Did you know that coffee beans can catch on fire?

My name is Shel, and it has been three months since my last confession blog post. 

In my defense...Facebook, Pinterest, IMDb, Big Brother, Dance Moms, and Beverly Hills Nannies have ruthlessly taken up all of my free time.  I've barely had time to glitter anything, much less hot-glue stuff to other stuff.  How can I be expected to create beautiful works of craft when there is a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team marathon on TV??  Don't even get me started the time-drain that is the Lifetime Movie Network.  Who else is going to cry with Patty Duke and Kellie Martin? 

Once I realized how long it has been since I glittered anything of importance, I decided to google a few crafty inspirational things in the hopes of becoming craftily inspired.  Nope. What I discovered, were blogs such as Craft Fail and Pinstrosity.  I laughed, I cried, I smirked to myself that at least none of my crafts turned out horribly, and I laughed some more.  Then Craft Karma reared its ugly, sparkly head. 

I had a Craft Fail myself.  In public.  At my husband's restaurant.  In front of 27 hundreds of people.

I needed an idea for Autumn-themed tabletop decorations, specifically for candles.  I can't just buy candles and put them on the table...I. MUST. DO. SOMETHING. AMAZING.  I kept finding photos of candles wrapped in fall leaves, pillar candles in beautiful fall colors, and votives nestled in acorn-filled glass bowls.  But obviously everyone was using those ideas for their dinner parties and I have to do something amazing. 

Image via Big Wedding Tiny Budget

 

Image via My Cottage of Bliss

 

I have to admit that I love the bowls filled with acorns.  The fact that I didn't have any acorns lying around wasn't going to stop me.  I began my search.  After I found a whopping three acorns that were a lovely but moldy-looking greenish brown color, I abandoned that idea.  I rationalized my lack of trying any harder with the fact that I would probably have a dinner guest with severe acorn allergies. 

 

More likely...I would be the one with a newly-discovered severe acorn allergy. 

 

Back to squared one.  A shortage of funding led me to the almost brilliant decision to fill some candle holders with coffee beans and votive candles.  Here is the before shot...

 

 

I was fairly pleased with how they turned out.  The dinner party was going smoothly, everyone was happy and devouring the meal, conversation was lively and bright and....rather warm.  Really warm.  Almost too wa....

 

"holy crap!  The candles, the candles, the candles are on fi-yer!"







 

 The after shot...

 

This post has been brought to you by the local fire department and the letters LMN.