long time-no blog

 long time, no blog....
so many life changes right now...
including sending my baby girl off to college-
12 hours away to Springfield Missouri
nothing seems more timely or true than this song by Joni Mitchell I sang to her as baby...
nothing is as certain as change-
and this one is as bittersweet as it could be

and to challenge myself further....because that huge change wasn't enough...

we made a good move to a new town... Medina,Ohio
all I can say is I love my new house and I love this town!
Many blog posts to follow....

next up first though, will be pics of my new abode...hopefully first thing next week!
have a great weekend- I cant wait to share my families new adventures!

pretty and functional DIY storage

Remember this dresser that I took the drawers out of??? 

(see Fairy Garden post)

I finally repurposed it into a shelving unit!!!

  I first measured the inside of the drawers to cut wood to make shelves- i am not so good with a saw so my dad cut  the wood for me!

 we painted the wood and the inside trim a cream color(it was a color that I already had a quart of)- then Mr. Jackson nailed the wood to the inside of the dresser

 I really wanted some lighter colored baskets but I already had these baskets- and free is for me! 

voila! perfect storage for all the little items that these  boys of mine like to scatter all over my house...teaching them to take care of their belongings and clean up after themselves...= happy mama!!!

I love making something unused into something pretty and useful 

not to mention that around here, storage is the name of the game!!!

summertime.....the livins easy part2

For this mama of 3 summer time is all about having fun and learning something new!!!!

 Brady is learning to play tennis- I think he has a very tennis pro stance- dont you? Our local High School Coach and some of the kids from the high school tennis team have been doing a FREE(that's what I am talkin' bout) tennis clinic this summer!

 Our local park system has a FREE(there's that word I love) program for kids where they get to go right out into nature to learn! They even have a cute little pledge they say about vowing to take care of the earth for future generations! love it! As you can see HUGH wasnt quite so enthused to have mama taking yet ANOTHER picture... i cant help myself!

 YEE-HAW! vbs was a wild west round up! and my oldest- Sierra was a camp volunteer!

 Our favorite place to swim- Dogwood Pool in North Canton Ohio- has the best fun area for the wee ones! as you can see my sweet little Hugh is lovin every minute of it!!!!

 Another place I love! COSI science museum in Columbus Ohio- lots of fun for the family-

Last, but not least, nothing beats a fire on a cool summer night- except for a fire and S'mores! the messier the better! Mr. Jackson got a little carried away with the size of the fire...maybe he was thinking about blowing smoke signals?

I love these lazy, fun summer days and nights and cherish the extra time we have together- 

SHARE with me your summer adventures in the comments, i would love to hear about them!

Mimis' Suitcase hits the road!!!!

2 weeks ago Mimis Suitcase hit the road for our first ever flea market!!! check out some of our groovy wares that were for sale!!!

 I love the old thermos' they are fun to actually use...i am working on a collection for when i buy myself a glamper!!!!

 beautiful colors! i love these awesome summer colors!!!! the bowls to the right would be amazing for dips for this summers numerous cookouts!!!!!

 vintage state plates galore!!! super fun displayed as artwork! I have a collection of blue state plate on my bedroom wall!

 you can never go wrong with lovely linens....which are also great to make into other things like curtains, pillows, needlecases, purses and more!!!!

Amy and I looking sweet with our vintage aprons! <3 what a fun day we had! although we vowed to park our butts under the tent next time to avoid spending all of our profits! I got a to-die-for 1930s Mother Goose book to add to my collection that day for only $5!!!!

We were up and at 'em at 5:30 in the morning, a major miracle for this girl!I dont do mornings is an understatement! and we set up at the Hartville Flea Market in Hartville, Ohio- i love this place and never dreamed I would someday be a vendor! I am not sure when we will get back to sell there again but rest assured, we will!

For more of our fun finds, visit us at etsy! www.MimisSuitcase.etsy.com! I just put a few items on sale recently and added some fun finds that I didnt have at this sale!

