I've been on both the giving and the receiving end of this creative caring idea. Both ends make me happy! When my daughters were preschoolers, we prepared plates of homemade Valentine-shaped sugar cookies and took them to each family in our cul-de-sac. It was an easy way to meet new neighbors – and a good teaching experience for my girls. You may want to bake some to share with neighbors during the upcoming holidays. If you prefer soft sugar cookies (as opposed to crunchy) like I do, feel free to try my recipe. Sources: Christmas, Winter, Fall Another time, a new family moved into our neighborhood, and the wife stopped by to introduce herself. It was Wintertime, and she gave us ... Keep Reading...
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CARING ON A SHOESTRING: Day 3 of 31 Days of Creative Caring
Creative caring is about stretching ourselves to think about how we care... not how much we spend. Yesterday, I shared with you how God reminded me of a heart-shaped rock I had in my Valentine decor. The perfect thing to send a friend who just received devastating health news. Last night I remembered a vintage hankie with a little heart-like flower that I could use to wrap the rock. This morning, in my stash, I found the perfect size box ... and a simple notecard with a heart already stamped on it; a leftover from a daughter's wedding. I wrapped the package in a remnant of brown paper then covered the box again in a pretty piece of house-before-last shelf liner. Even the paper I'd trimmed off the card so it would fit the ... Keep Reading...
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WHEN CREATIVITY DISAPPEARS: Day 2 of 31 Days of Creative Caring
I didn't know it would happen like this... I've been so excited about sharing creative caring ideas with you, even to the point of having to whittle down my list to keep it at 31 days ... but today I've got nothing. I'll share the list starting tomorrow, but today I guess you get to see another side of creative caring. I'd rather not show you this side, because I'd rather not be experiencing it. You see, yesterday someone I know heard the words "Stage 4. Inoperable. Months." She's a friend. Not a We've been best friends forever kind of friend, but definitely someone to whom I want to reach out. She lives about as far across the U.S. from me as possible, and that makes "doing" caring a bit complicated. I'm numb from ... Keep Reading...
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Creative Caring
The complete 31 Days of Creative Caring series ... 31-Day preview: Blue Umbrella and a Pie Day 1: Doing the Awkward (Keep scrolling down to read the post) Day 2: When Creativity Disappears Day 3: Caring on a Shoestring Day 4: Being Neighborly Day 5: Send-off Surprise Day 6: Sharing the Excess Day 7: Keeping 'Em Guessing Day 8: Seasonal Considerations Day 9: Society on the Move Day 10: College Students Day 11: Teacher Treats Day 12: Smoked Chicken Day 13: Single Mothers Day 14: Memory Book Day 15: The Usual ... with a Twist Day 16: Hospital Care Day 17: Yard Work Angels Day 18: Take a Meal Day 19: Mani/Pedi Day 20: The Gift Registry Day 21: Care Packages Day 22: Foster Families Day 23: Community Helpers Day ... Keep Reading...
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LEAVING A LEGACY: How to Care for Vintage Linens & Lace
We've made it to the final topic in the series ... Leaving a legacy. If you missed any of the previous topics (washing, drying, ironing, stain removal, storage, and mending), just click on the How to: Vintage Linens tab at the top of this blog to read them. leg·a·cy noun 1. Money or property bequeathed to another by will 2. Something handed down from an ancestor or a predecessor or from the past When it comes to linens, there are many different kinds of legacies. Some families have trunks full ... Source ... while others have only a few special pieces. Some families pass along their legacy at special occasions such as weddings or the birth of a new baby ... Others pass it on ... Keep Reading...
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MENDING: How to Care for Vintage Linens & Lace
As we continue our series on caring for vintage linens and lace, it's time to cover the topic of mending... In the very first post of this series -- the one about washing -- I told you to set aside any of your linens that needed mending since repairs should always be made prior to washing. If you missed that post or any of the others on drying, ironing, stain removal, or storage, just click the Vintage Linens tab at the top of this blog to access them. I wish I could tell you that if you master one type of mending, it will suffice for every necessary repair ... but I can't. As you can see from these very few examples, vintage linens showcase a wide variety of needlework techniques, often incorporating several in ... Keep Reading...
