Bits of This & That #6

Good Sunday morning! I hope you are having a wonderful long weekend.

I painted up my candlestick holders a while ago and have been sitting with them for a while to see what I think. Have decided that I love them!

Painting and distressing candlesticks for a new look.

They were white originally, with a bit of blue poking through here and there. I loved them but they had looked the same for 20-ish years. I took a chance painting them this lovely green, the same green as that table that I painted in summer. I love both looks but you know what the best bit is? If I want them white again, all I have to do is slap some more paint on them and distress them a bit so that the green peeks through. Gotta love how easy paint is, eh?

I have quite a few things of interest that popped up this week. Check them out below.

Gardening Bits

This article/podcast is about planting a bulb lawn or a bulb meadow. She tells you how to do it (easy peasy!) and how to take care of it. I cannot wait till next fall to make a bulb lawn! We planted 600 or 700 bulbs this fall but ran out of time to do more. Next year, will be adding way more bulbs to the garden. While I love tulips a whole lot, I plant naturalising bulbs in most of the yard as they do not need to be replanted every few years. Saving the tulips for special spots of interest : )

This is probably just a bit too late. I wish I had seen it a couple of weeks ago. How to save your own seeds from your best tomatoes so that you can grow them again next year., for free! Especially helpful if you are used to coming to my workshops to plant your variety (though, psst, I may be able to help you all with that in spring after all ; ) Saving Tomato Seed – Mother Earth News

Cardboard in the garden. Using Cardboard in the Vegetable Garden (growveg.com)

Great ideas for replacing your lawn in this article. The food one is the best, of course! Lots of good ideas though, to make it work for your climate and your lifestyle. We want to grow a lot of food and also have two very large dogs, so we needed to make the new yard work for both.

Homey Bits

Love the indoor swing! My uncle used to have a swing in his big farmhouse kitchen when I was little, that was a long time ago but has always stuck with me. Love the homey feels of the kitchen and dining room, the colour scheme, the adorable porch (wouldn't that be great for starting seeds in spring?), and that lovely Christmas star in the window. my scandinavian home: A Cosy Country Home in Snowy North Sweden

But this home is even better, though it is missing the swing ; ) All the white beadboard, love that dining room, love so many things about this cute little space. That patio out back! It is located just outside of Kungsbacka. Funny little story... I used to live just outside of Kungsbacka, about a hundred years ago, when I was going to nursing school to become an LPN. We lived out in the country, kind of just like this (the house was not this cute though) and had turkeys and chickens in the backyard. my scandinavian home: A Swedish House Where the Town and Forest Meet

Goals! Check out how organized everything is. I want my new pantry to look like this. At the last house, we had a BIG walk-in pantry that had power for the toaster and toaster oven, tons and tons of shelving, and even a place for the great big dog food bags that we always have at least 2 of. At the new house, each room is smaller, especially the kitchen, so we will just have a two-door cabinet style pantry that has to do everything, except holding the toaster. Organization is going to be key. Check out the tips here for staying on top of things.

I liked this article and love the way her home feels. Lots of great tips on how to make your home feel homier. And, if you want to go down the rabbit hole, it has links to all sorts of other ideas, too. I did a whole lot of pinning : )

Two great recipes that both look so yummy. Theses Chelsea Buns and or these Apple Cinnamon Rolls that look almost exactly the same but with different 'stuffing'. Oh, and the apple ones are vegan!

Christmas Bits

Is still a wee bit too early for me to get started on the Christmas decor, but I can certainly start pinning ideas for later. Hubby likes to go all out while I like to keep things pretty simple, so the holidays are a bit of a balancing act over here. Check out these pretty things that are easy to make and inexpensive, too.

Are you guys decorating for Christmas yet? Baking? Shopping for gifts? Do you do all at one time or pick up things during the year?

Here is a gift idea for the gardener that is pretty grand. A ten-year garden journal. This would be such an easy way to compare what is going on in the potager from year to year. Lee Valley also has a bunch of other great ideas for the gardener and are currently having a free shipping event, too.

Freebie vintage Christmas postcards. I love using these as gift tags, place cards at the table, and love her idea of framing them for the tree.

If you like paper crafts and free printables, here is another blog that I know you will love. I print off a lot of her freebies to use as baby shower gift tags, Christmas tags, all sorts of things.

How to Make a Christmas Garland with Dried Fruit & Herbs (thepondsfarmhouse.com)

Can you see the wee little Winnie, the paparinian (Pom/Pap cross), in the background? We are doggie sitting her while the family is away in Mexico for a few weeks. She is tiny but mighty and is ruling the roost. She put my big puppers in their place and keeps everyone in line even though the cat weighs more than she does.

Happy late fall, you all!

I hope you are staying warm, and life is great ~ Tanja