All posts in Little Things

Lightning Love

Baby Boy’s Lightning McQueen looks like he got a new paint job! He was pretty banged up from love earlier this week and now look at that shine!

Well, Baby Boy took his favorite car everywhere he went and one day he didn’t return home with him. After two days of my two year old’s sad song we got him a new car and a buddy, Mater! Who can listen to ‘Where my Libning McBeen? I liiiiiiike Libning…’ for longer really! Baby Boy isn’t into a lot of toys, all he really enjoys is spity noises while he drives his Lightning McQueen around so if I have to make this little car reappear a few times in Baby Boys life time I will.

TTFN

Pull Them Up

Little Woman gets very perturbed if I don’t allow her the time she needs to pull her socks all the way up.

Pull your socks up,
wear them with pride,
look em in the eye and declare,
‘I wear my socks up high!’

TTFN

Christmas Milk


A delightful and quiet evening with just the kids, the dog and us at home.
A cute cartoon for them to enjoy,
A big blanket for all four kids, and the dog, to share snuggles under.
A special intermission of ‘Christmas milk and gingersnaps’.
A collection of Christmas milk mustaches for mommy to clean off before the movie starts again.
A sweet child of mine exclaiming ‘as soon as we finish this Christmas milk we must get more!’

I just adore that they call Eggnog ‘Christmas milk’ and hope it is our families own little name for it for years to come.

TTFN

Bread Day Trumps The Dreary Day

It has been a good year for bread making. There seems to always be one dreary day a week. These days are crying out for cheerful bellies full of fresh bread. Even if I can’t find the motivation to leave the house I know I can be productive enough by getting the weekly 8 loaves done.

Pounding the dough first thing in the morning wakes me up and is a good work out. I then feel great anticipation as I gently place it in my grandmothers extra large bread bowl and wrap it. It is wrapped in my precious (and otherwise now unused) baby blankets. Cute and cozy the dough sits above the dish washer (where it is toasty warm) rising nicely while the washer chugs away. Panning the bread is done by happy hands, thankful to be productive on a dull and gloomy day.

In spite of the evening closing in, the house turns golden warm as the oven heats up and I rush each batch in and out . Extra little hands are eager to help me at this point as they all want to get their teeth into at least one loaf while it is still warm. However, I always insist they wait until the cooling process under the damp towels is done. With a heart full to bursting at another victoriously domestic day I bag the loaves and march them off to the freezer… while my family cuts into the sacrificial ‘tester’ loaf and gushes over its taste and texture.

At present, I am barely past the making of the dough stage and just the thought of our weekly home made bread routine playing out has put a smile on my face.

TTFN

Domestic Treasures at The Thrift Shop!

OH SO PRETTY!

Some times you walk into a treasure trove when you hit the thrift shop! I found so many domestic treasures I couldn’t help but grin at the check out lady. I don’t think she got where my enthusiasm was coming from but no matter, I was thrilled with my finds!

Oh doilies! I was just talking about doilies in a post days ago and then I found two pretty little ones that match my couch colors!I love cheery blue, and they are soft… I know they are napkins but they might become handkerchiefs so I can carry them in my purse.How could I pass up a crochet apron! The work that went into this! AND it is pink! BONUS!Speaking of aprons! Found two adorable ones for my kids!Someone made this apron from tea towels!Pretty sure these where meant to be place mats. There where four of them and they where sown together by hand! I grabbed the two that weren’t stained and intend to use them in doily fashion.

This last item isn’t nearly as domestic and definitely not handmade but nevertheless it is charming. When you have a baby boy that likes to play puppy all the time you don’t pass up a little puppy hoody for only a couple dollars!

Ah the life of a thrift hunter is so often rewarding!

TTFN

Ruth’s Doily

Doily- an ornamental mat, originally the name of a fabric named after a 17th century London draper. It originally meant ‘genteel, affordable woolens’. Often crocheted or knit with open work that reveals underlying objects. Although decorative they also have the purpose of protecting wood furniture from scratches caused by decorative objects place atop it.

The above doily is not the typical round crochet type. It is rectangular and only crochet on the edges. Otherwise it is most appealing and decorative because of the embroidery. This cloth not only adds a flare of tradition to my sitting room because it is an old fashioned doily but also because it was crocheted and embroidered by my great great aunt (my grandmothers aunt). I had it sitting in a box of linens for a long time, waiting for the right spot for it. The day I found it again and placed it in my sitting room I was amazed at how cheerful it is and how much it makes me think of Aunt Ruth.

TTFN

Grandmother’s Ivy

Such a happy ivy! Spreading eagerly all around! I need to decide where I want to encourage it to grow and put up some tacks for it! This plant is practically a family heirloom! It came from the large hoop of ivy my mother has in her living room and I believe that hoop was originally started by my grandmother Smith. I am pleased as punch to have this little part of my grandmothers ivy growing in my own home as it so cheerfully did in hers years ago.

TTFN

Domestic Damsel Smiles

This domestic damsel has two little things to smile about today, one is purely a pleasure and the other a sweet solution.

The Autumn ApronSmiles come easily as I put on my newest apron. It reminds me of autumn in a whimsical way and it has a multi layered ridiculously adorable sense of humor.

The Table Runner
Working at decorating my sitting room in a traditional look, with gold highlights, has meant I have not been willing to share space with Garnet’s silver and very modern looking electric piano. A while back I was complaining to my sister Casey about it when she suggested I cover it with something that matches my living room… I joked that I didn’t have a doily big enough (it is old fashioned but I do love a pretty doily)… the next day my mother in law left this table runner for me in the hope that I had something I could use it for. With the help of a green table cloth I have put that table runner to good use. It is the compromise between my husbands modern piano and my traditional sitting room. Truly just a little thing but I am so tickled by how it all worked out.

TTFN

Nap Luv

I can’t help it, it is genetic! My mother always relished a snug afternoon nap and so do I. Today’s was particularly delicious because of the company. I stretched out on my pretty pink couch and looking over spotted two nap pals that where just as warm curled up in the sun as I. Little Woman hasn’t been as loyal a napper of late and so she surprised me with no protest today… My dog, well he was so cute I couldn’t ignore him either. It sure is hard to resist talking about my dog too much! He is such a darling addition to our family and as long as he continues to happily partake in nap hour he will easily win my heart.

TTFN

My Autumn Hat


I so enjoy a new hat. A good hat that looks fabulous on makes me feel put together in a moment. This sweet little grey number is my first hat in this color. It felt like fall to me thanks to its soft and cozy material as well as its relaxed fit.

It is very important to try many hats on when trying to pick one. The one for you is almost never the one that looks really pretty on the hat hook… unless you have an eye for hats because you are a seasoned hat collector. I found this hat in a book store. While most around me where busy burrowing through the book collection I was busy trying on every hat they had on display.

Since it feels like a fast favorite I’ve decided to start sharing my best hats on here under the ‘little things’ label. Watch for more and may you all find a hat that is right for you!

TTFN