Easy Paper Garland

Happy Monday! (If there is such a thing, right?) I just popped in to share a quick how-to on making an easy little paper garland! I made mine with fall colors but this would be fun for birthdays and other holidays too!

The steps are so simple, just punch out a whole bunch of little paper shapes ( I used mostly double sided paper so, if they flipped, the reverse side would be pretty too), and then stitch them all together in one long chain on the sewing machine!

I hung mine on the mantle with some washi tape! Have you guys been decorating for the season? I love adding little touches here and there...

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Happy Fingers

Guess what!? I learned how to knit!
My Grandma had taught me how to do it when I was little, maybe 11 or 12, on a camping trip. That was years ago, and much to my frustration, I found I couldn't remember how do it.
Nick's Grandma is an amazing knitter and crocheter as well, so while she was in town this week she kindly sat down with me for a couple of hours. She taught me a basic purl, and how to do it the way her mother had taught her. A technique that no one else would ever teach, she said, but that had always worked for her. It was perfect. The way she showed me how to hold the needles and to wrap my yarn came easily, and I was able to make pretty little purls with out feeling clumsy. I felt like this was something special to know, thinking of her own mother patiently showing her when she was young. 

I had bought two different types of cozy looking yarn. I ended up choosing the thinner one to begin, the pale grey wool with flecks of cream. It felt like yarn from a rolling-hills sheep farm in Ireland somewhere. I don't know, I love it. I chose shiny teal needles that slip easily around the yarn and each other...

Here is the start of my first scarf... so excited! 
I love learning things this way, having a memory to go with a skill. Passing things along through the family...My dad taught me the proper way to hold a hammer and how to sand wood going WITH the grain. My mama, among many other things, taught me to sew. My own Grandmother spent hours sharing her paints with me.  Now I can properly hold two knitting needles and make a basic scarf, thank you Grandma Riley:)

Have a wonderful weekend! Xo

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Make A Clay Bowl

I had some fun playing with polymer clay and cookie cutters recently, and thought I'd share how to make your own little clay bowl!
It is so easy to do and makes a very sweet, unique little vessel for holding small keepsakes.

You will need:
-1/2 lb white polymer clay
-parchment paper
-rolling pin (not for use with food)
-small cookie cutter
-small oven-safe bowl
-gold metallic paint

Start by covering your work surface with parchment paper to avoid stick/staining. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Roll out your clay, creating a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Using something small and round (like a saucer or small plate), cut a circle from your rolled out clay and remove excess.

Using your small cookie cutter, stamp out your shapes. Carefully place your stamped circle of clay over your (over-turned) oven-safe bowl and bake at 250 degrees for approx. 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

When your piece has completely cooled, gently sand any rough areas with sandpaper. Paint with acrylic paint, I chose gold. Do a second coat and let dry.

Now you have sweet little bowl! This would be fun to with holiday cookie cutters too! Maybe using a tree cookie cutter, or a star.

*Your bowl will NOT be food safe and should be used for decorative purposes only. While clay is usually non-toxic, any tools and surfaces used while working with clay should not come in contact with any edibles.

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Orange and Cream

I couldn't help picking up these  little pumpkins on my grocery run the other day and, with the weather feeling wonderfully chilly lately, it felt the right time to swap out the mantle decor. Down came the summery feeling items, and in their place I put the sweet little pumpkins and a floral arrangement. I left the black and white family photos because I just enjoy them so much...

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Salted-Caramel Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

I think we're all pretty excited that fall has officially begun! What better way to celebrate than with cookies, right??
I've been on a salted caramel and chocolate kick lately, so I decided to try incorporating some of that yummyness into a fall cookie recipe...

Salted-Caramel Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies:
(Preheat oven to 400 degrees)
Mix 6 tablespoons of softened butter with 1 1/3 cups of sugar and beat with mixer until fluffy. Mix in 1 cup of pumpkin, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Whisk in a separate bowl 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon  and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture and mix until well blended. Loosely chop dark salted-caramel chocolate bar and fold into cookie dough mixture. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto greased baking sheets and bake for 12 mins. Move to rack to cool.

These were just what I wanted today, and they felt like a great way to start ushering in autumn now that it's really here!

What are you doing to set the "fall mood"?

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Hello Goodbye

 Leftover flowers from a shoot this week, mixed with some of what's still blooming in our garden. These feel like a good "transition" bunch... goodbye to summer and hello to the warm hues of autumn. My aunt brought me the little owl eyes and feet, pronged on the backs for sticking into apples, pumpkins etc. Such a neat idea. Ms. Apple-Owl now graces our table with the Hello/Goodbye bouquet.


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Personalize Pet Food Containers!

One of my obsessions in the past few years has become jars (also.. pretty paper, are you tired of projects involving paper yet? no? OK;). I think I've mentioned this before, but I collect jars and containers like they're going out of style. I always find uses for them, and the prettier they are the more fun they make the task of organizing! Even pet food storage should be pretty, don't you think?
This is a really simple way to make personalized dog or cat food storage containers!

 

Yo will need:
-Clear plastic or glass canisters with sealing lids
-Letters in the font of your choice (print off computer or letter stickers like I used)
-White medium tip Paint Pen
-Mod Podge
-Scissors

1. (Clean and dry your jars). Spell out your pet's name on a scrap of paper and tape the paper to the inside of your jar. Using your paint pen, carefully trace the letters on the outside of the jar. Allow to dry. 
2. Using a decorative paper, cut a circle to fit the size of the top of the lid on your jar. Using Mod Podge, adhere decorative paper circle to the top of your jar and give it a couple coats of Mod Podge to protect.
3. Let everything dry, and then fill with your pet's food and treats!

I love the way our new pet food containers look on top of the fridge! They make it feel much more organized and fun. Our pups, Bug and Peanut , agree that breakfast and dinner time are wayyy more fun now;)

This same technique would be great for cereals and snacks too! Even crafting or office supplies would do well to have lovely new storage containers like this, don't you think?

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