Simple Fall Projects – Part I

Okay, you say you don’t have time or money to create all the loveliness that you see out in blog land! Wow, I know there are some extravagant and B-E-A-utiful stuff out there. Well read through their blogs, because if there is one thing that I have learned…it is that the beauty is your inspiration to make something on your own that you love.

Most of the blog women that I follow are thrifty and creative and that together can create great stuff!

So….I have decided to make some simple posts with simple natural ideas that are cheap if not FREE!

(Every post doesn’t have to be extravagant either… Right?)

Want to add something that can stay out from fall through Christmas? Me too! (I don’t mind changing my decor, but it is always great if something can last through it all).

What about cinnamon sticks!!!!

See how cute!

This idea was free to me, but to keep it cheap for you if you don’t already have everything think about this.

Don’t buy your cinnamon sticks in the spice aisle.

1. Look for cinnamon in the seasonal section at Wal-mart, the dollar store, or the craft store. (Not sure if it is different quality, but it smells just as good and is usually cheaper).

Don’t have a canning jar already?

2. Look at the thrift store. You can find all kinds of canning jars for mere cents.

Doesn’t have enough flair for you?

3. Consider using ribbon or fabric to tie around the neck of the jar that can be changed from beautiful fall colors to match your traditional Christmas decorations.

And finally, this can be a stand alone project. But still want more, consider layering and adding this to other things you love. My thrift store has tons of fall and seasonal decor. The dollar store has some great fall garland.

Remember the beauty of fall is all around you and most can be found not purchased.

Stay tuned for more projects. You never know what you will find…nuts, leaves, pine cones, bird nests, wood!

Fall Sprucing – Part I

Okay so I am absolutely crazy about fall and all the beautiful colors. Rustic reds, pumpkin orange, golden yellows! Living here in Colorado always requires a fall drive in the mountains to see the colors begin to burst from the hillsides.

These are B-E-A-utiful stock pictures!

My trip and pictures are coming soon! We have had warm weather and the leaves were green a little longer this year :)

Recently I updated our mantel for fall and began to look at other spaces where I could spread some of the fall loveliness that I am crazy about.

I have a love for roosters! I know hold the horses…I had a country phase in the past that I have been moving from. Well, let’s just say that I am updating it. You know what I mean! There are not any checkered curtains, but there are some items that I still love. Like roosters!

I found this great metal rooster at Goodwill for $5 and couldn’t wait to 1/2 price day as I knew it would be gone. When I first met her she was country red! Then I was in awe of all the heirloom white out in blog land that I decided to give it a try.

She sat inside like this for a while and then I decided that it wasn’t working!

So fall had me thinking that I needed to dress her up and give the proper greatness that I knew she had in her. So my all time favorite ORB (oil-rubbed bronze) paint would do the trick.

Here she is being transformed.

I thought that she would need a friend in her new home though and found this large and substantial candle stick at the thrift store also.

I know I am horrible at before pictures (promise, I will get better). But mid painting I remembered and here you can see how wonderful ORB is as this is transformed with a base coat of black and then finished with ORB.

A little bow and the perfect little pumpkin and my new little friends are a perfect fit for there new home atop the entertainment center.

Hope you enjoyed and if you viewed this, I would LOVE a comment! I read them all!

I know sounds a little sad since I don’t really have any followers or many comments yet, but I know I will soon as I begin partying and following others!!!

Fingers crossed :)

2010 Garden – Part II

Well our patience and daily care of the garden is paying off. As fall approaches, the garden is giving so much to enjoy in the coming months.

Let’s take a close look….

These Big Jim peppers are a favorite on the barbeque. We de-vein and seed them, stuff them with cream cheese, and wrap them in bacon. Yummy!

Our beans bloomed twice and although we didn’t plant many, we had enough to eat them a few times.

The sweetest little strawberries that seldom make it into to the house :)

Broccoli…Hum? This was our first year and although they started well, they then quickly bloomed flowers. My MIL says that they need cooler weather than we had. It was fun, buy might not work for us.

On the other hand….Spaghetti squash is abundant and going crazy in the last week. There is definitely going to be enough to share.

So much zucchini that we are eating it grilled, raw, and making bread for the winter.

Occasionally one hides until it is the size of our little one!

We also have a lot of tomatoes. I don’t can, so there are almost more than we can eat.

