the honaker homemaker giveaway + my gallery wall in the works

i absolutely love supporting small artists, bloggers & makers on my blog. hands down, it's in my top ten list of fave things about this space.

so when lauren of the honaker homemaker contacted me about featuring her string art "create" sign, i squealed in delight. the word "create" means so much to me & her work is absolutely stunning.

also, i just so happen to have the perfect spot for her piece within my home...

we're working on a family wall gallery in the hallway leading to the bedrooms. it's just a wee bit awkward at the moment as it only features photos of luke & me (incredible, beautiful photos by my gal pal nikki of nikki toth photography, that is!). 

side note: you people with the littles are lucky. framing photos of your chillins is totally acceptable. thirty-four photos of our faces? *uncomfortable*

we're working on it.

collecting photos of our extended family, that is. ahem.

but i just can't tell you how excited i was to add my little create sign to our gallery wall. it's just the perfect pop of color & compliments my painted frames so well.

& for one lucky reader, you can take home this beauty, too!

the honaker homemaker is giving away one string art "create" sign to one lucky reader!

it's oh so simple. 

1. grab a cup of coffee & browse the honaker homemaker shop!

2. like the honaker homemaker on facebook or ig @thehonakerhome

3. leave a comment below with your email address sharing your favorite product from lauren's shop & how you would feature it in your home!

i'll pick a random winner at 8 am cst on wednesday, september 10th.

happy winning, friends!

love,

natalie

p.s. get your shop on right now with the code "CREATE20" for 20% off your purchase!

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giveaway closed! congrats to auntie carrie for winning the honaker homemaker "create" sign giveaway!

top tips for thrifting

if you've been around these parts for any time at all, you'll quickly find out that i'm the gal trying to save a buck or two. i love a good bargain & i'll wake up at the crack of dawn on saturday for a promising yard sale. almost every single piece of furniture in our home is purchased secondhand & i'm pretty proud of that little known fact. 

 i am often asked how i find such great treasures while thrifting. today i am here to share my top tips for finding those affordable treasures while thrifting:

1. go often: i thrift or go to yard sales about three times a week. i have a schedule that i follow & a list of stores i visit on specific days. by visiting your local shops often, you'll find your own rhythm & favorite shops for certain items you're looking for on a regular basis. 

2. know your location: knowing where to find the best secondhand treasures for the best deals is key.  take a map or locate your gps app & hit the road. stop at every interesting yard sale you see. once you've explored your town & surrounding areas, you'll find the best places to shop. i visit yard sales every saturday in the same parts of town & i am rarely ever disappointed. find those hot spots in your area & get to thrifting! 

3. shop smart: thrifting is in large part about finding a deal. sometimes i cannot live without an item & i purchase it for more than i'd otherwise pay. more often than not, though, i stick to a budget & only spend what i really think the item is worth. if i feel like a price isn't quite within my budget, i'll ask for a discount of about 30% off. if the seller won't budge, i pass. that means something better is just up the road, friend.

4. celebrate the quirky: thrifting is a fun way to express yourself within your home! i love purchasing items i normally wouldn't purchase or even see at a big box store. the bird chair on the left was purchased for just $5 at goodwill & adds such a pop of fun to our bedroom. don't be afraid to mismatch patterns & colors. if you love it, make it work within your home. don't be limited to what you think you should like. 

5. see potential: thrifting has a lot to do with seeing the potential in an otherwise forgotten item. i picked up that dirty, old wooden box at a sale. i brought it home, cleaned it up & moved it into our living room. it now serves as our coffee table & it even has extra storage inside for board games. the glass bookshelf below now sits in our dining room with crates full of cloth napkins & hand towels. a bit of cleaning, a fresh layer of paint & a new perspective can turn a secondhand item into a gem perfect for your home. 

6. have fun!: most importantly, have fun thrifting! invite a group of girlfriends or your mom to bring along on your thrifting adventures. personally, thrifting is my weekly retreat & i savor the quiet time walking down the aisles of my local thrift shop. it's my favorite hobby & i absolutely love the thrill of the junk hunt. 

what are your top tips for thrifting? please share!

love,

natalie

right now... i am.

right now, i am...

- brainstorming & dreaming up big plans for our future.

- harvesting (still) baskets full of goodies from our garden. this will never grow old.

- cutting, sewing & packaging happy flags. this is what my hands were made to do.

- drinking iced maple toddy in mason jars. a shot of toddy, a splash of raw milk & a teaspoon of maple syrup, please.

- savoring summer & celebrating hints of autumn.

