All Roads Lead Home

Guest Post :: At Home With K :: Glass Pendant Valentine Necklaces ::

2012-01-26T10:24:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I wanted to share with you a guest post that I was asked to do for Kindra from At Home With K. This is the 2nd annual Be Mine Bonanza. Such a fun event, so much inspiration & creativity! Be sure & check out all the great previous posts from this week so far!

My daughter Emily & I created some Valentine glass pendant necklaces. We always have so much fun crafting together. You can check out our tutorial HERE. It really is an easy peasy project and they make great gifts for friends & family! ♥

This is an especially special project for me. Our daughter Emily had corrective jaw surgery on December 22nd. Her lower jaw did not grow at the same rate as her upper jaw. She was having a lot of jaw popping & pain, as well as her bite being significantly off. It needed to be done to save her more serious issues in the future. She has recovered so well & the fact that she felt fabulous enough to craft makes me so happy! What a blessing to have her back to her normal, happy, creative self again!

I have been working on some Winter &Valentine salt dough. That has kept me very busy lately. That and an on-going sinus infection that just won’t go away. This has been my worst one yet. Don’t my sinuses know that I don’t have time to be sick!??

I hope you all have a wonderful day. Another sunny one here. We have hardly had a winter at all. Most people are happy about that, not me. I miss the coziness of winter, the occasional snow day from school, hot chocolate, snowman building, sledding etc. We have had none of that. *sad face*

Before I go, I would like to invite those of you who “pin” to FOLLOW ME on Pinterest! I am having a blast with it! So many beautiful photos, ideas, tips & tricks. Over 11,000 pins and counting. Come check out my boards! Hope to see you there!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: A Little More Christmas Decor ::

2011-12-13T21:18:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone. Hope you all had a great day! Thought I would share a few more photos of our Christmas decorating. Just a few snapshots here & there.

Living room shelf ::

Sleigh stitchery ::

NOEL ::

Master bedroom ::

Window with wreath ::

Wreath tart made by my friend Dana. In the scent ‘Christmas Tree’. I can’t bear to melt it, I like it displayed in this bowl too much!

Pinecones ::

Just a touch of greenery ::

Sparkly snowman on the porch. He greets all of our guests ::

Enjoyed my Fresh Balsam candle from Bath & Body Works today. We may have an artificial tree, but a good candle helps to give you that scent of a real one!

So are all of you done decorating? I have been having fun! Feels so good to have the house all decorated! It's the little finishing touches I love doing! Putzing around, placing a few pine cones, jingle bells, greenery & berries here & there. I sprinkled just a bit more holiday cheer around our home today! ♥

Time to start thinking about shopping & baking!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Christmas Decorating 2011 ::

2011-12-12T07:53:00.001-08:00

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you are all doing well & enjoying the month of December so far. It is flying by! All of the decorating is done here. Now we can start thinking about shopping & baking. I thought I would share a few photos of some displays around our home. I really had fun decorating, tried to keep it simple this year. Welcome to our home. I hope you enjoy.

In the kitchen. HO :: HO :: HO ::

Bowl rack that my Dad made ♥

Shelf in the foyer ::

Above our kitchen cabinets ::

A little touch of greenery & a charm light to make my kitchen utensils more festive ::

In the basement . Old Homestead tote ::

Kris Kringle ::

Computer cabinet ::

Master Bedroom ::

Wreath with skates ::

I have had this Santa for years. He is one of my favorites ::

Santa tarts from my sweet friend Dana ::

Jingle bell tarts also from Dana ::

Beeswax Santa & candy canes nestled into some mixed greens ::

Fruit, greenery & cinnamon sticks on my doughboard for the holidays ::

The stockings were hung ::

I was out shopping & found some old fashioned tinsel! The kind that was always on my childhood trees growing up! Now it's on OUR family tree & I love it! The tree just shimmers! 75 cents for a box of tinsel that brings back SO many warm, wonderful memories! ♥

Village Candle’s Balsam Fir . So fragrant, festive & wonderful ::

Tin punch lantern with greenery & clove studded oranges ::

Our outdoor lights ::

We enjoyed our first snow. So beautiful ::

The kiddos went sledding ::

And built a snowman. So cute ::

I so hope you had fun on our little holiday home tour inside & out! Take time during this busy season to sit & enjoy the sights, sounds & smells of Christmas. I love sitting down after the kiddos have gone to bed when it is quiet, nothing but the tree lights on, Christmas music playing, Time to wind down at the end of a busy day.

Thank you to each and every one of you for stopping by my blog. I love reading your comments & I appreciate you taking the time to visit!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Happy Thanksgiving ::

2011-11-23T09:27:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to each & every one of you. Cherish the time with family & friends. Wishing you bountiful blessings. Approach every new day with a grateful heart. ♥

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Finally Posting My Trip Photos ::

2011-11-14T08:39:00.001-08:00

Hello! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Ours was uneventful. I have been under the weather with a sinus infection & it has been a doozy. I am on my second round of antibiotics, I am hopeful that this will finally take care of it. I have had no energy, and that is no fun. Haven’t had the energy to do the everyday chores, laundry, dishes etc. Let alone have the energy to do my workouts & yoga. That does not make for a very happy me, so I am very much looking forward to feeling 100% and getting back to normal! We recently celebrated three birthdays in our family so it has been a BUSY time! No time to be sick that’s for sure!!

Happy Monday! None of us were ready to get up & going this morning. But, everyone got up & out the door for school & work, the house is quiet and I thought I would finally post my pictures from my trip out East. Just looking through them again made me miss it, and wish I was there again, can’t wait to go back! I hope you enjoy coming along with me on my photo journey. Lots of memories & fun times.

I was mesmerized by all of the tall trees. They are so beautiful. These photos are from a hike we took.

The mushrooms were so pretty. Here is a purple one!

Such a funky looking mushroom!

Look at that last photo, we were way inside all of the dense trees. Then, the next photo. Such a contrast.

So beautiful, lush & green.

Our first day out. Dinner on the water in Gloucester.

Love this

Here is where we ate.

I tried the seafood pizza with shrimp, scallops & lobster! Go me! I don’t ever eat seafood, but I was willing to try. It was delicious! I also tried lobster roll & fried shrimp & scallops.

Then it was off to Rockport MA. One of my most favorite stops! So incredibly beautiful!

I fell in love with the lobster buoys. So colorful!

A little shack with a crooked door.

The sun was setting. It was absolutely gorgeous.

I thought this was just cute.

Me in Rockport, MA.

Then it was off to Maine. My first stop was to see my friends at Village Candle in Wells. Too much fun! Greatest people, greatest company, greatest candles you will ever find!

Maine is SO beautiful. After we left our friends at the VC factory we had some fun at the ocean!

In Chatham a nice fisherman let me photograph his fresh lobsters!

Here is his boat heading back out.

One of the fishing boats swarming with seagulls.

Beauty is all around you!

Ahhhhhh….Heavenly!

A little writing in the sand for my amazing hubby who was back home with our five kiddos. He’s the BEST!

Me in Maine!!!

The next two photos my Brother took of me on the beach. I was in awe of my surroundings. The ocean, the little critters, the sea shells. You name it, I was like a little kid again! I was amazed!

Here are a few photos that I snapped on the beach.

A little more writing in the sand. All Roads Lead Home. And it was time for me to make my journey home.

There are SO many more photos. I took both of my cameras with multiple memory cards. SO many beautiful photo opportunities. But, I won’t show you ALL of them. Can you tell that I fell in love with New England?!! It was a magical, memorable trip for me. Full of wonderful new experiences, meeting new friends and spending time with some family too. Just a perfect trip all around, a trip I will never forget. I hope you enjoyed coming along with me!!

Have a great day and I will be back soon! Now that I am feeling better I hope to post more often. I have more goodies to post about & I haven’t forgot about my giveaway. I have my thinking cap on & am planning some kind of festive, holiday giveaway! So stay tuned!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Gifts ::

2011-10-17T19:47:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I had a very relaxing one, no workouts, no walks, not a whole lot of effort was made. I was a bit under the weather with what I am pretty sure was/is a sinus infection. It zapped me. Feeling better today, thank goodness…Moms don’t have time to be sick!

In my last post I shared my wonderful trip to the Walker Homestead show. Well, sweet Bonnie had gifts for me! What a thoughtful friend! I found all of those goodies homes and took some photos. Wanna see??…..

