Today's weather is a bit warmer...in the low 80's...but no rain in the forecast although it did rain last night!  I wonder if we will ever completely dry out.  I actually wonder if we will have real snow or more rain this winter?

Well, the first NFL game is in the books.  The Seahawks won but their quarterback was out at the beginning of the game with a hip injury.  And there's another game tonight.  Fall really has begun for me now that the NFL season has begun...

One of the things I plan to do today is turn the house into the 'Season of Orange'...in other words start putting up the fall decorations.  I don't have many compared to Christmas, but they do change the feel in the house when I put them up.  And I decorate for fall, not necessarily for Halloween although I have a few Halloween items up.

Did you like the twig pumpkin craft on yesterday's post?  I actually did enjoy both hunting for twigs and making it.  I think I would have also liked it on a white painted wooden background but as I said, I had no wood and the cardboard worked well.

As a matter of fact, you can make a lot of things out of cardboard including furniture...you just need a lot of it.  I actually fold down all the cardboard boxes that come my way and save them in a big cardboard box for future use for anything from mailing packages to making journals and other craft items.  Cardboard is really useful.  

For instance, we have a cat that likes to chew plastic so when we purchase water, I take it out of the plastic and put it in a repurposed cardboard box on a shelf in the utility room.  And you have seen all the fabric covered cardboard boxes that I have made to use for individual craft projects.

And for journaling, I save the boxes that food comes in like cereal boxes or pasta boxes.  As long as there's no food that adheres to the box, I save it and use it.  

And children love boxes...they pretend they are cars or trains or hiding places.  I've decorated many boxes for my children to play with...they especially liked the train I made using five boxes...an engine, a coal car, a caboose, a passenger car and a box car.  No, it didn't have wheels that worked but my kids imagination took care of that!

In these economic hard times, it pays to save and make use out of items that would normally be either trashed or recycled.  Tin cans, for instance, can be decorated and turned into containers for all sorts of things including pencils/pens, office supplies, craft supplies and even plants.  So before you discard something, stop and think...can it be repurposed for something else.

If you're out and about around pine cones, pick up several to use in craft projects.  We don't have many around here but I'm going to pick up the few that I can find.  

My garden has produced enough tomatoes and peppers to make several pints for future use.  I clean, cut and cook them down (and no, I do not take the skins off the tomatoes) to a thick consistency.  For some I use an immersion blender and others I leave as is.  They will make a nice addition to soups and sauces this winter.

That's it for today...have an amazing day and take care of yourself...

Talk with you tomorrow...

Good Morning!  Hope the day started out well for you.  I got up at the normal 5am this morning, fixed my coffee, enjoyed half a bagel and listened to 'Way Too Early' followed by 'Morning Joe".

Exercise today is walking.  I want to see if changing things up a bit will work.  Remember my slowness?  Well a good part of that was due to statins...some folks do not do well on statins (and apparently I am one) and one of the classic side effects has to do with walking!  Looks like a change in medication for me is in the future!

I finished cleaning the house and patio area yesterday...a heavy work day with vacuuming rugs (with an ancient, very heavy vacuum), mopping floors, dusting furniture, etc.  Plus some grocery shopping.  So today is a lighter day as far as heavy cleaning but I hope to start the fall decorating and make an oven meal of roasted vegetables and meatloaf!

Did you remember to gather up some twigs?  If not, you can always do that later for today's craft.  You need a piece of wood for the background, short of that some cardboard, the twigs, paint or fabric, a bit of trim (optional), tacky glue or a glue gun (I used tacky glue.) and something to clip the twigs.

If you have wood for the background, you can paint it or cover it with fabric.  I didn't have any on hand so I cut out four thicknesses of cardboard...

Glued them together and used brown packing tape to cover the edges...

and ended up with this...

You can paint it at this stage, leave it as is or cover it with fabric which is what I choose to do.  I even added some trim...

Next, using scrap paper, I cut out a pumpkin shape, placed it on the fabric covered cardboard and very lightly, using a pencil, drew around the stencil.

Before using the twigs, cut off any stems or parts that are not useful so you have a bunch of twigs like this...

Now it's time to use the twigs to create the pumpkin.  First place the twigs approximately where you want them, a sort of dry run...

You can use tacky glue or a glue gun to adhere the twigs to the background.  This is the time to fine tune the picture of the pumpkin, clipping off any unused parts of the twigs until you come up with a picture of a pumpkin like this...

You can either hang the pumpkin picture or use a picture stand to place it on a piece of furniture.  It's cute, light weight (especially if you use cardboard) and really inexpensive.

This is not a new idea, you can google twig pumpkins and come up with dozens of examples.  I hope you enjoy making it as much as I did.

That's it for today...have an amazing one...and thanks for dropping by...

Talk with you tomorrow...

