Fall Book Page Wreath & Some Pumpkin Ideas

Hi everyone! I can’t believe it’s been a whole week since I last posted!!! Time flies when you’re busy. I’ll try to do an update post this weekend on what’s happening behind the scenes as they say :) 

Anyway, would you like to see the fall book page wreath I made?


Book page wreaths have been around for quite some time and I’ve been wanting to make one. So I made one last night to relax and just work on something for fun for a change.


I also made a little pumpkin display using mostly pumpkins that I did years ago. I added some silver pumpkins this year which I just painted with an inexpensive bottle of silver metallic craft paint. The crown is a stick on decal. The design on the large white pumpkin is from a rub-on. 

I bought two of these gingham fabric pumpkins at Target’s Dollar Spot (these are actually $2.50 each). I took off the raffia and changed the ribbon.

Again, some silver metallic craft paint (splattered these with a bit of black to make them look a bit more like aged mercury glass) another crown decal and more rub-ons.

All the pumpkins.

The wreath too.

I didn’t take photos of all the steps for making a book page wreath since there are already lots of tutorials available on how to make one. But to get you started, this is what I did:

I used a plate to draw a circle on some foam core (I got mine from my daughter who’s an art student but you can get it at Michael’s, Jo-Ann’s, Hobby Lobby etc). You could also use poster board or even a cereal box or cardboard. It’s going to be covered so it doesn’t really matter.

I then used a utility knife to cut it out. I tore out some pages from an old paperback that I had (that I never finished reading because I didn’t like it – but you can find one at a thriftstore or garage sale). I folded the pages in a sort of loose accordian fashion and stapled the ends.

As you can see I drew another circle inside my form and I hot glued the folded pages around that circle and then continued with another circle inside that one and then another one inside that. Staggering the folded pages until the form was covered with pages.


In the center I hot glued a flat coffee filter and in the center of that I glued a pinecone (a pumpkin would be cute too) and surrounded it with coffee filter rosettes. I hot glued some faux falls leaves in various places and some ribbon on the back so I could hang it.


It’s really an easy project and cost me nothing since I had everything required already. It was a fun project for me. The center had me stumped and I tried various things until I decided on the pinecone with the rosettes.

Thanks so much for sticking with me during this busy season I'm in. I only give myself 30 min. in the morning to visit blogs so if you haven't heard from me in a while - that's why. Well...back to stripping wallpaper (oh fun)!

Thanks for dropping by!

More Fall Decorating Ideas

Hi everyone! I’m trying to find time to post and visit but I won’t lie  - it’s not easy right now. I don't think I've ever been this busy in my life!

Anyway,  I thought I’d share some photos of some fall decorating ideas that I’ve done in the past.

I love using natural elements such as leaves


and


pinecones!

They’re so easy to find!


In this mantle (from last year) I used an old print I found at Goodwill as the inspiration.


As you can tell, I don’t really use too much orange inside my home. There are more colors to fall than just orange!

 
The photo above is from 2007/8. Before I painted my mantel white. You can see in the photo below that I used the pumpkin patch sign again last year.

This is last year out on my screened porch. This year I used that red birdcage in my living room and filled it with a bunch of mismatched white dishes.


To end I just wanted to show you the pumpkins I painted black back in 2007 (in the jar) and everyone thought I was crazy! I was at Target last week and what are they selling....black pumpkins!

Hope you all enjoyed seeing some fall decorating from the past. It was fun for me to look through the old photos!

I'm almost done painting my old tv armoire so I hope to be able to show it off soon.

Thanks for dropping by!

Pumpkins & Pillows

Hi everyone! I thought I’d pop in to show you the pillowcover I found in my closet that I forgot I had. I think you may have too much stuff when you’re not aware of the stuff you have!

We’re getting ready for  our garage sale and I was going through the linens I keep in my clothes closet (cause I have nowhere else to keep them) and found this beauty that I think I bought at a sample sale.

I love pillows that are unusual! Isn't all that detail just too cute!


Since it’s fall I also thought I’d start adding a few pumpkins.


This is one I decoupaged years ago. I just used some sheets of red and white harlequin paper on a white pumpkin (or I may have spray painted it white – can’t remember). I set it in an arrangement of fall hydrangeas that I bought last year at the end of the season (Target). I think it originally had some sort of candle holder.

Anyway, decoupaging is a fun way to personalize pumpkins so give it a try this year. The possibilities are endless!

