family – Page 8 – Karla's Cottage

A new look for old Christmas ornaments

family, Hand painted, holiday decor, Ryan

By Karla Nathan / November 18, 2022

Sometimes an inspiration comes from one simple idea. Other times things just fall into place as you are going and it all just seems like you planned it out, but you didn’t, it just came together.

I had been gifted this magnificent buffet, with inlaid MOP, burned wood, and a pure white, marble top. It is nicer than any piece of furniture I’d have ever bought for myself, and I wanted to highlight it for the holidays

To honor the lovely wood, I thought I’d go more natural with the tree I usually set in that area.

Well, natural for me at least. They’re still sparkly silver! But the decor is centered around nature and family. Birds from my Mom’s house, hand made bird ornaments from friends, deer, fairies, stars, and lots of pinecones, from the day Ryan and I gathered them together.

Every time I think of that day, I have to laugh, it had been so funny for us, freezing, while stuffing pinecones in pockets and inside jackets while the big doodle dog pulled on the leash and I slid down the sidewalk, with Ryan trying to hold me back.
We laughed so hard and joked about it for months, every time we walked by there.
Of course, it was also the day the dog jerked the leash and messed up my shoulder, but we were still laughing and I remember rolling on the wet ice, laugh crying at one point.

I have only been brave enough to walk on the trail where we found those pinecones a couple of times this year. And one time resulted in the same laugh/crying on the ground again. This time, all alone. And the pain from the loss of Ryan is much worse than a torn rotator cuff.

The Christmas after Ryan died, I returned to our spot and gathered up every pinecone I could find. Almost as if I could NOT leave any behind, they were all symbols of Ryan and I and where we used to spend so much time together. So now, I have a lifetime supply of pinecones and they will always be a part of my winter decorating.

This Christmas, I filled the bowl of this garden planter (free at a a garage sale!) with lights and my precious memory pinecones and added a tree filled with hand painted ornaments I’d made for my boy over the years.

When my boys were little, I was a single mom working as a waitress and depending upon my own mom for help. At the holidays, I would paint dozens of glass balls to sell to anyone I could to raise money to buy gifts for my kids. I never left the house in December without a boxful and was even known to approach strangers in parking lots to sell these.

And every season, I painted and dated one for each family member.

The ones I did for my boys were very 80s themed!

Ha, Gremlins and ET!

He loved Frosty and Rudolf. Ryan loved shows all of his life and it’s fun for me to look back through these and realize just how many were based upon his favorite movies that year.

And as he got older, his first car, the horrid, orange, “Punkin”.

I haven’t unboxed the family ornaments in years, they haven’t been my style or fit in with my current trees. And I was saddened to see so many were missing. And I wondered why I quit this tradition. But I am lucky to have these.

Even this heart breaker.

It was a happy Halloween

celebrations, cottage, family, Food and Drink, holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / November 12, 2022

At this point, Halloween is long past, withering away in its crypt.

Due to my inability to use my blog, I didn’t get to share the holiday, so I’ll post some highlights now. As I upload these pictures, I am sitting in the glow of my Christmas tree.

But that doesn’t mean much. Around here, the flip is fast. Almost, but not quite like at Disney, where over night on October 31st, the entire park is transformed from one holiday into the other.

We go through more of a Nightmare Before Christmas scenario, where they are jumbled together for a couple days during the switcheroo.

Sugarwings loves the spooky decor and does not want it touched if she is with us. But I needed help with getting the big tree put together and Rich was going out of town. My choices were to ask him to help before he left and have the tree set up, with all the heavy boxes of decorations piled up around the pumpkin and bat filled house or do it myself later.

Of course, I asked for the help! So we had a messy mix of two overlapping decor styles.

I used to wait til thanksgiving weekend to deck the halls. Our motto was, “You Must Respect the Bird” and wait for that holiday to pass before enjoying twinkle lights. But not any more. I have changed it to “You Must Respect the Pumpkin” and don’t even let the jack-o-lanterns start to moulder before I fill the house with joy and light fro the trees.

But no, we don’t totally gloss over Thanksgiving. I de-skull and un-spookify the table, but leave the pumpkins out on it till after the turkey has been consumed. The pumpkins either light up or have glitter, so I am happy with the compromise.

