Mightier Than The Sword Once upon a time I learned a lie. Maybe you learned it too. Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me. Have you ever been impaled on someone’s rapier wit? Have you felt the brutal sting when someone has said something unkind, thoughtless, or even hateful? […]
I have a love/hate relationship with planners. I love organizing my time and to-dos, and making lists. Even more than that, I love crossing things off of my lists. But it never lasts. I’ve started some great planners in the past. There are things I love about each of them. I had really high hopes […]
She called them her “fancies.” Other children collect pebbles. Or seashells. Milly collected glass bottles of every shape and size. Now, after nearly a year and a half in the storage closet it’s time to unpack them, dust them off, and figure out what place they have in a grown woman’s room. In the past […]
My dream home is a cozy little cottage. Instead I live in a 1980’s ranch. Happily, my beloved is very handy, and humors me when I have visions of charming nooks. As you are aware by now, I’m really awful about taking before pictures. In this case, though, even without an image of the very […]
When I was a small child my grandparents brought us little chocolate advent calendars from Germany for Christmas. Another countdown was a quilted candy cane that my mother made, with one candy each day for the 24 days in December leading up to Christmas. In a family of six siblings, somehow we survived the exquisite torture of waiting […]
I always looked forward to summer vacation as a child. I looked forward to it even more as a mother of young children. The freedom to explore and experience life with fewer boundaries and time constraints has always made it a little bit special. I tend to bristle a bit when researchers prescribe continued educational exercises over […]
So, we all feel a little twitterpated around this time of year. There are dances, parties, and of course, valentines! As these times come around, we feel the need to be extra crafty and cute with how we ask. But how do we ask? Well, worry no more! I have come to your rescue! My […]
Once upon a Christmas Eve morning my darling husband decided it was time to solve the dilemma of the space-challenged room our boys share. We had discussed building loft beds, but I wasn’t sure I approved of the timing of this project. I wasn’t looking forward to a Christmas Day under construction. Of course he […]
Fabric yo yos can make any project feel cozy and vintage. They are unmistakably handcrafted, and while very simple to make, manage to be impressive. In the 30s and 40s women sewed them together in quilt-like patterns to make beautiful bedspreads and pillow covers – and even mantle scarves and doilies. They could be cut […]
The Family Squirrel You may remember the Family Squirrel from THIS POST. The sneaky little guy appears unexpectedly at homes in our family. Sometimes he’s in disguise, and others times he’s hidden so cleverly that it takes weeks to find him. And sometimes he’s someplace we can’t miss – but his appearance is shrouded in […]
Hi! I’m Barbara Anne Williams, a designer and illustrator living in the Rocky Mountains of Northern Utah. I find inspiration in the beauty of nature, the scent of old books, and the kindness of everyday heroes.
