Pinterest-Inspired Photography

I'm so excited for another round of Pinterest-inspired projects! I love me some Pinterest.

Pinterest is a fabulous source of inspiration for all sorts of things, not just home and DIY projects. When I was hospital-bound for a bit in my pregnancy, I found new photographers through links to their photos on Pinterest, and browsed around for inspiration for once my little one arrived.

Here are a few of my favorite photos found on Pinterest, and my own take on these

When I saw the below photo on Pinterest, I was instantly swooning. What a sweet love there is between a mother and her baby.

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Here is my take on this kind of shoot.

Hannah and I spend plenty of time playing like this right now: talking, imitating facial expressions, smiling at each other.

No posing necessary for a photo shoot like this. I think the love for my girl is written all over my face.

(Find the rest of the pictures from this session here and here.)

There are so many ways to document the age of a baby, and I loved this idea of a monthly set up on the corresponding month of the calendar.

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Here is my take.

This is Hannah's October shot, 4 months old.

This picture of the baby and big sister is too sweet. I had to try it with my set of siblings!

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Here is my take.

I only got one shot like this, because my son was bouncing around on the bed and Hannah started crying, but I think this one is a keeper.

(Find the rest of the (crazier) pictures from this session here.)

Has Pinterest inspired any of your most recent pictures? Feel free to share those in the Pinterest link up party, going on this Thursday!

Click here to follow all of my Pinboards, including my Photography board.

Also, come back next week where I'll be starting a new photography related series, full of tips, tricks, gear and gadgets.

Have a great week!

La Posh Style Winner

Congratulations to our La Posh Style winner!

Congrats Jennifer!!

Thanks to everyone who entered! Have a great weekend!

Friday Finds {Pinterest-My Style}

Happy Halloween Weekend!
Let's wrap up the October Pinterest Style with nothing less than the fun part:
playing dress up!

Some fun and {DIY} costumes to give a whirl:


{Cute Toddler Costumes}





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{Family Fun}




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What are you dressing up as? Care to share? Leave me a comment below..have a particular board on Pinterest you think is awesome? I'd love to follow you! Let me know!
Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

Jessica

Giveaway from La Posh Style

**Giveaway is now closed.**

Have you heard of the stunning shop, La Posh Style?

It's full to the brim of stunning dresses, sweaters, shoes, bags, scarfs...get the picture? It's beautiful stuff.

Would you like to see more, including how to win a $50 giftcard to the shop?

Click HERE for details on how to win.

Make it a Last Minute Tradition!

Who out there doesn't love a good holiday tradition? Well, if you have been following the blog for long you know that we love holiday traditions around my house. So if you haven't already, I'm here to encourage you to carve pumpkins with your family each year, starting tonight!! It can be quick, easy, and full of laughter. And in the end, it's totally worth the glow on your little ones faces and those of your pumpkins too!

First, you have to make a quick afternoon trip to a fun pumpkin farm to find just the right one. And just think, if you've waited this long they probably have a sale! (If you can't get out to the farm, I bet your grocer has a great $3.99 pumpkin with your name written all over it!)

Cut the top of your pumpkin and scoop out all the insides, leaving the carving side of your pumpkin as thin as you can. Have a good metal serving spoon? Those make perfect scoopers and scrapers!

To make it easy, go to your local grocery store and pick up a book of carving patterns. The set always comes with these great little tools that make carving a cinch.

 Be sure to get the whole family involved!

When everyone's done, light them up, sit back and enjoy the show!!

Have some fun pumpkin carvings you'd like to share? Link them up to our Flickr account so we can all enjoy! Hope you can 'carve out' some time to get in on this great tradition this year before its too late!

Happy Wednesday, and Happy Halloween!

Embroidered Bird {Silhouette Project}

This is a Silhouette project that can be done even if you DON'T own a machine.  All you have to do is download the Silhouette Studio software and purchase a .99 cent image online.  You can use the images in your library for anything and they can be printed from your computer.  

I have used this bird on a branch image before because I just really love it.  I put it on a blank page in my Silhouette Studio.  I sized it down a little in order to fit into a 5x7 frame.  

I used spray adhesive to adhere a piece of white fabric to cardstock and sent it through my printer.  Erin was the one to first show us the fabric printing trick.  I used it in this post and here I go again.

Now I had my image outline on my fabric.  I used my embroidery needle and black embroidery floss and began stitching away on the line.

Hand stitching takes awhile, of course but it is so worth it.  By the time I was finished, it was dark and late so I didn't get any super great pictures of the finished product.

I stuck my little birdie in a black frame and added it to the wall.

It was super fun to do and I love the look.  This will most likely become my new obsession so friends and family beware.  You could see something similiar under your Christmas tree.

