mama marchand's nest

mama's kitchen: cooking gluten free.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:42:00 +0000

This week, I'll be doing a mini-series on my kitchen with favorite recipes, vintage and handmade kitchen decor, choosing healthy snacks, and cooking with a toddler. I hope you enjoy it!

We eat pretty simply around here. While we might cook fancier recipes every now and then, like homemade quiche or fondue, we like to stick to basics like chicken, tacos, meals in the crock pot, and homemade pizza.

When my in laws are in town, like they were last week, we make sure to cook gluten free because my mother in law has celiac disease. I suspect that the hubs may have some sensitivity to gluten but he's adamant that he doesn't. I think he just doesn't want to give up his normal bread, pasta, and snack food. *wink*

Some of our favorite gluten free meals that we eat regularly are:

Lemon Garlic Chicken
(served with rice & veggies)

Confetti Chicken

(or what The Larson Lingo calls Easiest Dinner Ever, served with rice & corn tortillas)

Chicken and Peppers

(stir fry chicken tenderloins, mushrooms, garlic, and peppers in EVOO and top with shredded cheddar)

Brinner

(breakfast for dinner - eggs, bacon, fruit & potato pancakes)

Fruit & Yogurt with Granola
(organic vanilla yogurt, berries & Bear Naked granola)

Do you cook gluten free meals?
Share your recipes in the comments!

This post contains a sponsored link.

just be quiet.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:59:00 +0000

image made with the A Beautiful Mess app

I've never been one of those moms who is super productive during naptime. From the time N was a baby, I've used her naps to rest and I'm not talking sleep, though I probably should. I don't clean, do laundry, or anything else deemed domestically productive. Her (rare these days) naptime is my time to recharge, regroup, relax. I'll blog, read, do a devotion, snack, browse Instagram, or just sit and think.

I crave the quiet.

We don't allow ourselves enough time to do that these days, I think. To let our minds wander, to not fill it up on technology, to allow time to breathe and for contemplation. How can we be creative if we leave no time for creative thought? How can we function without time to quiet our hearts? How can we work through the trials of life if we have no time to think through them?

Can I encourage you to do something, if you're not doing it already? Try taking some time to just be quiet.

Even if it's incredibly inconvenient.
Even if your house is a mess.
Even if your kids no longer nap and your quiet time is at 10:30 at night.
Even if you have to put all of the "screens" away so you're not tempted.
Even if your husband or kids don't get it.
Even if your to do list is six miles long.
Even if being alone with your thoughts scares you a little.
Even if it seems super weird.

It will restore you.

I promise.

just in case.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:44:00 +0000

... you need to hear this today, too.

image made with the A Beautiful Mess app

I hope your Tuesday is a good one, friends.

all i wanted.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Mon, 13 May 2013 17:58:00 +0000

So, let's talk about Mother's Day.

Hubs asked me a few weeks ago if I wanted to do something in particular to celebrate and I told him that all I wanted was a pleasant day. Just a day that was free of toddler meltdowns, clothing battles, and attitude. Just a simply pleasant day.

Yesterday started with attitude from the three year old and escalated to a meltdown over what she was going to wear to church, all before 8 am. Hubs left for church and we continued with our morning, getting ready and watching cartoons. I started to grab my keys so we could join the hubs at church and ... they were locked inside my car. When I finally got ahold of a friend at church who flagged him down to come get us, well, we were really late to service.

I should have just put my pajamas back on and climbed back into bed at this point.

After N's second meltdown mid-afternoon, I threw in the towel on my expectation of a pleasant day and lost my cool and some tears. What I really wanted was a perfect day and yesterday was far from that. Unrealistic, much?

my first Mother's Day in 2010

How can we expect to have a planned perfect day when the other three hundred sixty four never are?

It sets all of us up for failure, I think, especially those of us who are still parenting through the delightfully insane season of toddlerhood. The sparkly unicorn covered commercials and the whispy dreamlike visions we have in our heads are not always real life. Real life is messy, even on Mother's Day.

So, if you had a less than stellar Mother's Day (or three in a row like me), take a deep breath and know that you weren't alone. There's always next year and maybe, just maybe, we'll expect a little less than perfection.

brave.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:22:00 +0000

Our girl is a cautious little one and always has been. She has to make sure she knows exactly what she's doing because she wants to do it correctly the first time. She never toddled. She cruised along the sides of furniture for months and finally walked ... and walked perfectly. So, maybe she's a little bit of a perfectionist, too. I have no idea where she gets that. *wink*

She loves to explore and go on "adventures." She loves doing new things and loves surprises which is kind of the opposite of cautious. She can be a bit of a juxtaposition at times which I happen to love.

