Yankee Classic: July 1990 The dogs knew first. Ivan and Merle, Charles and Mable Besozzi’s two big, black English retrievers, had been restless all the day of July 10, 1989. “The dogs never settled down,” Mrs. Besozzi said, “and they’re very gentle and very smart. They sensed something.” By late afternoon Ivan and Merle were […]
Handmade valentines have become a lost art. Although it’s convenient to buy mass produced valentines, many people still prefer, and treasure, the handmade ones. I love the simplicity of these tissue paper valentines– they’re created from a few easy-to-find materials and can be made fairly quickly. The end result is a valentine that can be […]
Rid your home of germs using lavender water, an all-natural and time-tested disinfectant. Follow our recipe to make your own batch. If you’re looking for a natural way to fight household germs, try lavender. In ancient Rome, people added lavender to the water at public baths not only for its relaxing qualities but also to help […]
Chances are you don’t live in a clutter-free house, but sometimes it’s nice to pretend you do. Like when guests are on their way over and you realize the living room needs a quick pickup. You may be tempted to hastily pick up all the stuff on the floor and toss it into miscellaneous drawers […]
Winter is the perfect season for completing indoor home projects. If cabin fever is settling in for you, these string lights are a quick and easy project that can add charm and character to a room. There are two reasons I love this project– you can custom design the color or theme of these lights to […]
New Year’s Eve is upon us and it’s time to close the year with friends and festivities. Cocktails (and “mocktails”– drinks without alcohol) are a popular addition to New Year’s Eve celebrations. For those who celebrate with cocktails, swizzle sticks are a festive touch for the drinks you are serving. Cocktail swizzle sticks are used […]
Whether you celebrate winter holidays or not, the underlying theme of the season is love, peace and joy. You can easily create handmade ornaments based on these words using a small branch and basic craft supplies. The branches can be hung directly on a wall or set on a shelf (which allows the words to […]
Learning how to make an ice lantern takes a bit more time than constructing a lantern made of snow, but they last a long time if you don’t get a thaw. These sparkling ice lanterns cast a lovely light and are worth the extra work. Materials to Make an Ice Lantern a five gallon bucket […]
I enjoy trimming a Christmas tree with our usual hodgepodge collection of ornaments but I also love themed trees. Themed trees are based on a color, a style (i.e. Victorian), or another common thread (a cowboy/cowgirl theme, the 50’s, a tropical theme, etc.). Once every few years I like to decorate a themed tree in […]
When you make your own advent calendars it can be challenging to remember to have them made before the first of December. Therefore, this project comes in time for you to have a couple weeks to gather your materials together and make your own. This particular calendar is made using “small coin” or […]
November is a time of year when I use more nature-based materials to decorate our home because I enjoy the rustic appeal of legumes, gourds, seeds, acorns and dried grasses. Decorations made from these materials are durable enough to last the month (and many times, much longer) which means you can keep them around for […]
It’s pumpkin season! These easy-to-make paper pumpkins can be hung as decoration for Halloween as well as Thanksgiving. The paper pumpkins are made from strips of orange paper that are attached with small metal brads. You can tie string around the brads to hang the pumpkins wherever you like such as stair banisters, window frames, […]