This beautiful stitchery~

This sweet pillow~ ♥

And the little long basket with the fall leaves & berries~

She was much too kind to me. Thank you Bonnie, I will cherish these gifts forever. And every time I look at them I will be reminded of you & my trip!

My souvenir from Walker Homestead was this candle. It is wonderful. The scent is so warm & cozy! I am really enjoying it!

Have a great night!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: My Trip To The Walker Homestead ::

2011-10-08T16:10:00.001-07:00

Hello my friends! I have finally had some time to sort through the oodles & oodles of photos that I took on my vacation out East! Today I am posting about my trip to the Walker Homestead Simple Treasures From The Past ~Antiques & Primitive Goods show!

What a wonderful event! I kept pinching myself in disbelief that I was actually there. It was surreal to say the least! Seeing with my own eyes what I had only seen in photos! The atmosphere, the people, the antiques & primitives were all truly amazing!

I am letting you know ahead of time, there are going to be A LOT of pictures in this post. So grab your cup or coffee, hot tea etc. sit back & I hope you enjoy! Good, good times!

The vendors brought some of the most beautiful items I had ever seen! Most of which couldn’t fly home on the plane with me. Boo Hoo! But boy, did I have fun looking! Come take a walk with me…….

Bonnie snapped this picture of me. All smiles…all day! :)

Primitives By Maria! Yay!

LOVE this sign!

The menu for the day. Delicious!

Are you still with me???……. I told you there was so much to see & these aren’t even all of my photos! Walker Homestead is a magical place! What a day…but wait! There’s more!

What made this day even more special was meeting Bonnie in person! We have known each other online for a few years. We both co-owned a magazine together, we have now both left the magazine & taken different paths. Only wonderful & exciting opportunities lie ahead for each of us! What a joy to finally meet her in person! Unexpectedly dressed like “twins” no less! :)

Paisley was the pattern of the day!

This photo pretty much sums up how I felt about meeting Bonnie! ♥

If you haven’t visited Bonnie’s blog ‘Home In New England’ yet, it is a must see. Some of the most beautiful photography. It was her photography that made me fall in love with the East coast sight unseen!

http://homeinnewengland.blogspot.com/

This is me with Doreen & Kris from Walker Homestead. Thank you for an amazing day! What a beautiful, peaceful place. It is a day that I will never forget! Thanks so much sweet girls! ♥

Thank you all for coming along with me on my photo journey! So fun to look back & remember the day! And what a memorable day it was!

I will be back with more photos from my trip out East! Many more to come!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

P.S. This was my 200th post!! Yippee!! Time for a giveaway soon to celebrate. Stay tuned!

:: Paul Revere Punched Tin Simmerblend Warmers at Village Candle ::

2011-10-03T10:17:00.001-07:00

Good Monday morning everyone! It’s October 3rd already, I have a feeling that this month is going to fly by! But for now, I am going to enjoy every minute of the leaves changing & all of the other beautiful sights, sounds & smells of Fall while I can. We are supposed to have gorgeous weather this week!

As most of you know I burn candles all year long, but Fall is when I really love to have those warm, cozy, comforting scents aglow in our home. Whether it is a lit candle or a Tart /Simmerblend melting in a warmer. It is all about making a house a home. Making it welcoming & cozy.

I wanted to let you know that Village Candle sells Paul Revere Simmerblend warmers/punch tin lights. I have a few of these in our home. The light & the glow that they give off is wonderful. Especially with the punched tin design, the light just dances on the wall in a beautiful pattern.

Here are just a few of the ones that they sell on their website ::

**All of the following photos are courtesy of Village Candle**

Brown Punched Tin Star Warmer ::

Pinwheel Punched Tin Warmer ::

Rooster Punched Tin Warmer :: Look at the beautiful light on the wall ::

Punched Tin School House Warmer ::

Punched Tin Copper Star Night Light ::

You can see these punched tin designs & more on Village Candle’s accessories page on their website HERE. They also sell replacement bulbs! These Paul Revere lights/warmers add instant warmth to your home anytime of the year.

Click HERE to see the variety of Simmerblends that they offer to put into your warmers! Lots of yummy choices for Autumn!

Have fun shopping! I hope you will give these warmers a try! I know I love mine!

I’d better get busy for the day! More Fall salt dough on my “to do” list!! Have marvelous Monday everyone!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: A Perfect Fall Saturday ::

2011-10-02T17:36:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Our weather was absolutely gorgeous! We must enjoy these days while we can. The snow will fly all too soon for me…I wish Fall could last forever!

What better place to enjoy the sights, sounds & smells of Fall than the Farmers Market! We spent the morning there yesterday. The music, the produce, the flowers, the food etc. I snapped some photos & thought I would share! Get ready to come along for the day. LOTS of photos!

Street musicians ::

The trains ::

This is a 3 dimensional train carved out of the brick. So cool ::

Balloon Fun ::

Too cute ::

Fresh Lemonade ::

Love bittersweet ::

A little whimsical artwork on the side of a building ::

We had a great time. I got my mums for our front porch too! 4 for $20.00…now I think that is a great deal! And they are NICE mums! Yay!

Then it was time to head to the Primitive Treasures Fall Open House! SO many fun goodies & they let me take some pictures to share with all of you that couldn’t make it.

The shop looked wonderful. Full of Alison’s handmades and unique antiques that her & her husband find to sell in the shop! So much to look at. Here are a few peeks! Enjoy!

Amazing chandelier draped with bittersweet ::

This tree is SO cool ::

Peek A Boo Black Cat ::

LOVE this whole display ::

These guys are GREAT ::

Awesome Autumn Table ::

Fantastic Open House Alison! So glad I could stop by!! And I got a few goodies too! I will show photos of those when I get them displayed!

Check out Primitive Treasures & “like” them on Facebook HERE! And for more of Alison’s handmades visit her Etsy Shop HERE!

Alison’s talented daughter made these delicious Fall cupcakes for the open house. They were as yummy as they were beautiful! two thumbs up!

Find Baked Pretty on Facebook HERE! Stop by and “like” their page!

Whew! What a wonderful, busy Saturday full of everything Fall! Our night consisted of delicious steaks & baked potatoes on the grill with football on the T.V.! A perfect Autumn Saturday!!

I will be back soon with photos from my trip out East! Can’t wait to share those with all of you! It was such a GREAT time! A trip I will never forget!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

Giveaway Winners!

2011-10-01T20:38:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful day! It was a beautiful one here! We spent the morning at the farmers market, I bought my mums for our front porch, went to a wonderful Fall open house & we grilled some delicious steaks for supper! I will be blogging about all of that soon. Lots of pictures to share!!

But now…..it is time to reveal the winners of my Village Candle giveaway! I used my trusty friend the Random Number Generator. If you have never used this, I highly recommend it! So easy to use & keeps everything fair & square. A handy dandy tool for giveaways!

The first winner is Robyn! You can check out her wonderful blog HERE!

And the second winner is Claudia! You can check out her wonderful blog HERE!

Congratulations girls! You will LOVE your Mandarin Sunflower wood wick candle from Village Candle!!

Here is what they won!

I will be emailing both of you so you can give me your mailing addresses! Then I will get those sent out to Village Candle so that they can mail you your prize!

Thank you SO much to everyone who entered! What a fun giveaway! And a BIG thank you once again to Village Candle for allowing me to do this review & giveaway! It was an honor!

I will be back very soon with a post about my fun Saturday today AND once I get all of my photos sorted out from my trip out East I will be posting those too! LOTS and LOTS of picture to share!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: New Fall & Halloween Salt Dough Bowl Fillers Added To My Etsy Shop ::

2011-09-19T22:15:00.001-07:00

I hope you all had a wonderful day! I have been making progress, checking things off of my “to do” list & that is a GOOD thing!!

One of the things on my “to do” list was to finish up some salt dough & get them listed on my Etsy shop! And I just listed some Fall & Halloween bowl fillers. I hope you will all stop by & take a peek!

Click HERE to see the ‘Halloween Night’ fillers ::

Click HERE to see the ‘Autumn Fields’ fillers ::

And click HERE to see the ‘Heirloom Harvest’ fillers ::

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday!! It’s time for me to fold a load of warm towels before I go to bed!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: A Village Candle Review & Giveaway ::

2011-09-19T07:53:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Fun news! I am sharing a candle review & a GIVEAWAY with you today! So exciting!

Village Candle has given me the honor to review a candle from their new Radiance line. Let me tell you a little bit about this beautiful new line of candles. (quoting from their website) Each jar features a crackling wood wick, sophisticated fragrances and a full wrap label with Lumiglow technology that brings the stunning artwork to life and ignites the senses.

There are many scents to choose from in this new line. I can assure that you will find one or more to suit your fragrance taste!

The scent that I reviewed is Mandarin Sunflower. The gorgeous label was a WOW right out of the box! The jar is sleek & classy. I couldn’t wait to take the lid off for my first whiff of it “cold”.

It smelled fruity & floral, so fresh!

Take a look at the hang tag that came attached to the top of the jar. I just love this little detail.

It was pretty just sitting out on my counter.

Here is a photo of the wood wick. This is my first wood wick candle, I couldn’t wait to try it out!

Time to light it!

Like all other Village scented candles it burns so clean & even.

The wax pool on a Village Candle is like no other candle I have ever seen. Clean & clear on the sides of the jar as it burns.

Listen to it crackle! It is such a soothing sound. This effect only adds to the already wonderful ambience that the Radiance candle creates.

The fragrance as described on the Village Candle website is a captivating blend of grapefruit, bergamot blended with juicy mandarin and red poppies and fresh cedar to complete this delightful Mediterranean escape.

It is all that and then some! It is fruity, floral , fresh & wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed it! It burned down evenly & had a great throw. My kitchen, living room & beyond smelled amazing!

Earlier I mentioned the Lumiglow technology. Once the candle burns down the flame begins to illuminate the artwork on the label! It truly is stunning!

The wood wick is so unique! I am happy to report that my first wood wick experience was a pleasure! I will definitely be purchasing other scents in the Radiance line!

Thank you to the wonderful people at Village Candle for this opportunity! And for allowing me to give away two of their lovely candles to two of my lucky followers. I know from personal experience that their company goes above and beyond for each & every customer. You will not be disappointed in any of their “Handmade in Maine” products!

In order to enter this giveaway please read below:

* Become a fan of the Village Candle Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/JarCandle?sk=wall

* If you have a Twitter account please follow Village Candle on Twitter! http://twitter.com/#!/VillageCandle

* If you are not already a follower of my blog, please become one! And leave me one comment on this post.

The giveaway will begin today Monday September 19th and end on Friday September 30th. Plenty of time to enter!

I will be giving away TWO 21 ounce Mandarin Sunflower Radiance Candles! Yes, there will be TWO winners!

These gorgeous candles will be shipped out to the winners directly from Village Candle. The candles for this giveaway can only be shipped in the Continental U.S. Good luck to you all!!

Thank you for stopping by! I appreciate your visits & comments so much! Have a marvelous Monday my friends!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Simply Beautiful ::

2011-09-16T14:21:00.001-07:00

I found this beautiful little leaf on the ground while I was waiting for the boys to get out of school. Love the color, the shape, the sign that Fall is here. Take time to stop & look around at the ever-changing beauty that surrounds you! ♥

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Heirloom Harvest ::

2011-09-14T07:42:00.001-07:00

Good morning! It is chilly, grey & rainy here today. A perfect day for crafting! Today I am working on my ‘Heirloom Harvest’ salt dough fillers.

I love the muted, neutral colors of these. I have never kept a set for myself, I think this season I just might!

These just need to be “antiqued” & finished. I am working like a busy beaver to get all of my Fall/Halloween fillers listed on Etsy in the near future. Not only does the cutting out, baking & painting take time, the displays & photos take time as well. I enjoy every part of the process! I better keep on keepin’ on!!

I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday! Enjoy your day whatever you do!

Here is a quote that I found today, I just love it! Thought I would share:

"Four steps to achievement: Plan purposefully. Prepare prayerfully. Proceed positively. Pursue persistently." - William A. Ward

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: What I’m Working On ::

2011-09-13T07:48:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! Dropping in quick to say hi & to let you know that the salt dough factory is in full operation! Here is what I am working on today!

☆¸.•*¨*`•.☆ Boo ☆¸.•*¨*`•.☆

This is just a few of the Fall fillers that I have painted. Putting the finishing primitive touches on all of these soon & working on more Fall sets today!

☆¸.•*¨*`•.☆ Crows, Leaves, Sunflowers & Pumpkins ☆¸.•*¨*`•.☆

Just thought I would let you know what I was up to. What are you all working on today? I have to admit my laundry always takes a backseat when I am working on bowl fillers. But that’s o.k. it is always so patient & waits for me!

Time for my workout & then I can start crafting! Have a terrific Tuesday everyone! Count your blessings!!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

It’s Been Too Long ~ Way Too Long

2011-09-09T08:09:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone, remember me? Oh my gosh it was a busy, busy Summer as well as a busy start to our school year! Things are back in full swing, we are back into somewhat of a “normal” routine again. But, what is normal really? Flying by the seat of our pants most days!! One thing is for sure, I have missed you all!

It would take me several posts to catch you up on all of our Summer activities, travels etc. We spent a lot of time relaxing, grilling, running through the sprinkler, slip n sliding, swimming, working out & just hanging out. Had quite a few t-balls games & took a 10 day family vacation! We made our first trip to the Mall Of America & hit some outlet malls for back to school shopping! Jam packed Summer to say the least!

Last night, I was burning the midnight oil…actually the 2:30 a.m. oil….making Fall salt dough bowl fillers! This weekend I will be painting and adding the finishing touches so that I can get them up for sale on my Etsy shop!

Here are just a couple of the pans of fillers waiting to be painted~

So many exciting things to tell you about! A small selection of my bowl fillers can now be purchased online on the Village Candle website! Click HERE to see my Star bowl fillers. You can also find my Blooms & Bees as well as my Strawberries in the accessories category on their website! I am SO honored & excited to have them offered on their wonderful website! Thank you VC!!

Psssst…..Stay tuned, I will be having a giveaway coming up soon! Who doesn’t love a fun giveaway!!?

And last but certainly not least. I am heading East! I have never been out East before & I am excited to say that I will be attending the Simple Treasures From The Past Antiques and Primitive Goods Show!! I absolutely cannot wait! So excited to meet some of my far away Blogging & Facebook friends, see some wonderful treasures. I will have BOTH of my cameras at the ready! I have seen so many photos of all the beautiful seasons, I just know that September is going to be a gorgeous time to visit! Can you tell…I am just giddy!

Be sure and “Like” the Walker Homestead page on Facebook! And if you happen to be attending the show I hope we can meet, what a fun chance to see some of you in person! I will be hanging out with Bonnie & Maria in the “Primitives By Maria” booth!

Stop by Bonnie’s Blog Home In New England. No one captures the essence of New England quite like Bonnie does. You will, without a doubt fall in love with her beautiful photography.

I promise I won’t wait so long between blog posts next time! I have also been having laptop issues lately. My battery won’t hold a charge, that makes it difficult. I use my laptop all of the time. So when it is not working I am not happy. We have a desktop computer but that is usually occupied by our three oldest kiddos & their homework. Welcome Back To School! :)

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Just Grillin’ Facebook Page ::

2011-07-11T09:02:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone & happy Monday! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! We sure did, lots of swimming to keep cool with the temps that we have been having lately! And lots of grilling is always going on at our house!

My hubby & I started a Facebook page called Just Grillin’ We enjoy grilling so much that we thought we would share recipes, photos, tips, tricks & some of our favorite products! We hope everyone else enjoys it as well! We invite you to “like” our page & join in on the fun! We would love to for you to share your recipes, photos etc with us too!

Nothing brings people together like grilling! We grill pretty much all year round, even in the snow! So we will have a wide variety of meals to share that change with the seasons! Please stop by often! Hope to see you there!

Also, today is a special day! ‎19 years ago I married my soul mate. I love & appreciate him more with each passing day. We are richly blessed in so many ways, I am so thankful for him, for our life & for our five amazing kids! Happy Anniversary honey! Here's to us!

This is the quote that my hubby text me this morning. He’s the BEST!

"Missing you is my hobby, caring for you is my job, making you happy is my duty and loving you is my life"

Make it a great day everyone!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

★ Happy Fourth of July ★

2011-07-04T11:14:00.001-07:00

Have a Safe & Happy day my friends!

