Heart Leaf Art

Valentine's Day is just a few days away and I just can't stop my brain from working on heart shapes. I've had a whole slew of dried leaves hanging around since last June when I decided to press a bunch from my Forest Pansy Red Bud. At that time, I announced my intention to use them for something Valentine's related. Then, in the Fall, I decided that I wanted to paint some of them. I liked those results, but still wanted to use the natural leaves this season.

I found a $3 red frame last week when I was out shopping with Jellybean (the best shopping buddy ever) and decided that I'd go ahead and frame my collection of leaves. After a bit of arranging and rearranging, this is what I came up with.

Total cost: $3.53 + tax (the $.53 was for the scrapbook paper background). Not so Valentine's specific that I can't keep it up on the mantel all year. Those leaves are so pretty, I'll have to be sure and press more of them this next Summer.

Have a Happy Day!

~MJ

Raking Leaves

We finally got to raking the leaves over the weekend.  Well, I should say that D raked the leaves, the kids played and I took pictures.

10 bags of leaves from just our front yard. Could have been worse I suppose. Still, it was a big job, well done. 

Have a Happy Day!

~MJ

Ridiculously Easy Fall Wreath

I realize that most people in the blog world have already completely skipped over Thanksgiving and are moving onto Christmas. But you know what? It's still a few days before Thanksgiving and I'm not ready to move on just yet.

Well, it's a good thing that I'm not ready to move on. It makes me feel justified in pulling out a Fall wreath idea from last year and posting it in lieu of anything more exciting.

Last year, I needed some quick mantel decor, so I purchased a bag of pine cones and whatever those pumpkin things are, cut out a cardboard form and then hot glued the whole thing together. How's that for a lazy wreath?  The best part is that I purchased the pinecones so close to Thanksgiving that they were 50% off. So the wreath cost me less than $5. Not bad for DIY decor that will be pulled out every year.

On another note, I fear that my blogging will not be as consistent over the next little while. My ultra favorite pregnancy symptom has reared its ugly head: Restless Leg Syndrome.  While my morning sickness seems to be diminishing, my restless legs are making my nights pretty difficult. I wake up in the mornings feeling like I've been running all night long. If only I were getting some health benefit... Here's to hoping that it will pass quickly and not last for the rest of the pregnancy.

Have a Happy Day!

~MJ

Thanksgiving Place Cards

When I was putting together my Fall Leaf Ornaments, I got thinking of different ways that I could work on the leaf theme with my clay.  My sister-in-law gave me some large leaf cookie cutters for my birthday, so I decided to work with those to create some Thanksgiving dinner place cards.

I just used the same process as I used with the ornaments and then spray painted a strip of chalkboard paint through the center.  These are easily re-useable from year to year, plus, your guests can wipe off their names and write something they are thankful for on their leaf during dinner.  I also thought that these could easily double as coasters.

We are looking forward to Thanksgiving here. I can't believe it's only a few days away. I guess it's time to get ready...

Have a Happy Day!

~MJ

Fall Leaf Ornaments

I decided to get out the polymer clay again (here's what I did with it the first time) and do a little project for Fall. I actually started two projects at the same time, so here's the first one: Fall Leaf Ornaments.

I decided to use these as ornaments for my Thanksgiving tree, but these could just as easily become necklaces, gift tags or (if you leave off the hole for stringing) brooches.

I pulled out my new leaf shaped cookie cutters (mini and regular sized). I wish I had checked to make sure that all of the clay was good. The burgundy clay I'm working above was terribly dry. It really gave my fingers a workout. None of the other packages were as stiff, thank goodness.  It still worked though. I used 4 tongue depressors to control the thickness of the clay while I rolled. Then I used a toothpick to draw in the design and put in the hole for stringing.

I also have some small letter stamps that I put to use.

Once the clay was all cut out and ready, I put them in the oven (per package directions) to harden.

After the leaves cooled, I pulled out some acrylic paint and a paint brush. I painted each shape, allowed it to mostly dry and then took a damp cloth and rubbed off the excess paint from the surface. Then I strung each leaf with some yarn.

I probably will need to make a few more leaves to fill out the tree, but these four definitely add some personality to the branches.   Next week I'll show you what I was doing with the larger leaves.

Have a Happy Day and a Great Weekend, too.

~MJ

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Halloween Craft: Salt Dough Ghosts

For my birthday, last month, my awesome sister gave me all the ingredients to make some salt dough. With it she printed out this great idea from Family Fun for salt dough ghosts. I thought it would be a fun craft to do with my children on the day before Halloween.

