Candied Apple Delights

Fall just wouldn't be Fall without things like playing in the leaves, hot cider, molasses cookies and of course, caramel apples.  We were inspired by all the sights, sounds and smells of our afternoon yesterday at the Fall Festival that we decided to stop by the store on the way home to pick up the fixings to make our own caramel apples.  Honey and L opted to let Miss B and I do the creating, but they would definitely take part in the eating.  :)

We dipped and decorated the apples with various toppings like sprinkles, candy corn and a special "double dipped" one for Honey with melted Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.  (That one didn't last long!)

I absolutely love this time of year and all the yummy treats that go along with it.  :)

Now I just need to finish decorating . . . 

A Little Fall Family Fun

Today the original plan was to take a trip to an apple orchard, however the weather decided not to cooperate.  Temps in the low 30° seemed more appropriate for picking out a Christmas Tree than for picking apples.  However, the day was not to be lost!  A local greenhouse was having a Fall Family Fun Event, so we bundled up and headed over to check it out.  And boy are we glad we did!!

First stop was the mini corn maze . . .  which ended up being a game of hide & seek from Mom.  :)

Then we headed inside, where it was warm mind you, to where they had face painting. While we waited, we snacked on free popcorn and apple cider & admired the beautiful home decor items they had on display.  (OK, I admired.)

Then it was back outside, where there was a bounce house & slide  . . .

Tractor races . . .  (This was B's favorite, I think.  She could have ridden all day if we would have let her.)

and a train ride for the kids, which we found out went through a small hidden apple orchard at the back of the property.  Who knew!  

We (meaning me!) couldn't resist a little photo op in the over sized Adirondack chair. 

 Notice the gorgeous mums at the base of the chair?  They were Buy 1 Get 1!  To good a deal to pass up, especially since I had the perfect spots for them.  Honey graciously picked out a beautiful orange one and yellow one.  I can honestly say with the additions of those, my outdoor decor was complete. (Look for that post a little later)

We were very impressed with this event!  Everyone had a great time despite the chilly weather.  I'm not going to lie, I had my first official hot cocoa of the season as soon as we got home.  :)  But it was well worth it when I looked at the smiling faces of my little kitty & "scary" bat.   Happy Fall!

Proud Parent Moment

As our eldest C is just finishing up his mid-terms at college, I thought I would take this opportunity to say how unbelievably proud of him we are.  He is doing extremely well in his classes in addition to working part time.  He was also elected to his Residence Hall Student Government, which is right up his alley.  During our last conversation, he was telling me about all the events he's helping coordinate.  It makes a fellow "party planner" at heart smile to know that the apple didn't fall far from the tree.  :)

These are pictures that were taken the day that C left for college this year.  And yes, there is a reason why I kept my sunglasses on.  One would like to think it would be easier the second time around to send him off to school.... Nope it's not.  :(

  

One of C's "special" talents is to make a otherwise difficult situation, or this case sad, a little easier for the younger kids.  It's true when they say laughter is the best medicine.

He truly is an AMAZING Big Brother!  Love, love, love my kids!

While I know that he misses his "human" family, there is just something special about the bond between a boy and his dog.

Keep up the great work C!  We are so proud of you and all that you have accomplished! Loves....

DIY Spooky Eye Wreath

It's officially October, so bring out the Witches, Ghosts, Goblins and Spiders.  :)  I love decorating for Halloween.  It's that special time of year when the "spooky" becomes the spectacular and the "creepy crawly"  are considered creatively cool.  I have so many fun holiday ideas and traditions to share, so let's get "BOO" it.  :)

As seems to be the case with all the holidays lately, my front door was in need of something new.  So my mom & I created this "fantastically frightening" wreath that I am in LOVE with!

We started with a 14" white foam wreath (spray painted black), 2 black feather boas with silver accents (measuring 2 yards each) and the largest wiggle eyes I could find.

First, start by hot gluing the end of one of the feather boas to the wreath and then wrapping it around so that it covers approximately half of the wreath.  Then we placed a little hot glue at various intervals on the wreath to secure the feather boa to the foam.  I recommend wrapping the boa around completely before gluing to ensure that you have the right coverage. 

Then repeat the same process with the second boa.

I'm not going to lie, when we got to this point, I was already grinning from ear to ear.  :)

Next, we added the wiggle eyes.  Start by arranging them in pairs at various spots on the wreath.  We started with five sets to get a base design in place.

Once we determined placement, then we began gluing the eyes to the wreath.  Use a large amount of hot glue on the black of each eye.  Be careful not to press the eyes onto the foam base.  You want to adhere them to the boa only, to give the look of "floating" amongst the feathers.

Then depending on your preference, add more wiggle eyes where you see fit.  It was at this point where not only was I grinning but literally squealing with excitement at how amazing this had turned out!

Last but certainly not least, was to attach a hook to hang it on the door.  We used a black pipe cleaner, folded in half for added stability.  

After deciding where we wanted the top of the wreath to be, Mom poked two holes in the foam base about an inch apart.  

Fill the holes with hot glue and insert the ends of the pipe cleaner.  Twist the pipe cleaner to make a loop and give it added strength before hanging.

I am absolutely in love with it and couldn't hardly wait to see the kid's reactions when they got home from school.  L's response was "That's awesome!"  Miss B looked at it with wide eyes and promptly asked if she go in the house through the garage instead of using the front door.  :)  "It's creepy, Mom."  I had to chuckle... if she thought that was creepy, wait til she saw the rest of the house.  :)