James Hance

This guy is one of my new favorite artists. James Hance. He makes "Relentlessly Cheerful Art." We have dreams of putting his artwork in the main upstairs area. It is only $10 a print too. Not badl. Someday we will own some of his art. Here are a few of my favorites, although I think I love just about all of his stuff.

"Fraggle Rock Band"

"Sir Didymus"

Although it is not currently available, bummer!

"The Man & The Muppet of Steel"

"The Dark Starry Night"

"The Meep"

Here is his website. Seriously go check it out! This is only a sample. He is awesome!

Stuffed Yo-Yo Pumpkin Tutorial

We're guest posting this tutorial over at V and Co. today. I happened on her blog about a year ago, and coincidence of all coincidences, she lives in the same tiny little town as my mom and dad. I recognized the mountains and landscape in her photos before I even knew it was the same town. If you haven't visited her site, spend some time over there, and you'll feel like you have a new best friend. Thanks, Vanessa, for hosting us today!

So this is a continuation of my post last week, since I already professed my favoritism of pumpkins. For some background, a couple of years ago, I took a ferry ride with my sister and good friend to Bainbridge Island to do a little shopping around town and, by design, spent most of our time at Esther's. Seriously a jewel of a fabric shop with mostly quilting cotton but a surprising amount of wide-width fashion, exotic and home decor fabrics. And, they display quilts on. the. ceiling. I love that.

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Anyhoo, I saw some cute little pumpkins scattered around the shop, and when I asked if there was a pattern, the woman working there said, "Easy! If you know how to make a yo-yo, you already know how to make a pumpkin!" The shop owner, Jennifer (don't you love her beautiful name?? :-) ), was gracious and enthusiastic about serving as the inspiration for this tutorial. If you're ever in the Seattle area, make it a point to take a scenic ferry ride to Esther's, and be prepared to be inspired yourself.

So, without further adieu, as promised, here's the tutorial for a super easy, cute pumpkin...it's addicting. "No one can [make] just one!"

Here are the supplies you'll need:

• fabric of your choice
• scissors
• poly-fill stuffing
• green floral wire
• silk leaves (yes, I know mine are maple leaves, but with a stuffed pumpkin, I'm not exactly going for horticulture accuracy!)
• glue gun
• needle and thread
• small tree branch picked up from your yard (not shown above)

1. Trace around a circular object. Keep in mind your finished pumpkin will be roughly 1/2 the size you are tracing. So, this 14" pizza pan I'm using yields a pumpkin 6-7" in diameter. Like my "helper?" Cut out your circle after you've traced it.

2. Sew around the edge of your yo-yo. Fold over approximately 1/4" to the wrong side of the fabric and sew a large running stitch all the way around. I used quilting thread because it's stronger and you'll be pulling it tight later. If you don't have quilting thread, just double your regular thread.

3. When you get all the way around, pull up on your thread to create kind of a bowl. Hold off on knotting your thread until you've stuffed the pumpkin.

4. Stuff it! Fill opening with fiber fill stuffing. It doesn't need to be stiff like you would stuff a pillow. Just fill it to your desired squishiness.

5. Tie it off. Pull up on your thread until there's just a small hole in the top. For a pumpkin this size, the hole was about 1". For smaller pumpkins it would obviously be a smaller hole. You don't want to completely close it up so you have room for the finishing touches.

6. Time for finishing and embellishing. Wrap your green floral wire around a pencil to make a curly pumpkin vine tendril. Leave a straight tail on the end to put into the hole in the top.

7. Using your hot glue gun, apply a generous amount of glue to the bottom inch or so of the tree branch. Poke it down through the hole and twist it a bit to make sure it's secure inside the stuffing. Snip off a couple of silk leaves, leaving some of the stem on the bottom. Apply glue the same way as before and place them right around the stem so they'll cover up the hole and batting. Glue the straight tail end of the green tendril the same way as the branch, and tie a ribbon or fabric strip around the stem for a final decorative touch.

Have fun making tons of these little cuties in any and all sizes!

Raindrops on roses? Or maybe whiskers on kittens?

Oh, I am so fickle sometimes! It's because Scorpio is a water sign, or something, I'm sure. Favorites come and go around here all the time, it seems. Some extra special things stand the test of time for me, though, and I hold onto them dearly. Here are a few. And where there are links, go on and check them out - maybe you'll find a new favorite, too!

The gray wool scarf I bought in Prague that one October.

