crazy for daisies...

I'm sure by now you've noticed I've been tweaking my blog appearance.

I think I've finally settled on this vintage daisy theme. The inspiration was a vintage daisy feedsack in my collection.

I know I've mentioned it before that daisies are my favorite so I thought it was only right that they should feature heavily in my blog theme. ^_^

 

One of my most recent crochet projects is daisy granny squares. They are so much fun! I'm really enjoying experimenting with different colors for the background with stash yarn. My favorite is the aqua, naturally. ^_~

I tried out the "join as you go method" for joining some squares & I loved it. I used this tutorial found on Pinterest.  {Oh, I followed this tutorial for the daisy grannies, also found on Pinterest. I ♡ you, Pinterest! *blows kisses*}

I'm so in love with my new theme that I even committed to having some [square!] business cards made.

Happy Tuesday!

Much Love,

Miss Michelle ^_^

meet Astrid the aqua sewing machine! {+ what I've been up to lately}...

 

 Isn't she a beaut?

She's actually a bit darker colored in person.

(It's so hard to get a good pic indoors.)

My sweet parents made my day year by buying me this retro chic sewing machine in my favorite color.

She'll be perfect for stitching up more bedsheet dresses such as...

 

 

this one that I made this past week.

 

 

 ~*~

I've also been doing a bit of decorating.

 

 

These pink wall pocket baskets were a steal of a deal for 70 cents from a favorite antique mall that was {sadly} closing. The faux strawberry plants were dissected from a thrift store find for $3.50.
{Isn't faux such a much nicer way to say fake? *wink*}

 

 

This sweet planter from Target, reminiscent of a vintage head vase, was originally intended to have a succulent atop her head, but I think that this pink yarn bun fits my style even better! Doesn't she look like a giant egg cup though? *giggles*

 

 

This wire wastebasket was from the dollar section of Target for $3!

It makes such fun & cute storage for extra yarn leftover from previous projects.

 

 

The colors of this baby blankie I made for a friend's baby girl make me think of yummy saltwater taffy.

 

 

Though it may be in the 90s still outside in my neck of the woods,

inside our house it is decidedly Autumnal,

September 1st being our un-official first day of Fall.
Lovely 70s are forecast for next week though.
I can hardly wait for crisp air, colorful crunchy leaves, snuggly sweaters, & sturdy boots.

 

What have you been up to?

 

Much love,

Miss Michelle ^_^

the almost lost art of thank you notes...

Do you still write thank you notes?



 I try to as often as possible.

 

It seems to me it's not as commonplace as it used to be.

I think in our greedy, more is more society any opportunity to show gratitude is a wonderful thing.

And who doesn't like receiving happy mail, I ask you?!

One of the first thank you notes I remember receiving was from the leader of Junior Choir at church, I was probably 7 or 8. I can't even remember what the note was thanking me for, but I do recall being so excited about receiving my very own piece of mail that I asked Mom if I could send a "You're Welcome" note in return. I was quite disappointed to find out that wasn't a thing. In my child's mind it was the only appropriate response since it was instilled in me to tell someone you're welcome if they told me thank you. haha!

A little while back I heard that they are no longer going to be teaching cursive handwriting in school. I think that is a shame. I read an article once that said something about how important handwriting really is. They made a point that when you hand write something you use more of the old noodle than you do when you type. Isn't that interesting? I couldn't find a link to the article, but here is a post that talks about the article to which I'm referring.

I can speak from experience that pieces of handwriting from loved ones now gone is something I treasure. For years I cleaned house for my great grandma, Grandma Lou, and did a little shopping for her too. I saved one of the notes she left me with the grocery list. She would have me do little mending jobs for her as well since she, an excellent seamstress herself, was no longer able. The note read: "Michelle, Could you put in a new zipper? This one is nuts. Gram" hahaha! She was such a hoot.

