"It's Halloween - My Pretties"

It's Halloween!

You know what that means?  

It's only 55 days until Christmas!!!!

At least that's what us Girls are thinking.

Starting tomorrow, I wish to share several posts with you about gift ideas for Christmas. 

 I hope you will join in - not only to get some ideas - but to share some as well.

This post is actually a Halloween and Gift post, 

because I'm featuring some Halloween crafts made and given to me by my Mom.

My mom made me chuckle when she gave me this little witch. 

 Our family is not really into creepy/evil things for Halloween, but when she handed it to me she said, 

"I don't care........

she was sooo cute - 

I just had to paint her!"

Well.......she is pretty cute.

She also painted this beautiful pumpkin basket for me.    

Most of her painting was crafty like this.  

Not that she couldn't do other painting, 

but she loved kids and holidays

 - so projects like this were really her passion.

A time or two we talked her into selling her crafts, 

but she couldn't do it.  

She wanted to craft for gifts, not selling.  

Somehow the selling took all the joy away for her.

Oh, how I love my mama's gifts!

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie

Corn Basket and Antique Bench

Can you get too much Fall?

We had such a HOT, HOT, HOT Summer of drought

That Autumn seems especially nice this year.

And Who doesn't smile and think happy thoughts 

When they see pumpkins spilling off of 

Neighborhood porches.

This old bench has been in Edward's family

for around 100 years.  

It is so old, we can barely move it.

It still seems to say,

"Welcome Home".

My sister bought this sign for me a few years ago.

I think the bench and I agree - 

This is right to approach life!

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie


PS - I have used the same dried corn for at least 10 years.  I just wrap it in plastic trash bags and store in plastic tubs in the garage.  If that's enough to keep critters and insects out in Oklahoma - it should be good anywhere.

Parties I Will Be Linking To:

Sunday - The Sunday Showcase Party at Under The Table and Dreaming, DIY Project Parade at The DIY Showoff   

Monday - Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy, Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Tuesday - Show Me What Ya Got at Not Just a Housewife,  

Wednesday - Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style, 

Thursday - Open House Party at No Minimalist Here,   Catch As Catch Can at My Repurposed Life

Friday - Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed, Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage, Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home, Weekend Wrap up Party at Tatertots and Jello   

Fun With Wired Ribbon

Wired ribbon is one of the most fun things ever created!  Of course it makes beautiful bows, because you can shape and fuss until your bow looks spectacular.......

But here are a few other ideas to get your creative juices flowing for the holidays.

Cut a length of wired ribbon and on one side only, pull the wire partially from one end and then the other to cinch up the ribbon into a yo-yo.    Then twist the two end pieces together to hold the shape of the yo-yo.  There are so many beautiful Christmas ribbons, you could truly decorate an entire tree with them.  They are also inexpensive and fun to make with the kids.

Take it a step further and stack different sized yo-yos to glue onto headbands or.......anything really!

I used yo-yos on this candelabra to cover prongs that didn't look right with the pumpkins on them.  The yo-yos make a perfect cover up.  

  

Pull the wire completely out of one side of the ribbon and cinch the other side to create a gathered ribbon.  Stitch this onto towels, little girls' items, pillows.......again whatever your heart desires.  Just zig-zag across the wire on the gathered side of the ribbon, then pull this remaining wire out.

If you cinch up the wires on both sides of the ribbon, you can create a collar for a mason jar.  Wouldn't a plaid ribbon be adorable on a mason jar for Christmas?

I hope you'll have as much fun coming up with new ways to use wired ribbon as I did!

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie

Parties I Will Be Linking To:

Sunday - The Sunday Showcase Party at Under The Table and Dreaming, DIY Project Parade at The DIY Showoff   

Monday - Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy, Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Tuesday - Show Me What Ya Got at Not Just a Housewife,  

Wednesday - Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style, 

Thursday - Open House Party at No Minimalist Here,   Catch As Catch Can at My Repurposed Life

Friday - Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed, Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage, Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home, Weekend Wrap up Party at Tatertots and Jello   

Antique Bird Cage

One of the more fun things that has happened since I started this blog is people giving me things to see if I can "do something with it".  What a delightful challenge for me!  I love, love, love taking  things that would otherwise be discarded and making something useful or beautiful out of them.

Now I realize beauty may be in the eye of the beholder and some things may be a miss to some people, but my thinking is - the more you try, the better your chances for a real hit! 

I also firmly believe that

 a person becomes more creative the more they create.  

So, 

Go For It!  

Have Fun!  

Take Some Chances!  

The journey will be a blast.

