Good morning, Arkansas! The weather people are telling me that, along with a little rain, that cool fall weather is finally supposed to start moving in today.
I don’t know about you but when the weather starts to cool I start thinking about chili and cornbread, pumpkin pie and hot apple cider. All those delicious “fall foods”!
I also start to think about all the beautiful colors of fall and I can’t wait to purchase pumpkins and gourds and start decorating up my house.
AND, I love fall fashion. I love long sleeves, scarves, long flowing skirts and cute boots.
So, we have a little fall challenge for you! We are going to do a FALL FAVORITES Roundup!
Here is how it works:
1. Choose a current or previous post on your blog from one (or all) of the following categories:
Fall Recipes
Fall Fashion
Fall Decorating and DIY
2. Email me at julie@arkansaswomenbloggers.com using the following format:
Subject: Category from above
Body of Email:
Title of Blog Post
Link to Blog Post
Attachments: ONE photo from your post (photo must be original!)
Of course we can’t have a blogger challenge without a few rules!
You may submit to all three categories.
Only ONE submission per category. (Multiple submissions will be discarded.)
You MUST be a registered member of ARWB. (You can register here.)
You must get you links to me no later than October 19th.
You must include one photo of your finished product.
Once I have collected all of the links, I will put together a special post with everyones links! I hope this will be a great way for you to share something from your blog or even inspire you to create something new and post about it!
If your family is like mine, you have stuff stored all over the place. We are just a family of 2 plus a dog, but our closets are overflowing! We have stuff stashed in the attic, garage, and barn. We haven’t needed to expand to a storage unit (yet!) but I know when kids come along, we will need to.
Well, I don’t put much thought to just throwing stuff into storage. However, I work as a moving specialist for U-Pack, and I’ve learned as our customers store their items, that storing stuff during summer is tricky. If you have stuff in storage, I want to help you keep your stuff safe during this hot Arkansas summer quickly approaching. Summer brings heat and humidity which can wreak havoc on your stuff, so before the heat wave hits, take some time to fool-proof your storage areas.
For starters, humidity can really damage papers. So if you want to store important documents, just don’t. I have heard horror stories of people who stored passports only for the pages to somehow fuse together from the heat and humidity. You don’t want that to happen, so keep that stuff in the house. If you need to store paperwork (maybe old taxes or something), get an airtight box which will help prevent mildew. Then cover the box with a cloth to help keep moisture and dust at bay.
If you have clothing items or quilts, make sure they are clean and extremely dry before storing them. The best way to store fabric is with cotton or muslin in between items. You can buy cheap cotton sheets, spread them out, and lay items all over. Then roll it all up, which will put cotton in-between the clothing. If it is an heirloom quilt or fabric you don’t want to fade, put acid-free tissue between each layer as you fold. Plastic bags are not ideal for storing cloth, as they prevent air movement and lead to mildew. Instead, put clothes in a cardboard box and poke some holes for air flow. Put the boxes on rust-free metal shelves. If you put them on wood, place acid-free tissue between the wood and the box so chemicals don’t transfer.
If you are storing any books or CDs/DVDs, be sure you pack them into boxes with the labels facing up so you can find what you want later. If you are storing books, place a piece of cardboard between the books to keep the fronts from sticking to each other (which can happen when the covers get hot in summertime). Don’t wrap books in newspaper, as the ink can transfer. For CDs/DVDs and other forms of media, airtight containers are best, but honestly, if your storage area gets super hot (like in the sunshine during 115 degree summer), it may not be the ideal place for these things. The heat can warp and damage these delicate items. If you have to store them, keep them away from windows where the sunshine can heat them up even more.
Photographs should be separated with acid-free paper and placed into airtight containers. If you have photo albums, I would also place paper in between the pages. A few weeks back, my dad went to get a photo album from years ago and the pages were stuck together. A little prep work placing some paper in between the pages would keep these albums in prime shape!
Make sure any items with liquid (gas cans, sprayers, vehicles) are not leaking. If you are not using them, you could easily drain all the fluids to be safe. Nothing is worse than having a leak in your storage area. Nothing ruins stuff faster than unwanted liquid.
If bugs are a problem in your storage area, place sticky traps along the doorway or along walls where they are coming in. Cedar balls can also help keep critters at bay.
I know this all seems like a lot of work, and who has time to do all this prep work? Well, if it’s important enough to keep, it’s important enough to store properly! So take a couple hours this weekend and prep all your stored items so that when the temps rise, your stuff stays safe in storage. You’ll thank me later!
Brittney is a moving specialist by day and Zumba instructor by night. As a salsa connoisseur you will often find her trying new Mexican joints. She loves the Razorbacks, her doggy-son, and meeting new people. Stop by and say hi over at Razorback Britt or on Twitter.
DIY Holiday Canvas {Handmade Holiday}
By Amanda Brown of My Hearts Desire
Thanks, Arkansas Women Bloggers, for the opportunity to guest post today! If you are new to the Arkansas Women Bloggers site, be sure to register and get to know other bloggers around Arkansas! It has been such a privilege to meet some really fantastic ladies through ARWB!
Today, I am going to show you how I used this Pinterest image as inspiration to make this simple, inexpensive, Christmas tree project that will take you about 30 minutes to create, but gives fabulous results!
Supplies needed:
Canvas-I used an 11×14, but any size will work (use coupons at craft stores for great prices)
Scrapbook papers for trees, tree trunks,or stars–I made matching trees, but you can use 3 different papers for interest. It doesn’t have to be “Christmas” paper!
Scrapbook embellishments (optional,for stars)
Mod Podge
Mod Podge applicator–spongebrush pictured
Ric Rac
Stars for treetops–use coordinating paper or other scrapbooking embellishments
Elmer’s Glue
Scissors
Using a ruler, lightly draw a triangle on the scrapbook paper. Trees shown are 9 1/2 x 3 3/4 inches. Use this first tree as a template to cut out the next two.
Cut three mini triangles for tree trunks. Only the bottom of the triangle will show.
Measure and lightly mark the middle of the canvas so you can place your first tree, but do not glue the tree yet!
Using a spongebrush, cover the entire surface of canvas with Mod Podge. Then coat the back of your first tree with Mod Podge and place it in the marked spot. Glue the tree trunk under the bottom of the treebefore brushing the entire surface, including tree, with Mod Podge again. Be sure to seal edges of tree.
Repeat this process (ModPodging entire surface) after each tree and trunk.
Lightly press with your finger to seal the edges to the canvas.
If your paper bubbles, no worries! Magically, these disappear once the Mod Podge dries!
Next, cut the Ric Rac the exact length of the canvas. Glue it to the canvas using Elmer’sglue.
Glue paper or other”star” embellishment to tops of the trees, using Mod Podge for paperstars or Elmer’s for 3-dimensional ones.
Hang directly onto the wall,
or use a plate stand to display it on a table!
This versatile craft can easily transfer to any Holiday using different paper, shapes, or colors!
Happy Crafting!
Amanda is a mom to three kids and has been married to David for 13 years. She has a passionfor cooking, journaling, blogging, authentic relationships, and making her homea “haven.” You will find creative ideas for your home, recipes, and anauthentic place to be yourself at www.myheartsdesireblog.com.
Thank you to the ladies of AWB for inviting me to share one of my favorite Pinterest Projects thus far!
I’m not sure what it is about this site that is so interesting and addictive. Maybe it’s the pretty picture overload? Or the insane amount of talented, creative people sharing ideas, tips, and tutorials? Whatever it is, I’m enjoying looking and doing!
At first glance, it may be difficult to understand what Pinterest is all about. It can be overwhelming for first-time pinners-pretty picture overload for sure. But, at the heart of this newest social networking craze, Pinterest provides a unique outlet for crafters, photographers, aspiring cooks, and artists of all kinds. Pinterest is a visual pinboard. It’s a place to bring out all those sites we have saved in the deep depths of our browser bookmarks and store them in picture form instead of words. It is a place to inspire {artists, crafters, cooks sharing their creations} and to be inspired {spinning those pins and making them our own}.
Finding inspiring Pinners is as easy as following your favorite bloggers-who-pin. Many of the bloggers here on Arkansas Women Bloggers pin and you can often find links on their websites. Additionally, one Pinner leads to other like-minded Pinners creating a communtity of fun, interesting, and inspiring projects. It is a place to gather ideas for everything from deciding what to have for dinner to painting techniques for that old dresser you hope to refurbish. Pinterest is a place to grow our blog-reader lists and circle of blog friends around the world. And, most importantly, Pinterest is a place to connect with those friends and artists.
Gather, grow, connect- exactly what the creators of Arkansas Women Bloggers hope to accomplish here in this forum! Pinterest just provides another chance for you to get to know the great ladies here on Arkansas Women Bloggers.
The key to this project, for me, was gathering and prepping the supplies over a three or four day period. Having the supplies at-the-ready
was a hurdle well cleared when it came time for this challenge.
For this project you’ll need to gather:
-3 yards of burlap (Note: You can buy burlap cheaper at hardware stores like Lowes and HomeDepot than at fabric stores!)
-scrap fabrics
-scrap booking brads or buttons
-hot glue gun and glue sticks
-14 inch wreath form
-twine
-paper
-stamp pad
-assorted scraps and yarn to hang wreath
-circle cookie cutters {to trace onto fabrics}
-fabric marker
-a good pair of fabric shears
Begin by cutting a four inch section down the length of the burlap and set aside. This will be used to wrap the wreath form a little later.
Using your cookie cutter {or a cup} draw one 3-inch circle, and one 2-inch circle on the burlap and cut out. Use this template to cut remaining circles.
You’ll need:
Burlap : 50 – 3 inch circles
25 – 2 inch circles
Fabric 25 – 3 inch circles
25- 2 inch circles
Combine layers of circles that are pleasing to you, forming flowers of burlap and fabric. Secure in the center by pushing a brad through and fastening on the backside. Lay out flowers as you go.
Tip: layer more burlap-on-burlap flowers than you think you need. Layer 2 to 3 circles each.
You’ll need a total of 120 – 150 finished flowers.
Lets put it all together:
Take the 4 inch section of burlap you cut earlier and secure one end of the burlap to the wreath form with a beaded line of hot glue and gently {and CAREFULLY} press the fabric into the glue until secure. Begin wrapping the form tightly, overlapping as you go.
Time now, to begin hot glueing your fabric circles to the wreath form. A small bead of hot glue on the back of each circle will be enough to attach your flowers.
Start by laying out 3 fabric flowers symmetrically around the form.
Fill in with remaining circles adding pops of color with your fabric flowers.
Next, flip the wreath over and attach twine with a small dot of hot glue on each side of the wreath.
Flip back over and attach your message to the twine with tiny paperclips or tiny clothespins. I originally typed and printed a message onto paper, cut out, and inked the edges. However, during my search for clothespins I came across a little letter “g” and covered it with leftover fabric scrap from this project. I attached it with a paperclip from my scrap booking stash.
Finish by looping scraps of fabric, yarn, or leather {such as shoelaces!} to the top of the wreath from which to hang your finished wreath. Hang and Enjoy!
Gina has graciously agreed to giveaway one of these beautiful wreaths! You have several chances to win and we will be using Rafflecopter to help us keep track of your entries. Entries will be open through December 16th. Good Luck!
(For info on how to win – please click the “continue” button below!)
