For The Kids: Homemade Gnomes

Look who we found living on our back steps!

Four little fall gnomes apparently moved in and set up house.

We decided to make a few gnome dolls today after school. What you need is simple:

1. Felt
2. People shaped wood turnings. You can find these in the unfinished wood section of craft stores. Or here.
3. Thread
4. Needle
   

You will need to cut your felt in a triangle shape for the hat. Just make the bottom of the triangle big enough to go around the head. I cut out a trapezoid shape for the cape and curved out the top a little to fit around the neck.

We sewed our decorative designs on the felt first. Then I did a few stitches to secure the cape. For the hat I sewed the opposite sides of the triangle together, leaving the bottom open. That's it. VERY easy-in fact my almost 6 year old did the decorative sewing on hers (the yellow one).

You could glue the hat to the head if you wish.

All the kids need to add is their imagination and bits and pieces from nature. A great way to spend a fall day!

If you're curious about the houses: here's a link to where I purchased them
Gnome Sweet Home

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Happy Halloween!

Hello all!

Are you ready for the trick-or-treaters?

Our "Beggars Night" was Friday, so we've been there and done that!

I thought I would share a few pics. And here are the pics from last year!

We're almost done with my husbands office space, and then I can get back to projects for our home. So hang on, I hope to be back in a little while with LOTS to share!

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Late Summer At Our House

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Ipod Template

Finally, I can cross this off my to-do list!

A lot of you have emailed me requesting the ipod template for this project I did...while I love hearing from you...I think having this available will be more convenient for YOU!

Click to download my ipod template!

ENJOY!

(Oh, I still would love to hear from you!)

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Checking In

August is in full swing already! Can you believe it!?!

I noticed it's been 2 whole months since I last posted...

We've been really busy this summer with:

1. My husband is opening his own dental practice! We're hoping to be open by the end of September. We are busy doing the remodeling of the space right now. We're hopefully going to start painting next week.

2. We have decided to homeschool this year. We'll be jumping right in with a 3rd grader and a Kindergartner.

3. When we have a spare moment we have been enjoying the new aquatic center our town has.

I snapped a few pics of my summer decor {to help me remember when it comes time to decorate next year} and thought I would share with you!

1. Our little nook. The red oars I found at the flea market. The jute bags were free. The red bag came fromm the Hobby Lobby clearance. My mom helped me make the red ticking pillows. The bench was free from a sweet friend!

2. I found the boat at a garage sale! The person having the sale built these for a hobby and was getting rid of some of them! The black chest was also from a garage sale. It loooked nothing like this when it came home with me...it was miss matched wood and really ugly. I painted it black and stenciled the numbers on it.

3.Our front door. The basket is from a garage sale-.25 cents! I bought the plant at the nursery and put it in a gallon bag. It worked great and has been very happy welcoming our visitors!

4. The extra little flags I had all went into an old glass jar.

5. This flag is from a garage sale. It was an old farm gate that I painted to look like a flag.

6. Red geranium plant on our island.

7. Both the scale and the "feedsack"is from garage sales.

8. A wood box I picked up at the thrift store. Everything in it is from garage sales...except the shells and sand...which came from a family vacation to the beach.

As you can tell I mostly decorate with garage sale finds...I'm constantly amazed at what I can find...and with a little cash, patience and some vision I can decorate my house on a low budget!

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Great Prints

These prints are great! Love the verse and the simplicity. You can find them here!

How's June been so far for everyone? My preschooler finished school last Friday and my 2nd grader finally finished today...yeah! So tonight, to celebrate, we are having an "Official 3rd Graders Only" slumber party. I am officially neck deep in girls (as opposed to my usual waist deep)! Anywho, life is good and exciting around here. Hope June has started great for you too!

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Garage Sale!

Come one, come all!

We are having ourselves a garage sale!

LOTS AND LOTS for sale.

Friday 10-6

Saturday 7:30-12

My neighbor is having one at the same time.

Garage sale efficiency!

Hope to see you there!

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