10/24/11

A Little Enhancement & Some New Pumpkins!

Hey everyone!  Happy Monday and happy start to the week!  Last week I shared my front entry Fall/Halloween displays.  You can see that HERE, but I wasn't too fond of my front
 door wreath -- too wimpy.

The "wimpy" wreath and.............

The "not so wimpy" now wreath!

I added a few fall picks, some ribbon, & the pinecones I've been foraging for on our morning walks.

Found the animal print ribbon on sale at Michael's, & I love it.  It really didn't take much to 
enhance this wreath.

I'm sure ya'll have seen these fabric pumpkins using a roll of TP for the base.  I've made a few in past years using batting or fiber fill for the padding, but the ones I made this time are padded with plastic bags!  Can we all say "RECYCLE?"

I didn't buy anything new for this project, just depleted our TP supply a little bit!  I searched through my fabric scraps & found a couple of different pieces that I liked.  It's easiest if you cut your fabric into a square or close to it.  Size is up to you.  This one was about 24" square.


Just pile your plastic bags around your TP & adjust the number as you go.

I scrunched an empty TP tube (I hope I'm not the only one who has some of these in her stash....lol!) & pushed it into the center just enough to hold my fabric as I worked my way around the pumpkin.  Then I pushed it in nice & tight & wrapped the tube with jute twine, hot gluing as I wrapped.

I added a couple of velvet leaves & several loops of different ribbons, and.......

Voila, a great little pumpkin for my sitting room coffee table.

Of course, I couldn't stop at one.....seriously, the glue gun was already hot so I had to do another!

This one actually has a real pumpkin stem.  I saved a few from last year's fresh pumpkins.  You do that, don't you?  

This pumpkin is smaller as dictated by the size of the fabric scrap I found.  It's going to find a new home on my kitchen table later on.  See the black & cream check fabric to the left?  That's going to be another one of these guys!

Well, that's a wrap for today.  Thanks so much for stopping by & please come again soon!
CAS

I'm happily linking to:



SavvySeasons.com GiveAway

10/22/11

I'm On a "Proud Momma" High!

            Chef Michael

Is this not a seriously handsome young man?  He's an Executive Chef overseeing four True Food Kitchen Restaurants in Arizona & California with more to come.  Michael wanted to be a chef from an early age, and loved being his momma's helper in the kitchen.  He set his goals early and is realizing wonderful success.  He's the boss that everyone likes, a dedicated family-man with 4 children, & a loving son.  
Michael is my son!







                      Martha Stewart

Everyone knows this lady, I'm sure.  You may or may not like her, but she is quite the personality, you will have to admit that.  Yesterday, Martha was in Phoenix and Chef Michael prepared lunch for her & some friends at True Food Kitchen at the Biltmore!  


Okay, I'm a bit "stoked" and my mother's pride is on over-load!  I just had to share.
CAS


10/20/11

My Fall Entry & A Few Tweaks!

Hey everyone!  I thought I'd share my very simple "put it together with what I had" Fall/Halloween front entry.  Then I will share a few tweaks I've made in a few inside areas.  But first, I want to remind everyone about the wonderful "CASH" give-away that Liz at Savvy Seasons is doing.  Please go check it out.  It's so much fun!  Thanks, Liz, you are awesome!


SavvySeasons.com GiveAway

Now onto a little tour!

There are a lot of angles & a niche in this space, plus a 12 or 13 foot ceiling, so it seems a bit awkward to decorate.  Plus, we haven't even started on a yard plan yet, but I see lots of potential for big pots of flowers on either side of the walkway.  Also keeping my eyes open for a narrow bench.

I literally just gathered everything I had left over from the inside decorating, plus just a couple of sale items I recently picked up & started playing.

Costco had the big pots of mums.  I chose this dark red because I know this plant will still look good when it's time to decorate for Christmas -- yea, I can be so practical sometimes!  I made the little mummy (they are popping up all over blogland) by wrapping this large jar (already had) in gauze, added googly eyes & a battery-operated candle.  He looks really cute when it's dark outside!

