Fall Decor Ideas

Fall to me means family, guests, get together. I love to decorate in sync with the season. With the pandemic this year we will not be inviting people over. But that is no excuse to not decorate the house. I love fall and I love decorating the house. Pumpkins, buntings, wreaths , warm knit blankets and so much more. Freshening up the front porch or a change in mantle decor or just setting up the dinning table with a new runner sets in the mood for the season. 

Instead of buying new things for decor I always raid the basement or my craft room. I love arts and craft . So creating new projects for home decor is like my favorite thing to do and a good stress buster too. I recently made a fall bunting from cardstock. it was so much fun and a quick project with my kid K.  I already had the autumn leaves SVG saved on my Cricut Design Space from that project. So I decided to use the same SVG images and create something to co-ordinate with the fall bunting. For this new project I used scraps of paper from the previous bunting project (go green and recycle ). This pandemic has surely taught me to make the most use of all that I already have, buy less and reduce clutter.  I had previously purchased a blank wooden plaque from Michaels. It was just gathering dust in the basement. So I made a small hanging card (if that is even a real word ) and added it to the wooden plaque to make a wall sign. I used Cricut Explore Air 2 to write the words as well as cut the tiny autumn leaves. I had some orange baker's twine that I used to sort of look like hanging leaves on display at an oval window.  I just love how the beige card looks against the color of wooden plaque. What do you all think ?

Pinterest Projects - DIY Fall Bunting

Fall is here. I love fall season. The air, the weather and of course the pumpkins. Give me bread or cake or cookies or chai...just about anything with pumpkin spice flavor in it and I will happily savor it. I also love fall crafts( any crafts for that matter ).  Buntings, wreaths, mantle decorations. It is so much fun to change/update decor as seasons change. So I decided to make an easy fall bunting. Given the pandemic all I had was cardstock in my craft supply basket . So decided to put my creativity and the Cricut machine to use. And this is what I came up with. 

Materials -

Cardstock paper -beige, orange, red, green, black

Orange ribbon

Glue stick

Scissors 

Cricut Explore Air 2 (optional to use it )

Step by step instructions -

1. Cut the bunting pattern. Here i went with a basic triangle shape.

2. Cut the fall leaf shapes in various colors and patterns 

3. Cut the alphabets F-A-L-L

4. Glue the letters to the triangles using the glue stick 

5. Add the triangles to the ribbon. I used a hot glue gun for this 

6. Add the fall leaves in between the triangles in a pattern you like 

7. Cut the ribbon to desired length once all the decor pieces are added 

Tips-

1. You can change the banner shape to any pattern you like

2. Feel free to write or stencil the letters onto the bunting instead of using pre-cut paper letters

3.You can add pumpkin or acorn shapes instead of the leaves or along with the leaves

Paint/write/draw/cut/stencil...use your imagination any any materials you have at hand . So what are your ideas to make a bunting ?

Pinterest Projects - DIY Home Decor Wooden Signs

 You walk into a home decor store and you see them everywhere  . Yes the rustic wooden signs. In all sizes , styles and patterns . I so wanted to make one for our home. And I finally did but at a fraction of the cost they sell for in stores . I had wooden planks left over from some wood work at home . All I did was sanded a plank , painted it and used it to make the sign . I used Cricut Explore Air 2 to make the lettering. Since I had white permanent vinyl at hand I used it for the script . Alternatively you can also make a stencil with Cricut . And then paint the letters using the stencil . I love using fonts . I also love quotes and phrases . Pair them together and a rustic sign for your home is ready . It's that simple.  If you do not have any of these materials at hand no worries at all . You can still make a sign . Yes you totally can . How?  Read the tips below .

 

Tips - 

1.Start with a pizza box to make your sign . It totally works . 

2. Use a paint pen to trace the stencil instead of using a paint and a brush .

3. You can also print the lettering on a regular paper and trace it onto the wooden plank with a blunt lead pencil  . Alternatively use wax paper to make stencils or even to transfer images . 

Pinterest Projects - DIY Giant Paper Lotus

Paper flowers are everywhere . You see them at baby shower events , birthday parties , as nursery decor . Literally everywhere. They make a jaw dropping statement at any event . In my opinion flowers are the most popular item these days when it comes to decoration. They easily add a pop of color to any room . There are tons of ideas out there to make paper flowers. Lots of templates, designs and methods. I finally decided to give it a try . It was super easy and fun to make this giant paper flower. I hand cut everything and glued it together with hot glue gun. I used cardstock from the dollar tree . Party decor on a budget . Woohoo !

Supply list  - 

1. Cardstock (neon pink and green )

2. Scissors

3. Glue gun

4. Pencil/pen  to draw the template 

5. Cardboard as a base (used an Amazon parcel box )

Step by step instructions -

1. Trace a petal and a leaf  template on cardstock. Once you finalize the shape and size cut one petal and a leaf to trace it several times .

2. Cut out each leaf and petal shape. 

3. Cut midway at the base going towards the tip of the petal but only halfway 

4. Hot glue one side overlapping the slits. 

5. Cut a circular base out of cardboard or any box. Glue the petal onto the base.

6. Add leaves to the bottom of the base cardboard  

Tips-

1.It is very important to choose the right paper for these flowers. Stock up on sales or use a coupon when buying in bulk from craft stores .

2. You can use a craft cutting machine like Cricut or Silhoutte to help cut the templates. Use SVG cut files for templates .

3. Curl edges of the flower petals so they look more realistic. Use a dowel rod or highlighters for the same .

Happy Father's Day

" A good father is one of the most unsung , unpraised, unnoticed and yet one of the most valuable assets in the society . "- Billy Graham 

Growing up the parenting scene in my house was mainly dominated by my mom . It was like mom was solely responsible for all the child rearing . Being a working mom my mom was a supermom then and still is . Cooking, entertaining, work responsibilities and child rearing . There was not even occasional help from my dad back then . 

