Christmas Recycled

We are putting away our Christmas decorations. For me, it gets to the point where it all just feels like so. much. clutter. I try to hold out until New Year's Day... but can't! I love the feeling of empty space when it is all cleared out and we have our house back. I thought I would share a couple of ways we "go green" as the Christmas season ends.


1. Ornament Storage
Nearly every time I go to Costco, I pick up a dozen apples. They are a staple in our fridge for school lunches and afternoon snacks. The containers in which the apples come are made of 70% recycled drink bottles, are recyclable, but are too way cool to throw away. They work perfectly to store many of our ornaments!

2. Ribbon Re-Do
I LOVE to wrap presents with real, woven-cloth ribbon! I love the luxury of big bows tied onto the packages. No wimpy, stringy, curling ribbon or stick-on bows for me!!! "It's so expensive," you say. Well, not really if you buy the big, 50-yard rolls of ribbon at Costco for just $6, and/or stock up at the after-Christmas clearance sales at the craft stores.

Plus, here is my big secret... I recycle much of our ribbon! Yes, I have trained my kids when opening presents on Christmas morning: "The paper goes in the trash bag. Pile the ribbon up by Mommy." Then, it is my job later to carefully smooth out and roll up that pile of ribbon. And, to make sure I find it when I need it, I put it away in our boxes of Christmas decorations. By taking care to store it, it is ready for wrapping next year. If you get a gift from me, you may wonder if the ribbon is recycled, but you probably won't be able to tell for sure!

How do you recycle {& I'm not talking about re-gifting!} at Christmas?

non-traditional tradition

Here is one of our post-holiday traditions! We scour the supermarkets looking for marked down fresh turkeys after the holiday is over. This year we {meaning Gil, who so graciously went out shopping for me!} found two 20lb turkeys for $.39 a pound. Since we ate our Thanksgiving dinner at the home of a friend, we didn’t have our own turkey leftovers. Which leads to another tradition… having to cook a second Thanksgiving meal just for our family!

Saturday we enjoyed our second Thanksgiving meal. And then I used the turkey to make my famous Green Chile Chicken {in this case, turkey} Enchiladas. They were yummy!!! {I’ll post that recipe soon.} The rest of the cooked meat from the turkeys will be frozen for future meals. I love a good deal!

The Evolution of a Photo Panel

This photo is one from my surprise birthday party earlier this month. What sweet friends I have! What you may not have noticed in the picture is up behind me on the mantle -- it s a photo panel that I designed last year and gave to my family for Christmas. A photo panel is either wood coated in acrylic, or metal, and makes a wonderful display in several sizes. I just love ours! 

Well, I had a product credit toward another photo panel that needed to be used, so I decided that I would make a special one for myself.

I thought it would be fun to show my design process from the beginning, to the final outcome. And, even though it is called a photo panel... I didn't plan to include any pictures on it! I looked through my digital artwork collection to see what embellishments and papers I wanted to use. I knew I wanted colors that go with our other decor since I would have it in the kitchen. I also love hearts. And these little birds were so cute! So that was my starting point.

I found some other embellishments I liked and played around with the center shape. I needed more area in the middle than the first big heart had provided. I liked the paper with the writing, even though you can't read it.

I decided the first background looked too solid, so I swapped it for a different patterned paper. I also went with a simpler shape in the middle and tweaked the other elements. I am liking how this looks!!

Now I am starting to get excited because I think it is looking really cute. I love the little bunting and the scallop backing gives it a nice touch.

From the beginning, I knew I wanted to include scripture. If you go back to the first draft, I actually had scripture running around the outside of the heart. Since I also liked the look of the paper with writing, I decided I could make my own. So I added a bunch of my favorite verses in a variety of fonts, and it was done! I love it!!!

And here is my photo panel on my kitchen counter. So pretty!

Oh, did I mention that I can use it as a dry erase board?!? Acrylic photo panels can be written on with dry erase markers! This makes a great place on which to write my list of tasks for the day.

I am so excited that I can post my nightly menu and stop all those repetitive questions from the kids about what I am making tonight! This just makes me happy. What could you use a little dry erase board for? You know what else makes me happy about this? I used host credit toward the product credit, so all I paid for my fun little project was tax & shipping!

Shhhhh.....

Here is my scrapbooking & all-things-photo "store", right in my dining room.... wonder what those boxes on the left hold????

