DIY Pie Banner

I got crafty this week and made a sweet little autumn banner for our coffee station! I used scrap fabric, ribbon and twine and a little hot glue and acrylic craft paint to create this simple project. (It cost me nothing but a little time because I already had the supplies!) I wanted to be able to use this throughout the fall season and I blended my paint colors until I got them just right for my kitchen. You could personalize your own however you'd like!

Trace a triangle (size of your choice) onto a piece of fabric, burlap or heavy paper.

Cut out your pie shapes.
I went through all my scrap pieces of fabric and ribbon to find different textures to use for details on each "slice".

I decided to fold some small pieces of paper accordion style to use as my "crust".
You could also use paint or ribbon for your own unique look! 

Paint as desired.
You could do all pumpkin pies! Or any pie or pastry you'd like!
I hot glued all my accessories on and then hot glued each slice to a long piece of twine.

Happiest Thanksgiving to you all!

-Lauren

Fall on the Farm - 2016

It's nearly 90 degrees here in Sweet Home Alabama and we haven't had rain in months! We're experiencing pretty severe drought conditions and there are burn bans statewide. Brett has been on more brush fire calls than I can count! Unfortunately, no bonfires or sweater weather for us just yet this season, but the leaves are still changing and the farmhouse is adorned for Autumn! We patiently await the transition to crisp, cool air and warm mugs full of goodness. Until then, we'll crank up the AC and pretend we're not sweating to death. :) 

Every season I like to document and share our holiday farmhouse. It's fun to look back and see the decor from years passed and also see how the farmhouse has changed as we continue to restore it. It's sort of our way of virtually opening our doors to you and welcoming you into our home! This year I chose to go with a  pretty traditional scheme incorporating whites, neutrals and some pops of greenery because our temps have remained so mild. I still had lots of summer plants going strong and it would be wasteful not to keep them out!

Fall Exterior

Interior Touches

I typically keep our interior decor pretty simple because clutter stresses me out! We have an informal living room that welcomes guests as they enter the farmhouse through the front door. It's the perfect room to deck out each season! This year has been SO fun because Baker is totally into all the decor and asks me all the time if we can put more "magic" into each room. It makes my heart just beam!

You can find my DIY Chalk Lettering Tutorial HERE!

You can find my DIY Pinecone Garland tutorial HERE!

Baker added these little mini punkins to my sugar mold all on his own! I couldn't bring myself to move them!

Baker's first vignette! LOL!

Baker also helped me decorate a few pumpkins! We used Mod Podge to make this cute kitchen pumpkin with a copy of one of my Gramma's old recipe cards..

My sweet friend Loren Miller (IG @loren_miller) sent me this adorable garland from Target! I set it up just in time for my family to visit! Makes the dining room feel perfectly festive!

Nursery Magic

Baker's room got BOOed this year, too! He kept asking me over and over again when we were going to put "magic" in his room. So we got creative and used some gauze, twine and construction paper to make this fun mummy garland and his bat family.

Consequently, he also named every single bat Boo... 

So, meet Boo, BooTwo, BooBoo, BooThang, HoneyBooBoo, BabyBoo, and BootyBoo. #boys

And despite the hot weather, we've still had our share of warm drinks and yummy treats! You can find the recipe for these fun Candy Corn Rice Krispie Pops HERE! 

We also got the opportunity to head to Nashville for our third shopping trip with my sweet insta-friends! Brett's parents came along this time and we had a fabulous time shopping the Nashville Flea Market, exploring Franklin and just having a blast laughing, eating and having fellowship with our dear friends. Hop over to my friend Stephanie's blog to read more about our trip! I so badly want her to write a book! She has such a way with words and I loved her post about social media friendships and the evolution of our relationships. It's a good one..

My Flea Market Haul! All for about $100!

And last but certainly not least..

I can't give a family update without mentioning my honey's big news!

Brett was recently named Assistant Fire Chief for the City of Columbiana and we are so, so proud of him! He is so passionate about his career and sets such a wonderful example for our little boy. His work ethic and dedication are unmatched and the awesome crew at Columbiana are like family. I know he will do a great job! Congratulations, Brett!

We had so much fun at the 2016 Fire Prevention Parade! Every firetruck loving kid's dream!  We are so proud of you, Chief Ashworth!

Ashworth Family Reunion - Palisades Park - October 2016

Best Wishes for a Bountiful Season,

-Lauren

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DIY Parking Garage

Baker's stocking was a huge hit this year! Santa was on a tight budget so he had to get a little creative. ;) We really love homemade gifts and toys anyways so we enjoy creating things for our home that are unique and special. We can't take credit for this idea at all. I actually found it here! But we did customize it a bit to fit our needs. Baker loved it so much and it was such an easy and inexpensive project. I thought I'd share the details in case anyone else has a car or truck lover like we do and wants to give this DIY a try!

