Tuesdays With Tracy: Happy New Year

Happy New Year Friends!

If you’re new to The Tattered Pew this is Kelly’s mom, Tracy.  I love to visit with you on the blog once a month, so welcome! You can see all of my previous posts HERE if you want to check out all of my other Tuesdays With Tracy posts.

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Tuesdays With Tracy: Happy New Year

I live on a small pond not far from Kelly and her sister Lindsey here in Colorado.  Each month I do a little pondering on the pond.

This is the current view of our little pond…yes it’s totally frozen except for a little spurt from the fountain.

Our pond was the last one to freeze in our area so when the geese arrived they packed onto our pond.

It was like a massive goose convention for about ten days.  Those guys can be quite loud so it did get a little annoying.

Looking Back at December

When I visited with you in December I shared two table settings with you.  I asked you to vote for your favorite and the winner was…drumroll please!

Red won in a landslide. Below you can see the finished place setting. We usually enjoy Christmas crackers with the silly hats and jokes inside, so those are on the plates. 

Also, did you notice Santa peeking out from under the plate?

Also in December…

Another dollhouse!  Last month I shared my mom’s dollhouse. This month I am sharing a dollhouse that my father started for my daughter Lindsey when she was a child. 

He built the frame and stained the floors, then our family moved around the country numerous times with the unfinished dollhouse.

My husband, Larry was a college football coach so moving was an understood part of that life.  Lindsey cracked the whip on me in December to finally finish her dollhouse “mansion” so her girls could enjoy it while they are young.

We had lots of fun working on it together, and I’m glad we did it because they have really enjoyed it.

Before.

After.

Looking forward to January & What Warms My Heart

To start the new year I would like to talk about some things that warm my heart. 

Volunteering

The first thing that warms my heart is donating my time as a volunteer. Did you know that January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month?  Did you know that there are 40+ million people enslaved in the world today?

I volunteer with the most wonderful organization called U COUNT.  You might be asking what does my volunteer service look like. Well it’s really cool, I have the privilege of shopping and selling products made by women whose lives have been impacted by human trafficking.  

Our biggest event of the year is this month – Spotlight Weekend. If you are local to northern Colorado please come shop at a huge product marketplace at Timberline Church January 27th & 28th.

If not, I’ve got you covered! You can shop through this link. Www.ucountcampaign.org100% of the profits go back to the survivors and shipping is free because of generous donors.

Let me show you how I have used some of these products in refreshing my post-Christmas winter decor. Below I have used a quilted scarf as a runner on my entryway sideboard.

UCOUNT In Our Home

Each quilted item is made by a woman and her name is tagged on one of the corners.  Below is another quilted scarf of mine.

I have several Kantha quilts and use them all the time in decorating. Sometimes as a sofa throw and sometimes as a tablecloth.

You can throw them in the washer and dryer. Below I’ve used one on my pew. I have layered it with my tartan Avoca throw that I brought home from Ireland.

Below is the reverse side of the same quilted throw. I have shown a closeup so you can see the fun hand stitches.

Isn’t that beautiful!?

Every Kantha quilt is made from recycled saris and is uniquely beautiful in its own way. Each quilted item also has a patch stitched onto it as a representation of how the women’s lives have been patched together.

Kelly has two of these Kantha quilt throws that are featured in the current issue of Cottages and Bungalows Magazine.

There are a variety of other handmade items in the U COUNT marketplace so please be sure to enjoy looking at everything. www.ucountcampaign.org

A Cup of Tea

The second thing that warms my heart is enjoying a cup of tea, especially in winter. So I have collected some items on my kitchen table that warm my heart  about having tea. 

Kelly recently had a reel on Instagram where she posed the question to herself, 

“Does this item reflect my story and does it hold both beauty (in my eyes) and purpose?” 

That has caused me to ponder.

And I can honestly say that every item shown here holds those values. The book, French Blooms, was a Christmas gift from Kelly, the spoons were a birthday gift from my daughter Lindsey, and the teapot was a gift from my husband Larry. The little Angelina pitcher was purchased in Paris after lunch there with friends. And the Kantha quilt is being used well and much loved.

Above you can see one of my  U COUNT quilts and the stitch details.

A Good Book

The third thing that warms my heart is cozying up with a good book. I recently read and enjoyed “A Week in Winter” by Maeve Binchy. A #1 New York Times Bestseller. In a small town on the west coast of Ireland, an unlikely cast of characters come together at a newly opened inn.

What books have you read and enjoyed? Let me know in the comments below!

Gifts from Friends

The fourth thing that warms my heart is gifts from friends that keep on blooming. This Amaryllis had four blooms and now has another stalk getting ready to produce more.

What a beautiful gift!

Tuesdays With Tracy: Happy New Year

I will leave you with the following quote, “The Gate of the Year”, by Minnie Louise Haskins. It was read by King George VI in his 1939 Christmas broadcast to the British Empire.

Blessings on your new year!

Love,

Tracy