Last gasp

We've had a few nights of frost lately. When the first prediction of frost is announced, I am spurred to cut some bouquets of my annuals so I can take advantage of one last bit of beauty before they are killed.

While it's easy to lament the frosts and the demise of the annual plants, I've noticed in the last few years that the annuals know that it's time....they've been declining ever since the nights turned a bit chilly!

Here's the last of 'em...

I am in L.O.V.E. with the coloration on this bloom. Definitely planting cosmos again next year.

Here are the last good-looking zinnias. Accented with a bit of parsley.

It'll be a long time until blooms next spring....sigh.

Halloween wrap-up

Well, I would have to say Halloween was a success this year....now that our daughter is two and a half, she is really getting into the spirit. : ) We had two skeletons going around the neighborhood this year. C chose his costume to be a skeleton, so Sweetie chose her costume (which we already had on hand) to be baby skeleton. They were too cute.

Here is Sweetie's pumpkin, carved by me per her directions....

A-pumpkin carving, we were, on Sunday....

We got some roasted seeds out of it.....

There were some very spooky pumpkins out on our step......can you tell which one is my husband's?

And I would be remiss if I did not share the strangest thing to come home in my son's treat bag......

Um....who gives out a DQ photo ornament.....from 1997? To kids for Halloween?

There are no words.....Hope you had a great Halloween! Here's to the holidays on the way.....ready or not!

Big boy room details

Good morning and happy weekend to all! I woke up this morning and we have had some widespread frost here this morning.....I could not believe the news reports predicting six inches of snow for parts of the East Coast. Not ready for that!

Today, I have some last details to share about my nephew's room redo. Here are a few pics of the finished product...

The lamp on the dresser came from IKEA. I love how it picks up the green in the room. I put it on a timer so it will turn on right before bedtime and turn off a few hours after the little guy drifts off to sleep. I LOVE timers.....once the holidays arrive, I probably ten timers working various holiday lights!!

My sis wanted to display Dominic's first shoes. I wish there was an updated version of the bronze baby shoes! We thought about putting them in a shadow box, but I could not find one deep enough for the shoes. Most of the shadow boxes I found in stores or online were only 1-2" deep. So, I decided to get a display box at the craft box and it looks great! I figured that it could be repurposed someday for something else as he gets older, too.

I also wanted to come up with a unique way to display his silver and pewter cups. I put cup hooks into the shelf above and hung them.

We have relatives in Norway that send the cutest hats and sweaters for the kids. I added a hook rail for his hats. The hook rails is from IKEA.

My sister also wanted to display my nephew's first pool floatie, since he spends a lot of time swimming with his dad in the summertime. I bought a shadow box designed for a doll at the craft store and cut off the arm parts.

I used my trusty can of kelly green spray paint and gave this globe stand an update.

One of my favorite things in the room is the paper lanterns. These come in a huge variety of colors and sizes....and they are inexpensive! They could be great decor for a party as well. I am thinking about using some for my daughter's future big girl room.

Hope you have a great weekend!

The Good Wife....a good show

Well, I have to be honest....I've been a much happier person since my shows started up about a month ago. I definitely have a full docket. Thursday is a busy night with Grey's, Private Practice and Project Runway. PR is ending soon, so that will relieve the pressure a bit. My husband and I are enjoying Modern Family. Thanks to our DVR, I'm able to tape the shows and watch them throughout the week so I don't O.D. on shows too quickly.

My favorite newest show is The Good Wife. It's a bit unusual for me, since it is one of the few shows that I have actually watched since the pilot.

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Or, maybe it was the second episode. Either way, it is a show I really like! Each episode covers a legal case and then there are the plot developments that are built throughout the season. They have great actors....I especially enjoy Alan Cummings, Chris Noth and Michael J. Fox. They also feature some up and coming actors....I've loved Mamie Gummer, who is the daughter of Meryl Streep. It's gotten some awards and nominations. My only beef is that it moved to Sunday nights, so lately it's been getting pushed back due to Sunday NFL and if I forget, I don't get all of it taped. : )

And if network TV fails me, there are Sex and the City reruns on the DVR.

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Those reruns are like a good friend you might not see in quite a long time, but with whom you have no problem picking back up.

Lamp update

I recently finished up a redo of my nephew's big boy room. The paint scheme in the room is orange and blues, with an accent color of green. We picked a grass green color and it looks great!

I did a ton of looking around for a lamp that would work. I checked out Target, IKEA, Homegoods.....no luck finding what I was looking for. So, I decided to take the lamp in the room and give it a little makeover.

I started with this....a perfectly good looking lamp base, but a bit vanilla for a kid's room.

I used a can of Valspar spray paint in gloss. The color was Kelly Green.

I took the lamp base to Target and picked up a drum shade that was the right size for the base. It was about $15.

I also bought a spool of matching green ribbon at the craft store for a few bucks.

I attached the ribbon onto the shade and used binder clips to hold it in place before gluing it. I heated up the glue gun and attached the ribbon. The key is.....a little bit goes a long way. If you try this, take your time! Hot glue lends little in the way of redos.

Of course, my little helper did his own version on a piece of paper....

And....the finished product....

There you go....exactly what I had in mind!

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

Easy caramel corn

One of my holiday specialties is making homemade caramels. What's not to love about caramel? It could be one of the best flavors ever in my book. I learned how to make them by a few trial-and-error batches from a recipe I got in the newspaper.
More on that once the holidays arrive....it won't be long! As one of my gardening newsletters recently pointed out, only 88 days until January 1. Eeek!

So, I was overjoyed to find an easy recipe for homemade caramel corn in one of my magazines. With the hands-on time at 20 minutes and the whole recipe taking one hour, it looked good to me.

Easy Caramel Corn

Nonstick cooking spray
3T canola or vegetable oil
1/4c popcorn kernels
6T unsalted butter, cut into piece
1/3c packed light brown sugar
3T light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the popcorn kernels, cover and cook, shaking the saucepan constantly once the kernels begin to pop, until there is a 2-3 second interval between pops, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and corn syrup. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture bubbles and lightens in color, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in vanilla and salt. Pour over the cooked popcorn and with rubber spatula, toss to coat.

Spread popcorn mixture on the prepared baking sheet and bake, tossing once, until deep amber, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven, toss and let cool on baking sheet. (The popcorn will crisp as it cools)

Makes 6 cups. Will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Enjoy!

I lack project focus

I feel I must make a confession....

I have been struck with a complete and total loss of focus when it comes to crafting and home decor projects. I tried to tally up the number of projects that I have "in the works" right now. This would include one old chair that has been sanded and painted....but the cushion has not been redone yet. So, I have an unfinished chair sitting out. Mind you, no one can sit in it. I also have fabric for two projects ready to go....but have not done them.

Much of this is tied up in frugality. My husband is on leave from his job to take a break from teaching and see if he is happy trying something else. Experimental career is not a paying experimental career yet, so my fundage for craft/home dec/gardening has been curtailed a bit. Bah.

In an effort to rein in my costs, I've tried to put a hold on buying materials for new craft/dec projects until I finish the ones I have started. Good system, right?

I seem to have a problem at times with my lack of focus when it comes to doing tasks around the house or at school. I'll start one thing on my list....then see another that is equally as important....and decide to do that one. Right then and there. That first task? I'll get back to it...and I usually do. Eventually. Why can I not focus on ONE thing at a time???

But I digress. The chair needs just one measly yard of fabric to be finished. So, I guess I should buy it and be done with that project.

Then...I won't buy anything new until I've finished the other projects, too. : )

Anyone feeling me out there?