My "new" favorite piece of furniture.

My thrift store karma was really good the day that I lucked up on this cabinet.  Its an old china cabinet that I'm using to store my fabric, craft books and various sewing odd and ends.  I like the look of the wood and hope this picture captures how beautiful it is and how it was well loved by its previous owners (as evidenced by the worn places).  I guess I've always thought of china cabinets as a piece of furniture that displays items but is never used.  This one was definitely used and served a purpose that kept its owners going back to it over and over.  I like to think it has a second life of usefulness in our home.  I also love the way it lets me stare at my fabrics and appreciate their beauty.  

Why I Create.

I create for a ton of good reasons...
a.) my mom created and I feel inspired by how she enriched our lives with her handmade ceramic, Halloween costumes, Easter dresses, tooth fairy pillows, dolls and the list truly goes on and on. 
b.) I create because as a mom to a toddler I have days full of tasks that seem to be endlessly cyclical and crafting gives me a task that has a definite beginning and a definite ending (in other words it keeps me from going postal). 
c.) I create because I believe there is an innate desire to create beauty...it fulfills something deep within me that wants to make the world a better place and this brings me great joy.
d.) I create because I love to see my daughter in handmade clothes and surrounded with the infused love of handmade things. 
e.) I create because many times it is economical...using a pattern over and over, using vintage or repurposed materials, making gifts for others, all of these things help our budget.
f.) and finally I create because I have real concerns about how much we consume in our home and how easy it is to consume so much...I believe in being a good steward of all the things the earth gifts us with (this is also one of the biggest reasons why I thrift). 

There are more reasons why I create but these are the ones that float to the top for me.  Maybe some of them resonate with you too.