Well, it's here!  The summer freedom has been replaced by a more scheduled routine and basically school has just about begun everywhere!

This morning was a 4am alarm because my son not only had to do his normal drive to work, but then take the subway from the Bronx to downtown Manhattan, at least another hour or more!

It is bright and sunny out with little or no breezes.  No rain in the forecast and temperatures around the high 70's.  All-in-all, a really nice day to be outside but I will be either inside cleaning or doing some basic shopping!

My Summer Camp Experience was so successful for me that I decided I wanted to do something for fall.  So, I took out the papers for summer camp and put in new papers for fall and created two 'journals'...

So far my idea is to not have it as structured as the summer camp experience, but rather take an inventory of the various craft things I do (and reading) as well as journal about the activities.  Again, not a lot but just to make sure that these fall days do not slip by unnoticed by me.

I was thinking that perhaps some of you may want to do the same thing.  You can purchase notebooks to use as 'journals' but if you have some paper, cardboard, string, a bit of glue, scrap fabric you can easily make a journal.  

One journal uses a winding string method for securing the pages.  The other journal uses the pamphlet stitch (which is very easy) and the only extra things you need are an awl or a sharp needle and an embroidery needle.  

I posted two new pages which you can see in the column to the right on making simple journals.  If you're interested, check them out and try to make one.

For the craft this week you need to gather some twigs like these...

Most of them are not too large.  You will also need either a piece of wood for the background (No wood available, we can use cardboard) and either some paint or fabric and some glue.

Well, there's lots on my to-do list today so I need to get going...have a great day and enjoy the fall weather.

Talk with you tomorrow...

Ahhhh...a day with no rain in the forecast, what a treat.  Unfortunately, going forward, there's more days with rain in the forecast than not.  It's bright, sunny and 74 degrees today, though, a great day for enjoying the outside.

So just as Memorial Day symbolizes the beginning of summer, Labor Day symbolizes the end of summer and the beginning of fall.  And Labor Day is in three days!  

Do you have any plans for this last celebration of summer?  We may go someplace close for one of the days this upcoming weekend but that depends on both the weather (rain called for) and the how the current shelf making project is going.  

My son purchased some old weathered logs cut into slabs and some barn wood to make shelves.  He found he absolutely loved working with wood.  The shelves have been sanded and cleaned.  He's now working on the barn wood which will hold the shelves in place.  When he first started working on the barn wood he found old, handmade nails, so he's salvaging as many of those as possible.

I think this last hurrah of summer will be a low keyed, stay at home celebration because school begins the next day which means back to getting up at 5am and my son's commute to NYC.

I am actually looking forward to getting back to a more structured daily routine.  Summer's freedom has been fun but getting up at 5am to start the day means that all my chores (including exercises) are done by 9am and I have the whole day in front of me to work on whatever I want.  And I have some rather lengthy projects in mind to work on this fall.

I still have a few more pages in the latest 'Wish Journal' to share with you as promised.  This first one is a small pocket with a journaling card...

And this page has another pocket with a uniquely shaped journaling card...

Well, that's it for this journal.  Remember the cover?  I think it's one of my best journals...

Today's plans include finishing up the guild newsletter so I can send it out tomorrow.  Finishing my exercises, a few household chores and then making plans including plans for fall projects and activities, plans for this blog, and plans for the fall garden.

I finished organizing the utility room yesterday so that's one household project done.  Only two things still need to be taken card of and they are the cat food and kitty litter.  Since we are now purchasing large quantities of both I ordered two large containers on wheels, one for each.  That way they will not take up shelf space and can be wheeled to where needed.

What about you?  Fall can be the start of new projects, new goals, new activities...do you have any in mind?  If the answer is no, then think about some things you've always wanted to do but never got around to doing, maybe now is the time to give yourself permission to enjoy doing one or two of them.  Don't just let your days slip...make sure you spend some time on something that you really enjoy doing!

Well, that's it for this week...

Have a great weekend...

Talk with you next week...

 

Today's weather has been strange...cloudy and cool one minute, sun shining and warmer the next even when cloudy.  Rain in the forecast. And not a leaf is moving.

We left early this morning to get the grocery shopping done...it was a big shopping day with stops at both a big box store and a regular grocery store.  We finished shopping by mid morning but it took most of the rest of the day getting things organized and packed away.  But it's all done now and I can get back to my regular routine including my blog.

(Sun was shining a minute ago and now it's dark and cloudy!)

I gathered another large amount of tomatoes from the garden again.  I think I am going to fry some up...I love fried green tomatoes and even fried ripe tomatoes.

Remember the colorful part of yesterday's flower?  Well, I had a small amount of fabric left and could not resist the urge to turn it into something...so I made a tiny journal...I know crazy, right?  It measures two inches by two and a half inches...

