cottagegreenonthelake

Christmas Advent Calendar “Countdown to Christmas” DIY Project

It’s hard to believe, but it’s time to,

"Deck the halls again now...
For we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
Candles in the window
Carols at the spinet
And we need a little Christmas
Right, this very minute
We need a little Christmas now."


~ written by Jerry Herman for the Broadway musical Mame

The countdown to Christmas has begun and these miniature envelopes you make yourself (use free link below) are a charming way to mark off the days until Christmas.

The Last of Autumn … “Something Told the Wild Geese”

As I was taking a picture of this glorious Ash Tree, I recognized a sound above me, like the whoosh of a wave approaching the shore. I hurriedly snapped the picture and was thrilled when I saw I had “captured” these pelicans in flight! As I stood there and marveled, phone still poised and ready, 3 more “squadron” of pelicans flew over! I felt like I had just been presented with a gift … as indeed, I had! (: NOTE: A group of pelicans have many collective names … BRIEF, POD, POUCH, SCOOP, and SQUADRON … are all names for a group of pelicans.

As I stood there reflecting on what I had just seen, I thought of this poem …

Something Told the Wild Geese

Something told the wild geese

It was time to go,

Though the fields lay golden

Something whispered, “snow.”

Leaves were green and stirring,

Berries, luster-glossed,

But beneath warm feathers

Something cautioned, “frost.”

All the sagging orchards

Steamed with amber spice,

But each wild breast stiffened

At remembered ice.

Something told the wild geese

It was time to fly,

Summer sun was on their wings,

Winter in their cry.

~by Rachel Fields

Here are the pictures I promised I would share with you of Autumn in November at Cottage Green on the Lake.

Golden leaves on this young Eastern Redbud and more golden leaves on our Ash tree down by the lake contrast beautifully with the red bark and the red roof on our boat dock and stand out brilliantly against a backdrop of green.

The red leaves of the Sweet Gum Tree and the golden yellow leaves of our Ash trees blaze against the blue of the lake and autumn sky. Fallen leaves cover the lawn in gold!

Chartreuse Sweet potato vine rambles over a treasured hand pump that Richard’s mother used in “days gone by.” <3

Flowering Kale and Cabbage and sweet-faced pansies line the the paved sideyard.

Azaleas, Coleus, and Impatiens in varying shades of vivid pink.

“It was November … the month of crimson sunsets, parting birds, deep, sad hymns of the sea, passionate winds songs in the pines.” ~ L.M. Montgomery

” … let the whole earth be filled with His glory.” Psalms 72:19

Today is the last day of November and Autumn. I hope you enjoyed seeing “The Last of Autumn” on Cedar Creek Lake! Tomorrow is the beginning of Winter and December and I will be showing you how to make a fun and nostalgic Advent Calendar to begin the countdown to … C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S! (:

From my cottage to yours ~ Trenda

This week I’m joining:

Lisa from Feathering My Empty Nest

Thank you for reading my blog! To have all my posts delivered directly to your email address, just click FOLLOW in my post above … or click on my site: cottagegreenonthelake.com

FOLLOW ME on PINTEREST!

Trenda@cottagegreenonthelake.com

Easy Thanksgiving Centerpiece and Autumn in November

by Trenda

Today was a cool day with gray skies that made the autumn colors so vivid, they almost glowed! I went outside to “gather” some cuttings from our yard to make our Thanksgiving Centerpiece and afterwards, I walked around just taking pictures of beautiful Autumn in November at Cottage Green on the Lake! (: And those yard “gatherings” I clipped and snipped from our yard made a lovely and grand arrangement on the dining room table that only took minutes to make; my only cost was the fresh Eucalyptus I bought from Trader Joe’s, for $2.99!

If you want to keep this arrangement on your table throughout the Thanksgiving season you will need to use soaked floral foam (protect your table by placing the floral foam in a container!) or use floral vials to insert your live clippings into. Both the floral foam and the arrangement vials are available at your florist or any craft store on the flowering arranging aisle. However, this arrangement is so easy to assemble, you can do it the day of your Feast!

