And I Swear We Were Infinite: Pinteresting

Showing posts with label Pinteresting. Show all posts

Friday, May 1, 2015

Pinterest, Vol. 17

This quote from St. Faustina has so much going on in it, I'm still trying to unpack all of it. I've been thinking a lot about suffering lately (I'm trying to write a post about it but it's really hard) and this quote about suffering perfecting our ability to love others brings it into clearer perspective.

2)

Post about kids interrupting

This post is one of my favorite things I've read in the last two weeks. I'm very familiar with having little people barge into adults' conversations and sometimes insisting that they say, "Excuse me" before they interrupt results in them screaming it at you and then yelling what's on their mind anyway. This mom's method is much simpler - and quieter - and gives kids a sense of empowerment with the "secret code." I can't wait to start using it with the little ones in my life.

3)

This Miss America contestant

I don't know which state she represents but this young woman is clearly more than a pretty face. I'd love to see what she could do with 20 minutes if this is what she did with 20 seconds.

4)

this post

Kendra is always so spot on with the stuff she writes. In this post she explains how she introduces her kids to fine art and culture. Her methods may not work for everyone but it works for her family and I think her approach is both practical and effective. Go read it!

5)

This Card

Ignoring the alarming lack of possessive apostrophes present, I couldn't help but laugh at this Secretary's Day card. As someone who is an Administrative Professional/Office Manager/Executive Assistant/the only one who actually knows what's going on, I have a deep appreciation for it.

this text post

I think it is tremendously important for more people to see this. I realized a while ago that there are a lot of things I'm not informed enough about to form an opinion. I don't have a problem saying that. I'm the kind of person who would rather hear both sides of an issue than just make a snap judgment and I sincerely hope that more people will come to the same conclusion.

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.**

Friday, April 10, 2015

Pinteresting, Vol. 16

Felt Post-it Coasters

These felt coasters are meant to look like the post-it notes we leave for ourselves, with little reminders and cute sketches. They are completely customizable but you can download a pattern for the designs shown. I might make these as a housewarming gift for my new roommate, or as a gift for someone. (Can you imagine using a bit of sassy cross-stitch for these?)

2)

About Being Pretty

I really like this. I'm not the world's prettiest 24 year old girl. But I'm pretty smart, and I'm pretty capable. I want my sisters to know that there are things they can be pretty good at other than just being "pretty." Especially pretty kind.

3)

Keep your embroidery floss organized

I'm sure I'm not the only person who likes to embroider things but really struggles with keeping all that floss tidy when I'm working on a multi-colored project. This neat little trick involves a scrap piece of cross-stitch fabric (or scrap fabric of any kind) and masking tape with the color symbols written on it in sharpie, with the corresponding colors already threaded onto needles underneath. This even saves having to thread a needle every time you change colors. I like it!

This 'Do

My hair is still at that awkward length where I can't do a ton with it and summer is coming and the bun on top of my head is getting really boring. This looks doable with my crazy-thick hair so maybe I'll give it a try next week and see how wearable it actually is.

5)

These Corner Designs

I started embroidering hankies a while back and I've been meaning to get back into it this summer (a nice, light project). These corner designs are sweet and classic and really cute. The website (pin links to it) also has monogramming patterns you can do as well, which is neat. I love handkerchiefs - once they're soft and well-worn they're really handy and you know me: I looooove a classic.

6)

Questions about the Mass

I liked this list of eight questions non-Catholics (and even cradle Catholics) ask about the Mass. Things like holy water, genuflecting, the small Sign of the Cross, etc. are discussed in a simple but lovely way. A good read.

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

Friday, March 6, 2015

Pinteresting, Vol. 15

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.

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...

love,

Willow

Friday, February 20, 2015

Pinteresting, Vol. 14

Cranberry Avoado Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

This salad looks divine. It's got tons of super-stuff in it, like the spinach and cranberries and avocado and almonds. I'm kind of inspired to eat more super salads these days because I had the most amazing salad at my friend Therese's house weekend-before-last during a knitting afternoon. This recipe makes a salad enough to feed 4 so obviously the amounts will need tweaking to make for one, but it looks like a good place to start.

2)

Benefits of the Rosary

I've loved the rosary for a long time, and I've experienced many of these listed benefits firsthand (particularly that restful sleep thing!). I've actually spoken to one of my doctors and he's recommended the rosary for even his non-Catholic patients simply because it helps with anxiety - controlling one's breathing, having something physical and mental to focus on to prevent ruminating thoughts, etc. If you've been thinking about starting to say the rosary, I can't think of a better time than Lent.

