:: a happy nest ::

this is how it happens.

I finished this wreath last night, and now it's happily hanging on our front door. Whenever I post pictures of a craft project, I'm often asked how I do it all. Every time I'm asked this, I have to laugh, because it often takes a monumental effort to finish anything around here {just ask my mister}.  In the spirit of this post, I thought I'd share a little of how this wreath came to be.

There were:

• 5 days of working on this 15 minutes at a time - between snacks and coloring and playdates and cleaning up + 2 nights of work between her bedtime and when I collapsed into bed
• 1 very messy table scattered with felt scraps and drips from the glue gun {remember, for 5 days}
• 1 irritated husband {see above}
• 1 sink of dirty dishes {repeat, several times} 
• 26 curse words
• 2 times throwing the whole thing into the trash can
• 52 tears {mine}
• 3 pinterest searches
• 1 {very minor} burn from the glue gun 
• 489 tears {hers} resulting from said burn
• 1 princess bandaid
• 16 encouraging words {hers}

{this is the first version of the wreath, before I gave the lace a haircut}

. . . . . . . . .

In truth, the wreath isn't my favorite. I do love the way the flowers came out, but that's about it. And you know what, I'm going with it, imperfections and all. Because it's good enough. And we made it together. And that's the most important thing of all.

. . . . . . . . .

{and on a more serious note, I've been asked for a tutorial for these flowers. I have a few more flowers to make, and I'll post my process as soon as I can}

grateful monday.

feeling grateful...

for the rain & puddle jumping.

for my mama.

for fresh farm eggs.

for afternoon walks in the sunshine.

for my mister.

for our amazing vet who was so compassionate and supportive as we said goodbye to our sweet cat Harvey {it has been an emotional weekend}.

for unexpected flowers from the sweetest of friends.

what are you feeling grateful for today?

 

the river.

I grew up spending weekends at the river. I remember us packing up every Friday night: piling into our van, and heading to Deltaville to stay until Sunday afternoon. My brother and I each had our own seat and a sleeping bag, and I would no doubt fall asleep on the way. Often, I would wake up briefly as our van bounced across the old bridge into West Point, and I'd know that we were almost there. 

We spent the weekends swimming, crabbing, fishing, exploring the creek in the dinghy, and taking rides on the boat. Far away from the city lights, I remember the wonder of seeing the stars shining so brightly in the night sky.

I am so grateful for my parents giving me that experience, and that my grandfather, who worked so incredibly hard, still makes his home there, allowing us to share this joy with Thea.

It has been a few years since we've been able to go and stay - and really experience a river weekend. {Thea has always been such a poor sleeper that it really made it impossible for us to go for an overnight visit and enjoy ourselves}. But a couple weeks ago, we gave it another try.

I had almost forgotten the glorious sunsets & the golden light of magic hour, making everything all glowy and warm; the joy of evening walks and swimming just before the sun goes down; the quiet stillness of morning when the sun appears over the water; and how good it feels to float in the warm water for hours on end.

I think she loves the river as much as I do.

We were up early to see the sun rise {truthfully, that was not by choice, but the magic of seeing the sun emerge - and a strong cup of tea - helped me almost forget how tired I was}. 

We spent our days exploring the beach, looking for treasures, and swimming. Miraculously, there were still no jellyfish.

There were bathing suits on the line, popsicles in the swing, puzzles on the porch, naps on the hammock, and outdoor showers.

And sparklers too! 

We came home exhausted, but happy. And we'll be back in just a few short weeks for a long weekend with my brother & his family, including Thea's much-adored cousins.

thank you, river. thank you, summer.

{you couldn't be sweeter}

grateful monday.

feeling grateful...

for a {somewhat} clean house.

for fresh, local, healthy food to fill our bellies & nourish our bodies.

for a week of morning walks.

for flowers that continue to smile at me, despite my neglect.

for happy days with my girl.

for my husband's words.

for my cozy bed {that I'm about to collapse into}.

what are you feeling grateful for today?

 

grateful.

feeling grateful...

for weekends away by the water. 

for endless hours of floating with my girl. 

for sunrises and sunsets over the water.

for sparklers and sunset swims.

for my girl's love of puzzles, which reminds me so much of puzzling with my own mom. 

for the support & love of our families.

for evening walks.

for summer rainshowers. 

for our happy flowers leaning over the back fence.

what are you feeling grateful for today?