Fall Cookies

Travis was supposed to have an artist help him haul his designed chair home. It weighs a ton. The artist that was supposed to help him, had a funeral to go to.

His work let him borrow an employee, and their truck to haul it.

In return Travis made them pizza, and I made them fall cookies.

I only allowed myself two cookies, to go with coffee.

My weakness: Sweets! Especially chocolate! 

What's your weakness?

Wooden Leaf #craft #stringart

Travis' boss gives him odd things: Like a foam pumpkin in the fall, and stockings at Christmas time for the employees to decorate.

He asked, "Do you really think I have time to do these extra projects?"

She said, "You like art. I'd think you'd enjoy them."

He said, "You must not get that I don't get into crafty things."

I said, "I'll decorate them, while you help the boys with homework or work on house hold fix up things."

Here's a Wooden November Leaf:

Materials:

• A Wooden or Styrofoam Form

• Elmer's Glue 

• Water

• A Paint Brush

• Leaves From Outside

• Any Kind of Paint or Fingernail Polish

• Nails or Stick Pins

• Different Colors of Embroidery Floss 

• Scissors or X-acto Knife

You can do this craft with any wooden form, but we have a leaf!

There's a ton of ways to decorate it! I wanted something that Isaak would get into. I sent him outside to gather 5 leaves.

I painted it with Elmer's Glue. It works best if you add a little water to the paint.

If the leaves aren't flat, it's best to iron them. Put the leaves in between sheets of white paper, and iron them with an iron or hair straightener.

Set them in the glue. Use an X-acto Knife or small scissors to cut the leaves.

Isaak painted the tops with glitter glue.

If you are using foam push stick pins in the form on the edges. We had a wooden leaf, so Isaak hammered nails in the edges of the leaf. Lowe's Clinic came in handy with hammering!

He put a nail on every outside section of the leaf.

Get the different colors of Embroidery Floss out. Thankfully we already had some laying around. We picked fall colors.

Tie a small knot on one end, and go to town with where you want them to go. Keep doing this with different colors.

Because it's not stick pins I thought the nail heads could use some color. Travis said, "What about little gems." I went as far as gluing them on with a hot glue gun. I hated them, and ripped them off.

I just felt like the gems were too flashy for this natural looking leaf. I painted the nail heads with acrylic. I used teal because blue-green is the opposite of red-orange. You can use fingernail polish. That may stay longer over time. Finger nail polish is the same thing as enamel paint, which is used for model cars and more. I snuck some teal inside bits of the leaf too.

I think it turned out pretty good. Isaak likes it too!

Side Note: I love how his shirt looks like it has strings on it too.

What I Loved About This Craft:

• It's good for boys or girls
• It can be used for decor in your house
• It can be transformed: If you didn't want to do leaves, you could use flattened flowers and spring like colors
• It's for many ages: Stick pins and foam board bases for younger kids, and nails and wood bases for older kids
• We had everything, nothing was purchased for this craft

Have you ever created string art?

Four Memorable Vacation Ideas This Fall

The fall is probably one of the best times to travel. You can enjoy beautiful fall colors almost everywhere you go, there are typically fewer tourists, and of course, there are often plenty of activities, events, and festivals to enjoy. Fall is the season of harvest, warmth, and coziness, and if you need any help choosing where to travel to this year, look no further.

In the USA
Fall is a staple in the United States, and for a good reason! All of the northern states have something to offer during this season, from epic fall colors to festivals and harvests. It is the perfect time to get out there and explore some of America’s most historically important towns because they won’t look better than they do in fall:

Boston, Massachusetts
Boston played a critical part in American history and is today a beautiful town that is best known for being the home of Harvard University. Its old streets and beautiful mix of architecture make this town a perfect destination for any fall vacation. There are museums, parks, Fenway Park for baseball, and even the awesome Mapparium.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Like Boston, Philadelphia is critical to our history. It is where the Constitution was signed and where you can see the Liberty Bell. Regarding the town itself, it is absolutely charming in any season and truly comes alive under the fall coloring. Enjoy a traditional Philadelphia steak sandwich, peruse through American history, and of course partake in all the fall festivities.

Outside the USA
For those who want to go a bit further than their own backyard, there are plenty of European cities where you can see the beauty of fall and enjoy history and culture all at the same time. The top two on our list are:

London, England
London is a magical place for the fall season, and with its milder temperatures, you can expect warmer weather and prolonged fall foliage as well. Once there, you can enjoy the city in its full glory, wrapped up in the warm fall colors that make every landmark simply pop. Fill your days with markets, museums, and eclectic cafes and pubs. Then, for the night, book a night at the theater. From small-time productions that are very affordable to the biggest children’s musicals London like Wicket or the Lion King, there is no shortage of plays and musicals to enjoy.

Paris, France
The City of Love is a magical place any time of the year, but with its massive, ancient trees and picturesque parks dotted around French architecture, there is probably no better time to visit. The weather is cool, but not wet, and there are typically fewer tourists during this time.

Combined, this is the perfect destination for families and couples alike who want to explore this ancient French city.

Whether you go somewhere local, or somewhere overseas, just remember to pick the places that embody fall the most. The dead of winter is when it’s time to go for a break in the sun, but fall is when you go for the color and festivities.

WW: Fall {Linky}

Mica wanted a big giant pumpkin. That's about as big of a pumpkin as I'd let him get. Isaak wanted a pumpkin with cool texture. 

A Pumpkin Tree:

Painting Pumpkins in the Cold:

 A Spooky Child:

A Mellow Child:

A Special Treat They Split in 1/2:

A Cold Hay Rack Ride:

A melt down occurred because hay got on his gloves: