Fall wreath and a holiday confession

Blog posts have been few around here. After the big "ONE" celebration, there hasn't been much to document except that my grandma passed last Tuesday, Nov 8. Her funeral was on Monday and we said goodbye. She is laid to rest next to her husband who's been gone for over almost 27 years. That's a long time.

After two funerals this fall and the holidays upon us, I feel like I'm trying to hurtle through space at top speed. So, to take some of the pressure off myself, I'll be blogging less until the beginning of 2012.

I realize this is not the way to up my blog following or have more traffic to my shop, but right now, it's what I need. Besides, I just need to spend time with family and giving meaningful gifts.

The positive of this is that I'm sure to have a full arsenal of DIY gifts and decor and little girl stories to blog about.

Thanks for your understanding. I'll pop in here and there, but for the most part, I need to recharge.

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Ahem. Back to the fall wreath.

So, my mom asked for a wreath and hanger - for Christmas - but since it's still fall, I was able to make it and give it to her early last week!

Here's the inspiration (hanging on my front door):

I got it at a specialty shoppe in St. Charles, MO several years ago, so there wasn't anyway I could buy her a duplicate. Instead, I'd do my best at making one myself. I went to my favorite craft store and grabbed a small vine wreath.

source

Then I went to the 50% off fall aisle. Christmas is taking over but there are a few sprigs of fall berries left. I grabbed two that I liked and planned to use ribbon I had leftover from mine.

Then, I went to work. With the more expensive sprig I planned to use all along. AND ... I hated how it was turning out. So, I turned to the other sprig (which, I just happened to have another of the exact one from a couple of years ago) and it was perfect. Down to the little curly cues.

(Excuse my lack of a more detailed picture. I meant to get a few close-ups before I wrapped it, but then I got too excited. Then, the funeral weekend was too crazy and I just couldn't get everything done - i.e. take close-up pictures. You'll just have to use your imagination for the details. It really does look great!)

Is it Thanksgiving or Christmas?

For all of the American readers out there, Thanksgiving is in just a few weeks.

But ... according to the stores, you'd never know it. Literally the day after Halloween (or before in my favorite craft store) it's Christmas all of a sudden.

This image has been floating around the web in the last few days. Have you seen it? (according to the date, the picture is a couple years old, but still.)

source

It may be a ploy to get customers like me (who agree) to shop there after November 25 this year, but if solely by principle, I love it.

The consumeristic tendencies around Christmas here in America drive me nuts. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas. I really love the season, the songs, the decor, the fuzzy feelings ... I really do. But I also really love autumn, harvest and Thanksgiving.

It's been this way as long as I can remember, but our stores glossing over Thanksgiving to go straight to Christmas really bothers me.

Does it bother you?

birthday low-down.

A few miscellaneous birthday details ...

this cupcake template

this ruffled streamers tutorial

this Hummingbird cake recipe

decor

smash cake!

birthday things

birthday party coming right up! :-)

sneak peek at Saturday's festivities! :-)