‘Around the House’ Category

Winter Storm + (Almost) Famous Friends

Posted on December 14th, 2012 by Tonia No Comments

We woke up this morning to white light streaming in through the windows, which can only mean one thing: Fresh snow! A whole foot of fresh snow–to be exact–stealthily fell during the night. And the forecast calls for more to fall over the weekend, so I guess it’s time to break out the ice skates and skis and snow-pants! My friends Sarah and Ashley had the right idea this morning, and ended up appearing on the local news when they were spotted out on a trail with their skis by a reporter (at 1:03 in the video below–which probably won’t work if you’re viewing this on a mobile device, sorry!)

 

 

Lookin’ good, ladies!!

We’re planning a weekend of slow mornings spent with delicious books and multiple cups of coffee, skiing, sauna, and belly-warming soup made from the contents of the root cellar. And I’m buckling down and working on a few handmade Christmas gifts as well.

What do your wintertime activities look like?

***Update: Unspeakable evil happened yesterday. While I was peacefully sipping coffee and writing this post, 20 children and 6 adults lost their lives in Newtown, CT. This news is absolutely crushing. I am brought to tears every time I think about it. We are shutting off the electricity in our house tonight and lighting candles in our windows as a vigil to the innocent lives that were lost. I hope you’ll join me in praying hard for the families that are suffering.

How to Make a Terrarium

Posted on March 16th, 2012 by Tonia 2 Comments

A few of you asked about the terrarium sitting on our bookshelf. It was a Christmas gift from a friend, and has added a much-welcome burst of greenery to our living-room this winter.

Our neighbors Sarah and Bob also gifted us a homemade terrarium for Christmas, made out of a recycled olive oil bottle and filled with rocks and moss from our property.

My parents visited recently and, after noticing our two beauties, began chuckling about how popular terrariums were back in the ’70s. What a wonderful reminder that spring will return- a miniature garden in a bottle! We just need about five more of them, and then no area of our house will be without one!

If you’d like a terrarium- or five- of your very own, check out this tutorial.

Signs of Spring

Posted on March 13th, 2012 by Tonia 5 Comments

Dare I even say it?…It looks like spring ’round here. There’s sun- GLORIOUS SUN!- and mud and bits of greenery poking feebly through the patchwork of snow that is still lingering.

Mr. Charlie is so very pleased about the sunshine.

So today I threw open the windows and turned on the ceiling fan and breathed deeply as a whole winter’s worth of dust and stale air was replaced by the smell of melting snow and thawing earth.

Ahhhhhhhh!

Ode to Avocado

Posted on January 11th, 2012 by Tonia 5 Comments

Aww, you’re so cute, little baby avocado trees in our window. Your tropical-ness is really refreshing in the middle of winter. Thanks for putting up with the measly amount of daylight we get here in the northland.

Now hurry up and grow big, so I can put you next to the claw-foot tub and pretend to be in Costa Rica every time I bathe.