We have started to prepare the house for Nick’s graduation party, so every little bit that I can get done now will help later.

Bringing in all the elements that we love about Summer, I added items for a Picnic, roasting S’Mores and Baseball. A large part of our Summer is spent at the ball park and Nick’s graduation party will be a Baseball Theme {more on that soon}, so the Baseball Mitt was a perfect addition.

On the top, I added an Antique Metal Picnic Basket, a flag that belonged to my great-grandfather, Aqua Mason Jars and a pitcher filled with ivy cut from the yard and a few red,white and blue items to add some color.

On the middle shelf, I added a very old Colonial Banner and the Baseball Mitt.

More of my favorite…Aqua Mason Jars were added to the next shelf, a slice of watermelon, some Chocolate Kisses and Summer spelled out with Scrabble Tiles..fun!

Then came the goodies for a picnic and our favorite…S’Mores! The giant marshmallows in the jar, graham crackers, chocolate bars and the marshmallow roasting sticks. A Vintage Gingham Check Apron and a glass pitcher filled with red and blue straws and more Scrabble Tiles spelling Picnic completed the shelf.

And now…this adorable and SUPER easy Summer Flag Banner…

Summer Banner Supplies:

• Scrapbook paper in your favorite colors
• String or twine {I bought this from Pick Your Plum}
• Glue {I like the Elmer’s Dot Runner the best}
• Lifestyle Crafts Fancy Envelope Tabs

Directions:

1. Cut out the tags and mark the middle where the string will lay
2. Add glue to one edge
3. Place on string and fold over, press to seal the edges
4. Hang and enjoy!

I hope my Hoosier Cabinet inspires you to start your Summer Decorating, and of course, if you don’t have a Hoosier…you can certainly use these ideas to decorate your Mantel or other spot in your home.

And don’t miss these great deals on Lifestyle Crafts…

• Patterned Paper – 24 pack for ONLY $10 – that’s 50% off PLUS use code HOOSIER for an additional 20% off {Hurry! Sale ends April 22nd}
• FREE Shipping on all orders over $25 thru April 30th!
• And last but not least…if you are looking for a Die Cutting Tool – check out the sale on the Revolution!

Disclosure: I received Lifestyle Crafts Products for my review. As always, the opinions are my own.

Linking to…Show & Tell Friday, Sundae Scoop, Made By You Monday, Weekend Wrap Up Party, Saturday Night Special

• Doug is outside working on the new raised garden bed
• Nick is mowing the front yard {he is off a half day from school on Fridays}
• I have 2 recipes going with Asparagus {one for Hoosier Homemade and one for Pocket Change Gourmet}
• The kitchen is a disaster
• Dinner has not been started
• And…I decide to decorate the Front Porch

So I quickly head outside and let Doug know that I think I should gather up some materials to Decorate the Front Porch…and what do I get? The “are you totally out of your mind” look from him. BUT, then I go ahead to explain…it will only take 5 minutes! And what do I get? The “oh ya right, it’s gonna be more like an hour” kinda look!

But being the wonderful hubby that he is, Doug helped me gather up some materials…

To decorate the Front Porch in 5 Minutes or Less…

Let me break it down for you…

1. Start with a chair, throw on the quilt and add the small ladder
2. A tall galvanized bucket was filled with tree limbs and fresh lilacs
3. The Grapevine Wreath was added to the chair
4. An antique watering can gets filled with ivy cut from the yard
5. Small terra cotta pots, a ceramic bird and Aqua Mason Jars are added to the ladder
6. A couple antique lanterns placed next to the chair

And there you have it…Front Porch Decorating in 5 Minutes or Less!!

And then what did I get from Doug…”this really did take only 5 minutes to decorate!”

Linking to…Weekend Wrap Up Party, Saturday Night Special, Saturday Sevens, Sundae Scoop, Made by you Monday, Show Me How, Show & Tell Friday

We have been having fun using the Chalkboard on the Mantel. Andrew {oldest son} used his amazing artistic skills to add a little whimsy to the Spring Mantel. I added a piece of green burlap as the base to give a little more texture and interest.

