Welcome to Old Fashioned Inspiration!

Hello, I’m Hannah. I can’t wait to share some old-fashioned inspiration for life with you!

Throughout my life, I’ve always dreamed of living in the days of girls like Laura Ingalls. As a seven-year-old first reading the Little House series, I was amazed that Laura and her family made everything themselves from quilts to butter to cabins! I wanted to experience the joy of baking bread from scratch, sewing my own clothes, and playing with baby chicks. While I can’t travel back in time, I’ve realized I can bring these simple, old-fashioned pleasures to modern living.

Adventures with Sourdough

When the world shut down in March 2020, I decided it was time to learn how to make my own bread. After all, if shelves of toilet paper and hand sanitizer were empty, who knew what would be gone next? Over the course of the year, I fell in love with baking sourdough bread and spent my free time imagining new recipes to share with my family, friends, and now you! Although cooking from scratch sounds intimidating, it truly can be a satisfying and even enjoyable activity. At the Kitchen Counter, I’ll help you create delicious and healthy dishes for you and your family.

Learning to Sew

With my friend, I set out to learn how to sew. Although I couldn’t yet make clothes for myself, I could practice making outfits for my dolls. It felt so satisfying to see dolls wearing dresses that I had made myself. Now, I don’t generally sew doll clothes, but I still find ways to practice sewing, whether by constructing costumes for a production of The Nutcracker or crafting purses for Sew Powerful. As I’ve grown, I’ve discovered countless other benefits of sewing, and I’m excited to share these tips, tricks, and tutorials with you here.

And of course, … Books!

You’ll also notice I included the Book Nook, which is full of reading lists and book reviews. Reading books such as Anne of Green Gables or Little Women inspired my love for simple, old-fashioned living. C. S. Lewis and S. D. Smith cultivated my imagination. Authors like Kayleigh McEnany and Allie Stuckey challenged my thinking and developed my mind. In our digital age, I find it’s so easy to avoid reading because enjoying quality literature involves time and energy. That’s why I dedicated a specific site on this blog to reading. The books mentioned in the Book Nook are meant to help you disconnect from screens and enjoy stories that can grow your imagination (and vocabulary :). I’ll discuss a range of genres from classics to biographies to fantasy, so regardless of your reading taste, I’m sure you’ll find something to enjoy. I hope these books will bring you as much joy and inspiration as they did to me!

Some Fun Facts about Me

• My mom signed me up for ballet at age three, and I’ve been hooked ever since!
• I can’t stand the taste of coffee but love a good cup of tea, even on hot summer days.
• Favorite authors include Charlotte Bronte, L. M. Montgomery, L. M. Alcott, C. S. Lewis, Jane Austen, and S. D. Smith.