A Little Creative Inspiration For You: Spring Wreath Project

Because we just moved, and we are partially still in boxes, I didn't think too much about how to decorate for Spring and Easter, but I could hardly stand it and I had to make something to add a little touch of special preparation for this time of year...

I decided to keep it simple, and for about $8- $10 or less I created this sweet little wreath for our door. It was really fun, and with all my work on pieces for Love's Garden, I haven't made as much time to make things for myself lately, so it was a good opportunity to make something pretty for the cottage. Maybe you will be inspired to make one of your own creation!

A Little Spring Wreath:

Materials:

• Grapevine wreath 16-18 in, mine was $2.99

• a sprig of faux flowers (I chose a single branch of white cherry blossom flowers) with lots of little heads or stems to be removed, mine were $3

• faux eggs, craft stores sell many kinds this time of year, but mine were paper mache eggs in a pack of 12 for $2, robin's egg size, and I painted and attatched wire myself

• craft paint for the eggs if needed (I already had some)


• wire for the eggs if needed (I also already had this)
  

How to:

1. Gently remove flower stems from branch. Every type of faux flower is different, but most are easy to remove. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of faux flowers, but I've found that if used minimally and if you choose the right ones, they can have a pretty result. And they are good for a quick project. So I decided to use them in this project. In the future I may try making my own from paper...

Leave on enough stem to use for tucking in to wreath for the easiest project. You could also use old scissors if needed and you can always glue the flowers, but I plan on using the same grapevine wreath and switching out the decor each season so I didn't choose to glue.

2. Gently tuck flowers in around the wreath as evenly spaced as you like, keeping a balanced look, unless you are going for the wild and crazy look which I'm also in support of, so if that's the case, knock yourself out... ;) Its your wreath!

This is my majestic, beautiful, funny cat, Spoofer. She likes to be very involved in/sit on all my projects. In this case, I'm pretty sure she thought this was a spring-themed nest that I made just for her. In any case, I was able to capture this portrait of her, and I particularly love the look in her eyes. Its like she knows she's sitting on my work. Of course.





3. I then painted my eggs in off white and tan. I really wanted some of them to be robin's egg blue, but I didn't have that color in craft paint, so I'll probably add some in that color later.

4. My eggs didn't come with wire already in them, so I added some by poking the wire through the bottom of the egg.

5. I then twisted the wire around itself,

to make thicker wire to work with,

And there you have it.

6. Then like you did with the flowers, tuck the eggs around the wreath however you like.

Your wreath is done! Hang in somewhere inspiring!

Here is my finished wreath which I hung on our cottage front door:

Have fun crafting!

Love,

Abbey

Pretty Spring Garlands in the Works

I am currently working on a special line of garlands for my Spring Collection. Here's a sneak peek at "Annie's Garland" in the works, but to see the final product, you'll have to wait for the arrival of my Spring Collection! ;)

I call this one "Annie's Garland" because I originally created this design to decorate for my sister's special Bridal Shower. It is a beautiful color combination that really adds a lovely touch to any special gathering...

While working, I sipped on a refreshing glass of sweet country peach iced tea, which is my very favorite drink right now--I've been making it almost every day... Please note the beautiful hand-crocheted doilie, made by my husband Preston's lovely Grandmother Loretta. I treasure all things handmade for us, especially those made by our grandparents...

I really should have you over so we can share a glass of this wonderful iced tea together, but because it is so fantastic, I can't keep it all to myself! ;)

• Fill a saucepan with water (I bet its about 6-8 cups)


• Bring to a boil


• Add 5-6 Celestial Seasonings "Country Peach Passion" tea bags (the best peach tea EVER. I only wish it was organic)


• Turn off heat and let steep for 5-10 min or whatever you like


• Remove teabags, add Agave Nectar to taste (you could use whatever sweetener you would like, but Agave is heaven to me. Its low glycemic and much easier on the body than most sweeteners. It will dissolve in hot or cold tea too! I love the way it compliments the flavor of this tea. I like the dark amber Agave.


• Let cool for a while, then refridgerate or add ice


• Pour into your favorite pitcher


• Fill a glass with ice, pour, and enjoy! Warning: this may become an obsession if you like peach tea as much as I do!! Wonderful!

Tracing design for garland...

Each piece is carefully cut out to be part of the whole! I love these garlands, and can't wait to share them with you! They add that extra touch of love and care to a celebration.

