Just a Touch of Design...Fall Decor in the Great Room

I usually never make a big deal out of my mantle in my great room during Halloween/Fall. Compared to Christmas, it is practically the same as every other day. On a regular day, I have a large orchestra painting propped up with a violin and bow beside it, mosaic glass lamp on the other side and a few small votive holders across the front. During the fall, I run a strand of leaves along with some orange berry strands. Pretty plain, huh?

This year, I decided to search through my 6 garages and pull out items that I have picked up along the way in my life, but never seemed to have use for. Things that have always been cool to me, but never a space cool enough to show them.

Here is what I came up with and it looks "oh, so awesome"!



First off, keep in mind that the camera makes my walls look very white, but the walls are actually a gorgeous tan. The frame was a trash dive :) Had a painting attached that I didn't care for...love the frame though! The candelabra was something I picked up at Goodwill a few years ago and never got around to using, but knew I would somewhere. It was a cool 99 cent find :) I added the orange berry (I already had) and a crow I found at The Dollar Tree. The gourd was already part of my fall decor.






I bought the black scrolled tealight holder out of the items my mom sent up for me to sell during my yard sale. It has 4 holders, but I only had 3 raggy fabric pumpkins so I set the felt patchwork black cat in front of the fourth holder. I already had the tiny bushel basket and just added some glitter lined leaves to spill out of it.








All together with a few large glitter leaves, orange painted grapevine pumpkin, strand of fall leaves, white light strand, and 2 grapevine balls which I already had in my bin of fall decor, this is the complete picture of beauty :)


With our rodeo tan walls, reflecting paprika side walls and dim lights in every corner at night....





Looks kind of dark & spooky, doesn't it?!

Pop!!

Just recently, the kids and I stopped at a local small "honor system" farmers market. We bought a bag of 6 popcorn cobs for only 1! We have seen these in "The Peanut Shack" store at Myrtle Beach, but have never bought them. What fun these cobs brought to us!!


The excitement began with the first pop....




...little did we know you are supposed to put them in a paper bag and tape it shut...


After cleaning up the mess (still yummy) and putting another one into a bag, we got it right! We even pulled out the cob with some still on it.....





....Cool....

The New England States

Being in fourth grade this year, Genin is studying different regions of the United States. This month, he did the New England States. I love when my kids hit the fourth grade because we do a lot of projects and I absolutely LOVE any kind of project. If you completed 4 projects, you would get 100% so that is exactly what we did.

The first project he decided to do was a potato stamp of Maine. He also had to include 10 uses for the potato (he came up with some pretty creative ones)



What do you think of his stamp? Looks just like Maine! Now, for anyone who knows me knows that I always like to encourage my kids to go above and beyond when it comes to their projects. So, with this project, Genin made his own homemade thick skinned potato chips!



From what I heard, the kids and teachers loved them and Genin was very proud of his very own created recipe! We posted the recipe on my other blog www.dede-kneadarecipe.blogspot.com if you would like to try it out. They are delicious!!

His next project was making his own lobster trap out of items you throw away. He used the shoebox his Etnies came in and (I) took a knife to it. He cut a piece of netting from an old hanger that holds stuffed animals. He didn't have a lobster so...he made that too! Using an empty toilet tissue roll and red tissue paper.



The third project was creating a recipe using either blueberries or cranberries. He chose Apple-Blueberry Muffins. They were delicious! Haven't posted the recipe yet, but will soon!






Lastly, he decided on the "Write a Poem" project. This is the project where he was able to show some creativity through writing. The assignment was to write a poem about the fall leaves of the New England States. He wrote a wonderful poem entitled, "All Things Autumn" and even got very decorative with the display of it gluing the poem to a torn orange background and stapling leaves to one top and bottom corner. Definitely display worthy! We wanted to add something to this project as well so I broke out the laminater. Genin tore up sheets of red, orange and cream construction paper. We then sprinkled the pieces between the sheets of laminate paper and ran it through the machine. Once sealed, we cut them into the shape of a leaf and punched a hole on the tip to thread a piece of ribbon. They kind of resembed stain glass after we finished. We made one for each child so they could have their own pieces of autumn :)




So much fun and a great way for Genin and I to spend some time together....we can't wait for the next region!!!

Just a Touch of Design...My Upper Level Bathroom

It has been 5 years since we moved into this house and I am ready to start changing up a few things. Rule of thumb for totally redoing a room, including paint is every 7 years. I am just putting a few touches in here and there to give a change of scenery for now until I am ready to go full force into design. I found a few things while out junking a few weeks ago and decided to put them in my upper level bathroom.

Remember the white creamer and bowl w/silver trim? It turned out great on top of the cabinet above the toilet. (sorry about the picture being a little off center, I took at a slight angle so everything looks crooked in it, but they are not)



I originally had 3 clear canisters filled with cotton balls, bath salts, etc...The only thing that I was iffy about was taking down the old fork/spoon wind chime that I had hanging in the corner. With the large items up there, it was hard to see the chimes from the door.