The adorable Spring Letters were added and I made large Pinwheels for color and a little more whimsy!

After seeing Layla’s Mantel, I knew I wanted to add some butterflies. So I used the same Butterfly Die Cut that I added to our other Spring Decorations.  I love how they have perforated wings, so you can bend them and make them look like they are flying.

We have been having beautiful weather this Spring, which is pretty rare for us. All of the flowers and trees have already started to bloom, which puts us about a month early.

I am thrilled to have the Tulips and Daffodils blooming last Doug planted last Fall. We shot a little video on how to plant bulbs for Spring Flowers, if you are interested.

The Daffodils make me smile!

And the Viburnum Plant is also blooming and smells heavenly!

What has inspired you this Spring?

Linking to…Tip Me Tuesday, Show & Tell Friday, Saturday Night Special

We are kicking off this fun Rainbow Week with a little present for you! Charlotte, from The Paper Cupcake created the cutest Rainbow Printable Banner for you…and it’s FREE! Hang tight…keep reading…and I’ll share the printable at the end!

Last year, I shared several recipes with rainbow colors, the Rainbow Cupcakes and Rainbow Jello were definitely the most popular. And still are, so I thought it would be fun to put together a few more ideas with Rainbows, but this year kick it up a notch.

Do you remember the chalkboard on our Winter Mantel? Well, it’s proven once again to be such a fun decorating tool with the St. Patrick’s Day Mantel.

The Rainbow on the Mantel, really started with a vision from Doug this time, and then kind of evolved. We originally started the plan with a metal rod and some balloons, but after chatting a bit about how it would look and checking out the price of balloons, we changed our minds a bit and went with the Tissue Paper Flowers.

We kept the metal rod idea, but after trying to get the flowers to look right for quite awhile, we got rid of the rod and simply attached the flowers to the chalkboard.

Then came the writing on the chalkboard. Since the look of the St. Patrick’s Day Mantel was fun and whimsical, we decided to just randomly write words that are related to St. Patrick’s Day. I used the brilliant tip that Gina taught me when using chalk…wet the chalkboard and use wet chalk…simple!

What do you find at the end of a Rainbow? A Pot of Gold…of course…

We found the Pot filled with beads and gold at Walmart and the Leprechaun was left over from last year’s St. Patrick’s Day Mantel. Here is what I used to decorate with…

St. Patrick’s Day Mantel Supplies:

• Tissue Paper Flowers – learn how to make them HERE
• Chalkboard + chalk – remember to wet the chalkboard and use wet chalk {just soak the chalk in a damp cloth}
• Pot of gold {available at Walmart}
• Leprechaun
• Lucky Banner – print it out – THANK YOU to Charlotte from The Paper Cupcake
• Hang banner with twine and mini clothespins

So here’s the deal with the Rainbow Printable Banner…

First…head on over to The Paper Cupcake Facebook page and tell Charlotte how much you love her! And thank her for the printable!

Then..come back and click HERE, save and print the banner for your St. Patrick’s Day decorating!

Follow along as we share 17 days of St. Patrick’s Day Food and Fun…

• Day 1: Food, Decorations and Sweet Treats Round-up from 2011
• Day 2: Luck of the Irish Door Hanging
• Day 3: Irish Cream Push Pops & Trifle Recipe
• Day 4: Inspiration from Pinterest

To start off the week, I shared a perfect dessert for your Valentine, Pink Lemonade Pie. Then yesterday, Gina shared her Valentine Mantel. And of course, giveaways on both days too!

Today it’s all about crafts! Kellie made some darling Valentine Envelopes! I think I might just dust off my sewing machine to make a few!  Oh and don’t miss out on the giveaway from The Shabby Creek Cottage Etsy Shop!

