Finally...I'm Back

Hello Blogland!
I was doing pretty good and then life happened! I had taken a temporary full time job on top of my part time one on top of my crafting, decorating and taking care of my house, kids, etc...so of course blogging was the last thing I could think of ! BUT... I should be around a bit more. I have been working hard to get my ETSY store opened and have something on there to post ...finally achieved that goal! So go check it out designdecorbylinda  and my facebook page is design and decor by linda. I will be posting more products to purchase today and tomorrow! If you are local and need decorating services for your home or business for the Holidays or any other reason, get in touch with me! Thanks so much for all of the support I have recieved!
I will be back soon!!!

Soo busy :(

Hello friends!
So sorry for being rather absent this past week!This has been such a busy week and any extra time has been crafting and trying to start a new business as well as an Etsy shop! I have had to photograph everything , upload them then do all of the descriptions etc..Very time consuming! So I wont be on here long tonite.I have some mail box swags to make!! Pictures coming soon!!
Oh but I did want to share a little someting , If you have a daughter with lots of hairbows as I do (or if someone in your family has a girl,this is a good idea for a gift.) Its always hard to find a way to store all of these bows, When my daughter was young I made a doll face out of wood and then hot glued about five feet of yarn to the top and braided the sides so she could clip all of the bows on.It was very cute ...however she isn't so little anymore and is VERY picky about what goes in her room so .... we bought one of those ornate wooden frames they sell at Michaels or most other craft stores.Painted it black and VIOLA!!

You can just stick the clip part on to the frame ! These are all of her cheer bows for this year , well there are actually more since I took this pic.!!
So anyway friends, I'm leaving you with this little idea and I'll be busy crafting so I can share some goodites with you! I'll also post ETSY INFO. AS SOON AS IT'S UP AND RUNNING!

Sunday Funday!

Hope you all have had a wonderful relaxing Sunday! I woke up with my eye completely swollen and red and my allergies are awful!!   :( Not sure whats going on but I had too much to get done to give in to it!
So after getting some cleaning done and work done I was able to bake a little.

I have been wanting to make these healthy monkey cookies for awhile and they are pretty good! Not as sweet as I would have liked so I threw a little Monk fruit sweetener into the second batch and they were much better to me! I have the worlds WORST SWEET TOOTH!! I DON'T LIKE CANDY,GUM,SNACK CAKES YOU BUY IN THE STORES ..NOT THAT TYPE of sweets.But baked goods,cookies,cakes,anything homemade and I'm done.So I struggle between being healthy and fit and eating in moderation or just saying "HECK WITH IT " and being over weight,unhealthy and satisfied..(heehee)

This is the batter, it's just oatmeal,applesauce,cocoa,bananas,vanilla and peanut butter! I have the recipe on my pinterest page under the recipe board.But like I said,I added a little sweetner.
Here they are being baked, they look like no bakes which are my most fave easy cookie of all!

Here they are all done!

Also made some banana bread,by the time I thought of taking a picture my family had almost finsihed it off! I have been making lots of breads lately .My fave was zucchini,banana and chocolate chip bread.When I find the recipe again for that I will post it because it's amazing!

Then after making an awesome roast for supper, I made these!!! Two ingredient muffins!!!

It feels weird not adding eggs and other ingredients,and at first I was worried because it seemed so dry but once you start really mixing it comes together nicely!Of course because I am who I am...I had to add a little something extra! I'm one of those people that always has to "add" my own touch weather its decorations,clothes or recipes.I just can't help it! I always feel like things need a touch more "bling or WOW OR  POP!" Yes I'm a "Blingier is better kinda girl!" So anyway today the bling was in the form of......ready?.....

CHOCOLATE CHIPS!!! ,JUST on half though,tried to keep it clean for myself. :) 

So we have left over muffins from yesterdays breakfast and all of the baking I did today.I think we are set for a few days! Oh had to share some of the goodies my son and I picked from the garden today!

A few of the tomatoes had split, but there are lots more goodies to be picked in the next few days.I have more zucchini,eggplant,basil,and lots more tomatoes that will be red soon!

This is my first ever watermelon I have grown! I was a bit dissapointed because I thought it was going to be seedless but it is so very sweet that it made up for it!

