"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens" Ecclesiastes 3:1
Fall is in full swing. It's always been one of my favorite seasons. For one, it was always the beginning of soccer season in college. I looked forward to chilly games believe it or not! I disliked the wet games though. As goal-keeper, that was nightmare! However, now in this stage of life, the seasons remind me of God's creativity and the beauty of "change". Nothing stays the same. Growing older, I've realized this is something I value greatly. My husband and I are so drastically different in that. He is a man sure of his love for certain things, order, and sequence. Variety for him isn't a pleasant thing. It really throws off his routine ;) Me, on the other hand, I love trying new things and the saying "variety is the spice to life" was probably coined for people like me. I'm not ashamed. I embrace it. Hopefully my husband is getting used to it by now!With "change" being a theme to the season, we've FINALLY decided to add a little variety to our life with a new furry member of the family...Duke will be making his debut to our home November 8th! This was quite the process to first decide on a dog breed. Mercy. We thought about an English Bulldog for many months. Austin's love for all things "Rob and Big" truly inspired. I came around eventually to the idea. Unfortunately, we researched dogs, emailed breeders, and came up short on that idea. We were not so sure if that's what we really wanted...So, eventually, we landed on the Beagle breed...and the name Duke. Found a breeder in Rockford who kept us in the loop as new litters were born. And eventually, we knew we had found our "Duke". We've visited twice prior to bringing him home..we just love him that much! If I could imagine the adoption process (translation from humans to baby dogs) this feels quite similar. Can't wait to snuggle with this little bugger.
Just look at those eyes! Makes your heart melt doesn't it!
Okay, onto crafts...my life line and self-proclaimed healing therapy.
Painted Pumpkins
Just keep that Chevron obsession coming! Anyone who has been in my office at work can attest there is a lot of chevron happening. So why not add it do my fall decor? These were a bit more difficult to do than anticipated...
I wish I would have painted with actual white paint instead of the spray paint as it seemed to dry funny and crept between the tape design. Note to self!
{Pictured above is white spray paint and glitter paint I had left over from other projects}
First do some taping!
Then some painting! Allow a good several hours dry time before taking the tape off.
"L" Pumpkin! Super easy to do yourself. You can stencil for a more accurate paint job.
My little pumpkins needed some paint too!
You gotta roast the pumpkin seeds! Tasty treat.
Recipe found at: http://jadelouisedesigns.com/roasted-pumpkin-seeds-recipe/
Jute Wrapped Lamp Shades
So I'm on a jute high these days. I may have gone a little overboard. Ahhh well. Boring lamp shades come to a more natural and fun looking state of being.
(Before Pictured Above) - That's my Pumpkin Apple Yankee Candle burning there. Smells like heaven!
You will need a lampshade, rope/jute fiber (You can find this at your local Home Depot or Lowes), a hot glue gun, scissors, and lots of glue re-fillers (I went through a ton of glue!)
This project requires some patience. Settle in with your favorite 2 hour movie and get to gluin'.
After! The only complaint I have is that the light doesn't shine bright through the jute. I wish I would have used more of a pure rope like fiber. However, they're still pretty for a decorative look.
Fix it and Forget it Crock Pot Apple Sauce
We were gone for most of the day Saturday running errands. I spent about 20 minutes peeling all the apples, threw them in the crock pot with a couple other ingredients, and 6 hours later....boom! Applesauce! Seriously, that's what happened and it was just like that.
Recipe taken from the following blogger:
Only adaptions I made: I used mostly macantosh, honeycrisp, and empire apples...which are very sweet naturally, therefore I probably would have left out a 1/4 cup of brown sugar blend and only used 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract instead of 1 tsp.
For a bigger turn out you'll need more than 6 apples as this recipe above calls for...
I used 12 apples total
1 cup of water
1-2 tsp of Cinnamon
3/4 cup of brown sugar blend (splenda/brown blend)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
(and a Crockpot of course)
All ingredients mixed together on high for 6 hours.
Once the 6 hours are up, you'll want to mash the apples up a bit and let it simmer. It will be a little wet, but some of those juices will absorb into the sauce. The apples should be really mushy and the smell...well let's just say it's going to smell awesome in your house for the next couple of hours!
Yields about 3-4 cups worth. You could easily do another 6-12 apples in a large crock pot for more apple sauce!
Hope you enjoy some new ideas. Get crafty. Get cookin'. Enjoy the fall! Be blessed everyone.
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