Junky fall mantel with... barbed wire?!?

While most of you would no doubt drool over priceless antiques, a chunk of barbed wire had me salivating during a recent junkin' trip.

Surprised?!? :)

Especially with fancy schmancy camera angles and against the right backdrop.. totally drool worthy material here.

Add a little rope, moss, leaves off the lawn and a scrumptious Jeanne Oliver burlap sack, and you have yourself a funky little fall wreath!

Nothing fancy here. Just a few old trinkets that offer the illusion like they were all discovered in an old quaint barn, long forgotten amongst the cobwebs and dust.

I didn't have any fall decor on hand, so I shopped the garage, yard and kitchen counter. Glad I bought that squash and never bothered to actually EAT it. :)

Nature knows no precision of layout or symmetry, so the leaves quell and fall wherever the wind may have blown them. Nor are they neatly book pressed. These are the real deal and the price was wonderful.

A rusty tool box with an 1849 light fixture shell provided some nice height and interest. I like how the round interacted with the rectangle.

And the light cover gave me the perfect opportunity to conjure up a pretend nest, seemingly vacated long ago before the frigid sharp winds kicked up.

Know what song kept running through my mind while I did this one up? 

"The north wind doth blow

And we shall have snow

And what will the  robin do then, 

Poor thing...

He'll sit in the barn

To keep himself warm

And hide his head under his wing

Poor thing." 

My mom use to sing that to me as a youngin'. :)

This kind of decor makes me think of my dad. I just close my eyes and vision and smell the old barns on our property that would creak and groan from the high winds of fall and winter. The sharp coldness would desperately try and get in however failed due to the hay insulating the buildings right to the ceiling. 

The barn kittens were nearly as toasty warm as a real crackling fire.

I didn't expect all these memories to hit today. I must be in a sentimental mood.

So this fits right in. Here's a little video slideshow I did with family farm memories. It was part of an entry in a contest on a tablescape feature in which I used the family farm sign. It was right after my mom passed away so it paid tribute to her at the time. 

"Remember When - Alan Jackson"

While I can't visit the farm any longer,  I can most certainly recreate it... my way. Right Mom and Dad?

Related posts:

Creating an old world stone fireplace

Creating an old gate for the (Christmas) fireplace mantel

A tablescape of memories (table made from our family farm sign) and video

Why I decorate like I do (farm inspired)

53 Days

Hello and Happy Halloween! Hope you had a wonderful day and evening! :) We had a great time chasing a very excited pirate around the neighborhood. And I ate a LOT of food. I mean. Lots.

Well, it’s about that time folks. It’s now November…uhhh, well it will be when most of you read this…so I’m allowed to say the “Christmas” word. I’ve actually been talking and thinking about it for a good month now, but November 1st gives me the go ahead to hide it no longer!

I’m freeeee!!

I’m a Christmas fareeek, so bear with me. And yes, I know a little holiday called Thanksgiving comes first, but I’m thankful every day, so I don’t get as excited about that one. :)

This time of year I’m always thinking about the countdown -- I love checking out all of the advent ideas out there. Because many of us love to DIY, I thought I’d share a few of my favorites (old and new) now so you’ll have plenty of time to get crafty. (OR pull out the bank card and order one – I feel ya.)

Click the pics to see more about each one!

Pottery Barn never fails with the countdowns – this snowman advent is too cute!:

The price is not…but there’s gotta be some way to DIY this! I just can’t think of one right this second. My mind is a mush of Halloween candy. :)

This one is adorable and could be knocked off for sure:

Felt cut into stockings and glued on – love it!

This is an oldie but goodie, and SO doable. I searched for mini buckets last year to do this one and couldn’t find what I wanted (for cheap). I even asked the folks at Logan’s Roadhouse and they wouldn’t sell me some – boo!:

Anyone seen mini buckets at a good price?

I love this advent pillow at Ballard Designs:

And I know some of you crafty chicks could pull this one off! I on the other hand, am still working on the sewing a straight line thing.

I found this one at Meijer the other day:

It’s just a round metal sheet and there’s a magnetic glass piece that goes over the numbers and magnifies them. I think it was $10? Super cute!

I’m always blown away with the handmade ideas I see every year. I used cardboard boxes, paper and stickers from the craft store to make these years ago:

They have held up great! I used to fill each one with small toys or treats, but we need more itty bitty toys in this house like we need a poke in the eye.

So I loved these simple activity cards with holiday themes instead:

Sooo doing this! Along with a few treats and toys…just a few. ;)

I’ve found a few more ideas on Pinterest over the past few weeks – love these little felt envelopes!:

Oh, they are too precious!

These Christmas trees are something different, and would be SO easy (and cheap!):

Wouldn’t they be fun across a mantel, in all different sizes? They’d have to be up high in this house – little hands wouldn’t be able to resist peeking underneath. :)

This one is simple and lovely:

Just clothes pins glued to a board, decorated with a bit of ribbon. Clip the little treats up each day – too sweet! I may have to try this one.

But my favorite yet is this idea:

OH my…the cuteness!! This one WILL happen at our house. Just adorable. And it doesn’t involve treats or presents…just one-on-one crafting time with the kiddos for a few minutes a day. LOVE.

Do you have a favorite advent or Christmas countdown tradition? I’d love to hear! If you’ve blogged about about one, feel free to leave a link in your comment. And I promise not to mention the C-word again for at least 24 hours.

