- exhale -

What an absolutely manic June this has been. I can say with full confidence that this has been one of the busiest, most challenging months I've experienced. April & May were filled with preparation for my first fair, and then once June 1 hit, I stepped it up a notch, panicking slightly that I wasn't going to have enough to sell. 

Then. June 14. My husband had an accident while mowing the grass. His foot slipped under the lawnmower. I've never experienced terror like I did when I heard his scream, and saw him lying motionless in our back yard. To see your most important, your favorite, your everything like that...there are no words. BUT! By the grace of God, he didn't lose his foot, or even all of any of his toes. They're not gonna be pretty, but he will have full function and be able to walk and run normally. His recovery is going to be quite long, probably at least 3 months, so could you please pray that goes smoothly? He will also most likely have skin graft surgery in 2 weeks.

I'm sure you have experienced how an accident can throw things into perspective. Suddenly the fair didn't seem so life or death, you know?! But I did pray about it and go on with my preparations, having already invested so much time and money. The upside of this whole thing is that we have gotten to spend so much time together! He sat with me at the fair and we had the absolute best time. It was fantastic. The kids spent time with our friends & family over the weekend and had a blast, so I'm calling it a success. :D

We met so many kind, enthusiastic people last weekend - and if you're one of them, thank you!! Thanks for your encouragement and patronage, and supporting handmade. 

While we're adjusting to our new, home-based normal, I'm hatching a few new plans. I have a class in the works, so look for details about that sometime next week. 

So with this new appreciation for phalanges and the important role they play, we'll be hanging out, reading books (Josh on his new Kindle!), watching Phineas & Ferb, and loving our unplanned extra time together. 

**Oh! I'm adding a few things to my shop tomorrow & Thursday - I'll post a little note here when I do.**

Small but Mighty Destash

Some good things! Click on over....

- practical project -

We have a bar in our kitchen, and it's where our kids eat 99% of the time. They destroyed a set of solid wood stools in under a year, so we replaced them with these metal stools. The tops are cushioned and swivel, but are upholstered in the ugliest fabric - which has been stained with yogurt, salsa, and who knows what. I made some pleated slipcovers, which looked great, but had to be washed constantly and didn't hold up long. Something drastic needed to be done!! I know this is a pretty basic project, but thought I'd share in case you want to tackle a project of your own.

I unscrewed the seats, removed them, and then stuck the stools in the sink for a good scrubbing. That's how bad they were. 

Then I used some taped-together sheets of wax paper to make a template for each cover.

I pulled the fabric taut on each side and stapled. 

Then went back around and stapled the excess fabric, makings sure to tuck it in so it looked nice from the top and sides. 

Then trimmed the excess fabric. 

And put the base back on! Super easy project - quick and so practical. 

Much more kid-friendly, and the color matches our kitchen perfectly. FYI, this is Heather Bailey laminated cotton, available here. The vinyl laminated surface wipes clean so easily, and feels great - so much less stiff than I imagined. If you've felt oilcloth before, this is not as "crispy" and has a great hand.

I love these three little bums. ;) 

- a happy table -

I've had the pleasure of working on a few spreads for WV Living Magazine since last fall, and this is what I came up with for the spring issue that's on sale right now. I actually remembered to take a few pictures before Katie (the assistant editor) came to my house to shoot it. Her pictures put mine to shame but I'll share anyway. ;) 

My mother-in-law lives right up the street from us and has the most incredible collection of....well, everything! She has teapots, china, glassware, serving pieces - in other words, if you're looking for it, chances are she has it. I asked her if I could "shop" her house and she was kind enough to give me free reign. This was shot in February and most of these pieces are still living at my house...shhh...I just can't let them go yet. 

I found the most beautiful tulips and greenery at Kroger, of all places, and fell in love with the teeny cabbages that are in the red pitcher. Of course they haven't had them since. 

Iced tea glasses are from our wedding china (I think there are only 5 left that haven't been broken!) and the green glasses are from my MIL. 

The feature in the magazine is to provide inspiration for a Mother's Day brunch (why did I not post this before Mother's Day?) so I made some little clay wineglass charms/tags that say things like "Mom" and "I love you". I wrote a tutorial that's in the issue - let me know if you're interested in it and I'll post it here. 

I found these beautiful soup bowls at Home Goods - they were the jumping-off point for the tablescape. It's a little hard to see, but the background of the plate is a linen texture with off-white polka dots. The white dishes are our wedding china - 10 years later I'm so glad we picked something simple that I'm not tired of looking at!

. For the napkin rings, I just cut a bit of burlap and various pieces of ribbon, wrapped them around the napkins, and then secured it with a clothespin that had been stamped with some special names. 

I got about 2 1/2 yards of burlap at the fabric store to use as a tablecloth, and then used one of these little Spouncers  (isn't that the worst word?!) and some off-white acrylic paint to mimic the design on the bowls. I love the table cloth and will probably use it in my booth for the next couple of art fairs I'm in. 

Sorry there are not any full-length shots - I had my fixed lens on and didn't have time to change it. You'll just have to grab the issue! Here is a list of the stores that carry it - you can find it all over the country! 

- full plate -

 I'm juggling an enormous amount of things right now (all good things!), and my dining room table looks like a sweatshop, but some fun things are coming out of the chaos. And it really is chaotic when you have to push aside stacks of fabric to eat dinner, and still end up eating on top of your cutting mat. I have the most patient husband EVER, God bless him.

I'm going to have a booth at this great art fair during FestivALL, which is a 10-day-long festival of concerts, exhibits, and performances. The Blues, Brews & BBQs and Wine & Jazz festival, special Mountain Stage concerts...it really is an incredibly fun week. 

I had some old boards, both barn wood and pallets, so I made some signs to sell. I had to do almost heaven...it's our motto. :) 

(the little flashcards in the top picture are from teachmama - one of my favorite sites for homeschool ideas.)

OH! And I won this incredibly generous giveaway, too! Tasha from A Little Sweetness sent me the best package, and I can't wait to make a sweet little doll quilt with the adorable fabric. 

- flowers come up -

I am full of earth
You are heaven’s worth
I am stained with dirt, prone to depravity
You are everything that is bright and clean
The antonym of me
You are divinity

But a certain sign of grace is this
From a broken earth flowers come up
Pushing through the dirt

You are holy, holy, holy
All heaven cries, “Holy, holy God”
You are holy, holy, holy
I wanna be holy like You are

- lovely flower pictures from my wonderful Erica and song from the fantastic David Crowder Band. Listen here - 

- you are so loved -

As usual, I'm behind on showing you a Christmas gift. This one was for my sister-in-law, who lives in DC (about 6 hours away from us). We miss her so much, so I thought a little memory board/shadowbox thing would be a great gift for her - I included some bits of lace, ribbon, and push pins for her to add photos of the kids and family that she doesn't get to see often. The box has a hinged glass lid, as you can see in the photo above, and is so nice and sturdy. I have another that I'm hoarding for myself. ;) 

I got the print here - and I also ordered this one for Delaney's room. I have had them favorited on Etsy forever, so when she had a buy one, get one sale before Christmas I couldn't resist. 

I did some messy stitching with my (then) new Sulky Blendables, and added in a few little felted balls. 

A free-motion stitched heart, and a piece of an old folding carpenter's ruler, just because I liked it. :) 

Now she has something to remind her of all of us even though she's hours (and lifestyles) away in the big city.