Tag Archives | fall

Mini Paper Pumpkins {with treats}

October 29, 2013

The inspiration for this paper pumpkin idea came from
Martha Stewart’s pumpkin favor pouches for Halloween.

These mini paper pumpkins are adorable and easy to make. I will be showing two similar methods with a slight variation using crepe paper or crepe paper streamers. This came about when I couldn’t find crepe paper at the local stores but they all had crepe paper streamers available. Eventually I got it, just had to drive a little further. If you don’t need it right away, order it online for the best color selections, or spend less money and use crepe paper streamers. Both methods worked great and as a result I wanted to share them with you.

SUPPLIES

crepe paper / crepe paper streamers
green floral tape
white paper cupcake liners/cups
double-sided tape
ruler
scissors
pencil
paper plate {9″-10″diameter}
sweet treats
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step 1
Cut 4 long strips of crepe paper streamers {10 inches in length each}. On a flat surface, place one paper streamer down and stick a piece of double-sided tape on top and at the center. Take the second crepe paper streamer and place it on top of the first one to make a criss-cross pattern. Press the two middle sections together. Repeat the process with the third and fourth crepe paper streamers to form a circle.

step 2
Attach a paper cupcake liner to the center of the crepe paper streamers using double-sided tape. All the pieces should be attached to each other at the center of the circle {see step 2 image}.

steps 3 & 4
Fill the paper cupcake liner with treats.

To form the pumpkin, take two paper streamer ends opposite each other and bring them to the center above the paper cupcake liner. Hold them in place and repeat this process with the other paper streamers to form a loose ball-like shape.

step 5
To form the stem, twist the crepe paper ends together with one hand to enclose the treats in the paper cupcake cup. Use the other hand to gently squeeze and shape the body of the pumpkin while holding it in place.

step 6
Cut one 10″ long piece of green floral tape

steps 7 & 8
Start at the base of the stem, twist the floral tape several times around in the same direction as the twisted stem. Gently pull on the floral tape while twisting it around to make it stick together and to tighten the loose stem. Once the base is secured, start twisting the floral tape in a spiral up the stem to cover the orange paper streamers.

steps 9 & 10
To finish the pumpkin, take a pencil and wrap the stem around it to give the pumpkin a little curl.

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step 1
Place a paper plate on top of the crepe paper and trace around the outer edges with a pencil. Cut out the crepe paper circle.

steps 2 & 3
Place a piece of double-sided tape at the center of the crepe paper circle and attach a paper cupcake liner to it. Fill the cup with treats. Gather the outer edges of the crepe paper and bring it to the center above the paper cupcake cup to form a loose paper ball shape.

note: the stem on this pumpkin will be a little thicker than the pumpkin made from
crepe paper streamers.

step 4
To form the stem, twist the crepe paper edges together with one hand to enclose the treats in the paper cupcake cup. Use the other hand to gently squeeze and shape the body of the pumpkin while holding it in place.

steps 5 & 6
Cut one 10″ long piece of green floral tape

Start at the base of the stem, twist the floral tape several times around in the same direction as the twisted stem. Gently pull on the floral tape while twisting it around to make it stick together and to tighten the loose stem. Once the base is secured, start twisting the floral tape in a spiral up the stem to cover the orange paper streamers.

steps 7 & 8
Finish the pumpkin, take a pencil and wrap the stem around it to give the pumpkin a little curl.

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See All The Halloween Ideas {here}

Halloween Display

1.printables/spiders & insects 2.printable labels & tags / spiders & insects 3.chocolate pretzel spider web treats 4.packaged treats in paper pumpkins 5.packaged treats in test tubes 6.packaged treats in paper bag

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posted by: Kay

2 comments

Halloween Display, Printables and More…

October 26, 2013

Halloween TREATS! I like to put together simple, fun and not too scary Halloween display for the kids. See the previous year {here}. This theme is all about creepy crawly critters like spiders, frogs, snakes, and bugs. For the next few posts from now till Halloween, I will put together in detail “how to’s” for … treats, paper pumpkins and packaging shown above.

Paper pumpkin treat packages are too cute and easy to make. Flameless candles is the ideal way to add a soft glow and they won’t burn the delicate cobwebs. I also used bare branches in a tall vase to give height and texture to the display.

packaged Halloween treats

Test tubes filled with M&Ms chocolate candy pieces {fresh rat hearts}. Free printable “specimen No 3” label & more at Paging Supermom {print here}.

chocolate pretzel spider web treats

Have fun using this Halloween printable that I’ve created from an assortment of spider and insect images in black and white. In the above picture, the printed image had papers layered beneath it with torn edges for a rough organic look. To give it depth, I lightly smeared soft black charcoal and diluted black watercolor paint on the paper leaving a few paint droplets to drip down. Little black plastic spiders were added with double-sided tape for a 3-D effect. The wooden frame covered with spider web and one giant spider cut-out perched at the top corner tied it all together.