Much like setting out and marking your serving dishes with what you will be serving in them … set the preliminary stages of your arrangement. I placed my table runner down the length of the table, set my candlesticks where I wanted them, then interspersed my pheasant and pumpkins down the length of the runner so I could easily come back and tuck in my Loropetalum and Eucalyptus, later.

Any time you want to make an arrangement like this, just clip your branches the morning of “your event” and keep any live branches or flowers in a vase of water until you are ready to make your arrangement. Then dry the ends of your branches before placing and tucking them along your table runner and light your candles!

Fresh Eucalyptus in a vase filled with water awaiting placement on table runner.

Here is a great picture showing how I mixed the “faux” garland with autumn leaves with the live burgundy leaves and branches of the Loropetalum and the fresh Eucalyptus. Even as I look at this picture I have a hard time distinguishing what leaves are real and fake! I love making arrangements and since we serve our Thanksgiving meal buffet style, we only need enough room on our table for the plates and glasses, our Fitz and Floyd Pilgrim salt & pepper shakers, a basket full of yeast rolls, and a beautiful Golden Carnival Glass compote filled with ruby colored Apple-Cranberry Salad

A brass pheasant matches the brass candlesticks I used in my arrangement and looks at home among the autumn foliage.

Tiger striped miniature pumpkins are nestled among the burgundy foliage of the Loropetalum branches.

Carved wooden pilgrims bring gifts of vegetables to the gathering.

Nestled among the real and “faux” flora and fauna, this miniature pumpkin looks so perfect, it almost looks unreal and reminds me again what a Master Artist and Creator the Lord is!

Candles glow in the lengthening shadows and “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart.” <3

AND those pictures I told you I took after gathering my clippings for my Thanksgiving centerpiece … I’ll share with you in my next blog, but here’s one I particularly love, this sweet moss-covered cherub pondering in our birdbath.

From my cottage to yours ~ Trenda

Thank you for reading my blog! To have all my posts delivered directly to your email address, just click FOLLOW in my post above … or click on my site: cottagegreenonthelake.com

FOLLOW ME on PINTEREST!

Trenda@cottagegreenonthelake.com

This week I’m joining:

Carol from The Red Painted Cottage

Courtney with Feathered Nest Friday

Halloween Tablescape “Trick or Treat … Give Me Something Good to Eat!”

Just in time for Halloween night S’more Ghost Peeps and Candy Coated Pretzel Wands are easy to make. These festive looking treats are perfect to grab “on the go” or to serve after your Halloween dinner and they are “something good to eat!”

S’more Peeps – The best part of these adorable treats … there is “no baking” required! Just “gather” ingredients and put them into treat bags!

Ingredients & Supplies:

graham crackers
fun size Hershey bars
Ghost Peeps
favor bags (I used Wilton’s small, clear, favor bags from the baking aisle in Michael’s)
Halloween ribbon
package of blank gift tags or tag punch (I used my Recollection tag punch)
Halloween stamps
ink pad
standard hole punch
Halloween plastic rings (I bought mine from the Dollar Tree)

Instructions:

Open gift tags or punch out gift tags, using a die-cut punch
Stamp each tag with a Halloween stamp of your choice (since I was adding spider rings to my treat bags, I stamped each tag with a picture of a spider
Using a standard hole punch, punch a hole in the top of each tag
Break a graham cracker sheet into 2 squares and slide both squares into a clear favor bag
Place 2 fun size Hershey bars on top of the graham crackers
Top Hershey bars with one Ghost Peep
Tie top of bag with Halloween ribbon in a simple knot
Slide tag onto ribbon and knot again
Slip Halloween ring over knot

Candy Coated Pretzel Wands

Ingredients & Supplies

1 bag of Salted Pretzel rods
Wilton vanilla baking chips (I used bright green and purple)
Halloween sprinkles and nonpareils
large treat bags, large enough to cover entire pretzel (I used Wilton’s large favor bags located on the baking aisle in Michael’s)
Halloween ribbon
black tulle
Halloween plastic rings (I bought mine at Dollar Tree)