Sugarwings still trick or treats, and since my mind is already on gingerbread and garlands, I asked her to save some candy for building our gingie cottages.

As much as I love spring time weather, and the heat of summer, this has to be my favorite time of year. I dread the coming of cold weather, but love all the hustle and bustle that comes around when the leaves drop and snow starts to fall.

Ugh, did I really just say that!? Snow and falling leaves can be truly despicable (and way too cold).

But I do love the transition into Christmas, so if I have to put up with a chill to get to be surrounded by twinkle lights, we’ll, I guess I’ll just deal with it.

Beachy Blessings

fairies, family, sea shell fairies, Travel

By Karla Nathan / October 28, 2022

My time in Siesta Key was way too short. It always is. But it seemed even more so since I had four days while my sissies stayed on for a full two weeks! After I got home, I could see all of their fun without me in photos on FB.

I could’ve used a couple more days there. Between arriving in the afternoon, getting food and supplies, then settling in, and then needing more supplies that we missed the next day, first days are typically hectic when staying at a condo.

Plus, with being gone ten days I was feeling the pressure of not getting any work done, so I brought supplies. In the first few days, I made four dozen Sugarplum Fairies.

I was a bit resentful that I had to work so hard on vacation, but I reminded myself that creating at a table over looking the Gulf, and taking breaks to go on the beach, while talking to my sissies as I worked did not suck.

Overall, I am blessed that my job consists of making pretty things. And making pretty things while at the beach makes me feel even more blessed.

Adding a sunset over the water to my day? It is hard to count that many blessings. They just keep racking up.

For a moment, I complained that I finished my work just in time to go home. Then I reminded myself that as a slightly, over reaching, workaholic, I probably would’ve just started another project.

I mean, hey, I still had supplies with me, didn’t I?

Some Precious North Carolina Time

family, sea shell fairies, Travel

By Karla Nathan / October 22, 2022

My recent trip was a buffet of travel. Visiting family in Charlotte/Asheville mountains/ scenic downtown Charleston and a dress up art event in Jenn’s spectacular home/ then sister beach time in Florida.

All I was missing was some snowy venues or desert time.

My boy treated me to breakfast at his favorite spot in Asheville to start off our visit and after dripping sweet potato gravy down my shirt, we had a full day of exploring thrift shops, riverbanks, and downtown.

He and I can both spend hours just looking at rocks by the water and that is just what we did.

I had hoped to visit one of the construction sites where he has been creatively doing his woodwork art installations, but time was short.

But then, any time I get one on one with my son is too short. It has possibly been years since we have had this kind of time together.

While in NC, I got to visit the latest family members to become Ashevillians. Our oldest grandfairy and her mama now live in the area. And I was there for Dewdrop’s first day at a new school after she and her mom moved across town.

She already met a new friend on the bus. That kid is such a social butterfly, I fully expected as much. But was still relieved to hear it.

While there, I decided that I definitely need more time in NC. Not only is the sand full of semi precious stones like garnets, mica, and quartz- the state is full of very precious family members.

And I found a boulder shaped like a throne.
I belong there!

Hidden Hearts

dogs, family, Hearts, Ryan

By Karla Nathan / September 19, 2022

I have always enjoyed finding shapes in nature. Especially hearts. Or fairy wings.
Typically, I take a photo of the heart and leave it, but some I pocket, like this one from the dog park.

They have taken on even more meaning since we lost Ry. He used to be enthusiastic about the ones I’d see when out on our walks together. I can hear his voice every time I find one now.

“That’s so cool, Mom!”

So this broken heart really stood out and caught my eye. It shows how I’ve felt since Ryan left. Still holding it together, but forever broken.

And lookee here at this one! On Molly’s hip. She’d had an ouchie and as it healed, the hair grew back as more golden retriever hair than poodle/doodle hair. And a darker color too.

“That’s so cool!”

Farewell to Joan

family

By Karla Nathan / September 10, 2022

Grandma Joan has left for her final, big trip. She had a love of travel, nicknaming herself The Gypsy. After a life time of hard work (this tiny person was a juvenile probation office on the rough side of Sioux City) and showing love to a houseful of kids who desperately needed her care, she spent as much of her retirement as she could on the road.