“May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our own country!” ~Daniel Webster

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Fourth Of July Photos ::

2011-07-02T12:23:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone on this 4th of July weekend! Summer is flying by!! We are busy these days with T-ball games, swimming, grilling & doing some relaxing too.

I thought I would share some patriotic photos that I have taken lately. Just snapshots that I have captured here & there! I hope you enjoy!

My little Uncle Sam pik in my flower pot, he just makes me smile! :)

Our front door.

My Simple Stars salt dough bowl fillers.

Our front porch in the evening.

I went to take my flag down one night & this is what I saw..full moon & all.

A photo I took at my friend Linda’s home. Her front porch is gorgeous!

Celebrating the 4th Village Candle style!

Village Candle’s yummy Blueberry Muffin candle with my 4th of July salt dough Blooms.

4th of July artwork by our son Alex!

I told you that I was finding some time to relax too!

I did some Yoga & Stretching on the deck the other morning. It was perfect weather, the breeze was blowing the wind chimes were chiming, the sun was shining….Namaste.

Feet up, ready for the fourth of July weekend!!

I hope all of you have a wonderful safe weekend with family and friends!

Remember to Rejoice, Respect and Celebrate Our Freedom and Independence. And Give Thanks and Praise To The Brave Men and Women Who Provide and Protect It.

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Planting Flowers ::

2011-06-15T10:20:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! I hope you are having a wonderful Wednesday! It is a beautiful day here, the sun is shining, a bit of a chilly breeze is blowing & we had a couple nice rainstorms move through last night & this morning. Which is great for my plants! I thought I would share some (well a lot) of photos of my plants that I recently got all potted!

It felt so good to get some dirt under my nails & arrange all of the different plants that I brought home. A very relaxing Sunday project for me!

THEN on Monday my hubby called me & said he saw THIS sign at the greenhouse….so of course I had to go back for more flowers to pretty up our back deck! Thanks for the tip honey!

Here is what I chose for the deck, I stuck with the same color scheme as I used on the front of the house. At 50% off I got the two pots too!

I can’t wait until the red geraniums bloom!

And here is our deck this morning after the rain. My hubby just stained our deck a couple of weekends ago, it looks so nice! Great job done!

And last but not least, I went with a red, white & blue flower theme this year…so I hung a slate flag & a grapevine wreath on our door.

I hope you all enjoyed my little outdoor tour. I am crossing my fingers that I can keep all of these plants alive through all of the weather conditions mother nature may throw our way! Hot, hot sun, WIND & driving rain etc. Wish me luck, my thumb isn’t too green!

A little “garden” quote…words to live by:

"If we make our goal to live a life of compassion and unconditional love, then the world will indeed become a garden where all kinds of flowers can bloom and grow." ~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Pineapple Bowl Fillers On Etsy ::

2011-06-09T09:16:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! We are having some nice little thunderstorms roll through here this morning & I am lovin’ it! Makes for great inside crafting weather!

I had gotten a few emails asking when I would have the little pineapple bowl fillers on Etsy. Well, I got 4 sets done & they are now available! Feel free to take a peek when you have time! Click HERE to be taken right to that listing.

Also, I wanted to make a quick *Announcement*

The gathering (Meet * Greet * Create) that Kindra (At Home With K) & I were going to have that was planned for June 25th will be postponed until further notice...summer is getting a little too busy for everyone. Thank you so much for your understanding.

I better get busy around here for the day! Have a thankful Thursday my friends!

Until next time, take care!

~Sarah~

:: New Salt Dough On Etsy ::

2011-06-06T07:23:00.001-07:00

Hello my friends! It has been a while since I have blogged! Summer break is upon us & the kids are already asking where & when we are going on vacation! They are already bored & yes…they are already picking fights on a regular basis! But it’s all good, they keep us on our toes! Baseball has started for two of our boys, so that will keep us running too!
My hubby got our deck sanded & stained yesterday. It looks SO nice! Can’t wait to put our furniture & tables back up there, set out my little “fire lights”, make it all cozy so we can enjoy it. We grill ALL the time in the summer, every meal. So we really use our deck! I just wish it was 10 times bigger!

I wanted to show you what I have recently added to my Etsy shop. I worked all last week & this past weekend making, baking, stocking & restocking my supply!

This first set is called ‘Bugs & Blooms’

‘Sweet Land Of Liberty’

‘Birds Of A Feather’

‘Summer Fruit’

I hope you will stop by my Etsy & take a peek! I had SO much fun creating these new sets! I hope you all enjoy them as well!
Here are some other salt dough creations. I had a blast experimenting with these! They are not on my Etsy yet.These are all approx. 4” in size. Great to hang from any peg!
Watering can with tiny blooms & leaves.

All ready for the 4th of July!

Who doesn’t love pineapples?…

A Cheerful Cardinal.

I am working on a couple other salt dough sets. And one more set for you Americana lovers! By the way, I also added more ‘Blooms’, ‘How Does Your Garden Grow’ & ‘Crows, Sheep & Stars’ to my Etsy as well! Be sure & check those out too!

But today my laundry, my house in general is calling my name! Lots of work to be done inside, which isn’t fun when it is so beautiful outside! I just might have to take the kids to the pool today, that will be a nice, refreshing break for all of us!
Enjoy your day everyone! Here is a great quote to start your day!

"Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it!" ~William Durant

Until next time, take care.
~Sarah~

:: New Salt Dough Bowl Fillers ::

2011-05-25T11:28:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! Happy Wednesday to you! We are already half-way through the week. School is almost out for us so we have been very busy with concerts, banquets, musicals, field trips etc. This Friday we have a 5th grade recognition ceremony & a preschool graduation to attend! It has been a busy couple of weeks! But I wouldn’t want it any other way!

I thought I would share some new salt dough bowl fillers that I have been working on. These are called ‘Summer Fruit’

You name it, I think it is in there! A refreshing bowl of salt dough fruit salad! :)

After I took my fruit photos, I realized that I forgot to add the pineapples to the bowl! Ooops!

Hoping to get all of my new salt dough fillers listed on Etsy in the very near future! I will let you know when they are posted!

I did list eight sets of my ‘Stars & Stripes’ bowl fillers. You can check them out HERE! They are great if you are starting to get out your 4th of July decor already. Or if you just love Americana!

I have a website that I would like to share with you. My friend Jen opened Hickory Hill Primitives Stop by & take a peek at her wonderful primitive items! Best of luck to you Jen, your website looks so great! Happy shopping everyone!

Hickory Hill Primitives also has a Facebook page. When you have time, stop by & “like” that as well!

I had better get busy for today! Household chores are calling my name. You all know how that goes! Thank you so much for stopping by my little corner of blogland! I appreciate your visits & comments so much! You all make me smile! :)

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: New Goodies & Birds Of A Feather ::

2011-05-19T11:50:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! I hope you are all having a great day! Gray & gloomy here. Supposed to be a bit of a rainy weekend, we were planning on doing yard work outside. So I hope the forecast is wrong. It is time to clean up the yard & plant some flowers in my pots!

Oh well, plenty to do inside if the weather doesn’t cooperate.

I wanted to share my new goodies that I got! They came in the mail right when I got home from Arizona. What a delicious smelling package to come home to!

I placed an order with Misi from 1890 Gable House Goodes You must visit her blog. Her handcrafted items are so unique & beautiful. I have admired her amazing photos for a while now. Needless to say, I had a hard time decided what I would order.

Here’s what arrived on my doorstep. Very happy with my choices! I love it all!

Beeswax strawberries packaged beautifully. And my Apple Dowdy candle ::

Wonderful detail ::

1890 Gable House Tea & Bliss Bee. Love the paper labels & the paper wrapped lids ::

A variety of tarts that smell amazing ::

One of Misi’s Beeswax Pansies with leaf tucked into my box. Just darling ::

And a stamped Thank You tag & envelope. The attention to detail is beyond what I ever expected. So much care goes into her products and it shows.

Here is what I chose to light today. Apple Dowdy. I am not disappointed, it is divine! Really enjoying it!

Misi has a second blog, stop by there for a visit too! You will enjoy your stay! 1890 Gable House Musings.

Thank you Misi! I will be back to order again! :)

I managed to find the time to make some salt dough fillers. I made this new set called ‘Birds Of A Feather’ . Robins, Hummingbirds, Cardinals, Birdhouses & Leaves!

