sweater pumpkin

OK.  It's not really a pumpkin in a sweater. 

It's a pumpkin wrapped with that really thick chunky yarn that a person would use to make a sweater (me not included).  And "yarn pumpkin" doesn't sound as cool as sweater pumpkin. 

It never fails....when I am buying supplies like this yarn or fabric or even thread the wonderful ladies at the craft stores feel obligated to ask me what I'm making as I check out or having fabric cut.  Has this ever happened to anyone out there?  But I feel like I have to lie....I'm not using the materials as they are intended.  Plus describing what I'm making is just too long for craft store small talk.

OH-well...I guess I will just have to put up with lying or seeing they're strange looks on their faces for a little while longer.

On to my "sweater pumpkins"!

 

Here are the supplies you will need:

Thick chunky yarn - is what I used or try it out with any type of yarn or twine you might have on hand.

Dollar store pumpkins.

U-pins.

Thick twine for the stem.

Scissors and glue-gun.

*Watch Out*  For some reason I felt like I needed to take a picture of every single step, which I don't know why - this project is so easy, so there are a lot pictures!

Pop that top off.

While holding one end of the yarn with thumb, run a line of hot glue down one of the ridges followed by the yarn and then cut.  Repeat again on the ridge next to it.  I found the hot glue to be stringy on the yarn already in place.  Instead I just filled in the empty space with cutting yarn and holding it with my fingers.

I also thought I should paint the pumpkin before I did this.  It was SO not necessary to think that.  I added so much yarn there is no way you can see the pumpkin color underneath.

U-pin the yarn into place once section is complete.

Snip off extra at top and bottom.

Don't worry about seeing the yarn fuzz.  You will cover it up with the stem.

I alternated in different sections around the pumpkin. 

Then for the stem I cut pieces of twine and hot glued them together and onto the top of the pumpkin.

Add as much twine to fill in the empty voids to make a good stem.  *One tip* Cut the stem at the beginning to desired height because it was really hard to cut it down all at once.

There we have it!  It adds such texture to any fall decor look.

One more thing and this long project post will be done; this project took awhile!  I had planned on making this one and another during nap time, but I barely got this one done.

Enjoy making your sweater pumpkins!

Thanks for stopping.

Bye for now! 

Linking up to these parties:

 

tree love

  Can a tree make you happy? 

Looking at this in my backyard sure does!  All of our main rooms face the back of the house and consequently I see this tree when I look out the window.  I am a tree lover!  If I had my way (and the money) my whole backyard would be planted with different species of trees with several of my most favorites; pine trees.  We have a huge yard and little to none landscaping budget.  So this lonely maple tree will have to do for now, which I don't mind!

We had a fun weekend of picking out pumpkins at a local produce/tree farm.  It was unexpected in what this farm offered just outside our little city.  They had a hay ride, bounce house, and all the fall/Halloween decor for kids.  We even had our first carmel apple!  It was mighty delicious!

The past years I have sort-of dictated what they were going to be for Halloween.  I know it's sad....it's just this thing I do, I want them to all coordinate.  According to my oldest they have all had a "theme". 

This year I have turned over a new leaf (it's a costume for heaven sakes!)....THEY picked out their costumes.  As we shopped, the costumes ranged between $9.99 to $74.99.  Yikes!  Of course I steered away from the most expensive, but surprisingly they all picked reasonable ones. 

After they choose what they wanted, let me announce to you.....we have a "theme"!  Yeah!  And I didn't even plan it!  They are going as a devil, vampire and a skeleton.  All classic SCARY costumes! 

I like it when it all comes together!

Thanks for stopping.

Bye for now!

welcome fall {and a harvest wreath}

  I've been away half the summer and now it's fall.  Where has the time gone?!  Welcome Fall!  I love this time of the year...crisp cool air, leaves changing, but most of all being snug warmly inside our home.  And for some reason I enjoy our clocks being set back an hour.  I'm not to keen on it getting dark at 5:00 and I'm sure my children would rather be riding a bike or throwing a ball outside.  But I like our nights of doing homework and sharing a good children's book all snuggled up on the couch.  We have a little while until that happens.  I guess the weather changing always reminds me of that time of year.

Welcome Fall!

I have been in changing mood around our house; putting away summer clothing, getting out jeans and long sleeved shirts and displaying all my fall decor.  To start off the fall season, I will show you my front door wreath. 

If you have read about me in the past you know that I love making front door wreaths!  You can find some here, here, and here.  But for some strange reason I contemplated on buying an-already-made-fall-wreath.  Until I came across this picture on Martha Stewart.

I fell in love! 

Even the mirror that it's displayed on!  For my birthday, my handy husband is in the works of making one like it.  I kept bothering him and bothering him one weekend about making it for me.  By the chance it was around my birthday and he has agreed to make it for me.  Yippee!  I love the edge detail on top to display items over and in front of the mirror. 

