Thursday, October 25, 2012

Fall Leaves and a Craft


 I'm not sure I've ever appreciated or enjoyed the changing seasons as much as I have this year. I'm not sure if it's because I have a four year old and we talk about the different characteristics of each season, or if it's just because I've taken the time to notice the little details.  I notice the leaves as they fall to the ground, the butterflies as they dance around, the crisp air when I step outside in the morning, and all the glorious colors of autumn.



 In the evening, when the sun goes down, the light seems to transform the landscape into something magical, even in our own yard. There are so many colors I want to capture in a photo... I never seem to be able to, but I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. 


With the fall foliage at its peak, we picked up colorful leaves we saw during our daily walks this week.  Then we pressed our collection while I looked for a kids craft project to use them in.  There are a lot of fun fall crafts out there using leaves, but I fell in love with this project from Martha Stewart.  I know ideally the leaves should be pressed for a week, but since I was impatient eager to start, we just pressed them overnight and they worked just fine. 


Obviously all the cutting was done by me, but Jillian helped give input on which leaves to use and then she glued and drew the little details.  


We spelled the word "fall" and chose to create leaf animals for each of those letters.  I really had no intention of blogging about it, but it was such a fun craft project and turned out so cute.  Once we finished, the girls went down for naps and I strung the letters up on the mantel to surprise Jillian when she woke up. 


She spent a long while looking at her work that afternoon and honestly so did I.  (smile)  I plan on laminating these this week so I'll always have them as a reminder of the fun morning we had together learning more about the season.

"Ohhh, look at Rosetta hugging me, Mommy!"
Happy Fall!

Sharing at Savvy Southern Style

26 comments:

  1. Very cute....from the cute little leaf animals to the hugs at the end :-)

    ~Cinnamon

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  2. Oh! These are adorable! I wouldn't be able to to wait a week either! They make a lovely addition to your mantel - and made by you and your kids, too!

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  3. Such a beautifully written post. Made me want to go outside and just breathe in the fall air. I LOVE what y'all made. It is so precious. Your girls are so adorable. I do wish you would share this at my party and then I can share it, too.

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  4. What a great project and she did a beautiful job!!!! Wow! They looked just like Martha's! I love that you spelled Fall and that she did upper and lower case.
    I really like the way you displayed them too. I think I want to make some myself. Happy Fall to all!

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  5. Those precious babies ... so cute.

    Fall is my favorite season. Every thing about it brings me a sense of peace. Can't explain it.

    I have a couple of leaves my daughter brought in from our fall yard when she was seven. I framed them and dated the back. She is now 26 and they still find a place every autumn, and I go back in time to that very special day in November.

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  6. We all need to take time to smell the roses, so to speak. I think blogging and photography help us take notice of our surroundings and when you have small children, you see things through their eyes, too. Your banner is precious and you'll smile every year when you take it out of storage and remember a special day. Happy fall!

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  7. What a great idea! These are so cute...and your kids are adorable!
    Happy Fall!!

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  8. That is the cutest idea EVER!! What a beautiful job...I love the little fox. I am sure you and your girls will treasure it!

    ~Julia

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  9. How precious! I love it! Now I want to do this with my daughter. I don't know how far I would have to walk to find some leaves though. :( Your house looks so pretty.

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  10. So sweet,Andrea! I absolutely LOVE this :) Thanks for sharing.

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  11. ADORABLE....both the craft AND the girls...:) This craft actually looks like something I could handle,lol...if I have the grands this weekend I think we'd enjoy it! :) Glad that you DID post about it

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  12. Cute project. We all need to take a break and notice the little things. The kids are adorable. So happy.

    Cynthia

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  13. I enjoyed reading about your mother- daughter quality time! Time spent creating something together with kids has always been the most meaningful time to me. My son is 14, yet, he still enjoys doing crafts with me. I love the banner; it's unique and will always remind you of this fabulous fall day.
    Happy Fall, beautiful family!

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  14. what a fun project, and such beautiful photography! I have noticed your pictures on creatively made home and am happy to now be following you =)

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  15. I love that! Now that is a awesome kids craft:). Beautiful photos!

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  16. I think the way you hung the pictures from the twine is brilliant. :o) I love the pictures of your house and yard. I will be able to picture you there much easier now!

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  17. I love that photo of your daughter looking at her own work! I love how you've displayed it as well-simple and elegant at the same time.

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  18. Aw, that last pic is precious of the girls! I think a lot of it is blogging. It makes us look at things, slow down and really look. And that's one of the most positive aspects of blogging.
    Brenda

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  19. Enjoying your blog. Your have a sweet home. I live in a small community in middle Tennessee. I don't miss the big city at all. Love how you capture images. I would be thrill to have you as a follower. Have a great weekend. ~Jen

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  20. What a fun project for the girls and it turned out as a great decoration for the mantle as well! You new profile pic it super cute too!

    Lynn

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  21. Thats really cute and clever of them. Love have a project like this for my niece. Got my eye on your next posts.

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  22. What a sweet idea. Fall is my favorite time of year. We just returned from a trip to the NC mountains and I have never seen a more magical fall. I have a lot of blog material!

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  23. I found your blog while visiting Cozy Little House. It's wonderful...I'm a new follower! First of all, your girls are lovely and you reminded me of how much I loved to do projects with mine when they were younger. The banner is SO cute, very clever! It's sometimes those little moments that make posting so special! I'm also looking forward to seeing more of your pretty home!

    XO,
    Jane

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  24. I just love fall, leaves and all. Look at your mantel now. A simple little crafty afternoon with tiny hands that helped and memories to cherish. Oh dear Martha. She inspired me so many times as a young mom too. Memories...oh memories...

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  25. This is the cutest post. I am loving all of your wonderful leaves and wishing we had some as beautiful in the tropics. I love what you did with the banner that is super cleaver. I would love it if you would share this wonderful post at our What's it Wednesday party. Hope you can join us.

    Paula
    ivyandelephants.blogspot.com

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  26. Very nice project with your beautiful daughters!
    The last photo is lovely!
    Besos from Argentina, Silvina

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