more kitchen simplicity...

as i've mentioned before,

i love my kitchen and

kitchens, in general!

~~~

kitchens are a warm and friendly place

to spend time with family or friends

and share conversation,

laughter,

something yummy to eat,

and a cup of coffee!

~~~

that's what kitchens are all about!

that's what my kitchen is all about!

~~~

i love to cook

and i love to bake.

i love to be in my kitchen.

to keep my kitchen simple

and efficient

for cooking and baking

i keep on hand

those items i

frequently use.

~~~

i buy my mainstays

such as flour, sugar, brown sugar

in big packages.

i keep glass containers of these items

in my cupboards,

close at hand,

and store away the rest.

~~~

i buy

grocery and food items i use often

on sale

and in bigger quantities

as much as possible.

~~~

i use many of the same

canned and packaged items

over and over again,

and i want to make sure

i always have plenty on hand.
when i empty a bag

or use the last one of something,

i put it on a list

so i don't forget to buy more.

~~~

i buy many of my spices in bulk.

they are fresher and inexpensive

because i'm only paying

for the spice.
i have labeled glass spice jars

to keep them in.
~~~

these routines

keeps my kitchen

simple, efficient

a joy to spend time in.

~~~

i'd love for you to come visit

my kitchen!

i promise friendly conversation,

something good to eat,

and a fresh cup of coffee!

~~~

and while we're enjoying

a tasty treat and a cup of coffee,

you can look along

the tops of my cupboards

and see

the vintagy kitchen collection

that displays

my love of kitchens,

and all things kitcheny!

~~~~~

~~~

~

enjoy your kitchen today!

peggy

kitchen simplicity...

i love my kitchen!

i love kitchens, in general.

i love kitchens

because they keep

some of my very favorite things~

coffee and food!

~~~

my kitchen is red

and

my kitchen is simple.

~~~

i work to keep it simple

because i love simple!

~~~

simple works well for me

and feels good to me.

~~~

my dishes are plain and simple

and i love them!

they are what i use each

and every day.

they are all that i need.

~~~

i keep my kitchen simple

by carefully choosing what i

bring into it.

~~~

i like to use simple hand tools

in my kitchen

i love to do whatever i can by hand.

chopping, grating, peeling.

~~~

i cook with a large set

of stainless steel

pots and pans

that i have used for years

and will use as long as i cook.

~~~

i bake with

air bake sheets,

glass casseroles,

and aluminum cake pans.

~~~

i use what i have

over and over again.

~~~

i want my kitchen to be simple.

i also want what i use

in my kitchen to be "green."

i use cloth dishcloths, towels,

hand towels, napkins, and potholders.

i use paper towels, napkins,

plastic wrap, and plastic bags

as little as possible.

~~~

sitting in my simple kitchen

enjoying a fresh cup of coffee

and a tasty treat

is one of my favorite

simple pleasures!

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you simple pleasures...

peggy

thoughtful thursday...

thoughts of simplifying...

~~~

simple abundance by sarah ban breathnach

started my path to simplicity

many years ago.

~~~

this book is based on 6 principles~

gratitude,

simplicity,

order,

harmony,

beauty,

and joy.
~~~

simple abundance walks us

thru the year,

one day at a time,

looking into each

of the 6 principles

and then applying them to our lives.

~~~

i love this book

and i think you will too!

~~~

something more

follows simple abundance

and encourages us

to discover and live

our authentic selves.

~~~

my home is my haven.

~~~

as jane austen said

"ah! there's nothing like staying home

for real comfort."

~~~

simplifying my life and my

gives me great comfort.

~~~

i leave you with this thought...

~~~

"home is the heart of life...

home is where we feel at ease,

where we belong,

where we can create surroundings

that reflect our tastes and pleasures...

making a home is a form

of creativity

open to everyone. "

~~~

terence conran
~~~~~

~~~

~

may you find simple comfort in your home today!

peggy

easy peasy pretty green living...

i have started to use cloth napkins

to simplify my life.

~~~

i was prompted to start using cloth napkins

as i began looking for ways

i could live more "green."

~~~

using cloth napkins has worked well for me!

i am able to repurpose and live "green"

using cloth napkins~

and they feel so much better

on your skin

than paper napkins.

~~~

i bought these cloth napkins

at our local thrift store.

~~~

these pretty pink and red-flowered

cloth napkins

are repurposed from a

vintage tablecloth.

~~~

i simply tear the tablecloth

into 12x12 squares

and fray the edges.

~~~

easy peasy lemon squeezy!

~~~

i like to celebrate seasons and holidays

and i like variety

so i've made cloth napkins

out of seasonal and holiday tablecloths.

~~~

i have autumn and christmas napkins

and soon i'll have springy easter napkins

out of this pink lavender, and yellow vintage tablecloth.

~~~

how much prettier could repurposing

and living "green" be?

~~~~~

~~~

~

live green today!

peggy

old into new...

i love to repurpose!

