What’s new? Doing free-stands a lot! Eating cheese, chicken, mango, pineapple, potatoes, oatmeal, and tofu.
Loves: Chasing Ziggy kitty. Eating kitty fur when Mama is not looking and then clamping his mouth shut so I can’t get it out. Picking grass and touching dirt. Bath time.
Does NOT like: Getting scratched by Ziggy kitty. Putting on/taking off pants, shirts, diapers, shoes and socks.
And p.s.: For those of you wondering, I can’t find lambie anywhere! So this month Bix is sitting with Bunny.
(I will be taking a photo of Bixby in the white armchair with his lambie each month until his second birthday; except this month when I took his picture with bun-bun. Ahem.)
So far… One Month Old :: Two Months Old :: Three Months Old :: Four Months Old :: Five Months Old :: Six Months Old :: Seven Months Old :: Eight Months Old :: Nine Months Old
(images: Laura Gaskill)
{this moment} – Joining Soule Mama in a Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see.
I will be back in just a bit with Bixby’s ten month picture (can you believe it??), but for now I want to wish all of you the sweetest of weekends. Benny & I will be celebrating our sixth wedding anniversary on Sunday, and I will see all of you back here on Monday! xoxo Laura
(image: Laura Gaskill)
Good morning, friends! I am planning a yard sale (garage sale/tag sale/stoop sale, depending on where you live!) for later this spring and I have been brainstorming ways to make it both successful and fun. I thought some of you may find yourselves in the same boat, so I have put together a list of my very best tips – along with a few photos from what is probably the prettiest sale ever (from Yvestown, who else?), I hope you enjoy it and find something useful!
First, a few things NOT to do!
- DON’T spread anything on blankets on the ground. No one likes stooping to look at things, and people can’t see the items from the street as they drive by your sale (which makes them less likely to stop!)
- DON’T put out items that are badly broken or are terrible eyesores – it will only detract from your sale. Just bite the bullet and take the crap to the recycling center or dump, people!
- DON’T price items too high, or in amounts that make it hard to get change.
- DON’T make signs with confusing directions, too much verbiage, or small print.
And now for the fun bits…
- DO advertise your sale on Craigslist if it is used widely in your area, this will generate much more traffic than any signage!
- DO use your own (not for sale) furniture and accessories to beautify the sale and also to use as props for setting out items to their best advantage.
- DO display items as they would be used in your home: clothes go on hangers, jewelry is displayed on trays or hooks, pillows on a chair, etc.
- DO price items simply (such as “shirts, $1 each) rather than pricing individually.
- DO have fun and decorate your sale a bit to attract passers-by! Hang buntings, balloons, streamers, prayer flags, whatever you like!
- DO make yourself comfortable with a nice chair to relax in, a cute sun hat, and ice cold bevvies to sip.
- DO use music to create a fun atmosphere: nothing too loud or potentially offensive, of course!
- DO use this as an opportunity to test out selling your handicrafts or art – why not?
- If you have a green thumb, you could even sell seedlings or cuttings from your garden, or fresh bouquets of flowers to make an extra few bucks!
I am curious: do you love or loathe yard sales? Personally, I love cruising yard sales and hunting for treasures, but putting them on is so much work I only hold one every few years. What about you?
(images: Yvonne Eijkenduijn for Yvestown)
Remember the coat rack debacle? Well, it is still not resolved…but I have at least begun to make a few small changes, just moving things around that I already own. Want to have a peek?
Sorry the photo quality is so awful and grainy, I’ll try harder next time! The bench is from my dining table set, but we don’t really need it at the table (we have extra chairs) so I moved it over here. Now we actually have a place to sit and put on shoes, etc., hurray! Beside the bench is a little white filing cabinet I had tucked beside my desk, and even with a stack of my favorite home and garden books on top there is still a bit of room to set keys or a small purse.
So what is not shown in this picture? Oh, just a pile of coats and bags from the dangerously tippy coat rack…and all of those shoes. So yes, the problem is still not completely solved, but I thought I’d give myself a wee pat on the back for at least doing something! Next up: I am on the hunt for wall hooks or a shaker-style peg rack, shoe basket, and perhaps a mirror, stay tuned ;)
(lousy image: Laura Gaskill)
Browsing through Rachel Whiting’s photography is like visiting a dreamy confectionery for decorators – stocked with crystal chandis, Louis chairs done up in the most luscious fabrics, fancy frocks hanging on the wall, and the table always set for tea…
London-based Whiting has worked with everyone from Living Etc to Ideal Home, House Beautiful, and the Crafts Council on interiors shoots. No matter if her lens is pointed at a charming bedroom, an expansive garden, or a small detail, the work is always spot-on.
And I must admit these sorts of homes are the kind I most often dream about escaping to – whitewash on the floors, vintage china in the cupboard above the Aga stove, and a rambling garden outside to enjoy with babies and dogs and friends. Do you daydream about this too?
Do go see Rachel Whiting’s website and portfolio if you enjoyed this – there is oodles more where this came from!
(all images: Photographer Rachel Whiting)
I'm throwing out 50 things - join me!
