{{ Thanks for all the summer reading suggestions! I'm going to try and put them all in a list in one handy reference spot on the blog. Please feel free to keep adding to it! }}
Oh, June. What can I say, you've had better years. Remember just last year, how my shoulders had a little sunburn before school even let out? How when I chaperoned the end of the year field trip to the beach I had already been there twice on my own? I miss that sort of warm and sunny June, please come back soon, okay?
Truthfully, I've appreciated this extra time indoors, settling back into my home after many months of regularly working outside of it. The past several days have been filled with cleaning corners, putting away all of the laundry, cleaning out the freezer, washing the outside (and all those little buttons and knobs) of the washer and dryer... I've cleaned and sorted everything around here, I even dusted my headboard! It's felt so good coming home. I am truly at my best here, no doubt.
I even set aside a little crafting time for myself, now I have a pretty (and big!) new bag for summer. Big enough to hold my everyday gear plus Emily's when needed. I'm hoping this bag will join us on many sunny outings once these clouds roll out of here. Next up, I think a few new tops are in order.
This bag is the same design as the Summer Totes, with the addition of fusible fleece as interfacing to beef it up a little. I've always resisted this (and regular interfacing), feeling like their synthetic make-up wasn't worthy of hanging out with my linens and cottons. Well, I may be a convert. At least with the fusible fleece, I don't see myself ever really loving interfacing. But the fusible fleece has certainly proved it's value to me. This bag and the others are quite large which is fabulous. With the addition of the fleece, this bag's 20 inches wide, 11 inches tall and 7 inches deep self sits firmly and proudly on the floor like a big ol' basket - without looking like cardboard (a common trait of interfaced projects). I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of this and this as we speak... a girl can't possibly stop at just one you know. ;)
So, rainy cool gray June, I've made the best of you staying inside, puttering around my little nest, settling back in. But maybe I'm just making the best of me. I'm so happy to be home again, doing what I love. For me, nothing (as good as many other things are), nothing compares to keeping the home fires burning and the bellies of my family and friends well fed. I think it's going to be a good summer, rainy and cool or blazing hot... I'll take all of it, right here at home.
Steady, happy, and thriving home... steady, happy, and thriving world.