~~~

i love it because i can

recycle something i already have

and repurpose it

into something no one else will have like it!

~~~

this is a purse i made from

a skirt, belt, and barrette of my daughter's.

i sewed up the bottom and tied on the belt.

the barrette is sewn on for decoration.

i love it!
~~~

this is a backpack i made my daughter

out of a pair of jeans and a pocket.

so fun and easy to make

and best of all...

no one else has one like it!

it's a one of a kind!
~~~

this blue jean purse is made from

a skirt, belt,

and decorative pieces from another pair

of my daughter's jeans.

i put a magnetic closure in the inside of these bigger purses.

the pink bag is made from

an old chenille bedspread.

i love the fringe!

~~~
i love red and i love wool
and i love this bag!
~~~
this bag is made
from a red wool sweater of mine
that i felted.
the bottom of the sweater is the top of the bag.
the handles of the bag
are made from the sleeves of the sweater.
i sewed the handles on
using the buttons
and then reinforced them
near the top edge of the bag.
~~~
i repurpose fabric
from many different household
(sheets, bedspreads, curtains)
and clothing
(tops, sweaters, jeans)
items.
i love the look and the feel
i get when i use fabric
that has already been
worn, washed, and loved!
~~~
i feel like i make something old new again
when i repurpose,
and that's a good feeling!
~~~~~
~~~
~
make it a repurposed day!
peggy

thrifty simplicity...

i've been waiting and waiting

for this magazine to come out.

i love ki nassauer and matthew mead's work

and have been anticipating

perusing the pagesof this magazine

for months!

~~~

and here it is...

~~~

it is soooo what i'm all about~

junking, thrifting, antiquing, repurposing,

and country!

~~~

it doesn't get any better than that!

~~~

thrifting is a great way to simplify.

it's all about

recycling, reusing, and repurposing.

it's great for the planet!

and it's great for your budget!

~~~

i love thrift shops!

~~~

i'd rather shop in a thrift shop than anywhere else.

the thrill of the hunt is incredible,

to the point of intoxicating!

you never know what you mite find!

~~~

i thrifted with

my mom, 2 sisters, niece, and daughter!

it was great!

the combination of family, thrifting, and eating out

made for a fabulously fun time!

we're always looking for new thrift shops

to scour,

and we were lucky enough to find a new one,

one that we intend to visit again

and again!

~~~

here's what i got at our new-found thrift store!

~~~

i bought these 4 dessert plates for 29 cents each!

(these are my dishes.

they are all i ever use or own!

they are cream-colored with a simple scalloped edge.

i love them!)

the restaurant dish was also 29 cents!

the sponge was 49 cents!

~~~

can't beat a thrift stores for prices!

~~~

i also bought these 2 hardcover books.

i bought them for $2.99 each!
~~~

thrifting is a great way to save money,

recycle, reuse, and repurpose.

~~~

i shop the thrift shops in our little town

almost every week.

some weeks i find

lots of goodies!

other times i don't find as much...

but i always go back!

because i never know

what treasure awaits me!

~~~

and when i've found too many treasures to keep,

i box them up and

back they go to the thrift store

to be someone else's treasure!
~~~

reduce, reuse, recycle!

isn't it great?

~~~~

~~~

~

make it a thrifty day!

peggy

simplifying, by definition...

defining what simplifying means

is different for everyone.

~~~

each of us has our own needs and desires

that define our lives

and what simplifying means for us.

the key to simplifying,

or leading a simple life,

at least for me,
is less.

~~~

less

in a good way.

~~~

as in

less is more...

~~~

i am working on simplifying

many aspects of my life.

it is a journey.

it comes and goes and changes.

~~~

it makes sense to me to live simply.

it frees me to live more fully

and allows me to enjoy what i have...

~~~
it takes extra effort

to create a simpler life.

and it takes time.

the time and effort

i've put into simplifying my life

has been very rewarding.

~~~

simplifying is an everyday part of my life.
~~~
by creating a simpler life,
i am able to be
more mindful
and more intentional
in my work and in my play.
it brings me a sense of calm and peacefulness
that i cherish.
~~~~~
~~~
~
wishing you a simple life...
peggy

simplifying...

i'm all about simplifying my life

in any way that i can.

~~~

i have made my life simple

in many ways.

i've simplified my life for many different reasons

and over several years,

and i keep looking

for new ways to simplify.

~~~

i want a simple life

because that's what makes the most sense to me.

~~~

i want to grow as much of our food as i can.

i want to handmake whatever i can.

i want to be as green as i can.

i want to live with less.

~~~
all of this is really important to me.

~~~

i will be sharing with you

some of what i've done

to simplify my life.

~~~

i'm starting with laundry.

~~~

this is the laundry soap i made.

i use 1 scoop per load.

~~~

1 c washing soda

1 c borax

and 1 bar of fels naptha, grated.

~~~

it smells good and i love that i am able to make it myself!

~~~

during the winter

most of the laundry

goes in the dryer.

during spring, summer, and autumn,

i hang my laundry outside on a clothesline.

i love the fresh scent

and the crispness the laundry gets

from being outside.

~~~

making my own laundry soap

and hanging our laundry on the clothesline

feels good and simply done to me.

~~~~~

~~~

~

make it a simple day!

peggy