She mastered swings towards the end of last year's summer. Slides? No way! At the park a few days ago, she sat at the top, contemplating whether or not she should try it. I went down with her a few times and so did the hubs. Then, much to our absolute delight, she went down all on her own!

Proudly, we sat and watched her go down, over and over, laughing and saying "I'm brave, Mommy!" Yes, honey, you are. And yes, she's wearing a dress to the playground. That's her favorite outfit of the moment. Who am I to argue? *smile*

A few days later, she "got brave" at another park and mastered sand. I couldn't get my sensitive little girl to leave, she loved it! The courage she's been showing lately makes this mama's heart soar.

Happy Thursday, friends.

*smile*

really real reality.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

I'm struggling to do all the things.

How's that for blatant honesty in the first line of this post? I won't even make you read to the very end to get to my point. It's right there.

us.

It's truth. Total truth. You've probably read six other posts in the past week from other bloggers who struggle with this, too. There used to be days where blogging was one of the first things I thought about when I woke up in the morning, eager to set my fingertips to the keys to write.

These days, it's a mere afterthought - after the laundry, the litter pan, the schoolwork, the treasure hunting for my new vintage Instagram shop, the cooking, the dishes (oh my word, the dishes), the texting of the friends to stay sane (know what I mean?), the playdates, the house projects, and the other 9,382 things that a given week holds.

I love all of those 9,382 things but it just feels like the 9,383rd thing is blogging.

Know what I mean?

one of my projects - my vintage stitchery/needlepoint/crewel wall.

I thought I had returned, feeling renewed, excited, and ready to share it all. The energy and focus with which I wrote this post waned almost instantly. I'm not sure of the exact reason except I'm just really enjoying living the outside of my computer life.

I haven't been very good about recording it all here in this space. I realized the other day that I never posted N's third birthday photos or recapped our very simple and quiet Easter celebration in March. And I'm probably not going to.

okay, I lied. this is from her third birthday party at a restaurant where your food is delivered on a train. isn't that the coolest?

she was thrilled with her simple and fun dollar store Easter basket. ecstatic is probably more accurate.

There are moments where I pretend to take a picture (a la Jim and Pam in their wedding episode of The Office) and think "this would make a GREAT blog post" but lately, it just hasn't made it onto this screen. Like when I drove off with my iPhone sitting on top of my car last week or when I dropped an expensive bottle of nail polish on the hotel bathroom floor and it shattered into a million pieces the weekend before. Yeah. *sigh*

I just feel the need to reiterate this:

I will be writing. I will be sharing. I will be here.

Thanks for sticking around. And for loving me even if I don't blog every day.

the weeds of my heart.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:23:00 +0000

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to go, along with other ladies from our church, to a local women's conference. Among other speakers, Kay Arthur was there. She is a powerhouse for the Lord and her life's story is one of redemption and God's grace. But you know what?

I barely heard anything that she and the other speakers said.

I realized shortly before the conference that I am, for the first time, a true stay at home mom. I may have quit my part time day job last August but I was still running an Etsy shop and doing some occasional part time work for another company. Then, we moved to Chicagoland and in with my parents. We moved into our new home in March and then I closed my shop.

The embarrassing truth is that I haven't had a good attitude about being, so to speak, in charge of our house and the domestic duties that go along with that. I love the fun stuff - the thrifting for vintage treasures, hanging pictures, decorating, DIYing - and am so incredibly blessed to spend every day with my girl - but I kinda don't love the not so fun stuff.

My attitude was being to stink and weeds were taking root in my heart.

Doing the dishes? Weed.

Folding the gigantic mountains of laundry? Weed.

Cleaning the stinky litter pan? Weed.

It was getting to the point where I need a serious attitude adjustment and a good pruning.
(see what I did there?)

God was doing something entirely different in my heart at that conference. I think He purposefully took me out of my normal day to day so He could pluck the weeds out of my heart, giving me some quiet time to do some major work on this mama.

Sure, bits and pieces of the awesome wisdom the speakers shared got through to me but the most important thing that I realized was that I need to have joy in all things. That every single thing I do can be an act of worship. Every chore I do glorifies God, even cleaning the toilet. Every single tiny way I serve my family is a blessing to them and to God.

