Dec 1, 2014 |
A few weeks ago, Dot surprised me by crafting this wonderful piece.
Autumn Wreath by Dot
The colors are subtle yet attractive. It’s the perfect fit for our Italian Coffee House color scheme at Bedford Manor.
I haven’t crafted for quite some time. Around here, we’ve been deep cleaning and decorating and working and writing. Feeling very productive. But there’s something about crafting that soothes my soul.
And Dot knows it. So on Black Friday, she surprised me by taking me to Hobby Lobby with a $20 budget. At first, I didn’t know what to do. There are so many wonderful options! I did know, rather than buying decor, I wanted to make something.
Hobby Lobby is a great store. Each week they have a 40% off coupon which you can get by email or a smart phone app. And they always have amazing sales.
With less than $20 and thirty minutes, you can make your own wreath from start to finish.
You’ll need:
- a natural wreath
- two complimentary stems, flowers, or other flora
- embellishment
- hot glue gun with extra glue sticks
- heavy-duty scissors or wire cutters
Sort your crafting product and keep everything within easy reach.
Cardinal Wreath Ingredients
Ladybug Wreath Ingredients
If it’s important for the wreath to have a “top”, make sure you decide which part of the wreath that will be, then mark it so your work isn’t lopsided. I glued a penny to the back of my wreaths.
Penny on Wreath
Separate your stems as necessary. Most pull apart but some are wired and require cutting. You can also shape most to contour to the frame of the wreath.
Shapely Flora
Working with one flora at a time (the greens), carefully glue the end of the first stem then gently push it into the wreath. Work your way around the wreath until the full circle is lightly covered. Then take the second flora and glue them in place as well. You may need to re-glue some pieces as you go along. Finally, add your embellishments. Larger embellishments sometimes come on a twining stem, which is useful for wrapping around the flora to keep it in place.
When you’re finished, gently remove any residual strings of glue by pulling them off the wreath. If you like, string a long ribbon or hang with an over-the-door hanger. I left mine as is, to let the recipients decide how and where to best display their gift.
The end result is a craft that you’ve made yourself, and can customize for your home or someone else’s.
Cardinal Wreath
Ladybug Wreath
And now, finally, it’s beginning to look … well, you know.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
Destination: Mission Inn Festival of Lights, Riverside, CA
Recipe: Slow Cooker Cider
Slightly Sweet: Pie Crust Cut-Outs
Oct 24, 2014 |
I love decorating, but let’s face it- sometimes it can be costly. I do what I can to avoid a strain on the wallet.
Happy Fall!
Autumn starts the holiday season at Bedford Manor. The above collage is from three years ago. I haven’t started to put out my decor this year but that will change in 36 hours.
I get a lot of decorating tips like most of us, from Pinterest. And my mom. She’s the Queen of Budget Decorating.
Just check out these fun and frugal ideas for bringing the colors of the outdoors, indoors.
Autumn Potpourri in Ceramic Basket
A small bag of autumn-themed potpourri adds color and fragrance. If you don’t have a holiday dish, use a glass bowl.
Leaves in a Basket
A garland of multi-colored artificial leaves can be immediately put in a simple basket. Place on your fireplace mantel, hearth, coffee table, or on a bookshelf.
Squash in a Planter
This is great for outdoor patios as well as indoors. Put a disposable container upside down inside a bigger planter, cover with newspaper or other buffering, and place assorted miniature squash and pumpkins on top.
Scarecrow in Leaves
A miniature Scarecrow sets well atop a small assortment of artificial leaves in a bucket or basket.
Apple Cider Arrangement
A single bunch of artificial apples with small flowers fits nicely in this Apple Cider Barrel.
Scarecrow on Butter Churn
A fun Scarecrow overlooks an assortment of silk flowers in a papier mache pumpkin basket.
All the decor in these photos was purchased at our local Michael’s Arts & Crafts store, for $5 each or less.
Now that’s Autumn on a budget. My mom’s got skills.
Hey, Mom . . . can you come over on Saturday?
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
Bunco at Tiffany’s
Why I Don’t Go To Carnivals in October
Slightly Sweet: Pie Crust Cut-Outs
This Thing Called Pinterest
Another Post About Pinterest.
Sep 30, 2013 |
A month ago, I shared with you a few suggestions for stocking up the pantry to easily provide for your family and company without having to go to the store at the last minute. These tips are also great for those times when inclement weather or lack of transportation interferes with your daily schedule.
But what about those non-food needs? A well-stocked cabinet not only covers emergency moments, but can also provide some fun family time. Pretend you’re going camping: turn off the lights, the TV, the computers and see what you can do without electronics.
Batteries for flashlights and portable radios are essential. If you don’t have a gas stove, you may want to invest in a small outdoor grill. But if the weather’s too cold, there are alternatives for indoor cooking. A fireplace can be a great gathering place for roasting S’mores (with adult supervision, of course!).
Water and personal care products are essential. One of my favorite fun moments is stocking up at the local store in the Travel-Size section. One small plastic box holds all the shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and toothpaste a person needs for two weeks. Don’t forget body wash and deodorant! Face and body wipes are also great.
Aside from the necessary items, how do you pass the time when there’s no electricity? Cards and board games are great!
Family Fun Time
Are your kids creative? When I was a child, our favorite Christmas gift that we could count on each year was our Creation Boxes. Mom and Dad would get a cardboard file box for each of us kids, and fill them to the brim with blank paper, construction paper, notebooks, paper, pens, colored pencils, crayons, glue, scissors… pretty much the ultimate scrapbook kit before there were such things. We built our own kingdoms, created our own games, and wrote our own stories.