Directions:

Melt baking chips according to directions on package (I used a tall mug to melt my baking chips)
After baking chips are melted, insert pretzel rod into candy and swirl to cover.
Place candy covered pretzel on wax paper placed on a cookie sheet
Repeat until pretzels are all covered with candy
If you are only coating your pretzels with one coat of candy and one color, sprinkle the warm candy coating with decorations and nonpareils. Do not sprinkle decorations on the pretzels that you want to coat with a 2nd layer of melted candy. (See picture below)
Place cookie sheet in freezer to speed up hardening of candy
If you would like a 2nd color of candy coating on your pretzel, repeat process of melting baking chips and dipping pretzel, after the first coating has hardened (10-15 minutes in freezer)
Sprinkle 2nd coating of candy with sprinkles or nonpareils
Cool until candy hardens. NOTE: I placed my cookie sheet filled with pretzels into the freezer to harden. If cooling in freezer, do not place pretzels in favor bags until coating has reached room temperature to prevent condensation from forming in favor bag!
Slide candy coated pretzel into favor bag and close the opening by tying with a 7-8″ strip of black tulle and Halloween ribbon.
Place Halloween ring over the knot in the ribbon

Ready to eat!

It’s Halloween!!! Time to …

“Unfurl the tablecloth, set out the plates!

Put out the punch bowl, if tarnished, that’s great!” It’s Halloween Night! by Trenda

Glitzy Spider Napkin Rings add a little bling to black and white napkins covered with bats.

Little Ghost S’mores don’t scare anyone, but they look so cute standing upright on a antique relish tray, next to a twinkly gazing ball. Candied Pretzel Wands are tucked into a copper canister with Boo! tags, spiders, and bats …”oh my!”

Dangling from spooky branches painted black our Treat Bags are filled and ready to be “picked” by our kids and grand kids, coming for Halloween dinner.

Hope you have a spook-tacular Halloween with plenty of “sweets” and even sweeter moments to look back on.

From my cottage to yours ~ Trenda

Thank you for reading my blog! To have all my posts delivered directly to your email address, just click FOLLOW in my post above … or click on my site: cottagegreenonthelake.com

FOLLOW ME on PINTEREST!

Trenda@cottagegreenonthelake.com

This week I’m joining Chloe Crabtree with Celebrate & Decorate

DIY Halloween Treat and Favor Bags

by Trenda

It’s almost time for our porch to be filled with ‘little feet’ and I always enjoy making special treats for everyone that ‘calls out, “Trick or Treat!” These cute Halloween favors are fun to make and should cause all your little ghosts and goblins to break out in toothy grins that would rival any jack-o-lantern! (:

Supplies Needed:

Treat bags
Roll of “Cling Ons” (*picture below) assorted holiday trims w/self-adhesive backs on a spool
Black tulle
Assorted Halloween ribbons
tag punch or a package of plain tags
standard hole puncher
Assorted Halloween stamps
alphabet stamps or black marker for lettering
black ink pad
scissors

Recollection tag punch and Halloween stamps …

Directions:

If you are making your own tags, punch out gift tags using a die-cut punch or use a pattern to trace a tag for your treat bag. I used a Recollection punch for my smaller tag and I traced a pattern out to make my larger tags. Each of my treat bags had 2 tags; a larger white tag and a smaller orange tag.
Stamp or write the words or design on your tags. I stamped the word “BOO!” on each of my smaller, orange tags and I stamped “Happy Halloween” on the larger tag.