Joan would zig zag across the country, going to stay and visit with all of her far flung family. Terry would take her on exciting trips to Alaska, Hawaii, and on a Mississippi River boat including Joan’s sisters too. No matter who she was with, she never ran out of conversations and loved to tell stories.

She always had a smile a listening ear for all of us. This woman was an ideal grandma, never forgetting a birthday, holiday, and never turning down a request go to the playground with grandkids.

Joan walked miles every day and loved to dance, especially at family get togethers when a polka was played.

Most of all, she was kind. That teeny, little person had a giant heart. When I joined her family with my two rambunctious boys, she took them under her wing and they became her family right away, no matter how much of a handful they were. She made all three of us feel like we belonged and she spent endless hours at playgrounds, bouncing on her tippy toes in the pool, and reading books to them. She took them to Sunday School and out for donuts on a stick afterwards years before I married her son.
My sons loved her and it gives me comfort to know Ryan is with her now someplace together, on her last journey.

More about the trip and some tips on pie crafting

family, Food and Drink, how to's

By Karla Nathan / September 4, 2022

One of the best parts of my trip was snuggling my sister’s new puppy and her sister-in-law’s baby from the same litter.

We got to have a junking day too. With photo ops.

Bobbie baked fresh bread that I enjoyed every single day I was there.

One night, Shelli had us over for pizza and I made some mushrooms with items I’d found while at Goodwill and antique malls. The fabrics came from an assortment of sweaters, gloves, pillows, and dresses.

It’s so much more fun to play around with ideas for making the mushroom caps than just buying a yard of velvet. Although, you’d get a lot of little schroomies from a full yard.

I’m always happy to throw in crafting time while traveling, I miss being in my studio and creating. I kinda thought some other people would want to make one some, instead I made some to give to them.

If you want to make your own, the online tutorial is found here.

And while this isn’t exactly crafting, making a pie in Sissy’s new kitchen while chatting with nieces was entertaining for me too. I like to have something to create.

In honor of her new pup, I made a tiny pie with a doodle on it for her. She needed one without cinnamon in it.

Here is how I make my pies, kinda a recipe but more of a guideline:

I use a roll out pie dough in a glass pan. Glass is important to me because I can look through to check on browning.
I flute the edges of the crust and fill it with blueberries. I like frozen ones so I can pack them in tightly. You need an even top to make the crust decorations stay in place.
In a separate bowl I mix a little flour, maybe a 1/3 cup? With 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, a pinch of salt, and some cinnamon. I add lime juice until completely moistened and then pour it over the blueberries. It will be about the consistency of paint.
Then the fun part! On a cutting board, I lay out another unrolled, premade crust and start cutting shapes.
These get layered onto the berries. Think of a lattice pie, some pieces under some over, lots of over lapping. If you don’t have over lapping crust pieces, the little ones tend to sink. To create a design, it helps to have the structure and support of the vines, spirals, and other shapes.

My few days in Indy were way too short. I’m missing my sissies, nieces, and this cute guy.

Family reunion centerpiece ideas

celebrations, family, Food and Drink

By Karla Nathan / September 2, 2022

The night before our Downey Dinner, we hosted a Cousins’ Night and Sissy offered up her brand new, not even moved into home for the get together. I was the first person to ever use the oven!

The meal that night was Taco on a Plate, and cousins brought sides and desserts. For the reunion, the hosts provide fried chicken, mashed potatoes, drinks, the rest is pitch in. This is the pie I made for my personal contribution, and Sissy let me borrow her home to do make it in.

Oh my gosh, we had the BEST foods!

And lots of it.

After we eat there are photos of each individual family, and other group shots.

I’d made this sign to hang on the wall above photos, but when Kathleen’s group couldn’t all fit under it, I suggested they held the letters. Look how cute little Y is. She looks proud of herself for helping.

While on our sister trip to Florida this spring, we made photo flowers for centerpieces and Bobbie added sticks to use as stems. I brought hand painted pots with oasis and moss in them, but we soon realized that with our big group, there were too many blooming pictures for a handful of pots. Bobbie supplied canning jars with tea lights and I tossed some moss into those too.

There wasn’t a lot we could do to the venue without investing too much time or money. I thought the flowers added a personal touch. Plus, it gets everyone mingling and going from table to table so that they can “pick” a bouquet of relatives to take home.