I will always be a work in progress but truthfully, my 'tude has changed.

(but I still don't love scooping cat poop)

*wink*

another week.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:50:00 +0000

So, it's Friday again. How does that keep happening so quickly?

This week has been filled with a trip to the park ...

a lot of family thrifting ...

silly faces ...

some fun manicures ....

upgrading to fabulous "old" stuff ...

some Pyrex rearranging ...

some kitchen shelf rearranging ...

and some awesome news ...

That's right - I'll be selling vintage items and other treasures soon, on Instagram!

Follow my new shop here.

*smile*

My mom and I are off on a little antiquing and thrifting getaway.

Hope your weekend is a blast!

Happy weekend, friends!

currently.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 21:40:00 +0000

loving.

that my girl is back to her normal silly self.

(we have, unfortunately, discovered that she has an intolerance to chocolate but we'll deal)
cooking from scratch.
my new pyrex-inspired painting from a talented Instagram friend.

looking forward to.

a women's conference with our church this weekend,

a little antiquing/thrifting getaway with my mom next weekend,

this sweet friend's upcoming visit,

and having my in laws here next month!

on my heart.

Boston.

Texas.
our kitty who hasn't been feeling very well.

eating.

fresh salsa from Trader Joe's with tortilla chips.

vanilla yogurt with berries, granola, and cinnamon.
lemon & garlic chicken.
(easy & delish)

over the moon about.

our walls finally coming together.
(in the decorative sense)

the spring weather to come so we can explore downtown Chicago.

friendships that are growing deeper.

God's grace.

happy weekend, friends.

sitterati: a new way to book a sitter.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:58:00 +0000

When I used to babysit as a teenager, I remember coming home from school to a handwritten message from my mom that a friend or neighbor wanted me to babysit on Friday night. After the babysitting job was over, my parents would pick me up or I'd walk home, with a little bit of cash in my pocket for the next movie night with my friends.

Now, with smart phones and modern technology, it's a lot easier and quicker to contact your babysitter. Enter Sitterati, the new iPhone app from Sittercity.

(screen shot of Sitterati)

I recently had the opportunity to review this new app and I have to say - I'm impressed! I haven't seen or heard of anything like this before and I think it's fantastic. It takes the multiple phone calls, text messages, and emails out of the booking a babysitter process and simplifies it!

After you download the app, you log in via Facebook. From there, you have the ability to add your favorite babysitters, so they're all in one place. Just text them to invite them!

You can create a job and send a notification out to all of your sitters at once, letting them know you need someone for an upcoming sitting job! Then, you can book a sitter directly from the app.

Get this - you can pay them from the app, too! Rather than having to find your checkbook or go to the ATM on your way home to get cash out, Sitterati has made it easy to pay your sitter right from the app. You just need to upload your credit card and pay them at the end of the job, after they create an account. How cool is that?

Sitterati is brand new - it just went live - and the Sitterati team is looking for feedback from both babysitters and parents! This free app is great for both parents and sitters and I encourage you to check it out!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

the not so controversial facebook status.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 02:47:00 +0000

That's all I wrote. It had been a hard day of parenting. You know - the one where you have to apologize to your three year old for yelling because at some point, you just couldn't handle the back talking anymore?

I quickly received the "amen," "word," and "preach it" responses from all of my mom friends. And then I received another response which was interesting. A friend posted a comment and part of it was this: "Hard is life and the balance and juggle of parenting with all the other things that tug at our attention and use our time. Are we not called to praise through our tough times?"

Oh, we are. We definitely are but parenting is hands down, the hardest thing (for lack of a better term) that I've ever done.

Interviewing for my first job out of college was one of the most nerve wracking experiences of my life but once I got the job, I was confident the Lord had placed me there for a purpose. Saying yes to a long distance relationship with a guy I had only known for a month and a half was scary and look how that turned out. *wink* Seeing those two pink lines on the pregnancy test after trying for only a month to start a family ... well, I wasn't prepared for that at all.

Parenting is not for the faint of heart.

I don't think there is anything wrong with admitting that you struggle, that some days are not unicorns, sparkles, and rainbows. I think it's refreshing and even encouraging to see other moms share the challenges they face because it makes them more real, more approachable, and as another friend emailed me "it makes me feel less alone."

The problem is if you stay there. The problem is if you're in a challenging season of parenthood or whatever you're facing and you just stay in the muck, even when things are, in fact, good. It's when you let the hard moments dictate the rest of the day, the week, the month.

