52 Lists, Week 13

Happy Monday! Welcome to my 52 Lists Project, wherein I feature one list every week for 2015. To join in with your own list, scroll down to the link at the bottom, print out your own list, and then share it however you wish!

Week 13: List the Things You Want to Make
There are lots of things I want to make, since I've always been a very crafty person. Knitting, embroidery, sewing, etc., I've been into crafts since I was a kid. Here's my list:

• my Wildflower cardigan - halfway finished!
• Hanukkah sweaters for Lila and Talia (special requests)
• a family cookbook
• berry cobbler for summer
• new friends
• throws/granny square afghans for the living room couch
• enough money to get out of debt and save up for Santiago
• my home a nicer place to live
• lots of books
• Catholic religious education in the U.S. better
• my mother proud
• a positive difference in the world
• a family of my own

Wow, this is a bad picture. I take notoriously poor photos but this deserves an award...Sorry!

So those are all the things I want to make. What about you? What are the things you want to make this month, this year, or in your lifetime? Let me know in comments or with a list of your own!


Love,

Willow

For more fun with 52 Lists, click down on "52 Lists" in the little categories section at the bottom of the post, and go over to Moorea Seal's site to see more!

Check out Moorea Seal's entire project at her blog below:
http://www.moorea-seal.com/p/52-lists.html  
 

52 Lists, Week 12

Happy Monday! Welcome to my 52 Lists Project, wherein I feature one list every week for 2015. To join in with your own list, scroll down to the link at the bottom, print out your own list, and then share it however you wish!

Week 12: List the Things that Feel Like Home
This week's list is about homey-ness. This list - like all the others - is hardly exhaustive, but after looking around my house for a few minutes and trying to imagine things missing, I came up with some of the things that make or break my home. Enjoy!

• books
• Gatsby
• books
• tea
• handmade throws, afghans, blankets
• family antiques
• family pictures
• the smell of Mom's perfume
• jacaranda trees
• fresh flowers and open windows
• my books
• the smell of jasmine bushes
• summer
• Christmas trees
• cooking - especially roast chicken and berry cobbler
• crucifixes and Madonnas

Lots of smells (our sense of smell is most closely linked to memory, after all) and things from my childhood home (handmade blankets, jasmine bushes, Mom's crucifix in the kitchen), but also things that are unique to my home: jacaranda trees, Gatsby, my books, open windows, etc. I think as we grow up our sense of home changes, but there will always be things (like my Mom's perfume and berry cobbler) that always bring us back to the home we grew up in. 

What are some things that feel like home to you? What objects or smells bring you back to the home you grew up in? What are some things that have changed your perception of home over the years? Let me know in comments or with a list of your own!

 
Love,

Willow

For more fun with 52 Lists, click down on "52 Lists" in the little categories section at the bottom of the post, and go over to Moorea Seal's site to see more!

Check out Moorea Seal's entire project at her blog below:
http://www.moorea-seal.com/p/52-lists.html  
 

52 Lists, Week 11

Happy Monday! Welcome to my 52 Lists Project, wherein I feature one list every week for 2015. To join in with your own list, scroll down to the link at the bottom, print out your own list, and then share it however you wish!

Week 11: List Your Essentials 
There are things that we all require in order to survive in this world. The obvious ones are food, shelter, access to medical care, employment, human connection, and arguably electricity and wi-fi. My list isn't going to tell you that I can't survive without my toothbrush - I'm going beyond the obvious so you can see what's essential to making me feel like my truest self.

• sleep
• coffee - with cream and sugar
• exercise
• daily shower
• going to mass and confession
• time alone to recharge
• blue pens and blank notebooks
• feeling loved and appreciated
• friendship
• Gatsby
• faith community - on the internet and in real life
• getting together with old friends
• pretty walks in the spring
• time to dedicate to my creative pursuits (knitting, reading, blogging, etc.)\
• peace and quiet in the evenings
• the autonomy and freedom of my car
• engaging conversations
• balance
• new experiences
• financial stability

The importance of that last one is becoming more and more clear to me, and it makes me feel a little bit old. But it's really important, so there you have it.

What about you? What are your essentials (other than your toothbrush)? Let me know in comments or with a list of your own...


Love,

Willow

For more fun with 52 Lists, click down on "52 Lists" in the little categories section at the bottom of the post, and go over to Moorea Seal's site to see more!

Check out Moorea Seal's entire project at her blog below:
http://www.moorea-seal.com/p/52-lists.html  

52 Lists, Week 10

Happy Monday! Welcome to my 52 Lists Project, wherein I feature one list every week for 2015. To join in with your own list, scroll down to the link at the bottom, print out your own list, and then share it however you wish!

Week 10: List the Ways You Can Cleanse for Spring
Spring is in the air!!! It's actually quite chilly here, to be honest, but it's the chill of early early spring before it gets warm and the entire world bursts into bloom. It's nearing my favorite time of year and I'm definitely ready to throw open the windows and shake out my whole house. Here are some of the ways I plan to do some spring cleaning:

• deep clean in nooks and crannies (no cobwebs allowed!)
• wipe all of the blinds with vinegar and water
• clean out my bedroom and closet and only keep things I use/wear
• get all the windows professionally cleaned (we really need this because there was a storm back in early February that left some weird gunk on the outside of the upstairs windows and I can't clean those on my own)
• get help to clean out the rain gutters
• vacuum the back of the piano (it's dusty and cobwebby back there)
• finish reorganizing the bookcases and make room for the new roommates books (two English majors under one roof - yikes!)
• clean out the freezer and the pantry
• start having green smoothies for breakfast again
• start going for walks in the evening with my neighbor, Sarah
• get up early and soak in some sunshine - get that vitamin D!

