lots of inspiration...

{a shirt made by luke- for joel's birthday- using a freezer-paper stencil}
good evening!
it has been a wonderful day. this afternoon, i was outside with luke & noticed the leaves falling to the ground. as i am typing this, a cool breeze is coming through the window, a cooler breeze- a sort of autumn breeze. the leaves are changing, too. i spotted the most beautiful red one today.
& all of these changes are starting to make me think about my life, too, and the changes that i need to make. luke & i try to & most of the time have to live with very little, & that makes us use our resources & creative talents much more. a lot of topics have been on my mind lately as to how to use these talents & resources in our daily lives.
such topics as:
+ autumn + cooler weather are approaching. what to do about new clothes?
+christmas is just around the corner. we don't want to buy just to buy. how do we show people that we care without spending a lot of money?
+the grocery bill is always our greatest expense. how do i lower the bill & still eat local & organic when there isn't a garden around during the winter months?
+i love buying gifts for others. how do i do this while staying on budget?

maybe some of these topics have been on your mind, too. well, i've made a list of solutions for our home & my spending habits that might help you, too:
+ with the changing of the seasons, i am always tempted to buy clothing that is updated & current with the trends. most often, those purchases are impractical & materialistic- two things i am trying to avoid. so, this year, i am only buying pieces that i need. i want to feel happy with what i am wearing but also know that i didn't spend a lot of money. coincidentally, {rachel} posted a wonderful {entry} about finding the perfect pieces at thrift stores. i plan to follow her advice & hit the stores soon. in addition, i purchased {these} boots & cannot wait to try them out. it has been raining all afternoon & one thing i hate is soggy feet.
+ for christmas this year, luke & i are making all of our gifts- also known as our homemade christmas. of course, this requires a lot of time & planning which is sometimes scarce around these parts so i'm starting early. for gifts, i've already made a lot of jams & {apple butter}. we would also love to give prints of our photos to our loved ones & possibly put together cookbooks of our favorite meals. simply, use your talents. they will be appreciated!
+ today, i was reading {julia}'s blog & found {this} wonderful entry about freezing food. i've also been spending many hours in the kitchen canning & making {jam} for the winter. that way, we will have plenty of food stocked-up so we don't have to buy expensive produce that is out-of-season.
+ & finally- i really, really love giving gifts. when i was single, i could easily spend my check on surprises for luke & special treats for {tori}. now, i am trying to get more creative with my gifts. i firmly believe that the presentation of the gift is as important as the gift itself. here is a beautiful {inspiration} of wrapping that i found today! i recommend recycling tissue paper, gift bags, & ribbons from gifts that you receive & use old newspapers, magazine pages, & pre-used scrap booking paper as wrapping paper. also, i love going to garage sales for home furnishings & small nick-knacks. they're typically cheaper than thrift stores & people enjoy them just as much. i would recommend that you plan in advance for a gift because thrift stores & garage sales can be a hit or miss. if you do not find anything second- hand, make your gift! for joel's birthday, we made him a bicycle t-shirt {photo above} using a freezer paper stencil & an american apparel t-shirt. he loved it!

i hope some of those ideas from others are of inspiration to you! thank you all for reading & sharing ideas in this space. this little blog community is so great!
well, i have a busy day tomorrow {it is finn's first birthday!} so i need to get to bed.

love,
natalie

ps. happy birthday, david! we love you & are so happy you are enjoying your book :)