holidays

  • boo halloween mantel with hand painted boo sign, paper bats, and branches
    Crafts,  decorating,  holidays

    Boo! Halloween Mantel

    It’s a boo-tiful day to share my Halloween mantel with you! That ghost pun was cheekily intended because the boo sign I painted is the centerpiece of this year’s Halloween mantel. It is simple, playful, and won’t take up hardly any space in storage! I enjoy the fun of Halloween and, let’s be honest, the candy too. I don’t do scary though. Nope. Not my thing. I’ll pass on the haunted houses. I don’t even like going into my attic after dark. I’ll stick with a sugar rush and leave the adrenaline rush to the rest of you ghouls. Speaking of ghosts and ghouls, I have heard some stories about…

  • denim and yarn 4th of july wreath patriotic wreath ideas diy 4th of july wreath
    Crafts,  holidays

    Denim and Yarn 4th of July Wreath

    I was inspired to make a Denim and Yarn 4th of July Wreath this year and it might be my favorite wreath of all time. Don’t tell my other wreaths, okay? Inspiration for this wreath came from a burlap wreath I saw on the Pottery Barn website. My wreath doesn’t use burlap but that’s how inspiration works. It’s a spark and you never know where that spark will land and ignite. For me, it ignited, so to speak, in my craft closet because I wanted to only use items I had on hand to make a wreath. Here’s What You’ll Need to Make a Denim and Yarn 4th of July…

  • memorial day flag in a cemetery
    holidays

    A Poem For Memorial Day

    On this Memorial Day, I want to share a poem by Robert Frost that had me wiping my tears at my desk. Imagining myself as the woman in this poem was – phew – a lot to handle on a Tuesday afternoon. Here’s the poem. Get your tissue ready. Not to Keep by Robert Frost They sent him back to her. The letter came Saying… and she could have him. And before She could be sure there was no hidden ill Under the formal writing, he was in her sight— Living.— They gave him back to her alive— How else? They are not known to send the dead— And not…

  • may day basket idea with potted plant may day basket tradition
    gardening and landscape,  holidays

    May Day Basket Tradition – Did You Do This As A Kid?

    Did you participate in the May Day Basket Tradition as a kid? I did! May Day is always May 1st. As a kid, I thought it was the best thing EVER to leave a small bouquet hanging on our neighbor’s door, knock, run away giggling, and try to hide before they answered the door. I can’t tell you what the flowers were but they could have been dandelions. I’m unsure if we always hung the bouquet on the door. My brother and I might have just left flowers on the front porch and then skedaddled out of there. It was the thrill of doing something nice but being sneaky that…

  • ways to decorate wood easter eggs with paint and stain
    Crafts,  holidays

    7 Ways To Decorate Wood Easter Eggs

    Today I’m sharing 7 ways to decorate wood Easter eggs. If you haven’t had the pleasure of decorating wood Easter eggs yet, what are you waiting for? Carpe diem the wood egg! Decorating wood Easter eggs makes me egg-cited because I can keep them forever. Plus, there’s the uniqueness that comes from working with a natural substance like wood. Each egg ends up with its own quirks (relatable) and I’m here for that! If this post gives you additional ideas on how to decorate wood Easter eggs, please let me know. I have wood eggs I haven’t decorated yet and I gladly welcome new ideas. Now, let’s hop to it……

  • St Patrick's Day floral arrangement using dried lentils to create the irish flag St patrick's Day crafts
    Crafts,  holidays

    St. Patrick’s Day Flower Arrangement With Dried Lentils

    Subtle is not an adjective usually paired with St. Patrick’s Day but this St. Patrick’s Day flower arrangement has a more subtle nod to a holiday I absolutely adore. No leprechauns or pots of gold in sight. That’s kind of a shame. I could really use a pot of gold. The star of this St. Patrick’s Day flower arrangement is not the flowers. Although, they are lovely. The star of the show is the vase! The vase finally gets its moment to shine. The vase is filled with dried lentils to mimic the design of the Irish flag. I used roughly equal amounts of green split peas, white rice, and…

  • st valentine shrine at whitefriar street church in dublin st valentines remains are in dublin
    holidays

    From the Archive: St. Valentine’s Remains Are In Dublin

    Editor’s Note: I originally wrote this in 2018 but it is still relevant today because guess what? History is still in the past and not much has changed on this topic between 2018 and 2024. I think you’ll enjoy this wild romp through history. Hold onto your pink teddy bear and open up your box of mystery chocolates because I have an interesting Valentine’s Day story for you! The actual saint that kicked off this entire multi-billion dollar holiday is St. Valentine and his remains (or part of them) are indeed located in Dublin. Ireland is usually all about St. Patrick, so this St. Valentine connection surprised me. I read…

  • 2x4 wood hearts for valentine's day rustic wood hearts wood heart craft
    Crafts,  holidays

    2×4 Wood Hearts for Valentine’s Day

    Do you have a 2×4 or scraps from a 2×4 lying around? Then you can make gorgeous 2×4 wood hearts and use them to decorate your home for Valentine’s Day. The options for how you finish these 2×4 wood hearts is endless. I chose to stain mine because that goes with my home decor a little better. However, you could paint them, decoupage them, bedazzle them, or even apply a stone-like treatment to them. I also like the idea of adding a name or names to the hearts. Instead of carving initials in a live tree, how about adding them to a 2×4 heart? Or you could turn the 2×4…

  • valentine's day terracotta gnome how to make terracotta gnome for valentine's day craft
    Crafts,  holidays

    Valentine’s Day Terracotta Gnome

    We are going to combine three favorite things, terracotta, Valentine’s Day, and gnomes to make something amazing – a Valentine’s Day Terracotta Gnome. What’s that? Gnomes aren’t one of your favorite things? Understandable. Oh, and you’re iffy on Valentine’s Day too? Give me a second. *deep breaths* Can we all agree terracotta is amazing? Even if we don’t know if it’s one word, two words, or a hyphenated word? Alright, here’s the deal to save this craft. We’re going to combine ONE favorite thing with two questionable things. You’re going to have to trust me that love will bloom when you feast your eyes on this Valentine’s Day Terracotta Gnome.…

  • giant navy blue snowflakes made from gift bags christmas reflections 2023
    holidays

    Reflections This Christmas 2023

    There are just a few more days until Christmas. Nobody panic! I suspect that if you’re not panicking it is either because you’re got everything under control or you don’t but you’re just too tired to panic at this point. My kids are still in school, so I think that makes it easier navigate this lead up to Christmas when we’re still operating with our normal school and work schedules. I have spent some time this month, while the energy of Christmas swirls around me, reflecting on our year. Our life this year has been, I’m sure, similar to other people’s lives. The horrors persist, but so do we. Hahaha!…