Take today for example - we started the day with an epic meltdown over something I can't even remember. And my heart sank and so did my mood but after she calmed down and we ate cinnamon rolls from Trader Joe's, things shifted and we had a great day. Truly. She even rocked her well visit appointment at the doctor and was thrilled to go, mainly to see the cool fish tank they have there. *smile*

Being a mom is a huge responsibility but it is also the greatest joy!

I could have easily let the morning's events decide my disposition but I mustered every little ounce of coffee-induced energy in me, put a smile on my face, and decided that today was going to be a good one. And I need to do that more often, in the middle of the hard moments.

bread & wine: a book review.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 03:56:00 +0000

I had the blessing of receiving an advanced copy of Shauna Niequist's newest book, Bread & Wine, and I loved it. Loved it.

Like Cold Tangerines and Bittersweet, I found myself nodding emphatically at some parts, crying at others, and different than her former two books, salivating over the delicious recipes that are sprinkled throughout this wonderful love letter.

Shauna describes her life, her heart, her soul and how it is connected to spending time with people, preparing food, eating with them, and sharing the deepest parts of her heart with her family and friends around a table. The way she describes certain moments - well, I felt like I was experiencing them with her, firsthand. She writes with such poignancy and such depth about her life's real moments.

And she's not afraid to get really really real.

The part about overcommitting and being exhausted? I was empathetically sobbing. The part about licking the icing off a cupcake as she's walking onto a stage to speak? I would totally do that. The part about being in the hospital with her sick newborn and being so scared? I felt that, too.

Here are a few excerpts that stirred my soul:

Part of being a Christian means practicing grace in all sorts of big and small and daily ways, and my body gives me the opportunity to demonstrate grace, to make peace with imperfection every time I see myself in the mirror. On my best days, I practice grace and patience with myself, knowing that I can't extend grace and patience if I haven't tasted it. (p. 36)

What I'm finding is that when I'm hungry, lots of times what I really want more than food is an external voice to say, "You've done enough. It's OK to be tired. You can take a break. I'll take care of you. I see how hard you're trying" There is, though, no voice that can say that except the voice of God. The work I'm doing now is to let those words fall deeply on me, to give myself permission to be tired, to be weak, to need. (p. 71)

The heart of hospitality is about creating space for someone to feel seen and heard and loved. It's about declaring your table a safe zone, a place of warmth and nourishment. Part of that, then, is honoring the way God made our bodies, and feeding them in the ways they need to be fed. (p. 114)

One thing's for sure: if you decide to be courageous and sane, if you decide not to overspend or overcommit or overschedule, the healthy people in your life will respect those choices. And the unhealthy people in your life will freak out, because you're making a healthy choice they're not currently free to make. Don't for one second let that stop you. (p. 169)

And the recipes? Oh, the recipes. My book looks like it's missing half the pages because of how many I have dog-eared to try and my grocery list is three feet long now. Also, my husband won't know what happened to his wife when I pretend like I suddenly know how to cook. Shauna, thank you for that. *wink*

I love this book. You will, too.

Go buy a copy. You're welcome.

the night i came back to my blog.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 01:14:00 +0000

So, I haven't really written a post since the end of March. You know - words from my heart, words that are painful yet therapeutic to write out. Our little girl has been dealing with what we thought was reflux or a sudden food allergy for the last two weeks but what turned out to be a very strange acting virus. It's over - praise the Lord - because I've kinda had it with bodily fluids.

I had a moment, standing over the washing machine, doing my 62nd load of laundry, where I just broke down because the fear of not knowing what was going on with my child just shook me. She had these temper tantrums that were unlike anything we had ever seen come out of her little three foot tall frame. She wasn't eating normally. She wasn't herself.

I was scared.

Thankfully, it ended and we have our normal strong-willed and sweet daughter back who is now hooked on the BRAT diet because that's all we've fed her for the past five days, nervous to rock the proverbial boat.

*sigh*

So, I guess this is my "I'm back" post. I know - I'm writing on a Saturday night so who will actually read this? Well, I hope you do. *smile*

I have so much on my heart, so many things that have been running a race through my mind, keeping me awake at night - things like honesty in motherhood (can I get an amen?), finding your identity when you think you've lost it, wrestling with fear, and what to do when the dust of a major life change settles and normalcy (what's that?!) kicks in.

Hubs is at a church event, N is asleep, and I'm going to go make some nachos and catch up on Grey's Anatomy. See you back here on Monday for my review of Shauna's incredible new book, Bread & Wine.

