Fall Basket Swap

I am so far behind on blogging. I've just been in my own little world....pretty much keeping to myself and just doing my own piddling around here. I have been busy, yet feel like I'm in a rut. Weird, I know, but that's just how it has been.

I've really needed to post the Fall Basket Swap and apologize to Michele (the host) and Carol (my partner) both for being so late in doing so. It was really a fun swap and Carol sent me the nicest basket full of goodies.

Carol sent me this basket and it was filled with goodies. There is some ribbon, cool Halloween fabric, tea, a coin purse, scrapbook stuff, a wreath, post-it-notes, flowers, a gorgeous bottle, etc...... My absolute favorite thing though is the "Orphaned Clip-On Earrings". They are so pretty and in fall colors. They look just like ones my Nana and Grandma wore. They are such beautiful little treasures!

Here's the stuff that I sent to Carol. I made her a two little bags. One has cinnamon sticks and anise stars and nutmeg in it and the other is to hold some of the other goodies. I also crocheted her a dishcloth and tawashi in fall colors and made some yo-yo's and clothes pins in fall colors too.

These little squares and leaves can be used for scrapbooking or hung up on a banner. I made the leaves out of some collage paper that I made out of scraps of tissue paper, napkins and scraps of other paper. I think they turned out really pretty.

Thanks for a fun swap Michele and Carol!

A Fun Fall Banner

I participated in Cindy's Fall Banner Swap and these are the super cute, creative banners I received. My partners were Cindy and Tamera.

Tamera and Cindy made these 2 sets. Cindy made an extra set for someone who dropped out of the swap.

I have enough to make 2 banners so I can decorate 2 of my big windows. I'll take another picture after I string them and hang them up.

Thanks everyone who participated! I love the different creative styles and can't wait to put it all together!

and these are the ones that I made

Thanks Tamera and Cindy for a wonderful Fall Banner that will definitely make my house feel warm and Fall like!

PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS: It will make your life a lot easier!

I am really a ditz sometimes!

Yes, I admit to it....quite a bit actually,

but I guess that is how we learn

Right?

from our mistakes.

I am participating in Cindy's Fall Banner Swap and I was suppose to make 8 scarecrows and 4 letter "L's". As you can see from the photo's below I did make my scarecrows and letters I spent hours working on them and although they didn't turn out exactly like what I was wanting I thought they were pretty cute.

THEN

as I'm getting ready to go to the post office to mail these little guys to Cindy

I looked at her blog

and discovered I had made them wrong

Oh man!

How could I be so stupid?

Why didn't I read the instructions completely?

I was suppose to put my scarecrows and letters on

5 x 7 TRIANGLES.

Okay, get ahold of yourself Sherry

and get BUSY remaking the banners!

Here are my finished triangle pieces.

I have 4 of each scarecrown and 4 letter "L's"

and then I made 4 crows as an extra

that Cindy can do with as she pleases.

So my note to myself is to

PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS

it will make your life a lot easier!

Apple Pickin' ......My Favorite Part of Fall!

It's Apple Pickin' Time!!!! I love to go apple picking! It is one of my favorite things to do together as a family. Yesterday we went with our neighbors.....the more people you take the more fun it is!!

Ezie, Mallory, Jace and our neighbor Lillia

Ezie and Jace had more fun just running through the apple orchard all by themselves


Earl is the official apple taster during picking. He usually eats at least 3 while we are picking.

Now I can't wait to get started making some yummy things with all of our apples! Yummy, yummy! Apples and cinnamon are one of my favorite things about fall!!

Why are People Rushing Into Fall?

Have you seen all the swaps regarding Halloween and Fall? I'll have to admit I did sign up for a Halloween Swap and one for the kids, but I don't want to rush into fall............because after fall comes winter. Winter is just to long here in New York. I hate the cold, I don't mind some snow, just not endless days of snow. Fall is a wonderful season and I love it.........I am just not ready to rush into it. I'm still enjoying the beautiful warm days of summer. I'm still enjoying the kids being home all day and my grandaughters coming over for sleepovers. I'm still enjoying Earl coming home at 5:00 instead of 7:00 once school starts. I'm enjoying being able to sleep in a little bit and not get up and have to rush the kids out of the house. I am going to cherish these next few weeks of summer!!!

Gratitude, Cupcake Swap and Another Fall Swap

Melissa hosted a Gratitude Swap back in September and well the package that was sent to me

must have gotten lost in the mail and the package I sent out hasn't moved from the second postoffice on it's destination since Nov 6, according to the tracking information. I'm not quite sure what to do about that??? Anyway here's what I made

It has a section for 2 ink pens, cards, an address book or journal, stamps, a letter opener and some stationary.
This is some of the cards I made and sent.

Then for the Cupcake Swap hosted by Margy my partner Becky sent me a super cute cupcake hot pad, a cupcake, 2 dishcloths, some cupcake fabric, bookmarks a wooden cupcake, a package with beads and a cupcake.

Everything was so nice!! Thanks again Becky! I went on and made Becky the Gratitude Package but with the cupcake theme.

The inside with all of its compartments
Then I sent a crocheted cupcake and some cupcake postcards, cards and tags that I made.
The two tags in the front with the little cupcake in the corner I bought from Denise at Polka Dot Moon's Etsy Shop. They are so cute!!

Then for another fall swap my partner Katrina sent me this really cute scarecrow, a yummy smelling candle, some fall themed embellishments and a wooden scarecrow for the kids or grandkids to color. Thanks again Katrina!! I really like everything you sent!

Then my partner hasn't sent me her address yet so I have this package boxed up and ready to send out to her as soon as I know where it goes.