12 Things (The Oh-My-Goodness-I-Have-a-Craft-Room Edition!)

If you are new here, 12 Things is this thing I do every once in a while where I share links I like and questions I have and updates on what's going on around our house. It's a chance to get to know each other a little better, so please do take a moment to comment and say "hi!"

1. As you may have guessed by the title of this post, we've made some progress on my craft room.  It's slowly coming together, mostly with paint and furnishings we already had or scored second hand for nearly free.  I love this sort of organic decorating, where a room isn't planned out or "designed" but just comes together slowly as pieces are required and found and incorporated.

2.  A friend introduced me to these Cooking With Clara videos on Youtube.  Have you seen them?  It's this sweet old grandmotherly lady cooking depression era meals and talking about what it was like to live through the great depression. Hubby and I like to watch them together.

3.  Our sofas are old and broken so we are ripping them apart and re-building them into a brand new (sorta) sectional.  Right now our living room is in shambles with pieces of sofa and fabric and foam, but in the end it is going to be so worth it.  And shockingly it's not going to be teal. (Well, not entirely.)  In fact, you can see my inspiration photo here.  (Eeek!)

4. I am part of a great women's bible study and we are working through this book.  I like it a lot, and not just because I get to spend four delightful hours with a fabulous group of women every second Thursday!

5. When I'm done that study I want to round up a group of people to study this one at my house.   I just love Shane Claiborne, in a he-makes-me-want-to-sell-everything-and-give-it-to-the-poor sort of way.

6. This Honest Toddler blog is hilarious, in a slightly painful sort of way if you currently have a toddler unraveling your toilet paper on the living room floor.

7. We are nearly done reading all of the way through the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House Series and I don't know what to read next.  Any mamas out there have good chapter book suggestions for me to read to my 3,5 and 6 year old?

8. I love this Dear Mom on the iPhone post from 4littlefergusons. It seems to have started a bit of a controversy around blogland as people think the author, Tonya, was trying to shame and discourage people. But I think if you take it for what it is (a reminder to let how we spend our time reflect our priorities and to make sure our kids know that they are immensely more important than our smart phones or any media that can so easily steal our attention) then I think it's a reminder I definitely need.  It stung a little, in a good way.

9. I hosted an apron sewing party.  We sewed simplified versions of this pattern and ate chocolate and bounced babies and talked for hours.  It was lovely.  I'm already brainstorming my next excuse for a ladies night in.

10. I love this Hierarchy of Cleaning chart from Small Notebook.  When I have people coming over and too much to do and feel like I'm just running around like a chicken with its head cut off it gives me a place to start.

11. I've been making this Garlic Rice Pilaf at least once a week and the whole family enjoys it.  I increase the garlic to a whole head (we love garlic!) and I add some toasted sliced almonds at the end.

12. We've been playing outside a lot and enjoying the (somewhat) spring-like weather.  We had our first picnic of the year last week and my kids are excavating parts of the back yard in search of rocks to "sell" in a little "store" under the porch.  So if I'm not blogging much it's because I'm out back buying rocks from a three year old and eating lunch in the wet grass.

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