October 2015 – Pure Sugar

{Freebie Friday} FREE Printable November Planner Stickers

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Carol — 2 Comments ↓

Hello everyone! I know, I have so much to catch up on — but that will have to wait for tomorrow. Today I’m just popping in to share another FREE November printable for your planner or calendar. It’s already the end of October, so it’s definitely time to start writing in all of those important November events. This sheet has some stickers that are designed for the Erin Condren vertical planner, but you can certainly use them anywhere they will fit!

First, I want to give credit to @Jen_Plans on IG. She posted this photo of stickers she made for a RAK, and I loved her event sticker with the banner. I took that idea and created a half-box sticker with the same idea. So thank you, Jen, for the inspiration and I hope you don’t mind me using your idea! Som of the other images are used in accordance with the TOS from Freepik.com. If you enjoy making your own stickers — that’s a resource you should definitely check out!

As usual, my free planner printables are for personal use only and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. I will either print these out on regular printer paper and then cut and paste into my Erin Condren planner using a tape runner, or else print them on full-sheet labels and just hand-cut the stickers.

Autumn Hike at Wilderstein

Posted on October 17, 2015 by Carol — No Comments ↓

Sometimes I feel bad for everyone else in the world who does not live here in the Hudson Valley. I’m not quite sure how my path brought me here, but I know for sure that it is where I’m meant to be. It is just so damn gorgeous, especially this time of year. We are lucky to have so many amazing historical sites nearby where you can go (for free) and just take it all in. Laura joined Daisy Scouts, and today was their first outing. We went on a nature hike at Wilderstein. Now, a few years ago I wrote an article on some rennovations that were completed there but until today I had never actually visited. It was a perfectly cool fall day, and a great time to visit. I forgot my DSLR at home, so I only snapped a few shots with my iPhone, but still, I think these photos give you an idea of the beauty of the area. I am a sucker for any Hudson River view. Can you imagine seeing this every day when you walk out of your house? Oh, what I would give!

And then, of course, there is the mansion itself. You can read about the building’s history here. We did not go on a tour (with 8 little girls, that would have been a challenge), but it’s definitely on my personal, ever-growing list of things to do in the Hudson Valley. I also want to do a little research to see if it’s haunted at all. With all the additions and rennovations over the years I wonder! There is a creepiness about it, but that’s not uncommon to many of these Victorian-era houses.

The girls hiked like champs, and we identified many different types of trees, nuts, and grasses. I think this might be the first time I’ve ever seen a ginko tree in person.

And what little girl can leave without a few treasures? We collected a Sycamore leaf, some chestnuts, a black walnut, and an acorn cap (of which we must have hundreds in our own yard, but…). The acorn cap is to practice whistling. One of the moms showed everyone how to do it. I can’t seem to get it, but a few of the girls had no problem!

Definitely a fun afternoon out! But now I am ready to wind down. I have a fire going and I’m making pork chops, baked potatoes, and broccoli for dinner. Afterwards I look forward to (possibly) seeing if I can manage any last-minute crochet (maybe a hat or cowl) to wear to Sheep and Wool tomorrow. Hope you are having a great Saturday, too!

{Freebie Friday} Trash Day Planner Stickers

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Carol — 4 Comments ↓

Free Trash Day Stickers For Your Planner

Hello, hello and TGIF! Today I have another planner freebie for you. I hope you will be able to use them! A little over a month ago, our sanitation company changed our trash day and there were a couple weeks that I actually forgot to put it out on the curb! I whipped up a page of reminder stickers to print out for myself, and then thought that I’d offer them here, as well.

Free Trash Day Stickers for your Planner

Fall Around Here

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Carol — No Comments ↓

I may be biased, but Autumn in the Hudson Valley is pretty darn gorgeous. This afternoon I just took a few photos around the yard while waiting for the school bus.

Monday, Monday…

Posted on October 12, 2015 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

I’m laughing at myself as I read over the last blog post. Oh yes — I was going to attempt to blog every day in October, wasn’t I? LOL! Oh well. I thought about it a lot, and wrote down ideas for a few posts, but… yeah, it just didn’t happen.

Anyway, onward! Let’s jump into the week with Happy Homemaker Monday.

The Weather:::

It’s a pretty glorious autumn day out there today! The high should be in the low 70s, and the sun is shining bright. The kids are off from school today, so they’ve been playing outside. I’ve got the windows open, and I’m just enjoying the fresh air.

Things That Make Me Happy:::

Cinnamon scented candles, brilliant foliage, fuzzy blankets, quiet time, salted caramel tea…

Book I’m Reading:::

I was chosen to be on the launch team for Crystal Paine’s new book — Money Making Mom. I’ve been reading Crystal’s blog Money Saving Mom since the beginning, so I was really excited to take part! The book is wonderful, too. (Of course, if you know Crystal at all, you’d expect nothing less). It’s encouraging, positive, and full of great insight. I’ll have a full review a little closer to its publication date in November.

What’s On My TV Today:::

Today, there probably won’t be too much on, but some shows on Netflix I’ve been enjoying lately are Season 4 of American Horror Story (I know – Season 5 is out!), and I’m eager to start the last season of The Walking Dead (even though I found myself rolling my eyes throughout last season).

On The Menu For Dinner:::

Drew is picking up dinner on the way home from work tonight, so no cooking for me!

On My To-Do List:::

— pick up supplies for Cub Scouts on Friday
— print out some forms for Daisy Scouts (Laura is dying to join, so she will start this week)
— clothing donations
— the usual housework and running around

New Recipe I Tried (Or Want To Try Soon):::

I actually don’t have anything new at the moment! Maybe I need to take a look on Pinterest.

In The Craft Basket:::

I finished up a cute coffee cup cozy last week. Nothing fancy, but it felt good to actually complete a project! I need to get back to spending a little time every day crocheting. Honestly, I’ve been devoting my free craft time to calligraphy practice lately.

A photo posted by Carol Bancroft (@carolwrites) on Oct 7, 2015 at 12:40pm PDT

A photo posted by Carol Bancroft (@carolwrites) on Oct 11, 2015 at 12:03pm PDT

A photo posted by Carol Bancroft (@carolwrites) on Oct 9, 2015 at 11:59am PDT

Looking Forward To This Week:::

Hopefully finally getting our central air fixed. Yes, this saga has been going on since August. I’m so disgusted, I don’t event want to think about it. I just want it done.

Looking Around The House:::

The kitchen table is covered in Laura’s craft supplies: crayons, paper, glue, etc. We were making collages with fall leaves this morning, and I have to finish picking everything up. The floors could use a good sweep and vacuum, too. But hey — three kids and two cats, so that’s to be expected!

My Favorite Blog Post This Week:::

Sad to say I didn’t really do much blog reading over the last week.

New Blog To Share:::

If you have ever wanted to learn Copperplate Calligraphy, definitely check out Nina Tran’s blog, The Copperplate Companion. Not only is she incredibly talented, but she is such a nice person! She is one of my calligraphy inspirations for sure, and always happy to offer some words of encouragment on Instagram (as well as sharing her talent so the rest of can learn).

No Words Needed (Photo To Share):::

A photo posted by Carol Bancroft (@carolwrites) on Oct 6, 2015 at 4:58am PDT

Lesson Learned The Past Few Days:::

Sometimes you just have to be who you are, and if other people don’t “get it” — that’s OK.

Devotional, Scripture, Key Verses, Quote, Etc.:::

success