Mr. B&P is so proud of this 6 foot tall tomato plant.

The red bell peppers are a first this year also and starting to turn color.

As an afterthought for the little one, we decided to put one little pumpkin plant in and we are getting pumpkins. Oh so pretty!

Mantle Makeover for Fall

The weather is cooling and becoming a little crisper. That can only mean one thing…..FALL is coming :)

Fall is my favorite and season and the house needed to be spruced up a bit for the change. It is so exciting to me to decorate during this time of year, because I feel that the warm tones of the season are my color.

The mantle was first on my decoration list and here it is.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the little favorite things that decided to use.

On the right, I used a few of my favorite little pumpkins.

These cute little pumpkins are putka pods.

Then I decided to take my beaded pumpkin and raise her up on a little thrift store find that got a make over with some ORB (oil rubbed bronze) spray paint.

Then I found a canning jar and filled it with lentils and used my decorative topper that I purchased several years ago at a craft show.

On the left side….

I love these cute little glass apothecary type jars and seldom pass one up at the thrift store. These are filled with navy beans!

This little dear deer was a thrift store purchase that was white ceramic before a coat of ORB.

And what mantle would be complete without a candle. This one was spruced up with an orange ribbon.

For the middle….

Not specifically fall, but our “G” that was purchased at Hobby Lobby (50% off, of course). It is paired with another thrift store frame.

Both have a coat of ORB :)

Intertwined among it all is a fall leaf garland like the ones you find at the dollar store.

I think that it is beautiful for now and will certainly be updated in the coming months as the holidays approach.

I am linking up to:

http://www.domestically-speaking.com/2010/09/countdown-to-fall-party-corn-husk.html

The Shed – Part II

Well in the last post, I mentioned the next to do list of organization and shutters/window box.

The shutters are done and super cute!

You can pay to have windows, shutters, flower box, vents etc. added when you have a shed built. We on the other hand like to keep our costs down and make these our projects.

Here is a quick look at how we made shutters.

First we measured the window trim top to bottom and cut 3 pieces of trim for each side. We also cut 4 small cross sections to tie the shutter pieces together.

We painted the front and sides of the pieces prior to being hung.

Then we hung them and had the cutest little shutters.

Perfect, exactly as I planned.

Thrifting for Treasures – The Highs and Lows :(

I have always envied those bloggers that have thrift stores with a dollar day. In my neck of the woods, Goodwill have 50% of a certain color tag that changes every Thursday and an occasional weekend sale with 50% off everything and $0.99 denim. ARC has 50% off a certain color tag and a Saturday sale with 50% off all but the current week tag. There is still a profit to be made in re-sales on Ebay, but you just have to sell more items!

One day a few months ago I had a lady shopping in Goodwill verbalize her disappointment that they don’t have a dollar day like the Salvation Army does. I was quick to check with the Salvation Army and yes they confirmed that they have $1 clothing on Wednesday. I was excited and surprised that although it is certain color tags, it generally is everything that is not current week. Clearly this place is not picked over until Wednesday!!!

I can see my profits on Ebay going up already $$$$ :)

Here is some of the items that I found.

These Prana Size M (yoga wear) pants were $1 and sold for $8.00

J. Jill 100% Tencel Size M pants were $1 and sold for $6.99

Abercrombie & Fitch Navy Cargo Size 10 pants were $1 and sold for $6.99

Caribbean Joe Green Cargo to Capri Size 14 pants were $1 and sold for $6.99

J. Jill Aqua Cropped Size 14 pants were $1 and sold for $6.99

North Face Size S shirt was $1 and sold for $5.99

Chico’s (always a sure fire sale) was $1 and sold for $6.99

So in a days work this $7 investment made me $41.00

The so SAD part (yes, I might be screaming) is that on the usual Wednesday visit to my new love, I am surprised to not see the usual sign on the door to greet me with my treasure hunt colors :(

The sign stated that all clothing was 50% off!

What? Wait, what happened to dollar day?

As I found a few items and made my way to the cashier, I noticed a calendar of upcoming sales and notice that every Wednesday is 50% off day? I politely asked the cashier if Wednesday was going to now be 50% off and she stated, “yes, the day of the dollar is now gone.” She said it such a way as to imply that it is like everything else good that comes to an end.

So now I see my profits being eaten away a little more with cost!

My Red Friends at the Salvation Army

Now have me a little sad and blue!