from my house to yours....

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I love cinnamon rolls

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The smell of cinnamon rolls baking before it's light outside ALMOST makes up for the fact that the days are getting shorter and winter's on the way.  My favorite recipe has cream cheese icing.  I bake them for my friends for holidays and I thought that I'd bake a few since it was my Mom's birthday this week. I hope see her this weekend. Also, because it's nearly Halloween!

Delivered warm from the oven with the icing on the side, it's a nice way to start any Saturday or Sunday or ANYday and, so far, no one has refused! 

Don't worry, the icing covers up the oozing cinnamon! :)

Tempting.....no? I'd better get more yeast.

If you'd like the recipe, let me know. 

Happy Friday, HELLO, WEEKEND!

xo,

S

Christmas, Halloween, Trash Night!?!?!?

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This weekend, I was minding my own business, working on a special order of Christmas ornaments,






doing a little Halloween decorating and enjoying having my oldest son home from college for the first time since August.


I made it all the way to Sunday night. I was driving home from my weekly trip to the market to stock up on lunch supplies for the coming week when I had to stop, and turn the car around to pick up this:

It has an adorable drawer that's missing what will be a glass knob.
which is now keeping company with these that were rescued from the trash man a few weeks ago:

Gosh, I love trash night in "Suburgatory". I don't need one more end table but, these are solid wood and far too cute to end up in the trash truck.

Maybe I'll paint them and bring them to the barn sale...or maybe I'll trade them for some of the ones that I'm currently using or maybe they'll be painted and donated to somewhere local. In the mean time, they are safely taking up most of a parking space in my garage...just in time for winter.

I'm sure that the neighbors are wondering and I got more than one odd look from people taking their trash to the curb as I loaded this gem into my car and then unloaded it at home. Little do the neighbors know that I've been a "picker" for over 35 years. Every room in my house has at least ONE piece of furniture that I got out of a dumpster, along a roadside on trash night, or as a castoff from a relative or friend. I'd tell them, if they'd ask me, but I'm not volunteering because it's people like them who put this stuff out for people like me to pick up!

That's all for now, I've got 2 mantels and a yard to finish decorating before I completely miss Halloween and am forced to decorate for Thanksgiving!

xo,

S


Burlap Ball Ornament Tutorial

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Materials:

  • Fabric: I use a combination of "neutral" fabrics: muslin, burlap, flour sack, cotton. Basically, anything that you have handy will work:  any thin weight fabric , tissue, tulle, ribbon, even string or yarn will work. Patterns work well, too but for these, I chose neutrals.
  • Glue: I use a combination of Tacky and Elmer's because it sticks well and isn't too thick or too thin.
  • Styrofoam balls: Use at least the 2 inch ones or they fall apart when you stick the fabric into them. (These are 3 inch)
  • Scissors
  • Skewers, Dowels, Screwdriver, Pencil  or other tool to "poke" the fabric into the ball.
  • Jute or string for a "hanger" if you want to use them for ornaments.


Cut and/or Tear the fabric into about 1 1/2 inch strips and then cut/tear it into pieces that are between 3 and 4 inches long (no need to be exact).


Next, cut a piece of the jute that's between 8 and 10 inches long, form a loop and poke it into the ball. (I hot glue mine in place for extra sturdiness)


Next, wrap a piece of fabric around the skewer, dip it into the glue, and push it into the Styrofoam about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch. It's important not to push it too far into the ball or the ball will begin to fall apart when you get toward the bottom.


Repeat the process, using a mix of pieces, all the way around the ball working toward the bottom and turning the ball as you progress.


That's it. Easy, right?  Here's how it looks when finished as well as a picture of my fall wreath. It was made using the same process as the ornament, using a foam wreath form for the base.  The balls  make cute bowl fillers, they look good stuck on sticks in a vase, and  they're great, unbreakable, ornaments.The wreath can also be used around a candle on a table.



Happy Wednesday!
xo,

S

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Scenes from the Barn Sale

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Despite a little wind and rain, the barn sale was a HUGE success. I'm spending my day in a hazy combination of basking in the afterglow of having spent a wonderful weekend with amazing artisans, new and old friends and family. I'd write about it but I need some time to let it all sink in.  In the mean time, this is what I did last this weekend.
Shoppers (and furniture) lined the driveway.

Some of the vendors in the yard.

My stuff (and Nellie's), inside the barn


Counting Your Blessings - Polly's  booth

B & B's Nest - Laura's booth















xo,

S

Birch tree and burlap and roadside "weeds"...an event "theme" is born!

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A few photos of the event staging that "Nellie" and I did at her home/barn last weekend in preparation for her semi-annual Barn Sale event October 14th and 15th. I didn't have my camera with me when we stopped at Na.Da. Farm for their fall event but you can check the Na.Da blog for photos...it was amazing, as always!


The front of the barn.




Road Trip and a little Fall Color

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I'm off to Nellie's to take the first load of fall and winter goodies for the sale next week and to do a little "barn sale prep" with my friend, Ann.

I am, however, stopping in Esmond at Na.Da.Farm for their fall event on the way to Rockton. Here's the link in case you're in the area: http://www.nadafarmevents.com/p/barn-saleevent.html  If you get a chance, it's worth the trip. The setting is amazing and the vendors always have great stuff and, if that's not enough, it benefits a local charity! 

 
And I should probably do something about some Halloween decor....I'll get right on that....Next week...or the week after....


Confessions of a Barn Sale Newbie

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 In May, I was a helper at the barn sale of one of my lifelong friends.  All I knew when I signed up was what I'd known since I was 8 years old: my friend Ann, (aka "Nellie"), is something special.  She has always had an amazing sense of style, more than her share of creativity, energy that knows no bounds, and enough grace and Midwest hospitality to make anyone feel welcome.