home – The Sweet Tea Sisters

November 8, 2021

Simple Book Page Chain Garland

I was looking for something a little different for my mantle this fall, but I also wanted it to be neutral enough to use across multiple seasons. I decided on a simple chain garland like we used to make in elementary school, only instead of construction paper, I used pages I tore from an old book I purchased at the thrift store for exactly this kind of purpose. I put in a movie for my daughter and me to watch and before it was finished I had completed two DIY book page chain garlands for my fireplace mantle that I can use year-round.

To make the chain garland I used supplies I already had in my crafting stash. My 12″ Fiskars Paper Trimmer that I’ve had for close to 10 years and will forever NOT ever be without! Some Tombow glue, though any good adhesive would probably work, and any old book that won’t bother you to tear up. If I remember correctly, I paid $1.00 for a set of three of these books at the local second-hand store. I think this one is about vampires or such–perfect for destroying for craft projects! I don’t encourage anyone to look too closely a the pages as you never know what’s written on them! Luckily, we are slicing these up so it doesn’t really matter.

I started by simply ripping out a whole bunch of pages from the book. I didn’t really pay attention to how many and then began slicing them (I stacked about 5 pages at a time) into 1″ strips. I used the whole height of the book page because it made a nice size loop for the chain. A small paperback book may not be quite tall enough to make a loop as big around as the one I made for the main chain.

I wasn’t sure how many links I would need since I’m not the type to measure so I just kept cutting and cutting. I knew it would be easy to throw together a few more links or remove links if needed. Once I had a good stack of strips cut for the garland I decided to make a second chain with thinner and smaller circles that I could layer with the first chain. Two garlands are always more interesting than just one in my book! So this time I cut the height of my book page down a bit (these are around 4″ tall) before I began slicing it into strips.

After you have a nice pile of whatever size and variety of strips that you want it’s time to start assembling the chain that will make the garland. Do you remember how to do it? Start by gluing one strip of paper into a closed loop, then slide a new strip through the center of the original, completed ring and then glue that strip shut to create a link. Keep adding new strips through each newly completed loop to create more links. Does this bring back memories of kindergarten?

Pay attention to where you are adding the new strip, especially as your chain gets longer. I found a few places that I had added two links to one loop. But that’s not a big deal–just tear off the second link and throw it away! Easy peasy!

Once you think your chain is the length you want, repeat all the steps again to make the second chain. I knew I wanted the smaller garland to drape a few more times across the mantle so I made it longer than the larger loop chain.

I love how the book page garland looks on my fall mantle. I may make a few more garlands for use on the greenery on my staircase this Christmas. I added some twinkle lights intertwined through the loops and it’s so festive and sparkly! I may even add a little glitter to help reflect more light if I make another set.

This DIY book page garland was inexpensive, easy, and fast–three of my favorite things when it comes to crafts! You could easily do this with the help of your children. This simple book page garland would be beautiful around a Christmas tree, on a stairwell, draped across a mirror, or even across some display towels on a towel bar. Get creative!

We hope you enjoy this idea and would love to see your garlands if you decide to make them. Share them on your social media and tag us @thesweetteasisters on Instagram.

XOXO,
Doe

November 1, 2021October 31, 2021

Finding Moments of Rest for a Peaceful Fall

Do you find that once October hits life begins to feel a bit frantic? Schedules fill up and to-do lists run long. Home and family life can quickly begin to turn a little chaotic and feelings of overwhelm can start creeping in. For someone who loves people but loves to be home even more, that gets old really fast. So this year, for the month of November, The Sweet Tea Sisters are going to try to engage in one or two simple things each week that will encourage us to slow down just a bit and enjoy a sweet moment of rest here and there.

Here’s a list of ten things that can be done anytime during the next five weeks–whenever it fits the schedule–but no pressure allowed! The goal here is not to add extra work or expense to the budget, but to find a few simple things that, with minimal effort, cost or prep work, will hopefully energize our spirit and bring moments of rest in the chaos. There is no set time frame for this–there isn’t a particular day of the week or even a particular week to do any of the activities. If it makes your life easier you could schedule some, while others you may decide on at the last minute. You don’t even need to do all ten–five is the goal, but you know the SweetTea Sisters like to have OPTIONS and sometimes we might feel like doing a little extra!

