June 28: Tea Box of Thank Yous

I was thinking yesterday that I need to say thank you more or, even better, give surprise thank yous more. When I stop and think about it, people are blessing me in different ways all the time, and often I don't take the time to truly appreciate those blessings or people. So, today I decided I was going to make some thank you cards. When I went the crafty closet to get supplies, I found this little box of thank yous already made up, just waiting to have notes written in them. Hmm, I must have had this same idea some time ago and never followed through. Yup, that sounds like me. Instead of making more cards, I will write a few of these out and send them on their way.

These thank you cards are made with the 'Pick a Petal' stamp set from Stampin' Up.  

June 26: Charleston Adventure

No posts in over a week? Where has that girl been? 

Well, I am back, and I have been...

• enjoying southern culture
• sitting on the beach
• soaking in the sun
• loosing bocce ball games
• reading 
• sightseeing around Charleston
• laughing with family
• enjoying good food
• taking evening strolls

But, tomorrow morning it is back to the important task of making morning lattes. So, after I water my thirsting plants, I am off to sit by the pool for one last day off. 

A few shots from Boone Hall Plantation. The old buttons and bottles were found while excavating the old slave houses. 

June 17: I Love You...So Much

Happy Father's Day Dad!

It is true.

Idea found at A Day In My Life; what a great one it was. I just changed the words in the center of the card and hand wrote the words instead of using transfers.

June 16: Spinach, Ham, and Cheesy Sauce Pasta

Truth 1: I believe pretty much everything tastes good with a cheesy sauce.

Truth 2: I put these ingredients together because they were pretty much all we had on hand.

Truth 3: It turned out delicious.

Cheesy Sauce

1-2 Tablespoon butter

2 Tablespoons flour

a little salt

1 cup milk

1/2 cup grated cheese (I used cheddar)

a squirt of spicy brown mustard

Melt butter in saucepan, blend in flour, stirring until bubbly, using whisk to prevent lumps (or get out lumps when they inevitably happen), stir in milk, cook until smooth and desired thickness (cheese will make it even thicker), add cheese and mustard, heat and stir until melted.

For the pasta, spinach, and ham, well I cooked them all in one pot. Who doesn't love that. I boiled water and cooked pasta as recommended, during the last few minutes of pasta cooking, I added to the pot the spinach and ham so they would warm up as well.

Easy and more importantly, Yum.

June 15: Button Hair Ties

These button hair ties were a quick little project for a Friday afternoon. I have seen pictures of them here and there around this big, wide, online world of ours. Since by the end of each day (or by mid-morning) my hair seems to make its way into a ponytail, I am sure they will be well used. 

First I searched my button jar for buttons with holes on the back

Slide one end of hair tie through button hole

Pull other end of hair tie through the loop made by putting the end through the button hole

Pull hair tie tight so button is attached to one side

I used a tooth pick to help get the hair tie through the buttons with a smaller hole

June 14: Online Photo Books vs. Handmade Scrapbooks

I like scrapbooking and admit it does take a good amount of time to make a nice, well put together album. But, man, I spent forever working on a online photo book today (and still did not finish). I think doing all that cutting and arranging and gluing by hand is easier than all the cropping, choosing layouts and backgrounds and embellishments, and rearranging online. Although I guess you have to make all the same decisions when working on a handmade scrapbook. 

I think I prefer handmade, but for this occasion it had to be done online. So, with a strong cup of tea, I learned to conquered the Shutterfly website. I will say I liked the new custom path in which I didn't just have to fill in a template but was able to rearrange everything just the way I liked it. I got a good start to the book and plan on handing the finishing touches over to J, who is much more the computer person than I.

June 12: Aprons and Embroidery Etsy Update

I have been meaning to get around to updating my Etsy shop with last week's embroidery projects and the new aprons. This rainy (and I do mean rainy, the pouring rain kind) afternoon provided the perfect time. Check it out here or click the link below. Thanks for stopping by.

restoringJOY

Creating handmade goods to bring joy to me and you.

re∙store (rĭ-stôr΄) v. To bring back into existence or use. + joy (joi) n. A source of great pleasure.
Check out my Etsy Shop, restoringJoy! The process of constructing handmade goods restores joy to my life. My hope is that receiving them will also bring pleasure to yours.

June 8: Act, Love, Walk Embroidery

He has shown you, O man, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you? 

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

- Micah 6:8

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And, in case you missed the other embroidery projects of embroidery week:

June 7: Joy Embroidery

Varied, white buttons on a bright, pretty, blue fabric, looks like joy to me.

June 6: Sweet, Colorful Birdy Embroidery

Just a sweet little birdy stopping by to say, "Happy Wednesday!"

June 5: Embroidery Sampler

Embroidery week, day 2, a sampler.

Stitch ideas can from this post.

Simple and fun.

June 4: Be Still

I think it is going to be an embroidery week. 

Today, simple words with blue star bursts in a 3" hoop.

Lovely.

June 3: Aprons, Aprons, Aprons

I have been working on these beauties for a little while. First I did some embroidery, then spent last week working on the various steps of making these 7 aprons. I mostly followed the steps I did in making the  pillowcase apron (some of these were a pillowcase, some fabric about the same size). I plan on selling them to help raise money for my trip to Haiti, but first I had to try them all on. There are a few (okay, all of them) that I want to keep for myself, to brighten up the coffee shop. But, no, I have to be strong; they will all find happy homes and brighten up someone else's days. Take a look...

June 2: It is Well

The sunny, mid-seventies day meant it was too nice to sit at my sewing machine and finish up the project I was hoping to. Instead, J and I walked downtown and sat on the State House lawn. We very much enjoyed the afternoon soaking up the sun, people watching, reading, and doing a little embroidery (me of course, not J).

1. 
   

   It Is Well with My Soul : Horatio G. Spafford

   
   
   When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
   When sorrows like sea billows roll;
   Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
   It is well, it is well, with my soul.
   • Refrain:
     It is well, with my soul,
     It is well, it is well, with my soul.
2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
   Let this blest assurance control,
   That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
   And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
3. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
   My sin, not in part but the whole,
   Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
   Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
4. For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
   If Jordan above me shall roll,
   No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
   Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
5. But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
   The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
   Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
   Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
6. And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
   The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
   The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
   Even so, it is well with my soul.
   
   
   
   
   

June 1: Shell Mosaics

All week I have been busily working on a project that I hope will be complete and posted tomorrow; sorry I have neglected blogging since Tuesday. I have been working mornings and, after a little nap for energy, working on that project. So, today I wanted to share one of my favorite projects, shell mosaics. They were super simple to make, always get complements from visitors, and remind me of Massachusetts beaches. 

Materials: 

shells

canvas

craft clue

paint brush or piece of cardboard

Steps:

-Wash and let shells dry completely

-Cover canvas (or piece of canvas if using something on the larger side) with thin layer of glue. Squeeze glue directly on canvas and use paint brush or a piece of cardboard to spread it out.

-Place shells in glue on canvas

-Let dry completely

-Hang on wall

I don't have any in the process photos, but here are a few closer ups of the finished ones (these are each 16" by 20" canvases).

Slipper Shells

Sand from Winter Island

Mussel Shells