Fleeting Moments

September 14, 2016October 31, 2016Out of the Thistle Leave a comment

I feel it–the summer season is beginning to fade. Masses of flowers are staying bloomed a bit longer, now that they aren’t so quickly baked in the sun. There’s a cool morning breeze that teases us, only making way to warm midday temps. The occasional wind gusts whip through and scatter petals all over like confetti. This is when I begin to beckon the sweater weather by baking everything with pumpkin and cloves and leaving an apple cider candle lit all day. This is when I eat entirely too much bread. And yes, I break a sweat waiting for a pie to finish baking. Completely worth it.

In spite of my baked-sweets Fall summoning, it comes in it’s own slow-as-molasses timing. As soon as it’s here, it’s gone. The seemingly shortest, most beautiful season. As soon as it passes I feel like I spend the whole year waiting for next fall. Here in the Southwest, I feel like the Dog Days of Summer last soooo much longer than in other regions.

Though the trees have yet to turn golden, I’ll take my time and enjoy the rest of what the warm sunshine has to offer in this last week of summer–no matter that it feels like an eternity. Besides, as the seasons grow and change, so do my kids. And I’d be okay if that would slow down.

Here’s a few things we’ve been working on, eaten, or enjoyed looking at while the weather hasn’t complied with our desires. If you’d like to see some more of those adorable rattles, view them here.

Thanks for following.

Hugs, Rhonda

Whimsical!

August 16, 2016August 16, 2016Out of the Thistle 2 Comments

As you may have seen sneak peeks on our Etsy and Instagram–we will now be incorporating some more kid-friendly items! The new Out of the Thistle® Whimsicals include rattles and dolls! These items are still 100% handmade, crocheted from 100% wool. They are created with the intent of being passed down for many generations. Their unique design allow for young children to easily hold and play with the new dolls and rattles. These toys have heirloom-quality, yet they are durable enough for everyday play. they are also visually appealing to fit perfectly into any child bedroom décor.

These dolls and rattles were put through a vigorous washing technique to shrink them, making them firm and durable. Their soft exterior makes them safer to play with, as well!

You may view all new items in our Etsy shop while our website is under construction. Be on the lookout for more whimsical designs!

Back in Session.

July 29, 2016Out of the Thistle Leave a comment

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When school’s out you’re elated that the kids choose to sleep in their swimsuits, helping to lighten your laundry load a bit. You’re happy that you don’t have to stand in 100-degree temps in that un-Godly pick-up line when school is out for the day. There’s no re-teaching yourself how to graph linear equations just so you can help your child with their homework.

Thank God we aren’t there yet.

But then summer sets in and you’ve got bubble containers and squirt guns and Hot Wheels strewn about your backyard, not to mention your clusters of crepe myrtle and Mexican petunias blowing around the patio because they were rejected from the little ones’ picture-perfect bouquets. And then you have a handful of nieces and nephews staying over for a while, and they love playing with Playdoh and clomping around in your heels (which is when you decide that the entire upstairs needs area rugs). Your daughter even decided to scoot around wearing your sister’s heels. You have nieces who just love baking so you all make lemon loaf and distribute it to the six kids currently in your house, and all those kids get a major sugar rush and run in circles for an hour and finally crash into piles on the living room floor surrounded by every pillow in the entire house. Then there’s arguments and wresting and uncontrollable laughter and hearing your TV the loudest it has ever been. You try not to break your neck bringing in groceries while climbing the mountain of scooters and bikes in front of the door (at one time there were four scooters and three bikes!). After the girls wash mud from their feet, you run a bath and the handshower is on full-blast, spraying your walls, ceiling and floor uncontrollably like a crazy snake you can’t grasp on to. You keep thinking about all of those half-painted walls that you can’t do anything about while there are so.. many.. hands around. At the end of the day you do not one, but two, loads of dishes and wonder when you had gotten so many kid cups. You go through a loaf of bread in the blink of an eye. You willingly wake up at 5:30 to squeeze in some quiet coffee-time, though you stayed up ’til 11:30 knitting the night before–and what truly jolts you awake is stepping on that Lego that was camouflaged on the carpet. And in those early twilight hours, you know you should be getting to work on something, but you get distracted while staring at all of your blooms that are bowing down in the wind and watching the clouds roll in. You feel like you haven’t blinked in a couple of hours. After the annual summer vacation, you feel like you are still cleaning up residual sand weeks later and wondering how long that sunburn is gonna take to heal. You hope that you all don’t look like tomatoes for your first family photos in like 6 years. Then, you go school shopping with every other parent who gives you the look of “Hang in there. The finish line is close. We only have a few more days left of summer break.”

And then, school starts.