More new fillers are in the works. There just aren’t enough hours in the day! I am sure you can ALL relate!

I am also currently working on several sets of my ‘Stars & Stripes"’ fillers to add to my Etsy shop!

I had better get busy!

Until next time, take care!

~Sarah~

:: Pottery Made From The Heart & A Lilac Photo Shoot ::

2011-05-16T16:29:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! Hope you have had a marvelous Monday! We had sunshine all day…still a little bit chilly..but nice!

I got an after school surprise from my daughter Emily. She made this for me in pottery class! I absolutely love it, love the design & the colors! Thank you Emily, I will cherish it forever. Love you!

Good texture! Great job Emily!

Today I looked out the window and my lilacs were in full bloom! You know I had to go out and pick some!

For me, lilacs bring back wonderful childhood memories. We had a huge grassy area near our house down by the lake. There were tons of lilac bushes. We would go down there and play kick the can, kick ball or just chase each other around & play tag! The smell of my lilac bushes takes me right back to that carefree time in my life! Playing outside until you heard your Mom or Dad call you in for supper or for bedtime! :)

I wish lilacs could last forever. I brought some inside and had a little photo shoot. At least I will have pictures to remember these by…I just wish my pictures were scratch n sniff so that I could keep that wonderful aroma forever!

This was my Great Grandmother’s crock. I think they look just perfect in it.

And I put a few smaller lilacs in my ironstone pitcher.

Beautiful sunlight

“I am thinking of the lilac-trees,
That shook their purple plumes,
And when the sash was open,
Shed fragrance through the room.”
~Mrs. Anna S. Stephens

Have a great night everyone!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Bugs & Blooms ::

2011-05-13T10:33:00.001-07:00

A few ladybugs and lots of blooms! I went outside with our two youngest boys yesterday & grabbed my camera on the way out! You have to be quick…..blooms come & they go so fast.

My first ladybug sighting…

Actually THIS was my first ladybug sighting, but this little lady decided not to stick around for a photo shoot! Blurry…..

I know, lots of pictures of these bushes, but I just think they are so pretty! We have three big ones along the side of our house.

My boys said, “hey Mom, that flower looks like a heart”! And they are so right, it does! Nature is truly beautiful!

Thank you for taking a walk around our house with me! Nature is beautiful but this kind of nature only lasts for a short time. Blooms fade & the ladybugs fly away! Glad I could snap some images quick!

“Stop every now and then. Just stop and enjoy. Take a deep breath. Relax and take in the abundance of life.” ~ Author Unknown

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Come Along With Me To Arizona ::

2011-05-13T10:28:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! It has been quite a while since I have made a blog post! I missed all of you. I was on vacation…a week in Arizona with my Sister Jen! We had an AMAZING time and I wanted to share! Between the two of us we took hundreds & hundreds of pictures. I hope you don’t mind…I am sharing A LOT of photos today! …a lot….I hope you enjoy!

Ready??…let’s go where it is warm, sunny & beautiful!

There was a massive amount of this going on….

My Starbucks Shaken Black Ice Tea by my side at all times!

Ahhh…beautiful & so relaxing!

We went to the Arizona Women’s Expo and took in a fashion show…

Saw Patricia Heaton from Everybody Loves Raymond & The Middle.

And Susan Lucci!

Book signing!

This was breakfast…right off the tree, my Sister made fresh squeezed OJ!

Every morning the sun beamed in!

And here is the beautiful evening sunlight.

Statues on Main Street. Downtown Mesa. This is only some of them, they were on EVERY corner!

After snapping photos on Main street we were off to the Chicago Cubs vs. Diamondbacks baseball game!

Pool in the outfield!

Awesome stadium!

Some of the Cubbies!

Take us out to the ballgame!

Our steamboat cruise and scenic Apache Trail drive along the way.

Tortilla Flats, an old West town.

Our Steamboat…Dolly.

Time for golf!

Arizona scenery. We took the golf cart around the neighborhood & I snapped some photos!

Yikes…..

A cactus that looks like a bird! :)

Here’s where we spent our nights.

Ahhhhh……….

It was the most fabulous week away! My Sister’s hospitality is always top notch! We had the perfect mix of go, go, go & chillin’ out & doing nothing! Thanks Jen! I love you! Can’t wait until next year!

And thank you to my wonderful hubby for keeping the kiddos home so that I could go away & recharge, refresh & renew! It was just what I needed! I was ready to come home to big hugs & kisses from everyone!

I hope you didn’t mind ALL of the pictures! I know there was A LOT of them! Maybe so many that you didn’t stick around until the end of this post…Haha! Believe it or not, there are still a ton that I didn’t share. I was snappin’ away every minute!

Have a thankful Thursday everyone!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Butterfly ::

2011-04-27T14:17:00.001-07:00

Just a quick cheerful post today! Our son Owen gave this butterfly to me after school…. “I made it for you Mom”!

I absolutely love it, I poked it out the window into the sunlight and took a photo! He was so proud! It’s the little things that make us Moms the happiest! Thank you Owen for putting a smile on my face & joy in my heart today & everyday!

“May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun
And find your shoulder to light on,
To bring you luck, happiness and riches
Today, tomorrow and beyond.”
~Irish Blessing

“Love is like a butterfly: It goes where it pleases and it pleases wherever it goes.” ~Author Unknown

“If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies.” ~Author Unknown

“Butterflies are self propelled flowers.” ~R.H. Heinlein

“The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.” ~Rabindranath Tagore

Have a wonderful rest of the day!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Wishing You A Blessed Easter ::

2011-04-24T09:21:00.001-07:00

Wishing all of my friends a very blessed Easter. Enjoy this joyous day with the ones you love.

“For I remember it is Easter morn,
And life and love and peace are all new born.” ~Alice Freeman Palmer

:: Spring Giveaway Winner ::

2011-04-23T15:38:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! How is your Saturday going so far? It is dark and dreary here. A good day to get things done inside.

The winner for my Spring Giveaway has been chosen!! With the help of my lovely daughter Emily. With her glittery pink festive pen she wrote out everyone’s names…cut them all out and placed them inside the eggs! Thank you Emily!!

Over 90 eggs in this crate ::

Love all of the pretty pastel colors ::

Emily diggin’ in ::

Are you ready to know who the winner is ::

Stephanie Riley!!!

Congratulations Stephanie! I will be emailing you soon to get your mailing address so I can ship your goodies out to you!

Thank you to EVERYONE who entered!! Thank you so much for your sweet comments. I appreciate you following my blog & taking time out of your day to visit me! I will have another giveaway in the Summer! I hope you will all come back and join in the fun again!

Have a blessed rest of the weekend!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Earth Day Photo Shoot ::

2011-04-22T16:08:00.001-07:00

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you are all having a good Earth Day! It has been sunny off and on here today, a little breezy! Very beautiful weather actually. So I went outside and took some photos of Mother Nature!

Everything is just blooming or getting ready to bloom! So pretty and it will only get even prettier!

This is our snow crab tree just starting to bloom ::

My little iron frog hose helper ::

Daylilies all green and beautiful. Can’t wait until they get those beautiful yellow blooms ::

Our Crab Apple Tree ready to burst into blooms ::

Patiently waiting for its turn ::

And I can’t forget these….my absolute favorite flowers that my kids bring me ::

There was a bee on this one but he flew away. Guess he wasn’t ready for his close up ::

We really don’t have to look any further than our own backyard. There is beauty all around us. Take time out to notice it and enjoy it! Everything is getting so green and gorgeous and full of color!

Look up, down and all around you!

Wishing you all a blessed weekend!

Don’t forget, you have until tonight at 11:59 Central time to enter my SPRING GIVEAWAY! Good luck to everyone! Thank you for entering and for all of your wonderful comments!

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” ~Native American Proverb

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

Meet * Greet * Create

2011-04-21T09:13:00.001-07:00

Meet * Greet * Create

*Please click on our event banner to make it larger*

Sarah allroadsleadhome@yahoo.com

Kindra athomewithk@hotmail.com

:: Sharing My Sister’s Giveaway :: And I Forgot To Show You ::

2011-04-20T08:09:00.001-07:00

Happy Wednesday everyone! It is still fairly early here so my day is going wonderful so far! Hoping it is the same for all of you! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping so that’s a good start! The laundry piles in the hallway however are not so great. But I guess in everyone’s life a little or (a lot) of laundry must fall. When it comes to laundry I am like Scarlett O’Hara….”I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow.”