Duct-taped Desk Organizer

I've pinned similar ideas before but they were all a little... complicated. I like this because I have boxes that I've saved (because I save strange things like boxes) and this looks like a great use of one or two of them. I've been setting up a kind of mini-office station at the dining room table with a phone box (a small cabinet intended to hold a phone - no joke) but I really need a place to keep track of pens, markers, stamps and such. It would be really easy to just go and buy a small desk organizer but let's DIY something!

Embroidered Handwriting Decor

We all have a few lyrics and quotes that we carry around with us, words that stick to our insides and follow us around. I can already imagine several of my favorite quotes or lyrics captured on muslin or linen and trimmed with lace, hanging around my house or tucked on my bookcases. I really love how it's someone's handwriting; I imagine you could even have someone write a message in their own handwriting and stitch over it or something...

My Dream Desk

This little desk looks like my dream work space. It's small but has enough horizontal space to allow a little spreading and it has a bunch of drawers and spots for stuff. I doubt I would use it as a vanity but I would love a desk that doesn't have the massively tall overhanging shelves of my current setup. I just love a desk with cubby-holes and small, secret spaces.

Shelves above the bed

Ever since I re-re-read The Perfectly Imperfect Home, I've become slightly obsessed with making small but meaningful changes in my house. My bedroom is next on the list and I want to put something, anything on my walls. They've been bare and beige for far too long. Not sure if I'll do shelves (SoCal is earthquake country), but some twinkle lights, pictures or posters or pretty things to make my room a little less chaotic and more like a person lives in it instead of a hurricane.

love,

Willow

Friday, February 6, 2015

Pinteresting, Vol. 13

Post About Siblings

The pin links to a really lovely and thoughtful post written by Kendra of Catholic All Year (honestly, all of her posts are thoughtful and lovely) about older siblings and younger siblings. I really like how she illustrates what her family does and how it works for them. It might not work for every family but she talks about different strategies for giving older kids responsibilities that are empowering without overwhelming them. Seriously, go read it.

2)

Chicken Avocado Burrito

This recipe combines two of my great loves: avocados and chicken. It features instructions on heating and cooking but I feel like once you get the amounts of the ingredients you can get really creative and go from there. Yum!

3)

Meal Planning Post

Mary over at Better Than Eden wrote this really great meal planning post and the title says it all: Boring Girl's Guide to Family Meal Planning. Does that have my name written all over it, or what? She breaks it down so it makes sense and it's inspired me to actually buckle down and figure out a way to make meal planning work for my life. If I'm successful, I may even post about it! (If not, we'll pretend it never happened and continue fumbling through the feeding myself process.)

Cross vs. Crucifix Info

My little sister J asked me several weeks ago during Confirmation class why Catholics have a corpus on the cross (she said Jesus' body but corpus is more accurate, don't you think?). I gave her roughly this explanation and we discussed it as a class. I like having things like this on hand, though, for a quick reference if my brain ever decides to take leave of me.

5)

Chili Recipe

Theresa at Ordinary Lovely has been running a lovely series on family-friendly soups for the last week or so and it's been really neat! I'm not a huge soup-lover, but I like chili for sure and she even gives a meat-free version of this! Lent is less than 2 weeks away so I'm seriously thinking about making this to have for a Friday option.

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

Friday, January 30, 2015

Pinteresting, Vol 12

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.

Sorry if y'all have really missed this feature (I'm sure you haven't). The pinning's been slow lately and I've been working on other projects so I haven't been spending as much time searching out brilliant new pins.

1)

Simple, classic French Roll

I've read and practiced dozens of different ways to get my messy, curly locks into something resembling a classy French twist (including this funky chopsticks version, which is neat but challenging) and this one I really like. I have long, thick hair, so when I put it in an up-do, I need security to reassure me that it's not going to be falling down awkwardly in the middle of dinner. That overlapping vertical line of bobby pins? That's the kind of security I like.

Watercolor Painting - Tattoo Inspiration

I really love this watercolor illustration (assuming that's what it actually is), but I think something like this would be such a cool tattoo. The stack of books, sailing ship, and typewriter are my favorite parts, but imagine how you could customize and personalize this concept! The wheels in my brain are turning, turning...

3)

Meatless Meal Ideas for Lent

Lent is coming! Ash Wednesday is in less than 3 weeks (it feels like we only just finished Christmas and now we're jumping into Lent already!) and while it is one of my favorite parts of the liturgical year, I like to be prepared so I don't get overwhelmed. Simple, healthy, meat-free meals ready in my arsenal allow me to worry less about what I'm having for dinner and focus more on, you know, Lent.

