Halloween Bucket Treat

Look at this PRECIOUS Halloween bucket I found online at Whimsy Tin.

Jaime did a great job giving my daughter's bucket such personality. She has a million to select from- many of which are not Halloween or Easter related. My daughter will be sporting the chocolate bunnies next Spring!

Our neighborhood goes all out for Halloween. I feel so lame since I try to decorate only for fall and the vast majority of it is indoors. Our neighbors have Halloween decor like most people have for Christmas. So, we spend Halloween evening in the front yard on camping chairs visiting with our neighbors. My husband can juggle, so he spins his light-up pins for the kiddos. This year we heard 2 funny things from the neighborhood-

While juggling, an older woman walked by watched him juggle and looked at me and said, "Gotta love a man with magic hands." Wow!

A little kid crossed paths with a Dad walking with his kids and said, "look, it is the jolly green giant." The Dad sighed in frustrations and said, "I'm poison ivy." He was so defeated!

Hope everyone had a safe and happy halloween!

Happy Halloween!

ETSYetera- Shabby Chic

I have yet to order something from The Broken House, but I just know I will. She does such a good job of "dirtying" up the product. These apple green candlesticks are awesome- they would be cute with orange for Halloween or red for Christmas.

P.S. They are less than $10 for 2. You are welcome! :)

I have star shaped boxes like these and have used them in a variety of places to hold many different things. The red, white and black is perfect for my home decor. You could easily tie ribbons, fabric or raffia around the boxes. They'd be great on a dining room table or buffet and used underneath dinner plates to give the table a variety of heights and thus more interest.

Finally, I would love these in my Master bathroom. Robin's Egg Blue is so popular right now and would look great with browns, greens or cream colors. These could easily be used with your existing Easter decor or on a seasonal wreath. Visit The Broken House for more cute and dirty goods!

Smores in A Jar

If you haven't made a Halloween gift for your friends, co-workers, or children's teachers, I have a great and inexpensive craft for you! My ladies group at church made these Smores In A Jar last night. They cost us $4 a piece. Here are the details for you!

You will need:
1 quart size canning jar with lid and ring
1 sleeve of graham crackers (10 crackers)
8 marshmallow Peeps (don't tear apart, it is easier to line them around the jar if still together.)
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 1/4 c chocolate chips, seasonal m&m's or other chocolate candies
ribbon and fabric to decorate.
tag for instructions. Putting it together......
Crush the graham crackers into fine pieces.
Pour about 2/3 of the graham crackers into the bottom of the jar and press it down.
Place the 8 peeps around the inside of the jar. Use a wooden spoon to press them up against the glass. (but don't squish them)
Pour the rest of the graham crackers into the middle of the peeps. This will help hold the peeps in place. Pour 1/3 c of brown sugar into the center of the ring of peeps and pack it down.
Fill the rest of the jar with the 1 1/4 c of candy. Try to pack it down with out squishing the peeps.
For the tag, write these instructions;
Empty the contents of the jar into a large bowl. Cut the peeps into pieces and miss all the ingredients well. Add 1/2 c melted butter and 1 tsp vanilla to the dry ingredients. Mix well.
Spoon into a greased 8X8 baking pan and pat down lightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Cool pan on a cooling rack and then cut into bars.

Enjoy sharing these with your friends!

Friendly Blogger Award

Your Little Birdie received her first award this week- the Friendly Blogger Award from Thena. I am most excited- I love awards and sweet people who encourage my blogging habit. It is much cheaper than my shoe, purse and jewelry habit.

Thena and I have never met, but we've had fun emailing ideas for her new etsy shop. Check out her blog!

For the Love of Applique

Having a baby girl opened up a whole new world of fun things to me- printed tights, hair bows of many layers both big and really big, the 27 shades of pink I had previously never worn, monogramming, and applique. Oh how I love applique!

