Vibrant Colors of Fall!

Maybe you are redecorating a room or planning a fall wedding or thinking about Thanksgiving... we have brought you a color palette that is perfect for any of your plans this season.  Vibrant colors of  reds, browns, yellows and greens. Here are a few pictures of fall and a couple inspired color palettes. Hope you enjoy and happy decorating...

Cocoa and Cream Cupcakes

Inspired by some ribbons hanging in my office and feathers I just bought, we put together a birthday gift for my niece. 

Vanilla cupcakes, butter-cream frosting, and a dusting of cocoa!

Happy Birthday Tirzah!

Hard Candy Jewels

So, I am planning my daughters 6th birthday. I bought a mold to make hard candy jewels. What little girl wouldn't want diamonds on her cupcakes? Four attempts to make the jewels and I am settling with amber.

We intended to have diamonds and purple frosting, but my daughter enthusiastically settled for amber and white frosting. Not what I was hoping for, but still turned out in the end!

How to make the hard candy jewels:

1. Boil equal parts sugar and water

2. Heat until 300 degrees

3. Pour into greased molds or swirl onto a greased sheet of foil

Mission Accomplished!

I made them! I have completed three necklaces and I just can't stop... Last month I found the best garage sale ever and I walked away with a handful of vintage necklaces. My mission was to re-bead and re-design. My favorite part about these reclaimed vintage necklaces are their clasps. 

Check out the pictures below!

Two strands of irregular-shaped, silver pearls. 

A beautiful pearl clasp

Five strands of muted pearls

I felt like switching up the regular pearl necklace by adding colorful beads of different shapes and sizes.

Once again, a gorgeous clasp!

This necklace uses two costume jewelry roses and a glass, czechoslovakian apple-green bead.

Which is your favorite!

Jackpot!

I am a garage sale junky! I have been looking for brooches all summer and have had disappointment after disappointment. Not today! I have more brooches and necklaces than one woman should have. Now I need to get enough nerve to design my brooch necklace that I have been waiting a long time for. 

Here are a few of my favorite finds!

Flowers and Ruffles

It may just be because spring is FINALLY here in the Adirondacks, but I am totally obsessed with flowers at the present.  In particular, the ones that you wear in your hair and as accessories.  I stuck a flower pin on an old necklace this morning, and now I am inspired to add flowers everywhere.  There are options for every taste and budget.  I prefer the shiny colorful types, while Abby prefers the victorian and delicate styles usually.

Delicate Bracelet

Victorian Style with a Modern Flair

Skinny Belt, Big Flower

My birthday is in September, just in case anyone wants to buy this for me.

Handmade flower bracelet from Etsy

Thanks to the incredibly creative gals at 100 Layer Cake, and the amazing talents of Heart of Light, I have plans to make my own belts (like the ones below) soon.  Check out the step by step instructions.

If you have a favorite flower accessory, or have made one of your own, please post a comment and let us know!

Whimsical Wonders

Fairy tales have a magic that transcends for all ages. Lately, we can see that the wonder and delight of these tales have become a very trendy inspiration for home and garden decor. Instead of focusing on the hero or heroine of the story, the decorative focus of current design is the lesser elements of a fairy tale. A magical toadstool. A miniature gnome. Caught up in this wonder and delight, Abby has worked her own personal magic, and brought some of those ideas to life in her own abode. Here is a little glimpse into these whimsical wonders.

 Edible Chocolate Toadstools used as Cake Decoration

Toadstools Used in Indoor Gardening at Abby's House

The Travelocity Gnome

In folklore, Gnomes guarded gardens and treasures.

More of Abby's Magic

I can imagine a Gnome living quite comfortably in this garden with those beautiful crystal to guard.

Toadstools add just a hint of whimsy.

This gnome looks like she is waiting for an invitation to move into the the home below.  Find her on Etsy.

A red garden, for the red girl gnome.

Abby had much fun creating a whimsical garden.  Leave a comment or a picture to show us how you added whimsical wonders to your home!

A New Spin On Art

When you have an artistic or crafty child, your home can quickly become overrun with paintings, drawings and pictures.  Since there is only so much space on one refrigerator, the question of where to display the artwork can become quite a dilemma.  Abby has solved the problem through the restoration of old frames.  She purchases vintage pictures at garage sales and flea markets for a song, then paints the frames to coordinate with her decor and the artwork.  Her children's art is prominently and proudly viewable to all and adds to the beauty of her home.

Finger Painting Fun

Neighborhood

Abby's Framed Chalkboard

At my house, we have converted a wall in our hallway into an art gallery.  By attaching three lengths of fishing line to the wall, we created a place for the kids to hang their artwork without fuss.  I added some old napkin rings to hide the screws that we used to hang the fishing line.  Colorful clothes pins attach the art to the line, and the pictures can be changed regularly.  Our only rule is that one piece must come down before the next can go up.

The Art Wall

Covering the Hardware

Several Rows High

What's your creative solution for kid's artwork?  Do tell!