Harvest Time!

I love this time of year. The air is crisp and the smell is delicious. There is just something about fall in the air. I love harvest time and all that comes with it. I love Halloween, but I love the Harvest aspect of the season more. The fact that you can leave the harvest decorations up till Thanksgiving makes it even better. As I have been browsing the Internet looking for ideas, I was having trouble. I know, all the ideas in the world, but either too much to look, an unpleasant format, just not my style, or just too much to look at. Needless to say, I ended up with Martha Stewart as all of my inspiration for this post. And really, I was surprised at how easy some of her ideas looked. I am only saying some, because in the typical Martha fashion, most are way over my head in crafting abilities, but I really liked looking at them. Here is her Fall Harvest Decorations picture gallery. Some look a little to crazy for me, and I did not read the directions on any of them yet, but if they are complicated, I am sure there is an easy way to do it. We are not all Martha Stewart after all. I consider myself more of a Macgyver when it comes to crafting. I like to figure out ways to do things when I have no clue what materials they are called for, substituting materials for ones I know of, and using what I have. Although sometimes that takes way longer then it should. Anyways, enough of my traditional blog ramblings, here are some pictures. Fill your outdoor planter boxes with small gourds, husks and fall things.

I think I can do that. Gourd Garland, that looks doable too, and super cute. Hmm, I have a drill, and maybe some rope, now just to find some small gourds.

A corn husk wreath. Super pretty and classic, but it looks a little difficult. I am not sure I could find an easy way to do that, but I love the look. A pine cone lamp finial, that looks easy. I know where to find pine cones too. What a simple way to decorate. If only I had more lamps. (I just learned thanks to Martha that the top of a lamp is a Finial, see, you learn something new everyday!)

This could be one of my favorites, fall garland made with Indian corn. So pretty. I may just have to try this one. I think I will have to read the directions though.

I do have a crafting dilemma though, and I am soliciting your help. I bought some Halloween fabric intending on making some buntings, and I am not sure I want to do that anymore. I have yet to find any ideas I like on what to do. Jen's table runner looked great, but I am not sure my fabric will work. Any ideas on what to do? Just curious. Hey, and if I like your idea, I will make it and post a picture with your name. You will get full creative credit for it. It could almost be like you made it. Seriously, send me some ideas!

Thanks!

Pretty Cakes Taste Better

With birthdays in March, May and July, our family's birthday season is pretty much over for the year (at least the ones I work on - mine's next, but I'm done baking birthday cakes until spring!). This year, I went a little overboard in the cake decorating department, but I had so much fun doing it! I thought I'd share with you my favorite place for birthday - and other! - cake decorating inspiration: Family Fun. While I love cleverly designed treats, some of the ideas out there can be tricky to execute, but I've been able to make pretty much everything I've tried from Family Fun, and for me that's saying a lot!

Like this cake, which I made a version of for my son's 3rd birthday:

Photo credit: Family Fun.
Click here for recipe and how-to.

And this one for my daughter's 5th birthday (which we didn't even eat at the party because I let the kids decorate cupcakes and they had so much fun eating those that I sort-of forgot about the cute house cakes until after the party was over - note to self: don't do cake *and* cupcakes next year, pick one or the other!)

... which was inspired by this one ...

Photo credit: Family Fun.
Click here for recipe and how-to.

And I haven't done it yet, but OH! I want to make these cupcakes like nothing else! :

Photo credit: Family Fun.
Click here for recipe and how-to.

I mean, how much cuter can you make a bunch of jelly-beans and a Starburst candy?!

Happy decorating, whatever your inspiration! I'm just glad to take a break from it until next year, when I promise - REALLY this time - to keep it simple.

Bits n' Pieces

  I have always loved the idea of collecting something special...but I have also been very hesitant.  I was afraid of ending up with a ton of stuff I could never get rid, like when I was a teenager and thought a classic Winnie the Pooh collection would be the perfect thing for my baby to be...ya, didn't happen.  Styles and personal tastes change but I still have those sweet things packed away in a box, high up in a closet somewhere, hoping maybe that one day it will become my daughters favorite discovery of her mothers. 

 After the classic pooh obsession faded I really put off collecting anything except a few charms here and there for my charm bracelet.  (That's for another post)

That is until i bought a home...

I suddenly began to day dream about the way things could look and the pretty things I could maybe obtain in the future and the first thing I began to search for where antique aqua blue mason jars.  I loved how they could be used for just about anything, candles, embellishments for scrapbooking, pencils, buttons...you name it!  In the spring time though, they become my vases.  I love the old and new feel they bring to our place and the way they can even brighten up the flowers.

 The other collection I had always wanted was my own set of china.  This is all my mom's fault too.  I grew up with a formal setting at special events or occasions and Christmas dinner just wasn't Christmas dinner without a pretty table.  Thanks to her I now receive bits and pieces of it for my birthday and anniversary.  It'll take a while for a complete set of everything but for now I am loving my 8 pearly plates.  Thanks mom!

My newest item to search for these days are antique dollies.  I have a project I want to do and right now I only have  a few of these pretties. Hopefully over the years though I will be able to collect enough to make this anthropology inspired table cloth... 

Each time I pull out the special tablecloth I have reserved for this, I'll add a few on until one day it will be done and I'll get to use it under my new china.

And last but not least, I love to stash fabric. I'll just go into my own room and play with it.  And by play with it I mean pull it out and refold it, put it into possible project piles and come up with fun ideas.  Ideas that will never get done because I have no time, but ideas that are great.  Trust me!  I don't think I'll ever be able to go into a fabric store without getting something awesome...ever!  I am doomed!  My poor husband!

Collections are fun but I think they need to be useful...at least in my house.  I will probably collect a tiny amount of just about everything by the time I die but at least I will have loved it all.  What do you collect?

 

Easy Decorating

So I had no real intentions to post my easy, peasy idea when I did it, but it turned out cute and my family liked it. So I thought I am a mom with little time and wanted some decorations for valentines day with little effort, and hey, you all may want that too. So here is my idea. Don't laugh, it was fun and meaningful.


Step 1: Cut out hearts from a solid color of construction paper, cardstock, etc.


Step 2: Let your child draw pictures of things they love on those hearts.

Step 3: Dictate what is on the picture in case a stranger or your spouse might not know what it is.

Step 4: Hang with string where you want them.

It was fun, and we enjoyed it. They have been up for a week+ now and they are still fun to look at.