It’s not like it is going anywhere, it will wait for me!

I have a giveaway to tell you about! And I am going to link you to someone’s blog that is very close to my heart! My Sister Brenda. I am the youngest of five children. She is the second oldest….and boy, have I learned a lot from her in my lifetime and I am eternally grateful! She is full of Big Sister wisdom. She gives advice when it’s needed, humor when you need it most and she has a heart as big as the sun. She would do anything for me and I would do anything for her! Isn’t that a great feeling to know that you have someone like that in your corner!?

Once you visit her blog you will see her decorating talent, gardening talent, writing talent and her beautiful photos. You will also see that her and I have totally different decorating styles. But we both learn something from each other. I really don’t think it matters what style you decorate in, the basic principles still apply and we can all take away something from our different perspectives and tastes!

Here is a wonderful post she made called Home Tour.

And THIS is just one photo of her backyard! Lovely ::

Her blog is called Love Where You Live. And you can hop on over and enter her giveaway by clicking HERE. Stop by, become a follower and enter to win! I love you Sis!!

Now, about what I forgot to show you…nothing big…but I left it out of my last blog post! My day of antique-ing I also found this crock for $5.00!

Sure…it is REALLY beat up and has been well used..but I had to have it! I wonder how it got so beat up?… I am always curious about the story behind my finds.

See, I told you it was beat up!

But I love it ::

Every crock needs a good home and for $5.00 I couldn’t pass it up!

I wish you all a wonderful Wednesday! And if your laundry is all caught up and put away…I am jealous. I supposed I should dive into mine and try to make a dent in it?…..Will see…..

Don’t forget my SPRING GIVEAWAY. You have until this Friday to enter!

I thought this quote was appropriate for my post today.

“Sisters are different flowers from the same garden.” ~Author Unknown

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Finally Sharing My Finds ::

2011-04-18T08:30:00.001-07:00

Happy Monday everyone! I am finally sharing my finds from my day out thriftin’ junkin’ antique-in’ & lunchin’ with Kindra from At Home With K. You can see the post she made about her wonderful finds HERE. She got some great stuff…and all of it at great prices!

The box on top I have had for a long time. But I got the two trunks on our girls day out. Lovin’ the colors, a muted robin’s egg blue. Haven’t found a home for them yet ::

Close up ::

Printers box ::

And one of my favorite finds of the day. This green metal mailbox ::

A few little berry baskets for 50 cents a piece ::

Little oil cans. Why did I buy these you ask?....I just thought they were cute! I don't own any others, I guess they just caught my eye ::

This is a tiny strainer. The handle pops off so I will be making a mini shoo fly screen. I got three other strainers in varying sizes ::

My new collection of flower frogs. They are so awesome. They are metal & heavy ::

For those of you who may not know what flower frogs are. You put them in the bottom of a jar and then when you put your fresh flowers in the jar....the stems stick in these and they hold the flowers up! Lately I have been seeing people tuck vintage postcards, recipe cards, tags or photos in between the spikes for display! :)

And last but not least, my dollar crock ::

I love this size of crock, they have so many uses! And you can’t beat the price ::

It was a great day! How fun is it that you can meet someone through blogging, find out that you live a few minutes from each other. Meet in person and form a friendship! I am blessed to know you Kindra and I am looking forward to our next adventure!

I hope you all have a fabulous day today! Make it a great week! And don’t forget about MY SPRING GIVEAWAY! It’s open through this Friday the 22nd!!

“If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special.” ~ Jim Valvano

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Spring Giveaway ::

2011-04-17T16:01:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! I hope you have had a wonderful weekend! We had a busy one but a fun one. So thankful to hear the birds chirping and seeing everything greening up so nicely just has to put a “Spring” in your step!

As promised, I am here to announce my Spring Giveaway! I have reached 600+ followers! Thank you to each and every one of my followers/friends! I appreciate you all for stopping by, taking time out of your day to pay me a visit!

Here is what the winner will receive ::

A few close ups for you. You will win a total of 3 bags of salt dough bowl fillers. 9 fillers per bag. For a total of 27 fillers ::

One set of Bees & Blooms. Includes 5 Neutral Colored Blooms and 4 Honey Bees ::

One set of Chicks & Eggs. Includes 1 Mama Chick, 3 Baby Chicks and 5 Eggs in varying colors ::

One set of Flags & Flowers. Includes 3 Flags and 6 Blooms in varying sizes ::

All bagged and tagged just for you ::

But wait….that’s not all! You also win the cream enamelware with green trim! Both the bowl and the cup are included in the giveaway!

I want to show you the condition of the enamelware. It is well worn and has been “loved”. But for us primitive fans that doesn’t matter! Rust, crackles etc add character! It doesn’t have any holes (except the one in the rim that allows you to hang it if you wish)! If you don’t mind a little rust…you are good to go!

Now let’s get to the “rules”.

1.You must leave just ONE comment to be entered.

2.You must be a follower of All Roads Lead Home.

3. IF you have a Facebook account please stop by and “LIKE” my page All Roads Lead Home.

If you would like to mention my giveaway on your blog or on your Facebook that would be great! But it is not required! :)

Again, you will receive ::

* 3 bags of salt dough bowl fillers. 9 fillers per bag.

* The cream enamelware with the green trim (cup AND bowl included)

*Any other display items in the photo are not included in the giveaway.

* Salt dough bowl fillers are for decorative purposes only, they are not edible.

The giveaway will be open throughout the full day of Friday the 22nd of April, ending at 11:59 central time. I will announce the winner on Saturday the 23rd!

Good luck to everyone! To all of my new followers welcome!! And to all of my faithful followers who have been with me since the beginning thank you for sticking with me!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: 6 Away From 600 ::

2011-04-16T19:06:00.001-07:00

Hello my friends! It is time for some FUN!

‎6 away from 600! I am almost to 600 followers on my blog! I am so grateful for all of my followers/friends! It's time for a Spring Giveaway! When I hit that magic number I will make a Giveaway announcement! If you aren't already a follower...please become one! My welcome mat is always out! I love to make new friends!

I will see you back here soon with some giveaway goodies! :)

I took this photo today while we were at our son’s soccer game! Windy day & a tad chilly but beautiful clouds! Our family calls these perfect “shape days”! We LOVE to find shapes in the clouds!

Look closely, I bet we will all see something different in these clouds!!

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.” ~Rabindranath Tagore

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: A Second Spring Swap ::

2011-04-13T15:06:00.001-07:00

It’s me again, I am excited to be back so soon! I did another Spring swap! This time with my dear friend Dana! And I have to tell you these goodies just arrived on my doorstep today! Everything looks and SMELLS so wonderful…I couldn’t wait to show you! I only wish computer screens had scratch n’ sniff!

This Easter Rusty Tin Candle is so great ::

She rusts the can herself. I just love it!

These adorable little flowers are scented in Honeysuckle. Such a different fragrance for me. Beings I am a self proclaimed “foodie” lover. But these smell so fresh and Spring-y!

Dusted with special spices! ::

And how cute are these! The bunny and the chick are so detailed! Lovin’ the little bell around the chick’s neck ::

THIS is when I wish you had scratch n’ sniff! This whole bowl smells scrumptious ::

Look at these little log cabins…..

I am always telling Dana that her tarts are TOO pretty to burn. I have made a promise to her that I will burn these. But I SO love using them in my displays!! Which one should I melt in my tart burner first….Honeysuckle??

Nah….Honeysuckle will have to wait! I HAVE to burn Pumpkin Crunch! It is my absolute favorite of all Dana’s scents! Anytime of year I LOVE it!

See Dana….I am melting it! :)

Next on my list to melt is Caramel Coffee! Mmmmmm ::

Visit Dana’s website. Homespun Treasures. She just updated it for Spring and Easter! So many goodies to choose from!

What a FUN swap! I will enjoy everything and I will think of my sweet friend whenever I am melting one of these yummy tarts or burning that candle (that’s in the Pumpkin Crunch scent too) I told you I’m addicted to it!

I hope you all have a wonderful night…or day, wherever you may be! This has been a great day for me. Many reasons to count my blessings!! So thankful for so many things!

