Wreath Anyone?

I don't have just a ton of fall decorations.  I'm not really a cluttery type of person, and after owning 3 homes in 8 years, I'm not the biggest saver either.

I do however, love a good wreath....especially in the fall.  So, it was quite appropriate that we decided to create our own fall wreaths for our MOPS craft this week.

The best part about doing a large group craft is seeing the way everyone's personalities come out in their project.  I always remember when my 2 college roomies and I decided to take Flower Arranging 101 together our senior year.  Amy's arrangements were always full of pastels, Mer's were always tight and tidy, and mine were always full of vibrant colors and a bit wild.

I created 2 sample wreaths for our MOPS mommies to provide inspiration, and then let them go to town.  We had a fun table full of supplies, grapevine wreaths, mini pumpkins, wheat, twigs, several shades of burlap, and ribbon.  Here are my own creations.  Very simple, and a bit shabby chic.

I have a bit of a thing for burlap.  It reminds me of the old horse feed sacks that used to fill our tack room on the farm when I was little.

And here's a quick shot of our front porch these days.  Lots of lovely mums in burnt orange and plum, and some sweet little pumpkins chosen by E Lo.

What are your favorite fall decorations?

What I Love Wednesday: Sofa Makeover

This is the first entry of a new series, What I Love Wednesday.  Each week I'll feature something that I love, and hope you will adore too!

We I first heard about Ugly Sofa I felt they were calling my name.  How did they know that I hated my ratty old couch and chair?

I still love the scale of the set, and the stuffing is in great condition.  The problem is that both our two and four legged kiddos have been so hard on the fabric, it's now pilling and shredding in places.  Not so cute.

Posting this picture has made me realize just how bad the fabric really looked!

Ugly Sofa provided the perfect solution.  Cute slipcovers at super reasonable prices.  Their website was easy to navigate, service was great, and shipping was very quick.

The best part....I have labels on my slipcovers from a much more expensive company (it might rhyme with Bottery Parn) and I paid a fraction of the cost!

After placing the slipcovers and tucking them in just right, I steamed them with my iron to get the extra wrinkles out.  I was pretty proud of the finished product.

So, if you are hiding a deep dark ugly sofa like I was, you no longer have to suffer.  Now to whip up some fun throw pillows!

All opinions expressed on this blog are mine alone.  I was in no way compensated by Ugly Sofa to make these statements. I simply assume that someone else out there is suffering from an ugly sofa like I was.

Who Doesn't love an Owl Print?

Owls are just the rage these days, and I admit I love them too.  Occasionally we get treated by the owls in our woods to a concert of "Who Whoo's".

When I found this super cute owl corduroy on clearance at JoAnn's, I had to have it and keep it for Miss E Lo.  It made the perfect reversible tunic for fall.

What fun fall projects are you up to?

A Weekend at Home

When we lived in Kansas City, Hillbilly and I had the most amazing group of friends.  Without any family of our own out there, they became our support network.  We were so excited to meet up with them at a wedding in Chicago this past weekend, however, with two kids down with fevers it just wasn't in the cards for us to leave town.

So, we put our extra weekend at home to great use.  Freezing more homemade applesauce, bringing an old dresser and my old bed back to our house from the farm, recharging at church, and having a delightful lasagna dinner with friends.

Here is quick picture of the dresser.  With some paint, glue, and elbow grease it will soon be better than new!

This bag set was a custom order for one of my KC friends.  Before popping in the mail to her, I thought that I'd snap a few shots to share.

Cosmo Bag and Small Oragami Bag from Amy Butler's Style Stitches

Fabric by Ty Pennington

This was my first time trying out the Oragami Bag pattern.  I love that it uses two coordinating exterior fabrics.  The pattern has a wide ranges of sizes to choose from, making it perfect for pencil pouches, crafty organizers, or makeup bags.

So, it's been a busy, productive weekend here, and I'm beat.  Time to recharge and so that I can begin my bed and dresser makeover for Miss E Lo's room!

Happy Crafty!

Boiler Up!

We might be a bit nutty about Purdue in my family.  I was brainwashed by my parents at an early age to root for the Boilers, and now I'm passing that tradition on to my children.  My great-grandfather started it all when he became a chemistry professor at Purdue.  My parents met while in college there, and my husband and I were college sweethearts at Purdue.

So, how does a Purdue-crazed family dress during football Saturdays?

It goes something like this.

Lots of silly smiles.  The Bug does a bit better by himself.

Of course I made Evy's adorable Purdue dress!  I really do love black and gold.  And how about these cute polka dot ruffle pants peaking out from her skirt?

It doesn't sound like our team is in for a stellar season, but at least we all look the part!

Boiler Up!

What do I do all day?

"What Do People Do All Day?" is The Bug's favorite book.  My cousin, Joc, introduced him to author Richard Scarry at Christmas, and he his books have since become a staple in our bedtime routine.

I recently decided to leave my part-time sales position to stay at home with my kiddos full-time.  My husband travels a fair bit, and for us, this just provides a much better family balance.  When folks found out that I was leaving my job, I heard this question...a lot!

What will you do all day?

So, here is what I do all day.

Wake up....coffee....lots of coffee

Feed dogs

Unload dishwasher

Shower, make our bed

Sew

Wake kiddos

Dress kiddos (this can be an extensive process)

Feed kiddos

Get kiddos out the door to whatever meeting/activity/school we have that morning

Come home

Sew

Pick up kiddos

Put kiddos down for quiet time

Sew

Wake kiddos

Make dinner

Clean

Bathtime

Sew

Bedtime for kids

Sew

You see, I am not one to sit idle for long.  I adore that I can spend the day with my children, and steal bits of time pursuing my creative passion.  Hillbilly has always and continues to be so supportive of my little business, and I am forever grateful to have the opportunity to spend my days doing what I love.  

It's a wonderful life.

The Bear

While in Michigan this past week we did it.  

We climbed The Bear!

Also known as Sleeping Bear Dunes in Northwest Michigan.

Here is a glimpse of what this giant sand dune looks like as you get ready to climb.  That little teensy tiny speck on top is The Bug.  He scaled it in no time, looking just like a little sand crab.

The Peanut had some help getting to the top.

Once she became accustomed to the height, she discovered this giant pile of sand could be pretty fun!

The views from Glen Lake are breathtaking as you climb.  

And it's every man for himself on the race down!

There is something so special about a day spent with family.  We had so much fun introducing our children to what was always one of our favorite vacation adventures while growing up.  

This year we had 5 little ones in Michigan for our annual Mellon Family Reunion.  They were the 5th generation to enjoy this picture perfect vacation spot.  We are so blessed!