So, I sat out on the deck on an unseasonable mild afternoon
& started writing.
{Making a photo worthy display beforehand of course. *wink*}
Then I got to thinking about being thankful.

Being thankful is so important.
We are told to be thankful to God for everything in all circumstances.
{In each & every case it's always far better than what we truly deserve.}





"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,

to which indeed you were called in one body;

and be thankful.

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,

 singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks through Him to God the Father."

{Colossians 3:15-17}



"Rejoice always;

pray without ceasing;

in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

{1 Thessalonians 5:16-18}



"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

 Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation, by prayer and petition,

with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God.

 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

{Philippians 4:4-7}



Did you notice how often the words 'rejoice' & 'grateful' or 'thankful' are in the same passage?

Ah, nothing cultivates the joy of the Lord quite like giving thanks to Him.

It puts things into the right perspective.

We remember that He is in control.

All things are filtered through His loving hands.

How can you help but have joy when this is the case?

 

When we thank someone for some kind thing that they have done for us we ultimately thank God as well because He is the One Who put these givers in our lives.

 

Let us always be thankful to Him for the innumerable gifts He gives us every day. ^_^

{But especially that greatest gift of all: His beloved Son, Who gave His life a ransom for those who will believe in Him & His sufficient sacrifice to reconcile wretched sinners to Himself.}

 

So, next time you're penning thank you notes

to those who are a blessing to you,

remember the ultimate Giver.

 

{And be sure to take a coffee & cake break
when your hand starts to get a bit tired.}

~*~

Do you have any treasured memories connected with hand writing?

How often do you hand write things?
 

^_^

Much Love,

Michelle
{Yep, I took the piccies & I ate that cake. It was good.}

The Great British Birthday Party

This post is a little later than normal, but still on Tuesday...

so it totally counts for keeping to my blogging schedule.

Well, yesterday morning I awoke without a clue as to what I was even going to write about for this week's post. I normally have a few ideas to choose from, and have already started on it by that point.

So, I just went about my business of the day hoping something would come to mind.

I did my laundry.

{Not too blog worthy. I've already shared my love for line dried sheets & wicker laundry baskets several times here.}

I had a dentist appointment for an impression for my permanent crown for the tooth which had to have the implant done.

{Definitely NOT blog worthy.}

My sister Aimee went with me since we had made plans to go to our friend Taylor's house for a cup of coffee and a nice visit after my appointment.

We ended up having a little extra time before we were expected there so we grabbed a bite to eat at DQ & stopped by HomeGoods to see if there was anything we just had to have.

Didn't end up buying anything. Which is just fine. Plus we'll be going back next Monday since it's my {30th!} birthday.

So, we arrived at Taylor's house & through the big window next to her front door I spied some Union Jack bunting hanging in her dining room.

My first thought was "Aww, that sweetie must've decorated for us coming to visit."

When we stepped inside we were greeted by shouts of "SURPRISE!" & out popped not only Taylor, but her sister Gus and my other sisters Beth & Kelsey! (As well as baby Joel!)

Needless to say I was surprised. ;)



These gals sure know how to put together a theme.
They did The Great British Bake Off.
A mutual favorite of ours.
Plus they know how much of an anglophile I am. ^_^
 



 

If you've even seen the show you will immediately recognize the red gingham tablecloth.

Our place cards were our photos just like the contestants on the show have behind their bakes.



There were beautiful cottage garden flowers.

{I'm guessing from Gus' garden.}

Beth made yummy cucumber sandwiches.



 

Tay & Gus even made a Prinsesstårta {Swedish Princess Cake}

Oh. my. word. It was good.

 

 

Beth, me, & Aims enjoying Taylor's wonderful coffee.

I wish we would've got pics of all of us together, but oh well.

We'll always have the memories. ^_^



 

Aimee remembered that I once mentioned that I've always wanted to try this striped peanut butter & jelly ever since the first time I saw it on the movie Matilda when I was a little girl. Wasn't it just so thoughtful of her to remember? Now all I need is Miss Honey's cottage & my life will be complete. ;)



 

Beth got me very English gifts as well!

