In the beginning of this month, I decided to push myself to complete five goals.  Starting yoga and finishing my privacy window project was not meant to be, but three out of five is still excellent.  Those three goals I completed were actually at the top of my list. 

Post on blog at least once a week.  I am happy to say that I completed this goal!  I have really enjoyed blogging this past month and I think I even found a method to the madness to help me stick to it.  It felt good having my creativity come alive again.  I'm looking forward to making this goal more of a hobby in the coming months rather than something I have to actively push myself to do.  I would like to consistently post twice a week.  Ambitious, right?

Paint front door.  Complete!  Eleven coats of paint later and I am now the proud owner of a happy door.  Read about how I did it here.

Start Christmas cards.  Complete!  As of last night, I have the foundations of all the cards die-cut and ready to go!  Left on my list:  family photos, card design, addressing, and mailing.  Oddly enough, I am horrible when it comes to mailing personal packages on time.  I mean it...horrible!  I still have my best friend's birthday gifts sitting on my table and her birthday was in June.  I don't know what it is.  The I&S shop is always prompt, but Christine, the person, is sadly not.  Hence me starting this card making process early.

It felt great being able to cross items off my goal list.  So good, in fact, that I would like to try this again in November to keep myself focused.

Do you have any goals that you are thinking of tackling in November?

With all the autumn items going on clearance now, I was finally able to pick up one of those fake carvable pumpkins.  I love the idea of reusable decor.  Don't get me wrong...I am also a big fan of carving real pumpkins every year.  It's fun to choose a different design each time and see what we come up with.  However, having a stash of staple decorations is kind of nice.  They can stand as the base of my seasonal decor and the others, like the real pumpkins, can be the fluff and fillers that provide a little variety year after year.

Back to my fake pumpkin, I knew I wanted to do some sort of monogram like this.  I think it just looks so timeless, something that would never go out of style.

I found this great tutorial by Diane which shows how to get the the type of monogram look I was going for.  Instead of Photoshop Elements, I used Adobe Illustrator CS5 because that is what I am most comfortable with.  From there, putting all the pieces together was very easy!

Monogrammed Pumpkin DIY

Supplies Needed:

• Styrofoam Pumpkin
• Illustrating program (e.g. Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.)
• Printer
• Wooden Pencil
• Stylus
• Paint Pen (Optional)
• Paint
• Paintbrush
• Spray Sealant

1. Using the tutorial from here, create and print your monogram.
2. Using a tip from here, rub the pencil on the back of the paper where you will be tracing.  This turns your paper into quickie carbon paper.
3. Tape monogram onto pumpkin.  Using a fine tip stylus, trace the monogram.  The graphite will rub off and the stylus will create some easy-to-see indentations.  Don't press too hard!  You can easily break into the styrofoam layer if you do.
4. (Optional)  Using a paint pen, trace over the outline.  I found it easier to fill in the shape after the outline was set.
5. With matching paint, fill in the outline with a small paint brush.  Apply additional coats as needed.  My pumpkin took three coats.
6. If using acrylic paint, apply a coat or two of spray sealant.

 

I love this project!  All in all, it took me about 1.5 hours to complete, not including the sealant drying times.  This is an easy project to tackle on a rainy afternoon or while you're catching up on some TV episodes.

 For more DIY autumn decor, click here.

After reading a ton of diy blogs, one of the projects I have been dying to start is repainting my front door.  Our door was originally painted black by the builder to match our shutters, just like they did for all the other houses in the neighborhood.  I love the look of the black shutters on blue siding, but not so much the black door surrounded by brick.  It made things look too matchy-matchy.  I wanted something that would stand out.  I tend to be more traditional in my tastes, but this was something semi-modern that I really wanted to do.



Inspired by newly painted doors from here and here, I was ready to start!

To summarize my process, here are the steps I knew I would have to do:

• Choose a color.
• Clean door very well.  
• Smooth out any rough spots.
• Apply paint with 2.5" angled brush and small roller.
• Enjoy!

We chose several swatches at the local hardware store in order to pin down the perfect shade.  I was cheering for the yellow team and Nestor was leading the red team.  I honestly loved both colors, but yellow was calling my name.  And funny fact...the color that won was Acorn Squash by Olympic.  Doesn't it sound like a perfect match now that we're in autumn?  We chose the semi-gloss with primer for exterior, the Olympic Icon line.  We have successfully used primer/paint colors in the past on other projects so I figured it would work well enough for our door, too. 



