This week so far | july 13

eating / anything that doesn't require turning on the oven.

drinking / wine drinks with philip in the evening.

practicing / enjoying my time off from work.

mastering /sewing pillow covers. I've made 900 this summer.

learning / to take it easier on myself.

playing / podcasts all day long. I love this one.

finishing / my massive get rid of stuff plan.

reading / my giant stack of kinfolk magazines.

walking / annie dog everyday at 10am.

wearing / my mint shorts.

cooking / simple pasta with spinach.

working / on a black and white blanket for the couch.

traveling / to pennsylvania to see my family in a week.

wanting / to plan a trip with philip before the summer ends.

+ making stuff all day long

+ birthday hen
+ the most beautiful dutch oven ever!

homemade basket

I made a basket the other day for Annie's dog toys. It only took about an hour to make and I love it. I got the idea here. I couldn't find cotton clothesline at the hardware store so I bought the polyester kind. I'd love to get cotton so I could dye it and make colorful baskets. I used a light mint thread for most of the basket because I have a hard time sewing straight, as you can see from bright pink thread on the inside. 

After I finished this basket, I just wanted to make more and more. I don't really need anymore baskets but I doubt that will stop me.


+ cloudy and cool days
+ slow and quiet mornings
+ baskets for everything!!

slow life | spending time outside

In the past few months, I've been thinking a lot about how much I enjoy it when my life slows down. I like to have time to sit outside and read on our balcony or just spend time fiddling around with my plants for a hour. I sometimes day dream about moving out of the city and living on a small farm. I would love to have a llama farm or a lavender farm. My fantasy probably isn't even close to what real farm life would be like but I imagine it would be still be pretty great even if I had to wake up at 4am.

Since I can't pack up and leave for the farm life right now, I've been trying to make small changes instead. I try and make time every day to just sit outside and read. I try to be less concerned with everything on my to do list and just slow down my day. Take the time to go for a long walk with Annie dog and enjoy how quiet and wonderful it is to have the house to myself to work on sewing projects.

I'm meeting my friend Deb this afternoon and we're going to spend the afternoon at Barton Springs. I haven't been swimming all summer and today is supposed to be hot so I'm excited. I'm off to pack some books and snacks for the day.

+ Jeopardy
+ sunny mornings
+ summer adventures

knitting a new blanket

I've been working on a new knitting blanket at night while we watch movies (mostly terrible nicholas cage movie masterpieces). I like super simple knitting projects and this one couldn't be easier, just knitting a giant rectangle in knit stitch. I've still had to start over because of mistakes that I couldn't figure out how to fix. I've been knitting for years and still struggle to pick up dropped stitches. I must have watched 10 youtube video on how to do it before I decided starting over might be the best option. I'm really enjoying knitting again and maybe someday the temperature will drop in Austin and we'll actually need to use a blanket again. maybe.

I was inspired to make a blanket after seeing so many beautiful knitted blankets on pinterest.
This blanket inspires mine and I also love this one and this one. This super soft merino wool looks amazing. I need to order some of that right now.

+ homemade bread
+ sleeping in late
+ sewing for hours

sweet tooth | july

1. strawberry shortcake

2. basil cake

3. new york times chocolate chip cookies

4. triple berry cinnamon swirl bread 

This week so far | June 30

 Happy 4th of July!! Philip and I took Annie for a long and very hot run this morning. Hopefully she'll be too tired to freak out tonight during the fireworks.

This week:

+ Philip and I checked out the farmer's market in our neighborhood and I got a free mini watermelon for spending over $10. win win.

+ I've been working on a small knitted blanket and these are the colors that I'm using for it. It is taking me forever because I keep messing up and taking it all out. I really need to get better at fixing knitting mistakes.

+ Philip hung a tomato and strawberry planter on the balcony. Fingers crossed that they live through the summer.

+ I got a little obsessed with sewing pillow covers this week.

+ I think I ate pizza for 8 out 10 meals this week due to the fact that I was reading this book. I love pizza.

+ Deb and I went for a walk behind her apartment. It was crazy hot but we saw a baby turtle so it was worth it. Also we tried Amy's ice cream for the first time. I had sweet cream with gingersnaps mixed in. We walked around Uncommon Objects together. I love how they organize the items by color.

Project Life Album | June 2014

This month:

I finally took the time to turn in my Pennsylvania license for a Texas license. I got a little sentimental while I was waiting and took a photo of my old license. I had to make two trips to the DMV that day because I forgot my car insurance forms, when I got back and was waiting to be called, I couldn't find my old license and thought I might have dropped it when I ran home to get the rest of my paperwork.  It was in my pocket. Oh, how I love the exciting adventures of moving to a new state, they never seem to end.