Author:Lori
Favorite Things, Holidays

A Little Nostalgia…

October 23
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I’ve said it many times before but I love Halloween…and part of that comes from my own childhood memories!  Though we didn’t have access to all the stuff that’s available now, I grew up decorating and crafting for the holidays and have so enjoyed carrying that tradition on with my family!  One of my most vivid memories of Halloween crafting with my mom is making black paper cats with long curly tails and displaying them throughout our home!  I also remember excitedly heading to the basement where all our holiday decorations were stored to carry up the boxes which held all those special trinkets!  So when my mom presented me with a holiday gift some while back, I was instantly transported to my childhood home and all those Halloween memories!  The gift, a reproduction of tiny candles that I so fondly remember, was all wrapped up in a darling box displaying an illustration of each!  You may remember these sweet guys as I do!  My mom had them all…and I can remember like it was yesterday carefully unwrapping each from the tissue paper they were stored in…finding just the right spot in the house to place them!  Today I’d like to share this simple Halloween favorite…

holiday memories!

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Celebrate, Favorite Things, Holidays

Holiday Sips & Spirits!

October 21
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I don’t really know much about stocking a bar cart…but ever since I found mine at a garage sale I love keeping it ready for cocktails, hot cocoa, summer refreshers–and even sweets!  Mine most likely doesn’t follow bar-cart etiquette…but I love to use it to display my glasses and decanters along with a few libation accessories!  If we have guests coming, I can roll it where we need it and add whatever drinks we decide to serve.  Until we have company, it’s fun to use seasonal touches to perk it up while it serves as storage for some of my barware and paper products.  If you don’t have a traditional bar cart, not to worry…you can make a “sips” station just about anywhere!  A small dresser, kitchen cart, side table…whatever goes!  Even a tray works double duty for serving up some liquid refreshments…and is even easier to transport!  A few holiday additions to whatever you choose and you have the perfect spot for sips & spirits!  See some simple ways to dress up your drink station!

add some “spooky” to your sips…

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Savor

The sweet scent of apple hand pies!

October 19
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It’s been a while since my family went apple picking…and I was starting to sweat a little thinking I might not get my apples cooked up into gooey filling so my family can be treated with pies throughout the year untill it’s time to go picking again!  But yesterday we had the afternoon to be home together and get the job done!   And after all the peeling, cutting, and cooking…we ended up with 11 fillings for freezing!  Of course after all the effort it was necessary to bake a pie to indulge on…and also have some fun experimenting with a yummy alternative I might consider serving over the holidays!  Have a peek at our kitchen festivity…and the mouthwatering outcome!

it’s pie time!

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Collect, Garden

Tiny Vessels…

October 16
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While I was cleaning out my kitchen cupboards the other day I was inspired to turn some items I found crammed in the back of my spice drawer and catch-all cabinet into sweet little vases for the last tiny blooms of the season!  It’s funny how something almost forgotten can transform into a thing of beauty!  What got the ball rolling was an old spice tin…and I mean OLD!  Not just one that’s been in my spice drawer for a year or so past it’s expiration date–but a vintage one!  It was a tiny can of chili powder that must have been pretty spicy because on it was an image of the devil stirring a cauldron over fire…how cute for Halloween!  So I set it aside and then found another…an ity bity bottle of olive oil!  Then, a single salt shaker missing its pepper…ok, maybe I can do something with these?  Even though they’re small, they’re just right to make tiny containers for flowers…and since there’s hardly anything left in my garden, small is just perfect!

tiny vessel…big fun!

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Create, Favorite Things, Holidays

“Eggcellent!”

October 14
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My youngest absolutely loves hard boiled eggs…he could eat them by the dozen!  So when I stumbled across this hard-boiled egg mold in the shape of a skull–you know I couldn’t resist!  I know it appears like perhaps I live at Home Goods…but I really don’t go there all that often.  However, when I do make a trip I tend to really snoop around for all the little goodies they have tucked here and there…and ALWAYS keep my eyes open in the impulse isle!  I know it’s a trap–but I usually find an inexpensive treasure and it is indeed where I found this little guy!  Not only will it be fun to make a favorite healthy snack…it’ll look darn cute for the holiday too!  Take a peek at my “eggcellent” favorite find…

hard-boiled Halloween!

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Celebrate, Holidays

It’s Cocoa Time!