Then came the hard part...putting that dripping yellow paintbrush to the door.  There would be no going back after that.  That first coat was pretty scary.  I never knew the infinite amount of nooks and crannies one door could possibly have.  It looked horrible.  Really horrible.  It made me second guess myself several times, but I crossed my fingers and listed to the diy masters when they said the first coat is always the worst.  Because of the earlier dusk hours this month, we were only able to get four coats on before needing to let the paint cure before closing the door.  We simply left the door slightly ajar with a stool behind it to keep it from swinging all the way open.  As an extra bonus, it functioned as a cat-opening-door alarm.  Love multi-taskers.












































I had hoped to post about this accomplished goal sooner, but life just didn't work out that way.  Even though we used paint with primer in the mix, it still wasn't enough to combat the solid black door.

Lesson Learned:  Always prime over black paint!

All in all, this supposedly quick one day project took 11 coats to complete over the course of 7 days.  A lot of the wait time was due to rainy weather, but really...seven days?!?!  Eleven coats?!?!?!  It got to the point where Nestor started helping me paint the last couple of coats.  I think he took pity on me because this man hates to paint anything.  This was my first time using Olympic paint so I don't know if the Valspar would have performed better.  I don't even know if I would have started the project if I knew how long it would take...




















But the end result was very much worth it.  Seeing that door as I go down the driveway really does make me happy.  It's like my house is saying "hello, welcome home".

For the greater part of my life, I was a coffee drinker.  I can still remember how my aunt used to make it for me in the Philippines when I was younger.  A small mug of kapeng barako with powdered milk and unrefined sugar.  Even in Japan, she and I would sneak over to the vending machines in the lobby of my building and buy some Georgia coffee when my mom wasn't looking.  When I moved into my own place, I was a Starbucks-or-nothing girl.  I wouldn't drink anything else.

I always wondered about tea though.  So many people drink it so it can't be all that bad right?  I tried iced tea and learned I was definitely not a fan of that.  I avoided it thinking all tea tasted like that.  Then I tried some Twinings Lemon & Ginger Tea when I was feeling a bit under the weather and I loved it.  This stuff was delicious!  I started trying other teas from that point on and even branched into the "fancy stuff" like loose leaf tea.  I was out of control with wanting tea all the time for months.  Didn't miss the coffee at all.

Then I found myself wanting coffee again.  I go through these phases all year long.  I tend to drive my husband crazy with my many phases.  I am truly a woman of contradictions.  I only want one or the other, but never both at the same time.  Is that weird?  I guess I can't have two loves in my life all at once. 

For now, coffee is my main guy.  But soon, now that chilly weather is creeping in, I have a feeling coffee will get the proverbial kick and tea will be setting up house with me.

Anyone else have contradictory favorites like I do?

What is it about a chilly autumn morning that just screams "homemade soup"?  Cold weather always makes me want to hole up in the house and cook some comfort food.  We have been having a stretch of gloomy weather here in Maryland and this weekend wasn't any different.  I have really been missing the sun. 

To try and cheer myself up and to try something new, I made a delicious batch of Butternut Squash Soup.  This was my first time making it at home and I was very surprised at how easy it really was.  The key is to have an immersion blender.  I recommend purchasing one if you enjoy making soups.  It's a lifesaver.  This is definitely a recipe I will make again.  It was warm and filling, and the thickness of the soup fulfilled my comfort food craving.  Next time, I may add a little bit of heavy cream to give it some extra richness, but this soup is delicious all on its own.

Butternut Squash Soup

(Adapted from Martha Stewart Living Magazine)

Active Time:  25 mins
Total Time:  1 hr
Makes:  2 quarts

• 6 slices thick cut bacon, cut in half crosswise
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 large white onion, coarsely chopped (about 2-3 cups) [original recipe uses sweet onion]
• 2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 1 3/4 cups water

1. Cook bacon in a large pot over medium heat, flipping once, until brown and crisp, about 15 mins.  Drain on paper towels.  [Here you can choose to either discard or keep the rendered bacon fat.  I chose to keep it.]
2. Melt butter in pot over medium heat.  Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 15 mins.  Add squash, thyme, 1 tablespoon salt, broth, and water; increase heat to high and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until squash is tender, 12 to 15 mins.  Discard thyme.
3. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until very smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve and garnish with the cooked bacon.

