Table Box Centerpiece

I have been really wanting some kind of centerpiece for my table that wouldn't be too tall, but would fill a big space and that I could change out for different holidays or seasons.  I have seen these beautiful wooden boxes on the internet and decided that would be so perfect!

 

So my amazing husband made this for me - to my exact specifications.  haha :)

The measurements are:  3 ft. long, 7 in. wide, and 5.5 in. tall.

Here is the end a little closer up.

 

I painted the sides and edges dark brown, then I smeared petroleum jelly randomly in spots (on the edges, corners and some on the sides). 

 

Then my sweet husband spray painted it for me in an antique white. 

 

After it was all dry, I took some sandpaper and rubbed the paint off where the petroleum jelly was so it looks a little weathered.  Sorry, I don't have pictures of that by itself.  Hopefully you can tell what I did in the next pictures.

 

Here it is all decorated for fall:

 

 

 

Next year I will use real pumpkins and gourds, not those plastic-y things.  I have also realized I'm not very good at arranging these things.  My husband actually made this for me last spring, and I could never figure out what to put in it, so it sat in a closet until I got it out in September.  *sigh*

 

For Halloween, I replaced some of the pumpkins with little tombstones and added in some cute miniature skeletons.  I don't have a picture of that either - don't know why....

 

Hopefully I can come up with something halfway decent for Christmas.  I know what I want it to look like, I just have a hard time putting all together so it looks full and beautiful, you know?  Any suggestions??  :)

30 Day Squat Challenge!

Okay, I know I have been slacking over here lately.  I have been spending all my time running challenge groups on facebook, working out, and making healthy recipes - I have no time for crafts!!  Soooo sad! :(  I will have some new fun stuff up soon though.  Yay!

Meanwhile - you all should join me for a really fun 30 day squat challenge starting next week!  What is it you say?  It's exactly like it sounds...30 days of squats baby! We have a group on facebook, and every day you do the required number of squats and let us know that you did them.  Easy peasy, right?  You could do your squats while you are doing your hair in the morning, or fixing dinner - even while you're on the phone.  Some people have done them in the shower, but I don't know if I would recommend that.  Yikes!  haha :)

 

It's totally free, no obligation - just fun and hopefully effective!!  Grab a buddy for more accountability & let's ROCK those jeans this fall!!

 

Here is the squat calendar for you to use if you want:

 

 

 

Here is the facebook group link:  https://www.facebook.com/beth.m.clark.7?ref=name#!/groups/529048437167474/

Hope to see you there!! :)

Fall/Thanksgiving Decorating Ideas

I was about to take down all my fall decorations, and decided I would take some pictures of a few things I did this year.

I really like decorating for fall because everything looks so earthy, and the colors are perfect in my house! Yay!

Last year I bought a TON of artificial fall flowers at Michael's on clearance, so I needed to figure out what to do with them this year. Haha :)

These two are exactly the same, but I put them in different rooms, so it turned out okay. I just filled a glass container with mixed nuts, and stuck a bunch of flowers in. I think next year I'll put one of these in a metal bucket instead.

 

 

This is a sign I made last year. I got the inspiration for the lettering HERE. I had an old scrap of wood that I painted & then Mod Podged some cute scrapbook paper onto it. Then, I added the vinyl (white contact paper) and the twine. The acorn is actually white contact paper that I sponge-painted the color I wanted - it totally worked!!

(I used the same lettering but added it to a plate for my sister-in-law's birthday.)

I think I actually bought the vinyl for this - then just applied it to a ceramic tile.

 

Well, these are just a few ideas of things I've made for fall. Most of my fall decorations were purchased. Maybe I can find some cute ideas for next year? :)