natalie creates

the 2014 year of scraps quilt

last year when i made my first quilt, i vowed to make a quilt each year. my first quilt, a gift for my nephew, was the single reason i began sewing. i wanted to make him a quilt just like my great grandmother made me. something he could crawl on, build forts with & cuddle up beneath at night.

soon after, i fell in love with sewing. making tangibles with bits of fabric & thread to fit a need within the home inspired me. thus began my little natalie creates business.

each time i made something throughout the year, i collected the scraps in a little plastic bin on my yellow metal shelf in my studio. after several months, it was overflowing with bright bits of fabric.

the year of scraps quilt was born. my 2014 quilt.

i didn't really follow a pattern for this quilt. i simply cut up bits of fabric that were about 5 in wide & various lengths. i made it a lap size quilt partly due to my machine's capacity to quilt but also because i was in need of a quilt for cozying up at night by the wood burning stove.

i used a vintage sheet i thrifted for $3 for the underside. i was inspired by a friend to use a sheet for my quilt & i am so happy i did. i love the look & it was affordable, too. i purchased the quilt binding from the local craft store.

i didn't do anything special for the quilting. i just quilted it along the rows. simple & quick!

the year of scraps quilt is definitely goat approved!

i love the practice of making a quilt during the winter months. it brightens up my studio & brings purpose to the cold, short winter days.

this spring, i hope to make a handful of simple tunics for pairing with cardigans & leggings.

what's on your list to create?

happy monday, friends!

love,

natalie

p.s. the shop reopens this upcoming thursday at 8 am central time with reversible headbands & happy flags. yay!

gift idea for the adventurer

on tuesday my mom turned 50. last weekend we threw her a big surprise party. today she's in ireland. she's an adventurer at heart, always dreaming of her next big trip. i am so excited for her & all of the new experiences she'll have this upcoming week.

i wanted to create a little package of travel goodies for her to take along on her trip & remember the exciting moments from ireland. they're simple, affordable items that you might like to gift to your adventurer.

i picked up the basket for just under $1 at the thrift store. i filled it with tissue paper in peach from paper source. i gathered a handful of items i thought she might love. a reusable water bottle for carrying along on her trip & a travel journal with a pen for recording her experiences each day (i found this one at tj maxx, but this one is extra cute). i also added a zip-up pouch for storing those extra goodies in her luggage from shindig paperie & some gum for the plane. finally, i added a frame i got on clearance at target. instead of the tags that came with the frame, i made my own with kraft paper to personalize her gift.

you could also add mini toiletries, stamps for domestic traveling & luggage tags!

i placed it all in the basket, labeled the water bottle with a traveling tip & added some cute handmade tags from leftover card stock. she loved it.

what other gifts might you add to accompany a traveler on their upcoming adventure? please share!

love,

natalie

ideas for an inspiring kitchen

i've written a handful of times about how we save on food & budget monthly for groceries. meal planning is absolutely key (check out my meal planning 101 blog post on how we plan meals & my homemaking tab for more resources).

regardless of how disciplined we are with our budgets or how well we plan the menu, sometimes there's a lack of inspiration in the kitchen. the clock strikes 6 pm & we're still staring at instagram avoiding dinner prep. we lack motivation so we order pizza. we blow the budget & we miss out on a meaningful dinner experience.

friends, i've got some thoughts on this topic & ideas to get you inspired in the kitchen. you can do this, i promise!

1. make your kitchen pretty. it's true. creating a welcoming environment in your kitchen that is conducive to productivity & creativity will make you want to use your space more frequently. remove ugly packaging from your dry goods & place them in pretty jars with labels. i have thrifted most of the jars in my kitchen for under $1 each. place produce that doesn't need to be refrigerated in woven baskets & metal bins that fit the aesthetic of your kitchen. it will inspire you to grab a banana instead of cookies.

2. rearrange your fridge. i just recently participated in a meal planning & budgeting group at church. a group of ladies and i rearranged our refrigerators. it has made such a huge difference in my daily food choices. instead of hiding that colorful produce, i moved it up to the second shelf. the bin where our produce used to hide is now housing leftovers my husband can easily grab for lunches. moving our produce to the top shelf has also decreased the amount of fresh food wasted, which is also a big plus. we can now clearly see what's in the fridge & we use it.

3. prep your food ahead of time. i have recently started buying big heads of greens & chopping them myself at home. it saves a significant amount of money each month because we're getting more greens for our buck. right when i get home from the grocery store, i wash & chop my lettuce. i mix in a handful of spinach with our lettuce & the occasional red cabbage. i place it all in a big plastic bowl with a lid. it's so easy to grab & throw together for dinners. the photo above is a big salad i made for lunch. i've been eating a salad at lunch everyday with every topping imaginable. delicious, healthy & easy.

4. celebrate dinnertime. my husband taught me to celebrate, savor & enjoy dinnertime. it's such a special moment to catch up with family & talk about your days. we always eat at the table with candles & cloth napkins. last night we enjoyed dinner outside on the first warm evening of the year. make this part of your daily rhythm & you'll soon feel drawn to the kitchen knowing you'll reap the reward of quality time at the table.

