Dirt Road Adventures: Christmas In July

Happy Sunday, and welcome to Dirt Road Adventures: Water World! This is where we review all the exciting events behind the scenes, on the website, and the sources of inspiration I discovered online during the past week. This weekly recap ensures you don’t miss any of our adventures.

Hey friends,

I hope you have had a good week. Did you see all the Christmas in July articles? I haven’t actually done any projects yet, but I’ve got my Pinterest Boards full, and I’ve been taking screenshots of all the cute ideas coming this fall. Once we get into August, the planning will go into high gear. I know you may be saying, no way! It’s too early! I agree; however, I’ll be trying to share as many fun ideas as possible so you have plenty of time to get your supplies together.

In addition, we are still in the heat of summer, but we had so much rain last week. And I’m not talking about normal rain. It has been torrential downpours that have washed the gravel from our driveway and drenched our porch chairs. We had been praying for rain, but enough is enough! LOL.

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I was so excited to receive my Fall edition of Country Sampler Farmhouse Style Magazine and see that three of my previous projects were featured. It is an incredible honor to have my work recognized in such a prestigious publication.

Last year, I collected some large pinecones at the beach and made a cute sunflower wreath. I had several pinecone flowers left over, so I decided to use a piece of reclaimed wood and make a candle centerpiece. I am so excited that the editor liked the project enough to feature it this year. It’s a surprisingly easy craft, and if you’d like to see the full tutorial, read DIY Sunflower Centerpiece with Pinecones and Reclaimed Wood.

Another DIY project involving reclaimed wood is this candleholder I made a few years ago. Finally, the plaster copper leaves were used for three projects. I made charger plates, a wreath, and a light fixture arrangement. To see the tutorials for these projects, click the images below.

Adventures I’ve Had This Past Week

Adventures Off The Dirt Road

Why Didn’t I Think of That?

There are so many wonderful blog posts each week, and I’m sharing some of my favorites with you today.

There are so many creative ideas, and I’m always asking myself, “Why didn’t I think of that”? LOL

• Not ready for Fall and Christmas decorating just yet? Check out my friend Amy’s Cozy Home Decor Ideas for Summer.
• My friend Heidi shared some inspiring trends for Fall Decorating.
• KariAnne shared this clever DIY idea for a Chalk Board Meal Planner.
• If you like watermelon, you have to check out Mary’s 5 Favorite Watermelon Recipes.
• Boy, do we need these tips this summer? Well, until last week! Stacy’s tips for the Best Drought-Resistant Plants for a Low-Maintenance Garden are so helpful.
• Speaking of Christmas In July, I pinned so many of CoCo’s 29 Simple DIY Christmas Gift Ideas.

What’s in my cart?

Are you happy with your Prime Day orders? I’m loving everything I purchased. Here are the most popular items.

• The Keurig Express Coffee Maker is about half the size of my original, and it makes the coffee instantly. There’s no waiting for it to heat up. YAY! I need my morning coffee fast.
• We just took the new Vaccum Cleaner to the beach and love it. Plus I noticed it’s STILL ON SALE!
• And these Clark Flip Flops are so comfortable and STILL ON SALE!
• I also just ordered these adorable Pillow Covers for Fall.
• And these Christmas Lights. I know, don’t yell at me. LOL