This is my daughter's Easter dress. My favorite dress maker I found on eBay, lets you customize everything- I was sent an email with lots of Easter options- an egg, a rabbit or a number of flowers. After selecting the daisy, I selected the gingham color, the monogram, the color thread and the font. You can't personalize this dress much more!I looked all over Ebay and Etsy for a Thanksgiving dress and couldn't find what I wanted. There are lots of pumpkin and turkey dresses, but I wanted pie! Isn't pie the best part of Thanksgiving anyway? Look at this marvelous creation my dress lady made!Again, I customized each piece- we went with orange pumpkin pie, brown gingham and "Thankful" instead of my daughter's name so I could pass this precious dress onto another child. I honestly could not love it more. And, get this, I don't have the dress yet. I was emailed the pictures before it went into the mail. And, she made it and mailed it within 2 days of me buying it. Oh, and one more thing, less than $30. I know- amazing!

If you want her information, leave me a comment with your email and I'll send it to you.
I don't want to post it here without her permission!

ETSYetera- Galvanized Tubs

Our first installment of ETSYetera! I've scoured the fun world of Etsy and found something wonderful for you- fabric covered galvanized tubs from Brody and Ma. She has over 200 of these tubs for sale in the most colorful and versatile fabrics from top designers like Amy Butler and Cath Kidston. I heart both of them!

Isn't this polka dotted one wonderful for Halloween candy? I always wonder what to put my million dollars worth of candy in when the kids come knockin'. I'm sure they'd be impressed with my polka dotted bucket. Just add some orange ribbons on the handles. This one makes me happy- it matches the colors I plan to use in my craft room redo. I have lots of black furniture in there and want to add apple green and maybe a little turquoise and orange. I am totally on an orange kick lately. If this one makes it into my craft room, it'll likely hold loose stamps, ribbons, or even a collection of craft magazines.
On her store, this one is featured on the back of the toilet. Funny how perfectly is matches my daughter's new bathroom. It would be wonderful with extra toilet paper, wash clothes or travel size toiletries your guests may have forgotten. It is too cute to hold potty reading material!

Finally, this one was made for toys in a playroom or little girl's room. I would fill it with blocks, balls, stuffed animals and books!

Her tubs range are all under $30 with shipping around $10. There is a back order on some of the tubs, so I recommend you allow plenty of time if you plan to make a purchase for Christmas.

Baby Bedding

This is no logical reason for me to be looking at baby bedding, but I am. When we were awaiting the 20 week sonogram with out daughter, I sought out boy bedding. I was certain we would have a girl, but wanted to be ready in case I was thrown off. Boy stuff is just plain harder! I am not a cartoon character girl and don't really like firetrucks, puppy dogs or baseballs.

Someone recently told me they were having a boy and I sent them to JC Penney's website for the Aidan collection. This would have filled my son's room, had God given us a son.

I just love the soft khaki, denim blue, chocolate brown and brick red together. I wonder if I can sneak this into my daughter's room before princesses take over! The artwork to go with it- tricycles, wagons, and scooters. Precious!

While looking at my beloved Aidan set, I came across two more sets that I just love- the Love Bird is so sweet for a baby girl. I am over pink and brown. Am I the only one? But, this set brings in coral, apple green and Tiffany blue, colors I am not even near over.

This would be cute with coral walls and a big brown tree painted in the corner. I am certain my daughter's toddler room will include a big brown tree in the corner. When does the toddler makeover happen again?



If you happen to be among the brave (read crazy) who elect to wait 40 weeks to find out what you are having, this Paisley Set is perfect!

You can bring out more of the blues if you have a son and the greens if you get a girl. The girl version is hot pink and green, two colors I also love together. Maybe I should have been a Delta Zeta in college.

In case any of you happen to be pregnant or just browsing cute bedding for friends, remember JC Penney!

Etsy Dot Com

I began a love affair with Etsy when I was home on maternity leave almost one year ago. I found so many wonderful baby items made by wonderful women who use etsy to support their families and showcase their creativity.