& here are some recipes we have made recently to inspire your love of cooking...

- roasted asparagus: preheat the oven to 400 degrees. chop the ends of the asparagus & place on a baking sheet. drizzle olive oil & sprinkle minced garlic on top of the asparagus. add sea salt & freshly cracked pepper. place in the oven for 20 minutes until the ends are lightly browned & crispy.

- broccoli quinoa slaw: i have made this slaw twice in two weeks. this slaw is even better the next day. pair it with fresh fish & the roasted asparagus above for a delicious meal.

how do you get inspired in the kitchen? any delicious recipes you've recently tried & loved? please share!

love,

natalie

p.s. this is a sponsored post by grammarly! use grammarly's grammar check because good grammar is almost as important as what's for dinner! check it out if you're interested, friends.

my mom's 50th birthday party

this weekend we surprised my momma with a 50th birthday party!

it was so much fun. family & long time friends were there to celebrate my mom's big milestone. she's the spunkiest, brightest, most thoughtful woman i know. instead of the typical "over the hill" decor, we decorated with a bit of handmade & lots of sparkle.

i had a blast putting together the decor for the party, including these bouquets. i purchased the flowers from sam's club & added a few succulents from our house plants (simply hot glue vintage ribbon to a mason jar to get the same look).

i loved making these paper flags. i used card stock leftover from other projects & hot glued them onto wooden sticks.

i made the pom pom flowers, too. you can purchase them from steph loves ben in a variety of stunning colors.

i also made cute little cupcake toppers for her cupcakes. such a simple projects! using a paper cutter, i cut out the scalloped circles. i stamped "50" onto the circles & hot glued them to toothpicks. bless the hot glue gun! can i get an amen?

my sister-in-law made the cupcakes & they turned out great. carrot cake with cream cheese frosting... delicious!

we added a few more handmade touches (the garland at the top & the glittery 50) and added old photos of my mom to the table. it was a wonderful time filled with family & friends, good food & sweet memories.

i love you, mom! happy 50th birthday! (she doesn't look 50 at all!!!)

love,

natalie

sponsor love

when i shared that i was inviting sponsors to support my blog, i was honestly... terrified. you all responded with enormous, overwhelming love. emails, texts of encouragement & a waiting list of sponsors soon came pouring in. thank you all so much for believing in me.

this space is about living well, creating often & finding joy in every moment.

say hello to this month's sponsors who do just that. i'm excited to share them with you today...

novelties and trinkets

yay!

love,

natalie

art by mary wangerin giveaway

a girl who believes in long bike rides, messy hair & treasuring moments. in living bravely & truthfully everyday. in finding happiness in the details. i am so excited to share the amazing work of mary wangerin with you this morning!

mary paints colorful magic & shares it on her etsy shop in original artwork & prints. i love her work because it's messages are little reminders we need throughout our days.

"live bravely"

"know happiness"

"seek truth"

"there is freedom in letting go"

"trust the process (+ yourself)"

& one of my favorites - "bravery suits you"

so good.

i am thrilled to offer up the two prints above to one reader from sweet mary wangerin. it's simple:

1. comment below with your email address & one phrase or quote that inspires you.

2. like mary's facebook page or follow mary on instagram @marywangerin

i'll randomly choose a winner on thursday, march 13th, at 8 am & share the winner within this post on friday, march 14th.

happy winning, friends!

love,

natalie

p.s. can't wait to win her work? enter "FRIENDSOFNATALIE" to receive 20% off your purchase at checkout.

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all comments closed. congrats, michaela! you're the winner. i will email you shortly!

a list of ways to fight off the winter blues

i've come to love the winter season. it's the calm before the busyness of spring. it's a time to relax & cozy up by the fire with a cup of tea. of course, the novelty of the winter season can sometimes wear off before the days grow warmer & longer.

that's why i thought i'd share with you a list of ways to erase those winter blues.

1. bring nature in. purchase a bouquet of fresh flowers from the grocery store. a fun activity we love to do is force bulbs inside. paperwhites are my favorite.

2. bake something. i love nothing more than spending time in the kitchen dirtying up bowls with ingredients such as flour, melted butter, brown sugar, & chocolate chips oh my! it's good for the soul, my friend.

3. plan an elaborate meal & invite friends over to feast. the oven will warm up your home & conversation will warm your heart. play a board game, too. we are settlers of catan addicts!

4. learn a new hobby. around this time each year, i make a quilt. it's refreshing to see all of that color as i sew. dig into that stack of books you've been dying to read or take a pottery class. embrace your time indoors with interesting activities.

5. eat well! eat color! it just makes sense. eating good food will help you fight off those winter blues & make you feel better from the inside out! decorate your plate with colorful foods like greens, carrots, red cabbage & more. slowly savor your meals. set the table & light candles. you're sure to feel better once you've taken your last bite.

how do you fight the winter blues? please share!

love,

natalie