Best of Stitched in Color {May}

On My Mind

Experimenting:: with ordering photobooks. For over a decade I have ordered physical prints of our family snapshots on a yearly basis. Now we have a whole shelf of big, heavy photo albums. I so appreciate having the photos printed and Elora absolutely loves to pour through the albums, but they are heavy and bulky. As we anticipate moving house again, I am looking for ways to lighten up. Having our photos reprinted as photobooks is a pricey and time-consuming endeavor. I have ordered one test book to get a feel for the difference. I wonder if it will be worth the switch?

Reading:: The Confessions of Young Nero by Margaret George. As a young person, my favorite genre was historical fiction and my very favorite author was Margaret George. I have read each and every one of her fantastic, thick books. Each one feels like time travel. It is as if I have been to all of these places that she describes: Ancient Rome, fabled Egypt, Helen’s Troy, Henry VIII’s England. I began rereading The Confession of Young Nero on a whim and it’s quite interesting. Perhaps I will reread all of her books in the coming years.

Celebrating:: Lucy Brennan of @CharmAboutYou’s fantastic Geesey quilt top. I would never have thought to sew my Geesey pattern in pastels + black/white. In fact, I rarely use pastels, even though they intrigue me. The soft colors don’t call out to me when I am shopping for fabrics or choosing a fabric stack. But when you restrain yourself to washed-out shades, as Lucy did here, each color has a lovely presence. Perhaps someday - - -

Anticipating:: a party tonight! Today is the very day that marks 5 years since our move to The Netherlands. We dubbed this day “The Best Day Ever” and always do a little something to celebrate the milestone. Tonight I will celebrate with my family and friends, making American-style waffles as dinner for our guests. I highly recommend fabricating your own holidays! It’s such fun.

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How to Sort + Organize Your Fabric Scraps

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Good news - my house has sold! Now, if you know me well, you may not expect that to be good news. I adore our 1930’s Dutch home and am only selling under financial necessity due to divorce. But when I ended things with my ex just over a year ago, I realized that staying in this house might not be feasible for the kids and I because of the difficulty of getting a new mortgage in my name only. By last December it was clear that we would have to sell. I hoped to stay here through the end of the kids’ school year, but never would have hoped for longer.

Friends, we get even LONGER! The buyers don’t want the house soon, so we get to live here through mid December. I am so, so thankful for the extra time. Fortunately, it is all good financially for us to stay, since the mortgage is good until we sell. What a blessing!

When life turns out even better than you hoped?!?! That is certainly something to celebrate.

Happy weekend all!

Rachel