I know this is a recurring debate. Every year, stores pull out Christmas decorations and run Christmas sales earlier and earlier. We all know this and pass around the jokes about how Halloween and Thanksgiving were skipped. Of course, it makes sense that commercial industries want to get a head start on others, pushing sales [...]
Author: harpandsong2
I am an elementary school teacher who enjoys history, needle-craft, literature, and spending time with friends and family. I am working through the process of buying and renovating a house while also learning how to make it a home as a single.
Ready, Set,…Wait a Minute
I am great at finishing things, not always so great at starting things. I know a lot of people have the opposite problem, but I'm sure there are others like me. I have perfectionist tendencies, a strong desire for efficiency and productivity. I treat beginning a project as a commitment to finish it. There are [...]
How I Became a Pumpkin Hoarder
I always need to have a can of pumpkin puree on hand. If I see a can in the scratch and dent bin, I'll pick it up (even if it's July). It started when I was living in Mexico. The mild, semi tropical climate of Guadalajara was beautiful, allowing for outdoor living year round! The [...]
My First Knitting Project
I started knitting this past winter. Technically, it wasn't the first time. I do have a childhood memory of my grandmother showing me how to knit at her house. I think I was working on a plain scarf that was a light blue color? I did not keep up the habit so this time I [...]
A Fall Skirt in a Weekend: Copying a 1950’s Skirt
I was in the mood to make something versatile for fall/winter. I have a few lovely lengths of wool in my fabric stash. Unfortunately, most of them are only about a yard long, which definitely limits what you can make with them. I was hoping for a nice wool skirt, in a 1940s style which [...]
I Will Build My Church…Mid Century Modern
Earlier this month, I had the privilege of being sent to a conference in Nashville with others from our church staff. It was the Sing! Conference hosted by Keith and Krystyn Getty. I enjoyed listening to many powerful speakers and being led to worship by many gifted musicians. One breakout session stood out to me [...]
Happy Houseplants
Recently, it was time to divide and repot my houseplants. I love having growing things in my house. Not all of them stay alive, but many of them do. I'm also lucky enough to have family and friends who also enjoy houseplants. Even if one of my plants doesn't make it, there is a good [...]
The Bow Dress: A 1950’s pattern
For my most recent sewing project (ok, actually the one I was most recently able to photograph to share with you all), I wanted to find a fun use for a pretty minty blue fabric with little white bows on the print. Of course, I had to look for a sewing pattern that actually used [...]
In Defense of New Books
I know what you're thinking. If people read, don't they generally read new books? If there is a cause to defend, wouldn't it be old books? Yes, I do think that for the general population, old books need to be encouraged more. However, this post is for a much smaller audience of people, possibly only [...]
I Kept a “Rolling” Journal for 9 Years
Back in 2014, I saw an idea for creating a rolling journal over multiple years using index cards (one for each day of the year). I decided to try it. I just filled my journal. How it works There is one card for each day of the year with the date (just month and date) [...]
Welcome To The Carriage House 