels.  Once again, I used a trusty old cereal box to cut my own stencils and basic fabric spray paint. Here are some samples:

 

 

**what are some of your favorite wedding gifts you've gotten or given?**

the aftermath

This past two weeks has been a bit of a whirlwind.  My grandma passed away unexpectedly two weeks ago (more on that later), which took us home to Lancaster for much needed time with family.  Then, we came home for two days of work and left again for Pennsylvania for a planned camping weekend, that actually lasted a few extra days for Project X (a term I will use to describe something that will be discussed in greater detail in the future).

Finally, we arrived back home yesterday and I have been trying to recover my sanity and keep my head above water.  And in spite of my feeble attempts to balance recent life, when I look back over the pictures and highlights of the past few weeks, they bring me such joy for the time out of routine and time with those that I love.  I feel so grateful for my family, friends, and great weekends.  

Here are the highlights, according to my iPhone:

 

 

 

 

 

**these pictures include time with my family, a weekend in Ohiopyle at a great beer festival, and a necessary and wonderful gals' date at a great wine bar in Winston, Silo**

**have a good week- more crafting to come**

burr...

BURR....it is so chilly out today, on this North Carolina June day, I wish I had a long sleeved shirt! (Clearly, this is a staged and incredibly sarcastic shot, and I think it's an embarrassing picture, but albeit, hilarious.) I recently saw a shirt in Francesca's, a guilty-pleasure boutique that I love, and wanted to recreate it, using secondhand material. It is a grey shirt, split in the back, with a long white shirt "tail"- sounds weird, I know, but I liked it.

So, I got a good start on the supplies at Mega Thrift (see below), and got started on the project.

 All in all, after a very frustrating afternoon, my project did not turn out quite like I wanted it too, but the lovechild of my ambition and my ruin turned into something pretty good, too. I expect this little creation to be useful for a warm day turned cool evening. 

**happy mistakes**

peas and other produce

Over the past four years living in our little home, Seth and I have learned to struggles and joys of home ownership.  There is no one else to mow, weed, plant, vacuum, dust, paint, or build except for us.  We are the owners of this little piece of earth and home and because of that we have a responsibility.

One of the first things we did when we moved in was target a little plot of earth that would be great for starting a garden.  We both like to eat healthy, fresh food, and in this economy, it doesn't hurt to grow some of your own produce.  

This year's garden has gotten off to a great start.  We've already eaten the lettuce and most of the radishes.  And one of my favorites is almost ready- PEAS! I love fresh sugar snap peas.  They are about ready and I think after we get back from our trip to Pennsylvania, they'll be ripe for the eating! 

Here are some pictures of this year's garden.  It has grown much bigger over the past 4 years, especially as we've seen what we can grow (asparagus can't get itself together, and the birds haven't let us eaten a blueberry since we planted the bushes), and how much we can eat or can for the winter.  

We started out small with 3 raised beds, approximately 4x8 feet.  After the first year, we decided to expand to its current size, approximately 20x20. It's definitely a commitment that I know not everyone has the time for, but it sure is rewarding.

If you do start a garden, start composting your food and putting it in the soil.  Fallen leaves in the autumn work great for preparing good soil, too.

Circa March 2013

April- early May 2013

 Birds-eye-view from last week when we were putting up the gutters

Peas are almost ready! (admittedly, there are a lot of weeds there).

 This apple isn't from our yard, but hopefully someday we may have some of our own.

"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt."
-Margaret Atwood

**here's to growing food (and eating it)**

secondhand pup?

I know this doesn't have a whole lot to do with living secondhand, but I have had a long, blurry day (more to come on that later) and am pretty glad my pups are right here, next to me tonight. 

We adopted Brody from an animal shelter 5 years ago.  His heart beats for tennis balls and he has special quirks, sure, but I am hopelessly in love with this dog.  Enjoy this montage....

 

**have a good wednesday**

a tray

I have found a great way to re-purpose the drawer from the little Richmond Table that I destroyed a few weeks ago (see that post here).  The drawer was perfectly intact and is still a pretty blue color- it would be ridiculous to get rid of.  So, it now serves as a tray to carry food (or anything, really) out to the deck for the summer dinners outside!

**happy monday**

a story from the life of a nurse

I have just come off of 3 days of work on this stormy Sunday, a perfect day to rest and let those three days melt away from my tightened back and neck.  I always feel tired after a 12 hour day, let alone three of them in a row. 

And though I'm so glad to be off today (who doesn't love a day off, eh?) I love my work as a nurse. I love learning how amazing (and weird) the body is.  I love seeing patients who look like they may pass from this life to the next, miraculously open their eyes, follow commands, and begin to repair the torment that happened inside their body.  I enjoy seeing the love of family members- it's rather humbling to be a part of some of their most intimate and precious times.  And I enjoy the rush of critical situations. 

On Friday, I was struck by a challenging situation- a nauseous patient.  I HATE nausea. I think it's the worst feeling, and frankly as a nurse, it's not the easiest of ailments to cure.  There are a few miraculous drugs, but they aren't a cure-all, and they can't be given closer than four hours apart, given the danger they can pose on our cardiac patients' hearts. So this means that if a drug doesn't work, I then have a 4 hour window of grasping at non-medicinal remedies like cold washcloths and fans, and quite honestly, we all just end up dry heaving.  

I left my shift Friday so tired from trying to make this person feel better.  I went to bed and got up to the roar of my alarm again on Saturday morning and lazily threw my scrubs back on.  Thankfully, the patient had found relief in the night and was transferred to a step-down unit. 

About halfway through the shift yesterday, that patient's family member came around the corner with a big smile on her face.  She was there the day before through the muck.  She gave me a big hug and handed me a box of chocolates for the entire staff and a book especially for me (we were sharing our love of Dan Brown books the day before).  She said she could tell I had done all that I could and knew that it wasn't an easy day- for the patient, but also for me.  I was so thankful to her for thinking of me and specifically telling me how grateful she was.

Her thoughtfulness has just reminded me of how good it feels to be recognized, and also how amazing it was to have a specific gesture of thanks. In our digital world, it is easier to do this, but how meaningful it was to be sought after and thanked specifically. I know how much it meant to me, so how much will it mean to someone else? That's my challenge today. 

(found a cozy chair in the guest room to chill out with a book!)

chapter 1....

**thankful today- happy sunday**