3. Choose the trim *(“Cling On”) that you want to decorate your bag. I used a different trim for each treat bag.

4. Adhere the trim to the top of your favor bag. Begin on the side so the final cut and matched ends will not show.

5. Cut a 9″ length of tulle and a 8″ length of Halloween ribbon. Place the tulle and the ribbon together.

6. Slip both stamped tags onto the tulle and the ribbon (the larger tag beneath the smaller tag.)

7. Tie the tulle and ribbon into a simple knot on the left, front handle of the treat bag.

8. Stuff treat bags with Halloween candy and favors.

I had fun stuffing my treat bags with Halloween candy, “Boo” notepads, pencils, and erasers, bubbles, playing cards, and stickers. For more treats (click here for “No Tricks just Treats”)

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

From my cottage to yours ~ Trenda

Thank you for taking some time to read my blog today! To have all my posts delivered directly to your email address, just click FOLLOW in my post above … or click on my site: cottagegreenonthelake.com

FOLLOW ME on PINTEREST!

Trenda@cottagegreenonthelake.com

Al Fresco Dining in Autumn … Easy Caramel Toffee Cream Cheese Dessert Dip by Trenda

Autumn, sunshine and al fresco dining are, like the song says … “a few of my favorite things!” Yesterday was a beautiful autumn day with a light breeze that “ruffled” the lake and teasingly tugged at the chimes taunting us for staying inside. By noon, we happily “gave in” and I made lunch and served it “al fresco” on the deck.

And for lunch …

Caramel & Toffee Cream Cheese Dessert Dip is delicious and takes longer to say, than it does to fix! You’ll love how easy it is to “assemble” and the autumn flavors are perfect for afternoons snacks or unexpected guests! (:

Caramel & Toffee Cream Cheese Dessert Dip

Ingredients:

1 block (8oz) cream cheese
Caramel Ice Cream Topping
Toffee bits or chocolate covered toffee bits
Apples

Instructions:

Unwrap and place entire block of cream cheese onto a plate.
Spoon enough caramel ice cream topping over the cream cheese to cover and “pool” around the base of the cream cheese.
Sprinkle toffee bits liberally over the caramel topping.
Slice apples, brush sides with lime or lemon juice to prevent browning.
Arrange apples around dessert dip.

Apples on embossed leaf plates and miniature pumpkins sit atop silver chargers and a reed woven basket.

Rugged, textured tabletop with autumn leafed runner and DIY Autumn Napkin Rings

Tuscan Tomato Soup … another easy and delicious recipe I’ll include in another blog. (:

“All things are ready” … Buon appetito! (:

“Apples of gold, in pictures of silver … “

From my cottage to yours ~ Trenda

FOLLOW ME on PINTEREST! … Trenda@cottagegreenonthelake.com

Tablescape details:

Green leaf embossed plates – Pier 1 (several years ago)

Sage green napkins – Kirkland’s (available during the Christmas season)

Soup spoons – Oneida, Louisiana pattern

This week I’m joining Marie-Helene with Kingsbury Brook Farm

Chloe Crabtree with Celebrate & Decorate

Halloween DIY Napkin Rings …………. by Trenda

Look who suddenly appeared, looking like he flew straight from the pages of Edgar Allan Poe’s poem and obligingly perched, right next to me. While I slowly reached for my phone, my mind began the recitation of these remembered words … “Once upon a midnight dreary, when I pondered, weak and weary …” .

I love decorating the table for any occasion and for HALLOWEEN … I use all kinds of “fol-der-ol and fid-dle-dy dee” to set the mood for a magical night that’s filled with possibilities and imagination! During these next 3 weeks, I have several fun projects that I am going to be sharing with you that will help you create your own “boo-tiful” Halloween tablescape! Today, I am going to show you how to make these spook-taular Halloween napkin rings!