All we used to make this was a crate, some scrap PVC pipe and a piece of scrap wood. The crate is from Michael's and was about $14. (We used a 50% off coupon.) Overall, we spent a whopping $9 on everything! I do like the look of natural unstained wood, but I wanted it to look a little more polished so we put one coat of light wood stain on the crate. And because our little boy has cars and trucks of all shapes and sizes we decided to incorporate two different size PVC tubes to accommodate them all. The tubes fit very tightly in the size crate we used so we didn't think it was necessary to glue them in. But, if you used a different size crate or PVC you could easily hot glue them in to secure them, as well.

I decided to distress and Mod Podge the little "Parking Garage" sign. I don't have a Cricut machine nor do I have the best hand lettering skills so this was the next best approach to getting a really precise look! I do have a few tips if you want to attempt this technique! Mod Podge is a really simple product to use. I have the liquid product in both the matte and glossy finish, as well as their all-in-one aerosol spray product. I actually used both the matte liquid and the spray on this project and I'll tell you why below!

The first thing I did was design and print my wording. I then cut it to my desired size and shape. After I painted and distressed my sign, I sealed the sign by spraying it with the aerosol Mod Podge product and letting it dry completely. This step is what kept my blue paint from smearing across the white paper once I was ready to attach my wording. 

Once the Mod Podge spray coat was dry I applied one layer of matte Mod Podge liquid to use as glue for my piece of paper. After I placed my wording where I wanted I just painted one last thick coat of matte Mod Podge all over the entire sign. The product goes on looking milky and thick, but dries completely clear providing a seamless and permanent finish. I chose to hot glue it to the top of the crate so there wouldn't be any visible nail or staple holes.

It turned out so darling! And it could be customized and used in so many different ways. An incredibly simple and inexpensive DIY product that our little boy absolutely loves! Happy DIY-ing!

-Lauren

DIY Pinecone Garland

Every year I look forward to browsing all the holiday catalogs for decor inspiration. I just get lost in the beauty of the pages every time! Several years ago I spotted the most beautiful winter pinecone garland in a Ballard Designs magazine but it was a display only and not available for purchase. It was almost as if it was beckoning me to at least give it a DIY try. AND this DIY = free. (Or close to free!) So, thanks, Ballard! Challenge Accepted! ;)

I actually put this together last year and I don't have any step-by-step photos during the process, but I promise this is a really simple project! I will do my best to explain exactly how I got this look so you can make one, too!

What You'll Need:

• Pinecones - I gathered mine out of the woods in our backyard so these were free! You can also purchase them at your local floral supply or hardware store. I used about 30 for mine, but you could use up to 60-80 for a six-foot section depending on how full you want your garland to be.

• Craft Wire

• Ribbon or Moss Covered Heavy Twine

The first thing I did was choose my ribbon base and stretch it out a few feet longer than my desired garland length. (You can also use a heavy moss covered twine in place of ribbon!) Then I cut several long pieces of craft wire (about 1-2 feet long) and placed them along my ribbon at equal increments. My pinecone bundles are about 3 or 4 inches apart. I used this technique so I could visually plan out the placement of the pinecones on my garland. You can customize this to your own taste and string your pinecones as close together or as far apart as desired!

My next step was to twist my wire several times to my base ribbon. 

Then, to secure my pinecones I started wrapping one wire end around the base of each pinecone. (Working the wire up into the layer so it's hidden.) I bundled my pinecones in sets of three and worked my way across the garland from left-to-right. Once the first pinecone is wrapped by the wire a few times, I just started on the second and then the third one to complete the bundle. Since there are two pieces of wire at each increment, I used the same wrapping method with the second piece of wire, just working in the opposite direction to secure the entire bundle together.

This is what the bundles look like when complete! The wire is so thin it's barely visible when displayed. And the more pinecones you use, the more the wire will be hidden!

This is such an easy an inexpensive project and it can be customized in so many ways! You could use scented pinecones for a special twist or add cranberries or greenery for a more festive and colorful look. I enjoy the simplicity and beauty of the pinecones by themselves and I love that it's a beautiful piece of decor that can stand alone throughout many different seasons.

I hope this inspires you to give this project a try! I have so much fun gathering natural elements to use in our home. It's a great project to do with the kids, as well. And a great opportunity to get outside and go on a nature walk! 

Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.. & Happy DIY-ing! -Lauren

How to Antique New Galvanized Metal - Get The Look For Less!

I absolutely love the authentic natural patina of vintage metal pieces, but they can be a bit pricey! I've been collecting rusty garden accessories and decor for years and recently I scored a handful of olive buckets at Target for $5 on clearance! (Not to mention several adorable metal accessories out of the Target Dollar Spot. My guiltiest pleasure!) You just can't beat the $5 price and the buckets were just precious! My only hesitation was that they were just a little too new looking. And so commenced: Operation: Rusty Buckets. :)

I've seen tons of tutorials on Pinterest and blogs and I knew I wanted to give this DIY a try. I also want to be completely transparent in my trials and errors during this process! Spoiler Alert: I had some major fails! Rusty antiques can take years to acquire their perfectly aged patinas, but hopefully my tips can help you to speed up the process if you love the look as much as I do.