The tables were covered in white plastic and I used a sharpie to draw vines and write quotes about families.

Here are some that I used:

“What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.” —Mother Teresa

“Nothing is better than going home to family and eating good food and relaxing.” – Irina Shayk

“I sustain myself with the love of family.”―Maya Angelou

"In every conceivable manner, the family is a link to our past, bridge to our future."— Alex Haley

“We are family / I got all my sisters with me.”- Sister Sledge

Good timing, a good trip, and some things never change

family

By Karla Nathan / August 27, 2022

Well, I went for years and years with regular postings through just about everything. Then I miss over a week due to our big, family reunion blowout. And here I have gone almost a full week without a new post, and guess why?

Another family reunion!

This time it was my dad’s turn to host the annual Downey Dinner. And since he is gone, my sissies and I took his place. It wasn’t a week long bash with big events and houseguests like the Nathan party, it was more on the traditional, pitch in style meal type thing and we rented a venue for it. So not the same, and I could’ve squeezed in a blog post at some point but I was having too much fun being back in Indiana.

I figured that I’d write something, get caught up on work I’d missed while away, and go into Good Juju to spiff up my booth when I returned after my short trip. I was ready to hit the ground running since I had gone on this mini vacation during a very busy period. During my drive I was even dictating notes into my phone and making lists about what I needed to get accomplished once I returned.

Nope.

I started to feel a bit ucky about mid Illinois and by the time evening hit in Kansas, I was pretty much under the weather and have been in bed since then.

I’m improving, had some IV antibiotics and am taking some others in pill form that make me wonder if it might be better to stay sick than have the taste of those awful tablets in my mouth all day. Ugh.

Luckily, I am a planner. The “what if” sort. Before leaving, I made sure my booth at Juju looked picture ready just in case I was tied up in some way and couldn’t get back in time to have it set up before the photo day they do prior to the sales event. (There are some things I still need to add, but it looks cute as is)

If you are wondering, why yes, I am patting myself on the back now for being one of those people who looks out for bad things and bumps in the road ahead of time. Why I have been known to be called a worrier or a downer.

Honestly, I don’t see it as being negative, I see it as being prepared. Bad things, big or small do happen and I like being prepared. I give myself extra time to get somewhere, I have a cushion for most events, a padded time schedule that protects me if obstacles arise.

Usually, part of my planning includes a week or more of blog posts ready to pop up on schedule, so I guess I shouldn’t be too pleased with myself, I only posted enough to get me through the weekend, not the week.

I’m sort of out of bed now, but not out of the house. I think I’ll take my own advice and prep a few posts ahead because it looks like I’ll have a full week ahead of me once I finally do emerge from this.

Our Downey Dinner was wonderful, I loved the old photos to sift through, and hanging with my sisters and nieces was the best. Getting ill really sucked, but I am blessed that I made the 8-1/2 hour drive before I was hit full force with the worst of it. And doubly blessed that I stopped at every antique mall on I70 on the way to Indiana instead of on the way home. My arrival back in Kansas was good timing.

This is me as a kid. And yes, my eyes are closed as they are in about 75% of the photos of me.

Treasures

family, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / August 21, 2022

Before school started, we tried to make up for missing out on some of our regular summer time activities and made trips to the Topeka zoo and spent some time on the lake. Along the way we met some friends.

The larakeets loved Sugarwings’ hair we decided it was because it looked a lot like one of their toys.

The zoo was pretty quiet, I think the heat kept others away. But it’s a small park with lots of shade and many indoor exhibits, so the heat didn’t bother us.

The gemstone sluice wasn’t running, but we had a treasure hunt anyway. Over the years we have discovered that you find just as many pretty rocks and fossils in the mulch under the structure. Here is our precious haul.

On the way home stopped at our neighbor’s farmer’s market for fresh sweet corn and tried to guess what animals would be on the porch to greet us. Because you just never know there. We got lucky and it was this very nice goat, who we nick named Oreo.

A sweet ending to a lovely day out. Ki Ki, Avahni, and Dewdrop are all going to be living far away, Sugarwings is 16 now.

A true treasure for me is any day with a grand fairy. I am holding each one close to my heart because I know that as they grow up and fly away, there won’t be many of these days left.