Harvest Celebration in Our Yard

 Autumn is my favorite time to decorate! I wished it lasted longer....rain and snow in the forecast today and it is only Oct 4! Other years I have created a haystack out of bales,facing the front street and decorated it in Harvest Celebration! This year I decided to decorate out fire pit area..I only saw the other decorations when I was driving in or out of the yard,this way  I see them and enjoy them way more! Every year I get bales and cornstalks from a very nice Farmer who lives down the road. I have been collecting scarecrows and pumpkins made from wood,ceramic,and any other material that can stay outdoors,fall foliage of all types,and anything else that catches my eye!I have always used white lights,however this year I added vintage light strings with solid orange lights form the 50's and translucent orange lights from the 70's. I keep an eye out for 'Harvest' decorations all year long at thrift stores,yard sales and the like.

 I really love the orange lights! They add a nice Autumn glow! The bench by the fireplace is handmade,scored two of them at a thrift shop for a great deal! I wish I had a fire going for these pictures,however it has been so dry there was a fire ban on!

                                Sweet little girl scarecrow hanging on the porch. Another thrifty find!

 2 of my bale vignettes have net lights draped over them,such a handy innovation! Fall flowers in a green pressed tin looking coffee pot. Thrift store strikes again!

 The second of the 2 benches. Adorable little wood painted pumpkins. Fall foliage in a rusted looking metal water trough.

 The Littles and I brought  home dozens of pumpkins which our 3 year old delights in carrying all over the yard!

 We brought home one huge pumpkin! The biggest we could lift,weighs about 40lbs.

 My childhood Radio Flyer Super(restored by my little bro) carry's pumpkins, presents or flowers,depending on the season!

                                        Crows are no problem here with all the Scarecrow cuteness!

              Looking into the firepit area from the yard. Can you tell how much I love those orange lights?

 Sitting out in the evening enjoying the lights and a fire are some of my favorite times!

                                             Harvest Celebration Aglow!

                                           Orange Vintage lights and fall foliage adorn the yard swing.

                                             I really want to share that 'Harvest Glow'!

                                                    Hay Bale vignette at dusk.

                                                     My own little Full Moon! I have a few more of these to launch ,easy to do once   you source the 'moons'Watch for these in a new post!

                                                  Thank-you for touring my Harvest Celebration!
                                                      Comments are very welcome! :)

Diaper Cake Surprise! Rectangle Shape Filled With Goodies!

 I was excited to be invited to a Family Style shower(the whole Family was invited) I had been wanting to make a Diaper Cake. And the Families throwing the shower are Ukrainian and Filipino ,the best party food around! I googled diaper cake photos and how-to's,but being a crafty kind of gal decided to go my own way. This cake is our gift as well as a decoration so I wanted to fill it with lots of goodies too. I also choose not to use small size 1 diapers as my kids did not linger very long in that size and I want the diapers to be put to good use so I used size 2. I was also inspired by the memory of traditional birthday cakes where each slice had a  wax paper wrapped surprise in it a coin or other trinket. Ever have one of those?

 The before photo shows all the items I thought I may use, the tray was a fun base to build the cake on and made it easy to transfer. I used 72 diapers,curling ribbon,2 inch ribbon,and many stuffers.

 The first layer I centered a package of baby wipes in the center of the tray,measured a piece of curling ribbon to tie to hold the diapers. Adding diapers as I went tying the string tight when I had the space filled.

 I choose to fold rather than roll,elastic,tape or glue the diapers,worked well for me. A simple fold in half.

 Top view. As I folded diapers and inserted into the string the shape started to emerge,it would be easy to manipulate into a square or circle.

 The second layer was shaped around a box of diaper cream.

 I tucked in some more lotions and potions. This gave the second layer a firm foundation.

 Front view of the two stacked layers,nice and sturdy. The curling ribbon will remain in place after trimming with a nice 2 inch finishing ribbon.

 The third layer is supported by a shampoo bottle and powder canister(not in photo). I then built a fourth layer around the tops of the container,the fourth layer is covered by the Lion stuffy.

Taaadaaa! Cute,right? I trimmed it out with Baby Ted's name in foam letters. I tucked the other goodies around the back and sides as I wanted a clean look for the front. I added curling ribbon in blue and silver the colors of the finishing ribbon. The finishing ribbon is attached with a spot of hot glue in the back,glue ribbon onto itself not to the diapers. I would make another in a heartbeat! Fun and crafty,just how I like it!

Harvests of Fall Big Batch Cooking Freezing Ahead Breakfast Burritos

Fall is Glorious with it's lovely breezes ,cool weather,and bounty of food. I am not a preserver . I am a freezer. I have many freezers in my life and I like to keep them full. Child of a child of the great depression? Hoarder? Girl scout(be prepared!) My Mother likens me to a bear getting ready to hibernate and that may well be the closest answer. Our Manitoba winters are long and can be hard. Cold,snow and shortened daylight hours all contribute to the feeling of wanting to hibernate!!
I do not enjoy pushing cartloads of groceries thru the snow or unloading the truck when the windchill is in bite your butt range! I like to have friends over, enjoy winter sports, sit around a roaring fire, inside or out I am not fussy!

