{Easy Fall Centerpiece Tutorial}

One of my favorite parts of entertaining is decorating the house. I'm still slowly decorating here and there for our family Thanksgiving in a little over a week. We are estimating about 20-30 people over at our house that day and are so very excited to see family and eat good food!

Here's a quick tutorial for a simple centerpiece. You don't have to use the exact materials I did. I just "shopped" my own house! Meaning, I took items I already had in the house and recycled them for this look. Enjoy!

{Easy Fall Centerpiece Tutorial}

Step 1: Grab a clear vase. I used a pair of footed hurricanes | Step 2: Add moss or other filler on the bottom | Step 3: Add candle. I used a battery operated pillar candle | Step 4: Add pine cones or other filler that has a more "Fall" feel (i.e. fall leaves, acorns, etc.). Repeat for the second vase.

xx, Shiela

{Burlap and Moss Wreath Tutorial}

I've been searching for the perfect year-round wreath to decorate our front door for a while with no luck. I found a good preserved boxwood option at Target but after reading its reviews, customers commented that it turned a brownish yellow if placed outdoors.

Although I knew that I wanted a good-sized green wreath with a burlap bow I still scoured Pinterest for other ideas and was hopeful that one would take me to a link to an online store where I could easily purchase. I found these beautiful wreath inspirations...

 {This green moss wreath was a great option without the 

green organza bow, pine cones and ornaments}

{This chunky moss wreath without the white satin bow is another great option. Plain enough to display year round}

Unfortunately, I couldn't find just the right wreath so I decided to make it! 

Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1: You'll need a straw wreath, a bag of moss (not pictured), spray glue, pair of scissors and burlap ribbon. 

Step 2: In small sections, spray a light layer of glue on the wreath. Take some moss and pull it apart slightly to achieve a less chunky look and to ensure that the moss sticks to the wreath. Repeat until the front of the wreath is completely covered. 

Step 3. Repeat Step 2 on the other side of the wreath. 

Step 4. After you complete covering the entire wreath, double check for patchy areas and add more moss. 

{Final Product}

Happy Crafting!!!

xx, Shiela

{Fall Love}

Although I was sad to see summer go, it made ending the season easier knowing that soon I'd be sitting cozy in a knit sweater and boots sipping on a pumpkin spice latte! The sights, smells and feel of Fall make me giddy!

As soon as I could, I started to decorate around the house. 

(Here's my dining area at home.}

Also, I haven't slacked on the comfort food eating! A couple weeks back D wanted biscuits for breakfast. I was happy to oblige since I love biscuits with melted butter and strawberry jam!

(Home made biscuits and a steamy cup of coffee!}

The next week, I was craving cinnamon rolls. These are the Pillsbury ones you can get in the refrigerated area of your grocery store. They're not as good as the real thing, but we made do!

{Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls}

After church this past Sunday we decided to try a new brunch spot we have been hearing about called Bacon and Butter. 

{Here's a snapshot of the apple and bacon fritters we started with.}

This week, I made a batch of my favorite chocolate chip cookies. These ones are my spooky Halloween version!

{Spooky Halloween Chocolate Chip Cookies}

Happy Fall!!!

xx, Shiela

{Summer Recap}

Summer 2013 will go down in my personal history as one of the most memorable! Despite some lows, there were definitely more exciting highs, super fun trips, lots of food and awesome memories made. I couldn't have asked for a better summer!

A handful of snapshots from the summer...

{4th of July in San Francisco}

{Drinks at the Vdara in Las Vegas}

{A view of the Bellagio fountains from our hotel room in Vegas}

{Our hotel room in Vegas}

{Labor Day camping trip with the family}

{Hanging on to the last days of summer with a bright bouquet of flowers}

xx, Shiela

{This & That}

It's been a while since I've posted something on this blog. I've been absent for many reasons. When I first started this blog, I thought it was going to be fun and something that would come easy. I mean, what else is easier than talking about the things you love, right?! Wrong. I wasn't even blogging long until it started to feel like a chore. I wasn't even sure if I was posting good content. So, I took a little break.

During this break, lots has happened. So, I'm hoping those events will make for a long list of blog topics for future posts. One of the main things that happened (if you haven't yet noticed) is the name change of this blog...

{Re} introducing...SMITH STREET!

There was nothing wrong with Golden State Gal. I mean, I do live in California. However, it never quiet fit and never quiet felt mine. Then, one day I was sitting on my couch and the first street I ever remember living on popped in my head. All of a sudden, I wanted to name everything, including this blog and all of my future inventions, after it!

WHY?! There are many reasons. The main one is that Smith Street reminds of me of humble beginnings and makes everything posted on this blog that much more meaningful.

And so, it starts again...

I'm excited for future posts. For now, I'll leave you with a quote that stopped me in my tracks a last week.

Via

xx, Shiela