A cast iron scottie dog, yummy buscuits in a cute tin, & wonderful "Cups of Tea" scented lotion.



 

How cute is this children's book Kelsey gave me.

{I love cute kids' books!}

It's about a little girl who knits sweaters for all and sundry.

Very appropriate, no? ;)

 

 

It was such a wonderful party!

I feel so very blessed to have such dear & thoughtful friends & sisters in Christ.

Thanks again girls for all that you did.

Probably my favorite part of the party was after we had all eaten our fill...

(Well, eaten our "stuffed like a sausage about to burst" may be more appropriate.) ;)

we retired to the living room & had a delightful chat.

There's never a lull in the conversation with these dear ones,

and it always ends up centering around the Lord.

 

~*~

 

Have you ever seen The Great British Bake Off?

 

{If you have}

Do you have a favorite judge?

 

What dessert would you most like to try from the show?

 

Much love,

Miss Michelle ^_^

{Photos with the Delightful Handwork watermark by me. Others by Gus.}



the heart of the home...

Would you like to take a step inside my sister's kitchen & look around?

 

 

You'll love it here, it's one of the coziest places I know.

I love to sit and chat over a cup of tea or coffee by the big picture window that looks over her patio where the kids are playing, and her flower garden where bees are buzzing & butterflies are fluttering.

 

When a kitchen sink is as gorgeous as this it makes washing dishes a joy!

 {And how perfectly does this vintage tablecloth that's doing duty as a skirt apron match the cabinet?! I just can't get over it.}
 

 

 Some of those flowers usually find their way indoors, bringing their freshness & sunshine with them.

 

 

 Kitschy kitchen goodness is in every nook and cranny.

 

 

Of my three sisters, Beth & I probably have the most similar decorating style.

We both love anything cheerful, farmy, kitschy, & vintage.

Which can make garage sale-ing together a little tense.

Just kidding. We share pretty well. ^_^

 

 

In Beth's country kitchen there's always sure to be some fresh veggies about the place this time of year.

That's bound to be when your husband is a landscaper & expert gardener with about 4 or 5 vegetable patches.

{I've lost count how many actually...there seem to be more every year!}

 

 

Even her ceiling fan is cute for cryin' out loud!

We affectionately call it a fandelier.



 

I helped her paint her cabinets this beautiful shade of Annie Sloan chalk paint, Henrietta, a couple years back. The insides are painted with Antoinette & have Hello Kitty liner on the shelves. I neglected to take a piccy of that, but I'm sure you can picture it.

There's nothing like climbing around on the counter tops with the Beatles playing in the background whilst sipping endless cuppas with your sister.



 Speaking of cuppas...

here is the all important coffee counter.

*angelic choir music plays*

{I'm irritated with myself for accidentally cutting off the head of the cute crocheted chick-i-poo on top of her lil Keurig. Bah. Didn't realize I'd done it till I got these piccies on the 'puter. You can see it un-decapitated in the previous photo though!}

 

{A refrigerator isn't complete without some artwork!}

Even the fridge got a makeover!

She glued a pretty wood decal thingy on & then painted over it.

That chalk paint really does stick to anything.

I gave her this old metal garbage can & gave it a coat of Antoinette.

{Oscar the Grouch simply couldn't make his mortgage payments anymore & had to move to a smaller can. ^_~ You know, the economy & stuff.}

 

 

Everywhere you look there's something cute to make you smile...
this corner cabinet which belonged to our great grandma is a home to all sorts of cute tchotchkes...
vintage hanky bunting adorns the window...
and some adorable vintage wicker umbrellas hang jauntily from a hook.