Supplies needed:

glue gun
glittered spiders
copper wire (10 yds/20gauge)
beads (glass seed bead mix “Scream”)
assorted ribbons matching beads (I used Halloween polka dot & spider ribbon)
wire cutters
needle nose pliers

Instructions: (see pictures below)

Cut 4 pieces of copper wire, each approximately 12 inches long
Lay the 4 lengths of wire together and pull the wires up and around your fingers to form a circle large enough for a napkin to be inserted into the opening.
Twist where the wires cross at the top of the circle 1 or 2 times to secure the circle in place.
Splay out the 8 wires above the now-formed wire circle.
Begin threading beads, creating your own color pattern.
Leave enough wire at the top exposed to bend the wire with your needle nose pliers, forming a small closed loop to secure the beads in place.
After each wire is filled with beads and the wire is crimped, wrap the beaded wire around your little finger to “coil” your wire.
Remove your finger and bend each of the 8 coiled “legs” into desired shape.
Using your hot glue gun, place a small amount of glue on your ribbon and begin wrapping the copper circle.
Continue wrapping until the entire wire circle (the napkin ring) is covered with ribbon.
Cut the ribbon and hot glue in place, at the top of the napkin ring. Shape and adjust beaded “legs” how you like them, then hot glue on glittery spider.

Just look what a glitzy napkin ring this makes … perfect for all things “outlandish” for Halloween!

Pumpkin patch and harmless spiders …

Even just stacked in a pedestal votive cup “the eensy, weensy, spiders …” look frighteningly festive!

“Candy-Coated Ghost Peeps” click here for instructions

Little Ghost “Peeps” wearing “coats of chocolate” adorned with sprinkles and non-pareil’s make charming favors to take home or tuck into Halloween bags.

Click on the links below for all things “HALLOWEEN”

Halloween DIY Treat Bags

… DIY “Jolly Jack-o-Lantern” Halloween Wreath

Have fun getting your home ready and making these Halloween napkin rings! Before you know it, while your nodding … “nearly napping, suddenly” there will be “a tapping, as of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door” … shouting “Trick or Treat! (:

From my cottage to yours ~ Trenda

Thank you for taking some time to read my blog today! To have all my posts delivered directly to your email address, just click FOLLOW in the post above … or click on my site: cottagegreenonthelake.com

This week I’m joining Courtney with Feathered Nest Friday

Chloe Crabtree at Celebrate & Decorate

All the supplies I used for making these Halloween napkin rings were bought from Hobby Lobby.

Thanksgiving Ideas, Tablescapes, Decorating Tips, DIY Projects and Recipes plus … Autumn in the Ozarks

I’ve gathered an assortment of Thanksgiving ideas, decorating tips, recipes, tablescapes, centerpieces, and DIY projects from “Thanksgiving’s Past” at Cottage Green. For the full instructions and details about each, click on the highlighted links. I am so sorry, some of these older pictures are really “grainy” and are not very clear.

A Welcome Home for Thanksgiving has some ideas on how to “dress up” your front porch and a simple DIY project using grapevine around your front door frame.

Click on Easy Thanksgiving Centerpiece for one of my favorite ways to create a centerpiece. It assembles in minutes!

Here’s an easy appetizer to enjoy while awaiting the feast Easy Caramel Toffee Cream Cheese Dessert Dip served with apples. It’s harder to say than it is to put together! (;

Decadent ruby red Apple Cranberry Salad is the perfect mixture of cranberry tartness mixed with the sweet fillings of jello, pineapple, crispy apples and pecan pieces.

Click on autumn-napkin-rings for these charming, grapevine napkin rings. The silk autumn leaves and sprig of bittersweet brighten each table setting and they are so easy to make!

An Autumn Tablescape gives tips and how to’s for creating your own beautiful table for Thanksgiving.

Click on Easy Thanksgiving Favors to learn how to make these sweet little favors. Miniature Kraft bags are tied with colored twine and topped with a whimsical acorn and assemble in minutes.

Plus, on the same blog … learn how to make this decorative bow and this beautiful autumn wreath filled with glittered stalks of wheat, purple clusters of grapes and autumn leaves. Both the favors bags and the autumn wreath instructions are on Easy Thanksgiving Favors & DIY Autumn Wreath.

Now for a re-cap and some pictures of “all things autumn” from our recent trip to Missouri. Autumn is our favorite season to travel and we love seeing the beautiful colors of the Ozark deepen each day we’re there. Look at this blazing Maple Tree!

Chrysanthemums in rustic pails perched above squat-y pumpkins.