Drop in on a Saturday and stay for a meal!  Soups, casseroles, bread sticks or garlic bread all ready to warm and serve not to mention pies,banana bread,banana cake,and cookies ready to eat or ready to bake!
I freeze fruits for smoothies and veggies for side dishes or my favorite veggie chilli. Having a party? I will be there with my fancy appy(made many dozens of bean dip rolls this am,recipe in another post) and dessert fresh from my freezer! I like to enjoy time with friends and not be stressed about pulling together eats.

I still pick up fresh fruits and veg in the winter and I am always up for a coupon deal but if I can pre buy it,pre make it,or stash it in one of my pantry's it's done!



                                                     Breakfast     Burritos Ready to freeze!

Today is the start of the second week of Sister's back to school routine and all is going smoothly. Next week lil Bro starts pre-school and Mama will re-quaint herself with the inside of a yoga studio! My rush will really start next week when all the early mornings and activities will hit!
I tried out a freezer burrito idea that I have seen several times on pinterest. Here is my version!

 I wanted to use on-hand ingredients as it happened to be 6 am Sunday am and even if I found a open store I did not want to leave the house! Or get dressed!!! I had sausage pizza topping and started with a chopped onion and the sausage in my big electric fry pan.

With input from Sister I added a can of black beans(rinsed) a can of corn(drained) and a can of diced tomatoes(drained). After cooking and stirring for a couple of minutes I whisked together 20 eggs(I planned to fill 20 burrito wrappers so this seemed reasonable) I cooked the eggs into the mixture,however next time I will cook the eggs in a separate frying pan and add the cooked eggs to the mixture. Quicker to cook the eggs separately  and I think less'squishing' of the main mixture..I used pepper and garlic plus for seasoning,I seldom add salt to recipes unless I am baking.
I scoop about 1/2 a cup of mixture(I added either provolone or chedder to each burrito) into a warmed burrito(I warm them for 15seconds in the microwave)tucked the ends in,rolled and done! The Fam loved them fresh and this morning we nuked them one minute each side and they still loved them! LOL! A hit! I will be making again!!
I froze the burritos on a tray and then slid them into large Ziploc bags separated by cheese options. YAY! for quick breakfasts!

 Time to start decorating for Harvest! Planning a Thanksgiving Meal! Freeze a few more things!

Thrifty Finds this Week and A Summer Fav or two!

 I do enjoy a Treasure Hunt! I decorate for Autumn/Fall /Harvest and then Halloween form top to bottom inside and out..I found this lovely quite perfect Tureen for $3 this summer! I will probably only ever use it for display and have been pondering if I should spray it red or orange...Suggestions??

 My $10 haul this week! The halloween items are starting to show up here and there.

 Two huge bundles of white icicle lights! These have a ton of uses and will show up in projects all year long. Love the white cords..

 Giggly votive holders with wiggly arms. LED votive holders of course with the curious toddler in the House!!

 A pair of spooky fingerless gloves for Sister and more Halloweeny votive love! I usually do not like a lot of small things around the house,however I only add Halloween to my Harvest decor for a couple of days so I don't mind in this case.

 Jars!Jars Jars! I lopve housing EVERYTHING in my pantry in jars. 2 more for the collection! 

 A peek in my pantry at a few of my goody filled jars. You can tour the whole pantry including the Pantry door with re-purposed vintage ceiling tiles in another post. http://urbanstylistinthecountry.blogspot.ca/2011/09/pantry-room-in-my-view-mondays.html

 I love sea creatures and glass..this Turtle will join the menagerie!

 Koi fish grace this polished rock...Just Lovely!

Another favorite this summer for under a dollar is this vintage(I think?) Gingerbread cookie jar. Christmas Cookie Jars are all over the top of my kitchen cabinets come November 12.
Thank-you for sharing my Treasure Hunt! What is your favorite Thrifty Find?

Beachside Oceanfront Sand in My toes

  Saratoga Beach,Vancover Island B.C. is our favorite place on earth! Low tide brings miles of sand and beach combing treasures! High tide brings the drama of crashing waves and the magic of cruise ships lit up like a floating galaxy of stars sailing through the Georgia Strait.

Sand dollars in living breathing beds and scattered here and there by the waves.

Timberlane Beach Resort and it's lovely Proprietress will ensure a beach vacation to remember!

                     

Kite Flying at it's best! Miles of sand,no overhead lines to tangle in and gentle sea breezes to waft you kite ever higher!

Back at home I thrifted a wooden bowl to hold a collage of sea bounty! Upcycling thrift store finds always makes my day! I love the organic nature of the wood bowl(Bamboo?) holding our Beach Tresure!  Driftwood is a magical memory of our Beach walks! Soon we will be back,one day to stay!