by Cathy Baker | Home & Family |
by Cathy Baker
Last week, we made our way up to the highlands of NC to Blowing Rock. Its downtown area is much like a village with charming boutiques and dangerously delicious ice cream shoppes lining the streets.
One of the loveliest perks in venturing out to new towns is meeting people you would never meet otherwise, like Sheri Furman, owner of Take Heart.
Sheri, along with her staff, go out of their way to make you feel right at home in their cozy cottage-like setting. Purple-planked walls, Scripture quotes on pillows, wooden canvases, etc. As the young ladies lovingly wrapped my purchases in lilac colored tissue paper, one of them smiled and shared how they’d also tucked in a bag of fresh lilac for my birthday. Yes, this is my kind of place.
Not just because of the boutique itself, which is lovely…
or the white-planked floors and funky chandeliers…
but because of Sheri and the two young assistants who turned a simple walk-through of a store into a delightful experience. As we were leaving, one of the girls asked if we wanted her to take our picture on the bench outside their door. Although the exposure to sun worked against us, it’s still a picture we’ll treasure as it caught a moment in time that will always remind me the beauty of venturing to unfamiliar places.
Thank you, Sheri and staff! {Instagram: takeheart_nc}
Take a moment to consider an unfamiliar place, town, store, setting that you could visit this Fall. Stay alert to the blessings you discover along the way. I’d love to hear about your adventure!
Take Heart
1009 Main Street
Blowing Rock, NC 28605
by Cathy Baker | Ideas |
I am Cathy Baker and I love all things owls.
Let’s see, my purse is covered in owls, they’re displayed throughout my house, I have more notebooks with owl covers than I care to admit, and oh yes, my two softest blankets are smothered in owls.
You get the idea.
So when I thought of a love for this Fall, how could I not feature owls on one of these #write31days?
Felt and Pinecone Owl Ornaments
These are actually ornaments but as you can see, they make
adorable book props for this season. Easy enough to
craft with the kids!
Owl Candy Jars DIY
Check out this “Hoot-tastic” homemade gift in a jar,
courtesy of Club Chica-Circle {one uber cool site!}
Pom-Pom Owl
Are these adorable or what?
Be still my heart.
Do you consider yourself crafty? I don’t, but nowadays the tutorials make it possible.
by Cathy Baker | Ideas, Seasonal |
When I jotted down these fall ideas for this month’s challenge awhile back, this idea made the cut.
My plans included a walk through my yard, a pair of clippers, and lots of photos. But the weather has a way of changing things up, much like the seasons.
So I took to the internet to find ideas much more creative than I could ever dream up — and while there were many, none quite compared to this recent post on Houzz.
In Laura Gaskill’s article, Decorating With Nature in Fall and Winter, she shares sixteen unique and creative ideas, like this one with the clipped branches from a sugar maple tree. It serves to celebrate the season in all its glory like none other. Even the fallen leaves on the floor add to the celebration!
Other natural items used in the article above are feathers, branches (with lights — love!), leaves for natural fall garlands, etc.
Stop by and take a look! All the ideas are on one page so there’s no irritating pauses between clicks.
Enjoy!
by Cathy Baker | Gatherings, Ideas |
Top Three Trail Mixes
{Enjoy with family or scoop some into bags for gifts!}
Whether prepping for a hike during this Fall season or switching up your snack options, I’ve scoured the internet in search of the yummiest trail mix options. I found them courtesy of a newfound Pinterest {awesome} find,
Craftionary.Click on the links below for the recipe. The final recipe is listed, as the Web site where this recipe originated from is no longer available. (I like to give credit where credit is due whenever possible.)
Halloween Trash Mix
Combine party Chex mix and/or trail mix with candy corn, popcorn, and gummy worms. Serve in paper bag. Perfect for gifts!
Do any of the above mixes catch your fancy? Let me know which one you’re most likely to try first in the comment section. I’m going for the Halloween Trash Mix if for no other reason than I get to scoop them in paper bags. Shallow, I know.
by Cathy Baker | Home & Family |
Okay, I realize the song title is a bit different but since I’m pretty certain you don’t want to dream a little dream of me, I’m inviting you to dream a little dream with me.
The Daily Health Post reports that there are actual health benefits to dreaming/daydreaming!
So, let’s step outside, walk on a leaf-strewn path, find a comfy bench at the park, lay in a hammock…and dream a little!
With all the serious facets of life as our foundation (faith, family, health, etc.), it’s fun to dream of the “what if’s” and the “I wonder’s” as long as our contentment meter doesn’t get out of whack.
Since I only know the dreams rumbling around in my head (and it’s my birthday!) I’ll get the ball rolling. See if anything resonates in your own heart.
A house — tiny, small, or on stilts, I don’t care…
as long as it’s in the NC mountains…
with a view, or at least the feel, of the mountains surrounding me.
(The perfect writing nook, wouldn’t you agree?)
Did I mention the winding tree-shrouded private driveway leading up to it?
(Look, Brian! No grass to mow.)
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| Williams Sonoma |
And don’t forget the chicken coop! I’ve already named three of my chickens:
Original Recipe, Extra Crispy, Grilled…I’m serious.
Bye Bye big bucks for organic eggs!
Umm, did I cross a line in naming my future chickens? Just keeping it real here! So how about you? What’s one thing you dream about doing or becoming?