Happy Saturday evening, friends.

shop finale insta-sale.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:32:00 +0000

Follow me on Instagram to join in ...

see you tonight at 8 pm CST!

sometimes i'm crafty: part two.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 14:06:00 +0000

I'm back with two more easy DIY projects today! Since we sold a lot of our home decor items (and furniture!) before we moved to Chicago, I've been having fun starting fresh with decorating.

For this project, I used the following materials:
Yarn of different colors White balloons Elmer's Glue Water Bowl Spoon Baking sheet Wax paper

I used this comprehensive tutorial to make these decorative yarn balls but have a few things to note.
I made eight of these and only four ended up looking nice enough to display. The last two that I made, I used Mod Podge because I ran out of the glue water mixture. DO NOT DO THIS! Not only was I an even stickier mess but the yarn completely stuck to the balloon so when I popped the balloons in those, they imploded. Also, I had to leave them to dry for about a day and a half, rotating them halfway through so both sides would dry thoroughly. I didn't do this craft with N - this was a bedtime DIY for sure because of the stickiness and the messiness. I'm happy with the result, though!
Next up ...

For this project, I used the following materials:
Vintage suitcase (found at Salvation Army - $11 for a two piece set!) Waddell table legs Waddell angled top plates Power drill
I used this easy tutorial to make a pair of these adorable vintage suitcase tables and followed it to the letter but I do have a few things to note.
Since our vintage suitcases are made out of hard plastic instead of the older wooden material, we will need to put a thin sheet of plywood in the bottom of the inside of the suitcase and rescrew the legs into that to provide stability. Also, I ordered our table legs and top plates directly from Waddell Manufacturing because they didn't carry them at my local hardware stores. I recommend this because they arrived less than 36 hours after I placed my online order - not to mention that they are located near my hometown, which I thought was pretty awesome. We will probably end up staining the legs to match my retro Pyrex cabinet but we need some warm weather first!
Once the house is "finished" (I use that loosely - I think I'll keep tweaking it!), I'll be doing a home tour series but for now, I thought I'd share a few little areas of our home that I'm loving. *smile*

State Love pillow & Paisley Sprouts pillow.

Collage Wall:

top two framed prints

bottom two framed prints

left hoop

right hoop

blocks

vintage Fisher Price toys

vintage airport sign

handmade yarn wrapped racquet

Mason jar centerpiece

Happy Monday, friends!

I hope you have a great start to your week!

Linking up with Huckleberry Love.

the end of an era.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:02:00 +0000

So, I have some news.

*deep breath*

If you've been a long time reader of my blog, you may have noticed that I haven't mentioned my shop in awhile. There's a reason for that. Truthfully, I haven't felt very inspired during this crazy season of our life. My focus has shifted to getting us settled into our new home, DIYing, writing, and, above all, spending quality time with my little family. I have put jewelry making on the back burner.

And I think that's where it's going to stay for awhile.

I've put the shop in vacation mode which will probably lead to me closing it permanently soon. I have some inventory left, including my custom mama bird necklaces, that I will be selling on Instagram so follow me there if you're interested in participating in my flash sale! I will be announcing it next week.

I want to thank each and every one of you who has purchased an item from my shop during it's year and a half run. It has been an awesome ride and I am so grateful! *smile*

coziness.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:52:00 +0000

If you visit our home, you'll notice in less than five seconds that I have a serious love of afghans. We have at least five in our living room, a few in our bedroom, and even N has her own granny square aghan that's just her size.

I'm also a huge fan of slippers, oversized sweaters, and scarves. I also happen to love fireplaces, furry boots, and cuddling. Just call me Grandma.

Cozy might as well be my middle name.

Speaking of scarves ...

Meet Angel.

This beautiful friend of mine authors the blog Simply Lovely Things and owns an Etsy shop of the same name. She just relaunched her shop and it is filled with beautiful crocheted infinity scarves, perfect for keeping your neck cozy. Here's more about Angel, in her own words:

"I am a thirty something, Jesus loving, Mrs to my Mr, mama to my fur babies and handmade shop owner. I love to create and make things, not only for my shop but as gifts too. Making someone's day makes me happy."

When Angel asked if I would like to review an item from her shop, I jumped at the chance. She sent me this beautiful black infinity scarf and I love it! It's perfect for the Chicago winter, especially since it lasts all year long. *wink*

If you'd like to purchase one of your own, use the code MAMA2 for 20% off!

