The Star Ring Story
I shared this star ring story on my Instagram stories a few weeks ago. It had such an outsized response that I decided it needed to be written down somewhere permanently. Here’s that story. On a rainy Tuesday morning, I found myself doing something I hadn’t done in probably 20 years. I warily stepped foot back into a high school gym. It was pretty much as I remembered it: that elusive smell with undertones of body odor, the squeak of shoes on the floor, the marks on the walls from errant balls, and so many backpacks everywhere. Never mind that I did not attend this particular high school. It’s just…
Happy List: #231
Hello! It’s good to meet you back here for another edition of the Happy List! I hope your week has gone well. This week on the blog I shared how to make Brass Pumpkins. I also revealed our Halloween mantel. My kids still get a kick out of having the house, or in this case, one wall, decorated for Halloween. If you don’t follow along with us on Instagram or Facebook stories, please join us there! That’s where all the stuff in between the blog posts happens. Also, here’s your weekly reminder if you create something that makes you happy however big or small, please tag me! I really do love…
Halloween Mantel With a DIY Witch’s Broom
Hello you gorgeous ghouls and goblins! Let’s dish on all things Halloween mantel and DIY Witch’s Broom related. Do you have a mantel decorated for Halloween this year? I wasn’t going to do any Halloween decorating because I just wasn’t feeling it, but then Handy Husband tossed some proverbial inspiration in the wood chip pile and I dove in right after it. That sentence didn’t make any sense, did it? Let me back up my broomstick and let you hop on for a ride. A few weeks ago Handy Husband was trimming brush and tossed the coolest-looking stick in the pile to be woodchipped. Noooooo!!! I need that!!! It really…
How to Make a DIY Brass Pumpkin
I’ve found a gap in the decorative pumpkin market (gasp!), so today we are remedying that and I’ll show you how to create a DIY Brass Pumpkin. Move over, sweater pumpkins! This brass pumpkin is going to take over the world! What?!? It could happen. Here’s how to DIY a Brass Pumpkin: DIY Brass Pumpkin Step #1: Start with a rectangle of thin brass sheeting. Thin brass sheeting is available from Amazon. Once you buy a roll of this stuff, you’ll be hooked. It’s a gateway to all sorts of crafting shenanigans. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I purchased this particular roll of brass sheeting. It is 1000mm long,…
Mid October Break
Hey folks! I’m taking a mid-October blog break because rest is important. Handy Husband and the kids are off of school and work parts of this week for Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day. I’m joining them in doing…I’m not sure what. Ha! I’m sure it will be fabulous though. If you’d like something to read from the archives, I suggest one of the following: Travel: Opus 40 in New York (The Opus 40 folks shared what I wrote when it was published.) How to Fix the Waistband “Gap” of Your Jeans Turn Old Board Games Into Coasters I’ll see you back here next week with fresh, new blog posts.…
Happy List: #230
Welcome to the Happy List! I hope your October is off to a good start! This week on the blog I shared some plans for the backyard. Do I know what will happen back there? No, but a girl can dream. I also shared my recent obsession with pressed flower art. There are so many cool possibilities! On a housekeeping note, I *think* I fixed two blog things this week. First, if you are signed up on my email list to receive reminders when I publish a new blog post, those should be back in your inbox now. Check your spam folder. If you’d like to sign up to receive these…
In Praise of Pressed Flower Art
Pressed flower art has been around forever! Well, maybe not forever, but at least since the 1500s. So, close enough? Artists in Japan used pressed flowers as their medium for creating large-scale artwork in the 1500s. As trade between nations expanded, the practice eventually gained favor in England and the United States. Like any type of art, pressed flower art has trended in and out of style. Is it trendy now? Who knows? Who can keep up? Who wants to? Make what you like. Buy what you like. The end. I recently had the most enjoyable experience making actual pressed flower art for my home. It turned out as delicate…
Built-In Stone Bench Ideas for our Backyard
If I was going to rank backyard landscaping features on their coolness factor, a built-in stone bench around a firepit would be near the top of the list. Not to mention, it’s an introvert’s type of landscaping. I want you to be comfortable enough, feel welcomed, and have the best time, but I don’t want you to feel so comfortable that you stay forever. Hahahaha! But, seriously, I need my sleep. We have a spot in our backyard that would be the perfect place to add a built-in stone bench. In the below photo, it’s the spot to the right of the wood steps. There’s already a rock wall there.…
Happy List: #229
Happy first day of October! Welcome to the Happy List! This week on the blog I shared our not quite fall front porch. I sit out there every morning while the kids wait for the school bus and it is lovely. I also finally shared the photos of our newly painted Carriage House. If you follow along with us on Instagram or Facebook stories, you’ll know that’s where the project sneak peeks happen because I can’t help myself! Also, here’s your weekly reminder if you create something I should see, please tag me! I really do love to see what you are making. Instead of the circle of life, it is…
Check Out Our Newly Painted Carriage House
Cue the celebratory dancing because I am beyond excited to be able to share our newly painted Carriage House on the blog today! I’m still pinching myself because the transformation, thanks to paint, was so dramatic. I hate to use the cliched phrase “the power of paint,” but I haven’t come up with a better alternative phrase! The power of paint is next level on this project. But first! What is a Carriage House? It sounds so fancy, doesn’t it? Trust me – ours is not at all fancy. Originally, a carriage house would have been a building to store a horse-drawn carriage and the related horse tack. It could…