4)

Dishcloths by Theresa at Ordinary Lovely

First off, I adore Theresa at Ordinary Lovely. She's smart, funny, Catholic, and so very sweet. Also, she crochets. And sometimes, she shares her crochet "recipes" with her readers. This one is for really simple - but really pretty! - dishcloths. I dunno about you guys, but I'm always going through dishcloths and kitchen towels and using some cheap cotton yarn to make some myself just sounds like a useful thing to do, amiright?

5)

Lolita Bow Mary Jane Heels

I actually clicked through and found the true source (eBay) because the pin linked to someone's tumblr with a rather unsavory url that I wasn't comfortable linking to here. Anyway, these shoes are just really, really cute and cost about $30 plus shipping. I don't know if I absolutely have to have them since I'm not a huge shoe-wearer but I'm glad I know where to go looking if the fancy strikes.

6)

Pesto-stuffed Broiled Tomatoes

It was my turn to host our Wildflower Cardigan knit-along last night, and I served these. I was inspired by pesto-stuffed cherry tomatoes a couple I babysit for made for a potluck (they left some on the counter for my dinner and oh my goodness they were yummy!). This recipe called for yeast, I have no idea why. I left it out. I used cherry tomatoes instead of big ones and served them on top of crackers. Maybe sometime soon I'll make the recipe and my edits a post of their own.

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

Friday, January 9, 2015

Pinteresting, Vol. 11

Spinach Balls

Don't these look yummy? The recipe calls for seasoned stuffing mix, but since I'm not a huge fan of stuffing (it's great for Thanksgiving, but past that - no thank you) I may substitute breadcrumbs or crushed seasoned croutons instead. These look like a nice little snack for having people 'round when you don't want to make it a dinner party.

2)

This List

I like this list. It's pretty simple but it's still a good list of little things to make your life better. This list is something I try to incorporate with my New Year's Resolutions of being happier, healthier, and more organized.

3)

About That Star

Click through and read this article by Mary at Better Than Eden. It's simple and beautiful and lovely and made me sit at my desk for a few minutes and think. It's just really good. Go read it and then let's all be stars, okay?

4)

Dumbledore's Hiring Practices

Sometimes I come across funny Hogwarts headcanons and they remind me how much I love the Harry Potter fandom (which is clearly still alive and well!). Looking back at the series you have to wonder how on earth Dumbledore rationalized hiring the buffoon that was Lockhart - this gives us a possible explanation.

5)

Fox Hooded Cowl

So Julie at Knitted Bliss was doing a January sponsors show-&-tell and one of them designs patterns for people from babies to grown ups (have you ever seen a kids' pattern you longed for in your size? me too) and my favorites are the little hooded cowls. They look so warm and cozy! And adorable! Go look.
Also, these patterns make me wish I lived somewhere cold and snowy so I could wear these. It's not quite cold enough here in sunny SoCal. Our "cold snap" over the holidays had nighttime temps dropping to the high 30s whereas in Vermont right now the temperature is a whopping 18 F. Yikes!

6)

Avocado Pesto Pasta

Doesn't this look delish? I love avocados, even though they're more expensive off-season. I'm not sure I'd even use this for pasta sauce; I might just cut the recipe in half and use it as a spread on a quinoa-asparagus wrap with cherry tomatoes. Mmmm...

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

P.S. What do you guys think about my new blog design? I'm still tweaking it a bit, but I think it's a lot easier to read than the old one and maybe a little more viewer-friendly? I'd love to hear some feedback in comments.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Pinteresting, Vol. 10

Knitted Tree Ornaments

Are these not unspeakably cute??? The link from the pin links to a place where you can buy a kit, but you can also download the free pattern if you want to make your own and bedazzle 'em yourself. I'm gonna keep pinning Christmas stuff until Epiphany, y'all. Christmas is gooooood stuff. :)

2)

Command Hook Hack

Ah, the adhesive hook, a renter's best friend. I've struggled with our trash bags in the kitchen trash can for a while now and tried every type and manner of taping I could think of and eventually just gave up and now just let it slip and endure the frustration. With this handy hack, though, perhaps others don't have to! Upon reflection, this hack won't work because my kitchen bin puts the liner inside an inner tube of trash can, which sounds weird but it's what I've got to work with. If I ever get a more traditional/standard bin like a normal person I'll definitely switch to this hack.

cat-lover's sweater

I need this in a big, bad way. It's everything I want in winter apparel: it's comfy, neutral colored, features a cute kitty, and has a sassy saying on it which will ensure my singleness! For more on my forays into the world of romance (HA) visit this post.