“You're only here for a short visit. Don't hurry. Don't worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.” ~Walter Hagen

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: A Fun Spring Swap ::

2011-04-12T22:09:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well! It has been a little while since I have posted. It’s a busy time lately….the weather has been beautiful, so I have been trying to get some things done around home and I also found time to go back to my hometown for a visit. Spent a wonderful weekend with my parents and some of my family. Had a nice lunch with my two sisters! It was such a great time! Good for the heart and the soul!

I recently did a Spring swap with Teresa. If you have never visited Teresa’s Etsy shop, it is a must see! She makes the most wonderful handmades. Stop by and browse through her items! Something for everyone, all hand crafted with skill and care!

I sent Teresa some of my Spring bowl fillers and this is what I got from her! She had posted about these gourd eggs and I just knew I had to have some! They are so natural and beautiful!

I know that I will enjoy these gourd eggs for years to come! So excited to finally have some! Thank you Teresa!! Fun swap!

By the way, see that lovely cheese basket peeking out in the pictures above. That is made by another amazing artist! Pam at Primitive Basketcase. Her baskets are superb! It makes such a beautiful backdrop for my photo! I have quite a little collection of Pam’s baskets and I enjoy each and every one!

I added a couple of salt dough sets to my Etsy shop. Just one available of the “How Does Your Garden Grow”

And One set available of the “Crows Stars & Sheep”. The set that is available is the one on the far right with the smaller sheep!

So please feel free to stop by my Etsy when you have time time!

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone! And I am hoping to get pictures taken soon of my finds from my girls day out with Kindra. I just haven’t had time to snap the photos!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Etsy Treasury ::

2011-04-04T13:51:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone and happy Monday! Popping in with some fun news! I was so surprised and excited this morning to see that I had a message telling me that I had been featured in an Etsy Treasury! As some of you know I am new to Etsy…this is such an honor to be featured amongst so many talented people!

Please take a moment to visit the Treasury link to see all of the wonderful items that are included!

Thank you to Carol (Firecracker Kid Primitives) for featuring my “Blooms” salt dough bowl fillers….you made my day! I am one happy Etsy camper! You can visit Carol’s wonderful Etsy shop HERE!

A happy quote for the day~~~

"If you are too busy to laugh, you are too busy." ~Proverb

A good laugh does wonders for the body, mind and soul!! So….what are you waiting for??….. go get your laugh on! :)

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Girls Day Out ::

2011-04-03T17:32:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone, I hope it has been a wonderful weekend wherever you are! We finally had sunshine! It was pretty windy…but we will take it!

I had a girls day out with my blogging bud Kindra from At Home With K! We hit the road in the morning and we were off to go junkin, thriftin, anqtique-in, & lunchin! And we had quite a few laughs along the way! We both forgot to get out our cameras throughout the day…but I did manage to snap a few photos of one of the antique shops we went to!

Who doesn’t love old windows?

One of each please…..

Loved these!

An old ice cream machine and a Roberts Dairy crate…really wanted the crate..but I left it behind.

The color and finish on this is fabulous!

Barb wire “wreaths”…..

I heart rusty things!!

Anything galvanized = Amazing!

Still don’t have one of these to call my own yet…maybe someday!

Here is a close up of the crate that I loved….just might have to go back and bring this one home!

It was such a fun day! I have to tell you…..Kindra is a professional thrifter, antique-er, junker…!! She really thinks things through….she gets the best deal…and doesn’t buy anything unless she has a plan or a place for it!…Me, not so much! I buy and then think of where I will put it. Not always a good thing! I only wish I had a fraction of her thought process and her “eye” for all things thrifty! I cannot wait to see what she will do with the things she bought!

I will be back soon with pictures of what I bought! LOTS of great stuff!!

Head on over and pay Kindra a visit, you will get so much inspiration from her blog. Her ideas are endless and her tips for decorating on a budget are inspiring as well!

Here are a few links to some fun posts on her blog to get you started!

Cabinet Door Picture Frame

Rocking Chair Makeover

New Light Fixture

Most of her makeovers and transformations are FREE or under $10! Way to go Kindra!!

It was a much needed day out to recharge the batteries and get this next week started off on a positive note!! Good times!! :)

“To each of us friendship has a different meaning. For all of us it is a gift.” ~Author Unknown

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: “Grew” Some New Blooms ::

2011-03-31T22:28:00.001-07:00

Well….I didn’t really “grow” any new Blooms…I rolled them out, cut them and baked them etc! Hi everyone….I hope some of you had sunshine today. We did not. It was gray, dreary & misty. A good day to work on inside projects.

I created some new Spring bowl fillers. I don’t have any of these up for sale yet, I didn’t make them in a very huge quantity. These were just trial runs to see how they would turn out. Fillers are fun to make for all seasons…but these Spring ones have really been a blast!

Here are my new daisies and honey bees.These bees are larger than the other ones I make.

These are “Bitty Blooms”. They are tiny…and would be so fun to sprinkle in amongst any candle or display.

Here is a bunny I got today from Primitive Treasures. Love this little guy…I thought one of the “Bitty Blooms” would look cute sitting beside him. :)

These are my “Button Blooms”

Just whimsical and fun Blooms~

You can’t help but love the colors of Spring. So cheerful~

And my “Big Blooms”. So fun to make!

Well, that is what I have been up to! Still haven’t decorated our house for Spring yet. Just a few touches here and there. I guess I should Spring clean before I decorate though….details…details…

Before I go I wanted to let you know about a wonderful giveaway that my sweet friend Dana is having. You could be the lucky winner of one of her handmade primitive wax lambs…gathering basket and grass included! Click HERE to head on over, become a follower & leave a comment! Her giveaway ends on April 3rd…Good luck!

*Photo above by Dana*

With all of us so anxiously awaiting Spring I thought this quote was cute and true.

“Weather is a great metaphor for life - sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, and there's nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella.” ~Terri Guillemets

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: All Roads Lead Home On Etsy ::

2011-03-30T12:37:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! I hope you are having a fantastic day! The sun is shining off & on, & it is still chilly. Patiently waiting for Spring to arrive. I know officially the calendar says it is Spring. But Mother Nature hasn’t gotten that memo yet! At least not in our neck of the woods!

I wanted to let you know that I opened an Etsy shop! I had activated my Etsy about a month or so ago but just now had time to add a few items to it. I will be adding more as I go along!

I hope you will stop on by and take a peek. You can even “heart” my shop if you would like! I would appreciate it! Thank you in advance for paying me a visit!

I hope you all have a wonderful day doing what you love, loving what you do! :)

Found this beautiful quote and thought I would share~

"Next time a sunrise steals your breath or a meadow of flowers leave you speechless, remain that way. Say nothing, and listen as heaven whispers, "Do you like it? I did it just for you." ~ Max Lucado

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Our Spring Harvest Table ::

2011-03-26T22:36:00.001-07:00

It was cold, dreary & snowy here today. Not very Spring-like. But I decided I would add some touches of Spring to our harvest table.

Loving my new crate and wool runner from Nelly’s Nest. I knew RIGHT where they were going when I bought them!

My favorite resin rabbit.

Excited to finally be adding some Spring greens to my crocks!

Love decorating with angel vine.

Cinnamon, spiced, grungy eggs from Aunt Patty’s Attic

So, even if it isn’t Spring outside I can make it look like Spring inside! They are calling for more snow in the next few days. I hope to get a little more decorating done tomorrow….the power of positive thinking! :)

Have a wonderful Sunday everyone!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Make Do Shoo Fly Screen ::

2011-03-26T11:54:00.001-07:00

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend! We are getting…….Snow! Our 6 year old son Alex was supposed to have his first soccer game today. The look on his face when we told him it was cancelled…… yep, complete sad face. Hopefully this is the last we will see of the white, fluffy stuff. It isn’t sticking so that is good. But seriously, there are robins everywhere and the trees have green buds!!

I know I have shared a version of this project on my blog before, but just in case you missed it. Here is a new updated version. Some of you may have made these make do shoo fly screens before, but for those of you who haven’t…enjoy! It is an easy fun project!

Start with an antique strainer, I have no trouble finding these at antique shops, Goodwills & even garage sales. None of mine have been very expensive.

MAKE SURE you get a strainer with the removable handle! You do not want to try and remove the kind of handle that is fixed to the strainer! Remember…this is supposed to be an EASY and FUN project! :)

Here it is with the handle popped off

I took a plain wooden knob that I bought at the craft store. Painted, sanded & stained it. I chose green, obviously you can choose any color. I have done red, brown, mustard etc! Any color looks great!

