Frightlfully Fabulous Craft

I had a few friends over the other day and I thought it might be fun to do a quick, easy and inexpensive Halloween craft. I searched the net and found this fun favor box idea here.Not wanting to dig through the garbage for toilet paper rolls nor have the mess of paint, I came up with my own version.
I used spray adhesive to adhere cardstock onto felt. Then I cut each piece in half and used hot glue to make a roll.We gently folded each end in half and then pushed each side into the center to close each end. The folds make a fun shape and can open to stuff treats inside.Next we used rhinestones, felt, glitter foam sheets and pipe cleaners to make our creations.The process was a little messy.

But the results turned out
frightfully fabulous!

The Osage Orange & then some

{image from Rough Ideas by Catherine White...  her pottery is gorgeous}

I might have found something I love more than mossballs.  (yeah, yeah, I read the posts, moss balls are so done- but I still love them ;)  Anyway, my client, Sandy, gave me some little green balls from the farmer's market, saying they would keep crickets out of the house, and they're so beautiful to me!

{Image from Pens & Beetles Studio}

And they smell so good too.  Sandy had a plastic bag filled with them from the farmer's market and she had planned to place them around her basement to scare the crickets away.  She left them in the bag a day or so and before she even had the chance to place the balls around the room, the crickets had left! 

Sandy emailed me letting me know they're called osage oranges, so I did a little reserach.  (And by "did a little research" I mean I googled 'osage orange.')  According to wikipedia, they grow on trees and are not actually closely related to citus fruit but are actually in the mulberry family, called "Moraceae."

And how crazy is this:  "Recent research suggests that elemol, another component extractable from the fruit, shows promise as a mosquito repellent with similar activity to DEET in contact and residual repellency."  So not only are they beautiful & they smell good, but they really do keep bugs away!  I'm going to have to try to put some in the boys' playhouse shed because spiders looooove it.  (Last Fall, we had an insane spider crickets invasion in our basement when Eddie & Jaithan came to visit, so the first thing Jaithan asked me before they visited this Fall was, "Are they gone??" hahha)

The wikipedia article goes on to say, "The fruit has a pleasant and mild odor, but is inedible for the most part. Although it is not strongly poisonous, eating it may cause vomiting. However, the seeds of the fruit are edible."  hmm... so there goes the answer to my question of 'what do they taste like?'  I'll never know. 

It's interesting that most native animals don't use it as a food source because typically seeds are dispersed by animals.  "One recent  theory is that the Osage-orange fruit was eaten by a giant sloth that became extinct shortly after the first human settlement of North America. Other extinct animals, such as the mammoth, may have fed on the fruit and aided in seed dispersal.   An equine species that went extinct at the same time also has been suggested as the plant's original dispersal agent because modern horses and other livestock will sometimes eat the fruit."

{Image via Weird and Funny}

So...  after getting a couple osage oranges from Sandy and loving the smell (I have a wolf's noze & am really affected by smell... so much that I keep them on my desk just so I can smell them all day long) we were out driving this weekend and I saw what looked like a tennis ball on the side of the road.  I knew right away it was an osage orange and then looked closer and saw there were a ton of them all along the sidewalk near the park we were driving by.  Dave pulled over (gotta love him) and Christian and I hoped out after emptying the  "returns" out of a  plastic Target bag we had in the car.  I had to go into the woods to get to the pretty ones & got a bit scratched up but it was worth it.  (Christian did warn me, "Be careful mommy, don't get owies.")  Now we have a ton!!!  I couldn't even fit them all in this bowl:

And now I know I can get them every year!!  They're said to grow in the midwest and clearly they grow around Virginia too so keep your eyes peeled.  They're now all over my house, which of course called for me to do a mini photo shoot.  Here they are in the little shelf in our entry:

I love having such a tiny little shelf when we first walk in because there's only room for a teensy tiny amount of junk to accumulate.  (Eeeeek but that doesn't really stop us from using the floor.)

Right now on our storage bench I'm using the wrong side of a Calico Corners remnant:

{I don't remember the name but they still sell it & chances are Jan Jessup of CC will comment to let us all know-  thanks Jan! ;}

The photo is of my handsome father-in-law, John:

 He thinks we only put it out when he comes to visit but here's proof.  (Will that get me brownie points?? ;)

Lately I've also been loving this little creamer I found at a flea market which perfectly hides my messy wad of keys:

{Another "product" for my online store that I am keeping... oh boy}

Speaking of stores & what's up with me, here's the lastest.  I'm opening up an online store, "Pure Style Home" and am working on finalizing the web design and picking inventory.  I'm still having issues and my husband makes fun of me....  "HERE, PLEASE COME TO MY STORE....  I AM SELLING ELEVEN ITEMS.  OH WAIT?  YOU WANT THAT ONE?  NO THAT ONE'S NOT REALLY FOR SALE...  IT'S ONLY BEEN IN THE STORE FOR A WEEK.  PLEASE COME BACK LATER."  So yes, I'm definitely opening the online store but am still having issues choosing exactly what I want to sell.  I know many of you have inquired about the rugs and yes, I will be putting them in the store.  The 8x11 handmade wool antique look sun-washed rugs are in the $3,400- $4,000 range.