I want to do a pumpkin now for fall and a tree for Christmas.  I also need to get some colorful thread and have all kinds of fun with this little craft.

If you haven't already, give it a try.  Anyone can do it and the possibilities are endless!  : )

Thanks for stopping by!  

Happy Tuesday!

Decorating with Portraits and Photography Series

Hey everyone!!

I shared this post last month on Kristen Duke Photography's great series, Decorating With Portraits. I love the challenge of sprinkling pictures of my loved ones throughout my home and enjoyed reading all of the entries - 30 days worth by 30 different bloggers! There were a lot of great ideas floating around, so check it out if you missed it!

Also, I wanted to share something new that I'm going to be doing with you on Mondays.

When we surveyed our readers a few months back and asked what you would like to see more of on Lemon Tree Creations, we were overwhelmed by the number of you who expressed interest in learning more about photography. So that is what I'm going to give you!

Every Monday I'll be sharing some of my favorite photography tips, tricks, gear and gadgets. I'm so excited to get started!!

Here is my post about decorating with portraits in my home. Enjoy!

Hi there!

My name is Erin and this is me most days! I'm a momma of two and enjoy juggling these gorgeous kids, a wonderful husband, and finding time to indulge my passions for creating and photography.

I love when I have the opportunity to get professional portraits taken with my family!! It is a rare treat to be able to see our interactions portrayed in such a beautiful way, and I am giddy in the days leading up to previewing the images, and the weeks leading up to the arrival of prints. Once they finally arrive I am just so excited...that I leave them in the box.

Okay, it's time for me to admit it. Deep breath. I am frame commitaphobe.

I live in a small town with an even smaller selection of stores. Thrift stores can provide some great options, but then I'm left with how to refinish them, and sometimes that lets me put off the framing decision even longer. But I'm committed to getting my photos out, even if that means they sometimes are displayed unframed.

I searched high and low for the perfect frame for my daughter's birth announcement to keep in her nursery, but in the end, decided that just leaning it on a shelf was my best option. The family blocks were a fun way to sneak in a family photo as well.

In addition to not committing to frames, I can't commit to a favorite snapshot. (Whew! It feels good to get this all out in the open!) I take photos on a daily basis, so I have new favorites every week. I made this clothesline photo display so that I can change them up regularly, and it's a great alternative to matting a bunch of the pictures in little frames and grouping them together.

I recently tried another option with some professional portraits that I had done and I whole-heartedly recommend it. If you have professional portraits taken, choose the photos that are your FAVORITES, you know, the ones that you immediately swear you will have blown up to near life-like proportions, you'll want to look on daily, and show off to ALL of your friends and family, you know the ones? Have them mounted.

I had my two favorite shots mounted and blown up to 8x10 and 11x14 sizes and I love them. There are several different mounting options available: matboard, styrene board, foam board, masonite, and some of them have varying thickness options as well. Talk to your photographer and see what options they have available or what they recommend.

Let me just tell you, as soon as these pictures arrived at my house, they were up. I popped one up above the fireplace and another at the entryway. (The 5x7s I left in the box until I could find some suitable frames.) The photo below of my son and I is my favorite!

I just love the versatility of my mounted photos. The stiffness allows me to "lean" them in my displays, much like you would a piece of framed art. Since I don't have to decide on a specific style of frame or commit to the holes that I have put in my walls, I've shifted the photos around several times to different locations throughout my home. Though the images themselves are timeless, this slight change up, much like I change up my seasonal decor, seems to keep them fresh. Plus, leaning them is so easy, requires no tools, and no commitment. Yessssss.

My other favorite thing about my mounted photos is that there is still the option to frame them. The board is sturdy enough to stand on it's own, but thin enough that I could still pop it in a frame behind glass if and when I find the perfect frame. But is it crazy that my favorite option for this photo is in this old barn window screen? I just love it.

Now that it's the end of October, you may already have a favorite fall photo. Is it of the kids at an apple orchard, in a pumpkin patch, or at the park with the leaves changing beautifully in the background? Or will you favorite photo not appear until next week once the Halloween costumes are out? Either way, remember that you can still get your FREE 8 x 10 canvas through Canvas People right now. It's an awesome deal with beautiful results.

No matter how you choose to display your family photos, be sure that you get your photos out somewhere in your home so that you, and everyone else around you, can enjoy them.

As always, Happy Monday!

Winners!

Congratulations to our winners!!

The winner of the free stencil from Cutting Edge is Simply AJ!

The TWO winners of the free copy of Gourmet Gifts are Abigail and Athena!

Each winner has received an email from me with details about your prize, so congrats!

Friday Finds {Pinterest-My Style}

Yummy, Yummy in my tummy. {Pinterest Style}

I adore browsing Pinterest for yummy recipes and creative ways to spruce up my theme for any event. Halloween will be no different.

{The Mixer}


{To the Table}


{the source}
I love guacamole!

Check out these cute party favors! {Bonus: printables!}

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If you have a {Halloween Board} or a {Recipe Board} that you would love to share, leave me a comment. You can find my {In My Belly} Board here.
I'm always looking for new ideas and inspirations as the holidays come and go!
Thanks for stopping by, have a great weekend!

Follow me here!

Happy Friday

Jessica

Hazelnut Brittle in Faux Letter Bundle, and Gourmet Gifts Giveaway

I'm so pleased to introduce today's guest poster, Dinah Corley, author of Gourmet Gifts.

Dinah is a chef and cooking instructor who has taken delicious edible gifts to the next level. Gourmet Gifts not only provides 100 delicious recipes, but also takes care to show how to give a beautiful presentation with each item. It is candy for the eye and the stomach!!

Dinah is currently in the middle of a blog tour to promote Gourmet Gifts, and was sweet enough to stop by Lemon Tree Creations to share one of my favorite entries with you guys today! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!

I was so happy that the ladies of Lemon Tree Creations invited me write a guest post, and even happier that they chose a project from the “Small Tokens” chapter of my book. Small tokens are delicious and unique gifts intended as little gestures of affection or appreciation. All the gifts in this chapter are fairly simple and inexpensive to make, and most importantly, each one has a touch of whimsy and undeniable charm.

Buttery hazelnut brittle enclosed in a “faux” bundle of vintage letters beautifully exemplifies the “Small Token.” This delicious brittle could not be simpler to make (the hazelnuts are an unexpected and welcome change from peanuts or almonds), and its whimsical package could not be more charming.

I happen to be a huge fan of anything “Trompe L’oeil” (literally translated as “fool the eye” but “delighting the eye” is more accurate). A standard pillow box covered with a printed image of antique letters or envelopes is easy and a lot fun to make. Creative embellishments like thin silky ribbon or colored twine secured with vintage stamps or a wax seal perfectly completes the “bundled letters” illusion thus adding to the charm of this small token.

If you have any questions about the project or recipe, you can always find me at DinahsGourmetGifts.com!

Hazelnut Brittle in a Faux Bundle of Letters

Overall Prep Time: 1¼ hours

Active Prep Time: 15 minutes-Easy-Ships well-Do not double'

Shelf Life: 1 week in an airtight container at room temperature

Makes: 20 pieces

Ingredients

-¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter

-1 cup chopped hazelnuts (you can substitute pecans or almonds)

-1 cup superfine sugar

-½ cup light corn syrup

-½ teaspoon sea salt

-1 teaspoon cognac

-1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1. Using 3 tablespoons of the butter, heavily coat the bottom of a standard sheet pan (11 x 17 inches) and set it aside.

2. Combine the nuts, sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the mixture on High for 3 minutes, pause the oven to stir the mixture well, and microwave on High for 3 minutes more. Pause the oven again, stir the mixture once more, and microwave on High for another minute.

3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the brittle mixture without stirring and microwave on High for 2½ minutes more. Remove the bowl from the microwave and gently stir in the cognac and baking soda, taking care because the boiling mixture may foam and sputter when you add these ingredients. Quickly pour the hot brittle onto the buttered sheet pan. Working very quickly, pick up the sheet pan with oven mitts and tilt the pan back and forth and side to side to spread the molten brittle into as thin a layer as possible over the sheet pan before it cools and hardens.

4. Cool the pan on a rack for at least 1 hour. Break the brittle by hand into generous bite-sized pieces. Store in an airtight container until the pillow box wrapping is completed and you are ready to assemble the gift.

Wrapping It Up

Images of beautiful vintage letters, postcards, and other antique paper ephemera can be downloaded to your computer or printer from several free sources, like TheGraphicsFairy.com. Use printer-weight card stock when reproducing the images. You can also clip images from magazines or old books and dry-mount them onto card stock to achieve a similar effect. The embellished card stock can be mounted on a commercially produced cardboard pillow box (or you can make your own using a purchased box as a template).

Suggested Supplies

-Dry-mount spray adhesive

-Lightweight cardstock with printed or dry-mounted images of antique letters, postcards, or other ephemera

-1 cardboard pillow box (purchased or homemade), folded size approximately 5 x 9 inches

-Waxed tissue paper

-Thin ribbon or twill tape

-Sealing wax or hot glue gun

-Sealing wax, with stamp

How to put it in a letter

Use the dry-mount adhesive to attach the embellished card stock to the outside of the pillow box before folding it into shape. Small scissors or a craft knife can be used to trim around all the outside edges of the pillow box so the attached images are the exact same size as the pillow box. To make sure the images are well attached with no gaps, wrinkles, or bubbles, place the embellished box under a stack of heavy books for a few hours.Wrap the brittle in waxed tissue and place it in the box. Wind the ribbon or twill tape around the box and knot it tightly. Apply a small circle of real or glue-gun sealing wax to the ends of the ribbon and impress it with a stamp.

Thanks Dinah! I can't wait to try this out, it looks beautiful and scrumptious!!

Would you like to win a copy of this book. Click HERE for details and to enter.

*Disclaimer: I was not paid for this post.

Kids Wall Art

Today we welcome Jade from The Letter 4! Thanks for guest posting with us!

Well hello! My name is Jade.

You can learn more about me and my sisters here!



 I remember back before we even started our blog, I would come check out what was happening over here at Lemon Tree Creations.  I would come when I felt the urge to do a project, when I needed to be inspired, or when I just wanted to see some awesome women at work.  ;)  Truly, these four women are so creative and its surreal to me that I get to share an idea with them and you here today.  Thank you ladies for having us, another set of four, from ...

The Letter 4

Optimistic.

Walk with me down memory lane for a minute.  The VERY FIRST finger painting my little girl ever painted is still hanging up.  I love it and I can't part with it.  She is amazing.  I think she might be the next Leonardo da Vinci.  :)

Thanks to my wonderful mom, I can't stand clutter, dust on the floor boards, the bed not made, or (even though I love them dearly) my little girl's paintings hung up all over the fridge and walls.  (Notice, I didn't say these things do not exist in my home.)  Clutter, dust, and sheets I can deal with easily, however, the piles of precious art turn into more piles...and more....and more...

 "Don't let your kids see you throw away their projects, you'll never hear the end of it."

I heard this plenty of times before I had kids, and always just kinda thought, "Eh, my kids won't care, and I won't care because I hate clutter."  Let me tell you, the first time I did throw something away...I cringed while doing so...and my sweet daughter saw it in the trash minutes later and with the most innocent, sad, betrayed voice said,

"MoooOOOOm!  WHY did you FROW DIS away?!"  

Oh my gosh, I ---  FELT --  SOOOOO --  BAD!!  You know the feeling?  I ran over and took the picture out of the trash, straightened it up, HUGGED it,  kissed it,  kissed her, and repeatedly apologized and hung it up on the fridge where it stayed for weeks.  HAHA.

Well...I had to figure something out because the fridge could not be used for this kind of thing permanently.  Sooooooo here's what I came up with!  There are probably plenty of cute ideas out there and maybe some similar to this, but as I have mentioned in previous posts, I gotta stick to the budget.  I found materials around my house and found a system that allows me have a tidy home and a collection of my mini  Da Vinci's masterpieces!

You only need these three things:

1)  Wire or string cut to desired length

2)  Two fun push pins

3)  Some type of hanging clamp (clothes pins, ect.)

  

Tie a knot at each end of the wire or string leaving a loop.  Push the pins through the loops on each side of the wire, into the wall, and start hanging any and all of the projects and pictures they bring home!  They love to see them displayed.  Self confidence builder and home organizer in one! BOOM BABY! 

(*REMEMBER:  I feel stupid saying this, but I feel like I need a disclaimer or something.  Haha.  Be sure and hang this high enough so your kids can't pull it and play with it!)

Clothes pins.

A different kind of fastener hangy thingy...I really have no idea what its called.  Help me out here...

Once you get them hung up, I know, I know, more come...then more come...it's basically hanging the piles on the walls, right?  Well, here's where THE SYSTEM comes in...it's the secret that makes it all work.

Every once in a while when it gets too cluttered, we have a picture taking party where we take one down at a time and snap a photo of the project alone, or of the child holding it.  My little girl parts with the projects much easier after having a fun photo session with them.  

THEN, put the pictures in an online album so you can print them in a book.

Here are some we have done through Smilebox! 

Her first drawings of faces!  I'm so glad I have these!

This little girl is so fun!  I'm so I blessed to have her!

And taking pictures of these things is a really fun activity to do too!  She didn't get bored!

Take a note of what they were doing while they were creating.  I CHERISH this memory of Chloe singing "You're never fully dressed without a smile!" while she was painting.

After you are finished compiling the pages, organize them by season, or school year, or whatever works for you,  then print out a book.  It would be called something like "Chloe's Masterpieces 2011."  Your kids will never get tired of looking at...and one day maybe their kids will look at it too!

Art is such a FUN way to create and preserve memories, don't ya think?!

"You're never fully dressed without a smile!"

What a fun project and great post! Thanks again for posting with us today. 

If you would like to guest post with LTC, please email your unpublished submissions to ltc.guestposting@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you.