the eyes are the window to the soul :: learn to see
image via pinterest
I ran across this quote recently and thought it was so good. It is so cool to have people in our lives who can see and hear beyond our words. People who see that the light has gone out of our eyes, people who can hear the difference between what we are saying and what we really want to say.It is also really cool to be THAT person. To be the person who can see and hear when those you love need extra hugs, words of affirmation, extra time, permission to be sad, a bag of groceries, a cup of coffee.......the truth spoken in love.....the days are fleeting, and only what we invest in others will truly last. Take the time to truly see others....to hear them...and to love them.xo,Barb
it's about the process
As much as we love to see a finished product gleaming afresh before our eyes, the magic of a project lies truly in the process. It's important to look back to remember the journey and the things learned there. We're pulling back the curtain on the last couple of weeks to show you three simple photos taken in process.
In life, as well as in projects, there are often lessons and treasures in the in-between parts. Remember to slow down, step back, and rejoice in the unfinished.
knack life :: festivals and fall
- beautiful new signs from Olive + Grey are getting us in the mood for dinner parties and gatherings
- gilded leaves all around our shop, heralding autumn
- our table display at Indie Craft Parade showing off our new tea towels
- a special sofa project
- back to work on #knackbook2 with a beautiful tabletop
- iconic flag banners hanging over the Indie Craft Parade
my visit to the northwest :: inspiration
I just returned from a trip to Oregon to visit my sister and her sweet family! I would not trade this trip for the world and our time spent together was so special. We got to snuggle our brand new little niece and give lots of hugs and kisses....plus a visit to the coast, shopping and eating in Portland, hiking, and playing with the boys. We made the most of the time that we had, and enjoyed each minute. It stinks to live so far apart.....but it is what it is for now.I was raised on the West Coast {Northern California}.....and so whenever I get a chance to experience the West Coast......it always stirs up the nostalgia in me. I enjoy the weather immensely....it is so different than the sticky South {even though there is beauty in sticky...sometimes}. The Oregon coastline is so rugged and beautiful....it reminds me of photos that I have seen of Ireland. It literally takes my breath away. I so enjoyed the mountainous cliffs, the cool mornings, and the fact that my sister and her beautiful family are there.I also enjoyed my sisters house.....so much so that I promptly went to Target and purchased some plus sign pillow cases. I came home wanting to simplify, and only keep those things that are truly meaningful and useful. I definitely live with what I love and have things collected that are meaningful and useful but there are also the endless stacks of paper, the wireless headphones collecting dust that were purchased two years ago {that we never figured out how to use with our tv}, the 50 plastic cups from tennis, baseball, and football games that come tumbling out every time I open the kitchen cabinet, the assortment of random mugs that also tumble and shake as they get stacked higher and higher and the fifty bajillion other things that are excessive. You feel me? My sister has mastered the art of having only what she needs in the cabinet, baskets for toys and books, cleaning up every night before bed, hand made blankets and comfy sheets on beds. I love this.This little round up is a few of my favorite things and inspirations from my sisters house.Enjoy!
Shake it off
image via pinterestIsn't this a wonderful mental picture? I know how fun it was to throw confetti everywhere for my book launch party....and I still find pieces of it every time I move something to sweep...no joke. It just keeps coming and coming....and I think that is what kindness should do to. It should show up over and over and we should never be rid of it.
living with :: Althea
1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5Althea is, in a word, sweet. Her floral papered drawer fronts and simple curved edges come with a pleasing grace. She belongs next to a big fluffy bed, adorned with objects both useful and ornamental.A gold-spotted pink ceramic dish to hold rings; a lovely stationary set and a sturdy lamp for late night letter-writing; and this cosmic kitty print, just to make you smile.
words :: choices
Sometimes choices are easy, sometimes choices are hard. Sometimes people try to make choices for us, sometimes we feel like we have no choice at all......but in the end we always have a choice, and we choose .......something.