Happy Halloween!

Just before the big candy day,  I decided to add a few simple decorations for Halloween.

My mother-n-law bought the painted gourd 20 years ago at a craft fair. When gourds dry, they become very light and when you give a shake, you can hear the seeds inside.

Ann from "On Sutton Place" has a tutorial on how to make a gourd beautiful and pictures of other craft ideas you can make from gourds. She has a lovely website full of creativity and inspiration!

Mr. Owl has been on vacation since guarding my fig tree early summer. I decided to put him to work for Halloween, then he can rest for the winter. Hoot Hoot!

Have a happy and safe Halloween...Boo!

Fall wreath with "Dollar Store" flowers...fast & easy!

I usually shop for flowers at "Hobby Lobby" but decided to give a go at making a wreath from the "Dollar Store" floral aisle selection. I know at first you can be overwhelmed by the bright colors they offer, but I was able to pick out a selection that seemed to be surprisingly, fairly nice.

I started by using my old trusty grapevine wreath that I have had for years. The flowers usually come in a bunch of about five blossoms each. All you have to do is leave a few inches of the stem on each flower and clip them with your wire cutters. Start out with randomly poking one color of flowers throughout your wreath and then add the other color. Easy, fast (took about ten minutes!) and cheap to make. No need to glue so later you can change out for a new season. Do you have any "Dollar Store" floral projects that you have made?

Fall decorating

Fall is falling a little behind down south. It takes a while for it to get here, so we have to push it along with a little decorating.

 

This is my Magnolia Wreath I made over a year ago and I added fresh leaves turned upside down which has a velvety texture and a burnt orange color.

Coffee Table Makeover!

 

At first when I found this table at a garage sale, I was hesitant if I really wanted it or not. Since it was the end of the day and the lady was slashing prices, I got it for $10. I thought...well I can at least practice on trying out making homemade chalk paint.

I lightly sanded it and gave it two coats of my homemade chalk paint I made with the Valspar sample size satin paints in soft camel from Lowes and  Pottery Plaster from Hobby Lobby and of course water, which if you don't work fast enough, you have to keep adding more because it starts to thicken! For the accent color, I used Martha Stewart Living metallic paint in Golden Pearl.

A couple of days later, I gave it a couple of coats of clear paste wax. I was going to try giving it a coat of dark wax too, but everyone seems to like the look of it now. Maybe I will just keep it like this for a while. Thanks for all the inspirational blogs out there...I did it!

Boot planter makeover!

This boot was almost kicked to the curb by my friend and good neighbor. We both had a garage sale and she had some items leftover that she had me pick through and kindly gave to me. I noticed on her patio she had this old (badly needing a makeover) boot planter.

I had the itch to take it home and re-paint it for her.

 

I just got out my craft paints and painted "George" (that's what we named it). Gave it a couple of coats of a clear lacquer spray and done!

It's "Howdy neighbor again", but sadly it was good by to my friend. She retired and moved away to her new home and "George" now has a new stomping ground too!

Honoring Memorial Day!

I gathered up a few things to decorate for Memorial Day in honor of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is a federal holiday and can you believe it, our school district has to make up two "bad weather days" and they chose Memorial Day as one of them....so the kids will be in school in my town!

I like to use the faux candles that light up with batteries which makes them safe to place in flower arrangements.

I also like to use rocks, stones and glass eggs when decorating birds' nests and of course twigs that you gather up from nature walks or from your own backyard. This egg is called a "magic glass egg" that changes color from opal to blue when held in the palm of your hand and also has a different look when wet.

And don't forget to save your old bottles, the are great for repurposing into vases. This blue one is perfect for patriotic holidays.

The state flower of Texas...beautiful bluebonnets!

Bluebonnets are plentiful this time of the year in Texas. On Easter day, I got to see a beautiful display from nature!