Any of these things can be done by yourself, with your family, or with a group of friends. Mix it up! Welcome to The Sweet Tea Sisters 5 in 5 Restful Fall Challenge, and we’d love to have you join us!

Here’s what’s on our list and some thoughts about each one.

Eat dinner by candlelight
This does not mean you need to make a fancy dinner or set the table with cloth napkins and wine goblets–but you certainly could if that’s what will bring you joy without stress! There’s a good chance we will dish up our food in the kitchen and take our plates to the dining room table, or maybe even our living room coffee table! But there’s just something about candlelight that makes even the most humble thing feel special and relaxing about candlelight. In fact this sounds like the perfect way to elevate a pizza and paper plate evening!
Send someone a card or letter of encouragement
Stopping to take the time to think about and then tell someone how grateful you are for someone is usually a sure-fire way to put yourself in a better frame of mind (and heart). Instead of focusing on all the chaos and to-do lists swirling around, take a moment to be thankful for the blessing of the people God has placed in your life.
Movie Night
We love a good movie and sometimes a mid-week movie with a big bowl of popcorn sounds delightful! A pile of blankets and pillows, your favorite pajamas, and a cup of hot cocoa with whipped cream and sprinkles are a great way to enjoy 2 hours.
Go to bed early
Pull out a sleep mask, diffuse a little essential oils and hit the hay 30-45 minutes earlier than usual with the mindset to do a little relaxing breathing while thanking God for some of the things you’re thankful for as you fall asleep.
Buy a bouquet of flowers
Fresh flowers are a great way to lift drooping spirits. Pick up a bunch or two from your local grocery and divide them into a few smaller arrangements to place all around your home to bring spots of life and color when the world outside is getting darker and colder earlier and earlier. If you have a florist you love and it fits your budget you can get a great bouquet from there as well. (If you want to be even more extra, grab a extra bouquet and share it with a friend!)
Take a leisurely bath or shower
When it’s chilly outside, warm up with water! Use all the pretty smelling lotions and potions, light a few candles, play some soothing music and soak up the moisture until you feel sufficiently pruney. (Shaving your legs is an option, not a necessity!)
Schedule coffee or tea with a friend
In person or over a video call, in a home or at a cafe, just schedule some time for an uninterrupted heart to heart chat with a dear friend. Make sure to include some belly laughs if at all possible!
Game Night
Invite a few people to get together to play a few games or assemble a puzzle. No need to make a big meal–a potluck hot cocoa bar is fun and simple!
Read
Put the phone away, turn off the TV, slip into your favorite cozies, and spend a little time reading whatever you love…magazines, scientific journals, biographies, chick-lit, novels, gossip rags…whatever will give your brain a little break!
Eat dessert
Bake it, pick it up at the grocery, or get it from your favorite bakery, but indulge in your favorite dessert. Slow down and really enjoy every bite!

None of these things are hard, magical, or even unusual, but when done with intention, a thankful heart, and a mind to enjoy them fully, they might bring some much needed rest into the middle of what can quickly become a season long to-do list.

Do you need to find a few minutes of rest this season? Follow us on Instagram, check out our stories throughout the month of November to follow along, and then join us in this challenge! Use our list or make your own. Either way, we’d love to hear what you do– tag @thesweetteasisters and use #STS5in5restfulfallchallenge to share your peaceful moments on Instagram.

XOXO,

Shan and Doe

October 26, 2021October 26, 2021

Simple Centerpieces for Fall Two Ways

I love changing the decor in my home according to whatever season we are in. I really just do three 3 big changes a year; fall, Christmas/winter, and spring/summer. I don’t do anything for say, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, or St. Patrick’s Day.