Follow her here:

blog | shop | twitter | facebook

crash.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Just words today. I hope that's okay.

I do too much. I push myself too far. I don't know how to slow down.

This has always been an issue and it seems I'm no further along in conquering it than I was a decade ago. I like to do all the things. Take last Thursday for example - N and I were in and out of FIVE different stores, each with their separate "to buy" lists, before noon. BEFORE NOON. I'm exhausted just typing that out and I lived through it.

I am super productive and a multi-tasking genius ... and then I crash. And burn. And am unable to move for at least twenty-four hours. More often than not, I actually get sick, as if God is putting me in time out so He can remind me AGAIN that I do too much. I'm at this point right now.

This crashing has to stop.

I need to find the middle ground between running like a hamster on a wheel and sitting like a lump on the couch, recovering from it. This cycle causes me to get overwhelmed and frantically look for areas of my life to simplify. It makes me want to do things like delete my blog and figure life out without the distraction of my online life.

But then I realize that the friendships I've made because of my online presence are the ones that get me through my lowest moments. I read through the texts that continue on into the middle of the night, filled with blatantly honest talk about marriage, parenting, and making big changes. I recognize that if it weren't for all of the social media outlets that often ovewhelm me, I wouldn't have the wonderful fellowship I do with my sweet friends who share my joy, my tears, and my fears.

To them, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
To myself, stop crashing, slow down, and listen to your heart.
To you, thank you for continuing to read my blog.

sometimes i'm crafty: part one.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Today, I want to share two easy projects that I've done recently for our new home! They are easy, colorful and combine my love of vintage, handmade, and repurposing.

For this project, I used the following materials:

Vintage clock stitchery

(a trade from another vintage loving friend)

Frame from IKEA

Clock kit from Hobby Lobby

Clock hands from Hobby Lobby

Duct tape

I followed this awesome tutorial but had to make a few tweaks along the way.

The clock hands I purchased were too long and didn't have the right look so I used my kitchen shears to cut them down and reshape them. I used the duct tape to firmly adhere the sides of the stitchery to the back of the cardboard mat that came with the IKEA clock, to make sure it was smooth on the front. Also, the tutorial doesn't mention this (even if it's obvious!) but you can't use the glass unless you put something inside the front of the frame to push the clock back far enough. I didn't do this - I like the way it looks without the glass.

I'm all kinds of in love with this project and I have it hanging in our dining room right now.

Next up ...

For this project, I used the following materials:

Vintage or thrifted racquet

(I used a badminton racquet but you can use racquetball or tennis, too!)

Yarn

Glue dots

I've been keeping an eye out for a cool racquet on my thrifting trips and finally found the perfect one! I was on the varsity tennis team in high school so this is not only a fun craft but an homage to that time of my life.

I started wrapping my yarn in the center and did half of the heart first. This took a little while - I had to wrap and unwrap and rewrap a few times to get the right look. Once I settled on the shape I wanted, I mirrored it on the other side, starting again from the center and working in the other direction. Once I was done, I tied small knots on the back with both ends.

For the yarn wrapped stem of the racquet (see below), I used glue dots (not messy!) on the handle to adhere each color of yarn. It helped keep them in place and I made sure all of my ends were on the back of the racquet, too. I added two little yarn wrapped sections where the old Spalding labels were on the right and left of the racquet head.

This was surprisingly popular on Instagram and that made me so happy! This cutie is going on our craft/playroom wall as soon as the room is finished.

Stay tuned for more craftiness. I have a few other fun projects up my sleeve! *wink*

Linking up with Huckleberry Love, Ninth Street Notions & Sew Chatty.

my first response.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 01:52:00 +0000

We were driving to church yesterday morning, listening to a local Christian radio station, and something that was said struck a chord with me.

The ministry minute, between songs, was about our words and how controlling the tongue is so incredibly difficult. God spoke directly to my heart through what this woman had to say - something along the lines that a small victory is responding with love and grace in the midst of stress and angst. She shared that she often retorted in frustration instead of slowing down and speaking in kindness.

A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 15:1

Hello, conviction.

I'll admit that I have been too quick to respond with a harsh tone lately. Moving and unpacking is stressful. I wanted to have our new place completely unpacked and pictures on the walls by now and I don't. I've already dubbed myself the task master. I know it's unrealistic and ridiculous.

There is no reason why I shouldn't be speaking with love and grace. I have so much to be thankful for - a new church, a happy husband, a cheerful little girl, a perfect-for-us house, and a craft room. *wink*

So, today, with that piercing mini-message embedded in my heart, I changed my first response.

