The Nesting Hen

I had this akward place between a doorway and my window, and couldn't for the life of me figure out what to put there. In the process of cleaning and trying to find homes for stuff, I came across this old window frame. The frame had been painted black, and was just in general pretty sad looking. I painted it a bright red, the same color as our island, attached a plywood backing that was painted with chalkboard paint, and voila! It's like it was made for that space! It's the perfect space for notes, grocery list, or honey-do lists.  Do you have a unique chalkboard in your kitchen?

Photo courtesy of www.walnutantiqueshow.com I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I LOVE flea markets! My mom and I never miss a What Cheer flea market. My mom has been going there for over 20 years, and as soon as I was old enough to walk the flea market without complaints, I got to go along too. A few years back, we decided that the wait between the May and August What Cheer shows was unbearable, and we needed to find a new show to go to in between. After doing some research, we came across the Walnut Antique Show. Located in Walnut, Iowa (Iowa's Antique City), this small, small town hosts a flea market in Mid June every year. We make a mother daughter weekend out of it, and when she can, my sister joins us a well. We stay overnight at a nearby hotel, and the past few years, we've eaten supper the night before at Mexican restaurant in downtown Harlan. The reason we go back…the cabbage salsa. I know it sounds weird, I had never heard of it before...

Everyone has a collection. Something that you were simply drawn to or something that you have a personal tie with. Mine is a bit of both. My matchbox holder collection reminds me of simpler times that I didn't get to experience. When it was necessary to have matches in the kitchen to light your stove. The silver one in particular holds a special place in my heart. My Great-great-grandfather held a patent for a matchbox holder cut from a single piece of metal. This matchbox is identical to the drawings in his patent. I love the variety of colors, designs, and styles. When we moved into our new house, I couldn't find the right place or method to display them. I wanted to keep them together, as I think they make more of an impact. I finally found the perfect way to display them. This little black shelf houses most of them perfectly, and the space really needed something. I even have room to add more to my collection! (P.S. Don't mind the...

Street scrubbers in Pella Tulip Time is finally here…and now gone :( To me, it truly is the most wonderful time of year! Good food, parades, my costume, Dutch dancing, beautiful flowers…so many reasons to love Tulip Time! My Dutch selfie!  :) Growing up, Tulip Time meant riding on the VFW float that my Grandpa was pulling, sharing Vet Bollen with my Grandma, walking in the parade with all the other school kids, spending time at Grandma and Grandpa's house because it was right on the parade route, Grandma's fresh chocolate chip cookies, walking through the craft show with Mom, Dutch dancing, scrubbing streets, and so very much more! With my Grandparents now being gone, it makes it a bittersweet time. So, to keep my mind busy, and to continue to support the festival that helps keep our community thriving, I decided to volunteer at the Pella Historical Village. This little village features a replica sod home that the founders of the city lived in, a working w...

As tulips begin to break through the fresh spring soil, in our community, we begin to think about Tulip Time, This festival, held the first Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of May, brings thousands from around the world to view our beautiful community, filled with brightly colored tulips and costumes that celebrate our Dutch Heritage. This year, for Tulip Time, I will be worked at the Pella Historical Village , in the bakery. I was very excited to be able to support the festival, as well as meet people from all over the world as the visit. And, because I never have enough projects, I decided last minute to sew a new Dutch costume. My ancestors are from many places in the Netherlands, so I chose to make the costume from Groningen, the province my Grandmother's family is from. A black peplum top, a black dress, an apron, scarf, and a white lace hat make up this costume. I'm finally finished with it all, and just in time, as Tulip Time was a few short days away. Until ...

Every year, our little town has a festival, Tulip Time, to honor our Dutch heritage the first weekend of May. That means thousands, literally thousands, of tulips, dutch costumes, parades, food, and music. As we are nearing Tulip Time, the tulips have started blooming, and the town is preparing for all the guests that will be coming shortly. I took a detour on my nightly walk to see all the beautiful tulips. Now I need to get working on my Dutch Costume. Nothing like last minute preparations!

After lots of joining of granny squares, and many rounds of borders, I am happy to say...I AM FINISHED!!!!!

When you live in small town Iowa, we often have to travel and plan trips around shopping. My friend and I have been planning this trip for some time, and were finally able to go. Quite some time ago, we had decided to take   a Saturday and go to….IKEA!!!!!! As we don’t have an IKEA in Iowa, we had to make a decision; go North to Minneapolis, or South to Kansas City . With this lovely polar vortex we’ve all been experiencing, we of course decided KC…the shorter driving distance helped our decision too ;) After weeks of planning our shopping lists, and hours on the road, we have FINALLY made it! I just have to say, I love the IKEA experience. Walking through the show floor, and looking at each room and getting inspiration, then going to the “store” and picking out the items you saw in the showroom (and of course more). Swoon! I luuuuuuuuuv this kitchen. I can picture myself standing at the island, mixing up Grandma’s chocolate chip cookies, with a pot of c...

My sister is expecting her second child due in April, and as soon as I found out, I began thinking about what I could make to welcome this baby. When she had her first child, I quilted a small blanket for him, so for the second, I decided to do something a little different.

Welcome! I am so very excited to share with you a piece of my life. I grew up in small town Iowa when the streetlights came on and you knew it was time to go home, mom's yelled kids names from the back porch, and you rode your bike to school, to Grandma’s house, and to the pool in the summer. Playtime didn’t include tablets or computers and the TV had 6 channels. Creativity and imagination was the norm.