Free Spiders & Insects Printable {print Here}

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PACKAGING HALLOWEEN TREATS

SUPPLIES

gummy treats ⎜ clear resealable cello bags 5 7/8″ x 4 1/2″ ⎜ parchment paper liners ⎜ double-sided tape ⎜ scissors ⎜ spider & insect printable labels

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut parchment paper liner to fit inside the cello bag and insert it into the cello bag.
2. Place the gummy treats in the cello bag on top of the paper liner.
3. Remove the plastic strip off the resealable adhesive near the top of the back, fold it over and press the adhesive firmly against the back of the bag to seal the opening.
4. Attach the Halloween treat label to the cello bag using double-sided tape.

Free Halloween Printable Labels/Tags
with description “Creepy Crawler Treats” {print here}
without description {print here}

1.printable / spiders & insects 2.printable labels & tags / spiders & insects 3.chocolate pretzel spider web treats 4.packaged treats in paper pumpkins 5.packaged treats in test tubes 6.packaged treats in paper bags

Come back soon to see more Halloween how-to projects!

{all printables are for personal use ONLY}

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posted by: Kay

0 comments

Fall Love… Duck hunting, Firewood, NFL Red Zone

October 19, 2013

Getting to know Bill and me on a little ~~deeper~~ maybe more on the weird level since our kids have told us often that we are “weird parents”, so we must be. The things we look forward to during the Fall Season may not always be high on many people’s lists of priority: hunting, firewood and the NFL “Red Zone”.

To be out hunting or fishing is Bill’s ideal thing to do this time of year. The opportunity came and he took it without any hesitation. Last week was the first day of duck season. He and a friend went out at midnight to their hunting spot to prepare and set up duck decoys. Seven o’clock in the morning couldn’t come fast enough for the guys. That was the official opening time and knowing Bill, he probably was completely awake the whole night with excitement. Opening day was a success for the guys. They got a total of eleven ducks that day.

Watching Duck Dynasty might be as close as I will get to any duck hunting, even though the guys on the show really don’t show a lot of duck hunting. Duck Dynasty has become one of our family’s favorite shows to watch.

I feel like a squirrel collecting nuts for the winter, but it’s firewood. To see a LARGE stack of firewood in the backyard to last us from winter into spring makes me truly happy. I will gather and stack them and with Bill’s help when needed. The warmth of a fire during the winter just feels right. Winter brings with it unpredictable weather and power outages. In having a wood stove as the source of heat, a place to cook and bake, we can withstand those situations a little easier.

This cut timber came from our property and is soon to be firewood for the next winter. See how the guys took down these trees last year. {here…}

“NFL RedZone delivers all of the touchdowns, key moments, and nonstop action that NFL fans want to see every Sunday afternoon,” said Matt Lederer, Director of Sports Marketing.

Football Season is definitely kicking into hight gear. Our newest cable channel that we can’t be without is the “NFL RED ZONE“. It’s on Sunday between 10:00am and 5:00pm from September till the last NFL game in January. When I discovered this at my brother-in-law’s house a few years ago, it was literally love at first sight! {weird??} I was able to see the games in real time without commercials, timeouts, delays etc… No more of having to click from channel to channel and possibly missed out on a great play. If you are a football fan check the Red Zone out. Go Broncos!

What do you love about the Fall Season?

image/sources: Facebook.com/duckdynasty ⎜ NFL Red Zone

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posted by: Kay

0 comments

It’s Pumpkin {Squash} Season

October 12, 2013

Pumpkins are here! Every year there is a temptation to buy just one more pumpkin and add it to the growing collection at home. And I give in, one too many times! There are many varieties to choose from at the grocery stores and local markets. At this time of year, the local farms are bursting with fresh fruits, vegetables, and pumpkins. Out in the fields is where I love to go in search of pumpkins and squash, especially when they are still attached to the vines and ready for picking.

This beautiful Cinderella pumpkin {Rouge Vif d’Etampes} peaked out from beneath the vines and dead leaves to reveal its bright orange/red color.

What a sight to see, Green Goblin Pumpkins {Marina Di Chioggia} with knobby skin are quite a unique squash with yellow/orange sweet flesh. They are great for baking and a source of vitamin A.

Have you ever seen a yellow pumpkin as bright as this one!

The Blue Hubbarb Squash is teardrop-shaped with a hard outer shell and orange sweet flesh. They are great for pies, and soups.

