Decision Made...and Confessions

 I wasn't sure what my day today would hold for me when I went to bed last night but I awoke to a heat advisory for my area-up to 110 heat index!! The only things I have left to do outside are really quite labor intensive and, even with walking in and out of the pool, I just wasn't up to facing that today. So, that meant inside projects which, we all know, I don't have on deck either. And so, I decided to head to $Tree to look for a few things I have seen on different blogs and then to HL to pick up what I might need to finish one-or two- autumn lanterns.

My $Tree Plus had some fall things out but none of what I was looking for so off I went to HL. Of course, HL is bursting with autumn!!! It is everywhere and those are the colors and scents that I love so walking up and down the aisles even if I really couldn't use half of what was there was still fun for me.

My goal was to find some of the foliage I might need for my lantern. I wanted to go with a softer colored autumn leaf but I couldn't find any that really filled the bill so I just grabbed ones that were the right size and then filled in with some picks and flowers of other colors.

So here is confession #1...and this is not a well kept secret or surprise because I have admitted this many times before. Flower arranging of any kind is just not a gift I was given. I am NOT good at it...nor do I enjoy it. Of course, just making a ring around the bottom of the lantern is not any kind of real arranging but even that gives me trepidation and so, ONE lantern it is. I actually decided that because this lantern will have some presence and I really don't know if I even have anywhere where two of the same lanterns would be needed. 

So here is today's haul...joined by my previous haul. Hopefully I now have more than enough to get this job done.

I also grabbed some pip berries but these have leaves as well so, if I don't unwind them, them will make a cute candle ring for some plain candles. And, I also grabbed some autumnal paper flowers just in case a need should arise somewhere over the next few months. Lol

...previous haul

And then for confession #2. I have said many, many times that the only things I ever pay full price for at HL are the things that never go on sale. But, today I broke that rule. I think I have decided what my Christmas ornament will be this year and the inspiration picture has a distressed white background. I was looking for just plain wood ornament discs to use and wondering how many steps it was going to take me just to get the background before I even started painting on them when I saw these...

Even though the inspiration photo didn't have any instructions, I swear this could be exactly what was used...and so, I grabbed some up even though Christmas is not yet on sale. I just want to get started and see how they may turn out...I'll let you know.

As I said, I really don't know the correct way to do flower arranging so I just started with my candleholder and the Styrofoam rounds. I use skewers to secure the two thin rounds together because that made it the perfect height to sit in the base of the holder and give me enough area above the rim to secure my foliage.

I started with a sort of base of the largest leaves.

Of course, once I got here I was totally at a loss as to where to go next so I just started pushing in the things I knew for sure I wanted to use. I had to make sure that all of the white of the Styrofoam was covered and I really wanted to squeeze in both the flowers and the pumpkins. It might be a bit too much of a good thing but I'm OK with it. Of course, I was a bit frustrated so I forgot to take any more pictures until I was done.

I hadn't planned on using the "droopy" stems but it felt like it needed a bit more not quite so structured. And, as I look at it, there might still be a bit more tweaking if the mood strikes...we shall see.

I'm glad I actually thought ahead for a minute. Instead of attaching anything to the lantern-including the foam rounds-I just left them loose and everything is inserted just into them. So, when it comes time to store this, all I have to think about is finding room for the rounds. And, the lantern and candle holder can be used again for another holiday-win, win!

So that is it for me today. I have a bit to clean up and then I am going to call it a day. Stay safe and stay tuned.