Fall Decorating

Happy Morning All!

I did it! This post is updated from it's original date, back in August.  I completed my Fall Decorating Challenge, see the updates below.

We are in full swing with cool mornings, some leaves changing and shorter days here in Colorado.  

So, I've decided to challenge myself to decorate  for Fall this week.  I'm learning things take longer to do now, and if I wish to add new pieces to my fall Decorations, I should start sooner.  These new pieces are handmade, creative, and yummy.  I'm finding inspiration from my Autumn Pinterest  board.

I'm sharing three with you today hoping to inspire you, and to also hold me accountable for bringing them to life.

So Pinterest, a wonderful place that supports and promotes the hoarding of household items like pickle jars, cereal boxes and toilet paper rolls.  So, it shouldn't be a surprise that I'm now collecting Empty Milk Containers for one of my Fall Projects.

Project 1

{Spirit Jugs}

to make this:

Source: Family Fun

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I found this last year and COULDN'T wait to make it...time played against me, as it always seems to do, so I wasn't blessed with the time to bring it to life.  But, I was certain I would next year, and here we are already.

UPDATED: 10/28/2012

Here's my Front Porch, Ghost Milk Cartons

Project 2

{Subway Printable Art "Fall"}

Source: A Place Called Kindergarten 

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I've printables everywhere and have yet to print one but this one, it's going to have a space in my home, maybe even the porch. I plan to visit the Goodwill for an old frame 

to then re-do for Fall.

I've seen it everywhere and have yet to print one but this one, it's going to have a space in my home, maybe even the porch. I plan to visit the Goodwill for an old frame 

to then re-do for Fall.

Update - 8/30/2012

So, I got giddy, went for it, and decorated!  Below is a picture of the Printable up in my living room. 

Project 3

{Chocolate Halloween Bark}

Source:  The Curvy Carrot

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Does this look delish!?  It has all of my favorite ingredients, and looks super easy.

Update: 09/23/2012

  

I made this for a Football get together. It was a hit!  Savory and sweet...I'll be making it again. 

There you go, a Fall inspired project Round-Up.   I'm thinking this time of year, sleep will be over-rated with all the sewing and holiday goodness...what about you? Do you have any projects you wish to bring to life?  Share below and I'd love to pin them to my pinboard. 

        

This Post was linked up @:

Frugal Girls - Chic and Crafty

Made by You - Skip to my Lou

The Southern Institute - Creative Me

Making Monday Marvelous - C.R.A.F.T.

Frugal Girls - Chic Crafty Party

It's Overflowing

Sugar Bee Crafts

Uncommon Designs

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Apple Pie Pop Recipe {Via Evey's Creations}

You're gonna love today's post, it's brought to you by my sweet girlfriend, pun intended,Evey from Evey's Creations.

She's here today to share with you an awesome Apple Pie Pop tutorial, and with Apple being in season, 

I know you'll enjoy it!  

Hi y'all!! My name is Evey and I blog over at Sweet Song Bird with one of my best friends and biz partner (in crime), Erika! :) Yes, E and E.  No, we are not related. :) I have three (YES, THREE!) kiddies who are my entire universe and am married to my best friend and childhood sweetheart.  He's an architect and shares my passion for pretty things.  

We are truly just big kids who love to have fun and act silly!  

My loves and I

 Though I originally went to school for Nursing, I ended up staying home with my sweet (crazy) kids and opened up my awesome business Evey's Creations.  My family is gluten-free and my middle child who has Asperger's also has severe food allergies, so here at Evey's Creations, we strive to provide allergen-safe, all natural products for our clients.  I also love to craft and sew!  Be sure to check out our blog for awesome Erika (and Evey) recipes (Allergen-safe and regular ones, too), furniture redo tutorials, DIY costumes, and of course, TONS OF PASTRIES! Also, occasional snark from Erika! :) I seriously DIE reading her posts when they go up! :) Though we collaborate on various projects, we do have separate businesses and therefore kept our blog name separate from our business names.  Fun Evey fact- I have 9 parrots! The blog was named after my sweet Baby, a cockatiel, who passed away after 9yrs of singing to me and bringing me joy!

 

ANYWAY, here is my tutorial and recipe for these sweet Apple Pie Pops! 

Here's what you'll need:

1. Lollipop sticks (I like the Wilton brand).

2. Pie dough (You can make your own or you can buy the frozen kind)

3. A circle cookie cutter about 3 or 4 inches in diameter (I actually used the ring of a small mason jar)

4. A small heart-shaped cookie cutter for your vent.

5. Extra flour to dust on surface while rolling dough out!

6. Apple pie filling (PRE-COOKED- See recipe below.)

7. Optional-Cinnamon Sugar. (one part Cinnamon to two parts Sugar, mixed in a bowl.) 

Method: 

Step One:  Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll out your dough and cut out equal rounds, cutting out heart vent in only half of the rounds. 