- listening to npr every morning with a cup of coffee in hand.

- enjoying having a little nook at 410 for selling my vintage finds. 

- canning tomato sauce, salsa & tomato jam into the wee hours of morning.

- not buying groceries for two weeks. on purpose!

- focusing on gratitude & contentment instead of wants & jealousy.

- baking cinnamon butternut squash. recipe coming soon...

- excited for three days of folk music at roots festival.

- giddy about working with marisa of food in jars this weekend.

- wearing big necklaces & big glasses because #yolo.

- finally (!!!) eating corn from our garden

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what are you doing right now?

love,

natalie

being a life-long learner // podcast with ELISE GETS CRAFTY

our story is one that surprises even me when i share it out loud. 

this past year & some odd months of owning our farm has been nothing short of absolutely beautiful & exhaustingly hard. 

i think that's probably how all things feel that are worth our time, worth investing in, worth fighting for, worth living within. 

so when elise asked if i would like to come share our story of what it looks like to be a life-long learner & farmer, i 1. squealed & nearly fainted 2. said yes. 

because that's what the farm is for us. it's a classroom for making messy mistakes & if we're lucky enough, sharing a plate of food we've grown with loved ones.  

so, my people, grab a cup of coffee & click right here (i'm episode #24!). share the next thirty minutes with elise & me as we chat about what it looks like to learn on the farm. 

& yes, i've got a southern drawl.

love,

natalie

natalie creates shop is now open!

my handmade shop is now open! join me over at the natalie creates shop & snatch up some happy flags while you're there!

love,

natalie

p.s. enter "NATALIECREATESHAPPY" at checkout for free shipping within the usa. xo.

whole wheat, refined sugar-free waffle recipe

i feel like there are two kinds of people in the world. waffle people & pancake people.

we are obviously waffle people.

this morning i want to share our whole wheat, refined sugar-free waffle recipe. it's perfect for those birthday morning traditions, snow days & even breakfast for dinner evenings. this recipe is easy-peasy & soon you'll be makin' waffles every saturday morning.

whole wheat waffle recipe

makes about 5 - 6 waffles

2 eggs

1 3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup canola oil

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup white flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch of salt

1. turn on your waffle maker & preheat. i purchased our waffle maker from the thrift shop for less than $2.

2. in a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, canola oil, honey, cinnamon & baking soda until well combined. 

3. add the dry ingredients - flours, baking powder & salt - & mix until large lumps disappear.

4. once your waffle iron is hot, lather it in butter or oil (we use spray canola oil) & add an appropriate amount of waffle batter to your iron.

5. once all of your waffles are made, add your favorite toppings!

some of our favorite toppings include:

- fresh berries

- bananas

- peanut butter

- almond butter

- maple syrup

- honey

- coconut oil

- shredded & dried coconut

now go make some delicious waffles!

waffle people unite!

love,

natalie

simple birthday celebration ideas on a budget

this week we celebrated luke's birthday (happy 25th birthday, hubby!). we have been celebrating with a special birthday breakfast since becoming a family. i absolutely love our sweet birthday traditions. they're simple, affordable & meaningful. 

today i am sharing three steps for creating your own simple birthday celebration on a budget!

1. spend your time, not your money - my husband's love language is quality time.  more than the cute decor & birthday gifts, he asks for my time. so instead of spending hours & hours on decor, i choose to create simple vignettes for the table so that i may spend time with him. 

2. diy is your friend - we keep a box in our closet full of banners, bunting, happy flags, & bits of party decor. often times we have made these items, but sometimes we make small purchases to freshen up our box of birthday decor. this year i purchased new stripy straws & the red striped banner hanging from the chalkboard for under $4 each. 

we also write a birthday celebration message on our family chalkboard. if you don't have a chalkboard in your main living space, diy or purchase one. it's one of my favorite items in our home because it serves so many purposes. 

i also made those "happy birthday" & "yay!" flags, inspired by my sweet friend amy. we keep these in our box & pull them out every year for brightening fresh bouquets of flowers from the garden.

simply cut out colorful cardstock into the shape of a small flag. hand-stamp your letters onto the paper flag. hot glue to a wooden stick & happily use!

3. cook a special breakfast - for our birthday celebrations, we always cook the other person a special birthday breakfast. this year i made luke delicious homemade waffles with fresh berries. we spent the morning sharing breakfast & conversation over coffee.

i love our simple birthday traditions because they're meaningful moments that never break the bank. 

what are some of your birthday traditions? how do you make simple birthday celebrations meaningful?

love,

natalie