I took a deep breath and spoke in a quiet voice when N had a less than stellar 'tude this afternoon and she apologized on her own. When she made a mess, we cleaned it up together and the world didn't end. Instead of barreling through the day with my to do list in hand, I slowed down and had some pretty awesome and memorable moments with my girl.

Today was good.

my first post in our new house.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:59:00 +0000

I'm sitting in my living room, writing, for the first time since we moved. I can't remember the last time I opened my laptop. I just put N to bed and I'm putting together my to do list for tomorrow. Every room is unpacked but the crafting/playroom and my Pyrex is still sitting in boxes, waiting to be cleaned and arranged. Truth be told, the latter is my motivation to get everything else done. *smile*

I could tell you all about everything that went wrong during our move and with our new place - and that would take up an entire post - but I just want to focus on is the happy. To put it in twitter terms, everything we dealt with were #firstworldproblems. Everything has been fixed and we are happily settling in.

We have been blessed with a three bedroom long term rental home that was built in the early 1950s but completely renovated earlier this year. It has the charm, the hardwood floors, and the quirks that I love and the modern appliances that the hubs was looking for. I promise - there will be a home tour once everything is decorated and my DIY projects are finished.

For now, here's a sneak peek of some of the corners of our new place:

our coffee bar, complete with vintage Maid of Honor canisters

(p.s. I'm in search of the other two - flour & tea - keep an eye out for me, please!)

my "new" vintage china cabinet that will soon be filled with Pyrex & one bad kitty

my newest granny afghan & custom pillow from Milo & Molly

vintage syrup container + dish soap = a fabulous idea I wish I had thought of first

aqua bins & frames from IKEA, hand painted vase by me, blocks by Bubblewrapp'd

my happy girl at our home away from home (IKEA)

Happy Wednesday!

the unexpected joys of handmade.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Guess what?! We are moved in and busy unpacking now. Eek! Today is my last guest post and it's by Jill from 99 WPM, previously Ernestine Edna. We "met" online last year and have become fast friends. She and her family even helped us move this past weekend! Read on to hear Jill's thoughts on the handmade community - you'll love it!

Finding my way in the world of handmade has been a true journey.

In my youth I was a baker, a seamstress, a lamp maker.

My dad taught me how to fix things, and how not to give up until whatever was broken was usable, which takes a certain kind of creativity.

About ten years ago my sister and I sold homemade mixes in handsewn gift bags at craft shows.

My friend's granddaughter
wearing a hat I made for a
fundraiser last fall.

In the past three years I’ve been knitting and making jewelry for fundraising purposes for various causes.

I do like to create, but I have an eensy-weensy attention span and no permanent workspace. Handmade for me is truly a labor of love and I will never be able to make a living at it. But I still love handmade.

I know the effort involved in turning the designs in your head into a tangible creation. I know what it feels like to have created some awesome thing and have no one see it. I know the exhilaration of having someone purchase an item from you, and then by word of mouth have someone else make a purchase. Handmade is about putting yourself into a creation…it is all about taking risks.

I am not a risk taker.

I struggle with the confidence it takes to sell my creations.

I struggle with knowing how much to charge and being confident to promote an item I create.

While I use quality materials and take time to make a quality product, I struggle with selling…anything.

But I do love to give and to encourage others.

What better marriage can there be than that of the handmade world and the gift of affirmation?

One of my blogging goals is to encourage small business owners, especially creators of handmade. I usually host one or two giveaways each week, not so much to gather followers for myself, but to show off and highlight the creations of others. Of course the more followers I have, the more exposure I am able to give to the handmade artisans. With the exception of a few giveaways that have been donated, I choose to pay for the items I give away. It is my choice, (I’m open to not paying, so I can give away more things) but I really want to support handmade in any way I can and purchasing the item for the giveaway is a good start!

It sounds cheesy to say it, but buying handmade has truly been a blessing to me.

There are weird things, like when I get a package from my friend April at Marine Parents and I put the envelope up to my nose to get a whiff of the life of my far away friend...

There are awesome things, like getting an encouraging text from a far away friend at just the right moment...

There are sweet things like when I get to meet people like Tricia face to face and have ~~lunch~~ Giordano's and chat about life.