Even though I enjoy decorating, I always struggle with centerpieces for my dining table or tabletops. Lately, I’ve been using a 3-tier tray for both the dining table and the table in our living room. But I have been wanting to change it up with something different and fun, but most importantly, QUICK!

I saw a picture online of a pretty fall display built on a long charcuterie board and I knew this was what I wanted to try! I didn’t have a board like that at home and so the search began (shopping is the best part, isn’t it?!) I found what I was looking for at Target from their Magnolia line. It’s 40’ long and fits the dining room table perfectly.

Next, it was time to gather my supplies: a garland of greenery, one medium-sized pumpkin, a few smaller pumpkins, a couple of small candles, and a pair of wire cutters. (If you don’t own a pair of wire cutters, get a pair ASAP! You’ll thank me when you realize how much easier it is to trim faux greenery!))

To create the centerpiece start with the bottom layer of greenery. I laid the leaf garland down the center of the board and using the wire cutters I trimmed it to just a bit longer than my board so there would be enough to wind in and out of the other items I planned to add. Then I placed the larger pumpkin in the center and a jar candle on each end.

All I had to do after that was fill in the spaces with the smaller pumpkins, tucking the leaf garland in and around everything, until the board was as full as I wanted and I liked the way it looked!

Presto, a centerpiece!

My sister, Doe, thought a smaller board would be cool for the table in my living room, but I didn’t have one and didn’t want to go buy one. So my husband came to the rescue.

He had a piece of 1X8 out in his shop leftover from another project that was just shy of 24”. He milled the edges so that they were slightly rounded, sanded them, and I stained it. Once it was dry we added handles.

This was a fast project and I was thrilled with how it turned out. I wouldn’t put food directly on it, but it’s perfect for decorating.

I gathered a new group of supplies: some faux fall flowers I had purchased on sale at JoAnn’s, a variety of jars and vases in different sizes, some battery-operated votive candles and holders, and more pumpkins.

This time I wanted flowers to be in the center of the tray so I chose a jar that was a good height for the scale of the board, with a broader neck opening. The clear glass of the jar didn’t offer much impact on the tray, but I didn’t want to go buy a different vase. I remembered I had a can of gold marbling spray paint leftover from another project so I simply used that to spray paint the jar–it was just the thing it needed to add a little visual weight!

I added the flowers to the jar, trimming and arranging them so that they would just sit on the rim of the vase, using only enough stems to fill the opening but not needing to squish them in.

Next, I added a couple of pumpkins I found on sale at Hobby Lobby and a few small gourds from the grocery store. My mom always said that when it comes to decorating, a good rule of thumb is: work in odd numbers and keep things in the shape of a pyramid. So, I kept the larger pumpkin closer to the center and the smaller gourds spread out toward the edges. As a last touch, I included two LED, battery-operated candles in small glass votive holders.

The completed board looked great on the table, but it still needed a little something to make it pop. I had just the thing! A piece of flannel in yellow and cream. The flannel layer works like the mat inside a framed picture creating movement and layers for our eyes to follow.

I’m so happy with the simple little boards that I have plans to make more of them in various sizes! If I decide to use them for food I’ll simply lay down a piece of parchment paper first.

You could easily recreate these centerpieces yourself using whatever you have at home. If you don’t want to buy or make a board, a tray, mirror, or even a picture frame would all work as your base layer. Look around your house and see what things you could gather together to display on top. If you (or your husband) are handy with tools, whip up a quick board yourself!

If this post inspires you to put together a centerpiece for your table we’d love to see it! Post it to your Instagram and tag us.

Happy decorating!

XOXO,

Shan

October 11, 2021October 8, 2021

Let It Go! (The Pressure of Entertaining, that is…)

When I was growing up, it was common for people to just drop in for a visit, especially on Sunday afternoons. I loved this as a child because you never knew who might show up or who you might drop in on.

As a young adult, I found this terrifying! For me having someone into my home required at least a little preparation and warning!

