Falling...

Thought I'd share some photos of the Fall decorating we've been doing around our new/old home. It's not much but it's been fun to add some small touches here and there. Scroll on down to see all of the photos... and sorry for the wacky formatting. Blogger is not my friend these days! I am not a fan of pumpkins with faces - I like to let my pumpkin decor work from late September clear through Thanksgiving... I just throw in a spider here and there during the month of October. And we actually like to cook our pumpkins around here: soups, pies, roasted in the oven with garlic and onions... whatever we can think of... so we always look forward to this time of year. And the apples? Love them! We've not really seen much Fall weather here yet, in fact it's hovering near 100 degrees today, but believe me we are ready, and I know it will be here soon. We love Fall!

Scary Little Ghosties

I am hosting a small gathering at my home this weekend, and in my preparations I've been getting into the Halloween spirit just a little earlier than usual. I made these little ghost cookies last night. They were quick and easy and I think they are adorable. Here's the "recipe":

1 package "Nutter Butter" Cookies
Almond Bark or Vanilla Candy Melts
Small amount of Mini Chocolate Chips

Handy tool to have around: wooden skewer

Melt almond bark in a large shallow dish. Put a handful of mini chocolate chips into a small bowl. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or a silpat. Using your thumb and index finger, pick up one cookie and dip just one flat surface into the melted almond bark. Lift, shake gently to remove excess coating, then turn it over so the coated side is facing up (you're still holding the cooking between your thumb and index finger). At this point, shake/wave your hand gently to smooth out the coating on the cookie, then gently place it onto the prepared sheet. Place mini chocolate chips for eyes (you can also add mouths. I did eyes only). Repeat with remainder of cookies. Use the wooden skewer to pop any air bubbles on the cookies and to move the cookies around on the sheet if needed (this keeps your fingers from messing up the cookies). Let cool to room temperature. Store tightly covered until ready to serve. 

The only knack to this is the "dip-flip-wave" procedure. Once you do it a couple times you will be a pro.

These cookies are kinda spooky and cute, no? Ok, so that's it for today. Time to run. Make today a good one!

"Eat, drink, and be scary!"  —unknown

Laugh or Cry? You Choose.

You either have to laugh or cry... oh, how true. I love this quote, and I want to live it. Some days I need to try harder. Working on it...

"Great Spirit, allow me to laugh when times get tough."  —Larry Aitken

"If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane."  —Robert Frost

"With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come."  —William Shakespeare

"Always laugh whenever you can."  —George Gordon Byron

"Laughter is carbonated holiness."  —Anne Lamott

Candy Corn II.

Maybe it's me. I'm having blogger issues these days, and I can't seem to format a post to save my life!! Just please ignore the big space at the top of this post. And the photos won't go where I want them. Whatever. It's free, so I guess this is what we get.) Ok, now that I've gotten that out of my system: Last night I completed my first attempt at a candy corn pillow, and here she is in all her glory! I deliberately left all of the edges raw and let them fray, and used a "rustic" zig-zag stitch for added texture. I think if I make another pillow I will do a few things differently. I would make the whole thing a little smaller, and I would round the bottom edge so the finished pillow has more of an authentic candy corn shape. But other than that, I am mostly happy with the result. I am also thinking of making one out of fleece. We'll see how ambitious I get, what with all of my other projects these days. So anyhoo, this here pillow will be on its way to my Aunt Julie this week. Her birthday is not until October 3rd, and I am excited to get this done and out the door a little early. Yay! Let me know what you think... cute, no?

Yesterday was an exciting day here in NorCal. The Space Shuttle Endeavour, tethered to a 747 jumbo-jet, made a low fly-over downtown Sacramento and the valley on its way to its new permanent home at a museum in southern CA. We saw some awesome footage on the TV, then I raced out to try and see it with my own eyes but I missed it. Oh well... We did visit the Kennedy Space Center in Florida several years ago and we got to go inside a shuttle, so I guess we've already had our share of space thrills... but it was awesome to see some history happening yesterday, as that was the very last time one of our shuttles will fly.

OK, back to my yard work. Hope you all are having a super weekend. Fall is coming on fast around here and we have lots to do...

"Over everything connected with Autumn there lingers a golden spell."  —unknown

Motivational Monday: Let it Go.

Trust. Believe. Let it Go. These are some little words that can bring big change to our lives if we let them. Oh, but it's hard, isn't it? Oh, but it's so worth it. I make mistakes, and of course I am not perfect, nor am I always right, but I am trying. And something I've discovered in the process? It's not necessary to prove to the world (or anyone in particular) that you are right. Our human tendency is to want to shout our right-ness from the rooftops, and to convince everyone to agree with us, but my friends, all of that is pointless. I have learned that it's better to zip it and be humble and LET IT GO. If you are right, God knows it, and being right with God is all that matters. Really. Truth is truth, no matter what anyone says or thinks, and everything will work out in the end. It can take lots of faith and courage... we still might be misunderstood, maybe even hated for a while, and we still may lose people we love and have our hearts broken. But in the grand-ness of life, that's all ok. All we have to do is the best we can, and sometimes that means letting go. And letting go can be beautiful. 