I am working on something to beef-up the door wreath.  This is a 9' door & the wreath looks wimpy.

I used this Mexican pot last year with the faux pumpkin (love the green color) & just added a grapevine, leafy swag.

I brought my black wicker chair from the patio to this area & just started layering.  I draped a string of lights all over everything on the chair & then tucked a big bunch inside the large ceramic pumpkin.  The "Happy Halloween" sign was a "freebie" download off the internet.  Added a bit of web & a few 
spiders -- not too scary!

Found this lighted twig pumpkin on sale at Big Lots.  I already had the little apple basket, stuffed in some rafia, plopped in the pumpkin & tied the basket with burlap.  Easy-peasy, as they say!

We took this little shelf out of one of the bedrooms where I did not want it.  I have several seasonal wallhanging quilts (yes, I made them) & wanted a special place to hang them.  Sooo.....this is my special place, & I will use the little shelf above to display seasonal decor.  This wall is just to the right of my kitchen entrance & one of the first things the "Grands" see when they come over! 

Had this berry & mini pumpkin swag that I fastened into a ring & just pinned it to the quilt.

I like the added texture.

Love how these little tealite holders really pick up all the colors of the quilt.

This was a freebie download on the internet, & I already had the black frame & plate holder. 

I did a bit of tweaking here on my little white buffet.

Remember the jar mummy I had outside?  Well, I didn't stop at just one.  Simply gathered some odds and ends of jars & other glass containers that I already had.  I just can't throw jars away....lol!

I'm not really into spider webs, bugs & spiders; but, my grandchildren love them!  I do refuse to do anything really scary or creepy.

I added googlie eyes to this little pumpkin, plus some rafia & web & a big black bug & placed everything into my cheese cloche.


Pecan Pie flavored candle -- yum!

Love these glass beads & little acorns -- on sale from Pier 1.  They are so sparkly!

Halloween Bear!  
I've made at least a hundred of these little bears over the last few years.  I used to sell them, but now I make them for my grandchildren & as gifts.

This was my mantel before tweaking.  Okay, but needed some punch.

And now.  All I did was add some rafia, switch around a couple of things, & added more leaves.


I also wrapped a votive holder with burlap, tied with twine, added some leaves & perched the little bird on top.  It just gives another layer and dimension to this small mantel.

I  wrapped some burlap around the candles, tied them with rafia & added some little snips of berry branches that I had.

Sweet little birdie is much more comfy now!

That's all the tweakin' and tourin' for now.  Thanks a bunch for stopping by, and I truly hope you will come again soon.

I'm happily linking to:








10/15/11

It's a Magical, Mystical Tour!

Hey everyone!  Well, I think when I shared my "tease" about this room, I thought it would be about a week before I could do my "reveal," & it took every bit of that!  But it's finally finished, well, except for the closet.  I want the closet filled with shelves, but The Man decided it was time to work on his new "Man-Cave" which put my closet on "HOLD!"  I'm okay with that, because I'm so THRILLED with my new space -- craft room, sewing room, scrapbooking/card-making room?  I think it shall be forever named "My Studio!"  Anyhoo, you'd better grab a beverage, prop your feet up, & get ready for photo over-load & lots & lots of COLOR!

10/9/11

Just a Sneak Peek!

Hey everyone!  I've been a bit MIA for the last week or so as we have been super-busy with company and painting projects.  And yes, I am still unpacking!  Thought I'd give you just a HINT of what's been going on, but it will probably be at least a week before I can do a REVEAL.  So here goes!

  
Curious yet?  I would be! 


Please don't forget about this fabulous Give-Away that Liz at Savvy Seasons is having.  You must go check it out!


SavvySeasons.com GiveAway
Giveaway Details
- There will be FIVE(5) $100 separate giveaways. (1) the last day in September, and (4) in the month of October. Giveaways will be on Fridays, September 30th, October 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th. Mark these dates on your calendars.  Please go to Liz's blog to get further details.



Hope ya'll have a great Sunday!
CAS