Then, you will want to pre-drill a small hole in the knob, don’t drill too deep or you will drill through the top of it.

Then, using a black screw secure it to your screen in the middle.

And Voilà you have your very own shoo fly screen!

Add a pantry cake underneath, place it on your doughboard or in any primitive display. The best part is that it was an old, antique strainer so it is already wonderfully rusty and worn! No distressing needed!

Here are some other strainers I have used.

Have fun with it!

Those last three photos I was having a little fun with photo editing! I added some textures and color effects! Fun to play around with!

I hope you all try this if you haven’t already! Next time you see an old strainer don’t just walk on by it. You can make it into something else! Just make sure it is one with the removable handle!

“It is better to create than to be learned, creating is the true essence of life” ~Barthold Georg Niebuhr

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: THANK YOU ::

2011-03-23T09:35:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! I hope you are having a wonderful week so far!

This post is all about YOU! I want to send out a sincere and heartfelt THANK YOU for all of the orders that I have received for my Spring salt dough bowl fillers! I was overwhelmed in a good way by the response! This past weekend I cut, rolled and baked over 400 flowers! I am truly blessed and very thankful to be busy!

I am packaging every order with TLC…

Quite a few orders have already been shipped out so be watching your mailboxes! Working on more today…..! :)

What more can I say but Thank You! I am going to get back to packaging and shipping. I hope you enjoy your Spring bowl fillers as much as I enjoy making them for all of you!

I found this Spring quote and just loved it, thought I would share.

"If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies." ~Author Unknown

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Welcome Spring ::

2011-03-20T09:23:00.001-07:00

Hello friends! Welcome Spring! I hope you have a wonderful day and enjoy Spring to the fullest! A time to start fresh, with a clean slate and the promise of new beginnings! Embrace it!

“No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.” ~Hal Borland

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: All Roads Lead Home On Facebook ::

2011-03-18T10:10:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! I just wanted to pop on quick and let you know that I have started a Facebook page for All Roads Lead Home! If you have a Facebook account I invite you to stop on by and “like” my page!

On my Facebook page I always post a link to any new blog posts that I have made. I share photos, inspirational & motivational quotes. And any fun and interesting links that I like! Favorite blogs, websites etc. It’s all just for FUN!

I hope you will join me!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!! Enjoy!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Spring Open House Sneak Peek ::

2011-03-17T19:14:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! I am taking a quick break from creating salt dough goodies to give you an all access pass to Nelly’s Nest Spring Open House! If you are local you DO NOT want to miss this! So many wonderful antiques, folk art, handmade soaps, bowl fillers, herbs…. how about instead of trying to tell you…...I just show you!? LOTS of photos~ Enjoy~

Come on in

Wool acorns adorn a real forsythia bush

More acorns in wonderful Spring colors

Folk Art Vegetables

Love this crate

Fresh herbs all throughout the shop

Salt dough bowl fillers…Look familiar?? They are mine! Yay! Thanks so much Janelle for carrying them in your shop!

Shoo fly screen, Sugar Cones & Pantry Cakes

Folk Art Bird Pinkeep

Check out this unique tote & folk art rabbits

Butter Churn….you know you want it!

Handmade soaps & hand creams. They smell amazing!

Handmade pottery soap dishes

So how did you like the sneak peek!? Didn’t I tell you that it was amazing! SO worth the trip!! Stop on by and if you saw something you just have to have get there early! I know my post is loaded with photos…but there is SO much more that I didn’t show! Bring a friend and come shopping!

Friday March 18th 12:30-8:00 and Saturday 10:00-5:00. While you are there stop by & see Nelly’s Nest’s neighbors, Simply Bungalow. They will also be open with their new finds!

33rd and B in Lincoln. NE

Time for me to get back to the salt dough factory (my kitchen). :) Have a wonderful night and weekend!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Spring Salt Dough For Sale ::

2011-03-16T09:02:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! Spring is on its way! We are supposed to have warmer temps in the near future, the sun is shining and I am seeing robins! These are all good signs. Goodbye Winter. Goodbye ice and snow. Goodbye coughs, colds and sore throats. Our family is ready to welcome Spring any time now!

I hope you are all having a great week so far. I wanted to share with you the Spring salt dough bowl fillers that I have for sale. I hope you find something that you like!

I have given each set a name to make it easier for you to order via email. You can email me your order by using the “Click here to email me” button in the top right hand corner of my blog. Just let me know the name of the set(s) that you would like. I have created 4 different sets for you to choose from.

PayPal is the preferred method of payment. If you do not use PayPal I will also take a Money Order.

This first set is simply called “Blooms”. In this set you will receive 9 assorted flowers all different shapes, sizes and colors. They range in size from 2-3”.

A closer look~

This set is called “Chicks & Eggs”. You will receive 1 Mama Chick, 3 Baby Chicks and 5 Eggs. Eggs will vary in color, style and design.

This set is called “Bees & Skeps”. You will receive 3 Bee Skeps, 4 Bees & either 2 small flowers or 1 large flower depending on what I have on hand.

A closer look….Buzzzzz~

This set is called “Running Rabbits”. You will receive 3 larger Rabbits, 3 Mini Rabbits & 3 carrots. Colors of Rabbits will vary.

A closer look~

Again, the four sets are:

1) Blooms

2) Chicks & Eggs

3) Bees & Skeps

4) Running Rabbits

Each bag will come packaged as seen here:

The fillers are packaged in paper filler, tied with homespun fabric and will have a handwritten Spring themed hag tag attached.

Each bag sells for $12.00 plus the cost of shipping.

*I take both PayPal and Money Order* If you are paying with a Money Order, your order will be shipped as soon as I receive your payment.

Your order will ship within two weeks. I will do my very best to get them to you as soon as possible. Handmade especially for you does take some extra time. Thank you in advance for your patience!

Please allow 24-48 hours for me to respond to your email. I will get back to you as soon as I possibly can. You can always assume that I am busy making, baking & decorating more salt dough fillers! :)

All sets are handmade by me and will vary slightly in color, shape & size. They are for decorative purposes only and are not edible.

I want to to thank all of my followers and all of the sweet people who have ordered from me over the past year or so. I take great pride in what I am creating. I do my best to make each filler unique in it’s own way. And I hope my attention to detail shows. Like Bryan Adams says: “Everything I do, I do it for you”! :)

Have a wonderful day everyone! And Happy Spring! Thank you for stopping by my blog, I appreciate all of your sweet comments so much.

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Mark Your Calendars ::

2011-03-11T20:10:00.001-08:00

Nelly's Nest Spring Open House

Invite your friends, and come to Nelly's Nest Spring Open House! Friday March 18th 12:30-8:00 and Saturday 10:00-5:00. New Easter Folk Art, Spring Bowl Fillers, Easter Ornaments, Antiques, Smalls, Candles, Wool Bundles, Runners, and Lots of Special Treasures!!! Hope you can make it . Simply Bungalow right next door will also be open with their new finds! Two wonderful shops!

Located at 33rd and B in Lincoln, NE

If you are in the Lincoln area don’t miss it!

Find Nelly’s Nest on Facebook, Simply Bungalow is on Facebook too, stop by and “like” them both!

Have a great weekend!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

:: Busy Baking Spring Salt Dough ::

2011-03-10T11:18:00.001-08:00

I hope you are all having a terrific Thursday! We are almost to the end of the week! Baking lots of Spring salt dough today! I will be painting them this weekend! Then, I will be taking photos and putting together a blog post for anyone interested in placing an order. Thank you so much to those of you that have already emailed me with your sweet comments and salt dough requests. I will work like a busy beaver to get them ready to sell and ship!

If you have any questions feel free to send me an email. You can find my “email me” button in the top right corner of this page!

I just put the 5th batch in the oven! My kids are always so disappointed when they come home and I have made SO many cookies and NONE of them are edible! Sorry kiddos! I promise I will make some chocolate chip cookies just as soon as my oven is free! :)

Here is what I have been working on today~

Chicks & Eggs baking away~

Bees & Skeps~

Lots of Blooms~

Running Rabbits~

Carrot Sticks~

Spring is definitely in the air!

I better get back to work. Time to pull another batch out of the oven! Just wanted to show you what was going on at my house on this sunny day! Still a little chilly out there, but no rain and no snow so I will take it!

Have a great day!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~