DIY Tin Can Lanterns

I had some time off from work this week and thought "Hey, I haven't tortured myself with crafting lately. Time to craft!" I decided to try making these tin can lanterns I saw featured recently on The Chew. By the way, have you seen The Chew? It is my new obsession. Last week they had Cary Elwes on the show and under his name on the screen it read "Survived fire swamp!" Ha!

Anyway. Back to the tin cans. I was surprised at how easy this was to do. As you know, I am not craft inclined. In fact, when I told my sister, Mandy, what I had done, she asked me in a rather incredulous voice "Did it work out?" She then tried to backpedal and say that she just meant that "those projects on pinterest never work out." But I know she was really thinking "Oh my goodness. She crafted and it actually worked? The end of the world is near!"  I also figured I was in the clear in regards to injuries because this project didn't involve a glue gun. Well, I was wrong about that: in less than 5 minutes I was bleeding. I'm not sure why I was bleeding so I can't warn you of the hazard that awaits. Sorry folks but you are on your own with this one!

All things considered, this project worked out pretty well, and I plan on making more lanterns as soon as my fingers recover! For step by step directions and tips on how to do this craft, click on the link above. You can get the gist of it from looking at the pictures below.

My frozen cans

This is the pattern I used. Nothing fancy here.

I may have hit my finger a time or two (or 10)! Do this on a towel so you don't get ice and water everywhere.

Voila! I know they aren't perfect, but not bad for my first attempt.

I will probably paint it black. I think it will look really good with paint.

Christmas tree of memories

Husband and I put up the Christmas tree last night. We got the tree in July from someone who was giving it away on freecycle. Last night was the first time we had opened the box. I was a bit worried that the tree would look horrible, but to my surprise, it wasn't that bad. For the price we paid, I am happy with our tree. After all, you can't beat getting something for free!

As you can see, I still need a star or something to put on the top. I spent hours last year looking for one, and this year has been no different. I just can't seem to find something that is satisfactory.

Decorating the tree is like taking a walk down memory lane. Over the past few years, I have collected ornaments from various places I have travelled to. As I unwrap each ornament, the memories of that place wash over me. I think of the people I was with and the things we did there. Here are just a few of the ornaments and the memories behind them. This tradition started on my first visit to New York City. It was New Year's Eve, so all the shops still had Christmas stuff up. (Just a side note, I do NOT recommend NYC on New Year's Eve! It is so not worth it. Stay home, nice and warm with a bathroom nearby and watch the ball drop on your TV.) I bought this Statue of Liberty ornament to remember the day. Every time I pull it out, I not only think of that New Year's Eve, but I also think of the proceeding trips to NYC. Until I lived just outside the city, I only went once or twice a year. I would always go at Christmastime. There is something special about Christmas in NYC: seeing the tree in Rockefeller Center, the Macy's window displays, watching the Rockettes Christmas show, seeing people dragging Christmas trees down the busy sidewalks, eating roasted nuts from a street vendor. All the sights, sounds and smells of New York City come back to me as I place the Statue of Liberty on my tree.

A couple of years ago, when Husband and I were dating we wanted to go hiking in the Adirondacks. Due to poor planning on our part, we never did find an good hiking trail. Rather than turn around and head home, we decided to drive up to Lake Placid. What a great idea that turned out to be. The town was home to the 1980 Winter Olympics, and even in the summer it feels like a skiing town. We spent the day wandering the streets, popping in and out of shops, and visiting the various Olympic event sites (right in front of the high school is the speeding skating track!). This spontaneous trip to Lake Placid is one of our favourite memories, and we reference it all the time. Who knew that poor planning could end with such a great day?


Perhaps my favourite place to visit in Boston is the Habour right next to the Aquarium. I could sit for hours at the Harbour and watch the ships as I listen to the water. Anytime anyone came to visit me, I would make sure I took them to the Harbour. This ornament brings back more than memories of the Harbour, though. It reminds me of my years spent in Massachusetts. It reminds me of the trees, the ocean, the beach, the crazy drivers, and the wonderful people who I met there.

