This is the time of year where I can’t help but feel thankful.  Thankful for health, happiness, harmony, bounty, and beauty, good friends and a loving family.  I’ve always loved banners, especially ones created for birthdays or holidays.  Yesterday, I gathered some simple craft supplies, and created my own banner to make a seasonal statement.

I also added a few other seasonal touches to the living room to set the mood for Thanksgiving. 

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A few weeks ago, I posted a blurb about Advent calendars.  They were on my mind this year because it is one tradition I’ve been saving until I had children of my own that were old enough to get it.  Sort of like how I’ve never read the Harry Potter series because I’m saving them for when my children are older.  You know, so we can experience those novels together.  I beg you, please don’t tell anyone I have yet to pick up a Potter.  It’s shocking, but it’s true.

Now that my munchkins are three and five, and know the full meaning of the words “treat” and “candy”, it seemed the right time to create an Advent calendar.  Funny how the words “Clean up your room” fall on deaf ears, but you can whisper “candy” from the deepest corner of the backyard and they come running like marathoners. 

I have a thing for branches, especially manzanita branches. They are so dramatic, especially when used as centerpieces, or spray painted and suspended over tabletops or on walls.  They take my breath away.  So I really wanted to display some during the season.  My idea was to make an Advent calendar with tiny packages suspended from those branches in a whimsical way.    

Here is my own sweetie manza-neaty Advent calendar tree.

Here’s the lowdown on how I pulled this one together. 

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It’s Tablescape Thursday over at Between Naps on the Porch.  Perfect timing for my newest creation, a hand painted table runner. 

I’ve always wanted to play around and get creative with fabric paint.  Spotting a few bottles of metallics at Michaels last week and some very pretty beads, I decided I wanted to personalize a table runner for my small Thanksgiving crowd. 

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“Mom?  I found these acorns outside.  Can we pleeeeeeeaase make a squirrel house today ?”

Me: The squirrels don’t really need a house for their acorns.

Mini CG:  “Well, can we make something pretty ?  Today ?  Right now ?  Pleeeeeease ?”

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I’m not one of those people you’ll find decorating my home at Halloween with anything gory, although I know the teenagers love it.  I prefer the whimsical kid friendly version of Halloween, especially since I’ve got to look at it all day.  And so do my little ones.  

So yesterday, I sent my cousin and her husband off to the Russian River Valley to taste more wine.  Healdsburg’s Dry Creek Road is a must see.  Meanwhile, I kept all four of our kids with me.  Together, we added some spooky decor to my home.  We made our own black cat out of painted pumpkins, created an arachnid invasion on the mantle, and cast a witch’s spell on the front porch.  

Come on along on the kid friendly tour.  And get ready to get spooked !  

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I almost fell over backwards when I saw this key art all over Restoration Hardware’s latest catalog spread.  How cool are these keys so beautifully framed? 

What’s not cool (at least to me) is the price.  At $199 dollars each for an 18 x 18 inch square, I had to choke a bit.  You see, a few months ago I purchased some of these same skeleton keys for $2 dollars each at my favorite local salvage warehouse.  I plan on featuring them in my ‘Home for the Holidays’ Etsy shop – coming later this month.  I always thought they’d be so beautiful framed in a collection.  So I laughed when I saw Restoration Hardware’s images. 

Images via Restoration Hardware

A few days ago, I was doing some discount DIY framing, working on a photograph for my master bedroom.  One of the other projects I finished was my own miniature version of framed skeleton key art. 

These were so easy to make.  The most difficult part is finding the right key.  Luckily, I had my own stash. 

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Lately, I’ve been inspired by several bloggers to embellish some glass objects with frosting.  What finally motivated me were these etched glass wine bottles I swooned over at my favorite shop in St. Helena called ‘Vintage Home’.

Not only did I want to enhance some decor, I also had a practical purpose.  I needed to transform my glass bath cabinet doors from a clear to opaque surface.  So last week I grabbed some of Rustoleum’s ‘Frosted Glass’ spray paint to conduct some experiments.  In the end, I was pleasantly surprised and delighted with the results. 

I must say that this post was almost titled, “Somebody Stop Me”.  When I’m armed with a product that makes me giddy, I need someone to hold my arms tightly against my body, look deep into my eyes, and say to me:   “PUT DOWN THE CAN.  STEP AWAY FROM THE FROSTED GLASS SPRAY PAINT.”   I didn’t stop using the stuff until the can was empty.  And all of the other glass in my home is now breathing a sigh of relief. 

Here are the five glass objects I enhanced with (yet another) can of spray paint. 

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Five years ago, Mr. CG and I toured New England in mid October.  We started in New York City, drove through Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Cape Cod, and ended our trip in Boston.

Boston.  October 2004.  Ring a bell ?  Imagine trying to get a room in Boston in October of 2004 when the Red Sox faced the Cardinals in the World Series.  Ooops, didn’t see that one coming in my advance travel plans.  For hours, we dialed every hotel in town.  We lost count of how many operators said to us, “You do realize the Red Sox are playing in the World Series at Fenway tonight”.

Sinking further into stupidville with every call, again and again I replied:  “Yes, we are aware. **Sigh**  Do you have any rooms available?”  But like Mary and Joseph, we were turned away.  There was simply no room at the inn(s).  At one point, I even begged, “I have an eight month old baby.  Take pity on me.”  After several hours, and a crazy stroke of luck, we finally found the very last hotel room in town at the Hyatt.  Exhausted, we watched the fourth and final Fenway game from the lobby bar.  Reinvigorated by the beers, we became Red Sox fans.  Well, just for the night.  I’m a little off topic.  Where was I ?

Oh yes.  Throughout our New England tour, we were privileged to witness the fall foliage show.  Amazing aspens.  Magical maples.  I loved it all.  And let me just digress again.  You New Englanders seriously know how to prepare some chowda and lobstah.  I must have gained five pounds on that trip, between the New York bagels and the chowda.

While we were touring Newport (I heart Newport), we ran right into John Ratzenberger.  Wait, Kate.  Stay on topic !  Okay, while in Newport, I picked up one of my favorite Christmas ornaments:  a maple leaf covered with gold.  It was the source of inspiration for this next fall themed art project.

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There are crafts that I do with my kids that I deem post-worthy, and crafts that I really wouldn’t write about.  But this one turned out pretty cute, so I thought I’d share.  

Since I was going away for the weekend, without the kids, to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary, I decided to take my five year old daughter to the craft store and spend a few hours with her, creating something together for autumn.  We picked out some fabric leaves and amber beads, and decided to make our own wind catcher. 

And it’s true. There is something irresistible about autumn leaves blowing in the wind. Call me sentimental, but now I’m longing for cornfield mazes and pumpkin pie.   

Here is our creation:

If you want to spend an afternoon with your kids or grandkids creating something together, then this is an inexpensive keepsake craft.  

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Last time, I showed you how I made cement candleholders out of ordinary plastics purchased from the grocery store.  Today, the focus is planters.  Unless you want just a simple cachepot, if you truly want your planter to drain there is an added trick.  How to add drainage holes to a cement planter?  With the addition of plastic straws to your plastic molds. 

Here’s a glimpse at some of the planters I made using regular plastics for the outside mold.  For the inside mold, I used the plastic container that housed my plant from the nursery.

A fern planter for my master bath:

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