Now that I am back at work, I spend my lunch breaks eating Chick-fil-a (#5 8-count with a side salad with Italian and a large Diet Lemonade, please) and shopping on Etsy. I can't buy nearly all the things I want to, but find so many treasures. So, I am officially launching ETSYetera (like et cetera, get it?).

Call me your personal shopper- I'll feature fun things I found and may or may not have purchased weekly. I'll be happy to take special requests and look for handmade items just for you! I promise not to feature anything I wouldn't buy myself.

Watch for the first installment of ETSYetera later this week!

Family Rules

My girlfriend Melanie made this cute chalkboard for her family and nicely agreed to make me one, too! I just love these rules- silly and purposeful! I hung this just inside our hallway so that we'll see it when we enter from the garage each day.

According to Melanie, it was easy to make. Buy a frame you like that is at least 11x14. Remove the glass and spray paint it with chalkboard paint. Place the glass back inside the frame. Using chalkboard markers (found at Hobby Lobby near chalk) write all over the chalkboard made of glass. Melanie played with various fonts. You can easily print them on the computer and then copy the style of each letter. I love the detail of the frame with red coming through the black edges.

Have fun making your own set of rules! And, thank you to Melanie for giving my family such a wonderful treasure.

New Steam A Seam Projects

My mother can sew and she is making my daughter 3 long sleeve onesie dresses. I purchased one on etsy and decided she could make them much cheaper and I could pick out the fabric to match shoes, hairbows or leggings she already owns.

I bought the fabric this week at a quilting store- such amazing fabric in quilt stores. They have so many matching fabrics that are part of a collection. It made narrowing it down to 3 so difficult!
These are the 3 I selected. This weekend, I washed and ironed the fabric. Then, I cut out the fabric to be able to include a little iron on with Steam A Seam for the white onesie top.

My Mom will make the dresses in the next few weeks and I'll be sure to share the finished product.

My Style

I took the Home Goods quiz to determine my home's style, my challenges, and design ideas suited for me. It was 10 simple questions and is spot on with my home (except for the fresh flowers)!

I Am Country Casual
Your home expresses your open, easygoing approach to life. You love unique finds, and can turn a few mismatched garden chairs or floral teacups into a charming arrangement. You appreciate a pretty mix of relaxed pieces, like painted wood or weathered furniture, lovely florals and other patterns, lots of throws and pillows, mementos and bunches of fresh flowers that give your home a unique sense of breeziness and charm.
You value creativity. You are stylish and fun loving, and can be an inspiration to others. You have a natural sense of drama, and you know you have to be willing to take risks—whether with colors, finishes, furniture choices, or ideas—for your home to stand out. Your home can be happy and lively and the place all of your friends want to be.

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

I love to bake. I do not love to cook.

To keep me (and myhusband) from weighing a ton, I like to bake for others. I typically take my treats to my office, his office or to church gatherings. Nothing like a big potluck to present your latest new dessert recipe. Throw in a stick of butter and some nuts and it is a sure winner!

I think fall is a great time for desserts because the weather cools off and the fluffy sweaters come out! One of my favorite fall sweets is from our Sunday School teachers wife. She brought this for breakfast one day last year. For breakfast!!

Here is the recipe for you to try at home:

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

Beat together the following:

14 oz. can pumpkin

12 oz. can evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. ground ginger

1/4 t. cloves

1 t. salt

4 eggs

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

Spinkle the following (in order) over pumpkin mix:

1 DRY yellow cake mix (do not add anything to the boxed mix)

1 cup chopped pecans

2 sticks of butter, sliced in 1 inch slices

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

WARNING: Your house will smell divine and sampling will have to occur :)

Bestill my Heart

I have blogged before about my love of calendars, planners and the like. Today, I installed the Great Big Calendar from Paper Source in my office and it is GREAT.BIG. and I love it!

Each page measures 24.75 inches by 19.25 inches. I wanted to put 12 months up, but I am not tall enough! Seriously, I am in love!

