Come on in from the cold

Hey, there....hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving! Unfortunately, I spent most of mine under the weather and am still on the mend. Here's hoping for a better go-'round on the next holiday. I didn't consume nearly as many cups of cheer as I'd hoped.....; )

Since we are getting close to the dearth of winter, I dug up one of my rosemary plants before a killing frost this fall. The others I dried, but this one got potted up.

In the past, when I've done this, I've had trouble with the leaves turning brown and dropping. No sign of that yet with this one.


*fingers crossed* 


I so love having this plant inside...the smell is heavenly!

Pillow recovery--tutorial

Hope all of you are ready for the gastronomic greatness that is Thanksgiving...if you are traveling, safe travels!

You may or may not know that I am new-ish at sewing. I took a class at the craft store a year ago and I am so glad I did. I've had a lot of fun with lots of projects...perhaps I'll feature all of them in a post in the near future. : )

Well, for one of my projects, I was inspired by this......

Our wonderful almost seven year old dog, Chessie, is responsible for that. And that's the pillow insert. I threw away the pillow cover before thinking of taking a pic of that. She does this when we have babysitters over at the house with the kids. I don't know why she has to be so naughty!!! She's perfectly fine when it's just us.


Who would think this cutie could be capable of that??

Well, she did. And so we invested in a muzzle.....: ) Just for when we have the sitters. The pillow put me over the edge.

So, I hand-stitched the pillow insert and decided to make a pillow cover. My mom had given me two old shower curtains she had and the fabric would work well with my other pillows.


I've been using a tutorial here for envelope-back pillow covers. The only thing you have to do is adjust their measurements to the size you have. I really like the envelope back, since they're easy to make and easy to remove to wash (definitely necessary when you have kids!).


I started by washing and drying them, then ironing my fabric.

I used my rotary cutter and mat to measure out the fabric. Basically, you will have the width of the pillow on one side and the other side will be the length of the pillow, plus 4-6 extra inches to make the overlap part of the envelope back on each side. My pillow was 18", so I measured 18"x 36".

Then, I folded over and ironed the ends that would be making the envelope back. These will be the only seams showing on the outside. You fold over twice and iron...then run that through the sewing machine to prevent fraying.

You then lay your fabric out and you measure in from the ends, depending on your pillow size. Make sure you lay the fabric with right side up, since eventually we will turn it right side out (you will be making it inside out). For mine, I measured in 11" from both ends and marked with a pin....the tutorial has a nice diagram. This will be the spot where the fabric folds over to make the front and the back.

 Here is what it looks like with both sides folded over, before sewing the ends closed.

You run each end through the machine. I do mine twice to make sure they will stand up to dog and kids. Once you have done that, you will turn out the corners.

Here you can see the back of envelope and the corner.

And...the finished pillow.

Much better than a chewed-up pillow, huh?

Party Time......

Time Travel Thursday at The Brambleberry Cottage

Fridays Unfolded at Stuff and Nonsense

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Show and Share Day at Just a Girl

Simply Creations Link Party at Simple Home Life

Addicts (not so) Anonymous Addicted to Decorating

Sunday Showcase Party at Under the Table and Dreaming

Project Parade at The DIY Showoff

Creative Bloggers' Party and Hop at Homemaker on a Dime

Tip-Toe Thru Tuesday at Crayon Freckles

Sunday Shake-up at Jacque's Soda Parlor

Fabulous Friday at Ohh Baby
Pinspirational Thursday at The Artsy Girl Connection
Make the Scene Monday at Alderberry Hill
Sunday Salvation at Sassafras Salvation
Tuesday Talent Show at Chef n Training

Natural elements wreath

Last weekend, I did one last fall craft....I've had this grapevine wreath for a long time and I haven't known quite what I wanted to do with it.

But when I found some seedpods on the ground outside of my classroom last week and I thought they would look great on a wreath.....

So, I started with this.....

I also had some fall-ish beads....

I used my wire clippers to cut the small stems of beads off the larger stem. Then, I used my glue gun to attach the beads and the seedpods to the wreath.

I have no idea from what tree those seedpods come, I just thought they'd look neat!

I really like the look of a wreath over a mirror and it adds a seasonal touch to that wall. I have seen some cool fall wreaths that have feathers in them.....so I may add those next year!