I’ve created another PDF Checklist to start you on your way to a well-stocked emergency kit. Not to mention, some unplugged family fun!
Did I forget anything? What are your favorite items to add to the list?
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote.
You may also enjoy reading:
Stocking up the Pantry
Sep 3, 2013 |
It’s only September, but chatter has it that winter will be wearing out its welcome with voracity this year. I’ve talked with many gardeners over the past few months who tell me their baskets are less than bushels-ful. The Farmer’s Almanac has the country abuzz with their predictions of an earlier, colder, and longer winter.
Creeping Clouds
Now’s the time to start stocking up on those food items that can get you through any storm. They’re handy when there’s unexpected company. They’re reliable when you can’t get to the store. And most of the items are inexpensive, which allows you to save up now for those Big Feasts later.
Meal planning isn’t just about buying foods you need for a meal. It’s also about creatively using the foods you already have. I’m a big fan of mix-n-match foods that don’t cost a lot. Plus ~ Bonus! ~ most of these staples are multi-functional:
- Malt-o-Meal and Instant Oatmeals go well in travel tumblers for a warm, on-the-go Breakfast. Mix with a spoon of syrup for more flavor
- Puddings and gelatins offer a delightfully light texture for a snack or dessert
- Cream soups are warm and hearty on their own yet also blend well with rice or over meats
- Dried beans, once prepared, can be served in soups or with meats.
- A can of drained vegetables tossed with pasta adds color and taste to your main dish
- Diced canned tomatoes can be a side dish, added to a casserole, or served on toast
Breakfast Bruschetta
It’s also important to stock your freezer with foods you can easily prepare. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are a must-have at Bedford Manor. They can be quickly grilled, fried, baked, slow-cooked. Added to soups. Cut into strips. Placed on rice and pasta. Mixed into your Mac ‘n Cheese. The very versatile chicken breast is definitely worth the cost.
Chicken Mac ‘n Cheese
A few pieces of meat in the slow-cooker topped with a bottle of BBQ sauce, served alongside a helping of vegetables makes a great meal. Leftovers? No problem. Toss the meat into a serving of pasta. Or mix the vegetables into a soup.
A strategically stocked pantry and freezer can help you out of many food worries: When you need a quick fix for company. When your kids and spouse are having a snow day. When the car breaks down and you don’t want to spend any more money for a week. And when you want to save your bucks for the bigger Holiday menus.
Feel free to download my PDF Checklist before your next shopping trip. Really. I made it with you in mind. This list is by no means exhaustive, and can easily be changed to suit your household’s dietary needs and taste buds. You’ll also want to include items you typically keep in your refrigerator and kitchen cabinets: milk, butter, eggs, sugar, flour.
Are there other items that are staples in your pantry and freezer? How do you mix up your quick-fix meals?
As always,
~Happy Eating!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
Clipping Coupons
How To Eat For Free And Have Fun Doing It (Or, How Printing Coupons Gave Me a Really Great Weekend!)
Winco Wins
Meal Memo in a Jar
Dec 4, 2012 |
Is one of your New Year’s Resolutions to eat better? Really… who’s isn’t.
How about adding some more fruits and citrus to your diet? Those vitamins are calling you! They want to party down with you in the kitchen!
Fresh!
Remember this lovely moment? It makes the whole Kitchen Party thing a bit… difficult.
Yeah. It’s always fun to work in the kitchen with a finger splint taped to your hand… not!
It’s even more fun when you’re trying to squeeze citrus juice good to the last drop. Unfortunately, my recurring early-onset arthritis is currently recurring.
Fortunately, Aroma Housewares sent me this great Electric Juicer to test drive for them.
Aroma Housewares Juicer
Can I just say, this will probably change my life? I mean that in a good way.
This wonderfully small kitchen appliance is, well, wonderful. The electric cord wraps around the base and secures on the bottom for easy storage.
Safe and Secure
There are two reamers, for all sizes of citrus. Just slice your citrus in half, and lightly push it down. The juicer is pressure-activated, and spins immediately. When you release the pressure, it stops!
Push Activated
As a compare-and-contrast, I tried squeezing juice myself. With my hand. With my currently-recurring-early-onset-arthritis hand.
Compare and Contrast
Guess who won.
No Contest
It took less than 30 seconds for the Juicer to juice half a lime, lemon and orange. It took me three times as long to get half that amount of juice with my own hands.
The Better Juicer
And their strainer caught the pulp! I wasn’t so lucky doing it the manual way.
What about the clean up? Just take the pitcher off the base and wash. It comes apart easily. No difficult corners or dangerous cords. The base shouldn’t need cleaning but if it does, a simple wipe with a lightly damp rag will do it.
I’m so excited. No more will my citrus turn bad because I’m unable to juice it in time. And because it’s self-contained, it stores neatly in the kitchen cabinet. Ready to be used quite frequently. Which, as you can tell, is the plan.
A Tablespoon of lemon juice for a recipe? No problem. A few ounces of Vitamin C to boost your immune system? Never tasted better. No preservatives here. Just a whole lotta pure, fresh, wonderful juice.
Just Juice
And now that you’re salivating, it’d be quite unfair of me to not give you the chance to get your own juicer, wouldn’t it? You’re lucky I’m not that kind of person. So just follow the links in the Rafflecopter widget below to earn entries for this wonderfully necessary Juicer.
You can thank me later.
BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE MANDATORY ENTRY OR ALL OTHER ENTRIES WON’T COUNT.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