This is a birdcage given to my daughter to give to me.  It is an antique and had been in the person's family for a long time, but they just didn't know what to do with it anymore.

I didn't do much to decorate the cage itself, just a good cleaning, reattaching some of the wires, and a coat of Krylon's Satin Ivory.  I also removed the wire from the top and replaced it with a new finial.

The fun part was decorating it for the season.  It seemed to be begging for feathers, so feathers it was.  Since it is located right next to the trash bag wreath I made, it also needed some bright orange.

I think the little sparrow is liking his new space.

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie

Parties I Will Be Linking To:

Sunday - The Sunday Showcase Party at Under The Table and Dreaming, DIY Project Parade at The DIY Showoff   

Monday - Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy, Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Tuesday - Show Me What Ya Got at Not Just a Housewife,  

Wednesday - Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style, 

Thursday - Open House Party at No Minimalist Here,   Catch As Catch Can at My Repurposed Life

Friday - Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed, Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage, Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home, Weekend Wrap up Party at Tatertots and Jello   

TATERTOTS AND JELLO!!!!

OK, I am bursting at the seams!!!

TATERTOTS AND JELLO 

JUST FEATURED 

MY EARRING FRAME!

If you can't tell.......I'm really excited.

Oh, Jen, Thank You, Thank You!

Earring Frame

If you are a frugal person, you're going to loooove this project!  I had all of these materials on hand, so it cost me absolutely nothing.  In spite of that, I think this turned out very attractive and still serves the purpose I need it to.

I took a freestanding frame that has been sitting around waiting for a purpose, 

an old t-shirt that I really liked 

but didn't like how short it fit, 

and an old piece of plastic canvas.  

I don't even know if you can still buy plastic canvas.  

Anybody know?

I cut the plastic canvas to fit the picture frame snugly. Next, I cut a portion of the t-shirt to cover the plastic canvas.  Although I lightly rubbed a glue stick all over the plastic canvas, I think I'm going to re-do this and brush a very light coat of Elmer's Glue instead.  (Just don't let glue accumulate in the holes of the plastic canvas.)  Finally, I hot-glued the oval into the frame.

Isn't this a great way to display post earrings?  

If you remember, I hang my hook earrings on a cup and saucer rack, as shown here.

If the posts of your earrings should want to push the fabric through the plastic canvas holes the first time you hang your earrings, just put the earring back right against the back side of the plastic canvas, and the earring will puncture the fabric very easily.

Wouldn't this make a fun Christmas gift?  I know I would love to get this, especially since I've been needing one for a long time.

Thanks for stopping by,


Ellie

Parties I Will Be Linking To:

Sunday - The Sunday Showcase Party at Under The Table and Dreaming, DIY Project Parade at The DIY Showoff   

Monday - Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy, Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Tuesday - Show Me What Ya Got at Not Just a Housewife,  

Wednesday - Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style, 

Thursday - Open House Party at No Minimalist Here,   Catch As Catch Can at My Repurposed Life

Friday - Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed, Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage, Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home, Weekend Wrap up Party at Tatertots and Jello   

Coffee Punch

This is another recipe that is great to put together in an instant during the holidays.  Just brew up some strong coffee to keep in the refrigerator or freezer, and keep the other ingredients on hand.  Well, that is if you can keep everyone out of the ice cream! 

Photo by Ms. Tasha York

Ingredients

1 1/4 Cup Sugar

1 Gallon Strong Coffee

1 Pint Whipping Cream 

1 Pint Vanilla Ice Cream, softened

1 Pint Chocolate Ice Cream, softened

Stir the sugar into the hot coffee.  Chill thoroughly.  Fold in whipping cream and ice cream just before serving.  If it is too sweet for your liking, add more coffee and whipping cream.

You can also add vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon or chocolate if you like.

This is so, so, so addictively yummy!  

What else can one say!

Hmmm........

I don't know if this is me making more, 

or drinking more.

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie

Precious Daughter Gift

My daughter recently took a trip to New Orleans for her job. Since I love that deep south, New Orleans style - but have never had a chance to visit - I asked her to bring back something for me that said New Orleans.  I thought it would be lovely to have a piece that truly came from there.

While she was there, we talked a couple of times on the phone.

"So what do you think of New Orleans?  Is it amazing?"

"I don't know, Mom.  I'm not feeling well at all and the smells here are killing me."

"But what's it like?  Are you having a wonderful time?"

"I'm just so tired!  When we're not  in meetings, all I want to do is come back to the room and nap."

Poor Baby Girl!!!

It's always such a bummer to get so excited about a trip, and then miss all the things you want to do and see because you're sick.  I was so sad for her.