It was a fun craft, unfortunately, I was the only one into actually making the ghosts.  Buddy decided that he wasn't interested in salt dough and Jellybean decided to work on her own projects. This included smashing two of my already created ghosts... Anyway, I had fun, Jellybean kept busy and I like my little "ghosties."

Here they are being created:

Jellybean working on her own project with some Halloween cookie cutters:

And then the ghosts after their short stint in the microwave, cooled and faces added:

While alive, two of these ghosts were sumo wrestlers. Can't you tell?

I don't know how these will hold up, but they will be adorable in my Halloween mantel next year if they are still in one piece. I love the additional craft idea my sister gave me for some spooky paper bag trees. Would be so cute with the ghosts in a Halloween table display.

If you are looking for a ridiculously easy Halloween craft today, this might be the ticket.

Have a Happy Day!

~MJ

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Wings- Halloween Costume Part 2

A little bit ago, I posted about the beginnings of my daughter's owl costume. Part 1 was the owl hat. It took me a while to get around to part 2, but I finally managed it. Wings! I pulled my inspiration from here (one of my favorite blogs). That link will take you to some other tutorials for this fun project.

I will say that while sewing the wings probably would have been the best method, I just could never find the time nor the gumption to sit down at my machine, so I pulled out my magic hot-glue gun and had at it. It seems to have done the trick with a whole lot less pinning.

The good news is that my little owl loves her wings! Plus, I accidentally made them just a little big, so she'll have plenty of time to grow into them. I made the top binding long so that I could tie it to her wrists, but because the wings are a bit large, she is just holding on to the ties for now. I'll probably attach a small loop of elastic that will slip over her thumbs until her arms are a little longer.

I'll be honest, I'm 14 weeks pregnant. I'm tired and I'm sick, so it makes me really proud to have actually accomplished this project. I'm hoping she'll get a lot of use out of her wings.

Have a Happy Day!

~MJ

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Simple Craft: Halloween Silhouettes

With 7 days left before the holiday, I'm still making some additions to my Halloween decor. I've been wanting to add a little more decoration to our mantel, so I thought I'd create some Halloween silhouettes.  It turned out to be a really simple and fun craft. It was also a great project to do during nap time.

Materials:
Glass frames (I found mine for $5 a piece at Michael's)
Textured fabric like burlap or cross stitching material.
Hot glue gun
Sharpie
Printed image to copy for the silhouette.

 I found a couple of images online that I liked and printed them off.  There are tons of Halloween silhouettes available online.
I took the glass out of my frames, positioned it over the silhouette and then just copied the image straight to the glass using my sharpie.

When I was done copying the image, I hot glued the fabric to the backing in the frame, then laid the glass on top of the fabric. At that point, I could see if there were any spots I had missed and I filled them in.
I actually left the sharpied image facing out. It gives the impression of it floating away from the background a bit.

I really like the way they turned out. They are super simple, but give a fun Halloween flair to the mantel.

It will be fun to bring them out again year after year.

Have a Happy Day!

~MJ

Barnyard Boo

My kids and I took a trip to Farm Country for the annual Barnyard Boo this last week. We thought opening day would be majorly crowded. It turned out that we were first in line.
Here's Buddy and Jellybean, don't they look excited?

We got the pony rides out of the way at the beginning. Look at my cowgirl and cowboy:

Jellybean is riding Chief and Buddy is riding Erica. They were good ponies. This was the first time in a saddle for both of my kids. They were a bit nervous about it.

We were at a barnyard, there were a lot of animals to look at, but there were also tons of games set up for the kids. So, the poor animals didn't get much love. Buddy and Jellybean enjoyed a game of croquet and an obstacle course instead.

They both had fantastic technique (we had to let all of the other kids play through while they figured things out).

The hurdles were a bit tricky, but look at that form.

My sister-in-law joined us with her two girls. Buddy's cousin, A, is his best friend.  We enjoyed some more games and a horse-drawn cart ride with them.

Then we decided it was time to put the kids in jail:

Only A was properly contrite.

It was a good time, one that Buddy has been waiting all year for. Looks like we'll be first in line next year as well.

Have a Happy Day!

~MJ

Painting Spider Webs

I've seen some great glass painting projects on the web lately. After a little research on how it is done, I decided that I wanted to give a spooky update to the lantern I bought last Spring.  I was going to be more ambitious and do our front windows, but I'm afraid that will have to wait until next year.

My poor little air plant bit the dust a few weeks ago. Turns out, that if you go a couple of days too long and forget to water it, it will shrivel up and die. Sad.