Today when I look at my family dynamics the scenario is very different . I am a working mom and do try to be a supermom at times. But I have the best help I can ever imagine . My husband is the superdad , a true superhero to my kids . I work night shifts and weekends too . When I am at work he is the dad and their mom as well. He has no complaints changing a soiled diaper or giving kids a bath . He juggles the hardest task of putting the kids to sleep at night with a smile and some bedtime stories . He loves taking them to a nearby park for fun filled evenings so I can catch up on my to do work list or wrap up all household chores . Yes I get the work done at twice the speed with no kids playing or riding toys in between interrupting me . And he is indeed a superdad to do this all after a long and busy day at his work . 

Currently with my parents visiting me I see a whole new dimension of my dad's personality which I had never witnessed growing up . My kids adore my dad . They love listening to stories from their granddad . They sit on his lap and play with him, clapping and learning new songs . They learn yoga poses from him in the morning and sleep on his shoulders at times in the afternoon . My little one interacts the most with my dad . My kids love to build a tower with blocks. What better partner to play with than their granddad . And the best part is knocking off granddad's tower or lego creation with a naughty smile . 

Tomorrow June 21st being father's day we plan to celebrate it with 3 generations under the same roof . I believe that father's day is not just for dads . It should also honor grandfathers, step fathers, single fathers and all the men who act as a father figure . 

So take a moment and let's hear it for all of them .

Happy father's day !

Chutney Cravings - Ginger Chutney

I have been ordering groceries online these days given the Corona pandemic . I am sure most of you are doing the same as well . But many times I find it tricky to identify the exact quantity of ingredients until delivered to my doorstep.  Once I ended up with just one apple instead of a pound of apples that I was banking on for a recipe . My neighbor currently has 6lb bananas instead of the 6 she meant to have . Last week I literally had a small heap of ginger when all I wanted was an ounce of this herb . I know ginger has healing and medicinal properties . Heard about it always from my grandmother while growing up . But what do I do with a heap of this medicianl herb  ? So I turned to my saviour - the google search  . While looking for recipes using ginger I came across several recipes to make ginger chutney . After couple of trials and finalizing on the taste here is the one I approve of . And yes I finished rest of the heap by adding it to my chai daily . No wasting food folks .

Ingredients - 

1.5'' ginger ( washed, peeled and cut into large pieces )

3/4th medium sized onion (diced into big pieces )

2 tbsp chana daal

1 tbsp white urad daal

2-3 dried red chillies

1/2 tsp cumin seeds 

1/2 tsp tamarind concentrate 

1.5 tbsp shredded jaggery 

salt to taste 

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Instructions  - 

1. Roast chana daal, urad daal and red chillies in hot oil till the daals turn golden brown . Set aside .

2. In hot oil saute roughly chopped ginger and onion pieces till the onion is translucent .

3. Add 1/2tsp cumin seeds once you turn off the stove .

4. Once cool blend all the above with tamarind concentrate, jaggery and salt . Flavorful and smooth chutney is ready to serve .

Tips -

1. You can skip urad daal if you wish .

2. Do not add water while blending as it will reduce the shelf life . It will also change the texture of the chutney .

3. Add a tempering with mustards seeds, asfoetida and curry leaves if you wish . I personally love the pungent taste of ginger . So I prefer the chutney as it is without the tempering .

4. Do not over fry the ginger in oil . Else it will taste bitter .

5. If ginger is chopped too finely it elevates the pungent and bitter taste. Stick to big chopped pieces of ginger for balanced flavor .

My family devoured this chutney with pesarattu . What will you eat it with ? 

Chutney Cravings - 3 Different Ways to Make Cilantro Chutney

What can you do with few minutes of time and a bunch of cilantro ? I say a number of things . And trust me all results are equally delicious. Bright green, zingy and flavorful chutney recipes here for you all . Enjoy the chutneys with dosa, idli, roti, rice, dhokla , chips or even a sandwich . Just yummy !

Method 1

Blend half a bunch of cilantro leaves (washed and roughly chopped ), 4 small square pieces of green bell pepper, 1/2 inch ginger ,dash of lime, 1tbsp peanuts , 1 green chilli . Add salt and sugar to taste . 

Method 2 

Blend a bunch of cilantro leaves (washed and roughly chopped ), 1/3rd cup wet shredded coconut, 1/2 inch ginger, 1 green chilli, 1.5 tsp cumin seeds , 1/4th  cup yogurt . Add salt to taste. Yogurt and coconut give it a creamy texture . 

Method 3

Blend a bunch of cilantro leaves ( washed and roughly chopped ),  8-10 mint leaves  (washed and roughly chopped ) , 3 tbsp  of roasted gram (also called phutana or dala in marathi ) , 1 green chilli, 1 tsp cumin seeds . Add 1tbsp of water as needed to blend smooth . Lastly add salt and sugar  to taste . 

Tips -

1. Bell pepper is the secret ingredient . Given its very small quantity you wont taste its individual flavor . Surely it takes the chutney to just another level of yumminess . 

2. Adding yogurt and wet coconut to the chutney reduces its shelf life. But hey I can assure you there will be no leftovers for long .

3. Mint leaves add a distinct flavor to the chutney . Trust me the flavor goes very well with that of cilantro leaves . 

4. Always thoroughly wash the leaves . You can skip the chopping part if you wish . 

So all in all chutney is an integral part of my daily meal. Which version is your favorite ? Do try and let me know .