Hey, it's my secret stash of grocery deals {$0.25 bags of Goldfish!}!!! Got to hide the stockpile so that I can make it last!

Homemade Hummus Recipe

As I mentioned earlier this week, I pack 20 lunches in a typical week, five of which are for my husband. I try to give him an assortment of items so that he can pick and choose and eat whatever he is in the mood for. I also attempt to give him more healthy, satisfying options. One thing we have grown to love over the past couple of years is hummus! I love that it is full of protein and good fat, is filling, and tastes great with cut up veggies. If I have hummus on hand, it is a quick lunch for me at home. But Gil also enjoys it in his lunch, and it is one way I can get him to eat some vegetables during the day.

But hummus is kind of expensive, and a little container is gone pretty quickly. Since I only get it when I have coupons and/or hit a sale, it isn't something that is around the house all the time... that is until I started making my own!!! I had a dear friend mention on facebook that she made hummus, so I got her recipe. I tweaked it a little, and I change it up with some variations. Now we can have hummus on hand all the time!

To make hummus, you will need:

2 cups cooked garbanzo beans, drained (or one can, rinsed and drained)
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste, found near the peanut butter or in the international section)
1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic
1 tb olive oil
1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp pepper
water or cooking liquid from beans as needed



I have actually been cooking my own garbanzo beans in the crockpot. It is so easy, and they end up so soft and smooth! I check and rinse a cup of dry beans {I get organic from my health food store's bulk section}, then cover with 2" or so of water. Do not salt them! Just let them cook on low for about 6 hours or until soft and creamy. You can add a teaspoon of salt toward the end, once they are soft. Save the cooking water in case you need to use it to thin your hummus.

Back to the recipe! Add all ingredients, except the water or cooking liquid, to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Add additional liquid as needed, a little at a time, until hummus is desired consistency. That's it! Store in the refrigerator and serve with pita chips or cut up veggies. You can drizzle a little olive oil on top to make it pretty.

Now, just plain hummus is delicious! But we also like to change it up a bit for variety. One of my favorites is lemon hummus --- just add the zest of one lemon to the batch.

Fresh Basil is another yummy addition. It gives it a different, unexpected taste.

I also like to roast a head of garlic and add several cloves to a batch of hummus.

Here I made three batches of hummus, flavoring each differently. Since I have a small food processor, I did each batch individually, in succession. But it was easy and there was no need to clean the bowl in between batches. If you are serving it at a gathering, you would want to garnish it so that people know what flavor they are getting.

Hummus will keep well in the fridge for about two weeks. Between Gil and I, one batch of hummus can be gone in less than a week! Enjoy!

Click to print 5x7 recipe card

Packing Lunches Made Easy!

Packing school lunches everyday for my 3 kids, plus my husband can be time consuming, day after day. Pre-packaged items would be faster and easier, but can be expensive and not as nutritious. Each week I am packing 20 lunches --- I want it to be as easy as possible!

I often get the kids involved in helping me prep a week's worth of our own pre-packaged items. I give them recycled applesauce cups to use to measure portion size, and we fill small zip snack-size bags with pretzels, gold fish, baby carrots, grapes, cheese cubes, lunch meat, etc.

We fill up a giant, recycled pretzel container in the cupboard with the bags of pretzels and gold fish, making them easy to grab as lunches are packed. {It is very clear that this container is for lunches only!! Not for general snacking. We have other containers for snacks.} Other lunch items are kept together in the fridge, usually in our bottom drawer.

In addition, I bake double batches of healthy treats like banana bread, and cookies or brownies with whole wheat flour, and wrap them up into individual portions and freeze in a large zip bag. Each morning I pull out their frozen treat for their lunch box. It will be thawed by lunch time, and nearly as fresh as the day I baked it.

Having everything pre-portioned and ready to go makes my morning routine quick and smooth, and helps me give my kids and husband healthy lunches every day! What tips do you have to make lunches easy and healthy?

Got Box Tops?

Do you save Box Tops for Education? These cute little pink labels are found on all kinds of products. Each one is worth ten cents. That might not seem like a lot. But as you collect them, they add up quickly. You probably have or know a child who is in school. Well, these Box Tops can provide their school, or daycare, or possibly even homeschool co-0p with some much-needed funds with just a little bit of effort on your part.