That first day, it’s so quiet. You can actually hear your ceiling fan. And it kind of drives you nuts, so you turn on some music and try to get back into the mode of work. then you find yourself staring out the window again, thinking about and missing your kids. You’re wondering if they are making new friends and like their teacher, hoping that they eat all of their carrots, and praying that there’s no homework on day one. You’re thankful for teachers who have the patience of Saints. Then you think of your AP English teacher and hope that she doesn’t read your blog post that is full of incomplete sentences and run-ons and hope that she doesn’t feel like a failure for my grammatical short-comings. Then you think of everything you did this summer and all the fun that was had–all the fun that outweighed the gobs of laundry and dishes. In the thick of all that chaos were a lot of lovely little moments. You realize that all those mishaps were quite entertaining, and you’re just really grateful to not live a dull life. And you are actually looking forward to the next summer break, but you are thankful that it is ten months away.

A well-rounded week.

June 23, 2016June 23, 2016Out of the Thistle 4 Comments

This week has been a full one.

We picked about 200 plums from our tree. About 70 were gifted, another 100 were used in homemade plum chutney, and a few dozen were plucked by the kids and inhaled right where they stood. And I’ll be the first to tell you that canning is no joke. Chopping and pitting all those plums was, well, the pits. However, I can’t wait to pass around this chutney and enjoy a spread of it on crostini with some brie. The plums that are still on the tree are being thoroughly enjoyed by a dozen birds daily.

Though it was extremely hot down here in the Southwest, we enjoyed some of our time outside letting loose a few thousand lady bugs. The kids were in heaven. They squealed and let the bugs climb all over them, carefully picking them up and placing them on rose petals. It was really sweet and entertaining.

And as we usually do, we spent entirely too much time taking photos of our flowers and ate too many sweets. It was a good week.

On the business side, my mom finished a few little bears and had them photographed, patiently waiting for their debut. Keep an eye out for these 100% wool, crocheted-then-shrunken, creamy-hued cuties on Ebay. Also be sure to check back soon with some new and not-usual products from us! we’ll also be making visual changes as well!

Thanks for following!

Hugs, Rhonda

It’s all about the timing.

June 8, 2016June 8, 2016Out of the Thistle 2 Comments

Sometimes you have a plan. And sometimes that plan doesn’t work out.

I’ve been wrapped up in a whirlwind for the good part of a year. Off and on, my husband Zach and I had planned on moving to a different town, but never found anything that was fitting. We set the notion aside as soon as his father became extremely ill last May. We were the only ones here who could care for him, so it demanded all of our time, and we were happy to just be able to show him that he was loved during his time of struggle.

After his struggle had ended in the Fall, we began to hope for a new home again. However, this time we wanted to stay here, to stay close to friends and family. What we didn’t know is that our period of waiting allowed God to work something great in our favor. He opened the door to allow us to buy a home that had more of the things that we wanted, a home that is a true blessing.

For years I’ve walked past this house to get the mail, I’ve looked at it every time I backed out of the driveway. I loved that it looked nothing like anything else in town. Over the years, we became friends with the neighbors, the owners of that beautiful home. In the Fall, shortly after my father-in-law’s passing, they told us that they were moving. I was so disappointed to lose them as neighbors, since they showed my children the same affection and attention as a grandparent. I was equally sad that we were not yet ready to purchase a home at that time. We just trusted that God would provide the right home for us when we were ready.

And that’s when God’s timing took over. The neighbor had some health concerns that had to be taken care of before she moved, which delayed their plans quite a few months. Their delay allowed opportunity for us. After much prayer, my husband and I offered to buy the house directly from them. No realtor, no fuss. They were elated. She told me that she had been praying for a good family to buy their home—a house they built and poured a lot of themselves into.

And I believe God outlined every detail of this transition.

I am thankful for the mature, lush garden where the kids explore for hours and eat fresh blackberries, strawberries and cherries, where I can smell the fragrant plums and roses and hear the doves coo while drinking my coffee under the grapevine-coated pergola. I’m thankful for the large kitchen where we all give a hand at making dinner, for the gorgeous antique claw foot tub that is a dream to soak in, and for the cozy little library where I quietly type away at this, but I’m most thankful that God provided the means and the timing. I’m thankful that I walk through the front door and it feels like home.

And just as in my home as in this business, everything is in God’s time. Though sometimes it is hard to just have faith that He’s the one guiding, it always works out for our benefit. And I have faith the He will be guiding us to step out with more faith in our creative endeavors and show more of who we are. Which is frightening and exciting all at the same time. I believe that now is the time for bigger, more exciting things.

Hugs,

Rhonda

Mice and snowmen and bears, oh my!

December 18, 2015Out of the Thistle 1 Comment

Just a quick little post to share a few photos of some cheerful little characters that we’ve been working on! The snowmen set is currently available here, but hurry, the auction is only for ONE DAY! The mouse is also currently available on eBay as well, here. Keep an eye out for the others, and thanks for looking!