Look at the pretty colors, the big squares for each day, the lovely complementary artwork. This is a meeting planner's dream. I encourage you to get one for yourself, if you have a wall large enough!

Free Halloween Blog Templates

Make sure everone knows the witch is in on your blog with this collection of FREE spooky blog templates- go find your favorite!

Scrappin' Blogs- that's where I find this one! I love the glitter!

Simply Blog It Backgrounds- the webs design would be great fun with orange and apple green text.

Shabby Blogs- my favorite is Spookadot!

Hot Biggity Blog- ooh how I love the orange diamond pattern!

Delighful Dots- Day 3 of the free blog templates is my favorite, can you tell I love me some polka dots?

Cutest Blog on the Block- A Jolly Halloween almost made the cut on this blog!

Fall Trail Mix

In case you are already shopping the Halloween aisle this weekend, pick up some candy corn and salted peanuts. Mix them up and enjoy! The combination tastes like the inside of a Snicker's bar. I've also heard adding Reese's Pieces to the mix is good!

This is an easy snack for football watching parties, hosting events like Bunco night in the fall, or to pack in your lunches.

DIY: Desktop Blotter

I am participating in DIY Tuesday on A Soft Place to Land- what fun projects are out there!

I have made a couple of these depending upon my office or home decor and I just love them! They bring color to your desktop, showcase your style, and give you a great surface for a snack, your drink or your mouse!

Use them on your kitchen table for snack time, in the playroom for art time, or anywhere you need an easy to wipe surface.They are super simple- here are the directions

Pick 2 pieces of WRAPPING PAPER that you like.

Cut them to the size that will nicely cover your area.

Glue or tape papers together back to back.

Take them to Kinko's and have them laminated.

Enjoy!

Green Chile Cornbread

Is cornbread a Southern thing? If so, I can never live in the North.

This cold weather made me want beans and cornbread for dinner. And, Southern Living knows a good cornbread. Now, I know a good cornbread and thought you should too.

Southern Living's Green Chile Cornbread

2 7.5 oz. boxes of cornbread mix (like Jiffy)

1 8.5 oz. can cream style corn

1 4.5 oz. can chopped green chiles, drained

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 c. plain yogurt

1/4 c. milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Mix all ingredients together, stirring until just moist (I HATE that word and wish I could find a substitute to keep my blog moist free!). Pour batter into a lightly greased 13x9 pan. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy warm with a little butter.

Bathroom Decal

I ordered the missing piece for my daughter's bathroom this week and it arrived over the weekend. I decided to go with a wall decal instead of a piece of artwork since it is above the towel rack and may be rubbed by a towel on occasion.I found this piece on Etsy and just loved that it was bathroom appropriate, child appropriate and whimsical! There are so many customizable wall decals online. They are reasonably priced, easy to apply and remove, and a fun alternative.
Here are a few of my favorites:

I have given this one as a wedding gift.

This pair is in my bathroom sitting on the counter top.

I want this one, but have no place to put it.

This is the online shop of my new toothbrush art.

This site has a whole series of decals for your refrigerator. Great for keeping you on your diet.

A Perfect Fall Day

My family and I drove about an hour from our home Saturday morning to visit Sweet Berry Farm in Marble Falls, Texas. We had beautiful fall weather in the high 50's with a cool breeze and just enough sunlight. Sweet Berry Farm had so much to offer young families willing to make the drive.

There were multiple spots to stop and take a picture. There were a couple of trucks like this, wheel barrows, wagons, tractors, scarecrows, and so much more. I took over 100 pictures of my daughter in under an hour. She sat in grass, flowers, hay, pumpkins, gourds.In the distance you can see the hay ride loading up. They also have a petting zoo and a corn maze on the property. The grass was beautifully green and the tress so lush for this time of year.
Another section of the farm featured pumpkin painting. They provided small pumpkins as well as water colors, picnic tables and drying racks. They also had a small grill for lunchtime treats and a small store selling jam, pumpkin butter, and homemade ice cream and coffee.

