Shim Sunburst Mirror

Dear Reader,

I was late to the party in spending much time on Pinterest.  Reason: I knew that I would be very tempted to attempt many (maybe too many!) DIYs.  This past spring I came across a shim mirror tutorial (one of many great sunburst tutorials) which looked feasible, and I showed it to my husband.  He thought that he would enjoy creating a mirror like this.  We gathered the supplies together: shims, plywood circle, wood glue, clear varnish, mirror, liquid nails, and picture hanging wire and hooks.  My husband took it from there.

Drum roll, please...

LOVE the mirror, and thankful to my husband for taking on this DIY.

Have a great weekend, friends!

DIY Burlap Fall Wreath

Dear Reader,

Happy Friday!  I am glad to report that our first grader is having a great first week of school after our family enjoyed a really refreshing Labor Day weekend.  Fun!  I took a few minutes this week to craft a fall wreath for our front door.  This is a quick project for a classic fall look.

Here is what I used: a straw wreath, burlap ribbon, orange raffia, and white pumpkin decorations. My hot glue gun got plenty of use with this project!

Step 1: Wrap the wreath with the burlap ribbon, securing it to the straw wreath with hot glue.

Step 2: Tie or glue raffia to a section of the wreath.

Step 3: Glue pumpkins to the raffia section.

Easy, right?!  I really like the simplicity of this wreath though.  And now to add some mums by the front door, and we'll be set to welcome fall!

I am linking up with Tatertots and Jello and the Link Party Palooza and hoping that you all have a wonderful weekend!

Hello final week of summer!

Dear Reader,

At our house we are entering our last week of summer vacation.  School starts next week for our first grader; a new project begins construction for my husband, and so the good routines of our life return.  I am excited to start a new pace, to get organized, and to work on some new projects.  I am also sad to see the summer come to a close.  I savored and enjoyed this time far more than I even anticipated.

This week I am saying hello to some of the highlights from our final stretch of summer...

Hello Super Why! at the baseball game!

Hello giraffes (and getting to feed them!)

Hello water park fun!

Hello children's museum visit!

Hello final week of summer!  We hope to fit in some more great moments in the week ahead.  Looking forward to being more present here in September.

Happy Monday!  Linking up with Lisa Leonard today!

Hello August!

Dear Reader,

August has arrived after filling the month of July with some exceptional memories and highlights.  I started summer wondering if we had planned enough activities to keep life interesting and fun.  We did.  We are now trying to squeeze in the remaining "hope to do this summer" things before school resumes.

Here are a few enjoyable moments from our July:

Hello six year old!  My dear son just keeps growing, 

and we loved celebrating him a few times over!

Hello family reunion!  A tradition for many, many years and a delight to gather!

Hello zoo class!  My son recently went to a water wonders day camp at our local zoo.  

The sting rays are one of his favorites.

Hello bike riding outside!

I hope this summer is turning out so well for you!  What has been the highlight so far?

Have a great week, friends!  Linking up with Lisa Leonard today.