The hymn, "Our Father, By Whose Name"
I especially love the second parts of each verse:
1 - "Bless thou all parents, guarding well,
with constant love as sentinel, the homes in which Thy people dwell."
2 - "Our children bless in every place,
that they my all behold Thy face, and, knowing Thee may grow in grace."
3 - "In all our hearts such love increase,
that every home, by this release, may be the dwelling place of peace."
If hymns are prayers, this hymn is my prayer every day.

Vanilla ice cream. Yes, I said vanilla.

Caramel rooibos tea.

Curling up under a blanket with a good book and some mulled apple cider when it's freezing outside; and lounging on a blanket with a good book and some lemonade when it's hot.

This recipe for chocolate chip cookies.

Listening to The Writer's Almanac on the radio. Oh! and also Selected Shorts and The Play's the Thing. The latter two are best listened to while doing some late-night baking.

Cemeteries. Especially old ones. I promise it's not morbid or creepy! I just love reflecting on people's lives, and seeing how people care for their memories after they're gone. There's so much beauty in that to me.

Finding a way to work some orange into every room in my house. While I wouldn't say it's my favorite color per se, orange is so comfortable and friendly.

Peonies in the spring and dahlias in the fall.

It's my Favorite!

The cello has always been my favorite instrument.  You are surprised?  "But wait!" you say.  "You play the violin?  You have always played the violin?"  I KNOW and I do love to "play" the violin but I melt when I hear the creamy low tones of a cello.

Growing up a violinist I envied and loved the sounds that came from my brother's room as he played his cello.  I knew one day I would have a kid who would become a cellist whether he wanted to be one or not.  He would be my favorite son...and he would play for me every day until I died.  Good thing I only have one son and that I'm a little bit less crazy now that I'm wise and mature...right?  I'm crazier...I know.  But that is how much I love the cello. 

When my then little two year old ASKED me if he could play the cello I lost it!  I was jump-up-and-down-thrilled-to-my-depths excited.   First of all, I had never heard of a two year old cellist so I waited...he waited and for the next three years he still would come and beg me to have one after listening to them on the radio. I told him he could try it out when he turned 5. 

The time arrived the week of his birthday.  We took off as a family and visited one of our favorite little shops in Issaquah, Wa to get him his little cello.  I just about lost it again when he strapped his itty-bitty cute little cello onto his back.  I saw him 16 years later going off to college with a cello scholarship in hand. Probably would want to become a doctor or something but man would he be able to impress the ladies with a talent like that!  I'll tell ya...the ugliest man on earth could play a cello for me and I would melt.  It'll be a powerful tool he'll have.  I KNOW!!!  I am dramatic and cheesy!  You would be too if you saw how cute he looked that night.  I was already a proud mama and he hadn't even played a single note. 

 He has been taking lessons  for 2 weeks now and I am in cello heaven.  I love every little honk that echos through our home (thankfully cellos do not squeak and screech like violins do) and every little twinkle in his eye as he asks to practice. 

Music has always been a legacy in our family that goes way way back and a little while ago I kept that going by providing my son the same opportunities to grow and strengthen others through music.  That is my favorite!  One day I hope you get to hear him play.  He's going to love music and you'll want to hear his soul!

Haunted Gingerbread Houses

I love traditions...especially Halloween traditions. It is so hard for me to break them! I wish I could have had one more week to write this post, because it seems like all of our favorite family traditions are happening just a little bit too late this year... our annual trip top the Two Brother's Pumpkin Patch with grandma and grandpa, decorating my house (which I started, then took a "quick" trip to JoAnn's for supplies, and now find myself in the middle of a million little unfinished projects--needless to say we are not in a good place for photographing any of those yet...), and of course making our haunted gingerbread houses!

These are photographs from last year--oh they are fun every year!
I thought we were pretty clever and unique in creating these fun little holiday mansions, but Holy Smokes, was I mistaken! Looking online I couldn't believe what people can do with a little cookie dough and icing!...maybe you are one of them. :) And if you are, hooray! I think decorating a haunted gingerbread house is something everyone should do at least once.

Here are a few things to think about when you decide to give it a try:

• Make sure you have a grave yard--snickers and other little candy bars make perfect graves!
• Burn the gingerbread just a little bit--the black edges add to the creepy, haunted feel!
• Cover the whole thing with cobwebs when you're done (it helps to keep it from getting eaten--but not for long!).

Decorating haunted gingerbread houses is a tradition my mom started when I was young. Now I am doing it each year with my daughter. My sister does it with her family, and even when we were away from home at college we found a way to make a haunted gingerbread house! It's just another way that the holidays can bring us together.

