Picnic by Ellie

Patchwork

I've never owned a quilt. How sad is that? To be honest, I've never been much of a patchwork person, preferring mostly clean patterns of fresh florals, polka dots or stripes. I know. Yawn. I never knew I liked patchwork so much. But sometimes you go shopping and surprise yourself with what you like. That happened over the weekend, when we were sauntering through our local antique mall. (I can't keep out of that place these days. I think it's because of all of your beautiful photos, finds, and blogs. You ladies are so inspiring.) Anyway, my husband and I saw this quilt and agreed that it would be perfect for our house. I have no idea why. It doesn't necessarily match anything we own. But it just seemed right. I love the mix of girly pink and colorful fabrics with masculine plaid and dark corduroy. Maybe that's why it works. It's just like us.

Then, of course, I found an apron to go with it. I think they're both right at home.

I hope all of you had a lovely weekend!

Sweet Hearts

Who can resist vintage valentines? I've bought so many this year (I'll show you more in the upcoming weeks), even though I have no idea what I'm going to do with them. Remember making valentines for your classmates and decorating a Valentine's Day shoe box to store them in? Those were the days...

Warm Heart, Warm Home

After a long Saturday of shopping, shopping, shopping (and a lot of just aimless wandering around stores), today is a day of relaxation. I still have a bit of Christmas crafting to do, and I really want to try making one of these cookie cottages that I've seen so many adorable versions of on the Internet this holiday season. I've always wanted to make a gingerbread house, but not being a baker, I've never felt like it was something I could even attempt. So, I'm excited about this graham cracker experiment, although I wouldn't be surprised if we just ended up with a stomachache by the end of the day. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Oh, and great news! Picnic by Ellie was mentioned in the fabulous Plump Pudding blog last week. I'm so grateful to everyone who has stopped by. It really means the world to me. I have met so many inspirational, creative, and thoughtful people in the few short months I've been blogging, and I know that is its true gift. Thank you all again. I hope you stop by often.

Well, I'm off to make a house (hopefully) out of graham crackers and watch White Christmas, my favorite holiday movie. Happy shopping, baking, crafting, sewing, or wrapping, everyone!

XOXO,
Ellie

P.S. How excited am I to finally have a use for this muffin tin!

P.P.S. Must add "learn to bake" to list of resolutions...

Peace and Quiet

This week was filled with a flurry of activity. It was one of those typical holiday weeks, with a million things to do and the feeling that nothing will get done. But, of course, everything always does. (I'm afraid I've been very bad about posting/emailing this week because of it. Thank you all for being so patient.)

We hosted our first ever Christmas party at this house yesterday, and it seemed to turn out pretty well. As I've said before, I love to host a party. We gave out these little stockings filled with treats to the guests, as a thank you for trekking all the way to see us. It was great to be able to spend the day with so many people we care about, but don't get to see as often as we'd like. That's what I love most about the holidays.

And now, with a mug of hot chocolate and bad TV movies, we rest. The light is brighter today, but the air is still, calm. And we even got a few snowflakes this week. What more could you ask? Happy Sunday, everyone!

Ready for Snow

The sky looks white. December is fast approaching. So, where is our snow? This picture always reminds me of crisp, snowy winter days at my grandmother's house. (You've probably seen these Charmin prints in antique stores or flea markets. They belong to a set depicting different little girls in different seasons, and I think they're so charming.) My mother had a whole set that her father bought for her when she was a little girl, and they hung in my grandmother's house for many, many years. My grandmother lived on a hill in a sweet snow-covered town. The light was different there. The snow was whiter, almost glittery. The days lingered. It always felt like Christmas. It's funny how a simple picture can bring back all of those memories and feelings. Oh, and a few snowflakes wouldn't hurt either...

Catching Up

After a lovely long weekend away, I'm quickly trying to get back into the swing of things and catch up with emails and blog posts. Thank you for being so patient. So, speaking of correspondence, I found this box of vintage Christmas cards on eBay a while back. I love finding Christmas decorations and accents in these spun candy colors, like bright pinks, oranges, blues, and yellows. Of course, I haven't had the heart to use any of them yet. Maybe this year. Can you believe the holidays are just around the corner?

Just Add Pumps

I have a confession. I'm not much of a cook. Don't get me wrong, I do cook. But I don't love to cook. What I love to do is play the hostess. I love having guests over to the house, planning a menu, decorating, deciding on table linens, and making party favors. This is my cooking. That's why when I saw this colorful, full-skirted apron, I knew it was perfect for planning and hosting bright holiday parties.

Then I saw this adorable napkin holder at an antique shop. Though the paint's a bit chipped, the sentiment remains as true as ever.

Happy hosting, everyone!

Rainy Day

It rained all day yesterday. All day. Nevertheless, the day was punctuated with many bright spots. Blanket stiching in candy colors of pink, red, and aqua thread. Making warm toasted cheese sandwiches and tomato soup with my hubby (the sweetest). Eating dark chocolate wafers while watching the Gilmore Girls. All in all, a good day.