And here is my baby pumpkin!There are a few more but this is the largest and it's starting to turn orange!! So exciting! I just love gardening,it's so rewarding!!

I'll finish off with my wreath I "fluffed up" a bit and my bow for the outdoor light post in my yard .Now I'm off to finish a Spirit wreath and then to bed!! Long week ahead!

Hope everyone has an Awesome Monday!!

 This picture doesn't do it justice because it's really large,of course I may add a burlap bow to the back or maybe some black ribbon but this is the start :)

Happy Weekend!

Hello!! Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend! I can't believe how much the weather has changed here in western Pa.! Last week is was hot and humid and now Ineed to wear a warm hoodie to go outside comfortably in the evening! I'm trying not to complain just yet because I do love the seasons here and this time of year but my poor body just has to adjust!
Our Friday nights are occupied by football here since my daughter cheers for the highschool and last night although we lost it was a wonderful night for FOOTBALL! heres a picture of our beautiful stadium! I have such great memories at this place seeing that my oldest son played here for 4 years and now y daughter has cheered here for four as well!Love this place!

Today was filled with yard work,college football,baking and a trip to Pat Catans with my favorite girl.They were having a great sale today and of course I was in my glory! Oh the money I could've spent!!
I also  finished up a few crafts I had taht were begging to be done. I have been working on school spirit and fall wreaths any chance I have had this month so I was anxious to get some things finished.I'm so ready to get my pumpkins and mums for my porch decorating!!!

This is a wreath I made from some grapevine in my yard, Think I'll grab some more flowers to add to it now that I have it hung but I was itching to put something on this back door!

I had seen some topiaries like these at a craft store but they were almost $100.00 each! Of course I thought"I'll make my own!" Mine are much larger than the ones I had seen originally , they are almost 3  ft. high. I'm really happy with the outcome.I'm placing them on either side of the front door.

Here are a few signs I finished up as well. I used left over landscape timbers for the pumpkins.This was a great project for my son and I to do together! He helped cut them into 10" 15"and 25" sections.We painted them with craft paint and once dried I went over them with the electric sander to give the rustic,worn look.Then we both painted faces and I glued some broken sticks and raffia on top! Viola!! Anytime I can get him to help me with a project since he's almost 16, I jump at the chance!! Of course if it involves power tools ,he's usually on board!

This is just another one of the signs we made.I'll just hang these on my plant stands on the porches and maybe put a couple inside.Just remember if you make wooden signs and plan on having them outsidide spray or brush on some poly to protect from the elements! 

Well I'm ready for a great relaxing Sunday and hopefully trying some great new recipes,so I'll share those soon!Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Taking pointers

Ok so I am taking any pointers on how to improve the look of this blog! Am I just totally not understanding what I'm reading in the help section or what? I apologize now for all of the blank boxes that ae SUPPOSED to be pictures! ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED, Are there folks out there that can just design it and make it look great for me? :) 

Easy Decoupage DIY

More Fall Ya'll!!

Ok so I'm back! As I said yesterday I'm still trying to figure some of this out and should probably explore some of the "how to" topics and will try to do that tonight some time.But first I'll share some more fall deco pics along with some of my DIY projects.
Let me first explain that my fiance' and I took a home that was over 100 years old and began demo on it about 2 1/2 years ago.Basically everything but the kitchen which had been remodeled a few years prior came out. We then added about 1850 sq. feet to the top of the house .We had an awesome builder but did ALOT OF IT OURSELVES. This was the third house I have built/remodeled and of course there are always things you wish you could do differently or want to re-do but all in all we are satisfied. There is still (almost three years later) several things that need finished but it's liveable..lol 
I love recycling/up cycling items and get so much satisfaction from doing things myself:) But for now its ALL ABOUT FALL YA'LL!!

This was an old frame from the 1920's that I found in our basement. I took out the glass, cleaned it well, used chalkboard paint on the glass and then just sprayed the frame white. I love using it to send special messages to my kids or our guest!!

