My Quote of the Month

" A woman is like a tea bag,

you never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water."

~Eleanor Roosevelt

The Laundry List of Things to Do

Washing day- Our linens on the line

Of all the chores in the universe my downfall is laundry. Anyone with me? It is the last thing I feel like doing, even if it is my own laundry! Yes, I am one of those that waits until I am out of undies...a true confession. My poor family! So, here is the weird part, you are going to die...I love doing laundry in the summer when I can hang it on my clothesline to dry! Super weird huh?

Here is what I think this Heather-ism is all about. I think it comes down to this organic connection with the simpler things in life. Then of course there is doing your laundry outside in the fresh air and sunshine too! Gotta love that! The wonderful smell of linens hung on the line(trust me there is one) and the crisp feel of them too, it really is a simple delight of life. I think my clothes fold easier and into nicely creased folds, ahhhh!

Oh I know what you are thinking...she has got to haul it out there, pin it up, take it down and fold it- how is that simpler? Well it probably isn't, but I can say with all certainty I like it better and I actually DO it! My husband would say it is in the same idiosyncrasy vein as why I have to chew two pieces of gum. Yea, I know super weird!

Here is my two-cents: I think old fashioned clothespins are the best. Stay tuned...I am making a new clothespins pouch too. I will post this soon so you can see. An old-fashion pattern with a new look, I think you will like it!

My clothepins!

Books! Books!-I Love Books!

As spring breaks forth into her glory, I love to get out my nature and gardening books to inspire my imagination. This brings me the hope of sunnier days ahead. My absolute favorite book to sit down with is a book by Edith Holden do you know it? If you are an old soul like myself, one who is a country girl at heart, loves nature and art then you know that I am talking about the book The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady.

This is the entry at the bottom of the April cover page. Mrs. Holden was a wonderful artist and so on each page denoting a new month she has illustrated what she sees in the country side in that season. For April she has painted a bird amongst the primroses and wild violets of the British country side. Just delightful!

"When Daisies red and violets blue,

and Ladies Smocks' all silver white

And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue

Do paint the meadows with delight."

Edith Holden-The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

She also includes lots of poetry, factual information about the month and seasons she gathered, mottoes of her day and lots of illustrations and watercolor paintings. She was a rather accomplished artist. But really her fame came 70 yrs. later with the publishing of this lovely and humble nature notebook.

Well, I am now spending the still chilly nights reading The Edwardian Lady~The Story of Edith Holden This book is biography. It tells of Edith's life as a child, her family- she had 4 sisters and 2 brothers. She was well educated and went to art school. In my opinion she was the pre-cursor to another of my favorites, Beatrix Potter. They seem to run along the same country path so to speak.

These are two books you should read and have on your library shelf . Both will bring warm sunshine to your soul. I enjoy reading about ordinary lives that appreciated the simple complexities of nature and the world that God created. I love that Edith Holden documented this in her art and journaling. This is a reminder to me to do the same. To place myself in nature at a particular time to remember it. This lovely journal has a well-worn organic feel to it- that old soul feel.

I know I would have liked Edith, I like to think we would have been great friends. Her country diary makes me want to get outside. It makes me want to take a stroll along the banks of a brook, on a forgotten country path and listen to birds sing and do art. And be inspired.

Remembrance Press The Girlhood Home Companion & Girlhood Tidbit #10

Girlhood is a precious time. It is a time of learning, growing, and loving. It is when you learn skills and womanly arts. It is the time to grow in your faith as a cherished creature of God's workmanship. It is a time to build loving relationships with your family and a time to discover the Godly character within yourself.

Sometimes in this world we live in it is difficult to find just the right thing to support this kind of thinking. I longed for something like this and the Lord was faithful! I would like to suggest a wonderful publication to enhance this journey for mothers, daughters, and grandmothers. It is a publication that gently sweetens this precious time like honey in a cup of tea. It is called The Girlhood Home Companion. And it is exactly that, a companion.

This self published magazine by Remembrance Press and Jill Novak was just the kind of thing I was looking for that would grow the heart of my daughters and encourage them in their pursuit of godliness, purity, and womanly arts.

I love sitting down for "girl time" with my girls sipping tea and reading or doing hand work as we learn more about each other. It has been a favorite in our household. I hope you will drop in for a visit to Remembrance Press and The Girlhood Home Companion you will leave feeling that the heart of your special girl has been refreshed, renewed and blessed.

Great News I Just Have to Share!

My heart is singing and I am laughing a bit louder today!

Why you ask...? Well I will share my news with you.

Article spread inset of choker details

I was published to my delight in a wonderful magazine called Belle Armoire. This magazine features "The Artistry of Clothing and Accessories". This is such a wonderful honor to have my sewing artwork included in this fabulous publication!

Letter inside secret pocket on choker

I submitted two pieces for an art call: "Becoming Jane". A light blue velvet choker and matching handbag highlighting our heroine herself. The choker features a hidden pocket where Miss Elizabeth of Pride and Prejudice keeps the words of love professed to her by Mr. Darcy. The handbag features a small diary attached to the front with, smokey light blue rhinestones, antique shell buttons, a lady figurehead and hand sewn medallion lace attached to the bottom of the purse. This feature article is by Amanda Crabtree and to my surprise she even wrote a lovely description of my work in her article, thanks Amanda!

Details of purse

The spread is stunning and features other fabulous and talented artisans too, who submitted handbags, hats, an Edwardian style dress and jewelry. I am honored to be among you. I hope you will check out this edition of Belle Armoire you will not be disappointed!

It Has Been Awhile...

Hi all.
I have been hibernating, anyone else feel this way?
As I grow older it seems I have become keenly aware of how seasonal I am.

Isn't that a funny thing to say?
But it is true.

Wanting to retreat, rejuvenate, heal and stay sheltered.

However, I am sensing the thaws of spring and I am waking with the sunrise. My tender shoots are pushing towards the surface to be nurtured by light and heat. Ahhhh spring....kids breaking free and running around on newly mowed grass. Baby chicks and cherry blossoms, and all the miracles of spring! New life and resurrection.

I love the glow of the sunrise through my porch windows, it has been so warm and cheery the past couple of days! I have gotten out the garden gloves, seed catalogs, I have started weeding the garden and I am starting to plan my garden plots too. Here in the Pacific Northwest we have had a slow start to spring. I even began to wonder if we might just skip it altogether this year, but my allergies have told me otherwise!

I have felt the urge to update and spring clean too. So in that tradition, my website will get a bit of rejuvenation soon. I hope you will stop by(come visit at the end of April), if you do leave me a note or comment and tell me what you think of the new look. I am still trying to get things into the attic category or should I say out of the attic for the "attic sale" but that seems to be slow going!

It seems I keep getting pulled into the fresh air of my backyard where the chickens peck and chat with one another and the music of my children giggling reminds me that this is actually where I should be living life. So Blog-land, I am slowing down to a lazy spring breeze...I want to be able to hear the Lord's whisper and feel the gentle rhythm of the season, don't you?