Let me start off by saying one of my favorite things about the new house is: it has a barn!
As a teenager my parents' barn did not hold the same appeal. :) But this time around it's fun to explore what the previous owners left for us after 30 years of living here themselves. Tools and fastidiously organized bolts, nails, and screws. Gardening supplies, canning jars, tole painting pieces. Was it their kids or grandkids who left their handprints in the barn floor?
At this point I want to focus on renovating the house and designing the gardens so we don't plan on having any farm animals. So for now, Bert and my brother are planning to use the barn stalls for blacksmithing and axe throwing. (!?) 
For the grassy area toward the back of the property I was thinking about
planting a meadow of native flowers but worry about blackberries taking over. I've always had very small areas to garden so there wasn't much to "design". Here the canvas is so...big! I'm not sure where to begin. So I've been studying my favorite gardeners (
here,
here and
here) and can't wait until the seed catalogs start coming out this winter.
Other than my complete obsession with my future garden, we're keeping busy with house projects left and right. Repairing the siding and painting the outside of the house Repose Gray was top on the list. It's doing a lot to make the home feel more like ours. And I'm loving spending time in the kitchen. I think the saying that the kitchen is the heart of the home is so true and the vibe of this kitchen just makes me happy. It's dated and a bit run down but it's bright and when the afternoon sun shines in the kitchen window......
Have you cooked anything remarkable lately? We tried
this chicken recipe (although I used bone-in breasts rather than thighs) and it was..... good. Better than good, I think, but intense. Like BBQ sauce and Thai peanut sauce mixed together. If you make it, let me know what you think. I also tried to make bagels and they were lumpy but delicious. And I've been making lots of soups lately. Do you have a favorite soup recipe? I feel like I make the same ones over and over.
As far as the shop goes, I have a lot of new products out. I can't believe we're already gearing up for the holiday shopping season already- wasn't it just springtime? Now as the weather changes I'm feeling inspired to paint cozy kitchen scenes and episodes of farm life so who knows, maybe you'll spot a big red barn in my next painting.
Well, I guess that's it for this latest life update. I'm not planning on waiting an entire year to write another post like last time!
Take good care, friends.
That little shop in Holland, MI is mine! What a fun serendipity to stumble on this blog post and read about my shop through someone else’s eyes, and to read this wonderful story of a greeting card making its way from Oregon to Michigan to Georgia and then all the way to the Middle East!
As it happens, I visited the blog tonight because I’ve been thinking about Oregon, since my son just decided to go to graduate school in Eugene this fall. I may have to put that same card on my fridge come September… :)
By the way, the name of my shop is Gezellig Home and Garden. I’ve been a huge fan of Little Truths since I opened the shop five years ago, determined to carry the work of artists whose vision of life I admired.
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Little Truths Studio replied:
Hi Melissa! I had trouble initially replying to this comment so I emailed you, I hope you got it!
Last month I purchased a greeting card from a little shop in Holland, MI that my youngest sister, Lou, had been raving about for a year. I live in Georgia but was visiting family in Michigan, waiting for my oldest sister to have her first baby. She was due on August 12. On August 15, Lou and I made a 3 hour drive to Holland to go to the little shop. As soon as we arrived in Holland we got word that my niece was about to be born. We ran to the store, shopped around a bit, and then began the drive back. The timing of that trip makes me laugh. Anyhoops, I’m now sitting at home in Georgia writing a little love note to my boyfriend who is deployed in the middle east using the greeting card I purchased in Holland. There is a little dog in a window on the cover and it says “This is me when you come home”. He loves dogs and likely was one in a past life so it was the perfect card to send him. I send him little cards like this often but I never remember to check who made the card before I seal the envelope. This time, however, I pulled the card back out and checked for a business name on the back. Little Truths Studio. I’m so glad through a funny series of events that I’ve stumbled upon your website. It’s been years since I’ve read someone’s blog. You’ve inspired me with your writing and you’re such a talented artist! I will definitely be following along with your writing and your work! Happy Friday!
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Little Truths Studio replied:
I love this story! Thank you so much for sharing it here! That card with the dog in the window is one of my all-time favorites so I love hearing that you sent it to your boyfriend. :)
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