That's it for fall this year....which is good, since we got a jump on the Christmas decorating this weekend. : )

Going bananas for pancakes

I would have to say that I am pretty much a utilitarian cook....I don't mind cooking and I enjoy making tasty dinners and dishes. But....I am not a person who tries new recipes constantly or likes to experiment in the kitchen. ; )

I do like to make pancakes for the kids on weekends. I make them from scratch, since I don't keep pancake mix on hand. The recipe is not that hard and you can customize it! 

We usually add white chocolate chips to pancakes...but last weekend, we added banana, since I had an old, ripe banana that needed to be used up. Usually for me, a good excuse to make banana bread, but I decided to go with banana pancakes. I'll list the recipe below....plus, I have some tips I've learned that make pancake time go much more smoothly!

First, I mix up the ingredients. No need to use a mixer--a few lumps are fine.

Okay, not the ripest banana ever, but still needed to be eaten! I mashed it up and added it to the batter.

Here is one of the tips I've picked up.....to keep the pancakes from sticking, use a paper towel with some oil (olive or other) soaked into it. Wipe it onto the heated skillet or griddle between each round.

Look for bubbles to flip.

You can also put the oven on warm and keep the cooked pancakes on a plate in there if you would like to serve all of the pancakes at the same time.

Pancakes are also a great excuse for sprinkes....my kids like sprinkles on top. I think it's because the box of frozen mini pancakes they like has sprinkes on the pancakes. What isn't better with sprinkles?

You can try different fruits or different chocolates in your pancakes.....

Pancakes from Scratch

1 egg

1c milk

1c flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1T sugar

Mix all ingredients. Can use whole wheat flour if you prefer.

Enjoy some pancakes on a chilly morning!

Necklace makeover--tutorial

Have you ever had one of those pieces of jewelry that used to be fun, but.....well, just aren't your style anymore? My sister sometimes passes on to me pieces of jewelry she doesn't want anymore.

I have to be honest, I'm not sure I ever wore this one below. I think it probably didn't match anything I wore and I was not fashion-forward enough to mix it with other colors yet. But....as you can see, I had a project in mind......I decided to use a fabric to cover the beads on the necklace.

I picked up a fabric quarter at the fabric store--which are really meant for quilting, but I like buying just a small bit of fabric for projects like this. It's best to choose a small-scale print. Keep in mind if you choose a large-scale print, you won't really see the print, if you know what I mean, since the beads aren't big enough to show all of the parts of the bigger print.


I laid out the necklace over the fabric and pinned down to make a tube of fabric. Remember, if your're newer to sewing like me, to lay the necklace on the right side of the fabric (because we're going to turn it inside out).

Once I had pinned, I cut off my tube and sewed from each end towards the middle. I got stuck here a bit. Since the beads are graduated in size, I had to leave an opening in the middle. Otherwise, I would never have gotten the largest bead through the tube.


Here is my tube with the opening, wrong side out. 

I then turned it right side out and threaded the ends of the necklace through to the ends of the tube. Here you can see the largest bead in the opening.

I then hand-stitched it closed, using a slip stitch-like stitch. It doesn't have to be perfect....the print will hide mistakes and also no one will notice it once we're all done. (They'll just be admiring your fab new necklace)

Once the opening is sewed shut, you are ready to tie in between the beads. Using a matching or coordinating thread, start with the largest bead and tie thread tightly between the beads. I went around once, knotted, then went around again and knotted again......just to make sure I don't have to repair it.

Continue doing so down the necklace, until you reach the chain. Then do the other side, starting at the largest. If you start at the end, you'll end up with extra fabric when you get to the middle. 

Here it is, all tied up, but still needing to be finished.

To finish, trim the end of the fabric where you have tied the last bead. It won't matter that it doesn't have a seam. I also covered the little bead at the end of the chain, but don't have that pictured.

And here it is, on me....

Depending on the fabric, the possibilities are endless!

Party Time......

Time Travel Thursday at The Brambleberry Cottage

Fridays Unfolded at Stuff and Nonsense

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Show and Share Day at Just a Girl

Simply Creations Link Party at Simple Home Life

Addicts (not so) Anonymous Addicted to Decorating

Sunday Showcase Party at Under the Table and Dreaming

Project Parade at The DIY Showoff

Creative Bloggers' Party and Hop at Homemaker on a Dime

Tip-Toe Thru Tuesday at Crayon Freckles

Sunday Shake-up at Jacque's Soda Parlor

Fabulous Friday at Ohh Baby
Pinspirational Thursday at The Artsy Girl Connection
Make the Scene Monday at Alderberry Hill

Touch of Thanksgiving

I don't know about you, but I'm not always sure what to make of this in-between time between Halloween and Christmas. I know, I know....it's Thanksgiving. Who could hate a holiday that is centered mostly on eating?