I have made several Heart Garlands over the last couple years, one using a cookie cutter and sewing it to a ribbon {sorry about the pictures, I’ve come a long way},then another one using a paper quilling technique, but I this one is definitely my favorite!

These kitchen cabinets were in need of a little pick-me-up after the holidays, so I gathered all my Valentine sprinkles, a few extra decorations and pulled it all together.

The hearts are cut from Lifestyle Crafts die cuts. They have a super cute Valentine selection with lots to choose from. You may remember the snowflakes, paper lanterns and most recently the cupcake wrappers I also made with their die cuts!

I just love these hearts, they come in a couple different styles, I used the nesting eyelet die cut.

To make the Heart Garland, you will need…

• Scrapbook paper
• Heart die cuts
• Glue stick
• Twine or ribbon
• Mini clothes pins or another way to hang them

Directions:

1. Cut out hearts in different sizes
2. Fold heart in half, right sides together
3. Spread glue along the folded edge and add to larger size heart
4. Measure and add twine to the area you are hanging the garland
5. Add hearts with mini clothes pins or you could hang them with thread or fishing line

The rest of the cabinet has some fun little Valentine decorations I thought you might also like.

I’m ready to decorate lots of cupcakes and cookies for Valentine’s Day with the jars full of sprinkles. In the upper left photo, you can see Valentine cupcake liners in a clear tall jar, and scattered throughout are some vintage Valentine cards that I’ve had for years. On the bottom shelf, I filled a red heart shaped basket with cookie cutters, and added a Scentsy candle warmer too. Watch for a giveaway next week for one of these cuties!

And then I couldn’t stop at the cabinet, I just had to add some hearts to my ladder that hangs above the kitchen sink.

Let’s take a closer look…it’s kind of hard to see with the window behind it. We took down the curtain in preparation for the Kitchen Remodel…remember, it’s on our Home Goals list?

Cuteness!! The hearts just make me smile! The letter “L” was left from Christmas decorating, and I simply changed the little chalkboard tags to read “Be Mine.”

We wrap up our Valentine Week tomorrow with Amy from The Idea Room, she will be sharing a fun Valentine gift idea, and of course a giveaway. I will be back with Love Buckets too!

On Friday, it’s YOUR turn to share! Link up your Valentine recipes, crafts, decorating, pretty much any love filled idea you have to the Valentine Party and it will show up on ALL four blogs at the same time! Pretty cool huh?

AND you won’t want to miss the Valentine Printable from The Paper Cupcake! She sent it to me a little bit ago and you are going to FLIP out over it!!

I also created a Pinterest Board for Valentine’s Week, and will be pinning your awesome ideas! So follow along and gather some ideas!

Photo credit – Positively Splendid

Interested in these cool products from Lifestyle Crafts? Head on over and be sure to use Promo Code…HOOSIER to receive 20% off your order!

And don’t forget to enter their giveaway…it’s HUGE!

Yup…that’s some pretty cool stuff! Learn all about the giveaway!

Disclosure: I received some products to try from Lifestyle Crafts and as always, the opinions are my own.

Linking to…Show & Tell Friday, Weekend Wrap Up Party, Made by you Monday

First, let me show you how to cut the snowflakes, then I will share with you the snowflakes I ended up decorating with.

There are lots of websites that offer free snowflake templates, including where I found these, Marcel’s Kids Crafts. The first thing you will need to do is find the pattern or patterns you would like to use and print them off on either copy paper or cardstock. I would suggest copy paper, as the folding and cutting is difficult, at least it was for me.

Before we get started, I need to tell you the mistake I made. I printed and cut out all the paper snowflakes, and then later realized that if I wanted to hang them in the window, there was going to be a line on the back. So, if you don’t want a line on yours, you will either need to trace the template or fold the paper and then lay the design triangle {see it at the bottom of the pattern?} on top and then cut.

For the purpose of showing you how to fold and cut the snowflakes, I left the lines on this one.