When we were first married and had young children our get-togethers revolved almost entirely around friends with small children or family. These didn’t require a lot of planning or preparation. We were all in the same boat…exhausted and running in all directions. There wasn’t Pinterest or any social media to tell us we were doing it wrong. We’d gather potluck style, use paper plates, play games and let the kids run wild! The only time I made a big effort was at our annual Christmas party where I really looked forward to trying new recipes out on my friends! I remember one year I made crab (artificial) quiche and I felt so fancy!

Once the kids were older and mostly out of the house something changed and I felt pressure to make things nicer, better….perfect. I would drive myself crazy making sure that every nook and cranny was spotless. The house needed to be decorated and every detail seen to. A menu was chosen that would be sure to impress. By the time my guests arrived I was too tired and worn out to really enjoy the evening and I usually needed a couple of days to recover!

Where did this pressure come from? Myself! I was the person driving the crazy train! It got to the point that we just stopped having people over. Oh sure, there were other reasons that also led to that happening, but I think mostly I was exhausted. I just couldn’t keep up.

After not having anyone in our home other than family for so long, the thought of inviting anyone in filled me with fear. Fear of rejection, of judgment, of not being or doing enough. But I was lonely and missed the sweet fellowship of people.

And the Lord was working on my heart. He started to impress on me the need to be faithful to steward the home He had given us. A place with plenty of room inside and out, a place people could hopefully come and feel welcome and loved. A place to share His love with others. I no longer wanted to “entertain”, I wanted to extend hospitality–to just minister, encourage, and love. To build and strengthen relationships with the people He placed in my life.

So, I put on my big girl panties and invited a group of ladies over for lunch. They were all co-workers of mine. I wasn’t sure they would accept the invitation when I extended it, but they did and we had a lovely time together! I made a simple lunch of chicken salad with croissants. Nothing fancy. Still, I fretted over the house and food before they got there. Was it good enough? The laughter and conversation we shared around the table told me that fretting was an unnecessary burden I placed on myself. But it was going to take baby steps for me to adapt.

As I continued to reach out to various friends and acquaintances it became easier and less scary. I began to loosen up…a BIT.

Two of my favorite memories are of having our dear friends, Marc, Lisa, Marina, Ed, Johnny, and Stacy over for PIZZA! Take and bake! Not even homemade, and I think we may even have used paper plates! BUT we had the best time!

Another time we hosted a chili feed with some friends from church, some neighbors, and my brother and sister-in-law. We had several pots/types of chili to sample and once again the laughter and conversation flowed! I was getting the hang of it! More fun get-togethers continued to happen, and then…COVID!

Oh, how I missed my friends and vowed to have them over ASAP! Like many of you, the pandemic changed a lot of my thinking, especially about things that are important and one thing that became ever clearer to me was that it was the fellowship that mattered, not the perfection of the house of food.

So with that in mind, when the time finally came to have friends in again the pressure was OFF. I let myself off the hook with having to feel like everything was just so and doing everything myself. One of ”my” rules had always been that the first time someone comes over to my house for dinner, they don’t bring anything. We provide it all, do it all, but not this last time! This time I asked almost everyone to bring something to share and it was wonderful! And you know what? I didn’t even mop my kitchen floor! And no one even pointed it out with shocked and judging eyes!

I still enjoy doing things well and trying to make my guests feel special. That hasn’t changed, but the internal pressure I placed on myself is no longer weighing me down….Oh, the freedom!

So here’s my new hospitality manifesto:

1) I Keep it simple. In summer BBQ is perfect. In the cooler months, I try to choose a one-dish recipe or a crock pot meal. Amy Hannon’s Roast Cobbler from her Love, Welcome, Serve cookbook is a favorite around here. And don’t forget there’s always pizza!

2) I let my guests share in the joy of providing part of the meal.

3) I focus on getting the main areas we will use clean (especially the bathrooms) and don’t sweat the rest.

4) Let the Lord lead in the inviting. He’s the master mixer!

5) Relax. Breathe. Enjoy

What about you, friend? Are you caught in the web of perfection, running yourself ragged, trying to impress instead of bless? We’d love to hear what’s on your heart and if you have any of your own tips to share! Leave us a comment!