In spite of her illness, however, she still made it to a few shops........and bought a piece of New Orleans for me - as well as a pair of killer high heels for herself.  No girl is too sick to buy killer heels, after all.

By now I'm sure you're thinking the Fleur-de-Lis pictured throughout this post is the special gift she brought me from New Orleans.  Well........that's true.  She did buy this just for me, and she did purchase it in New Orleans.  But the real gift........the truly special thing she brought home

Was the realization

That she was so sick 

And Tired

Because She is Making a Baby 

Just For Me!!!

Since Baby Girl lost a baby earlier this year, it was something none of us was anticipating yet.  What an absolutely delightful surprise!

We've all kept fairly quiet about it up to now, but she is about to begin her second trimester and the ultrasounds are showing a beautiful, growing, new little person to love.  It's time to party like we were at Mardi Gras!

I don't think I will every look at this Fleur-de-Lis and not think about my first grandchild.  In my heart, I've already been calling him or her My Little Fleur.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing this very special moment with me!

Fleur's Grandmama

Trash Bag Wreath

I know it seems like most of the things I post on my blog only cost $1-2.  It's not that I will not spend more, but I know what it's like to feel discouraged when you don't have the money to keep participating in the activities of our culture.  I mean, we went for over two years not being able to eat out, go to movies, take vacations, etc.  If you've been there, you know how that wears on you a little - especially when you have kids.  


The statement I try to make at The Lavender Tub is.......

Live Anyway.

So having said that, here is another project that cost very little to make.

I simply cut the drawstring off of a plastic trash bag, cut the sides open and ended up with a long strip of black plastic.

Then I wrapped the plastic around a wreath form (recycle an old wreath or even make one out of newspaper), and finally attached a bow.  This ribbon can be found at The Dollar Store for $1.  Whoo hoo.

I'm not into the scary stuff at Halloween, but I love the colors.  After all, I am an Oklahoma State Cowboys fan, so it's Black and Orange around here all the time, Baby!

Thanks for stopping by,


Ellie

Linking to Show and Tell Friday - See Cindy's Romantic Home Link in Sidebar

I Was Featured!!!

It's always such a thrill and honor when another blog features one of my posts.  Today, Under The Table and Dreaming featured two!

Click here if you'd like to see.

Thank you so much, Stephanie.  I don't know what to say!

Ellie

Dollar Store Cake Plate

With cakes and cupcakes being all the rage, it's nice to have a cake plate that compliments your hard work. 

When I saw this plate at the dollar store, 

I thought it was so pretty, 

  

especially when paired with this bowl.  

They are pretty and look nice for fall alone, 

but doubling up on that pattern 

enhances them both.  

Sometimes when you have an idea, 

it seems so simple, 

but then you spend a long time getting it just right.  

This is one of those projects.  

Gluing the bowl and the plate together 

just looked like a bowl and plate. 

They really needed something more. 

I tried inserting lots of different candlesticks, 

doilies, cylinders, etc., 

but nothing looked just right.  

I finally decided these natural wood beads complimented them the best.  No, it doesn't look like a high end, expensive cake plate, but for $2, some glue and a few old wooden beads, I think it makes an attractive display surface.  

I think I'm going to put a big Aubergine candle on mine for now.  

The point is this:  

there are so many really cute dishes at the dollar store

 and thrift stores that it's easy to  create something to serve your baked goods on for just a couple of $'s.  

This was a fun project, with pretty instant gratification.  

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie

Fall Fleur-de-Lis

I printed fleur-de-lis from The Graphics Fairy onto 

some textured natural colored paper.

Then carefully cut them out using 

an exacto knife.

Finally, I glued them onto orange 

plaid scrapbook paper.

So Fall Festive!

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie

Antique White Frame

   I built these gold frames a long time ago out of some frame molding. They are a nice size for framing a small plate.  

I have changed them out several times.  

I'm tired of the gold, though, and need something

 in an antique white.

This is the space that frames the window around my kitchen sink.  First, I painted the frames Krylon's Oil Rubbed Bronze

 - one of my favorite colors.  

I don't think it looks very good with the old metal tile.

I painted Krylon's Satin Ivory over the top 

and let it cure for a few days.  

Next, I gently sanded the raised spots allowing 

the bronze and gold to show through.  

Finally, I wiped it down with thinned rust brown paint, 

then wiped most of that paint off.  

I don't want it too matchy, but I kept holding it up 

to the metal tile to check the color.

Tomorrow I'll show you what I'm putting in the frames.

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie