Crafting for Dummies || Valentine Wreath & Floral Arrangement

Happy Fri-yay!

Friends, if there is a n y t h i n g I've learned today it's that I'm terrible at tutorials (um um um...& always at a loss for the right descriptive words-but, what's new!? ha!) 🙈

Seriously, the sound of my voice + my accent is equal to the sound of fingernails scratching a chalkboard.  BUT, I don't really care!  If you can bear with me through that, I think this may be helpful should you want to make a wreath or floral arrangement for yourself.  

I love crafting & I love sharing it here as I can.  I've come to love when others share their ideas visually as it helps give me a better idea of what I'm doing.  So that's just what this little video does plus an awkward zoom- okay, let's just say I've got a lot of learning to do: 😉

Materials:

Found at Hobby Lobby for 50% off, but I'm certain you can find similar materials at Walmart & other stores with crafting/floral supplies!

Grapevine Wreath $3.99

Tulip bouquets x 2 (white + pink) $7.99

Eucalyptus/mayyyybe lambs ear (doesn’t specify) Garland $9.99

=one matching wreath + floral arrangement (could do a large & small if prefer)

To recap...

1.  Lay grapevine wreath flat on table.

2.  Cut small pieces of the eucalyptus greenery off & tuck into the wreath.  

Make sure to use an odd number of stems!  Don’t forget to leave enough for your floral arrangment--

*I ended up having lots of leftover to put in the wreath!

3.  Grab your hot glue gun & began to warm, cut tulips of close to the bloom.  Create a generous dot & glue bloom to wreath.  I alternated the pink & white colors & fluffed the bloom as I went. (see tutorial)

4.  Wa-lah!  Crafting for Dummies👊🏼🤓

All in a mornings work.  Wishing you all a fun weekend celebrating💕🌷💕

October Countdown + Favorite Small Business Giveaway

 Happy 1st Week of October, friends!

I know that in the violent events our world has experienced over the past couple of years, we need a ray of sunshine here & there to sidetrack us from all the sadness in the media, especially this week.  Despite all that has went on, we have to look above & know that it is all in His hands.  My heart goes out to all the families who have lost loved ones in the most recent Las Vegas tragedy & to the people who are so troubled that they would commit such an horrific act of hatred such as this.



  October.  One of my favorite months of the year.  I already feel more cozy & snug as the leaves change their colors & the weather cools down (somedays).  In honor of this month, I put together two things...

1.  A printable "Fun in October Countdown."

and

2.  My last small business Fall giveaway! 

What is a "Fun in October Countdown?" you might ask.  Well, let me share more! 

I looked up some of the favorite October/fall related things & put them all in a word document that you can access below.  I sent mine to Office Depot to have them print it out  on cardstock and laminate it for me so it will last for years to come. 

The boys & I are putting all the fun "to do's" in a hat & drawing one each day.  We draw two (one for each kid) & pick the one we think we'd like to do for the day.  Some are really simple like, "High Five A Scarecrow" & others may take a little more planning like "make a soup."  Some you'll want to save for special dates like, "Go Trick or Treating!"  (which is why you draw two;).  When we finish the little "to do", we put it in our October countdown calendar on the corresponding day we did it!

You can totally do your own, too!  I just thought I'd share because I would have loved to have printed one somewhere else without having to go in and look all this up & make my own document at midnight.  But NOW, we have some fun fall things to do every evening!  I know some evenings we need a little fun after school or before bed & these are just the things to inspire us & make the most of October!  I'd love to hear if you have some suggestions! 

Find the list here! 😉

 XXX

And now, Giveaway Time!

A little for the mama & a little for the baby. 

I'm hoping this sweet giveaway will add to all the fall fun at your home.  I have four sweet businesses that I love, that have donated a little something special for my readers. 



one. This (2T-Youth XL) sweet baseball tee from the Etsy shop, Ashers Ally! 

 You may have seen Conley wearing his sweet fun little skeleton "I've got this feeling...inside my bones" shirt.  We LOVE that song...& we love Halloween.  A little from the shop owner, Ally:



"  I have always been creative so I decided why not spread the love lol, cheesy but true. I opened in 2016, did it for a few months then decided to close while we moved back to GA from Washington state, my husband is in the military & I was pregnant.  I planned on reopening after my daughter was born, which I did & stayed open for a couple months until I accepted that I had PPD & took a month off. Now I've been back open a month and feeling/doing better than ever. I named my shop after my first born Asher (I'm a total boy mom). Once I get an order I try and have it shipped out as soon as possible. I love doing this, making things for others. I love knowing that my designs are being worn all over the USA! God sure has blessed me with this 😊 "

two. A handmade stuffed squirrel (whose soft fluffy tail is to DIE for) from Mila's Zoo, check out her instagram!  It is always making me laugh-I love how she interprets animals & people into stuffed things to love.  This sweet squirrel is oh so sweet & cuddly, the perfect animal for your baby to love this fall.  Her creation process takes 4-5 weeks after ordered, so this is a great find as the sweet little buddy is ready to be shipped as soon as the winner is announced next week!

three. where my coffee lovers at?  This campfire mug by the Savi Design will most likely become your most favorite mug to sip coffee out of this fall.  This "hello pumpkin" mug is the perfect shade of orange & white with black specs to evoke a sense of Fall AND Halloween. 

A little from Hillary, the shop owner:

 "The Savi Design" mainly started out as a hobby. When I was little I did calligraphy and just got away from it. But then, in 2015, I got engaged and decides to pick up calligraphy and lettering again so I could DIY some place cards, mirrors, etc in my own wedding. Then I did some stuff for family and friends and decided etsy would be a fun place to share my lettering and signs with others! "

four. This fun 6 feet Orange + Black Halloween felt ball garland by The Fickled Felt Tree, my favorite little shop to buy festive garland from! 



Chance are, if you have ever read one of my holiday home posts, you've seen Brittany Peterson's work!  I think I string them everywhere & they bring such fun colors in our holiday decorations for every season!



Here's a little about Brittany:

When The Fickle Felt Tree was started in 2012 felt ball garlands were just starting in other countries and TFFT shop was the pioneer shop in the U. S. A. TFFT shop has been featured in MARTHA STEWART WEDDING MAGAZINE, DISNEY BABY BLOG and many other wonderful blogs. All orders are shipped out within three business days. There are many color combos available in the shop but if you'd like something different than what you see, Brittany, the owner is more than happy to customize any garland for you. She loves seeing pictures of her garlands and felt flowers from her customers! The garlands are so versatile that people use them in so may different ways. Her products are well made and can be used year after year. Brittany has been married for almost thirteen years and is a busy mother of four young children from Las Vegas.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway Good luck, sweet friends!

I'll be announcing the winner next Monday!

As soon as the winner is announced, I'll be emailing you & getting your information for these sweet shops.

Give these girls a follow on Etsy for extra entries:)

15 Things to Consider When Decorating for Fall🍂

Do you ever find yourself in a decorating rut?  Especially when the stores start sharing all their new holiday items & you feel like you need everything!  All the things!!? 


 Well, I'm no expert, but I am a normal person, (*unless you want to add scatter brained run dry mommy) with a normal home that isn't picture perfect all the time.  If you're looking for a home that is, you've come to the wrong place.  Our sweet space is kid-friendly (except for the felt letterboard...they mess it up everyday) & very lived in!  One of my favorite things is playing around with our house, e s p e c I a l l y around the holidays🎃🍁🦃🎄

I don't know about you guys, but sometimes, I find the things I like clashing & being ALL over the place.  I love industrial, farm house, boho, transitional...the list could go on all day.  Things like this can drive a girl crazy.  And then throw in holiday decorations?  
Forget it.

Though, that's right up my alley & I'm always up for the challenge.

However, not all people are & if all else fails, & you need some help, check out Havenly.com.   You can even take a quiz & find a designer to match your personal style for a little extra help!  Whether it be for a holiday project or the design of the entire room-you can get style advice, product recommendations, or the full out design WORKS...they've got ya covered. 

Here are a few things I've learned or loved over the years:

1. Find a style & stick to it! I make this mistake so many times. I love so many interior styles, that I often have a weird mixture of things that do not complement one another as they should. When I reel myself in & focus, that's when I see magic happen.  But most of all, I seem to find the biggest statements are in simplicity & balance.

2. Halloween or fall? Personally, I love both. So much so, that I decided to separate the two this year! I always do both together...but I always find that I feel like everything is clashing.  So this year...I'm trying "Fall-y things" for September & the beginning of November & Halloween in October. That way I'm constantly changing things up & nothing gets boring- & there isn't one holiday that gets "more love" than the other.

3. Establish a color scheme. Colors are also strategic in design. I love neutral walls as they compliment any color palette I dream up. For fall, I am personally sticking to bright pumpkin orange, olive green, shade of teal, & bronzy golds.  Right now, my inspiration comes from my front porch wreath.

