DIY holiday penguin craft

Seriously, how stinkin' cute are these DIY penguins crafted out of recycled soda bottles?  I love it!  They would make a great painting project for younger children or are simply a fun excuse for crafty adults to create fresh, new holiday decor.

Top 30 DIY projects

I stumbled across an article that lists 30 reuseable DIY projects.  The creativity put into some of these crafts amazes me. Take a peek at a few of the inspirational projects listed:

Lightbulb oil lamps

Tennis racket mirrors

Glove-turned-chipmunk

Spoon lamp

For the full list, read "30 Creative Reuseable DIY Projects." 

Pumpkins, apples and gourds... oh my!

Hello, autumn! Nothing's more refreshing than a change in seasons.  With mid-September comes cool nights, cozy scarves, changing leaves and (my favorite) apple picking.

Paul and I missed out on our annual trip to Melick's last year, so we made sure to fit it in to our schedules as soon this September rolled around.  We spent the past weekend picking a variety of apples and perusing the vast selection of pumpkins and gourds.

With the abundance of apples we picked, it looks like I'll be eating nothing but goat cheese & apple sandwiches for lunch everyday (no complaints here!).

Wedding + flowers

My close friend, Mandy, was married to her awesome beau, Josh, this past weekend. I was honored to be a bridesmaid in the wedding and stand by Mandy's side as she said "I do" to the love of her life.

The ceremony and reception took place at The Garrison in New York, which is nestled in the Hudson Highlands with breathtaking views of the Hudson river. One of the things that really stood out to me, other than the scenery and beautiful bride, were the floral arrangements. I'm having a hard time attempting to describe the flowers so I'll go with two words: rustic and eclectic. See for yourself how pretty they were:

Various arrangements at the ceremony & reception

Me with my bridesmaid bouquet