Ode to Living Room Blankets

A house without a pile of blankets is not a home.

We throw them out for living room picnics and cover our eyes with them during spooky nighttime movies. We wrap babies in drafty homes in them.

Blankets provide reassurance to children when they're sick. And blankies naturally feed into children's feelings of security when they're spending the night away from home. And then when they go away for their first year of college.

Blankets cover our beds and call to us when we're travelling. When we're feeling homesick, our blankets are the reason why we can't wait to "get home and sleep in our own bed."

A chevron print draped over a reading chair might contribute to well-curated home decor. Nothing fancy about 'em!


Comfort, security, warmth, reassurance, remedy and good sleep. We can attribute our feelings of home to the blankets that wrap us in their carefully-nitted yarns and woven threads.


*All of the blankets above were thrifted from various thrift stores around town. I find it exceedingly difficult to walk past the blanket shelves without stopping. I love the meaning, history, and familial connection that thrift store blankets bring with them. The top hand-knit blanket, for example, does not form a perfect rectangle. We have to fold it very carefully. This is how I know it's handmade, probably by someone's grandma for a baby shower or housewarming gift. And I actually do have the chevron blanket draped over a chair next to the bookcase where hubster's (unused) weight bench used to be. I happen to think it looks much more inviting and will get much more use:)

Two Opposite Weekends in Wisconsin

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Last weekend looked like this:

It was actually a really fun night. After what seemed like 8 inches of snow had fallen, I decided to go outside and start shovelling. I was soon joined by my big, little and four-legged boys. Once the sidewalk and driveway were all clear, we decided to take advantage of the highly-packable snow. We haven't seen much of the white stuff this season (I can't even begin to tell you how supremely odd this is unless you live here). It was 9 o' clock at night, but we were having too much fun.

This weekend, it doesn't feel like we're in the same state. Today's high was a mild 65, and Wednesday's prediction is 73. Ahhhh. In all my 28 years, I've never seen a March in Wisconsin as beautiful as this one. Usually by March, we're all pulling our hair out waiting for some green, warmth, and hint of life.

But we found our first bugs of the season, usually not seen until at least May.

And we had our first outdoor picnic of the year. I told hubster that I wasn't coming inside all day, and he couldn't make me. And I totally did. I might have even skipped church and Bible study (Dear God, please forgive me). I really felt like nothing could've made me feel more of God's presence than a day like today. I grabbed another munchkin' (Peanut's cousin), and we played outside until the clouds started rolling in. I may have even gotten a little sun-kissed. Truly amazing!

Children Pick up on Everything

Those tiny people in your life pick up on everything...

That's why I make a conscious choice to:

1. Take him with me to our polling place when we vote, to get into the habit.
2. Work out in front of him several times a week, so it's part of his daily routine.
3. Make sure he knows there are so many things to do away from the TV, so he stays productive.
4. Introduced animals from the beginning, so they're "no big deal."
5. Let him "clean" and "cook" things, with supervision, so he's well-rounded in domestic duties.
6. Read in front of and to him constantly, so he becomes a reader.
7. Stifle the swearing, so he doesn't sound like a thug.
8. Talk about "love" so he knows what to value.
9. Celebrate the holidays in meaningful ways, so he has beautiful memories.
10. Take him outside as much as possible, so he values the Earth.
11. Make teeth brushing and dentist visits fun, so his choppers and heart stay healthy.
12. Have him pay for his own new toys from monies earned, so he achieves a sense of accomplishment.
13. Hug and squeeze him many times daily, so he understands love in tangible ways.
14. Have him say "sorry," so he knows when to apologize.
15. Dance around in his underwear, so he doesn't take everything too seriously.

Toddler chest presses

DIY Key Peg Board Makeover

This hodge podge of keys really bothered me, especially once I started dreaming up ways to streamline the look a little bit.



I bought a handful of these key tags and used my brand new 1-1/4" hole punch. The circles just happened to be exactly the right size for the key tags.





I removed all the ties that the key tags came with and replaced them with some hemp ties and matching beads. I glued the 1-1/4" circles (with a standard hole punched out) to one side of the key tag and labeled the key on the other side. Hint: use "code names" for the keys so if any unsavory intruders happen upon the pegboard, they won't know exactly which key is for the garage and which is for the Mercedes. You know, just in case...