I am so blessed to be a part of a community that is supportive, generous and encouraging. The small financial investment I make in the lives of my handmade friends has been abundantly repaid in the joy of the winners of my giveaways, the recipients of the gifts I give at Christmas and birthdays (and "just because") and the pleasure I take in proudly using handcrafted items personally.

If you are hesitant to step out of the "retail boat" and try purchasing handmade, enter one of my giveaways...I can guarantee, you won't be disappointed!

Follow Jill here:

blog | twitter | facebook

Hope your Monday is fantastic!

a simple and fabulous DIY art project.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000

We just got the keys to our new place! Can you hear me screaming all the way over here in Chicagoland? While we start to move in, Stephanie is here to share a simple but fabulous DIY art project! If you don't know her, well, you should. Not only does she have a gorgeous blog, Sand and Starfish and a lovely Etsy shop of the same name, but she is artsy, crafty, and an awesome mama! I am blessed to call her a friend. *smile*

I'm delighted to be here to show you a really simple DIY that will practically change the way you decorate your house. No lie. It's extremely low budget and it took me about 20 minutes to complete. Let's dive in!

Things you'll need:

A Canvas

Acrylic paint

Foam or sponge brush

Tape

Stencil Paper

Plate (to hold paint)

Thick paper or cardstock

Let's start with the design. Draw the design of your choice on a piece of cardstock and cut out. Next, position the stencil where you'd like to start and use 2 small pieces of tape to hold it in place.

Dab your brush in some paint and then start dabbing away at your design.

Carefully remove the stencil and position on the next spot. Keep going until you're done and then just wait for the paint to dry. And you're done!

Quick and easy. Just how I like my DIYs! After I made this, I realized that it would look pretty fab with if you did each stencil in a different color or even in an ombre pattern. Again ... you can use any pattern you'd like! It's your masterpiece!

I absolutely love this! Follow Stephanie here:

blog | shop | twitter | facebook | pinterest

Have a happy weekend!

mommy friendships.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000

While we finish up packing, I'm turning my blog over to one of my dear friends. Today's post is by Julie, a blogging and real life friend of mine. She authors the blog Back to the Basics and owns a photography business of the same name. We "met" a few years ago, text all day every day, and, now that we live in Chicagoland, have hung out a few times. She's writing about one of my favorite topics today!

Friendship. A word I used to take lightly, but not so much anymore.

Let's back up to grade school. I pretty much considered my entire class my friends, and as I got in to junior high and high school, it was easier to be friends with those involved in the same activities. In college, I had friends that were in my same major (because we had our classes together) but still maintained a few outside friendships with others who I didn't see as often. And after getting married and having babies, I find my circle of friends to be close, yet smaller than in years past.

It is not a bad thing-- I choose quality over quantity, and after some recent events in my life, I am so thankful for the friendships I DO have. The close ones I can call for anything. The quick texts to check on THEM. Coffee dates sans kids, playdates WITH kids-- the camaraderie that comes with having kids and being able to say "girl, I have totally been there."

Kenley, myself, my high school BFF Jacqui and her son, Paxton

The ones that can quote movies with me, who celebrate the little things in life, and that are there to be a shoulder if I need to cry on it. The ones I can laugh with, make fun of myself with, and vent to. This is what friendship means to ME. And I couldn't be more thankful for the friends in my life.

Tricia & I

Last week, my entire family of 4 came down with the stomach flu. Luckily, this was my first time with kids getting it, and I was at a loss. After a few texts to a few of my friends, I started to calm down about what to do with Brayden, and felt more confident in my parenting. That? Is priceless. And that is just one example! Establishing friendships at ANY phase of your life is so, so important.

Today, I challenge you to say "thank you" to your friends-- let them know how much they mean to you.

Because I know I don't say it enough to mine.

I just love this mama! Follow her here:

blog | photography site | twitter | facebook

Happy Thursday, friends!

new home inspiration.

noreply@blogger.com (tricia) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 03:05:00 +0000

Have I mentioned lately that we're moving?

*wink*

I am so excited to decorate a new place, especially since I've been collecting (or hoarding) flea market and thrifting finds in my parents' basement. All of the stitcheries, hoop art, mason jars, vintage coffee pots, Pyrex, granny square blankets, and more are now packed into boxes and ready to move into their new home THIS weekend! WOO HOO! Feast your eyes on some of my inspiration for our new place and let's drool together, shall we?

Please enjoy:

Source: designismine.blogspot.com viaThe Blue Eyed Owl on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com viaTricia on Pinterest

Source: kirtsy.com viaTricia on Pinterest

Four days and counting!