Craft-Happy Goodness

Happy Wednesday! Today has been a good one out here in Oklahoma, despite those ever-present oppressive temperatures. Took Sadie to chick-fil-a for lunch, and then we headed over to the playground, where I met up with the ladies from the meetup group. It's great to have some adult conversation while the kiddos play.


After the playground, I decided to go to Hobby Lobby. I can always find something new to get into when I visit that store. Sadie cooperated beautifully and I was able to get all the supplies I needed to make the subject of today's post, which brings me to it. Drum roll please....

Yep, I made a Halloween wreath. I realize it's still August for one more day, but Mama gets bored. Also, I have Halloween fever! It was fairly easy to do, and it didn't cost much. Cost breaks down thusly:


Orange ribbon/Black gingham ribbon: $3.99, 50% off
Wreath form: $4.99
Black Tulle: $2.99, 50% off
Wooden Jack O'lantern: 99 cents for a pack of 3
Orange Paint (outdoor paint, small bottle) $1.50
Gold Glitter: $2.50 
Paint brush set: $3.99
Orange polka-dot ribbon: FREE! (Already had it at home.)

Total with tax came to $17.47. Not bad if you ask me! That's why I love Hobby Lobby, they always have great sales. Anyway, back to the task at hand.


First thing I did was paint our friend the jack o'lantern. I used outdoor acrylic paint. I believe the brand name was Patio Paint. I chose the shade of orange aptly named "pumpkin." I applied two coats, and while it was still wet I added the glitter. I set it aside to dry while I worked on the wreath.

Next, I wrapped the wide orange ribbon around the wreath form, leaving space between wraps for the next color of ribbon. I used fabric glue to secure it, but hot glue would really have been better. (I would've used my hot glue gun, if a certain two-year-old I know hadn't decided to hide the glue sticks from me!)

After wrapping the orange ribbon, I wrapped the black gingham ribbon. On top of the gingham, I wrapped the polka dot ribbon. The ribbon wrapping process was painstaking to say the least, and my shoulders are hating me right now for making me do it. Just a fair warning!

After I had all the ribbon on the wreath, I tied on the tulle. I cut the tulle into strips, folded them, then tied them in a basic knot. That was the easy part.

All that's left for me to do now is glue on the jack o'lantern. I will have to wait until I go back to the store for more hot glue sticks to finish, but I'm pretty pleased with how this turned out. I still might trim the tulle down a little bit, and add a few more strips for better spacing. All told, this project took about 2 and a half hours of uninterrupted work. (Thank goodness for Nick jr!) 

Until next time, hope you have a great afternoon! Hope I've inspired you to make something too.

Pottery Barn Halloween!

Hi folks, I'm back! I apologize for the lack of posts lately, but I honestly haven't had the blogging "bug". Maybe it's the heat frying my brain and zapping all those creative juices.

Anyway, that all changed when my beloved Pottery Barn catalog arrived today! Those who know me best understand that I adore Pottery Barn. If I could afford to fill every room in my house with things from that catalog, you can believe I would own nothing else. This issue made me extra happy, because...it's the fall/Halloween issue!

Pottery Barn always has some amazing seasonal decor. It's always right on trend and always right up my alley. This year is no exception. They've gone rustic AND Victorian with their Halloween decor! Oh yes...I'm in love. Here are a few of my favorites.

Mercury glass pumpkins! Ranging in price from $24.00 to $39.00, these are an affordable way to brighten up a table or mantle. With the silver color, I think these would look great for a Thanksgiving centerpiece too.

Mini skull vase filler. I know some people might find this macabre..but I think it would be amazing at a Halloween party! It would definitely spark some conversation. And at $24.50 for both, it's not going to break the bank.

Lit grapevine pumpkins are always a classic! These would look so inviting on your front porch. These could also transition to Thanksgiving, since they don't scream Halloween. They are a little pricier at $59.00-$79.00.

Ok...how cool is this?! A lit twig gate! I can see this as a prop in a front yard cemetery scene. Can't see myself spending $129.00 on it though....

Caged crow string lights. Genius! I would love to have these hanging in my entryway to greet trick or treaters or party guests. You get 10 per string, and each string is $29.00. Not bad!