Step 1:

• Print out snowflake pattern and cut it out

Step 2:

• Fold in half on the diagonal

Step 3:

• Fold again to form a triangle

Step 4:

• Fold in thirds. You will have 2 little wings on the bottom

Step 5:

• Cut the wings off so you end up with a skinny triangle. This is where you would lay the pattern on top or trace it on

Step 6:

• Cut away all of the shaded area. This step was difficult for me, I did have small sharp scisscors, until they broke that is.

Step 7:

• Open up the snowflake and see how you did. Mine, clearly isn’t perfect, but that’s okay. You will want to lay the snowflakes under heavy books for at least overnight to flatten them.

This is how the back looks, which is fine if you aren’t going to hang them up in a window. I also tried cutting them from a coffee filter, which was MUCH easier to cut, but not thick enough to hang in the window.

So…here’s what I ended up doing…

Do you remember the Paper Lanterns that I shared at Christmas? I should have thought about the die cuts in the beginning, but I really wanted to cut the snowflakes for the window. I’m REALLY happy with how it turned out though.

I used my Epic Die Cut Machine and Snowflake Die Cut from Lifestyle Crafts, super easy…and lots easier on my hand.

I added a few Aqua Mason Jars filled with Epsom Salt and a battery operated tea light. In the end, it was an easy Winter Decorating project.

Interested in these cool products from Lifestyle Crafts? Head on over and be sure to use Promo Code…HOOSIER to receive 20% off your order!

Disclosure: I received some products to try from Lifestyle Crafts and as always, the opinions are my own.

Do you have any helpful hints for paper snowflake making?

Linking to…Saturday Night Special, Saturday Seven Party, Sundae Scoop, Made By You Monday, Tip Me Tuesday, Get Your Craft On, Transformation Thursday

But enough of all that, you want to see how I decorated the Hoosier for Winter…don’t you?

My original thought was to add lots of my white vases, pots and dishes and then just scatter in a few snowmen, but that didn’t turn out so well. So then I tried mostly snowmen, with a few added dishes for interest…that was much better.

I’ll have to say, I think the top is my favorite part. I REALLY loved how the Chalkboard turned out on the Winter Mantel, and I had this small Chalkboard hanging in the kitchen, that quite honestly was neglected most of the time. I started with some grey wool fabric {leftover from the Winter Mantel} and added a string of white lights. For some height, I added a framed snowman on the right side, and then the tall vase on the left. But it needed a little something…Doug to the rescue…out to the yard he went with his clippers.

I filled the bottom of the vase with floral foam, then added the sticks. I used a variety of sizes and textures of snowflakes and a few icicles too. A couple of them are paper snowflakes that I cut by hand, in an attempt to make them for the Dining Room window. You can see more of them under the Snowflake Cupcakes, but needless to say, I didn’t get enough cut for the window. Stop back on Friday though, and I’ll show you what I ended up making.

Then the rest of the top was filled in with a vase, a carafe, snowman, an aqua mason jar filled with small snowball candles and a large snowball candle sits on top of a pedestal plate {small plate added to a candle stick}

Lots of snowmen gathered together in the middle, with a few snowball candles, a white pitcher and another aqua mason jar.

Then another fun area…the Hot Cocoa Station is ready to warm us all up! More aqua mason jars, this time filled with hot cocoa mix and mini marshmallows. Some of my snowman mugs and a cool tea pot we found at the thrift store last Fall.

And on the front, some vintage black skates and old mittens to add a little whimsy.

I love how it similar to the Winter Mantel {see it in the background?}, but yet, it’s different. Now while this is on my Hoosier Cabinet, you could certainly apply these ideas to any area in your home.

Have you been decorating for Winter? Share with us what you have been doing!

Linking to…Transformation Thursday, Show & Tell Friday, Frugal Friday, Saturday Night Special, Saturday Seven Party, Sundae Scoop