Now, I mentioned that I was going to be joining with with my friend Elise of the Loudon Design Center to have a Pure Style Home store open on the weekends and this has changed a bit.  Elise is still planning on opening the store the first week of Decemeber but instead of having part-ownership of the store on the weekends, I've decided that it might be better if she carries some of my pieces...  We're working on a line of fabrics & furniture and there will be one of a kinds too but the store will also carry a lot of other amazing companies like Hickory Chair & Sferra.  I would love to start this venture head-first and fully diving in, but I've realized that I really can't spread myelf too thinly.  I need my family time and I know having a store of my own with my name on it would take up way too much time & energy right now.  We're all hoping that having a separate store carrying a few of my things will be a good compromise.  We head to High Point tomorrow to square away some details.  So much is changing and so quickly, so I really don't know 100% what will happen, but this is my new plan.  ;)  I'll keep you posted

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

ps- If you didn't get to see my previous post on Market, check it out & let me know if you're going!

Modern Pumpkin Design For Entertaining

You're going to "Fall" in love with this design from Katie Grace Designs.  Katie is the winner of the Fall Celebration Challenge on the City Cradle, and I'm sure you can see why.  She is an amazing talent and found a way to make rustic pumpkins = modern entertaining.

Katie set up a dessert and tea bar full of interesting and unique details.  She's a wiz at doing that, as you may remember from this amazing party she also designed.  I will let the pictures speak for themselves:

I love all the wrappings she did for everything, especially the tea bags that are wrapped and hung on the branches.  You can read more about Katies design here, including the Pumpkin Trifle recipe, and the DIY pinecone chandelier.  Why not think about doing something like this for Thanksgiving?! 

Photos by Kristin J. Portraiture

To buy a fat pig...

Yes!  I'm going to Market, to Market!!  It's my first time so I'm a total newb.

For anyone who doesn't know about High Point Market, you can check out details here.  Since I've never been myself I really can't quite conceptualize it yet but it sounds like a city of trade-only design showrooms.  Really, a city...  No actually, the mecca.   14 million square feet of showrooms I think??  So it's going to be humanly impossible to see it all but I'm going to try to hit as much of it as I can.  My goal is to find some beautiful new (to me) companies to work with & I can't wait to see it!!  It's seriously intimidating to be honest, but right now I'm waaaay more excited than nervous.

Anyone else going?  I think a few (hopefully a bunch!) of bloggers are planning on meeting up for drinks one night so let me know. If you are going ,check out this post by Elizabeth Morten guest blogging over @ Velvet & Linen.  Does anyone have any recommendations for showrooms to visit?  Tips?  Events to attend?  Would love some advice!!




If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Dinner And A Movie - Autumn Entertaining

My friend Sharon of Cupcakes and Cutlery has got some mad skills when it comes to stylish design! She recently designed this "Dinner and a Movie" party to help inspire Autumn entertaining for the Fall celebration challenge on the City Cradle. Every little detail is divine and I soooo want to be at this party.

Not only is her styling impeccable, but her idea here is sheer genius - she wrapped glass votive holders (or jars) with dried corn husks and cut the edges with a decorative craft punch.  She also fashioned 'flowers' out of more corn husks to help frame the outdoor movie screen.

The "concession stand" is presented in a red wagon and every snack is beautifully displayed.  Check out the twizzlers and mini Hershey's bundles below!  Oh, and the popcorn boxes?...a swatch of denim fabric is used as a fun accent under the sticker label!

In case you're wondering, why all the references to vegetables?  The location for the shoot was at a local restaurant which has it's own vegatable garden out back, and is the place where the outdoor movie theater was set up.   You can read more about Sharon's photo shoot here and here, and get the recipe for the Apple Spice Sangria (pictured above) here.

Photos by Sadie James Photography

Autumn Engagement Party

Can someone pinch me - my Apple themed Autumn Engagement Party inspiration shoot was featured on the Wedding Chicks blog last week!  I'm honored to be featured on such an inspiring site, and very grateful to Linkowitz Photogaphy and Little Bean Boutique, for their contributions to the shoot through photography and printables. 

The design was inspired by crisp red apples and the idea of tying in the concept of "picking" apples, and "picking" a mate.  Most of the decorative details are hand made and provide a balance of masculine and feminine.  The printables were a key part of conveying the concept - a framed sign read, "he Picked her, she Picked him;" a small card on the table reads, "you're the Apple of my eye;" favor jars of apple butter had a label which said, "we Picked this just for you," and baskets of apples for the guests to "take your Pick" and carry home.   Each place setting also had a caramel dipped apple...yum!

A key focal point was the burlap backdrop with a manzanita branch attached, and faux apples hanging from the "apple tree."  Mini apple pies with the cutest fabric & lace flag picks, and of course apple cider were on the menu.

Swags of lace, and banners made of twine, felt leaves, and paper circles were draped around the area to tie in to the lace details & leaf glass cover on the dining table.

I hope you're inspired by my design.  Not only would this be a unique engagement party, but also a small intimate wedding, adult birthday, shower, or a casual dinner party.

Also, thanks to Vicky of The City Cradle for inviting me to participate in the Fall Celebration Challenge.