A Beautiful Mess

Today Is (White)

Snow day! Yesterday we woke up to a magical winter wonderland. 

Here's the view outside our house! Missouri is notorious for giving us a cold, but non-white Christmas. This happens pretty much every year. Then, months later when we are all aching for springtime, we finally get a beautiful, epic snow. That's kinda how it goes. Thanks, Missouri. 

I'm thankful for fluffy white snow, for a warm house to work in without (too much) cabin fever and a husband who offers to grab coffee for everyone. :)That's a little bit from our part of the world. Time to cuddle up with hot tea and get some work done! xo. Elsie 

We hung a chair, and it's awesome

I love hanging chairs. I've wanted one (or two?) inside our home for a long time. They're just so charming! So we decided that we would make room for one of these magical chairs in the new house—I wasn't sure which room at first, but the living room downstairs just felt right.

I'm also a fan of wicker and included it in small doses throughout our home. I'm a usually 1950s lover, but this is one of the ways that the 1970s creeps into our space. Mixing eras is fun. I'm into it.I have had this chair on my vintage list for the past few years. I have several friends who found one, but I never did. I even had a spot in our living room picked out for this chair. So I decided to start shopping online. First I tried Etsy and eBay. There were several vintage chairs available. But many were damaged, and the prices were still very high. I decided for that price range I would rather buy it new to ensure a better return policy. I ordered this chair from Amazon.When the chair arrived, I had it hung by our contractor. He used a chain to attach it to the ceiling beam. The first time we sat in it it made scary sounds and we were majorly freaked out. After a few days the wicker settled and the noises stopped. We've had lots of adults (and kids too, of course) sitting in the chair and it's very sturdy.(photo by Sarah) 

Wohoo! One step closer to putting together our dream home! I love this chair. It's kinda fun to dream about something for a long time before purchasing it. A lot more fun than impulse shopping, which is what I usually do with decor. I'll be back soon to share more adventures in renovating! We've been in total project mode lately. It's fun but really messy too! xo. Elsie 

ps. Our nieces and nephews love the chair. Bonus points!  

Whiskey Lemonade with Honey

Currently my favorite cocktail is a homemade whiskey lemonade. The first time I made one I was just mixing available ingredients for a quick, low sugar cocktail. And I accidently fell in love. This cocktail is everything I love: simple, tart and lightly sweet with just the right amount of booziness. Emma says it reminds her of a giant sidecar. :) 

First you'll need lots of lemons. I use two lemons for each medium sized drink. You gotta make fresh lemon juice too. I love juicing citrus by hand. It's strangely satisfying.

Whisky Lemonade with Honey. Serves one.

2 tablespoons whiskey (I like Maker's Mark) 
juice of two fresh lemons
club soda
honey simple syrup
sweetened lime juice 

In a medium size glass combine 2 tablespoons whiskey, juice of two fresh lemons, ice then fill the rest of the glass with club soda. Add honey simple syrup to taste. If you're not a big fan of honey use regular simple syrup. Add a splash of sweetened lime juice and garnish with a fresh lemon. 

Note: If you've never made your own simple syrups I shared how here. These syrups are great for anything from coffees and tea to cocktails!Enjoy this refreshing, citrus cocktail! xo. Elsie 

Nesting: Mismatched Cloth Napkins

So, you probably already knew this but... matching isn't really my thing. I love patterns. Too many patterns. Give me all of the patterns, I say! 

We have a set of matching, simple white cloth napkins that I bought one time for a dinner party. They're ok, but I wanted a fun set. And they're SO easy to make. So I started fabric shopping and this quickly became my favorite nesting project ever.Choosing fabric was my favorite part. I love picking out random textiles. But since I don't quilt (yet) I usually don't get to pick out a whole bunch of patterns for one project. I decided to go with mismatched napkins, so I could add to my stash over time. They will be useful for foodie photos we take for the blog too. Plus, who needs to match anyway? 

I ordered all the patterns I liked from an Etsy shop (Stash Modern Fabric). I bought a half yard of each one. I used a large square from each pattern and still have leftovers for more future projects.To sew each napkin, just cut a square and stitch a double hem all the way around. For the record, this was the first sewing project we learned in Jr. High Home Ec class. Still using that education. ;)Done and done. Easiest project ever! I can't wait to add to my collection of mismatched napkins over time. If you know any Etsy shops with an amazing (vintage or new) cotton fabric collection, let me know! Have you ever made your own napkins? xo. Elsie