Thanks for dropping by today!

Autumn Harvest

Hi everyone! Thanks for all your good wishes and support as we get ready to sell our home of 11 years!

It’s been pretty nice lately (at least in the early part of the day) so I’ve been trying to spend a bit of time out in the garden. I thought I’d show you a couple of things I’ve harvested in the past week.

What didn’t work – potatoes!  I tried growing them in a grow bag this year instead of in the ground and this is all I got!
 
Can you believe it!!! I  spent more money watering them than it would have cost me to buy organic potatoes all summer!  Can't say there's always next year since I don't know if I'll have space/time to set up a veggie garden in the new place.

The carrots did surprisingly well. I didn’t really plant too many of them as last year they didn’t do well. But of course this year they did great! I forget what variety these are. I’ve left a few in the ground for later.

But as you know my pumpkins did very well!

I’ve harvested all these so far and I have a couple more that need to turn orange before I cut them from the vine.

I know you all want to know what happened to my cinderblock pumpkin! For those of you that don’t know – I was checking on my pumpkins one day and noticed I had one growing inside a cinderblock (I used the cinderblocks to make a raised bed for my raspberries).

I took a crowbar and hammer to the cinderblock since the pumpkin was wedged in there pretty good! It came out kind of square/rectangular. It was in there kind of sideways so it’s not going to be a perfect square.

How fun is that! If I have space to grow them next year I’m definitely going to do this on purpose and grow square ones!

That’s about all I’ve harvested lately with the exception of a handful of raspberries and a few peppers.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

My News

Hi everyone! This is such a time of change for me!

My daughter got her driver’s license (shudder) and is starting her first day of college on Monday. So we are now three people using two cars and all the scheduling that requires!

Plus my Husband and I have pretty much decided we need to sell the current house and downsize. So.....

                          WE ARE MOVING!

We're planning on listing in the spring, when my yard is in bloom and looking pretty. That gives us the next 6 months or so to fix all the things we need to fix (a thrifty bathroom remodel included) and declutter so we don’t move with stuff that we’re no longer want. LOTS to do inside and out!


I’m back in physical therapy for my knee which thankfully didn’t require surgery - a meniscus abnormality but not tear. The stairs are killing me and the yard as much as I love all that land is wearing me down. We need a one level house on not so much land!


Even the dog is having problems with the stairs these days!  Gratuitous Maxie shot because he’s so adorable!

Did I mention that at this time, housing prices in my neighborhood are about $25,000 lower than they were two years ago? Ouch!! My hope is that six months from now things will be a bit better :)

I’m mostly sad about having to leave my garden.  I planted 98% of the trees, shrubs and flowers. This will be the third garden I’ve had to  give up. Hopefully the next one will be my last.


But I’m also excited about the possibilities ahead! I’ve always wanted to see what I could do with a small space!

Anyway, just wanted to let you all know what’s going on here as I don’t know how regularly I will be posting in the next few months. My to do list is a bit overwhelming at this point but I’ll post at least once a week. It’ll help motivate me to get these projects done! 

Welcome To Fall Decorating

….I hope! It’s been cool in the mornings so I’m hoping that we’re slipping into fall but you never know with Georgia weather!


At any rate, I felt inspired to start a little fall decorating. I do like to celebrate the change in seasons! What better place to begin than my little foyer. It doesn’t take much to give that space a new feel with a few changes in accessories!

I hot glued some ribbon onto pinecones that I picked up while walking Maxie last year. Those were hung off one of the hooks on my hall tree.


Then I took an old thrift store champagne bucket and spray painted it yellow. I really wanted a brighter yellow but all I had was some soft yellow spray paint. But I think it came out very nice.


I added some faux fall foliage that I bought last year at Michael’s end of season sale. My best tip for decorating on a budget is to have patience, some self-control and buy this year for next! To me, half the fun is in figuring out how to use the things I have in a new way (last year the pinecones were in an apothecary jar). Everything doesn't have to be new every year (I know I'm preaching to the choir)!



I did buy some new ribbon!



I’ve had this green pumpkin for a few years and  I added that to the bottom of the hall tree.


Now my foyer is all ready to welcome fall. It didn't take much and it wasn't expensive!



On a personal note, I enjoyed my time away from the computer. It really is a wonderful tool but it's also a colossal time sucker! Anyway, I had a very nice break and I have some news to share later this week (don't you hate when people tease~smile).

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead!