why not ...

Believe, Imagine, Dream - why not?  Sometimes makes life easier to deal with.  ^^  This is another Lizzie Kate design with some creative licence.

We've been having warm, sunny weather recently - lots of snow has disappeared - lots of grass is showing - the warmest day was 6C (43F)!

the secret to having it all

is believing you already do

binge reading ...

 If there is such a thing as 'binge reading', I did it with this book!  I felt like I was living right there with these colourful characters.  I kept thinking it would be such a nice place to live - then I realized I've lived in a similar place - perhaps that's why I enjoyed the story so much.  ^^  Anyway, I highly recommend this one.  

be brave enough to always do the right thing

even when others don't

pinterest success ...

I saw a tissue box cover like this on Pinterest - no pattern but it looked fairly straight forward - I actually like the style.  I've had a cube box of tissues for ages planning on making a cover for it but I never found one that said "make me" until this one. 

Then I decided a matching fabric tray might be a good idea.

A matching set would make a useful but attractive gift that doesn't take up much room - ideal for my aunt who lives in a personal care home.

And the tissue box could sit in the tray if the tray wasn't needed. 

I've also made these trays from x-stitch pieces ....

The bottom tray was made with quilt batting and interfacing was used for the top one - they can be made any size you want and as deep as you want.

it's not what you look at that matters -

it's what you see

all you need is love ...

Those of us from a certain generation will remember this song very well.  ^^  This is a Lizzie Kate design that I took creative licence with.  Do you see the button at the top right corner - it's a wee yo-yo/suffolk puff  that looks better than in the photo.

So, January was the mildest on record and one of the cloudiest - it wasn't just our imagination.  I didn't mind the mild temps. and I'm getting used to the cloud somewhat.

However, an Arctic blast blew through overnight and whilst today is sunny it is a wee  bit chilly.  Chilly enough that I emptied the chest freezer and put it all out on the patio whilst I defrosted it - I've been waiting for just such a day - best part is there is another big check mark on my to do list!  ^^

if you want to clean less,
own less

a struggle ...

It's a struggle to minimalize my clothes!  Just the other day I took all my fella's clothing from three drawers and asked him to choose what to keep and what to donate - in a flash he had a huge donate pile - what the heck!?!?!?!  I can't do that - I dither.  I have reduced my wardrobe considerably but have not been as ruthless as he. Can I blame Marie Kondo - the Japanese organizing guru - she tells how to fold the clothing in your drawers so you can see everything at a glance - problem is that using this method means you can fit more in the drawers - she also says if something doesn't bring you joy, toss it out - but it might bring me joy today and not tomorrow or vice versa. ^^ 
  Courtney  has lots of good ideas for minimalizing - I've tried some - they work - I continue to try her suggestions for my clothing.  Don't get the wrong idea - I don't have loads of clothing - I just know that I don't need all that I have even though everything fits.  So far, I've been ruthless with the linens and am down to the bare essentials - the same with dishes and baking pans and stationery items.  The other area that I continue to struggle with is fabric and craft supplies - I'm working on it.   

It was challenging to find a photo to use for this post so I chose this one - I like it - some are offended and some aren't - tells a lot about one's sense of humour.  It's a design by  Kell .

if i chose to keep only what brings me joy 

i'd be at the side of the road with my dog and the coffee pot

décor ...

February décor is easy ...

My fella made the cedar box - I made the others!  ^^

happiness is a choice