Halloween Decor, Crafts and Fun!

So it's officially Fall, the weather is cooler, the stores are loaded up with Halloween decor (and some even with Christmas decor, OH MY!) and I can't wait a minute longer to put out my decorations either! I never feel like I get enough of my Halloween decorations and they are my favorites! Seriously one month is just not long enough! When do you put up your Halloween decor?

I think you all have met my spooky eyeball wreath from last year but just in case you forgot, here he is :)

I have spruced up my cotton branch by the fireplace with a little fall sunflower and our monogram pumpkin!

Mr. Bones has also found a new spot this year atop my glass lantern and I have cramped my fingers away at crocheting a giant spiderweb this year!

The spread of Halloween continues in my sitting room and has possibly grown twice the size from last years! LOL!

I had also decided to craft up a few new decorations this year, since I now a nice writers table in my front room and it's still such a big open space hat needs filling... so... with that I took my favorite things about Halloween and ran with it! You can see the new additions for this year below :)

New this year is my stacked witches books... ohhh so creepy! LOL! Very easy to make, the books are from Michaels and you can find them for $4.99 each. I then just spray painted them and printed out some words from the computer and then aged them using tea bags!

I used the same effect with making the fortune tellers cards, they are simply just printed images I found on the internet and modpodged on some heavy card stock paper, aged again with tea bags, glossed over with some modpodge and then dried with a hair dryer to give that aged curled edge.

This is mostly for the kiddo and her costume this year but thought it might sit nicely a top the witches books... she is going to be Snow White for Halloween this year and I found a lovely pin on pinterest on how to make your very own poisoned apple. Incredibly easy to make... one fake apple from craft store, 2 small bottles of puffy paint, and some green glitter later this little baby was made!

And since I love all things Sleepy Hallow... I decided I might like a subway art tribute to it! The fake pumpkin is from Home Depot ... yes, Home Depot they are way cheaper there for the big ones! $9.00 you just can't beat that Michaels or Joanns. The letters are from Joanns and the mask from Michaels. I have always loved the idea of Ichabod Crane and Katrina Van Tassel and the Van Tassel's Harvest Ball... it's my favorite part in the story!

And of course what would a tribute to Sleepy Hallow be without the actual invitation to Ichabod from the Van Tassels! That's right! What you see here is the same written invitation you've seen Katrina write to Ichabod in the movies (mostly the Disney version) and I just love it! I used heavy card stock again and just wrote it all out with a sharpie, I added some left over ribbon I had at the bottom and then melted a red crayon to make the "waxed seal" and drops of "blood".

This fortune tellers crystal ball is quite possibly my other favorite item I acquired this year! This I didn't actually craft but I did get it from Big Lots of all places! I thought how perfect is this to go with my tarot cards! I just love the colors in it!

And of course the final picture...

On top of all this decorating I've been itching to try venture out and have some fall fun, we will probably be taking the kiddo to the local corn maze and pumpkin patch in a few weeks since we've now turned that into pretty much a family tradition. I will miss our farm that we always went to in Mississippi but it will be nice to explore a new one this year! I also really would love to take a weekend trip up to New England... I've been chatting with my mom about this and we have been talking about maybe doing it next year since she's pretty much used up all her vacation time already this year. But... next year it is SO on! I want to see Boston, Salem and possibly the Pilgrim village in Plymouth! How cool would that be? So in the mean time this year I will just have to surround myself with all things Fall and New England style LOL! How are you celebrating the season?

It's starting to feel a bit like Fall!

All my trees are starting to change color YAY!

Wow! Real fall this year! I get to experience the beautiful colors of fall and a crisp cool fresh autumn breeze in the air! Hubby and I have recently been taking after dinner walks, ya know to get in shape and all... and well, I've been side tracked with all the pretty scenery around me... but honestly how can you blame me with all this!!!

Found this pretty covered bridge on a walking trail across the street from my house.

The kiddo and I's new fishing spot!

Pretty River Creek that stems from the Potomac!

I HEART FALL!!! :)

What does your Fall look like?