XOXO,

Shan

August 12, 2020August 29, 2020

A 2000 Mile Journey to Home

I’ve dreamed of owning a historic home with a front porch for as long as I can remember. At age 44 I had pretty much accepted a front porch was not in my future and was working on digging out any roots of bitterness and envy I might have had when God flipped my world on end, brought my family and me out of rural Idaho to “Almost Heaven” West Virginia, and gave me a front porch. The journey to my porch wasn’t direct, rather it came by way of a 25-foot travel trailer and a whole lot of faith.

I wouldn’t say my husband and I are the most adventurous people. We’re pretty content to have a nice, quiet routine consisting of morning coffee, a little work, dinner at home, and restful weekends with family. We might throw in an impromptu date night, live musical, or weekend away to keep things from being too sedentary, but we aren’t typically known to throw caution to the wind and fly by the seat of our pants taking great big chances. If you think that makes us sound a bit like Hobbits you aren’t too far off.

Our first big step of faith came when I quit my job. There wasn’t really a plan to replace my income, more like eliminate the need for it. We decided that selling our house and shop on five acres was where we should start, so we began making some long overdue home improvements to get it ready to be put on the market.

Our next exercise in trust came when my husband began to feel he had advanced as far as he could at work and decided to cast his net a little further out in the water. We prayed for God’s leading as I updated his resume, posted it online, and he began applying for jobs–even those across the country. I think we were both thinking this was simply a fishing expedition and not much would come from it. **Spoiler Alert** It wasn’t and much did.

Amid interviews and home improvements, we learned that my unborn grandson was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and would require open-heart surgery soon after his birth. We began pleading with God for this little boy’s life and making plans with his parents for what his birth might look like, all while trying to figure out if this curveball was a sign that God did not intend for us to move after all. **Spoiler Alert** It wasn’t.

Shortly after my grandson was born, my husband accepted a great position with a company that offered more opportunities to advance, both personally and financially. The kicker? It was 2000 miles away from everything–my children, my friends, my church. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was, in fact, strong enough to leave our two oldest daughters and a medically fragile grandson in Idaho. By the grace of God, I was, but it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

The old hymn, “He Leadeth Me” could have been my theme song for 2019. Most of the time I had no idea what we were doing or where we were going. I just knew that God was in control and it was my job to take the steps of faith–even if it meant living in an RV for an undetermined amount of time.

Much like the Israelites wandered the desert for 40 years before they could enter the promised land, I, along with my husband, 20-year-old daughter, 16-year-old son, 12-year-old daughter, a 70-pound black lab, and cat, lived for 4 months (which seemed like 40 years) in a new-to-us recreational vehicle. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as bad as it might sound. I could have done with better internet and cell phone coverage, stronger AC, and not lumping dirty clothes once a week to the laundromat–first world problems, for sure! But we survived and aren’t too worse for the wear–us or the travel trailer!

When it finally came time for us to start looking for a house, my husband and I each had a list of hopes and dreams, along with a few hills-to-die on. As you can guess, my hill was a porch. It didn’t have to be big. It didn’t have to wrap around. All I asked was room for a porch swing and maybe some rockers. We looked at a few great options and even considered making an offer on some, but until I scrolled past that yellow house on Zillow, none of them cried out “you’re home!” like this one. So here I am, now 45 and guess what? My porch is big and it wraps around. My rockers are comfy and I hope to have a porch swing up soon. Yes, the house is old, it creaks a little, and some work needs to be done to bring her back to her glory days, but I can relate to that so she and I are in this thing together.

The year since our move has been as crazy and unpredictable as the year leading up to it, but I trust God has a good plan for whatever lies ahead. I haven’t quite figured out my place in this new world yet. 2020 has put a damper on reaching out, making new friends, and experiencing new environments, but joy abounds in hope and I can call this place home. There is room on my porch, so pull up a rocker and get comfy; I can’t wait to chat with you!

XOXO,

Doe