This pic was taken from the doorway. Just to get you up-to-date on how I designed this room 5 years ago. The color of this bathroom is done in cappuccino and has black and white accents throughout. It has a hint of old Victorian (notice the 3 door keyholes on the skinny wall to the left across from the toilet) I chose this design because I absolutely love the style and color of the vanity (thought most would think it outdated) At the time, we were trying to redo the necessities in the house and this wasn't one of them since I was in love with the style and idea of decorating around it.

Remember the scale I got at the antique mall?




I have it sitting in between the sinks on the vanity next to my towel holder. Here's a closeup!





May as well throw in a pic of the other part of the bathroom so you can see all angles!






Those are antique soap ads framed on the wall. This is one of my favorite decorated rooms :)

Week in Review...Stink Bugs, Dentists and Pink!

September 27-October 3

This week started out on a really stinky note (and I am not just trying to find words) The stinkbugs overtook my house this week. This situation took a separate blog which I have already written. Check it out if you didn't get a chance. On a brighter note, they seemed to have calmed down at this point. I am hoping that it isn't just the cold and that I seriously made a difference in getting rid of them.

I had my second Zumba class this week and I still feel good. Can you imagine burning 1,000 calories in 1 hour and feeling this good afterward? What a rush just thinking about it!

Kaplyn and I had to make a trip to the dentist this week to get cavities filled. It was Kaplyn's very first one and she did great! The dentist noticed her arm of silly bands and gave her one shaped like a tooth! I had one cavity to get filled (only by 3rd my whole life) Boy, was that an adventure! I had 4 of my 6 kids in the room with me. Somehow it just interested all of them to see Mommy in the dental chair. I was hoping the numbing was minimal since Cameron's Middle School Open House was that day. I didn't want to sound funny speaking with his teachers for the first time.

Likes of the Week

Pink!!! Being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we donned our pink for 2 football games. You kind of got used to not seeing anything, but pink! Now I know how my sister Gina feels everyday....she is a Radiology Tech on the Bonnie Bus for Mammograms.






Nice weather! Reiner was a real character during the warm weather this week.




The Middle School Open House went great. Cameron is doing well as usual. He loves school and is a very good listener. It pretty much comes natural to our little scholar. His favorite classes this year are Tech and Social Studies. He made a bridge in Tech and has learned how to make floor plans for houses. What an exciting class that I kind of wish we would have had when I was younger!

Friday night was the big Homecoming Game! Kaplyn and my squad got to cheer along with the other squads and high school cheerleaders. The night was declared "Pink Night" for Breast Cancer Awareness so the older cheerleaders were shaking their bright pink pom-poms while wearing their pink t-shirts. The crowd was a mass of pink! My girls and the other squads wore pink awareness ribbons in their hair along with a pin on their uniform, thanks to one of the cheer moms of an older squad (Thanks Dara!) It was a really nice night beginning with seeing one of my tiniest cheerleaders all dressed in her gorgeous gold gown and heels as "Flower Girl" on the Homecoming Court. After the queen was chosen, all the cheerleaders lined up to watch the football players, grades K-12, breakthrough a huge sign to begin the game. The marching band and alumni band played during the game. The concession stand was chaos! Good luck getting a hot dog...and just forget about the walking tacos, they were long gone! My boys got a chance to walk around with their friends while I coached and then Kaplyn and I enjoyed the game after we were finished. It was a big bulldog victory!

Kaplyn cheered at Bentworth on Saturday. This was the tiniest field we have played on yet! What a game!! We were neck and neck the whole time. The only issue at half time was having trouble with the CD player cutting off right in the middle of the routine (I think the batteries went dead) The Bentworth coaches were gracious enough to let me use theirs and the girls did well restarting the routine. Some of my girls thought that we had lost the game 14-12, but we still had 43 seconds left and it was any ones game. Touchdown, bulldogs!! Onto the playoffs for Beth-Center :)

Like, but Don't Like

Nutrimigen Lipil Formula. I have one leg on each side of the fence on this stuff. I found about 12 cans for 44 cents each in a Clearance buggy at Giant Eagle. I was so tickled to find these since formula is usually around $5.49 per can. The upside...it has helped Matlyn's digestive system quite a bit. The downside...it makes her smell like a sack of old potatoes. What a strange smell to this formula!!

I went consignment shopping on Friday. Cameron is growing like a week and I need to get him some new shorts/jeans. Check out some of our finds!




I love this seat! I actually had one of these on Brandis' wish list when he was younger. It gives a place for a baby who is not ready to sit up on their own...a place to sit up :) Saw them at Walmart for around 34.95. Definitely did not want to pay that price. Scored it at Yesterday's Treasures Consignment for $4.50!!






Matlyn loves it!







Reiner found these shark head goggles for 50 cents!







In and Around the School

Genin has been working on the New England states in 4th grade this year. He has to do 4 projects total for 100% in that subject. He did 2 projects last week to take in and he will be working on 2 more. Will blog and have pictures next week!




Dislikes of the Week

Stinkbugs...just in case someone missed that fact.

Heading to the beach this weekend. Will try to keep up while we are there.

Til next time!

Absolutely Hating Stinkbugs!!!

I am at my wit's end with these stink bugs!! Everytime one comes, they bring a whole army to invade my house. My bedroom is like a stinkbug convention!!