Today we started a family tradition and I can't wait to visit Sweet Berry Farms again next year. It just doesn't feel like fall until I see the pumpkins on display.

Halloween Card Giveaway

Your Little Birdie is doing a giveaway- her very first one! You see, this blog is fun and I see my little ticker getting bigger and bigger, but my follower count is staying small. I want that number to grow so that I have more chickadees in the nest!

I have created 3 digital cards for Halloween. You can print these at your local store as a 4x6 image and mail them to family and friends, or you can post them on Halloween day on your own blog to wish your readers a super spooky day.

Here are the rules-

1. Become a follower on Your Little Birdie by joining the Chickadee Club. The link is on the left. If you are already a follower, you have already completed step #1 and I love you for it! Proceed to step #2.

2. Email annajenk@yahoo.com telling me the following:

- your follower name/icon

- your favorite Halloween card from the names below

- include a picture and your name for the card

Easy as can be! You'll be an official chickadee and have a Halloween card in your inbox ready to go in just a few days! I'll email it right back to you for you to print, post on your blog, or email to friends and family at the end of the month.

Here are your options:

BOO

PRETTY AS A PUMPKIN

SMELL MY FEET

Whimsy Bathroom Upgrades

My daughter shares her bathroom with our overnight guests(we also have a powder room). The bathroom is anchored by her bedroom, the guest bedroom and my craft room in the front of the house. When we bought our house we were not yet pregnant, so we tried to keep it neutral and not too kid-like. I used a solid butter yellow shower curtain and green towels and rugs with a couple of bumblebee accessories. Now that we have a beautiful little girl, I wanted to have a little more fun in there and add PINK to the mix!

I purchased a few items at Round Top and then went on the hunt for a mirror. I found this one at Walmart and it met all of my criteria- huge, thick detailed frame, cheap and wood making it paintable! Sunday morning my daughter and I picked it up at Walmart and bought the brightest pink paint in a gloss finish that they sold! It took 5 coats and 2 days to dry, but we have a new bathroom complete with a HOT PINK mirror! I could not love it more!

I added this hot pink bench from Round Top and fun bathroom accessories. The cupcake picture holder is from Target's Valentine's Day line a few years ago. The silver pail filled with washcloths was shower decor when I was pregnant and the colored bowls I recently purchased from a HS band fundraiser. They are plastic bowls that look like cupcake liners. I love cupcakes! They are the perfect size for holding her little toiletries.

I also hung my birdhouse chandelier from Round Top in the bathroom. My daughter loves to stare at it. She also loves to grab at it, but that is another story.

The large green tin flower fit perfectly above the toilet paper and matches the green towels. I am still looking for something to go above the green towel. I am thinking I want a wall decal in pink fun letters with a bathroom song, quote, saying, etc.

I decided I had too much green and added hot pink rugs for just $12 from Walmart!
The green stool is a bench during bathtime for us, it will become her potty when we reach that point, and a stool for teethbrushing later. I am happy to have it out since it matches so well!

Inside the tub is a green frog toy holder from Boon and her giant pink rubber ducky bathtub. If the shower curtain happens to be left open, it all still looks cute!

To spruce up her shower curtain, I wanted to monogram it with her name, but that was out of budget, so I opted for lots of fun ribbons tied to the shower rings. This is super easy to do, very inexpensive, and fun! I spent less than $15 on the ribbon (watch for a Hobby Lobby sale) and cut it varying lengths from 8-18". Have fun with it!

I am awaiting 2 more pink items for the bathroom counter and ordered them online since I could not find what I wanted in the stores. How cute is the patent leather (totally washable) soap dispenser and toothbrush holder?

I can't wait to add these to the room!

I hope you enjoyed my daughter's new bathroom and are inspired to try something fun in your own bathroom!