I had so much fun with the spring desktop wallpaper that I decided to make a few autumn versions. I took all the color photos at the peak of autumn at Ken Lockwood Gorge in Clinton, NJ. The last photo is one of my favorites from autumn in New York City - it's a curb in Central Park.
Just click the link below each one for your screen size to download. Enjoy!
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1280 x 960 | 1024 x 768 | 800 x 600
I made my own felt headband! And I didn't even sew, just used a glue gun, some felt, and a stretchy headband that I already had. Thank you, Pinterest!
More fun lately with Instagram...
The winner of the "first day of fall" giveaway is comment #12...Aunt Meesh!
"Aunt Meesh" just so happens to be my sister-in-law, Michelle Fisher (Steven's sister and Luci Belle's aunt). I swear this wasn't rigged!
The giveaway package will take a little bit 'o autumn all the way to Northern Iraq, where Michelle and her husband Cody live, helping fund life-saving heart surgeries for Iraqi children through the Preemptive Love Coalition.
What was one of Michelle's favorite fall memories?
well this is easy - fall walks in Aspen with my favorite LuciBelle! (come on - that's gotta count double, right?) {insert aunt meesh/luci belle moby pic} was that really a year ago?? time flies...
The last time we saw Aunt Meesh was last October when we took a lovely vacation with Steven's family to Aspen. I love remembering her carrying a 3-month-old Luci Belle snugly in the Moby wrap all through the quaint streets, the stunning mountains. Ahhhhh. I miss Colorado. But we miss Aunt Meesh much, much more!
On a walk in Aspen
Downtown Boulder: Michelle, Cody, and a very hungry Luci Belle
I can't believe how wittle Luci Belle is here...
Aspen is truly magical in the fall.
Thanks to all who entered, I loved reading your favorite fall memories!
Today is officially the first day of autumn, and here in Texas, we're slowly recovering from almost 100 days of 100 degree weather. Sweet Lord, I never thought it would come, but I'm more thankful than ever for the changing of the seasons, for the "unforced rhythyms of grace." It was in the 70s and sprinkled rain during my walk this morning, and I almost wept. What a simple gift.
So, I thought I'd do a giveaway to celebrate! If you win, you'll receive a package of goodies that will encourage you to slow down and enjoy this fall season a bit, to take care of yourself, to rest.
What does the package include? First, something that celebrates a movie I'll always love, You've Got Mail...
"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address." - Joe Fox
A "bouquet" of newly sharpened pencils...
It's high time we started using pencils again, don't you think? How about writing in a journal with them? Drawing some sketches? Doodling, erasing, and doodling again? My pencil "bouquet" is tied with yarn and includes a felt leaf and paper tag with an inspiring quote. {Whoever wins must promise to actually use the pencils though! I almost got carpal tunnel hand-sharpening those suckers!}
Second, one of my personal favorites, Desert Essence Organics Vanilla Chai Hand and Body Lotion...
This stuff smells like fall, and you will want to eat it.
Lastly, I thought I'd throw in some yummy teas, and...a SURPRISE! Only one hint: the surprise will be handmade by yours truly.
To enter the giveaway, post a comment below and share one of your favorite fall memories. On Friday, September 30th, I'll choose the winner from a random drawing. Hooray for fall!
I am completely in love with Pinterest. Have you tried it yet? Several friends told me about it, but I was hesitant to take the plunge, because I just knew I'd love it. Well, that's the understatement of the year.
"What's Pinterest?" some of you might be asking. It's a site where you can create virtual "pinboards" of anything on the web and browse through what your friends have pinned and repin the things you like to your own boards. For instance, I have a pinboard to collect ideas for creative ways to use chalkboards. Or wood pallets. Or color inspiration or inspiring words. Check out all my pinboards for yourself!
So, why do I love Pinterest so much?
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This was so much fun and a lot easier than I thought it would be. I'm also now nerdily obsessed with felt. There's so much you can do with it! I used the wreath tutorial above and also this easy tutorial on how to make felt flowers. Doesn't it look purty with our orange door?
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I do like how this turned out, but next time, instead of using thick yarn, I'll probably use a needle and thick thread or at least a thinner yarn. To make this garland, I had to cut 5 small notches in each leaf and hand-thread the yarn through. I asked my husband what he thought of it when it was done and he said, "Nice! What are they? Kites?" Awesome. So I think I'd like the effect a lot better if it was hand-stitched with thread like this so it creates a more realistic "vein" line down the center of the leaf. I'd also love to try using textured felt.
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This was totally free. I already had a heart paper punch and a bag full of paint color samples I'd collected over the years. Add a needle and thread, and voila, a cute little garland for above the door in Luci Belle's room.
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It was fun walking the neighborhood collecting all different types of acorns for this project! I used a hot glue gun to add some burlap trim and a green felt heart around the rim of each jar. They made great decorations for a fall-themed baby shower I threw yesterday, and I love them so much they're staying on the table!
Other projects I can't wait to try...
AHHHHH! See? I'm outta control!
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Have you tried Pinterest? How has it inspired you?
Yesterday we experienced the very first bit of cool air since May. As one of my Facebook friends said so well, "This cool air is like Prozac."
To start the day, Instagram helped me capture the beginnings of autumn on our walk - oh, how we've missed our daily walks! But they're back, folks, they back.
Yes, I know. I'm the last person on earth to use Instagram. But after my daughter recently threw my old phone in the toilet, I started using an iPhone generously given to me by a friend. I love taking photos with a real camera, so I didn't think I'd get into Instagram. But the more I played around with it, the more I became hooked on how it enables me to take a quick snapshot to capture an ordinary moment or mood in my day. And some of the photo effects add such a beautiful timeless quality. So, here are some of my Instagram photos lately...
I'm Christine. believer. idealist. writer. artist. treehugger. wife. mama. daughter. sister. friend.
just trying to see the beauty and share with others along the way. {learn more}
"This is your life, this is your real life, and you are living it. Your life is not going to start later. This is it, it is now. It's funny how a person can be so busy that they forget that this is it. This is my life."
~ Lee Smith