I love to save these, and I have a few tips to make it easy.

1. I try to cut all my Box Tops off of the packaging as soon as I unpack my groceries. I use a box knife to slice through the first couple of layers on a cereal box, cake mix, or box of baggies (see the missing Box Top on the box above?), and peel off the label. By cutting them off first thing, I avoid having to dig through the trash later. I also don't have to worry about getting upset at whomever threw the packaging away without first cutting off the Box Top! That's a good thing.
2. I keep a little container in a kitchen drawer in which to collect all the Box Tops. They are small, and some are downright tiny. Having a place to store them keeps them safe and contained until it it time to turn them in.
3. I keep my eye out for special deals that will provide extra "Box Tops". Recently, a supermarket promotion provided a coupon at checkout worth 50 Box Tops with the purchase of eight qualifying General Mills products. These coupons get turned in right along with the Box Tops to the school.
4. Ask others to save their Box Tops for you. My mom regularly sends me a handful in the mail.
5. Submit the Box Tops to your child's school. Chances are they are having regular Box Tops collection drives. When I turn mine in, I trim them all down, and package them in lots of 50 per bag. This isn't necessary, but if you don't trim yours, someone at the school will have to before they are redeemed. I write my child's name, teacher's name, and "50" on each bag, because at our school they have competitions over these things!

Just last week I bundled up 300 Box Tops to send to my children's elementary and middle schools. These all accumulated over the summer with little effort on my part. What an easy way to give $30 to my kids' schools! I will continue to do this throughout the year.

I hope you save Box Tops! And if you don't, maybe you are inspired to start!

Fun Birthday Party!

In my last post, I wished my sweet husband happy birthday! Well, here is the party I threw to celebrate him! I designed the invitation, sent it out by email, and handed some out in person. Then I let Gil know that we were having a party! My hope was for him to be incredibly blessed on this important milestone.

We really had no idea who was coming. I just invited everyone we know and care about. I ordered a low-cost cake from Costco, made some homemade salsa, and put out a bowl of chips, and we were ready! This was a super-easy party to throw! And since everyone was invited to bring an appetizer, we had plenty of food!!!

This was such a fun gathering!!! We had friends from all over stop in. I made sure to take a photo of each family or couple.

Over the course of the evening, we had 70 guests in our home! Gil was absolutely blown away. Everytime the doorbell rang, it was another surprise. Gil was so very blessed by this wonderful, easy-to-plan event. What a joy it was to show him how much he is truly loved, in honor of his special day!!!

Sneaky Veggie Pasta Sauce

I like to make a batch of pasta sauce in the crockpot, then freeze it to be available for quick dinners. I make it vegetarian, but usually add meat to it as I prepare it for a meal. Of course, pasta sauce is readily available in jars and cans. However, I feel that my sauce is healthier, and less expensive than what is in the store. I like that I know exactly what is in it. And it is super easy to make!

I use the sauce, of course, for pasta. But I also use it as our pizza sauce. I love that when my kids (and other picky kids I know) eat my homemade pizza with my sauce on it, they are eating plenty of vegetables without complaint!

Sneaky Veggie Pasta Sauce

1 100-ounce can Crushed Tomatoes (I get a giant can of Contadina Crushed Tomatoes for less than $3 at Costco!)
2 6-ounce cans tomato paste
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped (or more if you are me!)
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 package chopped frozen spinach
3 cups vegetables, chopped or grated
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (optional)

Note on the veggies:
You can use fresh, frozen, or jarred veggies including: zucchini, carrots, yellow squash, celery, mushrooms, red or yellow peppers, roasted red peppers, or anything else you want. The smaller they are cut, the less noticable they will be in the sauce, but you will still get all the nutrition. I actually put baby carrots in the food processor and pulverize them! You can also use more or less than the recipe states. It is very forgiving!

Sauce Directions:
Saute onions in olive oil in pan on stove until they are translucent. If you are using other raw veggies (celery, mushrooms, carrots) you can add them to the cooked onions and saute further. This helps bring out the flavors of the vegetables. Place crushed tomatoes in crock pot (I usually take a couple cups out of the can to make salsa and use the rest for sauce... like I said, it is very forgiving!) and add tomato paste. I use a wisk to make sure the tomato paste is broken up and incorporated with the tomatoes. Add the seasonings, onions, other vegetables, and stir. Add the frozen spinach. Set crock pot to low and let cook for 8-10 hours! After about 1-2 hours you can stir to distribute the spinach (or thaw it before you add it at the beginning). When my kids used to ask what the spinach was in the sauce, I would just tell them "seasonings"!