If he were to read that last sentence he would probably say, "What's the point of having the mirror if you can't see yourself in it."  Well yes that's true but it sure looks nice and he can go ask Martha about that one.

Whenever it gets finished and it will, handy husband is good like that, I'll be sure to post pictures.

On to the wreath....

Here's the link from Martha Stewart for the detailed instructions.  I pretty much followed it... but here's my take on it.

I started with a straw 14" wreath, purchased dried corn stalks and U-pins.  I followed the instructions and soaked the corn stalks and folded and pinned.  After I had several rows like in the photo, I noticed the rows going crooked.  So I took them off and started with a single row in the inside of the wreath all the way around (so sorry I didn't take a picture).  That gave me a guideline in which to follow with the other outer rows. 

Here's the finished product and surprisingly it didn't take all that long.  But OMG my fingers hurt!  After soaking the corn stalks and then pushing the pins in with wet fingers, it hurt after the 100th time!

I added an orange 3" satin ribbon which adds a shot of color.

After the wreath was dried I hot glued some of the stalks down that were sticking up a little too much.

I love the texture it gives!  With this wreath against my black door, it really pops!

I was a little worried that the wreath would be squished between my front door and storm door and it would become brittle and crack.  But it hasn't not even a little.  These stalks are tough! 

I bought all my stalks at once at Amazon.  I really didn't know where to begin to look for them in town, plus nor did I have the time to explore.  I bought enough stalks with a little extra.   Acording to the directions it took 4-5 8oz bags.  Yes, the Martha Stewart wreath was bigger, but I didn't even finish one bag.  So needless-to-say I have quite a bit of stalks left over.  So I need to find another project out there using corn stalks.  I might go in a fill some of the empty spots...we'll see.

I already saw a different wreath that I possible might make for the month of October...a little more Halloween spooky.  Then I'll hang this back up in November. 

I have some many projects to write about or finish writing about (several in draft mode) and share.  I love this time of the year so plan on hearing from me a lot!

Thanks for stopping.

Bye for now!

Linking up to these parties:

more paintings on Etsy

  Double Yeah!

I finally finished listing the rest of my painted pieces on Etsy!  I'm so trilled!

It didn't take as long as the first....I guess I now know what I'm doing.

Thanks for looking.

Bye for now!

painted items on Etsy

 

  Yeah!  I finally have some of my painted car signs listed on Etsy. 

Do you remember this blog post from way back in March found here.  Well I have finally gotten around to taking pictures, writing descriptions and publishing the items on Etsy.

And I even figured out how to do this nifty Etsy mini showcase.  It was so easy!!  (I get excited on the LITTLEST things)

Hopefully I will be able to list my brighter more whimsical items such as these tonight or tomorrow.

Cross your fingers!

Thanks for looking.

Bye for now!

yummy gluten-free chocolate chip cookies

  I have celiac disease and I have to eat gluten-free.  2 of my children also have celiac disease.  It's been almost 2 years of being diagnosed and although it's easier to "swallow" the fact that I have to eat gluten-free for health reasons it certainly hasn't gotten a whole lot easier.

I cheated and ate some regular brownies a couple of months ago that were sitting on our counter just screaming my name.  I begged my husband to take them for lunch but he didn't.  I couldn't bare to throw them out so I ate them.  I think I felt more happiness in the anticipation of eating them then actually eating them.  What I think has happened my taste buds in my month have adjusted to my new eating ways.  I did not enjoy them.  I did not feel that "this-is-so-good" feeling like I used too.  So maybe this is a good thing in the long run. 

I am a totally sweets person!  I love all things that are yummy.  So when I received the letter showing that my blood work indicated that I had celiac disease I was devastated.  That meant no more sticky buns at Cici's pizza, no more chocolate chip cookie with my sub at Subway, or no more sugar cone at Baskin Robbins.  

Now that I am on the diet, I have found recipes that taste pretty close to the gluten version.  Like these chocolate chip cookie recipe that I clipped from a newspaper article.  They might now rise up like a normal cookie would do but they taste awesome!  Plus I will freeze them.  So all I have to do is pull out a cookie 3 to 4 times a day now and then and I have instant yummy goodness!

So here's my process pictures....I could probably eat a fair amount of this batter.  But I remember my Mother always saying, "it has raw eggs in it - not too much".

My little helper trying to get into the picture.  Or should I say he was trying to swipe a finger in my dough when I wasn't looking.

Look at that cookie!  Chocolate chips are still formed but warm and gooey.

For snack that day I thought I would make little flags for their cookies.  Also I severed them with lemonade with real lemons on the glasses.  And I even got out glass glasses and fabric napkins!  We never bring those out!

My daughter came up from the basement and saw the arrangement and asked, "Who's coming for snack?"  They were soo excited that it was all for them!  It's always fun to do something out of the ordinary...every once in awhile.

If anyone is interested in the recipe just email me.  I can scan it in and email it to you.

Thanks for stopping.

Bye for now!