“Letting go doesn’t mean that you don’t care about someone anymore. It’s just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself.”  —Deborah Reber

“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.”  —Steve Maraboli

“Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go, and then do it.”  —Ann Landers

“I’ve been burdened with blame, trapped in the past for too long. I’m moving on.”  —Rascal Flatts

Candy Corn.

I have to admit, I am not a big candy corn fan. Now believe me, there are plenty of other candies that I LOVE (too many!), so don't cry for me. But even though I don't really eat candy corn doesn't mean I don't think they aren't cute as buttons. Anyhoo, last year I shared this candy corn template, which can be used for many fun purposes (click on it, copy and paste it, enlarge it, and go to town!). This year I am actually making the large candy corn-shaped pillow I talked about last year, and I am sending it to my awesome aunt Julie for her birthday that's coming up in early October. And I may make one for myself while I'm at it. I picked out an orange, a yellow, and on off-white print fabric and am piecing them together. It's coming along nicely, and I will share soon. Stay tuned for photos.

Lots of house fix-up projects going on these days. I have been refinishing the cabinets in one of our bathrooms with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (color: "old ochre"), distressed with a warm wax finish. I have to say that I LOVE ANNIE SLOAN PAINT! Love it. LOVE. My new favorite, hands down. Go get yourself some. I bought mine HERE.

OK, time to get back to work. Hope y'all are loving life! Can't wait for Fall!

"FALL: crisp and golden as an apple."  —J.K. Rowling

Word.

  (DISCLAIMER: Blogger is being dorky today and for some reason I can't format this post the way I want it... but you get the idea. Sorry.)

This past week the Impression Obsession design team has had a "My Favorite Quote" challenge going on. Several of the ladies have created cards featuring my quote stamps in their designs. After all, I am pretty much the go-to "word lady" around these parts, but it's still a great honor that these talented gals chose to use my designs in their cards. Pictured here is just one example from Daniela Dobson, but you can also visit the blogs of Laura Fulcher, Vicki Garrett, and Jeanne Streiff to see more. Thanks ladies for your beautifully creative cards! Love them. HERE is where you can browse all of my currently-available stamp designs, including all of the awesome (if I do say so myself) new Fall and Winter items! Take a look. They are fun. Especially THIS one, also pictured below (it's a best seller and sure to make your Halloween extra scary!)  


So it's beginning to look and feel a little like Fall around here, and I'm starting to want to put up some Fall decorations around our new-old house. Rich and I were strolling through Pottery Barn the other day and I saw these amazing faux pumpkins in the most gorgeous colors (burnt umber, ocean blue, ochre, and several shades of golden-orange). Of course they were well out of my price range ($50 and up) so I went to a few area craft stores and purchased some faux pumpkins of my own, some acrylic paints in the appropriate colors, and some spray varnish, and I'm going to attempt to re-create the PB magic on a shoestring budget. If they turn out well I may just share some photos. Stay tuned...  

OK, well, back to my Saturday chores. Lots to do around here, lots to do!

PS - stay tuned for some new Halloween ideas. It's gonna be a spooooooky season!

"No Spring nor Summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one Autumnal face!"  —John Donne

"Oh how we love pumpkin season... We anxiously await it every year!"  —Trader Joe

I Have a Funny Husband...

Rich and I were standing in the kitchen this evening, and he said to me, "so, now that the kids are gone, what do we do now? I guess we'll just sit around and stare at each other for the rest of our lives." And then he made a face like this guy right here ..............................

Yep, kids are gone. Nothing to do now. Nope, nothing at all. Not. One. Single. Thing. Ha ha ha.

But seriously, I am so grateful for Rich. Our kids are blessed to have the best dad! He is patient, loving, honest, and always dependable. Best of all, he loves God and always strives to do the right thing. Rich is just awesome and I love him more than words can say! I thank the Lord every day for my eternal companion... even if he just may be a vampire... oh well, what can you do. ;-)

"Children are apt to live up to what you believe of them."  —Lady Bird Johnson

"To bring up a child in the way he should go, travel that way yourself."  —Josh Billings

Living Life...

Just stopping in for a quick post. It's been a pretty good week so far. I'm just doing what I do, loving my hubby and kids in the best way I know how, trying to keep up with my responsibilities, trying to work hard and be good, and taking each day as it comes... and that's what makes me happy. Isn't life grand?

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just like people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, and most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is just like an old time rail journey... delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to the thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."  —Jenkins Lloyd Jones