Blog - Parsley and Pom Poms

It is pumpkin season everyone! I love all pumpkins, but lately I have been loving white pumpkins best for a few reasons. White pumpkins look refined in any space and also provide a blank canvas to decorate them as you please.

I thought I would take on a painting craft and paint a few white pumpkins to fit perfectly in with my jungle-like living room. I picked up a few white pumpkins of various sizes from Publix grocery store and a few craft paints and brushes (1 pk of paint brushes w/ multiple sizes) from Target and got right to work.

I began with one pumpkin at a time and dipped my brush directly into the top of the acrylic paint bottle. I did not mix any water with the paint for this project so I worked straight from the bottle, less mess for clean up. I simply pulled some images of reference from my pinterest page of leaf and pattern designs I liked. I also used my imagination and painted a bit' whimsically as well when I didn't want to copy the leaves exactly. Let the brush and imagination guide your design, being off book can sometimes create the best visuals.

If you have trouble painting by referencing a picture only, it helps immensely to print out pictures of leaves you like. Then, cut the leaves out and trace them with pencil directly onto your pumpkins before beginning to paint. Click the link above to access all the leaves and patterns I love on Pinterest. Have fun!

xo RCN

Parsley and Pom Poms pattern inspiration on Pinterest: Click Here!

If you are like me, you always like fresh flowers in the house as often as possible. I usually pick up a few bunches of hydrangeas and some other misc. flowers (depending on my mood), once a week.

However, when I have guests over I like to go one step farther and make the flowers even more special. This simple flower vase is a great way to add some beauty, doesn't break the bank, and you can do it yourself!

Steps are all pictured above in sequence of action and listed below. Hey, when life gives you lemons...make a lemon vase!

You will need:

6 stems of hydrangeas or other preferred flowers.

1 bag of lemons, about 8 lemons.

2 vases. One larger glass vase about 5-6 inches in diameter at top. One small cup or vase of any kind that has a diameter on top and bottom smaller than the larger vase. The smaller vase must sit inside the larger vase with room around on all sides to place the lemon slices. Hint: The closer in height your vases are, the easier it will be to sandwich the lemons between the vases. If the small vase is a lot shorter you will have to adjust thickness of lemon slices and it may be trickier to stack the lemons on top one another. I chose the tricky way ;)

Step 1. Place small vase inside and center in larger vase.

Step 2. Begin slicing lemons to be the exact thickness that will fit in between your vases. Do not cut all of your lemons to the same thickness if the distance between your vases widen as you get to top of vases. Place slices in between the glass of large vase and outside of small vase inside the larger vase. Continue placing slices until the lemons reach at least the top edge of smaller vase.

Step 3. Once the lemons are placed all the way up to the top of the smaller vase add water to the small vase and place flowers inside the small vase. If you have no more room to place lemons inside and all edges are surrounded by the slices you are complete! If you still have a few inches of height that you need to cover and surround with lemons, like I did, this is okay too. It will be easier to complete placing the remainder of lemons once the flowers are inside.

Step 4. Cut remainder of lemons if you have not already done so. Be sure to cut thicker as these will need to be chunkier to stand straight against edge of vase and stems of flowers since there is no longer a vase inside to lean them and sandwich the lemons against. Keep stacking lemons around until reaching the top of vase. And you are done... so lemony and pretty! xo RCN