Wordless Wednesday...Silly Jilian

Fall is here...

Although I am sad to see the Summer go (WAY TOO FAST!) this cooler weather has gotten me feeling warm, cozy and crafty! This weekend I made a new wreath for our front door. I just love how it turned out!


To make this wreath you need the following:

*One 10" foam wreath
*Brown felt (about 3 sheets of 9" x 12")
*Glue gun
*Glue Dots
*Fall colored card stock and coordinating pattern paper (I used Jillibean Soup's new Fall line)
*Small and large buttons that coordinate with paper (my large buttons are from Stampin' Up)
*Ribbon that also coordinates with paper
*Scallop Punch (my favorite is from Stampin' Up)
*Scissors
*Stapler

To assemble the wreath do the following:

Cut approximately 7 strips of felt, 1.5" x 12" and wrap the foam wreath. Place a thin line of hot glue at the end of the felt to hold it in place. After the first piece of felt, add the next where the first left off and so on until the whole wreath is covered. Set the wreath aside.

To make the "flowers" cut three pieces of pattern paper, 3" x 9". Score each piece every inch or so (you can skip the scoring but it makes it much easier to fold the paper). Next fold each piece like an accordion. Staple in the center of the folded piece. Using your scissors cut off the ends of the folded paper, at an angle (see picture), now each end will be pointy, not straight. Next fan out the folded paper and use glue dots to hold in place.

Using a scallop punch, punch out three scallop circles from the pattern paper and glue a button in the center, using a glue dot. Next hot glue the scallops to the center of each of the paper "flowers".

Cut out six leaves, any leaf shape you like. I folded and or scored some of the paper before cutting out the leaves for added textured. Add a couple small buttons to the leaves.

Take your leaves and finished paper "flowers" and decide where you would like them on your wreath. Once you have decided, hot glue them to the wreath.

Lastly, take a piece of ribbon, loop it through the wreath at the top and hang where ever you like.

Enjoy! Let me know if you have any questions.

Just a couple more pictures of the finished wreath...



HAPPY Fall! :-)

Just for fun I'll be sharing at:

The newest member of our family

A week ago today we brought Daisy, a loppy-eared bunny, home to live with us. Our local pet store had surprise baby bunnies arrive (someone donated "Tom" the bunny to the store well a few weeks later "Tom" had four babies!). Grace has had her own lop, Tulip, for four years and Jilian has been eagerly awaiting the chance to have her own. After seeing the babies at the pet store, Jilian picked one out and we patiently waited for them to grow. Almost daily Jilian says "thank you mommy and daddy for my Daisy", SO sweet! Daisy is super sweet too and lives in Jilian's room (in a cage, of course!).

A little bit of our Summer

Camping. We love to find a place in National Forest where we see no one but each other for a few days. It is great fun to relax, explore nature and be a family.


Addie the snake. We found "her" on our first camping trip and Jilian fell in love. For a little girl that is scared of most things, she LOVED the snake. Addie spent the remainder of the summer with us until we let her go.

LOTS of Blueberries!


Disclaimer: Please excuse all the collages, just started playing with the program PhotoScape! It is so fun and easy!! I took over a hundred pictures on our first camping trip so I needed to condense!! :-)

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Zucchini Bread

Ingredients
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup chocolate chips (optional, instead of chocolate chips you can add walnuts)

Directions
In a mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Add pumpkin, butter and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips. Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until breads test done. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack.

This bread is SO yummy and the pumpkin makes it VERY moist! Enjoy!

Updated:

Tissue paper pompoms

I love making tissue paper pompoms! They are great for so many things. I have used them several years as decorations at the girls' birthday parties and have made some for their rooms as well. I actually first learned how to make these at a friend's wedding a few years ago (Jamie *wink*wink*). The possibilities are endless! They are simple and affordable and there are endless colors of tissue paper. The Dollar Store often has a package of multi-colored paper that has enough sheets to make several pompoms. You can't beat a dollar!

Supplies:

Tissue paper
Ribbon
Double-sided tape
Scissors

Steps (pictures below):

1. Cut tissue paper to desired size, in the shape of a rectangle. Keep in mind the larger the rectangle the larger the pompom or the smaller the rectangle the smaller the pompom.


2. Layer the tissue paper; the more layers the thicker the pompom. You can do different colors every couple layers for a multi-colored pompom or just use one color tissue paper for a solid color pompom.


3. Fold the tissue paper accordion style, just like making a paper fan.


4. Tie a small piece of ribbon in the center of the accordion folded tissue you paper.


5. On both ends place a piece of double-sided tape and fold the ends together. Your folded tissue paper should now look like a circle.


6. Slowly and gently pull apart the layers of the tissue paper.


7. To hang tie a piece of ribbon or fishing line to the ribbon at the center. You can also tie it to branches. I made this blue one for Jilian’s room and tied it to a branch.

And so it begins...

Yesterday was the first day of school. I seriously think that is the fastest Summer I have ever experienced! There were many fun things we did (pictures coming soon) but yet there are so many things we didn't get to do. Next Summer I suppose... Now it is on to the new routines... Yesterday Grace started 5th grade, a complete SHOCK to me! Middle school is just around the corner. I am so grateful that middle school doesn't start until 7th grade at her school (6th graders just seem too little to be at middle school). Jilian was THRILLED to start Preschool. When I picked her up I asked if she enjoyed it and she said "YES, can I go five days?!" I of course replied "Not yet, lets save that for Kindergarten".

A few pictures