Under a blue moon

Friday's Favorites

Flickr Favorites (please click link to see the source of these beautiful images)

• Sweet little sparrow necklace
• Okay I did hold off (sort of) on the Christmas themed links but now that Thanksgiving is over all bets are off.  Here is a website where you can upload a picture and insert Santa into it.  Proof that he really was at your house.
• Pretty DIY wax luminaries.  Wouldn't these be pretty in the snow, lighting the way?
• Look at this adorable blog with the prettiest cookies.  I want to make the ones in her blog banner: Rosey's Sugar Palace 
• This rollercoaster is nuts!  I would so totally go on it though.  

Sorry for the late edition of Friday's Favorites today.  We were travelling back from my father's house.  How are you going to spend the weekend?  I think I'm going to start doing a little decorating around here.

I hope today's Flickr Favorites gives you some pretty wrapping inspiration.

Happy Weekend Everyone!!

11.24.11

Happy Thanksgiving!

I was up until 1:00am last night making pies.  I only got one decent picture before my camera died.  I have only made my own pie crust once before and it was not a success.  This time I used the King Arthur pie crust recipe.  It certainly looks better but since I haven't had a slice yet I can't tell you how it tastes.

Unless you think I should go ahead and have a slice now?  For blogging purposes only, of course.

I still can't get the edges to look pretty.  You know, by fluting or pinching them or whatever.  So on the pumpkin pie I just cut out teeny hearts and overlapped them.  Little leaves would have been more appropriate but I didn't have a little leaf cutter.  

I hope everyone in the US has a wonderful Thanksgiving day, surrounded by those you love.

(And tomorrow we can start talking about Christmas!)

11.19.11

Table runner has been made.  Why oh why do I insist on sewing ruffles and pleats?  I love the look of them but man, what a pain to sew. 

I did come up with a trick for sewing pleats today.  After I had sewn, unsewn, resewn my first attempt.  

The actual runner itself was easy.  I bought three yards of flax colored linen (a cotton/linen blend actually) that was super cheap. $3.99 a yard at Hobby Lobby.  

I trimmed the ends and selvedges using a straight edge I've appropriated from Rick's garage.  It looks totally greeby but I prefer it so much over the plastic Omnigrid ones.  Since I rarely quilt, and therefore rarely have to cut small pieces, the heavier metal straight edge works better for me.  Mainly in that is stays put when I am cutting.  I can't tell you how many times the plastic one has scooched while I was cutting.

Plus I think I can square things up better with it.  

I cut two 3" wide strips from the end for the pleats.  Then I just sewed the long edges together to make a tube and then turned the tube inside out.  I pressed it so the seam was centered down the back of my runner. 

Then I started fiddling with the pleats.  And fiddled some more.  First I pinned the pleats in place and sewed them in but they wouldn't stay straight and I didn't catch the back layer when I was sewing.  So I unsewed.  Twice.   I repleated my strip and then - here is where my brilliance kicked in - I used scotch tape to hold down the pleats so I could stay stitch them before sewing them to the ends of the runner. 

After I stay stitched them I positioned them between the layers and, once again, taped them in place.  On both the front and the back. Then I just stitched through the tape.  It was easy enough to remove after I was done sewing.

Maybe this is a well-known pleating trick but it was new to me.  I suppose if you have a super duper fancy Bernina you may not want to risk gumming it up with tape.  But then again if you have a super duper fancy Bernina you probably aren't coming to my blog for sewing tips.  

This fabric was a dream to sew with.  Washed and dried with minimal wrinkles and irons beautifully.  

I had to do a trial run of my Thanksgiving tablescape (forgive the cellphone picture).  I wanted to find a white pumpkin or maybe even a ceramic turkey but didn't have any luck.  So I just used my little quail pot.  I'm still going to look for something a little more Thanksgiving-ish.  I think the floral arrangement with the greenery and candles looks too Christmasy.

 

Friday's Favorites

Flickr Favorites (please click link to see the source of these beautiful images)

• Several books on my "to read" list:  The Wilder Life One woman's journey to immerse herself in all things Laura Ingalls Wilder.  And The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery.  I've only read her Anne series, which I adored, so I'm eager to read some of her other works.  I seem to be returning to the comfort zone of authors and themes from my childhood  
• Okay I said I wasn't going to do anything Christmas related until after Thanskgiving but for those of you getting a head-start here is a free down-load for some adorable tags from Eat, Drink, Chic
• Sweet mittens for big hands and little hands
• I'm in charge of the Thanksgiving tablescape this year.  I'm not a fan of typical oranges and browns so I'm loving this color palette of muted golds, beiges and sagey greens
• I tend to go to the movies about once a year - and almost always during the holidays.  Looking forward to this movie:  Hugo

As part of my tablescape duties I plan on spending this weekend making a table runner.  I have yards and yards of lovely flax colored linen to work with.  I plan on just spending the weekend hunched over my sewing machine.

Happy Friday everyone!

 

11.17.11

(oh yes - I jumped on the Instagram bandwagon)

For all the leaves raining down from the trees and blanketing the lawn, to the crisp air and the chickens deciding they have had just about enough of that whole laying eggs business thank you very much, now that the days are shorter - you would think the impatiens would give it a rest.  But they keep responding to whatever tiny attention we give them and they are still blooming away.