First, I cleaned the glass on the lantern. Then I got out some black, water-based, acrylic paint and a thin Golden Taklon brush and set to work.  Half way through my first web, I decided that I didn't like how it was going. So, I just used some glass cleaner and wiped the paint right off of the glass. Apparently, when the season is over, all that I'll need to do is soak the paint with water and then use a credit card to scrape it from the glass. I hope it works as well as it is supposed to.

It was a fun addition to our Halloween decor. I'm almost thinking of going overboard and painting our mirrors as well...

Have a Happy Day!

~MJ

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Destination Craft: Cutsey Monday

Wow Me Wednesday

Three Non-Spooky Halloween Book Picks

My son is obsessed with Halloween. It is his very favorite holiday. He loves spooky books, but those aren't always my speed or his sister's speed. Luckily, we have managed to find a few favorites that everyone can appreciate.  Here are my top three non-spooky Halloween book picks:

1. Ghosts in the House by Kazuno Kohara

The ghosts that live in this haunted house are easily tamed by the little witch that moves in. She makes quick work and uses these happy little ghosts for her own purposes. Ghosts make great drapes by the way.  The illustrations really set this cute, simple story line apart. The dramatic orange, black and white drawings are wonderful. It is a great read-aloud and both of my kids (2 1/2 and 4 1/2) have requested it over and over again.

2. H is for Haunted House by Tanya Lee Stone

A sweet alphabet book with a simple rhyme and cute illustrations.  I love how it uses potentially scary elements (neighbors dressed as scary things), but manages to make them light and fun. The costumes, trick-or-treating and the school party are all happy. This is a nice compromise for my kids. Buddy has preferred Y is for Yowl (another alphabet book, but decidedly scarier). Jellybean and I enjoy this one a bit more (I like reading it aloud a lot more) and Buddy still loves the alphabet element.

3. The Skeleton in the Closet by Alice Schertle

This is probably our all-time favorite non-spooky Halloween book. We read it all year round. The story is done beautifully in rhyme and makes a perfect read-aloud. The little boy in the story hears a knock at the door and discovers a skeleton has come to visit. He worries that the skeleton has sinister intentions, but then discovers that he is just in need of some clothes. My kids love the moment when the skeleton is fully revealed: completely non-threatening and even a bit silly looking. The author does a great job of building the tension and then releasing it so that my kids are all giggles by the end. I have read this enough times that I have the entire book memorized, yet I still want to pull it out and read it again. The bad news is that this title is out of print. The good news is that there are used copies for sale out there. Definitely snatch one up (or a few for gifts). You won't be sorry.

Have a Happy Day!

~MJ

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Come Walk With Us...

I love Autumn afternoons when the weather is cool, but still warm enough for a walk around the neighborhood.

We take these walks almost daily this time of year. I love the little moments of learning that happen on a simple afternoon walk. This is what we learned today:

First lesson: It's really annoying when you want to tell your mother something and she keeps taking photos with her cell phone.

Second lesson: If you are looking for kitty cats, you have to look in all kinds of places.

Keep your eyes peeled, you'll find one when you least expect it. (Yes, my son does point at things with his middle finger. Why do you ask?)

Third lesson: The neighbors have some really awesome decorations up this time of year.  My kids were left wondering: What is up with our parents and their sad excuse for porch decor?

Fourth lesson: Bouncy balls bounce really well on the side walk, but they don't bounce on grass (for some undecipherable reason). Jellybean found it best to experiment on this lesson multiple times.

Fifth lesson: If you are letter obsessed, like Buddy, you will find many a crack in the side walk to contemplate and assign a likeness to.

Sixth lesson: Dandelions are fun to pick and are "soft like a kitty." It's also fun to blow their fluff, but not so fun to lick them. (Last part not pictured, as I was too busy digging dandelion fluff out of Jellybean's mouth. By the way, it's not the first time she has learned this lesson.)

Yep, we are looking forward to more walks and more lessons in the coming days before the weather gets too cold.

Have a Happy Day!

~MJ

Sweet Halloween Treat: Ghosts in the Graveyard

Wow, two recipe posts in two days! My sister-in-law made the cutest Halloween treat for our Sunday family get-together, so I had to share.  We were celebrating my nephew's birthday and it was so fun to have a sweet treat.  She got the idea courtesy of Kraft and mustered her creativity. I do believe that the substitution of Milano cookies was pure genius.  Didn't she do a great job?

Buddy checking it out.

My mother took one look at the dessert and called me over to take photos for the blog. (Thanks, Mom!) It is such a fun idea for a seasonal dessert.  Plus, it's easy and delicious.
I'm pretty sure my nephew was happy about it, too:

He was hamming it up during the birthday song.

Here's the link to the Kraft Ghosts in the Graveyard recipe.

Have a Happy Day!

~MJ