:)

Happy Halloween

Have a Simply
Happy Halloween!

Coming Tomorrow!

To celebrate the release of the Holiday issue of House of Fifty, coming tomorrow, we have teamed up with Joss & Main for a curated sales event on their site. The inspiration for the event is a striking guest bedroom design featured in the new issue, with lots of great finds allowing one to replicate the look.

If you aren't already a member, here is an invite from House of Fifty. 

{And for House of Fifty readers, use code HOF1211 for $15 off your first purchase of $50 or more.}

Look for the curated event & the release of the House of Fifty holiday issue tomorrow!

Kim Zolciak hot in blue bikini

Matt Barnes Wallpapers 2011

Happy Halloween 2011 Wallpapers

happy halloween desktop wallpaper

happy halloween backgrounds

happy halloween banner

halloween wallpaper

halloween desktop

halloween desktop 2011

2012 halloween desktop

2011 Halloween

halloween desktop

2011 halloween pictures

We Are Happy Tonight

 

I'm sure you all know that I love snowmen.  This little guy is from JustRite and I added lots of die cuts.  Seems like everyone is loving creating cards with die cuts right now.  The stamped image is from the new JustRite "Blizzard Bunch Set".  It was colored with Copic markers, cut out with a Spellbinders oval Nestie and sponged with Distress Ink.  In fact, all ivory die cut pieces were sponged with "Tea Dye" Distress Ink.    The accent under the snowman was die cut using one of the Spellbinders "Floral Doily Motifs" dies.  The beautiful flourish at the top of the card is the Cheery Lynn "Victorian Romance Flourish" (DL151).  The snowflake up in the corner is layered - the larger snowflake is one of the Marianne Designs (LR0123) snowflakes (there are three in this package).  On top I added a Martha Stewart snowflake. This is a 5.5" x 6" card.  The designer paper used is from the Graphic 45 "Christmas Emporium" pad. 

Have you seen all the new Sizzix dies Joan's Gardens is now carrying?  This is the Tim Holtz Alterations "Holiday Lamppost" (657469) that Joan just received.  Isn't it beautiful.  The die includes the lamppost, the holly and the holly berries.  I distressed the bottom of the lamp post with the Cuttlebug "Distressed Stripes" embossing folder then used the "Delicata" Golden Glitz Pigment Ink pad to antique it.  This is a beautiful gold and perfect for using on your Christmas cards.  I put the holly leaves in the Sixxiz "Triad Leaves" embossing folder to give the leaves texture.  I sure use this embossing folder a lot, don't I!  The leaves were then sponged with brown ink.  A fine tip marker defined the 3 berries.  I wanted my lightpost to be "lit" so I added a piece of dark yellow card stock behind the light then used a "Quickie Glue" pen to scribble in glue and added some multicolored yellow (with a hit of wine) glitter.  This is something I have had for a long time.  To complete the card I added some snowflakes punched with one of the snow flake "Punch a Bunch" punches Joan and I use for creating some of our flowers.  Oh, can't forget the little bow to help make it more festive!

All these products can be purchased from Joan's Gardens.  If you don't see them on her site, please just ask her about them.

The Bagster Bag Bloggers Challenge~

A while back I was asked to participate in The Bagster® Bag Blogger Challenge.  


And what is a Bagster Bag  you may ask?  The Bagster® bag is a convenient choice for any home improvement project.  It is a highly durable, woven bag designed for disposing as much as 3,300 pounds of debris and is big enough to hold full sheets of plywood, doors and even a bathtub.  It's a perfect choice when you are tackling a home improvement project or just cleaning your yard etc.  You know those projects where your garbage can won't be enough, but you don't need a dumpster? In those cases, the Bagster® bag can be a convenient solution to your problem.

Since we are renting, home improvements are limited, so we chose to use our Bagster Bag to clean out our garage!  It worked perfectly.  And the innovative thing about Baster Bags is that once they are loaded full of your debris, you simply set up a pick up with Waste Management and they come with this nifty truck/crane thingy (yes, that is a technical term) and take the whole thing away.

All photos courtesy of Waste Management

Since many of you probably haven't heard of Bagster Bags, here are a few facts...

• Bagster bags can be purchased for $29.95 at more than 2000 locations across the country (check thebagster.com for a location near you.)
• There is a fee to have your Bagster bag picked up once you have filled it.  The fee ranges from $79 to $159 depending on your area which is 50-70% less than an average dumpster. (Pick up is not available in all areas, so make sure and check before you try to go this route.)
• The Bagster bag is intended for one time use.  The whole bag is taken away and disposed of, but there is discount for additional bags picked up at the same time.

I'll post more about our Bagster Bag adventure (and announce a giveaway courtesy of the good folks at Waster Management) on Wednesday!  So make sure and come back then!!

Waste Management partnered with bloggers such as me to participate in its The Bagster® Bag Blogger Challenge.  As part of the program, I received compensation.  They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products used for the The Bagster® Bag Blogger Challenge. Waste Management believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Waste Management’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

The Best Part of Halloween...

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds...the best part of Halloween, in my opinion!

Pumpkin seeds, fresh from the carved jack-o-lantern...

...covered in olive oil and sprinkled with salt.

Roast

Eat!

Happy Halloween