Since we were late in planting our pots on the deck I have to say I'm enjoying every last bloom and the verdant lushness of my three-tiered planter.  It's almost like it is making up for the slow start it got.  

The arbor on the deck is almost complete.  As soon as it is I'll take pictures.  Rick has tried to recreate it for me as best he can with the new deck configuration.  There are some support elements he had to change but the over all look and feel is the same.  I can't wait to look out my kitchen window in the Spring and see it covered in New Dawn climbing roses.  

In the meantime I get to look at the window and see this (notice all the maples leaves on the ground):

11.16.11

I did a super easy crafty thing last night that I wanted to share.  But then something weird happened.  

So I found this image via Pinterest and followed it to the blog Heavens Walk that had the step by step instructions for creating an image on a painted pot.  My intention was to just show my pictures and then link to the original inspiration.  I try to give credit for inspiration when I find it - and her pictures were way better anyway.

However - when I started this post and tried to go to her blog to get the link it says it has been removed.  I was just looking at it last night! I'm hoping that it's just a temporary glitch and she'll be back up and running soon.  In case she does here is her old URL:  heavens-walk.blogspot.com.  Oh whew!  She is back: Heaven's Walk

Anyway I'll try to describe the steps but keep in mind this wasn't my original idea or anything.  

I took a terracotta pot and painted it white.  Then I sponged on some light grey and grey-green paint to give it a slightly mottled, aged look. Nice thing about painting terracotta is that it dries super fast.

Then I took an image of vintage French label from the Graphics Fairy website (love her!) and flipped it so it was a mirror image and printed it on regular old printer paper.  I cut out the image and applied a thin layer of Modge Podge on the printed side.  

I applied it to the pot (printed side towards the pot) and smoothed out the paper.  Then I let it dry over night.  When I got up this morning I dampened the paper and began rubbing it until it rolled off in little bits.  What was left is the image.

Seriously I hope her blog comes back up because she had step by step, photographed instructions.  If she doesn't then maybe I'll to it again on a larger pot and do another post.  I just don't like finding a great project and then have it look like I am trying to pass it off as my own.

When I do it again I think I will pick a more open graphic - not so heavy with the ink.  And I'll print with dark brown, rather than black. My inkjet printer black ink tends to look slightly blue (like a tattoo) when it gets wet.  

Friday's Favorites

Flickr Favorites (please click link to see the source of these beautiful images)

• I'm vowing not to do any Christmas decorating until after Thanksgiving but do sparkly lights count?  Particarly if they are teeny, itty, bitty sparkly lights?
• I still haven't bought a bike basket for my bike.  Now I'm not sure if I want the retro-ish Nantucket basket or the more practical (not to mention lighter) lift off basket
• You know me and earrings - love the simple prettiness of these: 1928 Earrings
• I thought this was fun and clever site - They Draw & Cook.  I was going to pick one to share but they are all so cute so you are just going to have to browse for yourself. 

Happy 11-11-11!  Seems like a good day to buy a lottery ticket, doesn't it?  I have quiet weekend planned.  Mostly cleaning our poor, neglected house.  Maybe sitting by the fire and reading.  Hope your weekend is just as cozy!

11.7.11

We are coming to end the of the apples on our trees.  I had Rick drag out the ladder for me so I could pick some to make one last batch of apple butter and an apple cake.

He dutifully set up the ladder for me and then looked all alarmed when I was repositioning it and ended up picking the apples for me.  I swear that wasn't my intention at all....

This cake smells heavenly when it is baking.  It is from Gywneth Paltrow's Goop newletter and was part of a Rosh HaShanah feature. I realize that I am over a month late and not Jewish but this cake shouldn't be reserved just for one celebration during the year.  Apple and Honey Cake. 

I lined my pan with a circle of parchment paper and I think it might have been a mistake because the sugar and apples on top didn't carmelize the way they should have.  The cake is still tasty but I think it could have been that much better.   And it should be served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I know I have said this before but it is so satisfying to bake something with apples from your own tree and eggs from your own chickens. 

 

Friday's Favorites

Flickr Favorites (please click link to see the source of these beautiful images)

• Clever use of old spoons as plant hangers
• I'm not sure where this fascination with coin purses is coming from (maybe because I just toss my change into the bottom of my purse).  Here's a lovely one
• Pretty display on a bookcase.  Speaking of Pinterest it sure helps you hone in on your decorating style if you at all confused at what direction your tastes lean towards.  Take a look at my decor related boards and see if you can spot the trend.  White.  Pale taupe.  Pale grey.  Sparkle. 
• Here's a pretty, pale, vintage globe that would fit in with my decorating style.  You don't usually see them in such subdued shades. 

Does anyone have any interesting plans for the weekend?  I am actually starting mine this morning (Friday) by taking the day off and puttering around the house.  I have no idea what the rest of the weekend will hold for us.  If it doesn't rain we might try to finish the trellis/pergola structure on the deck. 

Hope everyone has a relaxing, peaceful weekend!