coin purse makeover...

i'm always on the lookout

for something fun

to repurpose.

~~~

i found this satiny beigy vintage coin purse

at a thrift shop

for 25 cents!

~~~

i fell in love

and had to have it!

~~~

isn't it the cutest?

~~~

i love it!

~~~

it has been well-loved

which only made it more appealing

to me!

~~~

i wasn't sure what i would do with it

but i wanted to

give it a new life...

~~~look at it now!

~~~

it's even more beautiful

than it was

before the makeover!

~~~

all glammed up

with mother-of-pearl buttons!

~~~

i love it!

~~~

and with this coin purse's

makeover comes

a new life...

~~~

this coin purse

will now be my

jewelery pouch

when i travel.

~~~

a much more elegant life,

quite befitting

this well-loved,

thrift shop treasure

turned

glamorous pouch!
~~~~~

~~~

~

make it a glamorous day!

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

ordinary winter days...

the winter holidays are over...

~~~

we're left with ordinary winter days.

winter days of

sun and snow,

wind and cold.

~~~

i savor ordinary days of any kind.

~~~

ordinary winter days

mean

baking bread and tasty treats,

making thick soups and hearty casseroles,

stitching in front of the fireplace,

watching the snow fall outside

while i'm cozy and warm inside...
~~~

ordinary winter days really aren't so ordinary.
they each have something extraordinary to offer.
we need only to find what that is...

knowing what makes our ordinary days
extraordinary days

makes all of our days brighter...

~~~~~

~~~

~

make it an extraordinary ordinary winter day!

peggy

happy valentine's day...

happy valentine's day...

~~~

i'm celebrating valentine's day with my valentine!

~~~

this is one of the first gifts

i made for my valentine,

the valentine's day before we were married.

we married in june.

~~~

he gave me flowers for valentine's day.

i love getting flowers!

~~~
and i made him frosted rolls
for breakfast this morning!
~~~
he loves frosted rolls!
me too!
~~~
a pretty and yummy valentine's day...
we both feel happy and loved!
~~~~~
~~~
~
wishing you a pretty and yummy valentine's day,
peggy

more love...more popcorn...more hearts...

i'm still feeling love...

celebrating with popcorn balls...

and seeing more hearts!

~~~
isn't valentine's day grand?

~~~

i made these yummy popcorn balls

to celebrate valentine's day!

~~~
they're soft, gooey, and oh so yummy!

~~~

here's the recipe~

~~~

popcorn balls

~~~

30-35 cups popcorn

2-10 oz. bags marshmallows

1/2 c margarine

1/4 c sugar

1 t salt

~~~

melt margarine in a large saucepan;

add sugar and salt and stir;

add marshmallows and stir until melted;

pour over popped popcorn;

stir to completely cover popcorn;

make into balls;

(i added another package of heart shaped marshmallows)

wrap;

eat and enjoy!

~~~here are a couple valentine messages

from my laundry room~

~~~

~~~~~
~~~
~
make it a valentiny day!
peggy

y

seeing hearts...

there are hearts everywhere you look

this close to valentine's day!

~~~

i thought i would show you a few of the hearts i've been seeing...

~~~

this much-loved pillow

graces the bed in our guest room for valentine's day.

it's satin is faded and threadbare and i love it!
~~~

this is an old wooden hanger

that i wrapped with red vintage velvet ribbon.

the glass heart is hung on the hanger

and tied with more velvet ribbon.

the necklace is made of clear glass seed beads.

it hangs in my laundry room.

~~~

this vintage lace-edged heart hanky is

also hanging in my laundry room.

~~~

i've collected these vintage red-handled cookie cutters

over the years.

the tin is a vintage valentine chocolate candy mold.

~~~

you can't have too much red

or too many hearts

for valentine's day!

~~~

hope you're seeing lots of hearts...

~~~~~

~~~

~

make it a hearty, happy day!

peggy

popcorn love...

i love popcorn!

love it!

~~~

if i had to pick one food in the world

i couldn't live without,

it would be popcorn!
~~~

love it, love it, love it!

~~~

popcorn has it's own shelf in my cupboards!

that's how much i love it!

~~~

i usually use a stovetop popper.

that's what i grew up with,

and i love making popcorn this way.

~~~

popcorn has it's own vintage jar!
on the countertop,
so i can see it!
~~~
i knew i could use this jar to store my popcorn in
when i read the lid!
~~~
we also have a stir crazy popcorn popper!
~~~
the grandsons love watching
the popcorn pop!
they each carefully place one kernel in the popper
and we wait for them to pop.
when each of the kernels pop,
i add the rest.
we try to count the popcorn
as it pops.
we usually count
1, 2, 3....100!
~~~
fun, fun, fun...
~~~
they love popcorn
aaaaalmost
as much as i do!
~~~
i do love popcorn!
and as much as i loooove popcorn,
it can't compare to my love
for these boys...
~~~
they are the extra butter on theatre popcorn!!!
~~~
it's the popcorn lovers yummiest valentine!
~~~~~~
~~~
~
make it a popcorn day!
peggy

love week...

if february is the month of love,

(and it is!)

this week must be the week of love!

~~~

gotta love that!

~~~

and one another...

~~~

my hope for you

is that this week

is filled

with love...

~~~

for you

and for one another...

~~~~~

~~~

~

make it a loving day and week!

peggy

blue cloud abbey...

blue clould abbey is located in northeast south dakota,

near marvin, south dakota,

in a lovely and serene rural setting.

it is home to 13 benedictine monks

who are called to pray and work.

~~~

i was part of
a women's retreat held at blue cloud abbey
this past weekend~
a weekend white
with snow and fog.
~~~
incredibly beautiful and peaceful...
~~~
a tranquil welcome greets you
as you come inside.
~~~
inspiring pictures hang thruout the abbey.
~~~
the stained glass windows
are magnificent.
~~~
the color is intense
~~~
and the detail is exquisite.
~~~
surrounded by such beauty and peace,
in and outside the abbey,
and the wonderful hospitality of the monks,
makes the time you spend there
a wonderfully, inspiring experience
you won't soon forget.
~~~~~
~~~
~
make it an inspiring day!
peggy