This past week has consisted of finding the perfect weapons to rid my home of this nuisances....I chose a large bamboo stick for flicking and a pickle jar half filled with vinegar for dropping.



The stick is basically for the ones too high to reach. They do let off some stink when you "stick it to em" but hey! They aren't going to take over my home without a fight!!! The jar really came in handy. Just take off the lid, hold the jar against the wall or curtain under it and they pretty much fall right in. Slam the lid shut so not too much smell gets out. You can see my day of victims already drowning in the jar. Sorry, no sympathy here....

If you choose to go the vacuum route, make sure you either do not run the vacuum for a few days after (once the stink dies away) or dump the bugs into the yard and sprinkle some carpet deodorizer into the vacuum canister so it lets off that smell instead of the stink which attracts the bugs. I pray that no one out there has any stink bugs in their furnace grates....we learned this little surprise out the hard way yesterday. Turned on our heat and the smell spread through the whole house like wildfire!!!

Here's another little treat we discovered this week. While in the pool area, spraying my sliding door with a water/dish soap mixture (I read that the stink bugs will not return within a few days of spraying 2 cups of water to 10 drops of dish soap) we came across this little guy:



It is hard to see, but that my friends, is a baby bat hanging out of the crease of our siding. Give it only a few minutes to get it's caught wing loose and it was back inside the safety of my outer walls.....makes me shiver just thinking about this rodent living in my siding!!!

Hopefully with the cool weather coming, our little enemies will come to a close. In 34 years, I have never begged for the cold to come quicker!

Weekly Grocery Wrap Up 8/26/10-10/2/10

It has been a while since I have had time to do a mini coupon trip, but I did go out this past week. I decided to go in the other direction for a change and hit Uniontown. This was all from Giant Eagle in Uniontown because...

*****FYI: Uniontown Shop N Save does not accept Internet coupons. I won't be going back to give them my business.

Check out my savings!

Cheerios Cereal-$0.90
Cheerios Cereal-$0.90
Cocoa Puffs Cereal-$1.50
Trix Cereal-$1.50
Froot Loops Cereal-$0.88
Apple Cinnamon Cheerios Cereal-$1.50
Apple Jacks Cereal-$0.88
Toaster Strudel Blueberry-$1.13
Toaster Strudel Cherry-$1.13
Toaster Strudel Wildberry-$1.13
Toaster Strudel Apple-$1.13
Toaster Strudel Cinnamon Roll-$1.13
Toaster Strudel Raspberry-$1.13
Yoplait Original 4 Pack Harvest Peach-$0.99
Yoplait Original 4 Pack Harvest Peach-$0.99
Trix Yogurt 6 Pack-$1.25
Trix Yogurt 6 Pack-$1.25
Yoplait Delights Parfait 4 Pack-$1.00
Yoplait Delights Parfait 4 Pack-$1.00
FiberOne Yogurt 4 Pack-$1.00
FiberOne Yogurt 4 Pack-$1.00
Campbell's Select Harvest Wedding Soup-$1.00
Campbell's Select Harvest Wedding Soup-$1.00
Dannon Danimals Crush Cup 4 Pack-$0.99
Dannon Danimals Crush Cup 4 Pack-$0.99
Dannon Danimals Crush Cup 4 Pack-$0.99
Dannon Danimals Crush Cup 4 Pack-$0.00 (that's right...FREE!)
Gallon Pink Lemonade-$0.99
Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls-$1.30
48 Packs of Kool-Aid-$0.10 each with 8 packs free for a total of $4.00
Arm & Hammer 32 Load Detergent-$2.00
Arm & Hammer 32 Load Detergent-$2.00
Nutramigen Infant Formula Concentrate-$0.44
Nutramigen Infant Formula Concentrate-$0.44
Nutramigen Infant Formula Concentrate-$0.44
Nutramigen Infant Formula Concentrate-$0.44
Nutramigen Infant Formula Concentrate-$0.44
Nutramigen Infant Formula Concentrate-$0.44
Nutramigen Infant Formula Concentrate-$0.44
Nutramigen Infant Formula Concentrate-$0.44
Nutramigen Infant Formula Concentrate-$0.44
Nutramigen Infant Formula Concentrate-$0.44
Nutramigen Infant Formula Concentrate-$0.44
Nutramigen Infant Formula Concentrate-$0.44
Gerber Good Start Gentle Plus Concentrate-$0.29
Care Bears Fruit Snacks-$1.50
Fruit by the Foot Snacks-$1.50
Spongebob Squarepants Fruit Snacks-$1.50
Shrek Mini Fruit Roll-ups 18 pack-$1.50
Wonka Exceptionals Chocolate Pieces Bag-$1.50
100 Grand Miniatures Bag-$1.38
Danimals Coolision Tubes-$1.25
Fizz Keeper Pump Cap-$1.00
Sip and Guzzle Cap-$1.00
Dozen Eggs-$0.88

Grand Total: $57.16

I was tickled to death to get the formula for .29 and .44 each :) I also found mark downs on some of the yogurts and pink lemonade.

Till next time!