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GOAL FOR THE GOLDEN YEARS: A Blue Umbrella and a Pie
Source I love the pies of Fall ... pumpkin, pecan, apple. They don't even need a fancy china plate to make them look better; they're just perfect as they are. Truthfully, I love a good piled-high-meringue pie, too ... chocolate, lemon, key lime. But I'm not writing about pies today ... at least not exactly. In a recent conversation, my mother told me of an event that took place in January 1991. She was spending a few days helping my sister after the birth of her first child. The morning was cold and rainy, but messy weather couldn't stop the elderly woman from arriving at my sister's front door carrying her bright blue umbrella ... and a pie. Upon returning home a few days later, my mother told an older ... Keep Reading...
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STORAGE: How to Care for Vintage Linens & Lace
Welcome! Today, we're going to cover proper storage of linens. If you missed any of the other topics ... washing, drying, ironing, storage stain removal and mystery stain removal, just click on the Vintage Linens tab above. Whether you like to store your linens in a book-shelf style display cabinet, an 18th century linen press, or a traditional closet, there are some basic Dos and Don'ts if you want your linens to be around for generations to come. I'm going to give you tips for how to give extremely good care to your linens ... while telling you up front that I don't follow my own advice 100% of the time. My comfort level for time investment is probably closer to 90%. General guidelines ... Store linens in a ... Keep Reading...
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EVERYDAY STAIN REMOVAL: How to Care for Vintage Linens & Lace
We've finally made it to the final stain removal post of this series. If you missed any of the previous topics (washing, drying, ironing, storage stains, and mystery stains), just click on the Vintage Linens tab at the top of this blog to catch up. Today I want to briefly cover some common everyday stains that tend to get on my vintage linens. I suspect you have some of the same ones. As with other types of stains, I have tried various removal methods through the years. Sometimes they work. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes they just "set" the stain so that it will never come out. So frustrating! In fact, if you do an online search for how to remove particular stains, very often you'll find a suggestion followed by ... Keep Reading...
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Tablescape: Inspired by Caramel & Cream …
This week I added the tiniest hint of Fall to my indoor decor. My little vignette started with the beautiful old linen table square ... because I was inspired by the Caramel & Cream inspiration board I showed you last week. Source I also promised you an "inspired" tablescape ... The cream and muted caramel pottery centerpiece bowl was my anchor. It's a favorite piece to decorate with at this time of year. Obviously, the inspiration board dictated that I include pears ... A variety of candle colors ... berries from the yard ... and a "Made in Brazil" bird sculpture. Do you like seeing the delicate vintage linen tray cloth peeking over the edge as much as I do? Caramel-colored wooden leaf napkin ... Keep Reading...
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MYSTERY STAIN – A Story in Pictures: How to Care for Vintage Linens & Lace
Well, I started this Vintage Linen Care series, so I'm sticking with it. To those of you who are sticking with it, too ... and enjoying it ... I'm really glad. Thank you! It's a doozie to write! And for those of you who aren't into vintage linens, hang in there with us a little longer. There's a promised tablescape coming this week ... and a 31-day series I think we'll all enjoy coming in October. More about that soon. So far in this series, we've covered washing, drying, ironing, storage stain removal, and mystery stain removal (our term for any old, non-oxidation stains). If you've missed anything – or want to review – click the Vintage Linens tab above. In my last post about mystery stains, I told you that after years of ... Keep Reading...
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MYSTERY STAIN REMOVAL: How to Care for Vintage Linens & Lace
So far in this series, we've covered washing HERE, drying HERE, ironing HERE, and storage/oxidation stain removal HERE. I strongly encourage you to read these posts prior to laundering your vintage linens as there is always risk involved when cleaning a vintage textile for the first time. We ended last time with the question ... ... and if the stains aren't oxidation stains? For the purpose of this series, I'm going to use the term "mystery stains" for any old stains that are not oxidation stains. After all, it's a mystery to us how they got there! From years of experience, however, I've found that some particular stains are common on old linens. For example, when I come across vintage or antique ... Keep Reading...