Wanted to show the pumpkin brick head my son helped me make :)

Kinda blurry but I had this awkwardly placed corner cabinet that you couldn't really access so I decided when I painted the cabinets a few weeks ago to take off the doors and use it as a display shelf.You can't ever have enough shelves right? Just stuck some fall foliage up there to add some holiday spirit!!

I absolutely have an obsession with ribbon and bows!! It may have something with growing up in the South.You stick a bow on it honey and its pretty!! lol , But I literally walk around while decorating with raffia and ribbon in my hand thinking"where can I tie this?" I try not to get to carried away as not to be tacky but sometimes its hard.
Anyway I love this little candy dish above. I can't remember where I bought it but I know it was ess than $10 .I change out the ribbon and candy seasonally.Usually I have seasonal Hershey Kisses but haven't bought them yet. Above that is apothecary jars I bought at Marshalls filled with pine cones, leaves,pumpkins and a little moss. Theres a moss ball from Walmart($2) on top of a candle holder and a couple of chachis for added decor.

Notice the raffia again: :) These are dollar store pumpkins on a moss bed, and my fave little hen candle holder from Bath and Body Works. This sits atop a very old book case I re painted and repaired and have sitting in my kitchen.

This is just a shot of a copper fire wood bucket I have that I stuck left over fall foliage in.Something so quick and simple can make such a statement.

 

Above is my formal dining room. I couldn't decide on my center piece this year but wanted something that was very mobile.I tend to go all out with a "bigger is better" theme but since we eat in here so often it's always a pain to move the center piece out of the way. So I took an old antique silver tray I had and stuck a large mercury glass candle holder on top. Then I draped autumn garland all around and began sticking different fall pics in any empty spaces.The great thing is I can just lift the tray and grab the ends of the garland and move it for when we eat there. I also stuck two mercury glass candle sticks on either side. I still have to find the right color of candles for that but haven't yet.

The plate rack above was found at a yeadsale for $1 last week! And the plates were $2 a piece at Walmart .

These windows above were big, awkward and empty when we started on the house.There are two of them in the kitchen so I bought finials from Lowes, painted them white and had glass cut to fit the insides. I love them now! I display more of my decorative items on them and I get beautiful light shining in!!

Another Find at Ross!

Just had to show this cute soap holder from Bath and Body! As soon as the seasons change it's one of my first places to go to get the latest soap scents! The fall ones are to die for! These cute holders dress up the soap bottles so nicely. We have four bathrooms and of course the kitchen so their 5 for $25 deal is right up my alley!! I stock up !!!

This is the other window that you can see a bit better!


Ok well that's enough inside, I don't want to bore you already. Ill show some of my outside items I created in another post. I am going to work on an Etsy shop some tonight to sell some of my wreaths, floral arrangements and other decorative items I make when I get to do what I love!!! Hope you've enjoyed my fall Home thus far!!
xoxo

How fitting, first post is about FALL!

Hello World!!!!
Thank you for checking out my first blog ,I am so excited to finally be able to share some of my decorating projects,crafts,food and basically my creative life with each and every one of you.
I have been asked so many times "do you blog?" and I have so often thought of doing this but never knew how n the world I would find the time.So this definitely be a challenge but I promise to try my hardest to stay on top of this .I hope to create an Etsy store soon as well to sale some of my crafts but I'm taking baby steps here first! :)
Well any who its so fitting(hence the title) for my first post to be in September because FALL JUST HAPPENS to be MY FAVORITE SEASON! Growing  up in North Carolina (South Eastern) we basically had two seasons..summer and winter .Then I lived in Northern California for a few years and it seemed to be spring there year 'round.So you can imagine my joy when I finally moved to a state that had four seasons!! Although I quickly learned that I wasn't going to be a huge fan of winter in Pittsburgh but having spring and fall here really make it worth it. As soon as the last of the hot dogs are eaten on Labor Day I am pulling out my many many bins of gorgeous fall decorations and driving my family crazy for about a week! Ill post some pics for now on what I have done so far and will remind myself to post again within the next couple of days!! Promise!!

The top and bottom pictures are in my entry way.Just adding a few leaves and insxpensive pumpkins&candles can add such a warm touch of fall to your space!
The middle pic. is the sofa table in the living room .Im still getting the hang of this so please be patient with my captions..lol