Galvanized metal is usually composed of zinc or iron with a steal coating sealed on top to prevent it from rusting. There are some products that you can use to remove this protective top coat and kick start the natural aging process. What I have learned through many, many, many attempts is that your success is ultimately determined by the actual make-up of the item you're trying to alter. You can have all the corrosive products in the world, but unless your bucket is prepped correctly AND is indeed made of a galvanized product - your attempts may be futile, as mine were! Your results can also vary drastically depending on the item and length of treatment. I've seen my pieces appear to only have a duller finish, with a full rusty patina and even end up with a foggy white finish. All were pleasing! Just be prepared for varying results. And just think of how unique your project will be! Not a single identical one like yours in the world! ;)

So here's what I started with and the look I was aiming to achieve:

Here are a few of the bulk products I had on hand to begin the aging process. There a few items I experimented with that are NOT PICTURED! (Lysol and Clorox toilet bowl cleaner, Zep Acidic toilet bowl cleaner, pre-mixed salt water, salt block, steel wool, tap water and rain water.)

You will also need gloves, a few utility spray bottles and buckets large enough to fully submerse your items in.

Items pictured: Bleach, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, muriatic acid.

Links to purchase all supplies at the bottom of the post!

My initial attempts to age my buckets to the extent I wanted were unsuccessful. I removed the rope handles and started by spraying them down with several coats of a muriatic acid and water solution. (Make sure you wear gloves and protective clothing if you're working with this product!) I repeated this process twice and barely noticed any changes. After the second try, I decided to take it up a notch and I scrubbed the buckets with steel wool, but this time I coated them with several coats of pure muriatic acid. 

Still no changes.

My third attempt was to spray them with salt water and let them sit outside in the elements and rain to see I could see any progress at all. After four days outside - nothing.

I then generously coated the buckets with the toilet bowl cleaners, but after three tries with three different brands I hadn't noticed any change. 

The Indestructible Bucket!

At this point, I realized that the bucket itself may be resistant to this process. I was pretty discouraged! But, I was determined to make it work on something! I grabbed a shiny metal milk jug that I also bought at Target and soaked it overnight in a solution of vinegar, water and bleach. I didn't measure the amounts. I just grabbed what I had on hand and poured it all into a large bucket. The metal needed to be completely submersed so I added water until the solution covered all sides of the jug. I don't have a photo of the jug before I dunked it.. Bummer! But trust - It was S.H.I.N.Y! Much more so than the olive bucket!

Here are the results after soaking overnight! JACKPOT!!!

I knew as soon as I pulled the jug out of the water that its finish reacted completely different to this treatment than the olive buckets had to my other tries. The photo on the left is immediately after removing it from the solution. The photo on the right is after rinsing in clean water and letting it sit outside for a few hours! And the longer it sits the rustier it gets!

LEFT: Just after soaking overnight in a water/vinegar/bleach solution RIGHT: Finished product!

The perfect patina!

So.. obviously after my success I decided to try the same technique on my buckets. Onto try number... 257!?!? 

Sadly.. here are the results. After soaking overnight in the same exact vinegar/bleach/water solution AND sitting outside in the rain afterwards AND another coat of acid - they barely look any different. Two thumbs down. :( Aside from literally getting a grinder on these things I've just about tried everything. My friend Kelly also suggested that we set a salt block in them and let that natural process try to corrode the finish, but to be honest, I was ready to throw the towel in and set up my porch decor!

The Indestructible buckets after their overnight soak..

Olive Bucket result after ALL attempts.

Overall, the buckets are ever-so-slightly more dull, but nowhere near the rusty finish I wanted. However, my milk jug looks AMAZING and I am so pleased with it! For a $5 investment I can honestly say these buckets will last you a longggg time and still look as good as new! The cheapest vintage ones I found at the Nashville Flea Market this weekend ran about $40+.. So I can appreciate my clearance finds for the new awesomeness that they are!

Our 2015 fall porch at the farm.

I sincerely hope you can learn from my trial and error and that these tips help you achieve your rusty vintage bucket dreams! Happy DIY-ing!

-Lauren

If you'd like to order any of the products I regularly use to achieve this look you can order them here!

(affiliate links)

Zep Commercial Acidic Toilet Bowl Cleaner, 32 oz Bottle

Lysol Power and Free Toilet Bowl Cleaner Value Pack, 2 Count

Clorox Toilet Bowl Cleaner With Bleach Rain Clean Scent Bottle 24 Oz, 2-Pack

SUNNYSIDE CORPORATION 710G1 1-Gallon Muriatic Acid

Clorox Bleach Regular, 64 oz White House White Distilled Vinegar 64oz

Bragg Organic Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar 32 oz

White House White Distilled Vinegar 64oz

Mad Buck Innovations Deer Brick Salt Lick Mineral Block with Exclusive Scent Cell, Acorn Scent

Red Devil 0320 8-Pack Steel Wool, 0000 Super Fine