I have to be honest, though, I saw my first Christmas lights on the way to work last week (really, people?). And we drove by a house in our neighborhood that is decked out. Complete with an artificial white tree in the front window. Which I can't decide if I like or not.

Most of my fall decor is not Halloween-specific. I don't really feel like taking down a bunch of Halloween stuff for just three weeks. I've actually gotten in the habit in the last few years of doing all of the Christmas decorating the weekend before Thanksgiving. To me, Christmas starts the day after Thanksgiving. But....I don't like traveling over T-giving, then coming home and having a ton of decorating to do. And.....I don't like waiting until the next weekend. I mean, the stuff is up for only about four weeks anyway! To my credit, I don't actually turn on the outdoor lights until after Thanksgiving. And I'm not hating on people who like to decorate early and enjoy it....live and let live, you know.....

Plus....I'm not super into cooking and all of my magazines are about cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Bah.

But I digress. I added a small touch of Thanksgiving to my fall mantel. I took down Mr. Glowing Pumpkin Face. He glows orange and I had put him on a timer. Spooky!

I started to implement my idea by spray painting this old frame that was a gold crackle finish. I'm running low on spray paint but found an old can of off-white.

I printed up a Thanksgiving quote.....

It reads, 
"For flowers that bloom about our feet,
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet,
For song of bird, and hum of bee;
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee!"
Ralph Waldo Emerson


Very appropriate for me and my gardening self. With it, I added an orange turkey votive holder my mom gave me a long time ago. Here's Mr. Turkey and my quote....

This side of the mantel did not change much. I'm still digging the dried black-eyed susan seed heads. I may keep those for after the holidays.

I put together this vessel, which has a votive inside. I used a drinking glass for the candle with the little Indian corns around it and a few fake leaves.

And....the finished mantel.

Hope you have a great weekend.....the holidays are looming! ; )

Party Time......

Time Travel Thursday at The Brambleberry Cottage

Fridays Unfolded at Stuff and Nonsense

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Show and Share Day at Just a Girl

Simply Creations Link Party at Simple Home Life

Addicts (not so) Anonymous Addicted to Decorating

Sunday Showcase Party at Under the Table and Dreaming

Project Parade at The DIY Showoff

Creative Bloggers' Party and Hop at Homemaker on a Dime

Tip-Toe Thru Tuesday at Crayon Freckles

Sunday Shake-up at Jacque's Soda Parlor

Fabulous Friday at Ohh Baby
Pinspirational Thursday at The Artsy Girl Connection

Good read: I Don't Know How She Does It

I've gotten through a few books recently and it's been lovely! I've always been a big reader...as a child, I had to be asked to not read at the dinner table. And sitting on the bench at softball games. And when I had friends over to play.

These days, between kids, school, crafts/DIY, blogging, etc....I don't have as much reading time as I used to. Seriously--I could be happy reading all day. I do love magazines as well, so keeping up with my subscriptions cuts into book time.

But...I'm lucky enough to have a sister and a mom who like to share books. We pass them around and it gives us something to talk about, too.

One of the books I recently read is a fine piece of chick lit. I finished I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson. You may have seen the movie for the preview.....Sarah Jessica Parker stars. I really enjoyed it!

It's about Kate, who is a mother and wife who works a high-pressure executive job. She is super stressed out, burning the candle at both ends at home and at work. She truly loves her job, but wants to be and be seen as a perfect mom.

I was intrigued with the plot.....it's kind of like watching a bad car accident--you can stop watching and you know at some point, something's gotta give! Plus, her point of view is freaking hilarious. As a mom who works, I can totally relate to her and I'm a teacher, which is not nearly as stressful as her job.

The "mommy divide" can be a pervasive thing for women. Each mom makes that choice for herself and as much as popular culture would have you believe one or the other is the right choice, it's important to remember "to each her own." Kate puts it in a thought-provoking way....she says, "All of the stay-at-home mums look at us like we've gotten away with something and we look at them and know that we haven't at all."