This New Hampshire outhouse ornament is one of my most cherished and favourite ornaments. It reminds me off my dear friends, The Willard's. You would be hard pressed to find better people than Alicia and Jon. They are two of the kindest, most caring people I have ever met. They would literally give you the shirts off their backs if you needed it. They are always there if you need anything, ready and willing to help. Jon's family has a small rustic cabin (complete with an outhouse) in New Hampshire. Alicia and Jon would invite me to go to the cabin a few times a year. Those weekends at the cabin were fantastic. There is no TV, no radio and very spotty cell phone reception. The weekend would be spent hiking, relaxing, shopping in the cute little towns nearby, swimming in the lake, skiing, and driving through the White Mountains. The cabin was where I found peace and solace. It was where time stopped for a couple days, where life became clear and centered again. It was wonderful to get away for a weekend, especially when life was bit stressful. I was at the cabin just a few weeks after my father died (and I might add, it was also about 5 weeks after Alicia and Jon got married. That's the type of people they are. They knew I was going through a rough time and they knew a weekend at the cabin would do me a world of good, so they invited me to go with them, even though they had been married less than 2 months!) It was at the cabin that I decided that I wanted to marry Husband. I miss the cabin more than I miss anything else about New England. That cabin was my sanctuary

When we went on our cruise last year, I wanted to find a nativity set to bring back. We searched every island we stopped at but had no luck. I was starting to give up hope. Finally, on the last day at the last island, we found one! Not only was it a nativity, but it was an ornament too! When I see this ornament I think about the cruise and about search for the nativity. Then I laugh a bit because I think of the craft market I went to here in Central Texas a couple of months ago where there was an long table full of these exact same ornaments! All that searching in the Caribbean for something that could be bought in a town just an hour down the road!

Although it wasn't always easy to find ornaments on my travels and I am missing a few (you try finding a ornament in Kentucky in July!), I love my tradition! It makes decorating the tree more fun. I am able to share stories with Husband of my life before him, and then we reminisce about the places we've been together. We laugh as we share memories then we hang those memories on our tree.

Who needs Martha?

We don't have a lot of space in our apartment so I had to get creative with decorating. I had to decide what decorations to put out and what ones would have to wait another year or two to be put on display. I guess the theme is "less is more" this year (And I have to admit I am already worrying about how to decorate for Christmas!).

Some of my long-time and loyal readers (Stop laughing! A blogger can dream, can't she?) may remember that jar from my Halloween decoration post last year. After everything I had to do to secure that jar, you better believe I will be using it for many years to come.

Oh Christmas tree?

Last night, while Ryan and I were out for a walk, we passed a house with a Christmas tree in the window. Yes, you read right: A Christmas tree, up already. Although my friend Natalie would disagree, I say it's too early! Why can't people wait until December? Doesn't this take away the magic of Christmas? I would think that by having Christmas decorations up for 6 to 8 weeks leading up to the Holiday, you would be tired of it by the time Christmas actually comes. I know that I can only take so much hype. Maybe I am a Grinch, but I say it's too early!

Pumpkin Carving

Ryan, carving pumpkins for the first time

in his life (that he can recall anyway!)


I am smiling because I have a knife!

Ryan decided to make it difficult and make a cat


This is my pumpkin. I know, I'm boring!

Meow!!

In a pickle

Last weekend, I was at a friend's house and she had really cute halloween decorations. I absolutely loved one she had made out of a jar of pickles and I decided to steal the idea. (I don't feel too bad stealing it. She saw it in a magazine). I bought the largest jar of pickles I could find and figured I could all the pickles in a few days because I love pickles. Well, 5 days later, I was so sick of pickles! I put the rest of the pickles in a tupperware, washed out the jar and made the decoration: