DIY, Garbage, I mean upcycling Autumn votives

Last year, I went into. Yankee Candle shop and bought a bunch of 50-80% off items. Many were Autumn themed but some were Xmas and Easter!

These votives are extremely fragrant and were dirt cheap.

I had to buy something for a ‘food day’s / potluck at work in August. Due to having Celiac disease, I will not make anything to poison me so, I’ll buy other items. I got these mini cheesecakes from Costco. They felt heavy but I had no idea they were in individual glass ramekins! These aren’t throw-aways! I tried to give them to #1niece who is in uni but she demured. I could have donated them but lilDIY me knew that I’d come up with something.

I meant to paint them and had a whole other idea but as I chanced upon that stash of autumn candles, the die was set! These are votive holders and best yet, stupid easy!

I knew that I wanted something inside to show through the glass and had some ideas. First, I had to return something at Target and as I entered, their ‘$1′ section beckoned. Little jack-o’-lantern erasers!!!

Too cute!

I bought 3 bags, thinking it was too many for 6 votives but it was perfect!

I tried some burlap twine around the rims and bobs your uncle.

I used a box that food had come in and brown paper that wrapped something that had shipped to the ranch & tied a gold, orange and green ribbon around.

Fuck all o’ y’all! It’s done!

Autumn evening, 10 Oct 15

Crickets and a mama cow, separated from her calf. She’ll bawl at least one whole day, sometimes they do for a few days. 

That’s beef.

Autumn treats: apples and CANDY CORN! (gluten free!)

Autumn means delicious, fresh apples (local, organic variety at 3 USD for 5lb — our remaining apple tree never produced and its heavily-producing buddy got blight)…

and CANDY CORN!

I don’t usually like ‘sugar candy.’ All candy is sugar but I mean the ones that are sugar for the sake of being sugar (pixie sticks, jelly bears, sour patch, nerds, starburst, etc.).

I make an exception as autumn turns and love me some candy corn. One bag is enough, though! I found these at the discount shop. -yay! They were 2USD cheaper

All of Jelly Belly’s candies (as far as I know, all ‘sugar’ candy, so not my usual choice) are gluten free, Parve and more!

 

EDIT: as a lot of people find my blog via searching if Brach’s Candy Corn (or Harvest mixes) are gluten free, let me help:

They’re not.

Sugar, Corn Syrup, Confectioner’s Glaze, Salt, Honey, Dextrose, Artificial Flavor, Gelatin, Titanium Dioxide Color, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Red 3, Blue 1, Sesame Oil. Packaged On Equipment That Also Packages Products Containing Traces of Milk,Egg, Wheat, Peanuts, Tree Nuts and/Or Soy Protein.

orange=possibly contains gluten

red=that means gluten

Sight-see: Ozarks autumnal foliage peak

Get your motor running, head out on the highway…

If you’re a fan of autumn’s ‘leaf show’ (when deciduous trees’ leaves start dying off, changing colours), now’s the time.

In the Ozarks, we get a good two weeks. They started looking very good last weekend and it’s only midweek but they’ve pretty much hit their height:

We’ve got crimson, orange, bright yellow, various greens and they’ll soon go brown–then nekkid.

This coming weekend will be your last good bet, so head out to the St. Francois range into the Mark Twain Forest. If you must keep it short/ quick, at least take a run down Interstate 44 to Steelville. If you’re lucky, the sun will come out and hit those leaves!

We’ve had dark days so far, sorry for the gloomy but here’s a through-the-window, damp day shot.

Autumn’s nigh! Misty crops

Sorry for portrait orientation but my tiny lady-hands can’t hold it in one hand otherwise!

This isn’t heavy mist but it’s still pretty as a mist sandwiched between corn and Sol 🙂