This will make a lot of sauce! I freeze it in 2.5 cup, square Ziploc containers, which is enough sauce for our family of five. For dinner, I simply thaw it on the counter during the day, in the fridge overnight, or, if I didn't plan well, quickly in the microwave! I reheat it on the stove in a pan, and usually add about 1.5 cups of cooked ground beef to it (I pre-cook all my ground beef and freeze it ahead as well).

For pizza, I also freeze smaller portions of this sauce in a 1 cup Ziploc container to use as pizza sauce. Once thawed, I can easily spread it on pizza dough, pitas, or english muffins for our make-your-own pizza night! Again, I have had no complaints about my veggie-laden sauce!

I am linked up with the Scooper's No Fool Back to School Meals linky party at A La Mode... and with Jen's Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam... go there to check out some other easy recipes!

Saving Money on Groceries

Saving money on groceries is one of my constant goals in life! Today I am sharing this very helpful article because these are many of the strategies I use to keep my grocery budget low, low, low! I have been reading Leanne's newsletter for years, have purchased her menus, and listen to her on blogtalk radio. How do you keep your grocery budget under control?

5 Ways to Save Money on Groceries
By Leanne Ely, C.N.C.

Unemployment is in the double digits in some areas of the country. Foreclosures are at an all time high. If you listen to enough news on television, you'll end up depressed and glum with a negative attitude to rival Eeyore's!

But the facts are the facts; the American Psychological Association reported that 80% of Americans feel stressed out by the economy, 60% are angry about it and another 52% are having trouble sleeping.

Those are alarming statistics, but what's even more alarming is just sitting around doing nothing about it. One of the best ways to take on the economy is tackling your own economy by getting your budget in line and your finances handled.

In my opinion, the number one way to really get a grip on reducing your spending is via your grocery bill. You can only turn off the lights and hang your laundry out to dry to save a little. When you eat at home you save a TON.

How's this done? The biggest way to save money is by planning your meals. I know it's not a lot of fun, I know you think you can handle your local grocery store without a grocery list or meal plan. I know that. We are SHE's and we always think we can just scoot by the seat of our pants and get it done. We go to the grocery store week after week without a weekly menu planned and no grocery list. Is it any wonder family budgets are so out of control?

Start TODAY. Get your menu planned for the week. You need to feed that family of yours breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks 7 days a week. So sketch it out on your computer. Write down everything. What does your family like for breakfast, lunch and dinner? What about snacks?

Remember too, you're the gatekeeper of your family's nutrition, so make sure you've got plenty of good stuff that will keep your family healthy. Food is fuel and not just entertainment for the mouth.

Here are 5 big things to help you stay on track both nutritionally and budget-wise.

1. Cook breakfast. Yes I know you're trying to all get out the door, but homemade pancakes and waffles are cheaper and better than the store bought frozen variety. Make extra on the weekends when you have the time and freeze your own. You'll save a bunch of money.

2. Stop buying the single serving packages of oatmeal, chips, applesauce, etc. Yes they're convenient, but you have to pay for that and the extra packaging is hard on the environment. When you buy chips, dole them out into snack sized bags and hide the stash so when you need them for lunch boxes, they're waiting for you.


3 .Use your crockpot for tougher cuts of meat and cheaper pieces of chicken. You can make a multitude of different dishes with shredded beef from barbecue beef sandwiches to taco meat. The chicken will work in a variety of ways too--chicken salad, chicken for Mexican dishes, chicken sandwiches.


4. Speaking of crockpots, cook your own beans. Buy them dried, soak them and cook them in your crockpot. The directions are right on the package. Freeze leftovers for another time.


5. And speaking of beans, extend your meat or chicken by adding beans to it. The bonus is the extra fiber and nutrition and your meat will go a lot further.


It's a tough job being the family nutritionist, food manager and chef. The importance of planning your meals wisely cannot be stressed enough, you're growing a family!

Love,
Leanne
www.savingdinner.com
Saving your dinner for nearly 10 years!

Copyright (C) 2010 www.savingdinner.com Leanne Ely, CNC All rights reserved.