I have a passion for picking out colors and color combinations and I spend hours sometimes mixing and matching until I find the perfect blend. I am especially fond of this combination, because it combines femininity with fun, and a feeling of celebration. It looked really lovely hanging at my sister's garden bridal shower. Maybe you know someone who would be delighted by this garland!

They look lovely strung across a mantle for a splash of color to celebrate Spring's arrival, and can be hung again and again for all of your spring and summer birthday celebrations, tea parties, and garden soirees...

Until next time,

Love,

Abbey

For the Domestic Goddess...

As a part of my soon-to-arrive Spring collection, here's a little something I've been cookin' up for the Domestic Goddess in you. :)



I found this adorable designer tea pot fabric at one of my local fabric shops and I knew immediately what it had to be made up into...


Lots of Love and care went into each one!



Just wait til you see the final product! They might just be the perfect addition to your
kitchen-wears ;) or even just the perfect accessory to cute-ify your style! :) The chunky little tea pots are so sweet, and the colors are awesome!





All sewn up just for you!

These little babies are limited and will be available soon! Stay tuned to find out more!

Love,
Abbey

Fabric and Threads That Whisper of Spring...

I have been working on some special projects that will be a part of my spring collection for Love's Garden, my Etsy Shop. Here are some photos I wanted to share with you...

Preparing the fabric pieces to become something beautiful...

I dreamed up and sketched my design ideas on paper...

Then I transferred the design to the fabric...

Pressing the fabric to prepare for sewing...

Assembling the raw pieces by machine...

And finally, I began the embroidery work to create a truly unique and special work of art. And its super cool. I love how it came out. To see the final product, you'll have to stay tuned for the debut of my spring collection in April at Love's Garden. Until then, check back here for periodic updates and to see more creative yumminess as I work on the collection!

Love,

Abbey

Morning in the Canyon

This morning I ran in the canyon for the first time. It was a beautiful morning, the sun streaming down through the tall mountain pines. It was my first time running since we moved here, and I was excited to try it out. Our house is just 1/4 mile from the entrance to North Cheyenne Canyon Park, and the canyon walls reach to the sky all around the road.


It was beautiful. As I ran, I could hear the birds echoing, and woodpeckers pecking and the stream that runs down the mountain by the side of the road, that has begun to flow more intensely with a few warm days we've had recently. It was still very cold though. The air burned in my lungs, and it was a very challenging run, because the whole first 1/4 mile is at an incline. And the air is thin at this altitude, even more so than it was at my mom's house (we lived with my mom for 2 years) near downtown. And of course it is--we live in the foothills!


Last big run I had was with my sister Annie and her husband Kevin, in Ventura, CA, and although I could barely keep up with Annie (she is a fitness queen) I felt like a ran like a pro (for me) when I was there, forgetting that part of the reason for that was the lower altitude. Duh. Well this morning's run showed me up. I'm very excited though to have such a pristine, incredibly beautiful place to run. We feel so fortunate to be so close to such an amazing natural treasure. I can see though that I will be challenging myself to get further and further into the canyon without stopping to walk, and I will have develop my stamina for uphill running.


I'm thinking about buying trail running shoes for my next pair of runners. There are so many great trails here and throughout the area, and beautiful places to run. I returned from my run to a beautiful green and red-hued mango to indulge in. It was luscious, juicy, sweetness. Heaven on earth. Organic mangos were on sale the other day for 88 cents and my beloved Preston brought home 5 of them! Mmmmmm...





I've been working all week so far on getting our home organized and beautified. Very soon I will share pictures with you of our home now that we are moved in. I have been hand washing all of our dishes, and really enjoying the process, whenever I keep up with it well. While we didn't have our own home for a couple years, I really cultivated a sense for what a blessing and honor it is to be able to care for your own things...your own space. I value little things so much more now, and I have so much more of a sense for what I want my home to be, and to feel like. We LOVE it here. Its so quiet and precious. The sunshine streams through our windows at all times during the day, because there are windows all around.


Yesterday I hung up my windchime, which is truly one of my most cherished "things." It is a Corinthian Bells wind chime that I bought last summer with money gifted to me after completing a project very dear to my heart. It is perfectly tuned, and when a breeze floats by it creates the most centering and peaceful sound. It is LOVE.