Another awesome string of lights, this time with burlap ghosts. I love how their heads glow! I think these would look great on a mantle. These are also $29.00 per string of 10 lights.

I completely adore this pumpkin punch bowl. I like the glasses too, but since they only come as a set of 4, I would probably use some that I already have. This is another piece that you could also use for Thanksgiving. The bowl is $49.00, and the glasses are $26.00 for a set of 4.

I like each and every Halloween and Autumn piece in the catalog, but these are my absolute favorites. How many do you think I can convince Ben to let me buy? Haha. Until next time, see y'all later!

 

Week 28- 8 months today!

I am 8 months pregnant today. I have approximately 82 days until my due date.  Depending on when this little girl decides to make her appearance, we may have ourselves a Halloween baby! I wouldn't mind that one single bit. Can you imagine (those of you who are aware of my Halloween obsession) how much fun planning birthday parties would be?! But as usual, I digress.

I'm still feeling relatively good. Long shopping trips give me hip and back aches, and it's getting harder to pick things up from the floor, but other than that I have no major complaints. With the "growth spurt" I had in the past couple of weeks (I call it this to make myself feel better), I'm on track to gaining 38 pounds total. More than I wanted to, but still 20 pounds less than I did with Sadie! The thing I hate most is the weight is showing in my face. Yuck. Luckily that's the easiest place to lose it!

Some days I feel like there are things I should be doing to get ready for the baby, but I'm not doing them. I feel like I'm missing something. The thing is, we already have all her furniture and all the newborn clothing she needs, compliments of her big sister. We have a pack n play, a baby swing, and a bouncy seat. All we really need is a new carseat and the double stroller. We have both picked out, and thanks to my husband's awesome parents, the stroller is taken care of.

Right now I'm on the hunt for a baby sling. I don't want a wrap-style carrier, because I don't have the patience for all the tying. I want a pouch style. Seems like I've looked at every carrier under the sun. I think it's going to come down to the Maya and the Peanut Shell.

This is the Maya. It comes in a variety of patterns and different sizes for a good fit. I like the fact that the ring is adjustable and there is less wrapping involved.

This is the Peanut Shell. This is also available in different patterns and sizes. I like the ease of the pouch style, and I think the patterns are so cute. 

  

I'm really not sure which one I will end up with. I guess for now I'll just be doing more research. 

My 28 week doctor's appointment is tomorrow. I'm sure we will be discussing the results of my gestational diabetes test, which I'm assuming I passed since I didn't get a call back from the hospital. I think now is about the time the bi-weekly appointments start too. So instead of seeing the doctor monthly, I will be going in every two weeks. While I'm not thrilled with that prospect, I am happy that it means we are getting closer to meeting our second little angel! 

Thanks for stopping by! I know my posts have been a little infrequent lately, but there are good things coming, I promise! I'm working on a couple of crafty projects that I can't wait to share with y'all. Have a great Tuesday! 

Georgia on my Mind (Happy Birthday to me!)

As most of you probably know, yesterday was my 26th birthday. I'm officially almost 30. And I used to think 30 was SO old! I think I've changed my mind about that.

Ben gave me the best birthday present I could have asked for. News that we are moving to Fort Stewart at the end of this year! I almost cried when he told me. I just couldn't believe it. There was only 1 slot for a class of 66 soldiers, and we got it! It's like a dream come true.

The area we are moving to is right outside of Savannah, and minutes from the beach. There are a couple of large farmers' markets and plenty of shopping. Not to mention the historical areas to satisfy my interests. We are looking at houses in the town of Richmond Hill, GA. It's one of the more expensive areas, but it's closer to "civilization" than Hinesville, the town right outside post. (And the houses are prettier. I can't lie and say that's not a big factor!)

I am just so thankful that we have this opportunity to be closer to home. The Lord must have heard our prayers! Now if only our moving date was closer...

A New Hobby

When I was a little girl, my grandmother always put a Christmas village out on display in her living room. My cousins and I always played (very carefully!) with it. It's one of the happiest memories I have of my childhood.