Step Two: Arrange your rounds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  I like to maximize space by alternating the direction they lie in.  Fill with pre-cooked apple pie filling**.  Place tops and vents on filled pops.  Make sure the hears are slightly off center, leaving a vent hole or your pops will leak out due to heat and pressure.  (Trust me, it ain't pretty!)

 **See Recipe at the end of Tutorial.

Step Three: Seal those pie pops up!  Use a small fork to crimp the edges.  It looks pretty and seals the edges!

 Step four: Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar over the top of the pop.  I like to put more on the heart cutout to accent it. :) Place pops in oven at 375 degrees and bake for roughly around 15minutes or until edges are slightly browned as in below picture.  You will see the heart vent puff up as well. 

 Allow pops to fully cool before standing up or the stick will break through warm dough. I sold this batch at a vendor sale and displayed them in a sweet mason jar!

Speaking of mason jars...I made a mini pie in a mason jar with leftover dough for my hubby to take to work!  You can actually freeze it before it's baked (if your dough is home-made) and simply allow it to thaw then bake it at 375 degrees F in a water bath when you are ready to serve it!

SO CUTE, RIGHT?!

Apple Pie Filling:

3 Large Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cubed.

1/4 C Brown Sugar

1/4tsp Cinnamon powder

pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

3tbsp flour

Method:

Combine ingredients in a deep saucepan and cook over the stove top on Low for about 25 minutes or until apples are slightly tender.

THAT'S IT! ENJOY!! Thank you for letting me hang out with your sweet followers, Hilani!

xoxo,

Evey

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Easy Trail Mix Bark via {Taryn w/Design, Dining + Diapers}

Hi Everyone, I'm so excited to share with you my sweet friend Taryn from Design, Dining + Diapers.  She was so sweet to visit with us today and share her great recipe with you'll.   Enjoy the below, and head her way to say "Hi!" 

Take it away Taryn!

Hello New Friends! I am so excited to be visiting today. Hilani has a beautiful blog and I am so inspired by her sewing skills! I'll take one of everything in her shop please :)

  

 In case we've never met, I'm Taryn from Design, Dining + Diapers. A place where I share a little bit of everything but mainly DIY Projects, Craft Tutorials and allergy friendly recipes! I live in the Pacific Northwest with my hubby, 18 month old Baby Girl and our spunky Golden Retriever! I love the outdoors, coffee, baking, spending time with friends and family and watching Reality TV! Today, I'm sharing a super simple recipe for Easy Trail Mix Bark. This would make a great afternoon snack or package it up and give it as a gift for an upcoming holiday.

   

 I was really excited when EnjoyLife Foods let me know about their brand new No Nuts Trail Mixes. While I'm not allergic to nuts, I am allergic to soy and find that most packaged trail mixes (especially ones with chocolate) have some form of soy in them. Total bummer. But not these. If you aren't familiar with EnjoyLife Foods, all of their products are free from the 9 most common allergens making them a total dream come true for people with food sensitivities and allergies.

   

 Start with 1.5 cups (1 bag) of EnjoyLife trail mix and set it aside.

   

 In a sauce pan combine the butter, coconut oil and maple syrup and bring them to a boil. Pour the sauce over the trail mix and stir until coated evenly. Then, place the mix into a nonstick pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Use your fingers to spread the mixture out evenly into a thin layer (FYI, mine didn't cover the whole pan). Place in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or until hard.

   

 Using a knife, cut it into squares or the shape of your choice! This Trail Mix Bark has a really delicious flavor combo. The hearty seeds and fruit are nicely complemented with the sweetness of the chocolate chips and maple syrup sauce. Note: 1.5 cups of trail mix only makes 8-9 squares. I suggest doubling this recipe if you want to make a larger batch.

Healthy Trail Mix Bark

Recipe Type: Dessert/Snack

Author: Taryn

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 5 mins

Ingredients

• 1.5 Cups of Trail Mix
• 1 Tbs. Butter
• 1/4 Pure Maple Syrup
• 1/4 Coconut Oil

Instructions

1. Start with 1.5 cups of EnjoyLife trail mix and set it aside.
2. In a sauce pan combine the butter, coconut oil and maple syrup and bring them to a boil.
3. Pour the sauce over the trail mix and stir until coated evenly.
4. Then, place the mix into a nonstick pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Use your fingers to spread the mixture out evenly into a thin layer (FYI, mine didn't cover the whole pan).
5. Place in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or until hard.
6. Using a knife, cut it into squares or the shape of your choice!
7. Note: 1.5 cups of trail mix only makes about 8-9 squares of bark. I suggest doubling this recipe if you want to make a larger batch.