Fuchsia colored Coleus that almost glowed.

Short pumpkins, tall pumpkins, Cinderella’s and Baby Boo’s gathered beside more gorgeous Coleus.

Dark green, light green, orange, and white pumpkins contrast beautifully with a huge decorative pot of flowering Kale and burgundy Coleus.

Look at these amazing pumpkin displays we saw at Silver Dollar City.

Pumpkins stacked to the treetops …

And my favorite … a darling little pumpkin cottage with a fern lined roof!

This spot was so enchanting, Richard and I walked along the creek bed and the only sounds were the burbling creek and the evening crickets.

A lone Sycamore leaf drifting along in the crystal clear waters.

Look at this perfectly charming cafe … Sugar Leaf Cafe & Bakery where we had lunch one day.

… and came back for dessert on another day! (:

We loved the beauty and mystique of “Pumpkin Nights” at Silver Dollar City in Branson … with owls dangling from the treetops.

One King Owl ruling over his parliament of owls.

A camp site with glowing pumpkin flames.

And the last picture … this “Chapel in the Woods” we were thrilled to find.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures of our vacation and the Thanksgiving ideas will inspire and motivate you as you begin planning your own Thanksgiving.

From my cottage to yours ~ Trenda

Thank you for reading my blog! Click on the Follow button above to have all my posts delivered directly to your email address AND follow me on Pinterest … Trenda@CottageGreenontheLake.com

The Gentle Caress of Autumn Comes to the Cottage ………………… by Trenda

“… the gentle caress of autumn steals the sultry heat of summer …” author unknown

Autumn comes gently in the South with the days slowly becoming cooler and just the tips of burnished leaves can be seen shining in the golden sunlight.

Our Beauty Berry Bush is laden with brightly colored berries in a gorgeous shade of purple … autumn delicacies for our “feathered friends.”

A little birdhouse tucked among the leaves and blooms of an Encore Azalea that is putting on it’s “final act” with brilliant autumn blooms. A flying squirrel, while house-hunting, decided this little house was going to be his new home with it’s green roof, lichen covered walls, and view of the lake. Without waiting for “a showing” he gained entry by nibbling his way into the opening and took up residency! (;

The sunlight in autumn highlights the green of the grass and leaves against the azure blue lake and sky.

Lantana with harvest gold and red blossoms, red periwinkles, and Marguerite (ornamental sweet potato vine) “glow” in the autumn light.

“The gentle caress of autumn” can also be seen inside our cottage as I add some touches of the season.

Copper glittered ACORNS rest on golden leaves …

Are tucked into moss-lined nests …

… dangle from a display stand and top a Fitz & Floyd “trinket box.”

An array of soaps in scents of pumpkin “and spice and everything nice.”

Glossy pumpkins perch on chunky urns …

And contrast strikingly with blue and white Ginger jars …

And in the kitchen … a Swarovski crystal squirrel “gathers” provisions! (:

I love adding whimsical touches and reminders of the season to our home … and for all of us, this is just the beginning of all things pumpkin and harvest to come! Have fun using your imagination and “putting some autumn jewelry” on your house!

From my cottage to yours ~ Trenda

Thank you so much for reading my blog today! This week I’m joining:

Lynn of the Vintage Nest

Courtney with Feathered Nest Friday

Goodbye Summer! …………….. by Trenda

Goodbye Summer … we’re going to miss you!

It was another …

“Snow-cone dripping, bare foot skipping, iced tea sipping, front porch sitting …”

“flip flop plopping, baseball watching, mattress floating, snorkel snorting …”

“… pink nose glowing, green grass mowing, warm breeze blowing, hot dog munching …”

“… cricket chirping, sparkler waving … “

“firework gazing … “

” sunset blazing ….”

” wonderful summer!”

Poem “Wonderful Summer” written by Trenda

From my cottage to yours ~ Trenda

Thank you for spending some time reading my blog today! To have all my posts delivered directly to your email address, just click on FOLLOW in the post above … or click on my site: cottagegreenonthelake.com

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