Book Review: Rubbed Out by: Riley Adams

Even Lulu Taylor proprietress of Aunt Pat's Barbeque restaurant in the heart of Memphis, Tennessee needs to get out of the kitchen now and then. But at the Rock and Ribs festival, she finds more than a taste of trouble...


Reuben Shaw rubs a lot of people the wrong way including Lulu's best friend, Cherry, who has the misfortune of being in the booth next to his  at the festival. The pigheaded pit master thinks he's a shoo-in to win the barbeque competition, but he spends more time stirring up trouble than seasonsing his spare ribs. Hours after she gets into a quarrel with him, Cherry finds Shaw dead with a butcher knife in his chest. Now it's her turn to get grilled by the police. Lulu sets out to clear her friends name and finds Shaw had more secrets than his barbeque recipe. She'll need to act fast, because the real killer will spare no one... including Lulu. 

Mrs. Lulu, Cherry and the Graces are back at it again with some seriously good BBQ and top notch mystery sleuthing! This time things heat up when one of the competitors at the world famous "Rock and Ribs" BBQ competition and festival gets stabbed, and it's up to the gang at Aunt Pats to find out who did it! This mystery will keep you guessing and your mouth watering with all the mention of great food!

"At the Movies" themed wreath craft for movie theater room or media center!

I think my crafty side side has taken over lately! I feel the need to craft up a storm. Oh pinterest why do you inspire me so, you are killing my wallet LOL! Remember a while back when I showed you all pics of our new house, and told you about turning the basement into a "movie theater room". Well, it's coming along nicely! I have added little touches here and there to give it more of a "movie feel", I have recently hung a bit more decor, added a few nick-nacks and eventually I'd like to make "box office" around the entrance with curtains and everything. For now though, I made a wreath. I think it turned out pretty nice too :)

I did manage to take a few more photos so you could get the jest of how I put it all together, sorry I'm still crap at making "tutorials"... LOL! Anyway here it is! :)

So first things first... I went to Michales (yea, they've seen me a lot lately... it's becoming my second home LOL!) and bought a flat wreath from the floral section ($4.99) and then to office depot to buy white packing peanuts (NEVER thought I'd make a wreath out of that LOL!) medium size back was about $6.00, and I used the left over to put in my kiddos bean back, fixed that from flat to fab in less than two minutes!! So once you've got both of those, I took my kitchen shears and cut the packing peanuts in half.

 I then fired up my trusty glue gun and started to glue around the flat board wreath to make it look like "popcorn". Just watch your fingers since the glue is hot and the foam tends to shrink... I was burnt at least a dozen times during this process LOL!

 So once you've got all your wreath covered to your liking (I went around a few times since I wanted mine pretty full). I then just barely grazed the wreath with some yellow spray paint to make the packing peanuts look more realistic to buttery popcorn. I then grabbed some garland that I had picked up on my trip to Michalels ($1.99 each) and started to wrap that all up around the wreath.

After I got the garland attached, I then decided to take some red (WIRED- because it works best) ribbon and make a big bow from it. Sorry for the lack of pics on this part but it's fairly easy to do. Just keep wrapping big loops around a finger and then slip the last part through when your at the end of the ribbon. :)

 I then realized I had all these "movie tickets" left over from an old project (you can find a whole roll at dollar tree for a buck, or just about any party/office supply store has them too) and thought, how cool would it be if I made a bow out of them. So once again, I fired up the glue gun an just started looping until I liked it, when I liked that look I glued it. I also decided it might not look too bad if I also used the ticket's to wrap around the wreath also (sorry for the lack of pic... again) but it was Eaaaasy Peaasy :)

Of course then, I wasn't crazy about the red on red combo so, I decided to take some black ribbon and loop that around to make it look like a flower, I then glued all three bows together  and attached them to the lower right hand corner of the wreath. I also had these left over cardboard popcorn boxes and decided to glue them together and then glue them to the top of the bow but onto the actual "popcorn" part of the wreath. I attached a bit of ribbon with my glue gun to the back to fashion a hanger and TA-DA! Done!!!