4. Add personal touches & memories to evoke nostalgia. I cover my home in seasonal pictures to take me back to those sweet times that make this time of year so special to me.  I challenge myself to add to those memories with the current memories we are making.  Pictures, though my home is still in the beginning stages of decorating, (all in time is a hard concept🙈) are one of my favorite ways to decorate as it makes it that much more personable.  

5.  Let your kids add a little something special to their room or corner.  I always joke & say I'm raising mini Clarks (for those who aren't Christmas Vacation fans...I'm referring to Clark Griswold), but it really adds to their excitement & let's them feel a part of the fun.  And just for the record...it doesn't have to be much.  The Target dollar bins are gold...these little garlands were $3.

Cam's Spider Shelf

garland

And Cam's "Pider" lights on his tee pee.



6.  Fall scents & pumpkin everything.  This is a given.  Cinnamon.  Nutmeg.  Cloves.  Cardamom.  Pumpkin.  Candles, air fresheners, or oils...what ever your preference. It just sets the mood!

7.  Mix textures.  I love smooth, rough, shiny, dull, bumpy.  You name it & it makes the space pop!

8.  Words.  I love any opportunity to add a quote or a few words that inspire during a particular time of year.  Whether it be chalk board, magnets, or letter boards.  If you get bored with it, you can switch it up in no time.

9. Have I mentioned garlands yet?  I have a problem.

garland

10. Use your kids art work!  Let them know you are proud of their hard work.  I have a little magnet board in our "mud room" that we switch up just about every week;)
11.  Integrate recipes & seasonal foods or drinks.  I love the thought of displaying fall/Halloween cookbooks in the kitchen & I try to add an easy seasonal favorite drink close by.  For winter-hot chocolate, summer-lemonade, & now, for fall-Russian tea! 

12.  Coffee bar.  Because, coffee is such a seasonal thing- you really have no excuse but to make it a festive little area.  Again, I reference the Target dollar bin.  But they always have such fun things for a coffee bar.  The dollar store is great here, too!

13. Fresh Flowers of the season.  If you know me, you know I love a fresh vase of flowers.  These bring in those jewel tones of fall from my wreath!

14.  Fall playlist, AC up (if you live in the South), fire ablaze.  Perfect fall day ;). Even if it is in the 80's!😝

garland
15. Treasure those old pieces. I've been on a purge in my closet lately, but I can't do that with my holiday things. You may get bored with some things-but remember how many years you have been through with that piece! That will mean something one day:). I know it takes me back when I see a piece from my childhood still used to decorate to this day at my moms or nanas. Ahhhhh, sweet memories are everything!💕

Shh-wew!

How's that for a Monday post?

Have a wonderful week, sweet friends!

It's beginning to look a lot like...September

It's no secret that I love Christmas around here. And fall. And Halloween. And Thanksgiving. 🎅🏻

So as you can imagine, I am annoyingly giddy this time a year.

And so are my children. I joke all the time about how I am raising mini Clarks, but I'm pretty sure that's a fact. We've had Christmas lights strung to our bed at my moms house (we are there 3 nights a week for my job right now) for a month now as a night light. 

To top that... last night, Cam ask if we could put up a Christmas tree....

 "Not yet," I said, & yes...I was subconsciously thinking-W H O are you??  
That is until inspiration struck the next morning as I had to make a quick trip to the Dollar Store before work. 

You know I had to stop by the holiday section.🤓

🚦Orange lights. Leaves. Scare crows.

We'll make a fall tree! (And a Halloween tree for October...but that's besides the point)...☝🏻

My mom gave us her black tree she bought back about three years ago-if you don't have a gracious giver with an extra tree, I'd try looking at a thrift store!  Or-you know what I'm going to say...the dollar store😉.  I hear they are stocking Christmas this time of year, anyway!  Back to the fall things...I bought all of this for about 15.00 ( actually, a little less!). 

 Yes, it's a very simple concept and a very simple tree.  If I would have wanted to spend a fortune it could have been a gorgeous & elaborate tree. But that's not what I was after. I was after simple, basic, and fun.  Because in all honesty---this is a glorified night light😂

And just like that, we put our fall playlist on & started stringing our $6.00 lights!

  I cut up the $3.00 garland into small sections to make the most of it & then we topped it with our sweet $5.00 scarecrow💛.  

It made for a fun evening & a festive "night light" that will last until we're ready to transform it into a Halloween tree👻.  Not to mention, this will just be another fun tradition we can keep from year to year (while putting off our itch to decorate a Christmas tree a little longer).  

*I hope my Mr. isn't reading this...if so, all of this was a great investment to this weeks budget😁

Happy decorating, friends!