I'll probably check out the DVD when it comes out on rental! The book jacket describes it as Bridget Jones' older sister who is a married, working mom and I agree.

WOW....Wild on Wednesday

I've been following a blog in the last several months, written by Lauren at Our Big Fat Farm Wedding. You can check it out here!


She does a feature on Wednesdays called WOW.....Wild on Wednesday. It's her take on what she's wild about these days. She called out for other WOW devotees and I thought, might as well!


So....here is my WOW. What I'm currently wild about.....


1. Two weeks from today, I will be on Thanksgiving break. Holla! When I was a young teacher, I used to have an informal countdown that consisted of writing the number of school days left on the whiteboard. I guess I must have mellowed and I've gotten away from the practice. Well, I'm back (with a vengeance). NINE!


2. Plus, only three weeks after that until winter break. Truly, I do love my students and my job, but things have been a little intense at home the last few months, so I'm really looking forward to some off time. : )


3. Chili! Crockpot is full of white chicken chili right now and I'm super excited about putting my crockpot to good use in the next several months. I am obsessed with chili......followed by a close second of chips, salsa and sour cream.


Wow.....care to weigh in??

Designer colors

As the landscape is going to bed, the leaves are putting on a show....it makes for a wistful show, knowing that the trees will be bare for several months. 

We have two maple trees in the backyard. It's interesting to me that they don't turn colors at the same time.....it must have something to do with soil temperature and sunlight exposure. The tree below is further back in the backyard. The one that is closer to the house is nearly depleted of leaves, so I did not take any pictures of that one!

Here it is, backlit by the sun.

The coloration on my new Endless Summer hydrangea is quite striking! It is also continuing to grow blooms. It's been in the ground for only two or three months, so I'll be interested to see how it does after a whole year's growth cycle.

I can't get enough of the veining and the faded color through the leaves.

These are the two spireas that are in the side garden. The golden and red color is stunning!

Here is the other one, just coming on with the golden leaves and still having a touch of green.

I hope some trees and shrubs near you are putting on a show! I find myself noticing trees that  just blend into the landscape the rest of the year.....: )

Makeup solution

I fired up the glue gun recently to complete a project or two....

Before I could get to the project that was going to simplify my life, I had to make a repair to a certain t-ball trophy that had falled to the floor and smashed into a few pieces.

I had to reattach the player and also the two corners. The result? Not perfect, but good enough for a six year-old. Globs of glue visible, but everyone's just happy to have the trophy back to trophy-like conditions.

Next up...makeup. I had a great makeup organizer that I bought at the department store several years ago. It was quite handy and I certainly put it to good use for many years. Problem? It got really dirty and the organizing pieces were breaking. This does not make me happy and make for good organizing.

One of the components was a piece that was magnetized and you could attach small metal powders to them directly, rather than having several bulky plastic containers that house your shadows/blushes, etc.

These colors you see are ones that I use often, as they are fairly neutral. I do have other shadows that I use, but just not every day. As you can see, the holes are meant for the rings in the makeup organizer.

So, I took some magnets I had at school and hot glued them to the back.....

And with the magnets, I am able to attach it to the inside of the door of my medicine cabinet...

I also have a few other magnets to put up pictures and tips. If you haven't tried using the inside of the medicine cab, I would definitely recommend it as a handy place for many things. To be honest, this is the first time I've ever had a medicine cabinet by my sink and I love it. I don't even have to share it with my husband!

As for the rest of my makeup, I've temporarily put my daily items in a little container and dedicated a spot for the bigger items.

Time will tell if those things will stay in that spot....or if I'll have another moment of inspiration for them. : )

Even if you don't have a medicine cabinet, you can still incorporate the idea of using magnets if you have a metal piece you can hang on the wall....it could even be framed out and painted.

Hmm....inspiration brewing....





May link to these parties....
Time Travel Thursday at The Brambleberry Cottage
Fridays Unfolded at Stuff and Nonsense
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Show and Share Day at Just a Girl
Simply Creations Link Party at Simple Home Life
Addicts (not so) Anonymous Addicted to Decorating
Sunday Showcase Party at Under the Table and Dreaming
Project Parade at The DIY Showoff
Creative Bloggers' Party and Hop at Homemaker on a Dime
Tip-Toe Thru Tuesday at Crayon Freckles
Sunday Shake-up at Jacque's Soda Parlor
Fabulous Friday at Ohh Baby