So, I was playing around on the computer today, looking at this and looking at that, when I saw a Halloween tree centerpiece. I didn't like the price I saw on the website. They wanted 60 bucks just for the tree, so no thanks. I decided to do a google search to see if I could find another one. What I found made me very happy!

Department 56, the company that makes the Christmas village my grandmother collects, also makes a Halloween village! Happy Halloween to me! I ran upstairs to excitedly tell Ben about my new hobby. His response? "Sounds expensive." I said "Well...it is. Which means I can't buy it all at once...which makes it a collection!" Luckily, my reasoning worked!

I want to do both a Halloween village, and a Christmas village. For the Halloween village, these are the first pieces I want.

  

Walter and Larry's Crypt. I love the tree and the fact that it lights up! And it's so detailed. 

  

Spooky Spider Trees. They look like they belong next to the crypt! Love the little spiders too. 

  

Wrought iron fencing. Every decent spooky graveyard needs it! 

  

And, of course, the tombstones! It wouldn't be a crypt without them.  For all five of these pieces, the cost comes to about $120.00. I don't think that's horrible for starting a collection like this. 

Now let's talk about the Christmas village. This one means a lot to me, because as I mentioned earlier, my grandmother and grandfather always had one out at Christmas. To start my own collection, I'd like these pieces. 

  

The Patriot's House. This couldn't be more perfect for our family! I love the patriotic decor and the vintage looking Sisal trees. 

  

Christmas mail for the troops...enough said! Also, I like that it has the year 2011 on it, to me remind me of the year I started my collection. 

  

A landscaping set, with those sisal trees I love. All told, starting the Christmas village with the pieces I want will be about $160. Kind of pricey, but this means a lot to me and I think we can do it. 

I can't wait to start the tradition of adding new pieces each Halloween and Christmas! Hopefully my girls with grow up with the same memories of these villages that I have. 

Playing Dress Up

Ask any mother of girls, and they will tell you that one of the best things about having a daughter is the clothes. I could literally spend a week buying clothes for my girls, and still find things they just *have* to have.  So, with this weekend being tax free weekend, I decided to hit the mall and see what I could snap up.

I was honestly a little disappointed. Most stores are only starting to receive their Fall inventory, so there wasn't much of a selection. (If you could peek into Sadie's closet, you would see why I refuse to buy any more Summer clothes!) It also doesn't help that our mall here in Lawton is a little, shall we say...bereft...of children's clothing.  Our choices are Dillards, The Children's Place, Sears, and Old Navy, none of which with the exception of Dillard's, usually thrill me. (Admittedly, I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to my children's clothes.)

Anyway, Old Navy was practically empty in the infant and toddler section. What they did have was very summery and not what I was looking for. Dillard's was still full of Summer dresses, and I didn't bother with Sears. So, finally I made it to The Children's Place. Everyone else must have had the same idea, because the place was packed! It was like black Friday in there.

I quickly scanned the sale rounders, and finding nothing I wanted (although they did have some great deals on summer things), I spotted something at the back of the store. Tulle. I have radar for that stuff! I could probably spot it from a mile away. So, I made a beeline for the rack.

Readers...it was like a light from above. Leopard print tulle skirts! Hanging right next to some adorable denim jackets! Oh, I was in heaven alright. Almost instinctively, with the amazing cat-like reflexes I seem to acquire while on the hunt, I thumbed through the rack and found Sadie's size. Then she needed leggings, which just so happened to be on sale for 8 bucks. I snatched some of those too. Feeling quite satisfied, I paid for them and left to find Ben and Sadie at the playground.

Since I know y'all want to see the cuteness, here is the outfit.

  

All she needs now is some brown boots and a leopard bow. I'm pretty sure I can find those. In fact, last time I checked Target.com, they had some adorable boots. 

I also got an adorable coat from Zulily this morning. At $22.00 for the coat and the hat, I couldn't pass it up. Also, I'm in love with hound's tooth. 

  

So, that's the loot from this weekend. Sadie's Fall wardrobe is officially started! I can't wait to see her in these clothes. As soon as the stores start putting out more Fall things for infants, baby number 2 will be racking up too. Thanks for stopping by again this evening! Hope y'all have a good weekend. 

