Make: Pom Pom Flowers

Hold the first couple inches of yarn end with thumb

 Start wrapping around fingers; the size of the pom pom will depend on how large you wrap it. For smaller ones use two or three fingers. For larger ones use a piece of cardboard. It needs to be somewhat tight but no circulation needs to be cut off! Make sure it's loose enough to slip off easily.

Pull the end of the yarn that you started with through center and around middle of one side. Then pull around other side, pull tight. 

Cut other end of yarn, leaving a few inches.  

Pull two ends together tightly and tie.

Cut all the "loops" with scissors and fluff pom pom. 

Place on sticks for flowers. I used wooden skewers but real sticks are fun to use too or wire works as well. 

I love fresh flowers. In fact without them I feel like something is missing in my house. But when fresh flowers aren't as readily available I love these little pom pom flowers to bring color into my house and fill my vases. 

Storing with (Re)Purpose

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I love storage and shelving and I can never seem to have enough in my house. Right now I am loving the use of mix and matched and repurposed wooden crates. I used to have several, I don't know what it is about them but I have always had a little thing for them. As a teenager I kept finding them in free piles at garage sales and such. I think I have a few left that are actually being used to store things in, way in the back of my closet. It might be time to get them out.

What do you think about his look are you loving it too?   

Make: Cover Switch Plates

This is such a simple project and the same instructions could be used for fabric covers too. I love the kitschy yet modern uniqueness of making your own switch plate covers (well, depending on your paper choices of course! You could go in all sorts of directions - though kitschy is definite.). Do you have a place that you could use some new covers? I used mine in my sons bedroom and the bathroom.

I used Mod Podge for both my under layer and top layer. But you could also use glue for the under layer (to attach paper to the switch plate). I suggest using a heavier weight paper. Other than that all you need is a paint brush and x-acto knife or scissors! Tips: After you fold the paper over the edges, you can trim corners with scissors just a bit, then touch with glue if needed. Also make a mark over screw holes before mounting cover on.

Enjoy! xx

Photo Diary: Hello Autumn

In my last post I said goodbye to summer, so it only seems fair to say hello to fall. It is so hard for me to let go of the summer months - the long evenings, the vibrant colors, warm breezes and especially the absence of rain. But autumn always pulls me in. You know it's here even when it's still warm with sunshine because you can hear it crunch under your feet, you can see the rich golden hues dancing in the trees. I start getting excited to pull my boots back on, get out my chunky sweaters, curl up under my blanket and watch the fall line-up or snuggle with the perfect book and start making plans for pumpkin-patches and corn mazes. Oh and comfort food, yes, I love me some comfort food! It's hard to say goodbye to summer but it's pretty great saying hello to fall.

What do you love most about the fall? 

Photo Diary: Goodbye Summer

We had a really good summer. No big vacations but lots of little outings and my twins turned the big 4 - one of my favorite ages! Our summer was filled with taking lots of long walks with M+L and big brother, Fisher. It has to be the one thing that I most enjoyed. Maybe it's just the simplicity of it. Or that M+L are so different when they are interacting with the world around them, picking flowers and berries, watching birds, hunting for dinosaurs and my favorite: picking out your favorite houses. It also might be the one time they go without wrestling each other for more than five minutes that also makes this such a treat for me! I also love talking with my teenager Fisher on walks, while the little ones race and meander, we spent many hours this summer walking and chatting away. I do know I will remember this summer most by all of our long walks and I am really happy to know I have so many wonderful memories to reflect on. So, goodbye summer! See you next year.

What was your favorite part of this summer? 

Time

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Working from home and parenting 3 kids around the clock (a teenager and toddler twins at that!), I often feel that I am fighting with time - feeling there's really never enough, my days are short and each morning I start mine hoping I might squeeze a bit of extra time from it. It's easy to tell ourselves there isn't enough time for this and that and sometimes (most times for me) that is true. But this week I have squeezed years out of it by making the time to have a couple long over due visits with a couple dear, dear friends. Seeing their babies for the first time in years and the first time ever. Some people you know you will be friends with for life, even if life sometimes gets in the way. And you can sit with them four years later or two years later as if no time has passed at all. I have also had some lovely walks and have almost finished reading my book (I am fully enjoying btw), Look At Me, which with everything else going on is taking forever when I only allot enough time for reading as I am going to bed (that lasts about five minutes before the letters start slurring on the page). This is torturous to a person who used to think taking a week to finish a book was forever! I am hoping to take a bit more in the coming weeks and stop fighting it, because it does have a way of creeping up on you.

What is something you wish you had more time for or something you always make time for?

Coriander Fruit Tarts

This week I did a little end-of-summer baking. I bought these lovely little tart tins at an estate sale this summer and was intent on using them. I am so happy I finally did. What a delicious and beautiful treat. I am not much of a baker but when I do indulge it can be so meditative, measuring and tasting and perfecting these perfect little bites. I followed a recipe from real simple for the pastry filling. I also just made a simple pie crust for the tart, you can find my go-to recipe here.

What to do:

Make your pastry cream first because it needs to cool in the fridge for a couple hours.

Make crust.

Turn on oven to 350

First you need to cover the inside of your tins with butter and flour so they will just slide on out.

Then fill your little tins with your crust and then you stick them in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

While the crust is in the freezer cut up your fruit into little pieces. Mix with a little brown sugar, lemon zest and a pinch of coriander (coriander with the strawberries is crazy good!) and saute with butter for just a couple minutes to release the juices and spices. Set to side. You can also just top it off with fresh fruit too. Need to cook if you don't want to!

Get out your little tins and poke the center with a fork so the crust doesn't bubble up. Place in oven until brown. I think mine were in for about 10 minute.

Let your crust cool down a bit and then slide them out of the tins.

Then just fill them up with the pastry cream and top with your fruit. I swear it's amazing how good these little tarts are!!