 Here's the finished product... hung nicely on the door to our basement. I love the size of the wreath and I love all the colors, it really makes me hungry for popcorn every time I look at it! :)

DIY Gumball Machine Craft

A few days ago, the kiddo and I had been just browsing around in stores, when she happened to stumble upon a plastic toy gumball machine. I also though how cute!... I remember my grandpa having one of these things at his house when I was little, although his was the real deal. Then I looked at the price of said "toy gumball machine"... $29.99!!!! It was no bigger than 9 inches high and about 4inches in diameter, and to me that just spelled "RIP OFF" and "Don't worry, spend money on me and I'll break in a record breaking 3 days!" Sooo... I made a deal with the kiddo. I told her that mommy would make her one! Then we went home and I Pinterested the CRAP outta of DIY gumball machine tutorials. There are sooooo many on pinterest is is quite ridiculous LOL! I kinda wish I took some pictures of my steps and process but honestly, it's not that difficult. All you need is: a terracotta plant pot and saucer. ($1.99 each at my Michales craft store). I bought a smaller saucer than the size that matched the pot also. One glass bowl, similar that to a gold fish bowl. ($2.99 at my Michaels). One round wooden knob (.75 cents at my Michaels). One letter wooden letter U (.99 cents at my Michaels). One flat round wooden disc, looks like a wooden quarter (.75 cents at my Michaels). First I spray painted both the terracotta plant pot and the saucer with purple spray paint. I then hot glued (because I ran out of my favorite epoxy, but hot glue does the trick too) the bottom of the terracotta plant pot to the bottom of the glass bowl. Then I painted both the wooden knob and flat wooden disc white and glued the knob to the bottom of the terracotta saucer and the disc to the terracotta plant pot. I used a sharpie to write the 25 cents price on the flat wooden disc to make it look just like the old fashioned machines. I drew a line with some white paint to represent the spot where you put your "quarter" in. I then glued the U upside down towards the base of the terracotta pot and then painted it white along with the area inside the U. That represents the shoot where the gumball comes out. I then used clear glitter paint and slathered the whole thing with it. Tied a bow with some cool candy ribbon and hot glued that baby on there! And waaaaahala!!! Instant gumball machine!!! And for around $10.00!!! A small fraction of the price of what the store wanted me to buy one for! I can't tell you how much the kiddo loved it and loved helping me make it. I let her choose the colors and the ribbon and then we went to the store to buy some gumballs! Easy Peasy right?!? :)

In the spotlight... again

Last Tuesday was the artist reception for the Artful August show here at the Villages at Leesburg. I didn't end up winning anything but it was still very nice to go and be apart of something. It was also really great to be among other artist and feed my artistic soul with good inspiration. It's been quite a while since I've had my "art" in the spotlight... it's been pretty much since high school LOL! It was nice to be appreciated again. The hubby snapped a few pics of my "big moment" and I was happy he was proud of me :)

The County Fair!

Yesterday we took the kiddo to the county fair! I haven't been to one in AGES, so it was pretty awesome to go and even re-live some childhood memories again. I couldn't believe that they still had some of the same types of rides from when I was a child! I got my funnel cake "fix" that I had been craving ever since Fourth of July and all in all we had a GREAT time! Here's some of the pics...

The kiddo and her "favorite" horse... a pretty mare named "Heavens Night".

What pure fun looks likes! She even made a friend while standing in line.

My favorite part of the fair... of course LOL!

Merry-Go-Round!

A fun classic!

She liked it so much she did it twice!

Anyone else remember this one too?

The kiddo and her daddy on the Ferris Wheel!

Up, up and away we go!

My sillies! :)

So... how's your summer been treating you?!? As you can see from the picture above... this is pretty much how we've been spending our "Dog Day's" of summer... ;). But when were not lounging around the house we've been hiking in the woods at a local park, taking swim classes and getting ready for school to start again in September. Yes, the kids here in Virginia (at least in our county) go back AFTER labor day... and it has made for a VERY long summer. Especially for a kiddo who really enjoys going to school and seeing her friends.

