Fall Candy Jar Display

I'm a little late getting started on my fall decorating as we did just move in a few months ago...I'm still trying to unpack!

However, I did a little update on my candy jars that I made last spring and the kids are thinking it's pretty festive!  I'm having a hard time replacing all my pinks and greens with reds, oranges, and browns.  This is definitely strange for me because fall is my favorite time of year!

I'm excited to be linking up with Modern Country Style's Fall In Love linking party today! If you have the chance, head over there and see what other neat fall ideas Sarah is featuring today!

Also linking to parties at:  Centsational Girl (This is a huge one.  Have never heard of her before but she's got over 10,000 followers---hello!)

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The Beginnings of a Craft Room

I just finished bringing up all my craft stuff from the basement and setting it up in my sun room.  Since fall is here and winter is on the way, I don't think I'll be spending a lot of time "sunning" in there!  Now all my things are handy and accessible...I'll get a lot more crafting done this way!  I thought I'd put up my early photos so when it's all cozy and personalized here in a few months, I can see the improvements!

This is the view from the doorway.  Straight ahead is a sideboard I purchased at a yard sale in Mount Vernon, Washington last year.  Now that I've got the high cupboards in my kitchen, I can store my glass and things there and my linens in another hutch in the living room.  I've got lots of crafting supplies stored in there now.  To the right of the sideboard is a plant stand, a pie hutch and our second refrigerator.  With 10 people in the house, one needs a second refrigerator!  To the left is a little white shelf holding supplies and our old (new) dresser which houses all my scrapbooking materials.  Straight ahead is my little table and a counter separating the sun room from the kitchen.

Here is the pie hutch to the right of the sideboard.  On it, I've displayed my 1920s era typewriter and some Japanese things that are special to me:  a tea set that a friend from the UK sent me (made in Japan) and a painting that our cousin painted and auctioned off for Japan's tsunami relief funds.  I, of course, bid until I won...but I think I got a pretty good deal!  Inside the hutch are cookbooks, my couponing materials, and the school books we use regularly.  In that basket underneath, I've got the school books and notebooks that the kids use daily.  This keeps them very accessible when it's time for school each day.  (We homeschool)

Here are some of the jars of trinkets and found items that I've got displayed on top of the sideboard.  I've been collecting them in pasta and baby food jars and plan on spray painting or otherwise decorating the lids here really soon so they're prettier!

Here's a picture of the little white shelf in the corner.  It's holding various supplies and my half-finished Holly Hobbie pumpkins that I need to get done and into my Etsy store here really soon!

This dresser holds all of my scrapbooking materials...there's a lot!  On top are various things and my brand new sewing machine that my husband bought me last week!  The one he bought me in 2003 gave out a few months ago and I've been desperate for another one!

Here's my pitiful little crafting table.  It needs a cloth...or something...  I plan on actually doing most crafts at my dining room table and using this table to let them sit and dry so the main table isn't taken up.  Right now it's holding a few "to do" items, as well as a picture my friend made of the two of us at her bridal shower in 2006.  I'm the blonde one on the left...although my hair is dark brown now...my bleaching days are done! :)

One thing I really love about this room is the pretty light fixture!  I'm glad whomever put it up picked something so pretty...it's one of my favorite things in this house!

Well, there you have it.  I've got it all upstairs...now to create some things to make the room look a little more creative! Linking up today with:

Spring Swap

Hello Friends!  This weekend has all the markings of one made for relaxation and maybe a little crafting!  I'm linking up with Beverly's Pink Saturday today.  

Before I show you my pretty pinks for this week, have you seen my Weight Loss Giveaway?  Visit the link if you think you might want to encourage me in my goals...and win a prize for yourself!

Also, I still need one more person in my Pay It Forward game.  If you're interested, go to the link and check it out!

And now for the goods...

For the last 6 months or so, I've been participating in the Once A Season Swap over at Gone Stitchin'.  Because the swap coordinator is from Australia, all the seasons are backwards from mine!  I just completed the Spring swap that actually coincides with our Fall.  (Doing Spring-themed gifts in the fall wasn't quite as strange as making Winter gifts in late May!)  Anyway, I wanted to share what my partner and I swapped this time around since we've both now received our gifts.

I was partnered with Linda from Stray Stitches.  I love reading her posts as they are so lovingly put together---she really has a knack for journalism and her blog is most interesting!  Here is the beautiful and cheery gift she sent me:

I love every part of this gift...all the way down to the cute peppermint candy wrapping paper!  She sent me a flowery emery board, 2 pretty notepads with a pen, a set of 2 bookmarks, 2 pieces of pretty pink, flowered fabric, an adorable card, and the most beautiful handmade pin cushion.  What I love most of all is the bit of lavender she put in with the pin cushion filling...the smell reminds me of the place we just left (and terribly miss!!) in Washington.  It really was a thoughtful package of gifts!

Here's what I sent to Linda:

First, I made her this cute little hanging plate picture from a vintage Limoges saucer and some found items.

Then I put together a coordinating bottle.

I found her these matching Spring-colored items at Walmart.

I had a lot of fun putting together these things for her!  Swapping has definitely become the new addiction!  What a great way to use up my HUGE stash of crafting supplies!