from a coat closet to a pantry: our pantry remodel!


by american standards, our home is small. every square inch of space in our house is well-loved & utilized. 

our guest room closet houses framed art, candles, seasonal decor & more. our linen closet holds beach towels & extra toiletries. our doors serve double-duty with hangers for our robes & shoe organizers repurposed into extra storage for cleaning products. 

as with all small homes, sometimes you must sacrifices. my people, i have lived without a proper pantry for almost three years!

after years of storing our food in a makeshift pantry,  i decided enough was enough.


 when i noticed that our coat closet wasn't serving it's purpose & was just a few steps from our kitchen, my pantry remodel idea was born! with a bit of convincing, luke helped me convert our pitiful coat closet into a bright & cheery pantry!

today i thought i'd share a little tour of our small but functional space!


i painted the walls a fun seafoam green color (i wish i could remember the exact name, but it's by valspar!) & used clean white accents along with woven baskets. we cut a piece of white wood & used simple brackets to make shelves. 


i grabbed the potato & onion rack from tj maxx along with our woven baskets. i tied labeled kraft tags with twine to each bin & basket for easy organization.

the over-the-door rack was purchased here & holds our spices, canned goods & jars of beans/grains.


the white bins were purchased at walmart for less than $1 each. the plastic bins are wipeable & keep everything well organized. i labeled kraft stickers & placed them on each bin. 

 

 i love this simple & functional space!

i hope this inspires you to think outside of the box when organizing your home... sometimes your coat closet might just make the perfect pantry!

do you have fun tips for organizing your pantry? please share!
love,
natalie

flourish: a women's gathering to inspire in northwest arkansas


friends, i am so excited to share something so wonderful for our little pocket of the world!

often i am asked how i got started in this gig of mine. some days it feels like magic got me here & other days i'm certain it's making one brave step after the other.


whether we are made to write a book, paint a painting, record a song, own a business, manage the duties of the home, love our babies, capture a moment in film or simply set aside time each day to seek beauty, we require creativity to really live out our best. 

not only do we require creativity, but we long for good people, a community & a tribe to create alongside.

friends, i am inviting you to flourish: a women's gathering to inspire in fayetteville, arkansas on january 16th!
our hope is that we create a gathering that inspires you to make time for creativity in the new year. our wish is to cultivate community among the creative-seekers & gift you tangible tools to live out your inspired lives.


i am teaming up with my dear friend, jerusalem greer, author of a homemade year. jerusalem is authentic, inspiring & so kind... she is a balm to the creative soul. 

together we plan to share our thoughts on creativity, building up women & flourishing in a busy world. we will then set aside time for crafting wreaths for our home - an everyday reminder to create within our spaces. you do not have to be a master crafter or creative to join us. simply come as you are. 


dear ones, my heart just wants to pop thinking about it!

here are the details:

+ flourish with natalie creates & jerusalem greer is on january 16th, 2016!
+ our gathering space is vintage fellowship in fayetteville, arkansas
+ the fun will start at 9 am & end around noon.
+ with a larger space, we are able to accommodate up to 60 women! yay!
+ registration is $50 per person & includes supplies to complete a homemade wreath. our hope is that keeping registration low means more women can join us!
+ your registration also includes delicious snacks & a coffee bar!
+ a mini market including a handful of our favorite makers/businesses will be there to showcase their goods!
+ a swag bag will be included for each gal in attendance. 

registration opens at 9 am cst on november 17th! to reserve a spot, simply visit my etsy shop where i will include a listing for our flourish gathering on the registration date.

friends, we simply cannot think of a better gift to give yourself in the new year! ask for a seat to our gathering for christmas or gift these few hours to yourself. we hope to inspire you to make time for you & your creative pursuits in 2016!
love,
natalie

Pre-Orders for 2016 Planting Calendars start TODAY!



head on over here to learn more about our calendars. this year we have designed calendars for every growing zone. please check my etsy shop for the appropriate calendar to fit your location. 

preorders include guaranteed holiday delivery (calendars will ship in the next 2-3 weeks!).

grab a handful for gifts this year & use code PREORDER20 for 20% off your purchase at checkout!

visit my shop HERE to purchase a calendar today! thank you!
love,
natalie

a quiet morning


good morning, friends!

we're savoring a quiet monday morning after a very busy weekend with family & friends. those busy weekends are so good, but we love falling back into our routine on a monday after a handful of eventful days.

wishing you all the very best start to your week!
love,
natalie

p.s. just a reminder: pre-orders for planting calendars start tomorrow morning (tuesday) at 9am cst in my etsy shop!

savoring dinnertime






we've recently experienced a shift in our eating. since spending nearly a month in europe this summer, we've fallen even more deeply in love with food. late into the evening, you'll find every square inch of our kitchen lightly dusted in flour as luke perfects the perfect loaf of artisan bread.

you'll find me tying on an apron, pouring a glass of wine, turning on a little folk music & savoring - rather than rushing through- dinner time prep. i've been pulling together all types of meals from coconut curries to thai noodles & peanut sauce. we're spending just a bit more on groceries, but we're loving every minute of our meal experiences.

some of my recent favorite meals:
- we've fallen in love this butternut squash & pumpkin curry recipe.
- this three bean chili is a slow cooker recipe, but i love the unexpected addition of chickpeas for any extra bit of protein. 
- roasted whole chickens are perfect this time of year. i roast ours in the oven with parsnips, sweet potatoes & carrots. 

what are you making in the kitchen these days?

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also, if you missed the news - our 2016 calendars are here! pre-order starts next tuesday, november 10th. head over here for more details.
love,
natalie

our 2016 planting calendars are here!


friends, i am just so excited to share that our 2016 planting calendars are here & will be available for pre-order this upcoming tuesday, november 10th, starting at 9 am cst in our shop!


if you haven't heard of our planting calendar, it is designed to inspire you to grow & harvest from your own garden. every page includes a seasonal farm life photo taken by me in addition to a month-at-a-glance formatted calendar.

below each month, you will find gardening notes & suggested vegetables to plant by seed or transplant. our calendars are valuable resources to guide you in what to plant & when, according to your region of the country.

our planting calendar is double-side printed on sturdy card stock & measures 6x9 inches with a matte finish. each calendar includes a metal clip for easy hanging (as pictured in the above photo)


last year we offered just the mid-south calendar, but this year we are offering planting calendars for every united states growing zone, including california, coastal south, pacific northwest, northeast, midwest & mid-south regions. 

when purchasing your calendar from our etsy shop, you will be able to choose what specific calendar is most appropriate for you by finding your location on our map (as shown in the photo above)


this year's 2016 calendar features stunning new images from our home & farm that we hope you love. 

thank you so much to the many of you who purchased last year's calendar. we hope it served as a valuable resource in growing your garden this year!

in planting her spring garden, ashley of under the sycamore, shared her go-to gardening resources, including our planting calendar! take a look here.



to thank you for pre-ordering a calendar, we're offering 20% off with code PREORDER20 until november 16th. (this code starts next tuesday when pre-orders begin.)

did you order a calendar last year? how did you use your calendar? please share in the comments! 

love,
natalie
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