new trails

photo by Ryan

Ryan and I have been taking Tater on walks at new places the past couple of weeks. Last week, I decided to try the Bruce Freeman Trail. I came across an antique and consignment store during the walk and wanted to check it out. Unfortunately, it was closed. We went again yesterday and after our walk, I went in to check out the antique and consignment store. It was fun and I will definitely be returning there. Above are just a few of the neat rainboots they had in there.

sunday mornings

Sunday mornings are generally pretty relaxing. We eat breakfast, have coffee, and the dog usually curls up on the couch with us. This morning is no different. Ryan doctored up my coffee for me and I think about how much I am glad that we are together. It's been about 2.5 years now.

A few weeks ago I posted about adding shelves to a wall in our bedroom. I have been slowing adding things that relate to us as a couple. I had favorited these small white letters on Etsy for quite some time and decided to purchase them last week. They are perfect.

I bought a "t" as well for Tater Tot. Next on my list is to find a letterpress ampersand to put between the "r" and "e". I love how it has turned out so far.

taking down Christmas

Two weeks ago, we finally took down the tree and decorations. I need to find a large tub of some sort to store the decorations and tree stand for next Christmas.

soup, strands, and shelving

It's finally beginning to feel a little more like winter this week. I put some soup together to warm up one evening. The above soup includes veggies with gimme lean sausage and baby kale. Yum yum! I've also started to think about Valentine's Day for my home and the shop. A while ago, I had ordered some hearts and stars cut out from vintage dictionaries and music sheets. For months I have seen great paper garlands and decided to make some of my own with the hearts and stars I ordered. I finished a few strands of them. Unfortunately, my sewing machine decided to crap out on me again and until it is fixed, I am stranded (no pun intended) without a machine to complete them.

I am a fan of using free items whenever I can. I had picked up these black shelves from a free pile in our building a few months ago and just couldn't decide where to put them. This week I decided to add them to my collage above the dresser. This is how it turned out! The drawing in the blond frame was done by one of my friends for Ryan and I one year anniversary. I love the collection of all of these items.

christmas tree decorations

 

Our pile of presents under the tree, mostly courtesy of our parents. Plaid tree skirt made by me.

 

Star ornament from Ten Thousand Villages

 

One of the Polish Star/Porcupine Ball/Sea Urchin ornaments. I made four of them. 

They are made from upcycled catalog pages.

Nestled.

Looking at all of it together, it looks like I have a rustic Christmas theme.

Peeking out.

These ornaments have been fun to make. I may continue to make them for gifts and continued use throughout the year.

nyc for thanksgiving

I will write a larger post another day, but I wanted to post that via train and bus we went to NYC for Thanksgiving weekend. We had a fabulous time with Ryan's mom Sue and family. In lieu of the typical thanksgiving dinner, we ate at an Italian restaurant, where the food listed was written in Italian and the food tasted just as authentic. A day of being tourists, we left the following day. I would love to go back another time to soak more culture in.

happy halloween!

Tater says, "Happy Halloween!" She is wearing a bandana from Ryan's mom.