So that's my list! It doesn't look like a lot on paper but the cleaning out my bedroom is going to be a big, ugly project. It's scary in there.

What about you? What are the ways you clean for spring? Are you all about cleaning out and simplify or are you more into disinfecting everything in sight? Let me know in comments or with a list of your own!


Love,

Willow

For more fun with 52 Lists, click down on "52 Lists" in the little categories section at the bottom of the post, and go over to Moorea Seal's site to see more!

Check out Moorea Seal's entire project at her blog below:
http://www.moorea-seal.com/p/52-lists.html  

Pinteresting, Vol. 15

Happy Friday and welcome to Pinteresting! The part of the show where I roundup my favorite pins from this week and share them with the world. I pin recipes, decorating ideas, religious stuff, teaching thoughts, funny stuff from Tumblr, kids' activities, crafting ideas, knitting/crochet patterns, and cute cat pictures.

1)

Scripted Pillow DIY

 Fabric sharpies give plain white pillowcases a whole new look. I love how customizable this is: you could copy out a love letter, the lyrics from your favorite song, a single line written over and over and over... I imagine you could even trace or freehand a design and use colored fabric sharpies to make your pillows truly one of a kind.

2)

Braided Halo Updo

So my hair is getting to be quite long these days (I know, I never ever post selfies, so you have to take my word for it) and I've been playing with different hairstyles. My hair is actually getting to be too long for my usual messy bun so I've been looking at different kinds of braids in preparation for the summer. This particular 'do is a bit advanced but I plan to practice on my kid sister and eventually get her to do it on me until I can do it myself. Until then I'm rocking milkmaid braids.

3)

Subversive Cross Stitch

I've shared subversive cross stitch designs and patterns here before because they just tickle me. This one is fun and cute and definitely has the unexpected ending. (Unfortunately the link doesn't go to the webpage for the pattern - sorry!)

4)

Veiling Statues in Lent

I became vaguely familiar with the tradition of veiling statues and religious images on the 5th Sunday of Lent or for all of Lent last year, but I never knew why (other than as a mark of the solemnity and somber attitude of Passiontide/Triduum). 

5)

Edwardian Looks

Haley over at Carrots for Michaelmas is my spirit animal or something because she's into all things British like me. While I'm not necessarily up on what's going on in the world of Downton Abbey, I definitely continue to love the costuming. In this post, Haley takes pieces from her wardrobe and puts them into outfits that have that Edwardian/post-Victorian vibe.

 

6) 

A Cat's Affection

 This just makes me laugh because it's so darn accurate. My cat ignores me for a large part of his day or doesn't want me to be holding him, but he sits at my feet under my desk, curls up on files I'm working with, and when we get home he insists on invading my space and wedging himself in my lap while I'm knitting. What a stinker...

 

And that's it for this week's edition of Pinteresting! I always enjoy curating my favorite, most recent pins. If you're not currently on Pinterest, make sure you take a moment to say goodbye to your loved ones before you log on, because there's no going back! You can follow me on Pinterest (any or all of my boards, find your cup of tea) HERE. Happy weekend!

love,

Willow

**Author's Note: None of the images in this post are my property. I have borrowed them from Pinterest and made my best effort to ensure that the Pinterest pages linked to link to an original source. If you see your work here and want it taken down please see my About page and contact me. Thank you for not suing.**

52 Lists, Week 9

Happy Monday! Welcome to my 52 Lists Project, wherein I feature one list every week for 2015. To join in with your own list, scroll down to the link at the bottom, print out your own list, and then share it however you wish!

Week 9: List the Places You Want to Go
I've been very blessed in my (relatively) short life so far to have traveled a great deal and seen some really incredible places. I have my parents to thank for this, since they made a point to insist on family vacations when my siblings and I were growing up and allowed me to continue traveling with and without them as I've gotten older. However, there are still many places in the wide world that I still want to visit, and this is that list.

Revisit:

• Munich, Germany
• Paris, France
• Italy - Rome, Florence, Venice, Tuscany, Milan

Go to:

• Berlin, Germany
• Cologne, Germany
• The Lake District, UK
• Bath, UK - Jane Austen Festival!
• Prince Edward Island, Canada - Anne of Green Gables
• Greece
• Thailand
• Lourdes, France
• Prague, Czech Republic
• Chicago
• Maine
• St. Augustine, Florida
• Shell Creek Road Wildflowers, Central California 
• Istanbul, Turkey - Haggia Sophia
• Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella via the Pilgrim's Way

That last one is the result of a very quiet dream I've had for many years which has only become a realistic goal in the last several months. I've actually started saving for the trip, but it's still a few years off.

What about you? What are the places your soul longs to see? Where will your wanderlust be sated? Let me know in comments or with a list of your own...


Love,

Willow

For more fun with 52 Lists, click down on "52 Lists" in the little categories section at the bottom of the post, and go over to Moorea Seal's site to see more!

Check out Moorea Seal's entire project at her blog below:
http://www.moorea-seal.com/p/52-lists.html