Archive for what’s in my hand?
Bandana In My Hand
My grandfather and uncle, like most farmers in my area, were old fashioned enough to still use bandannas for handkerchiefs rather than rely on disposable tissues. They stocked up on them, too, so when they both passed on, we had some 20 or 30 bandannas passed down to us. Here are some ways to use [...]
What’s In Your Hand Bookend
I needed a bookend, and I did not want to go to the store to buy one. I had this cast iron candleholder already in the house, so that’s what I use. Yes, it’s Christmas decor, but it’s not really that obvious when it’s pressed up against my books. It’s just a pine tree. More [...]
Make a Shadow Box
I wanted a shadow box, a small shelf to put several little treasures. What I had on hand, or in my hands, was a wooden gift box that had originally come filled with tea as a gift. Tiny balls of clay help hold each of the items on their shelf. I have seen a similar [...]
Sprouting and Cheesecloth
We use squares cut from the legs of old knee-his or trouser socks, spread them over an old, clean jar full of sprouting seeds and strap the stretched nylon on to the jar with a rubber band – cheaper than an official, made for the purpose sprouter, and a method I like better, too- I [...]
Clothing Hacks
There was the time one of my daughters needed a camisole for wear beneath another shirt, one that turned out to be cut much lower in the neckline than she liked, and we hit upon the idea of wearing one of her tank tops in a contrasting color- only she wore it backwards. That top [...]
A Different Angle
I’ve shared before the story of how we moved into a new house, one with a powder blue master bedroom with a pretty, vintage, powder blue rose patterned wall paper that clashed violently with my very eighties valentine read hearts and eyelet appliqued quilt. There was money neither for paint nor a new quilt. Every [...]
Simple What’s In Your Hand Hacks
I needed more bookshelf space. I had vintage wooden ammunition boxes, which, I grant, not everybody has. But before I was given the ammunition boxes, I used cardboxes of roughly the same size. They were exceptionally sturdy because they came from a liquor store. We had one in our neighborhood and they set their boxes [...]
Warding off the Heat
Sunny windows are wonderful in the winter when they let in light and change it into warmth. In the summer, they can raise the temperature in a room considerably, making you swelter. If you run the air conditioner, a window with enough direct sunlight can make that air conditioner have to work harder, costing you [...]
Countertop Compost
Keep a container of the following sorts of kitchen scraps: egg shells (break them up really well), coffee grounds, teabags, bits and pieces of peelings from vegetables and fruits. Sprinkle a bit of dirt over each layer. Once it’s full, then it’s time to turn it or shake it every day or two. In a [...]
A What’s In Your Hand Chore Chart
My just turned two year old grandson is enamored of all things Noah’s Ark. Also of all things Old McDonald, and animals in general. So when I was making the yard sale rounds recently and saw this Noah’s Ark wall hanging for two dollars, I knew I had to have it for him. Kindly pretend [...]
Three Storage Hacks
1. Take three Clementine boxes and make a handy storage shelf. You get a better picture of this in the sidebar of the blog I’ve linked- right side, scroll down 2, Take an old bookshelf headboard from a twin sized water bed and flip it on its end for a set of narrow [...]
So… What’s In Your Hand?
I started blogging here once a week back in 2007. There was a period of time when I was AWOL while life dealt our family a few knock out blows, but with God’s help we’ve been staggering out from beneath them for a while, and I’ve been blogging here regularly again. Although I’ve taken a [...]
Minimalist Kitchen
There are many reasons why one might have or need to have a minimalist kitchen. One might be a new bride or a college student away from home for the first time, and need to make do and get by while slowly adding to kitchen supplies as need and finances meet each other. One might [...]
Candles
Burning candles is something that makes the cooler, darker days seem brighter and warmer- but they don’t just ‘seem’ that way- they do make things warmer. One candle in the room adds the equivalent of one person’s body heat to the room. But where to get candles at a frugal price? We buy most of [...]
Celebrating With What Is In My Hand
While hanging the baby clothes on the drying rack with soft breezes blowing and sun shining bright, memories of my first born baby flooded my mind. Now grown-up and with a baby of his own in his wife’s womb, our family had decided a celebration was in order! As I considered how to celebrate this [...]
