The Ask Anna Blog

“Give Thanks” Wood Burned Plaque

I’m Randi from Dukes and Duchesses and I’m so thrilled to be posting at Ask Anna today! With Thanksgiving approaching, I want to share a simple DIY project that also doubles as a great reminder {and don’t we all need it sometimes?}: a give thanks wood burned plaque. To make this plaque you’ll need a wood slice {mine is storebought not salvaged from nature} or other piece of wood, a wood burning tool, an embossing tool, and the text printed out in the size you’ll need and a font you like. Hold the paper against the wood and go over… Read More

Bourbon Maple Apple Cider – the Perfect Fall Cocktail

There’s something about the seasons changing that makes me crave sitting by the fire. We didn’t have a working fireplace in our last house so I cherish the evenings when my husband and I sit by the fire, talking and enjoying a cocktail. Today I’m sharing the perfect Fall cocktail, bourbon maple apple cider, it’s the perfect drink for those cool evenings by the fireplace. Ingredients: 3 ounces Bourbon  1/2 a lemon, freshly juiced  2 teaspoons pure maple syrup 1/2 cup spiced apple cider  apple slices for garnish ice Directions: Place ice in a shaker. Combine bourbon, lemon juice, maple… Read More

Fall Decorating Tips using the Outdoors

Hi Everyone! I’m Ashley from Cherished Bliss, and I’m so excited to be here guest posting for Anna! I actually had the pleasure of meeting her a few months ago and I absolutely adore her! Today I am here to talk budget with you! I don’t know about you, but I certainly can’t head out to Hobby Lobby every season change and holiday throughout the year. Especially since I have been working so hard on my kitchen remodel. Whew, that will take the dollars right out of your pocket! So when the fall season rolled around around I decided to… Read More

How to Organize Halloween Candy

Hi, Susan from Organized 31 here. I don’t know if it’s the candy or the endless Halloween craft opportunities, but I’m always excited when October rolls around. As much as I love candy and crafting, I love organizing. Today I’m able to roll all 3 into one easy organizing project. I’ve been organizing my Halloween candy for years. It all started with neighbors that had peanut allergies. In talking with the moms, I realized how frustrating Halloween was for their families. That’s when I started making sure that I had non-peanut and non-candy treats to hand out to trick-or-treaters. And that necessitated organizing… Read More

A Naked Cake and an Adoption Update

It has been a VERY long time since I wrote an adoption update. This month our daughter turned 17, yep, that’s right, I have a 17 year old (yikes!). She asked me to make a cake for her dinner party and while I was making the cake I felt like it was such a good representation of where we are at as a family, so today I’m sharing the pictures of her cake, along with our story. Let me be the first to say it, adoption is hard. Not that I ever thought it would be easy but I never… Read More

How to Organize Spices in a Drawer

Since moving into our house a year ago I have rearranged the kitchen 3, maybe even more, times. This isn’t a normal thing for me, I promise, but when we moved in there was an extra wall with cabinets, that we ended up knocking down, and then we took down a large wall cabinet, and the changes just keep coming. Through all of these changes my spices have been moved a few times but I’ve always wanted to have a spice drawer, right next to the stovetop, so that’s where they ended up. It’s a long, narrow drawer but it’s… Read More