Preston and I took a few moments to draw (literally, in the dirt out back) and plan for building our raised beds for our vegetable and herb gardens. I've gone through my seed catalogs and circled many flower and vegetable and herb seeds and everything we will order, and I'll be putting in my order soon! My heart dances at the promise of Spring! :)


One of my very favorite things about our home so far, is that on the hour and quarter and half hour every hour, up on the side of the mountain, bells ring and play music from the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun. Preston says, and I agree, that it makes it seem like we are in the Sound of Music. I always feel like I live in a sweet little mountain village every time I hear it. There is a lot that is magical about this energy space and I am so grateful to be a part of it.

A New Home: Little Cottage By the Canyon

Hello Friends!

My husband Preston and I have just moved into our very first house together--we've lived both the apartment lifestyle and with our parents for quite some time, but we are so happy to have found the perfect little place to settle into.

We wanted so much to find a little cottage where we could cultivate a simple way of living--a sweet little space to dream, cook, sing, and play together. I wanted it to have a wonderful yard where we could plant lots of wild and beautiful things and for it to have the perfect spot for our raised bed vegetable and herb gardens in the spring. I wanted it to have lots of natural light streaming in through the windows, and for it to be in a wonderful neighborhood with easy access to nature.

I did a lot of visioning and dreaming for this home over the last year, and finally, there it was.

Our house is a little brown cottage with shingle siding (my favorite) and rusty orange trim. It has hardwood floors throughout the living areas and in the bedroom, and tile in the kitchen and bathroom. It has little nooks and built-in shelves perfect and ready for decorating. It has a cozy fireplace and lots of cabinet space in the kitchen. Off the bedroom it has a walk-in cedar-lined closet. Older style windows wrap pretty much around the entire house, and there is a perfect little nook in the front of the house where I am putting together my art studio space. And my favorite parts? The yard and the location.

Our yard is surrounded in tall privacy fences most of the way around making it feel cozy and secluded. The front yard is grass as far as I can tell (there has been lots of snow cover) and along the fence there are built-up stone flower beds. (Or at least that is what I will make them into!) As you walk toward the back you can hear the chickens next door clucking! I love chickens and we were both very excited when we realized we had feathered neighbors! Some features I love about the back yard: lots of little nooks and crannies to plant and grow things up, two super tall pine trees right in the center of the yard, and the very most magical thing is in the very back of the yard if you open the picket fence gate, it leads you down a little staircase. About half way down to the right there is a deck! Scrub oaks surround and shelter it and it looks over the creek that runs down from the mountain across the street below. At the bottom of the stairs is a door to our quirky little garage. We are only about 5 miles from a couple of great Natural Foods Grocery stores and other conveniences and only 2 doors down from a little local coffee shop--the perfect place to go to take a break from all the unpacking!

Cheyenne Canyon is a beautiful area, tucked up right at the base of the mountains and if you drive about a quarter mile from our house, you enter North Cheyenne Canyon Park. I'm excited to go running and biking in the canyon regularly!

And so I am excited to share with you as we begin to put together our special little space. Right now we are still cleaning and unpacking quite a bit, and its not quite ready for a housewarming, but day by day we are beginning to see that it is just the most precious little place and we are just loving caring for it together!

So I thank you for reading my blog, and I welcome you into my world of creating, and living as we begin this new journey in our lives.

Love to you,
Abbey

Welcome to Our Cottage...

Welcome to our new little love cottage. Its still very much winter here, but I can feel a whisper of spring every once in a while through the tall pines...

Here is a view of the front yard from our doorstep. You can hear lots of birds singing in the trees high above...

This is the side of our house and a door off of the kitchen... from this spot you might hear chickens clucking from their coop next door...



Here is the backyard right now. Just wait til you see what I have in store for it come spring! :)

These are my two pines. They are so tall and perfect. I can't wait to get to know them better!

Down the back stairs, you can see our little deck! Imagine when the scrub oaks are all green! It will be so private and secluded. A wonderful little sanctuary to listen to the creek and hide in the shade! A secret little world...

Here is what you can see when you are on the deck. That little bridge crosses over the creek. In the summer months, you can hear the creek flowing...

The back stairs...

Our little kitchen...

This is the front of our living space. To the left you see my creative-nook-to-be!

Here is the living room. I love the ceilings!

And, the bedroom. It is all windows. I LOVE it! Natural light is so important to me. It makes me feel like I live outside. It gets me back to my roots. Thanks for looking around!