Tag: autumn

Happy Fall Blocks with a Winter Twist

Posted on September 26, 2017September 26, 2017 by Mama

Wow, summer decided it was not going quietly this weekend as we posted temps in the 90s here in the Midwest. My son got out of school three hours early on the first day of fall last Friday, so we headed to the zoo. . . let me just say I’m awfully thankful for the indoor penguin exhibit!! Tonight promises rain and much cooler temps, so it should finally start feeling like autumn, at least for several days.

Okay, so I just had to share a fun penguin pic with you from our summer-feeling fall day at the zoo. We pretty much had the place to ourselves.

As I have been slowly pulling out my autumn décor, I came across this fun little fall blocks project I made at one of our awesome MOMS Club® events. My friend, Stephanie, did all the legwork for this one, so all we had to do was ink, paste and Mod Podge. That’s about as easy as it gets for such a cute little craft. Thanks, Stephanie! Today, I’m going to share the process with all of you so that you can assemble your own at home, but there will be some sawing involved, because I’m afraid Stephanie doesn’t come with the directions.

Supplies Needed:

1 2×4 piece of wood (one 8 ft length will make several of these projects)
1 2×2 piece of wood (one 8 ft length will make several of these projects)
Coarse sandpaper, with or without an electric sander.
Letters (you can buy them precut, use a Cricut machine or even store-bought stickers) — You will need an F and two Ls. You will also need the word “happy” or enough small letters to spell out the word.
Paper leaf (you can buy this precut, use a Cricut machine or even store-bought stickers)
Coordinating background paper
Mod Podge
paintbrush for applying Mod Podge

Directions:

The first step is to cut the pieces of wood down to the correct size. Cut the 2×4 down to the following sizes: two pieces 2 3/4″ wide, two pieces 2 1/4″ wide and 2 3/4″ tall. Note: these were sizes for the letters and leaf we used, so you can measure your letters and cut accordingly, if you choose.
Next, cut the 2×2 to size. Our piece was about 4 1/2″ long, but measure the distance of your other blocks pushed together and check your measurement before cutting. Naturally, if you cut your 2×4 blocks different sizes, this block will also be a different size.
Once you have all your blocks cut to size, use your sander/sand paper to round off all the edges and corners for a smooth finished look.
This step is optional, but I like to ink all my edges for a bit more interest with a coordinating color. Do this before you start pasting down things, because you won’t have any luck after.
Now it’s time to start assembling your blocks. We used Mod Podge on the backside of our paper, letters and leaf as an adhesive. Once everything is pasted down, put a nice coat of Mod Podge on top of everything. This will make sure all your elements stay put and add some protection.
After everything dries, you are ready to welcome autumn with your cute handmade blocks!

Okay, so here’s the winter twist I promised for this project. If you want your blocks to pull double duty, simply add a backside that nods to cooler weather. Use coordinating papers and letters and add a little snowflake to welcome winter with just a simple flip.

Apple Pickin’ in the Orchard

Posted on September 20, 2017 by Mama

One of my favorite fall activities is apple pickin’ at Schweizer Orchards in St. Joe. We started this tradition when my son and I joined a mom’s group years ago, and both of us quickly took to the cool mornings, apple picking and picnicking with our friends. Unfortunately, my little guy is in first grade these days and most of our group outings are during the day, so that means no apple picking for him during the week (when all the fun stuff is not overly crowded). Fortunately for me I don’t mind, and neither it seems do the other moms, showing up to some of the good stuff without my child in tow. My husband calls me the MOMS Club® stalker. . . He might be right, but I don’t care. Besides, who couldn’t use an extra set of hands when you’re out and about with the kids.

So when apple pickin’ rolled around on a cool cloudy day this week you bet I was there, with rubber boots on my feet and a smile on my face. My little man was seriously not happy when he found out where I was headed, but one of my freshly picked apples did make a delicious after-school snack. He also loves my Apple Crisp, so I’ve promised to make one sometime soon. I think he has forgiven me, but maybe we will find time for a family outing to the orchard another day this season.

For those of you who live close to St. Joe (and if not, it’s probably worth the drive), you might want to visit Schweizer someday soon. They still have several varieties of apples ready to pick and the pumpkin patch will open in October. They host several types of group tours, including our basic tour that costs $1.50 per child for story time, an orchard tour, and one apple chosen right off the tree. Moms can also pick apples and pay per the pound (I paid 99 cents a pound for my juicy hand-picked apples). In addition to the orchard, they have a great playground and picnic area, so it is really easy to enjoy most of a morning outside with the kids. They also have open hours for picking, so you don’t have to be part of a tour to enjoy the orchard. If you want to know more about Schweizer Orchards, you should visit their website or give them a call. . . before the trees are bare.

Happy Fall, Y’all

Posted on September 19, 2017 by Mama

Okay, so it’s not quite officially fall, but I’m so ready to bust open my autumn and Halloween projects that I decided to get going here at Small Talk Mama. And what’s fall without a few mums around the house (honestly, I can’t seem to go to the store without coming home with a new fun color)?

Last week I purchased a small trio of pink mums for my back porch ($1 each) just to show off my latest repurposed project made from two sticks of old picket fencing leaning against a backyard tree. It was the last of some salvaged fence parts and was just enough to create this adorable little rustic wood tray. Considering I had some old drawer pulls that needed a home and nails enough to go around the world twice, this project barely cost a thing, except for the little feet underneath to give the tray some breathing room. I picked up those for a couple of bucks at the hardware store.

Since I only had two four-foot-sticks of fence, I had to make every inch count. I cut both pickets in half and used three lengths to form the base of my tray. Since one of the lengths still had the dog-eared top on it, I placed it in the middle of the other two. You can see the dog ears from one end, but not from either side. I also think it lends a bit of personality to the finished project.

I then measured the width of all three bottom pieces lying next to one another, and cut two pieces that width out of the remaining wood. I had just enough left to go the distance. Whew! I lined up everything and screwed it all together from the backside of the tray, and then added the pulls on the top of the tray at each end.

I planned to use the finished tray on the wooden box/table on my back deck, but I didn’t want the tray to trap moisture under it and rot both it and the box. So I purchase some super cheap feet that I simply hammered in from the backside and this gave everything some breathing room. I can’t wait to change out the flowers for the seasons and make good use of my decorative DIY tray!

Okay, folks. I’ve shown you my mums, now I want to see yours. Happy Fall, y’all!

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