 

Possibly one of my favorite things about Beth's kitchen is that she always has something yummy baked. {And she's always willing to cut you a slice} It was yummy zucchini bread this time with zukes from {one of} their garden{s}.  ;)

If you're interested in the recipe she said she uses Better Homes & Gardens' Recipe, but without the nuts cuz eww. ;P

I hope you've enjoyed your visit to Bethie's kitchen!

Much love,
Miss Michelle ^_^
{Photos by yours truly}

the friendliest flower {Auntie & Niece Style No. 1}...

I've been a fan of the Mother/Daughter fashions that seem to have had their heyday in the 50s for a long while now. I blame my Mother really. (Poor Moms. They get blamed for everything.) ;P Mine got me started with my love for matchy-matchy apparel since she made coordinating Daisy Kingdom dresses for my younger sister & me when we were little girls. Though it may be dorky...at this point I don't give a hoot.
{Being well and firmly established in my dorkiness.}
 



The Lord hasn't made me a mother, but He HAS made me an aunt!
I am so blessed with this niece who doesn't mind matching her ol' auntie.


{Pinterest Sources: 1*2*3}

{and another lil niece who'll get in on this action soon enough

& 4 nephews...who probably...won't. ha!}

 

You may have noticed from previous posts that I haven't been wearing much vintage lately. I tend to go through spurts of wearing it a lot and then not so much. I'm in a not so much phase right now. I still L-O-V-E all things vintage, but I just haven't been very dedicated to the wearing of it lately. Part of the reason being that I've lost some pounds and not much of my old wardrobe fits quite right. (Not that I'm complaining about it by any means. Lol!)

I'd have to put some serious work into making a new vintage wardrobe, and I'm just not feeling it right now. I'd say my style is still very much vintage inspired, but there are times when I just wanna wear skinny jeans...or overalls...or modern clothes. That blasted Lauren Conrad keeps coming out with something beautiful to tempt me in her line of clothing at Kohl's.

And I'm ok with that.

My style has always been pretty eclectic anyway.

 

But anyhoo...

I've entitled Abbey & my matching frocks "the friendliest flower" because of the "You've Got Mail" quote about daisies being the friendliest flower. ^_^

I already have some ideas for other installments of Auntie & Niece Style too, but I had to start somewhere and these super simple pre-smocked lovelies were a good way to kick it off.



 

Daisies are pretty much my very favorite flower.

Their sweet simplicity & happy lil them-ness just gets me.

 

 

I love them as a motif for decorating too. This daisy handkerchief & candle ring brighten up my bedside table. I also started these seeds this year so hopefully I'll have my own friendly blooms for years to come.

It's a given that if I have a bouquet of these cuties about the house
I'm bound to take a picture {or two or 5,037)
and then if I take a picture I'm bound to add a verse or quote to it.
It's just the way it is.
^_~

And Yardley of London's Royal English Daisy is my favorite perfume.
Though daisies aren't actually particularly fragrant it captures the cheery feeling that daisies evoke.
 

 

 While this isn't the first time Abbs & I were caught "twinning"

 

It is the first time I specifically made us matching apparel.

 

 

So when I found this adorable "Style in an Instant" fabric from Joann Fabrics I just couldn't resist the cheery daisy & gingham print - two of my favorite things! It was a breeze to whip up. Just one seam. I took the fabric to WallyWorld (Wal-Mart) to find matching tank tops & there ya go.

 



 

We didn't have a field full of dancing daisies in which to take our pics so we used the next best thing - a row of ginormous sunny sunflowers!

Cuz you know daisies & sunflowers go together like peanut butter & jelly.

{That's a metaphor. Don't eat these flowers.}



 The best shenanigans are gotten up to with this girl.

 

I better hurry up & make more matching things before she gets embarrassed of me. ^_~

 

~*~

 

What's your opinion on the matchy-matchy thing?

Super dorky or kitschy cute?

 

What's your favorite flower?

 

Much love,

Miss Michelle ^_^

 

{Photos of Abbs & me by my sister Aims. Others by moi.}