Saturday Date: Renovation Expo

Brett and I went to a renovation expo last Saturday.  As all homeowners of an older house, we have many grand plans for reno's (most of which will have to be put off for quite a while).  There were some really amazing things at the expo though.  They just happened to have the fridge and stove set that I have had my eye on.  It is the Whirlpool White Ice collection, and is the most beautiful fridge I have ever seen.  It is white, which I love.  Stainless steel remains the most popular appliance finish, but having rented places with stainless, I find it a little to hard to keep clean (the finger prints drive me crazy).  I would say I am more of a white appliance gal, but I like the stainless steel handles on the white ice set.

I love the white fridge with the stainless steel handles.

The inside - so much organization!!

I am not sure what it says about Brett and I that our date involved going to a renovation expo and looking at appliances...  But we still manage to have fun no matter where we go, so I guess that is what matters most!  Hope you have a great weekend, whatever you are doing!

Heirloom Handkerchiefs

I remember when I was a kid, over at my grandma's house.  She had a whole drawer full of linens that she had hand embroidered when she was younger.  I could spend hours looking through those linens - they were just so beautiful.  I think that it would be sad if those arts from a more traditional time were lost with our generation.  So it is important to me to try be good at these crafts so that I can pass that on.  I am going to be making a set of heirloom handkerchiefs that I will post the lace pattern and embroidery pattern for on the blog.

What you will need:
1 yard light weight linen
Coordinating thread
Light blue embroidery floss
Apple green embroidery floss
Lace from this pattern

The Pattern:
1.  Cut your hankie square 12" X 12"
2.  Iron over the hem - this is done with a double hem technique, fold over 1/2" then fold over again
3.  Sew the hem
4.  Copy the following embroidery pattern, I would just trace this right off your computer screen

5.  The green part of the embroidery is done in a back stitch, and the blue is done in a satin stitch
6.  After you finish the embroidery, hand stitch on the lace

You are done!

Handmade Crocheted Lace Pattern

Now that it looks like spring is actually on its way, I am putting away my bulky knitting and crocheting projects for more fine work.  For part of my bridesmaid's gifts at my wedding, I made everyone a monogrammed handkercheif after seeing some really pretty ones on pinterest.  After making five from total scratch (including crocheting the lace) I swore I would never ever do that again.  But after a year break from lace making I decided I wanted to make another set.  This is the first type of lace that I did and it is really straight forward.  I hope you enjoy this pattern.

What you will need:
Fine crochet thread (something that will work with a US 11/12 hook)
US 11/12 metal crochet hook

The Pattern:
Chain a length that is slightly longer than you need (for these 10" square hankies, I chained 41")
Sc in 2nd chain from hook, Sc in next 4 chains
*Ch 9, skip next 3 ch, sc in next 9 ch  Repeat from * until you have reached the end Ch 1 turn
Sc in 3 sc
*Ch 3, make 11 dc in the ch-9 loop, ch 3, skip 2 sc, sc in next 5 sc  Repeat from * until you reach the end, ending with sc in last 3 sc
Sc in 1st sc
*Ch 3, sc in next dc, (ch 5, skip next dc, sc in next dc) 5 times; ch 3, skip 2 sc, sc in next sc  Repeat from * until you reach the end
Break off

You're done!  If you have any questions/comments, leave them in the comments box!

Becoming Brett's Girlfriend

This is now Part III of the "Our Love Story" series that I am doing on this blog.  I love reading about how people fell in love and the continuation of their love stories - it is something that I find to be truly inspiring.  If you are just tuning in, you can find the first two parts here.  If you have already read those two parts, I am so happy you are back!

About two or three weeks into Brett and I dating he wanted to meet up with me before class "to talk".  I tried to quiet my panic as I wondered what this could be about.  I was worried that he would want to stop seeing me, maybe the feelings I had for him weren't shared?  We met outside the next day, under a big tree near my building.  It was still beautiful out - being only mid-September.  In my classic style I started to get super nervous.  Brett started asking if everything was okay.  I said "yes, I guess so..." then blurted out "I just feel like maybe you don't want to see me anymore."  He gave me a bit of a shocked look and said "No, I was thinking maybe I could start calling you my girlfriend?"

I can't even explain how happy my heart was on that day.  It was one of the first of many steps that led us to where we are today.  Every time I walk past that tree I smile to myself.  I hope that someday we can come back to campus and reminisce about that meeting under the tree.

Dreaming of Spring

My beautiful roses.

I am filled with thoughts of spring today.  Yesterday when I walked outside I smelled just a hint of a springy smell - despite the many feet of snow that are still covering the ground.  Now I am filled with thoughts of flowers and a garden.  Last year I was able to sneak in a few flowers into pots outside of our garage and in a few other planters, but other than that I was not at all well prepared for the planting season.  We mostly just moved around some of the beautiful perennials and bushes (such as the roses pictured above) that we inherited when we bought our house.  I am hoping that since I'm not planning a wedding this year, I will be able to turn that planning toward my home and garden.

So far, I think I know what I want for my planters:

Source

I found this picture on pinterest and I think this is what I want to do for my big planters.  I love geraniums (such a beautiful smell) and bacopa (which is the hanging white flower).  But I am not totally sold on the lobelia.  I find I usually end up killing it.  I am not sure if it is our climate being too hot and dry in the summer, or if it is my lack of gardening finesse.  If you have any tips I would love to hear them!  

Is anyone else dreaming of warmer weather too?