Life in Focus

vintage inspired project #1 :: family heart

Our Family  Heart

A wonderful new book made it's way to my nightstand and it came at just the right time for me!
I've read it cover to cover a few times and have savored every sweet and inspiring word within it. It simply makes me happy and fills me with the urge to get up and create something! 

Recently, my almost 13 year old daughter got to travel (for the first time by herself) to visit her aunt in Colorado....kind of a right of passage in our family.  She was so surprised to find this little treasure tucked away in her suitcase. I created our family heart out of vintage chenille fabric stuffed with cotton and dried lavender from our herb garden.  The vintage doily pocket holds a note full of love and comfort.  So much fun to make, these little hearts would be great gifts to give anyone on your list!

Hope you enjoy  a "family heart" filled weekend!

vintage inspiration

Over the course of the past few months, I have found myself inspired by and drawn to the memories of another time, long ago.  It's in this vintage inspiration that I imagine what my great grandmother's lives were like and how very different their day to day agenda was.  Today, in what is often a hectic world moving at an unbelievably rapid pace, I'm drawn to learning and understanding a slower and more simplistic time.  A time when bread was baked from scratch for the evening meal and a winter hat was knit out of necessity. It's in this learning that I feel a closer connection to the women before me and I feel inspired to appreciate the details of a homemade life more than ever before.

I've found myself with the excitement of a kid in a candy store on flea market day and have made plenty of stops at the local thrift stores, estate sales, and antique markets. It's during these shopping excursions that I feel like I'm walking through a history book and I could spend hours hunting for that special treasure.  I think about the possible stories that come with each piece and the hands that touched it so long ago ...and it becomes even more special.  I never know if my finds will end up as part of our home decor or in an art project, but I have discovered that giving a new life to something old is not only fun but a great way to live the greener life that I strive for.

Right now, I have big plans for that stack of goodies you see in the photo above and I can't wait to get started!

today

waiting for a phone call from my daughter to say she's arrived.

noticing that my son is officially taller than me.

running three miles.

hoping to get some time to work in the garden.

planning a fun and productive week with the boys.

listening to the rain come down hard.

looking for a rainbow.

reading an inspiring new book.

admiring some seriously cool lego creations.

eating hummus and veggies for lunch.

loving these summer days.

adventuring

It seems that all of my time lately is being spent outside, in the fresh air and warmth of the summer season.  I find myself only stopping in my studio for brief visits as I collect inspired thoughts and jot them down for another day.   With each and every adventure that we take, I feel the muse stir inside of me and I am in harmony with my spirit. 

Last weekend was just such an adventure as our family hiked and hiked and hiked a total of 12 miles....through forests, waterfalls, gorges, canyons, and caves.  It was spectacular and challenging and left us happy and deserving of ice cream for dinner.   

When we got home, we couldn't wait to put our newly earned medallions on our hiking sticks...sort of a "badge of honor" tradition of ours that celebrates the fact that we were there.

Have you seen these? Most of the national parks have them in their visitor center gift shops and even some of the state parks have them too. They are so cool and so fun to collect!

It certainly does make the accomplishment of a hike that much more exciting for a kid (um, and a mama) when they get to add yet another one of these shiny rewards to their stick! I like to think that my kids will be hiking with their own children one day and carrying along this bit of themselves and our family as they go.

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So, I suppose I'll get the opportunity to spend time amongst my art supplies soon enough.  But, for now, adventuring and making these memories with my family are where I want to be.