Enjoy!

Autumn may be my absolute favorite season of the year to live in, but it's not one I typically decorate for.  This year, I really wanted to incorporate just a few small touches to bring my favorite season indoors.

While strolling the aisles of Jo-Ann a few weeks ago, I spotted these tiny paper mache gourds on clearance.  Tiny gourds practically scream autumn to me!  I always want to buy a ton of them in the grocery store, but I didn't feel right buying a bunch of them just for decor.  At least with pumpkins, you can also carve them instead of leaving them whole.  Anyway, I'm just a sucker for playing with craft paint and getting my hands dirty so it wasn't too hard to resist buying them.


 These were incredibly easy to make.  I didn't try for the realistic look at all.  Gifted painter I know I am not.  Solid hues of metallic colors were just right for me.  I used tiny dabber paints from Ranger in silver, gold, and copper.  Instead of using the sponge dabbers, I just dipped my brush right into the bottle so I could have more control in the amount of paint used.  These paints covered so well that they only needed one coat to completely cover the kraft.   


Just lovely.  This little diy project took me less than half an hour to complete and now I have a tiny bit of autumn in my home.  Best part...they are reusable year after year! 

Does anyone else do impulse purchases of paper mache objects because they are too cute to resist?

 After several weeks, probably even a few months, I felt inspired to do a scrapbook layout.  And for the first time in a very long time, I truly enjoyed the process!  I'm not entirely sure what's going on with me, but it's as if the creative juices have all dried up.  I still enjoy dreaming up ideas for my etsy shop, but I really have been struggling to just craft for myself.  But this layout...it came about so naturally.  I tried scrapbooking a few weeks ago putting together my travel journal for our road trip, but after documenting day 2 my enthusiasm just fizzed out.  I knew better than to force myself to finish it because then I wouldn't have an album that captured all the excitement I had on the trip.


Then I received my latest scrapbooking kit from Studio Calico.  I had thought about cancelling my subscription because I hadn't used any of the kits in months and they were just piling up.  But I opened up my kit this month just to take a look like I normally do, and the colors inspired me.  Pinks, blues, and grays...I'm really loving that color combination right now.


It also helped that I really do love this photo of Nestor.  It was taken in Maine on the beach near a lighthouse we had visited.  He had the cutest look on his face when he finally found the perfect tiny shell to bring home.  How could I not be inspired to scrap about this?  As soon as I took that photo, I just knew I had to make a layout for it.  That's how much it spoke to me.


All the papers came from my Studio Calico kit, but a lot of the embellishments came from bits and pieces in my stash.  I recently finished tidying up my room and doing a mini reorganization so it was like I was shopping in a brand new store again.  I discovered things I had saved that I wanted to use again.

And it felt really great.      

At the top of every crafter's list of tools they need, or at least very close to the top of that list, is a good pair of scissors.  In my case, it's several pairs of scissors.  To me, there is nothing more frustrating than trying to cut something with the wrong or low quality scissors.  I'm sure you've had those moments yourself.  Trying to cut a piece of fabric and the cloth either bends with the scissors or becomes extremely frayed.  So here I am to give you what I like to have in my arsenal to keep my crafting going smoothly.

New items in the shop!  I was able to squeeze in some photo studio time before the sun went too far past the trees. 

I'm loving the color combinations of fall, as you can see.  They make me think of warm fireplaces, cozy sweaters, and cuddly blankets. 

The new gratitude journal is a great little something to bring along on your family trip this Thanksgiving.  Can you imagine all the pages filled up with your family's blessings?  That is surely something to cherish.  It may become a new tradition in my family to write a blessing every Thanksgiving.

I also added a new greeting card I made while channeling thoughts of autumn.  I purposely left it blank to give it several options.  It can be a birthday card, saying hello to a friend, or anything else!

Right now, I'm tidying up my little studio to get ready for crafting new holiday items.  Can't wait!   

I am a list maker.  I love seeing items checked off my lists, one by one.  Ironically enough, I am also a procrastinator...big time.  So those items on my list don't always get checked off said list.  Sometimes they like to hang around for a couple weeks...a couple of months...or maybe just set up house and live there permanently.

Maybe some accountability is needed.  These are my 5 top goals for October.  A bit random, but they are mine.  Hello, October...you will be my month for completing goals!