Summertime....the livins' easy

I finally got berries!!!!!

and for whatever reason, it makes me immeasurably full of joy!There is just something about growing and making things for yourself.... its a feeling that doesn't come from purchasing items in a store....i felt like i was 12 again, only better because this time i was picking and cleaning the fruit with glee....i never understood why my mother wanted to garden until this very day. i would think things like....why cant we just buy our food at the store like everyone else? While I spent what seemed like hours weeding and picking while my friends were playing.....i not only helped feed my family, i learned things that you need to know in life....like a work ethic, like pride in a job done well, and the rewards of that hard work- like a beautiful cherry pie with a handmade crust, filled to the brim with sweet, beautiful yellow cherries or homemade fried zuchinni..... and now that love has come full circle as i  seek to gain that life i had for my own children...natural and homegrown and straight from my heart to theirs! I observe this joy on my childrens faces as they devour the raspberries(after i washed them) striaght from the bowl!

 my reward this morning, fresh organic berries to go on top of my organic vanilla yogurt

 and p.s. i am working from my "office" today! my worn wicker sofa is a perfect spot to work and enjoy these lovely summer days~ and its practical too, because the boys are playing in the yard and actually LETTING me work!!!!

 the beautiful banner- I bought from my friend Carol- check out her facebook page- vintage shack- which just happened to match the pillows I already had out here

i just had to share a few pics of my flowers blooming- i am so loving this summer

whats inspiring you this summer? 

These are a few of my favorite things, well blogs anyway....

On this beautiful summer Saturday, I just wanted to give u a bit o' inspiration.....I have so many blog posts in my head but today, I wanted to share my favorite blogs... Lets start with one of my BFFS Susan and her blog: mustlovejunk.blogspot.com

 am soon to start peddling my wares at her shop... soooooo exciting!!!!!

I love her blog and her shop HOME SWEET HOME~ just went there today~ Susan and I met when i visited her shop about 6 years ago, and fell in love with it, we became fast friends and we share our love of thrifting, decorating, crafting and last but not least...FOOD!!!!! We are always up for some Starbucks, good conversation and lots of laughs!

Next up my friend Laurie and her awesome blog: www.onevintagelane.blogspot.com

I met Laurie years ago at a local craft show, and we kept running into eachother and became friends, her shop is truly a wonderland and I love her sense of style! 

 I am soon to peddle my wares at her shop!!!!

these next 2 are not people i know but they are 2 people I truly admire!!!!

I discovered www.soulemama.com on an absolute fluke a few years back and I have been hooked ever since!!!! 

Amanda Blake Soule  has out 3 books(as far as i know thats all) and I own them all- her blog amd her life, inspire me as her and her family homestead...someday I hope to go to the squam artist retreat and meet her at the taproot gathering... to tell her how she inspires me!!!!! P.S. she is also doing a magazine that I, of course subscribe to.

last but not least at all....I again randomly discovered www.nieniedialogues.blogspot.com....but I discovered her first I had seen her face in some sort of crafting blog with Matthew Mead, and wondered what her story was...a week or 2 later i read just a part of her story in Parade in my Sunday paper....I logged on to her blog and bought her wonderful book the weekend it hit the book stands

 Her love for her family and life itself is inspiring as well as her faith and her ability to make everything around her lovely...... lifts me up and touchs my heart

 and she also introduced to the music of her friend, Mindy Gledhill, this beautiful song brings me to tears every time I play it....

I love these women who inspire me....

enjoy your weekend

Peonies

 After spending 1/2 an hour pinning pictures of peonies on Pinterest, I decided a short little post with a few pictures of the peonies in my own garden.....i love this vibrant shade of pink!

 When we moved into this house in early spring 6 years ago I said that I wanted to plant two things here, peonies and hydrangeas' and lo and behold, when everything popped up from its winter slumber, i already had a peony bush and 4 hydrngeas'!

 I made a tiny bouquet to fit perfectly in with the centerpiece in my dining room by adding just a few sprigs of thyme and lavender <3

and last but not least, Sierra and I went to get pedicures Saturday and i found the perfect summer peony color for my toenails....I'd say I am obsessed!!!!

next up will be my dresser remake,( i made a storage shelf out of the red dresser picture in my prior post) 

P>S> the original winner of the contest for a gift certificate to MimisSuitcase asked to forfeit the prize sooooo..... with the help of my son, i picked another random winner.... congrats to Cheryl!!!!!