More Groceries From God!

I love it when Harris Teeter has their "Super Doubles" coupon event! This week, through Tuesday, they will double coupons up to $1.98 in value. Normally, they only double coupons worth $.99 or less.

Today, I went through the grocery aisles with my sorted coupons, looking at the shelves for the products for which I had a $1 off coupon. My goal was to get the best deal possible! I rarely use a coupon on an item unless it is on sale. But with the Super Doubles, I do make an exception. They only allow 20 coupons per day, so I stopped shopping when I had hit my 20. I was so pleased with my full cart of groceries for only $15.66!!! It was over $80 worth of groceries.

Yes, all of the above was totally free!

• The canned fruit was 3 cans for $2. I had coupons for $1 off of 3 cans. Then that coupon was doubled... so 9 cans of fruit and 3 $1 coupons means that all of the fruit was free!
• I had a $2 off coupon for cereal, and it happened to be on sale for $2. {My rule is not to pay more than a dollar for a box of cereal! Most of our cereal costs me $.50 or less per box.}
• I am a loyal Harris Teeter shopper, so the lettuce was courtesy of a printed coupon that was spit out with my receipt last week.
• This week Harris Teeter has Barilla pasta, buy two and get three free. Two boxes of pasta cost $1.50 each, for a total of $3. And I got 3 additional boxes for free. {Our family just loves the mini bow ties!!!} BUT, I had a $1 off of two boxes of Barilla, which was doubled. So I really paid $1 total for 5 boxes of pasta.

So here is everything I got for $15.66! Tonight, I can feed my family popcorn shrimp, caesar salad, and fruit for about 50 cents a serving. That is my kind of fast food! I am so thankful for Groceries from God!

She sees that her trading is profitable... ~Proverbs 31:18a

Happy Birthday to my Honey!!!

My sweet husband had a birthday this week! Last year we had a party... but this year we didn't really make any plans. I tried to find out what kind of cake Gil wanted, but he didn't have much input for me. He also had to work on his birthday.

While he was at work, I had fun making him some cupcakes! I am not any kind of expert when it comes to cake decorating, but sometimes I do like to pull out my supplies and play. And, I admit, I baked what sounded good to me: Almond Poundcake for the cupcakes, with Almond-flavored Cream Cheese icing! By the time I was ready to frost them, Abbie was home from school, so she picked the color.


Gil's birthday was on a Wednesday, which is our night to go to church. Gil and I attend an awesome Bible study, Abbie & Jacob go to Awana, and Zac goes to the youth service. Wednesday evenings can be a bit of a rush, trying to get dinner, get out of the house, and be at church by 6:15. But, since it was a special occasion, we decided that we would go out to eat to celebrate Gil!!!


We combed through our coupons and chose Qdoba, a fast-casual Mexican place which is also on the way to church. By the time Gil got there, we were settled at a table, our food in front of us, with cute cupcakes to greet him! We so very, very rarely go out to eat, so this was a treat for all of us. {Dinner for five of us was under $13!}



Gil is a wonderful, wonderful husband and an awesome father. He is dedicated to improving our marriage and living a godly life. I love him and respect him SO much! I am extremely thankful to the Lord that He blessed me with Gil!!!

Winter Weather Watch!

We are expecting some winter weather later today or tonight. Here in the south, that means that everyone is running to the grocery store for milk and bread. At about 8:15 this morning I wondered if I, too, should make a trip to the store. I thought about it for less than a minute.

I keep my grocery list going on a notepad on the fridge. As I am getting close to something running out, I write it down. I also try to make as few trips to the store as possible, because I find that I spend less money that way. I typically make one or two runs to Costco each month, usually on payday. I get most of my staples there, unless sale prices and coupons get me a better deal at the grocery store. My last trip to Costco was a week ago.

So right now, we have 3 gallons of milk and 3 dozen eggs in the fridge, as well as 4 loaves of bread in the freezer. I am also stocked up with plenty of meat and veggies in the freezer. The pantry is also well-stocked. So, no need to go to the store today! I am staying warm inside, and looking forward to a cozy weekend of scrapbooking, games, movies, and time with my family.

When it snows, she has no fear for her household; ~Proverbs 31:21a

{Made with Winter Solstice Digital Kit}

Groceries From God!

In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

~Psalm 37:19

Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

~Isaiah 55:1
These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.
~Psalm 104:27-28

My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips
my mouth will praise you.
~Psalm 63:5

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

~Psalm 34:8

A DIY Sign!

I recently shared my fall decor here, and showed off this sign I made. I really appreciate the nice comments I received about it. I have to tell you that I was SO tickled with how it turned out! Truly, I had an idea of what I wanted it to be, but it turned out so much better than I imagined. And best of all, it was practically free!! Love that!

First, I started with this frame that I had forever. It was actually meant to be hung vertically, and had opening for five 4x6 photos. Somehow I had never filled it and it was just gathering dust. Then, after a few moves, the glass broke. My husband tried tossing it, but I was already thinking that it would make a great sign. Of course, first I had to remove the broken glass and spray paint it black.

My inspiration was this vinyl rub-on that says "autumn" and is about 8"x2". Unfortunately, the frame needed some backing on which to apply this word and the other embellishments I had planned. No problem. I figured I could go to the local craft store and get a sheet of mat board. And, that sheet would allow me to make not one, but several signs!!!

I was excited to peruse the vast array of beautiful colors of mat board, to choose one for this project... that would also be adaptable for other signs. And then the guy behind the counter told me that only black and white mat board was sold retail. Ok. I could deal with that. I could alter white mat board and make it work. I could. So I said I would take a white piece of mat board.

"That will be $14.99," he said.

"I have a coupon!" I exclaimed.

Then I got the bad news: coupons were not accepted for mat board or framing glass. "Never mind." I would come up with a different plan.

So I took my cute shoes over to Lowes and walked up and down the lumber aisles looking for an affordable solution. The funny thing was that I had to walk around two employees standing in the middle of the lumber aisle talking to each other. Neither offered to help me. They must have thought I was lost, or just looking for the restroom! But then I rounded a corner and this younger man with multiple piercings and interesting facial hair configurations asked if I needed help.

He showed me a few possibilities and I decided on a 4'x8' piece of press board for only $7! Now that is 1/2 the price of the mat board, and more than twice the quantity! I would have had to cut the mat board myself. Instead, this nice man cut my piece of pressboard to size for me! With power tools. I ordered four pieces cut to 6"x36" to fit in my frame. I could make four signs!!! No, wait, while he was at it, I changed my mind and had him cut SIX for me!

I was thrilled with my find. It is economical and has a smooth finish for painting. Pressboard is something I think I have seen as the backing of bookcases, or a childhood toy box. So not only did I leave Lowes with my six pieces to make six signs, I also had six smaller scraps, and this other huge leftover piece that I barely wrestled into my van. The nice man had offered to cut the big piece down for me to make it more manageable, but I don't know what other wonderful ideas I might have down the road, and I wanted to leave it as large as possible!

With ordinary acrylic craft paints, I put down a couple coats of cream. Then I thinned down a goldish-brown and used a rag to rub in around the edges.

I wanted some fall motif or graphic on this sign, so I decided to pull out an old scrapbooking technique and paper piece some pumpkins. I googled pumpkins and found a simple graphic I liked, printed out a couple of different sizes, chose some patterned papers, and cut out the pieces to assemble these pumpkins. I like the folksy, not perfect quality about them.

I felt like I needed another word or words to go with "autumn" and to fill up all the space I had. I came up with "blessings". I was a bit puzzled as to how I would accomplish these letters since I am no artist. I do have large sticker letters I love using, and considered using them here. The only problem was that I was one "S" short. So then I was inspired to use the used up sticker outlines as stencils! These stickers are thick, like cardstock, so they actually worked like a charm. The empty "S" held up really well as I lifted and reapplied it three times to stencil the word "Blessings". I loved how this part turned out!

Next was my very first attempt to apply vinyl rub-on letters. Let me just say that I was glad I wasn't doing something larger on a wall. I think I got the hang of it, and it did turn out pretty well.

My last step was to punch out a number of autumn leaves from scrapbook paper for added cuteness. I used hot glue to apply the pumpkins and the leaves to the board. I popped the board into the frame, and I was done!

I am thrilled with the results. It was fun and easy... and so rewarding! I am trying to decide if I should varnish it, or leave it natural? I can't wait to see what I come up with for my other five signs. And maybe sometime I will share how I do paper piecing.

I am linking up with Kimba's DIY Day... hop over there for even more ideas!