2.2.8

Enjoy! Here are a few other projects you can find on my blog. Succulent Planter from Thrifted Watering Can ¦ Upcycled Side Table Using Distressed Wood ¦ Recycled Jar Vases

You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+! Big thank you to Hilani for having me over today. It was my pleasure 'meeting' all of you! -Taryn 

Thanks a bunch Taryn for stopping by and sharing one of your recipes with us! Always a pleasure working together and can't wait to again! ~ Hugs, Hilani 

  

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Breakfast - Baked Pumpkin Donuts - Guilt Free

Here in Colorado we are in full swing of Fall, so we are baking like crazy with Pumpkin of course.

We've made and just finished baking these

Guilt-Free Baked Pumpkin-Apple Sauce Donuts

Here's the recipe:

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

1 3/4 Whole Wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/3 cup Ground Flax Seed (optional)

1/3 cup Canola oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup canned pumpkin

1/3 Apple Sauce

1/2 cup milk

**Mix all Dry Ingredients

** By hand or with an electric Mixer, Mix Wet Ingredients. 

**Slowly add Dry Ingredients to wet, try to keep a bumpy consistency.

Spray your Donut pan.  In this case, I used my Mini-Donut pan I bought from Amazon.

You can use a pastry bag or a Zip lock bag to "Pipe" out the donut to fit perfectly.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.

(Here in Colorado, due to the dry air, I bake a lot on the Convection setting.  If you choose to do this, bake time should be 11 minutes.)

Enjoy, and if you bake these, I'd love to hear what you think!

Kid-Friendly Baking Recipe.

And here's another one: 

{Famous Guilt-Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies }

Recipe Here

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This Post was linked up @:

Live.Laugh.Rowe

Lil' Luna

Romance on a Dime

Petals to Picots

DJ Sugar Shack

Savvy Southern Style

Ginger Snap Crafts

Chic and Crafty

A Night Owl Blog

It's Overflowing

Create.Craft.Love

Happy Hour @ Design, Dining & Diapers

A Glimpse Inside

It's So Very Cheri

Yesterday on Tuesday

Cupcakes and Crinoline

Design Dreams by Anne

Setting for Four

Three Mango Seeds

Craft-O-Maniac

Cherrios and Latte's

Alderberry Hill

The Everyday Home

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{Sewing Tips and Tricks} Lesson 3 of 3

Here it is, slightly later than I had hoped but {Here it is}.  

Drum roll please...

Lesson 3 of the 3 part series which was designed to help you get off on the Right Foot, 

sewing foot that is, to sewing successfully.

In this post we'll be discussing proper tension with sewing and troubleshooting tips.  These two things play a big role in your sewing success. 

There are {3} Videos, all shot from the same sitting, but I've broken them down for you.  

Below each video is a review of what was discussed. 

{Sewing with Proper Tension}

This project used:

 #12 universal Needle

All Purpose Thread

A Scrap of Broadcloth Fabric

O.k., so obviously looking back at the video we all know the word [Consistently] is a real word and I did not just invent it but I tell you, in the moment it didn't sound right.  Ha!   It's like when you type a word and it doesn't look right but it's right...that was me...putting a big L on my forehead. 

[Let's Review]

1.  The Thinner the Fabric, the higher the number on your Tension dial so you see consistent stitching on 
both sides of your fabric.
2.  Also, view this video for a review of my opinion on metal bobbins and their importance in sewing.

{Sewing without the Thread Arm Threaded}

Trouble Shooting tip #1

[Let's Review]
It could happen to you, or has happened, so when your bottom thread appears like so in this video, know the first place to look for troubleshooting. 

{Tension Dial Troubleshooting}
Trouble Shooting tip #2

This, by far, will be one of the best tips you'll learn about your machine.  I learned this from the Man that once 

serviced my machine.
PS: he hasn't seen me, or my machine in over 2 years.

[Let's Review]
The tension discs that move when you adjust your tension dial is the main culprit of clogging the inside of your machine.  So, make sure when you thread, and de-thread, your machine you have your tension dial at 0.



Thank you so much for following along.  I sure hope these tips have helped you and if you've been trying to sew, and my tips have helped you, please (Please) share your success with me.  It brings me so much joy to hear from you. 

To Visit Lesson 1 of 3, click here
To Visit Lesson 2 of 3, click here

Also, as mentioned towards the end of the 3rd video, I'll be offering, in the coming weeks, a Handmade Tutorial Round Up of Tutorials I've found online, and deem as Handmade by Hilani approved for beginning sewers.  I find details and pictures are so important for those starting out. 

And because I love Free Stuff, especially Fabric, here's a fun Giveaway for you, enter via the Rafflecopter below for this Awesome Sisboom fabric.

Measures @: 12x44

Measures @: 14.5x60

a Rafflecopter giveaway

        

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