You can see that I stitched the pages in, and then after twining the string around itself, I added a couple beads.  I used a craft velcro dot to close.  There are twenty pages and each has a pocket, tuck, belly band or decoration...and yes, there are notebooks, journaling cards, etc...

I'm sorry that I posted so late today but I really wanted to share with you my little book.  Tomorrow...back to morning posts.  

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog...

Have a great evening...

Talk with you tomorrow...

  

 

Another dark morning, not quite as dark as yesterday but definitely not bright.  And, once again (for the upteenth time) there is rain in the forecast.  The temperatures are about the same mid 60's for a low and mid 70's for a high!

Have you decided on a small habit to work on this month.  I told you that one of mine was walking everyday but I think I am going to add a few more small habits to work on this month.  A couple are holdovers from my summer camp experience which, by the way, was a success.  The holdovers from summer camp are journaling and meditation.  I felt that they were beneficial this past summer and so I want to continue.  

The journaling was short and undirected.  Basically, I wrote a few sentences about whatever was on my mind.  In some cases those short sentences wound up being a bit longer but for the most part it was a brief way to put my thoughts to paper.  

I am still using Medito for my meditation and at present am meditating for fifteen minutes which feels about right.  It's a way to center myself for the day.  If you're looking for a free app for meditating you might give Medito a try.

One of the things I talked about for the fall was inexpensive fall crafts.  I think I will share at least one craft a week, probably on Wednesdays. Since today is Wednesday, here's the first craft.

This is a shabby sunflower.  I first saw this on the blog 'DIY Beautify' if you want to check out her version of a Primitive Farmhouse DIY Sunflower.

Supplies for one flower called for are a mason jar lid and ring, two types of fabric, scissors, glue, dowel & a bit of stuffing.  Well, when I did a lot of canning, I always had lids and rings available but no more.  So, what I did was cut out two rings of cardboard about the same size as the mason jar rings and glued them together for strength...

I also cut out a round piece of cardboard for the lid.  Here's the supplies...

The large amount of fabric which can be a light tan to beige to light yellow is used to make the outer portion.  You need about 30 torn strips of fabric 8-9 inches long and about one inch wide.  Use what you have, old bedsheets that can be dyed with tea, or fabric from a thrift store (think bedding, table clothes, light curtains, etc.).  A very small piece of colorful fabric is used to cover the 'lid' or cardboard circle with a bit of stuffing.  And the stuffing can be actual stuffing or a piece of fabric scrunched up or even some cotton balls.

Attach each strip to the circle by folding the fabric strips in half and then slipping the ends through the folded portion around the piece of cardboard or ring...

Make sure to add the strips to the ring the same way.  You can see how each side differs depending on how you add the strips...

For the center, cut a piece of fabric an inch or two larger than than the cardboard circle, sew a running stitch by hand around the outer edge of the fabric.  Then pull the stitch slightly to begin gathering the fabric, add the stuffing first and then the cardboard circle on top of the stuffing and then gather the stitches tightly, securing with a couple knots...

Above is the back side of the center.  Apply glue to around the edge of the cardboard with strips and place the center right side up on the glue and let dry...

How can you use this sunflower?  Well, you can make several and add to a circle (either cardboard or a wire hanger) to make a wreath.  Or you can add a stem (dowel or cardboard) and arrange in a vase.  I didn't have a dowel, so I took a piece of cardboard as long as I wanted for a stem, cut several strips down it lengthwise but not all the way through...

I rolled it up tightly, secured with a bit of tape and covered it with the same fabric I used to make the flowers, then glued it to the sunflower...

These flowers, although primitive, are really nice.  They are easy to make and using my cardboard replacements are really inexpensive.  You can make them any color you wish using whatever fabric you have on hand.

Well, that's the first craft for fall.  I hope you will try making one or more and add them to your fall home decor.  I look forward to sharing more with you throughout the fall season.

Have an amazing day...

Talk with you tomorrow...

I thought yesterday morning was dark...well, today is even darker.  It did rain most of the night and today it is raining off and on...very humid and a bit warm.  Looks like this is the way it's going to be all day long!

So, today is the first day of the month of September.  Since Labor Day is late this year, many children have an extra week of summer vacation.  If that's the case in your household, enjoy that extra week (even if you're more than ready for them to go back to school).  I remember days when I couldn't wait for them to go to school and now I wish I cherished those days a bit more.  

Time really does slip by.  I know, you've all heard it all before, but until you actually experience those fleeting moments that turn into memories you don't really understand.  Take a few minutes to think about your life and how fast time is relentlessly slipping by...what happened a week ago, a month ago, a year ago, five years ago...do you get it now?

There's a new word for the month posted...HARVEST.  Think of it as  bringing things together, of gathering them into that special place called home both physically and mentally.  For me, as I have said before, it's a time of gathering close those warm, fond memories as well as a time to make new memories.  