4)

Haley's Blog Post

I adore Haley Stewart at Carrots for Michaelmas. This post is one of many reasons why. I've got quite a bit of housework to get done before I can really enjoy Christmas (if you had my mother breathing down your neck, you would, too) and it's become rather a begrudging mountain of "I don't wanna." But, with a slight change of attitude and some small happy-making touches, housework isn't such a hassle. I would know, because I employed some of these things last night and got a whole slew of tidying done between 7:30 and 9pm. I even vacuumed! The whole house!

5)

Revlon ColorBurst matte balm in Sultry

We don't do a whole lot of makeup talk here at Infinite, but every once-in-a-while I pin stuff and really like it and go to Walgreen's and buy it and end up really really liking it. This is kind of the reverse of that process. (Though I did pin another makeup-y thing that I then went out and purchased here.) I got this matte balm about 2 weeks ago and I can't stop wearing it. It comes out as a darker berry color on me instead of this pretty pink but I love it. The rich berry color isn't too dark but still feels on point for winter (whatever that means).

Black-and-White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

*hem hem* THESE COOKIES. These cookies are your reward for making it to the end of this post because Sweet Jesus are they good. I made them last year as gifts for my office friends and neighbors and you bet your bum I'm making them again this year. They were a hit, they taste fantastic, and while they were baking my whole house smelled like Christmas. If you don't like mint or chocolate they are not for you (and I'm not for you, I mean really, what's not to love!?) but they're awesome. The recipe was posted at House Unseen by the lovely Dwija last year around this time, but because I needed the recipe for this weekend, I went digging through her archives to find it and pin it. The pin links to her post from last December. She got it from one of her daughters' books.

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

Friday, December 5, 2014

Pinteresting, Vol. 9

Chicken, Spinach & Artichoke Pasta Bake

All I can say about this recipe is YUM. This has everything I love and want in a comfort food casserole for the cold, winter days we're entering: chicken, spinach, pasta and artichokes! I very rarely cook with artichokes and I definitely want to start doing so. This recipe also seems so versatile that you could add mushrooms and asparagus if you don't happen to have a jar of artichoke hearts handy.

Kitty Sticky Notes

Okay these are too stinkin' cute! They're kitties! But they're post-it flags! And they're indie-made! ALSO they are currently 30% off according to the selling site so off you pop - $2.77 isn't bad for novelty cute stuff like this. (Seriously, I'm gonna go buy some as soon as I hit "Publish.")

Cleaning Schedule

So I live alone, now, and don't have someone (albeit half-assedly) sweeping the kitchen and dusting and vacuuming most days (seriously, it was a half-assed job at best but it was still something) so now I get to do it all myself. Which means it will be done right the first time so it won't have to be done every single day. I like this set-up because it has you doing basic maintenance every day instead of the Saturday and Sunday deep-clean-while-you-have-the-chance silliness I usually end up doing. Basically I need to print this out and hang it in my kitchen.

Party Hats!

So this actually links to an article about throwing a swanky New Year's Eve party on a budget, which is cool, but party hats!!!! They're so cute and little and I've loved this idea for quite sometime but now it's in easy step-by-step format for us! I'm totally making a Christmasy one for our confirmation class Advent Caroling Party in 2 weeks.

Prayer to Purify Your Home

On a completely different note, I feel this is a very important pin. If you remember from this post, my childhood home is haunted. Our favorite priest is visiting us from his village parish in Kenya for a short while, so hopefully he will perform a proper blessing of the house before he returns, but just in case. Also, I live alone now, and there's been a lot of negative energy in that house for the last 4 years so I'm keeping a printout of this handy because after the events of last month, I'm a little paranoid.

This adorable Tea House

Fair warning, the source site is (I believe) in Czech or something similar. My Eastern European language skills are very poor, but my best inference is that it's Czech. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
But this little tea house is so cute!!! Sure, we can't read the directions correctly, but I imagine you could use pieces from a birdhouse kit (or 3) and use a jigsaw to cute out some of the shapes and add hinges of sorts to the roofs and then glue it all together. Right? Too much work? Maybe this is a good idea for an advanced shop class final project. For my birthday. Just a thought...

7) *Bonus*

Knitted Plush Hearts

These are so cute! I've been thinking about knitting some things like this for a while out of some of my scrappy leftovers I have from all of my Christmas knitting, and these might be the ticket. Can you imagine an adorable little garland of these things for Valentine's Day??? It's a free pattern download so off you go, get your copy.

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

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Friday, May 1, 2015

Friday, April 10, 2015

Friday, March 6, 2015

Friday, February 20, 2015

Friday, February 6, 2015

Friday, January 30, 2015

Friday, January 9, 2015

Friday, December 12, 2014

Friday, December 5, 2014