October 12
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The second cool breezes begin to blow I’m haulin’ out the hot cocoa fixins!  My boys have always been partial to the steamy chocolate with piles of gooey marshmallows melting on top…so I guess I get a little excited and nostalgic about serving the stuff!  Even on a cool summer evening we’ve been known to break out the mugs to take the chill off!  And since we had a very busy Saturday this past weekend…I thought a piping cup of cocoa around the fire might be a wonderful treat for the boys after a LONG day of activities! (and a great excuse to keep everyone around for a minutue to talk about their day!) I’ve been waiting to use my Home Goods skeleton mugs for just such an occasion…and since Halloween is just a couple weeks away, I found just the right treats to make some fun holiday brews!

holiday hot chocolate!

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Holidays

Holiday Sweets…

October 9
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One of my favorite things about Halloween is the candy!  All the little bite-size treats are packaged up in seasonal or spooky wrappings…making them just as fun to display as to indulge on!  Putting out a dish of sweets is so easy and looks great while it waits to be handed out to all those little ghostly callers!  Only problem is that you might need to refill your dish several times…ok, many many times before the 31st!  But that just goes with the holiday territory!  I love to let these sugary snacks do some double duty…making a lovely Halloween display until the goblins come knocking–then they turn into sugary offerings so you don’t get tricked!  If you don’t want to spend a ton of time decorating but you do plan on handing out goodies at the end of the month…find your favorite dish, bowl, or candy jar and create the easiest and tastiest holiday display!

show off your sweet tooth faves…

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Create, Holidays

“Old” Lace…

October 7
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There’s something beautifully eerie when you mix layers of lace to Halloween!  I’m not really sure what it is…the romanticism of eras past or the delicate ghost-like sheerness of the fabric…but it provides some sort of mystery for me and I really wanted to incorporate it into my decor this year.  The wonderful thing about lace is that you can buy it from the bolt at any fabric store…and there are plenty of patterns to choose from–and price ranges too!  But for holiday decor I prefer to dig through the remnant bin to see if there’s something cheap that suits my fancy!  You may remember the adorable fabric banner I saw on my trip down Highway 127 checking out the endless sales.  Well, not wanting to wait until the 4th of July to make one similar AND the fact that I’m enamored with lace right now…I decided to try and make one (and some other “lacy” crafts) for Halloween!  Check out how I added some “old” lace to my home for the holiday…

softly spooky…

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Favorite Things, Travel

Pick a Peck!

October 5
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Yesterday we took our annual trip to the orchard to pick a half-bushel of our favorite apples for baking pies!  Even though it had rained pretty much the entire day on Saturday, the orchards were in beautiful condition on Sunday…which was perfect for the Apple-Butter-Stir Festival at MacQueen’s!  If you’ve never been there before you’re in for a treat!  On festival day, there’s so much to do…plenty of activities for kids including pony rides, some fun fall shopping, goodies for eating, and of course–apple picking!  Even if you missed the festival, you won’t be disappointed when you meander into the rows of twisty apple trees to pick some fresh autumn fruit…followed by a sip of apple cider and a doughnut!  It has for years been a favorite family outing…and we now have the picking process mastered like a finely tuned engine!  With one boy climbing & one boy catching we can fill a bag in a matter of minutes leaving plenty of time to snap some photos for Christmas cards (often when they’re not looking!) and make a pit-stop at the bakery counter!  Once home, we’ll get ready in a day or two to peel the lot and whip up some of my grandma’s apple pie filling to pop in the freezer…a great way to have pies at the ready all year long!  Have a peek at our fun…

in the apple orchard!

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Holidays

“Batty” for Halloween!

October 2
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It’s officially October!  The sky has a different look about it and the breezes are becoming a little nippy…this can only mean that it’s time to go all out with holiday decor!  I rarely wait until October to begin a little of my Halloween decorating…but once the calendar flips it somehow seems o.k. to go all out!  And even though I love Halloween, as my kids have gotten older I find it’s easier to decorate without having to haul out EVERY Halloween decoration we own!  When they were little they would notice if “Mr. Bones” wasn’t hanging in the same tree, or if each and every paper bat made in class wasn’t prominently displayed!  But now it’s easier to simplify my displays…’cause we all know that what goes up eventually must come down!  I was totally inspired by the Halloween photos I shared of the darling decorations created by my mom’s friend…and I went a little batty this year!  And since we have a real bat that pays our back yard a visit each night…it seemed fitting for the holiday.  Take a peek at how I let my home take Halloween flight!

simply batty…

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