There's a new challenge for the month.  This one is an easy way to start a new habit.  As I said yesterday, I failed August's challenge (but I did take two short walks yesterday!).  So for me, my habit will be to get back to taking a short walk each day.  What new habit would you like to try for the month?  Drinking more fluids?  Learn a new word?  Get more sleep?  Find time for yourself each day?  Whatever it is, write it down somewhere where you can see it daily and practice doing it.

I'm working on my third pumpkin using the half double crochet stitch and I can see how my practice is paying off...

I like the fact that crocheting is an easy project to pick up and move to a new area.  

There are still more pages to share in my latest journal but I thought I would share how the cover turned out with the signatures in...

You can see that I added some beads to the string I used to stitch the signatures into the book.  

One of the pages in this journal is really unique...

You can see that there are seven different layers of paper.  Each page unfolds upwards...

And then unfolds to the left to reveal writing space...

There are seven pages each larger than the previous page and each unfolds the same way so that's a whole lot of writing space.

I've been looking for some unique fall crafts to share during the month and I was lucky to find several that are all extremely inexpensive.  I don't know about you but after spending on the necessities of life there's very little left.  And what's left needs to be saved for emergencies and holiday gifts, especially for the little ones!  

Remember the phrase 'Necessity is the mother of invention'?  Well, many of us are in that economic situation so I hope that my tiny contribution to making do with what's on hand will encourage you to doing the same and enjoying your creativity.

That's all for today...

Talk with you tomorrow...

 

It's very cloudy this morning and rain is in the forecast for the next five days.  It's already 72 but only going to 78 degrees.

I noticed that the tree across the road is really changing from green to gold...only one of the many trees but it's turning quite fast.  Wonder if that portends what fall color is going to be like...change fast and gone in a New York Minute.  I'll have to keep track of the color change so I can get at least one leaf peeping trip before the color is gone.  How are things where you live...are trees starting to change yet?

So I did finish the journal I made as a response to the 'Wish Journal' that was shown on 'Treasure Books'.  I was only able to put in two signatures as each signature was crammed full of pockets, tucks, etc.  Heres the first page of the journal...

The second page contains a pocket with a folder that holds a folded journaling page...

The third page holds a corner tuck with an unusual shaped folded journaling card...

The third page contains a side tuck with a folded journaling card...

Today is the last day of August 2026.  Tomorrow I will begin September with a new word for the month, a new monthly challenge and a hopefully a new perspective.  Although each day I hope to provide a new perspective, a new way to think about things and hopefully something positive for you to think about.

So, speaking about the monthly challenge, how did you do?  I failed miserably...I didn't even walk intentionally every day.  I really hope you did better than I did.  I'm thinking that for my own personal monthly challenge I will try to intentionally walk five days a week.

Do you have your own little challenges...daily, weekly, monthly...longer?  We all have large yearly and monthly goals, but what about those small ones that you hope to undertake.  I like to make daily lists for things to do each day...I am going to add 'a short walk' on each weekday beginning tomorrow.  However, I am going for a walk today as soon as I finish posting my blog.

Have a great day and stay well...

Talk with you tomorrow...

A little late today...hoped I could post before noon but as always, life happens when making other plans.

It is nice out today, light breeze, partly cloudy, sunny and warm...almost 80.  No rain in the forecast so it should stay nice.

I actually need to check the plants on the deck to see if they need to be watered.  I also want to check to see if the herbs I picked for drying are okay.  With such wet, rainy weather, I'm not sure drying in the greenhouse will work.  

I did start crocheting another pumpkin.  This one is much larger and I decided to see how it would look using a larger hook...

I think it's going to be okay.  And I can see that my stitches are getting better and better with practice.

So do you have any special plans for the weekend?  Did you remember that this is the last weekend in August?  September starts on Tuesday?  I'm having a hard time believing that summer is almost gone... in a blink of an eye!

Today,  looking at the trees across the road, I can see one tree has already started to turn color.  This will be my 81st fall and I still love it.  Some years the colors are more spectacular than others, but I cherish them all.  

Fall, to me isn't just a calendar date, nor a time when football begins, it's a time for gathering in and for making home cozy and welcoming.  And even though the family scattered far and wide, I still have that warm feeling.  Remember the saying 'home is where the heart is'?  I don't think that reflects only on a physical house, I think it is more a feeling of home and heart being together as one.

I remember all those years of 'gathering in' the family and beginning a more structured life of school and work with fond memories.  But, I also make new memories each fall...sometimes it's visiting the museum with Grandma Moses Painting and the Dear Jane Quilt...sometimes it picking apples...and sometimes it's even planning new menus for fall and beyond.

Cherishing the past is fine as long as you realize that cherishing the present is even more important.  So remember your past, but cherish your present, it's really the only time you have.

Have some great fun this weekend...do something out of the ordinary and make time for yourself...

Talk with you on Monday...