Here's the finished look. I could've made it look a little cuter, but I was going for a cohesive, understated look here. Because I'm sure my husband wouldn't appreciate his motorcycle keys all decked out in frilly pink ribbons with embroidery.


By the way, hubster is the one who made the pegboard itself. You'll have to ask him about those details. He got some quality scrap wood from work, drilled holes in it for the key hangers, and stained the board dark walnut. There was probably some sanding and varnishing in there somewhere too.

Writing Tip: Keep a Word Collection

When I was a young girl, I think my mom suggested each of us girls should start "collecting" something. I got into teddy bears for awhile, then baseball cards. Those collections have long been donated or passed on, but I still keep my prism collection in the kitchen window. Today, I would say I have a special affinity toward collecting books, pretty things made out of glass, fitness DVDs, pretty fabrics and vintage ephemera.

But there's one collection that I hadn't really noticed before: Word Collections. I guess, being a writer, it just comes naturally to pay strong attention to words and descriptions. I will often read and re-read really captivating or thoughtful descriptions, hoping maybe I'll remember the sentiment again someday. While reading magazines on the treadmill, my subconscious is always pointing out great word phrases that I could use at work. See, I like to write them on subscription cards from my fitness magazines...



Words that resonate with me (you have to understand the word nerdy-ness of a writer) are noted in my writing journal.





Sometimes they return again in a poem. Sometimes they're just there to trigger a thought. Sometimes they help me to explain things better. Oh yeah, maybe it helps build a better vocabulary too.

I started another word list in the notebook journal I carry around everywhere. Mostly these are "nice" words that I like to think about on an inspirational vintage book page:



This last one is my word collection from work. It helps me with product descriptions and such. I have a whole section dedicated to "color" descriptions and phrases that mean "fast." I have over 90 of those. Haha!



I can't always keep this many words in my head at one time. It helps to record them, especially when I hit a block. 

So my advice to other blog writers, and writers in general, is to keep a running list of word inspiration like this. I really think it helps your words stay fresh. Otherwise, just meditate on pretty words like "composure" when you're stressed out.

My Latest Thrifting Finds

Here's the latest stash of goods from my last thrift shopping adventure.


I just fell in love this cute embroidered pillow. With a good cleaning, it's now my husband's new "snuggle pillow." He likes to hug a small pillow when he's sleeping, especially when I'm not around. His old one was looking a little...um...worn.

Speaking of embroidery...it's kind of become an obsession. This beautiful embroidered picture is now hanging in our office.

This beautiful hand-knit blanket is the perfect size for a toddler bed! And the colors were perfect for the Peanut too. I guess I have to give my husband a little lesson in dryers though. He has since felted a few of these knitted squares. Oops!


I've kind of been on the lookout for a small glasses case. As I sifted through the thrift store stash, I unearthed this cutie. The vine design was worth so much more than $0.50. Yay!

I also picked up an atlas and some pretty vintage papers for my art journal. It was a productive trip, I'd say.

A Crafty Sunday Evening

This past Sunday, I had a surge of motivation that led me on a crafting frenzy. I sewed four spit-up rags for my brand-new baby nephew, whipped up one pair of super-adorable infant pants (that were supposed to be toddler pants, but oops), put together a sewn yo-yo garland, finished up a "happy birthday" banner for a work friend, ironed some wrinkly things that had been laying around, and put the finishing touches on a few other projects. I hooked up the embroidery hoop and am now dreaming of designs for a way-too-cute little onesie. Boats keep coming to mind, because his daddy's in the Navy. Maybe an anchor. We shall see.






This has got to be the best kind of therapy around. Nothing can beat me when I'm a-workin'. And there's nothing like that feeling afterwards when you look in awe at all you did and wonder how you did it. I'm going to try and remember this feeling so that next time I'm feeling down, I can replay this little trick. I'm also going to remember a few little projects that I can slip in during those 10 minute increments I keep talking about. I just love spending my time productively.

My Peanut, meanwhile, was completely engrossed in pretend play behind me. When I was done at the sewing table, he climbed his little legs up there and pretended to sew, cut, fold and perfect his little sewing craft. He brought in his two "babies" and taught them too! Those four little spit-up rags we put together are sure wrapped in a lot of love.