Sunday is the big day for our haunted gingerbread house this year...and I can hardly wait!

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!

Pumpkin-y Goodness

(one of the volleyball-size pumpkins in our garden - there's one for each of us plus an extra little "runt")

One of my favorite ways to decorate for Autumn and Halloween is with pumpkins. One of my most-loved colors, besides granny-smith-apple green, is pumpkin-orange. I love to decorate with it, wear it, cook with it. It's cheerful, warm and comforting.

For a couple of years, every time I've gone through my fabric stash looking for something, I've passed over a group of Autumn-themed fat quarters and thought how I need to find something to do with them. Well, I finally did, and I used Amy's tutorial for her quilt-as-you-sew table runner.

I had all the material except for the backing. I bought 1/2 yard of fabric (Keepsake Calico quilting cottons are 40% off right now at Joann's!) and made the width of the fabric be the length of the runner. After sewing it all together, I trimmed it to about 43" long x 16" wide. Also, I used my walking foot to keep all the layers feeding through the machine evenly. I was feeling bold using black thread for the quilting, but I do really like seeing the random black pinstripes. This was so fun, quick and easy that I know I'll be making more in the future.

Last year I made these little cutie pumpkins and knocked each one out in about 20 minutes. There's only a bit of hand sewing, and the rest is stuffing and hot gluing. Check back next week for a tutorial...I need a second pair of hands to take photos, and my 4-year-old's attempts are a little blurry. :-)

Finally, baking with pumpkin is a favorite of mine. For a good way to use up pumpkin puree and apples, I highly recommend this recipe. I made it the other day, and we ate it warm with a dollop of whipped cream.

What are your favorite ways with pumpkins?

In Search of a More Meaningful Halloween

I used to have this thing where I would refuse to celebrate any holiday unless I knew its origins and meaning. And then, if it was meaningful to me, I'd try and celebrate in a way that was a little truer and deeper than the popular norm. I was a real snob about it for a while, too. But I'm glad for it, because it still helps me to see beyond the commercialism of most of our holidays and catch a glimpse of the "holy days" they are meant to be.

Enter Halloween. Halloween has always had a certain special place in my heart. I'm connected to it in ways that I'm not to other holidays. And so on my years-ago quest to find true meaning in the holidays we celebrate, this one was top on my list.

While I'm not an anthropologist or a historian, I am fascinated by rituals all over the world to honor a people's dead. Some that I've read about happen in the springtime, but most take place at the end of summer - anywhere between the end of August to the end of October. From Samhain in the Celtic tradition, to Dias de los Muertos in Mexico, to Chuseok in Korea, and of course the Catholic All Saint's Day, people all over the world give thanks for the harvest and honor their ancestors at this time of year. Which I think is so beautiful. What could be more holy?

And so I like to think about that at this time of year, and add a little ...

(Butterflies, to celebrate the monarch butterflies' annual migration south at this time of year; some cultures in South America believe that their ancestors are reincarnated as the butterflies. Sweet, huh?)

to all of the ...

Happy "Summer's End" to you, however you celebrate!

I Love! Love! Love this time of year!

 It's finally October and Fall has graced us with bright colored leaves and crisp cool air.  Just Saturday I was telling some friends that it just has not hit me yet...you know...the mood.  The feelings you can't seem to resist when it comes to baking all things pumpkin and stocking up on as much cinnamon and hot chocolate the stores have to offer.  Yesterday as I was listening to conference I finally got the bug and now it's all I can think of. 

This morning I spent some time online again searching and rediscovering some fun Halloween and fall decor ideas.  Here are a few I am going to incorporate into my last year's home and into my "feels like fall" lifestyle now.

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I am in love with white pumpkins...all of mine are going to be white I think.  Maybe with black stars and words like this painted on them.

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There is a tutorial for this when you click on image.  Wouldn't this be pretty hanging above a Thanskgiving dinner?

 Can't find the source but isn't this pie beautiful and fairly easy to duplicate?

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As soon as I get a mantle or maybe something like this in an my entry way with a pretty white chest at the end of my hallway...hmmm.  I love the wreath and the big silver mirror.  I'm in to silver right now.  Can't seem to get my hands on anything but I'm digging it.

Super excited to try this recipe only with more good vanilla instead of rum of course.

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Have I mentioned that I like...no love doilies?

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Ya...cool huh?

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I could go on for forever but I won't.  Send me links to what you find.  I love this stuff.  I eat it up!  I mean look at that baby broom place card...who wouldn't love that as a take home memory?

Enjoy this season.  Go make the most of it.