Fairytale Pumpkins {Musque de Provence} originated from France, they will start out green and gradually turn brown/copper in color when ripe.

The striped pumpkin {Kakai} is popular for hull-less deep green seeds. The seeds have a wonderful nutty taste for snacking and for oil to be used in cooking.

A field full of orange pumpkins is a sight I never get tired of at this time of year.

Arrival of the fall season brings with it pumpkins. Place them outside at the front door {see it here…} or scatter them throughout the house. A large bright pumpkin could stand alone as the center piece of the table or on a mantle. Group similar color/size pumpkins together in a bowl, platter or other containers to brighten a room. Here I’ve gathered some simple and easy ideas to decorate with pumpkins.

Kim at Simply Domestic used little white and striped pumpkins to decorate her kitchen and dinning room . {see more…}

A few orange pumpkins placed in the middle of the kitchen island gave this neutral kitchen a nice pop of color.

A collection of pumpkins and squash with other items of similar green color brought cohesiveness to the display on the shelves.

This large wooden cake stand with two pumpkins stacked together created a wonderful display.

Have fun finding pumpkins and decorating with them!

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posted by: Kay

0 comments

Welcome Autumn . . .{with Ree Drummond & Brad Paisley}

September 21, 2013

Autumn!

When a season ends another begins and as always I want it to last a little longer. But it wasn’t until I began compiling pictures for this post that I realized how ready I have been for the change in season. I’ve thought about soups, FOOTBALL, pumpkins, squash recipes, blankets, candles, and often times gravitated to orange things without much thought as to why {i.e pics above and below}. The night before the above picture was taken, a big rain storm came through overnight and took down my beautiful large marigold plant. Not wanting to leave the broken stems scattered on the ground, I gathered them up and arranged the cut flowers into a large white bowl to be enjoyed for awhile longer. {thinking of autumn?!!}

{pumpkins: Cinderella-bottom, Musquee de Provence-center, jack o lantern-top}

Wanting to welcome autumn, but keeping it simple and a little rustic by stacking a variety of pumpkins in a pot to greet visitors at the front door. The green leaves on this freshly made wreath will slowly change to brown through the season.

The weather was gray and cloudy with rain on and off while vacationing with Bill and the kids. Each vacation day was full of busy activities outside. But when it was quiet time in the house, the kids got out their phones, iPad, watched a movie or played on the Xbox and checked out for awhile. My quiet time was spent next to the gas fireplace on an ex-large and ex-comfortable sofa where I read, had coffee, listened to music and moistened my extremely dry lips. Complete contentment …..until one of the kids yelled from upstairs for me to turn off the gas fire because they were roasting. .

Autumn Cottage Magazine

Anyway, here are some favorite pictures from the Autumn Cottage magazine to awaken the autumn spirit in you.

Autumn picnic.

Decorating the house/table in the colors orange, yellow, brown and red.

Simple packaging ideas using twine, jars and brown paper bags.

The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, A Love Story

The thought of bringing a book and having time to sit and read it on vacation NEVER occurred to me because my time was often filled with entertaining the kids, feeding them and doing laundry {kinda like being back at home}. This vacation was a turning point, they are older and didn’t need my help as much, “What am I to do with my time… me time?”. The house we stayed at had a small selection of books to read and the one that got my attention was {the orange book}, “The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels-A Love Story”. I know who Ree Drummond is from having enjoyed making regular visites to her website, The Pioneer Woman. I wanted something light-hearted and maybe funny too and this was perfect. In the story, Ree took us into her first encounter then the “juicy” details of dating Marlboro Man as she often referred to Ladd Drummond and finished off the second half of the book chronicling their first year experiences of marriage and living out in the country. A beautiful love story with twists and turns, unexpected events and sometimes funny would grab my attention and take my mind off to a different place and time. Other times her emotions would spark memories of young love and how it felt when Bill and I were dating {20+ years ago}. It was a joy to read this book.

For more information and excerpts from the book, click on the links below:

The first time Ree cooked for Marboro Man. He later revealed to her and said,
“I really hated it. But I really liked you.” {continue Here…}
Why Ree Drummond wrote “Black Heels to Tractor Wheels” {continue Here…}
Ree mentioned Marbora Man’s house often in the book, see pictures
{Then: continue Here…} {Now:continue Here…}
Read a few chapters from the book or purchase it {continue Here… }

This Is Country Music, by Brad Paisley

To make my ‘quiet time’ a little sweeter, Brad Paisley’s songs were playing in the background. Here are two songs from the CD I was listening to {music videos: This Is Country Music & Remind Me}.

Samples of other songs from Brad Paisley’s CD, “This is Country Music” {Here}.