I Miss Thunderstorms

It's Thursday, and you guessed it, we are still broiling out here in okie land. It's 104 at 9:30 at night! God bless the a/c.

Believe it or not, there is something about summer that I love. Thunderstorms! There is something so soothing about that distant rumble and the graying of the sky, followed by the pitter pattering of the rain drops on the pavement. It's even better at night, when the wind picks up and the rain taps on your window. There is nothing like the sleep I get during one of those storms.

Unfortunately, we haven't been blessed with any such storms this summer. In fact, we've had several warnings that never materialized. I think this is part of why I'm so homesick.

When I was a little girl, afternoon storms during the summer were almost a daily occurrence. We'd be playing outside, and then have to run for cover, shrieking  as the rain started. Sometimes we would watch the storm move in, seeing how dark the sky could get before it was time to go inside.

As I grew up, I learned to enjoy sitting on the porch during these storms. Watching the rain fall as the breeze cooled us from the heavy southern heat was one of life's pleasures. You could almost see the grass greening up as the lawn drank in the moisture.

I remember quite a few times when we were caught in thunderstorms at the beach. Our family always went shell hunting together, and at least once or twice during the week we were there, we would have to walk back to the house in the rain. Those first few drops were so cold on my sun warmed skin! But it was so refreshing.

I will always remember the way my Pa looked as we searched for shells, his head down as he focused on the sand at his feet. Despite the fact that he was always way ahead of the rest of us, he always found the best shells and biggest sharks' teeth. He was the one who taught the rest of us to find those teeth.  I will never forget that.

All this is probably why I hope to have a large front porch one day. A little something to connect me to my southern childhood, and I want to watch the storms roll in like I used to. When I'm old and gray, you will probably find me in my rocker on that porch.

An Oasis at Home

Happy August! Can't believe it's here already. According to the internet, the official first day of Fall for the northern hemisphere is September 23rd. That date seems so close...but it's still so hot. It's too hot even to go to the pool out here. So, let's talk about indoor oases.

By this, I means bathrooms of course. To me, nothing says relaxation like the spa-like quality of an awesome bathroom. Just a few steps down the hall and you can find yourself in heaven. My perfect bathroom starts with my ultimate luxury. A claw foot tub!

  

I love the feet on this tub. I like that they're off white, so they don't blend too much with the rest of the tub. Also, they look a little "shabby," so if you've read much of this blog you know why that appeals to me! 

Of course, Ben wouldn't be thrilled if all we had to bathe in was a claw foot tub. So, we would need a great shower for him and for every day. I really like this one. 

  

I love that it's masculine, but not so manly that it's an eyesore. Also, I love the brown. It would be a lovely contrast with the blue and white of the rest of the room. (Nevermind the fact that we'd need a big house to fit this in. We are daydreaming here!) 

I'm a big fan of beadboard. I think it looks so classy in any room, but I especially love it in bathrooms. When painted white, I think it makes a very clean and fresh statement. Like this. 

  

I really like how high they've taken the beadboard in this bathroom, turning it into a picture rail instead of a chair rail. I love the starfish arranged on the ledge, and I'd probably do the same or something similar. 

Above the picture rail, I want color. A nice fresh color like blue. I love this shade: Sweet Bluette from Benjamin Moore. 

  

Onto the next necessity:  the vanity. Having lived in a few places now, none of which had a double vanity, I can appreciate the value of this little luxury. Storing our personal toiletries and other bathroom things would be so much easier. Plus, it looks pretty! 

  

I like the idea of individual wastebaskets too. That's a nice little convenience. Mine would be seagrass too, of course. 

Rugs are an important element for bathrooms as well. They can really brighten up the space with color, or add interest with unique patterns. I have fallen in love with two! 

 

I like the first one because it looks botanical, something I always think is nice for bathrooms. I fell in love with the second one because I love the blue color and the pattern. 

Will I ever get a bathroom as nice as the one I've dreamed up? Who knows. But a girl can dream! For more neat bathroom ideas, check out my friend Amanda's blog on my bookshelf to the right of this post. It's "Meet the Perrys."