Happy Halloween!!!

Hope everyone has a bewitching Halloween!!!

 

Happy Birthday Blog!!!

 One year ago today, I started Sweet Home Indiana!

I had been thinking about writing a blog for years, but never pulled the trigger. I went to school for journalism and television production, but things happened and that life never happened for me. But, I always just kept thinking about it. Creating stories, whether on paper or video, was always just something I have enjoyed doing my entire life.

I am really into quotes and my pinterest is full of them. There were some sayings that just kept making their way back into my life and they started to take hold. I couldn't stop thinking about living the life that I had dreamed about. No one would hire me to do the kind of work I wanted because I didn't have enough "experience." I decided to make my own experience ~ and I could write about anything I wanted!

I have always loved doing things around the house, from crafts, to baking, to decorating for the holidays. Martha Stewart was an early inspiration for me, as are many other ladies such as Julia Child, Ina Garten, Sarah Richardson, Ree Drummond, Joanna Gaines, and Nicole Curtis. And of course, my own mom! They all make home a better place to be and that is what I love to do as well! Home is my happy place, and I decided that my blog would document my adventures in homemaking!

A year later and here we are! I may not be able to quit my day job or have my own television show or book deal (yet!), but I am doing something that makes me happy!

You never know where life will lead you! My advice is to start doing something TODAY, no matter how small, that will allow you to live the life you have always dreamed of. You only get one chance at life, make it count!

Thanks to everyone that follows along with my blog! The best is yet to come!

Here are some quotes that really speak to me and have inspired me along the way:

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram (sweethome.indiana), Pinterest, Bloglovin, and now Facebook (sweethomeindiana1) for more!

DIY Ghost Gourd!

 Halloween is my favorite holiday and I especially love decorating my home for it!

For years I've wanted to do a gourd craft, but all the tutorials out there seemed to require a lot of work, starting with drying out the gourds for almost a year! I was so happy when I discovered that my favorite pumpkin patch sold already dried gourds!

I decided to do a ghost gourd for Halloween and it was super easy! All I needed was white spray paint and a little bit of black paint for the face.

Dried gourds tend to be very ugly and dirty looking. I tried to scrub off the dirt and flaky stuff as best I could with a scrub brush. There were still a lot of uneven areas, but it's natural and just added to the rustic, spookiness of the ghost! Most dried gourds will also have moldy looking spots on them, so I used a spray paint that covered mold and water stains. It worked perfectly and I feel okay with it in my house now!

This was really my first time using spray paint so I got a few drips and runs here and there. Afterwards, my husband told me to use short bursts of paint and don't get too close to whatever you are painting. Now I know for my next gourd!

My DIY Ghost Gourd was so quick, fun, and easy, I will definitely be making more of them! 

Gourds come in many different shapes and sizes! I dug through this pile of already dried gourds to find the perfect ones for my Ghost Gourds!

My gourd, all spray painted and ready for his face! Obviously, wait for the white paint to dry before you put the face on!

Next step, paint the face! I used this black enamel paint because I already had it. It's a bit like carving a pumpkin. You may want to draw on the face before you paint to make sure it's how you want it!

Exactly what I wanted! I love when that happens! This little guy is the perfect addition to all the rest of my Halloween decor! You can decorate both the inside and outside of your house with gourd ghosts!

BOO!

 Happy Halloween!

My Fall Wreaths

 I love a good wreath! It really makes your front door pop and welcomes guests to your home. It is the perfect finishing touch for your front porch decor!

For the past several years, I have been making my own wreaths. They are actually very easy to put together and I love to design my own. I made my first wreath about ten years ago when I moved into my very own apartment. I got a very cheap and flimsy Fall leaf garland from Walmart and fashioned it into a circle with floral wire. That was it, and it served me well for almost a decade until I decided to make a new one. Then, it was like I could not be stopped! I just kept on making more wreaths, not just for Fall, but for every season and holiday possible!

Now, I have decided to take my wreaths public and hopefully make a few extra bucks! I entered a very prestigious craft show here in Fort Wayne, The Deer Ridge Holly Days Craft Show, and they actually let me in! Making wreaths, planning out my booth, and praying that someone will buy my wreaths has consumed every waking moment here lately! That is why I have been slacking on the blogging front, so I thought it was time to do a post about my wreaths!

I did a photo shoot last weekend because I am going to have a book of my wreaths that people can order from at my craft booth. I used an old, chippy antique door we salvaged as the backdrop and it worked out perfectly! Right now, I just photographed the Fall wreaths. I have a lot of Christmas wreaths I've made and I need to make more, but it's so hard to get into the Christmas mood in September and October! I'm all about Fall! It is my favorite season after all!

Here are some of my Fall wreaths that I've done so far. I have a lot more that are half finished that I need to work on and I better get on it, because the show is in two weeks! Yikes! I am nervous and excited at the same time! If you see any you like, and are in the Fort Wayne area, stop by the Deer Ridge Craft Show on October 21 and buy one! And say hello too!

Wish me luck!!!