No Tricks Just Treats Download.

Two posts in one day is a little bit unheard of around these parts, huh? After I finished packaging up treats for the children's teachers I got to thinking about you dears. I have been very fortunate this week. Receiving the most kind emails and comments you can imagine. So, I decided to say thank you with a little download.

I apologize it's so late and I realize many of you have already given out your treats. But, just in case you're a procrastinator like me I wanted to offer up these little tags. They're very simple, but more often than not, simple is better.

Maybe you can bake up the cookies from this mornings post, put them in a mason jar, find some fabric and yarn from your stash, print off some tags + deliver a little love to someone who has made you as happy as you all have made me.

Download the tags HERE.

Happy Halloween Weekend!

Pumpkin Cookies.

I received a late night text from a friend the other evening telling me she had baked up a batch of pumpkin cookies. Since then I've had a hard time thinking of much else. Pumpkin, oats, chocolate...just a few of my favorite things all rolled in to one delicious, chewy, soft, with a bit of crispness cookie.

I spent the better part of my morning baking up a double batch. One batch for me and one batch to gift. In the off chance you love pumpkin as much as I do, I wanted to share my mother's tried and true cookie recipe with you. And maybe you'll bake up a double batch too?

Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 cup oats

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup softened butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, salt. Cream butter + gradually add sugars beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, mix well. Alternate additions of dry ingredients and pumpkin, mixing well after each addition. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake 20-25 minutes or until cookies are firm and lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool on racks.

I plan on packaging the cookies up this morning in time to make a delivery to the children's teachers. I've also got last minute costume preparations on my list and a 3rd grade fall party to attend. What are your plans dears? Hopefully whatever is on your list for today will go smoothly and perhaps you'll have the chance to get out and enjoy a crisp fall walk. And maybe eat a cookie or two.

Woodland Baby Shower on Ohdeedoh.

Dears, Ohdeedoh is one of my daily reads.  I love the real kid rooms they feature and of course the fun parties. I bet you can imagine my surprise + delight when I popped over there this afternoon and saw the baby shower I hosted for Lindsay featured.  It sorta made up for the pencil and crayon scribblings I've been scrubbing off the walls today.

Hop on over to Ohdeedoh and check out the very kind write up right here.  I love happy surprises!

Feeling Grateful.

Tonight on our way to our dear friends house for the annual pumpkin carving FHE activity we ran into some pretty awesome looking clouds. We pulled over, I snapped a few pictures, then we continued on our way. This simple experience left me feeling grateful for a few things.

Thing 1. Grateful for a husband who pulls over so I can take pictures of scary looking clouds.

Thing 2. Grateful for the beauty all around. For changing seasons and seeing His hand everywhere.

Thing 3. Grateful for children who make everything more fun. Even silly holidays like Halloween.

And finally, I was feeling grateful for friends. And traditions. And the knowledge that simple evenings like this will be remembered for years to come.

A New Day.

Yesterday was a difficult day. Ollie had a cold. A terrible cold that had him coughing + whining + feeling miserable. He wanted me to hold him, he DIDN'T want me to hold him. He was hungry, he WASN'T hungry. He was mad, He was MADDER! (or more mad)

And after all of that, he woke up this morning happy. He was happy during scripture study as he sipped his hot chocolate through a straw. He was happy when we dropped the children off to school. He was happy when we took Audrey to her cousin's house for a play date. He sang silently in the car on the way home. And now my boy is sitting on my freshly made bed in his jammies. He is watching his favorite show (the only one he will actually sit through) and yesterday is nothing but a memory.

Today is a new day. And we are happy.

Good Design With Kids in Mind.

The lovely Kirsten from 6th Street Design School is hosting a great series on her blog titled "Good Design With Kids in Mind." The series is all about getting answers to age old questions like, "What are the best fabrics and finishes to use with kids?" and "Is there a way to have kids and nice things coexist in your home?" I was honored when Kirsten contacted me asking if I would be on her panel of experts. I've been enjoying the posts all week.

Especially since purchasing the new sofa I've been dreaming of since we moved into the cozy brick house three years ago. I've waited a long time + I've been a bit of a Nazi, protecting it like a mama bear from snotty noses and grimy fingers. The advice from Kirsten's panel has reminded me to relax and I feel humbled to be included in such a lovely group.

You can keep up with the series by following 6th Street Design School here.

Woodland Baby Shower.

I really love planning + hosting parties. Thinking up details, searching out the perfect elements + catering an event to a specific person brings me an incredible amount of joy. I'm not sure I could pick a favorite party to plan, but baby showers would definitely be at the top of my list. Who doesn't love pawing sweet baby gear?

Since moving into the cozy brick house Lindsay has been telling me I should host a party in the backyard. It only seemed fitting when the opportunity came, I threw her a baby shower here. Under the stars, in the crisp fall air.

Ryan and I debated for a full month about the lighting situation. I told him what I envisioned, and he figured out a way to make it possible. It couldn't have been more perfect. 

Because the trees + twinkling lights were the backdrop of the party, I kept the decor simple. Wood shavings, candle votives wrapped in yarn, wood cutlery + bowls and a few little deer placed here + there.

For refreshments we ate donuts + warm cider.

To help guests learn a little bit about one another, I created little felt heart pins and placed them in a jar. Once everyone arrived and took their seats I instructed them to (one at a time) remove a heart from the jar, share their name, how they knew Lindsay and one thing they love about motherhood. Then the guest was to pin the felt heart to her blouse and pass the jar. This was my favorite part of the evening. Everyone shared such tender experiences and I would be lying if I didn't tell you a few tears were shed.

Teeny tiny pumpkins were part of the decor and doubled as favors for the guests.

I learned a few things while planning this shower:

1. I have amazing friends who are always eager to help.
2. I couldn't do half of the things that brew in my head if it weren't for my highly capable and talented husband.
3. I would love to help you plan your next event! There are so many ideas in my head, I couldn't possibly host a party for them all. Email me dandeedesigns@gmail.com for more information!

This very moment...

It's nearly 5:00pm and Audrey + Oliver are napping.

I have been thinking a lot about this little blog space of mine. 

I feel a change comin'... 

I'm counting down the days until this concert. Have you bought your tickets yet?

The morning was spent at the pumpkin patch with Owen's kindergarten class. Have I ever told you how much I love kindergartners? Why, you ask? Lots of reasons really, but here are a few: they are all best friends, they hold hands + they still like it when their moms tag along on field trips.

I just finished making caramel apples with two dear friends. Don't they look delish? I wish I could package one up and send it to you.

On the agenda this weekend: 3 soccer games, leaf raking, fence staining and maybe (if I can convince Ryan to let me) we'll start a cozy fire. I'm crossing my fingers. 

Oh, and caramel apple eating.

Happy Weekend to you! 

Hobby Horse Tutorial.

Making a hobby horse for your little buckaroo is simple, and most likely something you could finish during (a very long) nap time.

Here are the supplies you will need:

1 large mens sock (I found mine at Wal-Mart in the sporting goods department)
brown yarn
brown wool felt
jute
2 animal eyes (found at any craft store)
1" wood dowel purchased from a hardware store
Poly-Fil
Scissors
Sewing needle with a large eye (for yarn)

Step 1: Fill the foot portion of the sock with Poly-Fil. Put as much in as you can.

Step 2: Add the animal eyes.

Step 3: Thread yarn onto needle.

Step 4: Begin sewing yarn onto sock to create the horses mane. 

Simply weave the yarn into and back out of the sock and secured it with a knot.

To make the process go a bit more quickly, don't cut the yarn tail until you have woven it into the sock for the neck piece of hair.

Once the second piece is in, clip and tie in a knot. Repeat until you have a nice full mane.

Step 5: Cut two horse ears out of the brown wool felt. Taking a long piece of felt, push the needle up through the inside of the sock where you want the ear. Once the needle is sticking out of the sock, push it through the ear going from back to front.

Step 6: Push the needle down through the ear (on the opposite side).

Step 7: Push the needle back down into the sock.

Step 8: Tie the two ends of the yarn together securely.
Repeat for other ear.

Step 9: Place sock on wood dowel and mark where the sock ends.  Cut out a small notch around the dowel where you marked. (My husband did this step for me using a table saw.)

Step 10: Using Poly-Fil, stuff the "neck" of the horse as full as you can get it.

Step 11: Tie the jute securely over the sock.  (Make sure the jute fits over the notched section of the dowel. That is what will keep it in place.)

Step 12: Use any remaining jute to add a bridle.

Owen and his friends all love these sweet hobby horses.  They were fun to make and would look pretty great propped up next to the tree Christmas morning, don't you agree?

Simple Things.

before:

after:

Sometimes, the most simple of things bring the greatest sense of satisfaction. 

Am I right?

Cowboy Birthday Party.

Owen recently turned 6. More than anything my little guy wanted to have a cowboy party with a bunch of his friends. I'm pretty much putty in his hands, so I happily obliged. Since his birthday falls at the end of September, I knew I could get away with having the party in the backyard.

I kept the decor simple by hanging bandannas that were tied together up in the trees.

Early in the planning process Owen told me he wanted all of his friends to have a horse to race during the party. Unfortunately, I don't have any horses. And neither does anyone I know. So, we did the next best thing. I made hobby horses for each of his friends.  They also doubled as invitations to the party.  You should have seen the looks on their faces as Owen (dressed up in his cowboy gear) delivered a horse to each of his friends along with the printed invitation with all the party details. Priceless moments.

When Owen's guests arrived to the party, they were given bandannas for their necks, cowboy hats and sheriff badges.

And when they were all set, the horse racing began.

Followed by a piñata.

The treat bags for the piñata were super simple to make. I started with plain cotton bags I snagged this summer at Michael's. I replaced the plastic-y white cording with hemp. Then, I fused heat n' bond to a bandanna, traced a boot silhouette, cut each boot out and then ironed them onto the white cotton bags.

My sister in law Alicia made this incredible boot cake for the occasion.

The party guests each went home with a bag of trail mix + sarsaparilla.

And my sweet Owen boy smiled for days + days.

Happy Trails!