In the mean time she has been doing GREAT in swim class, and is making friends along the way there too. She graduated from the first level last week and now she is in a level 2 class. Graduating level 1 means that she can now properly hold her breath while going underwater and swimming back and forth to the instructor while breathing properly, in a very short distance. I am so proud of her and most importantly, a LOT less scared of her being near a deep pool.

My little fish right after she got to ring her graduation bell :)

Such a proud mommy moment :) 

Last weekend we took a walk in the woods! We have this really amazing park that is just down the road from our house, it was an old farm and now the county has turned it into a wilderness park. What's really great about it is, that you are in the city but once you get on the trails you really do feel like you are in the middle of no where! It has a fantastic area to overlook the Potomac River, which we didn't get to actually see this time since we were on a different trail. Although, I plan to go back as soon as the leave start to change color, I would love to get a great shot of the river in all the fall foliage! Here's a few pics from our hike...

The carriage house built in the 1800's

The grain house where the stored their food from the harvests.

The old well house.

The munchkin and her daddy on the trail.

Just below and through the trees you can see the Potomac River.

This weekend I am doing something pretty daring... I am submitting my art/photography in a local art show!!! I haven't submitted any art since probably my high school days. I am pretty nervous about it... of course I am my own worst critic but, people tell me they like my stuff and my hubby sorta told I should... so here goes nothing! I submit it tomorrow and then the show is next weekend. First prize for best in show gets $1,000, second gets $500.00, third gets $300.00 and 14 honorable mentions get $200.00. I figure what do I have to lose right? I'll be submitting a painting I've done recently and a photograph I took last year while visiting a local farm.

Little Fish Goes to Swim School

Yes, that's right we've signed up the kiddo for swim classes for the summer and possibly the rest of the year. She does know how to swim quite a bit already but we would like for her to learn the proper way with all the great techniques and everything. See... Daddy was on swim team for most of his adolescence and well... the apple does not fall far from the tree in this family. The munchkin has ALWAYS loved the water ever since she was little and takes to it quite naturally so we figured this would be an extra fun "sport" she might like to try... Daddy is hoping this might actually lead to real swim team next year and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it did. We have done; Soccer, Tae Kwon Do, and now we can officially add Swimming to her growing list of sports.

She started her first lesson yesterday afternoon and will continue to go every week on Tuesdays. In her first class she learned to swim underwater holding her breath and without holding her nose! It was awesome! There are 3 other kids in her class, which is a nice small group to work with and so far she LOVES her coach!!!

Other than that we are just getting through the summer, we've been painting for fun and taken day trips around the nearby cities. Fourth of July was also great, we spent our first fourth at Ida Lee Park here in Leesburg and hung out on the green listening to a great band and watching the fireworks. :)

Book Review: Dead Ever After By: Charlaine Harris *WARNING CONTAINS SPOILERS*

After the terrible events of the past weeks, both Sookie and Sam are finding it hard to concentrate on Merlott's and the bar is suffering for it. But Sookie finds it easy to turn down the request of former barmaid Arlene when she wants her job back. After all, Arlene tried to have Sookie killed. 

Sookie's relationship with Eric Northman is in limbo. He and his vampires are keeping their distance... and a cold silence. And when Sookie learns the reason why, she is devastated. 

Then Arlene is found murdered, and Sookie is arrested for the crime. But the evidence against her is weak, and Sookie makes bail. Helped by her assortment of friends, living and undead, she must discover the truth about Arlene's death to clear herself of suspicion. All she knows is that two mysterious men were somehow involved. As to whom they might be Sookie will soon learn that she has more than one enemy waiting to get vengeance for the past. 

Nothing is ever clear cut in Bon Temps. What passes for truth is only a convenient lie. What passes for justice is more spilled blood. And what passes for love is never enough... 

Disappointing is an understatement. This time the writing from Charlaine Harris seems detached and distant, it feels like she really had to dig deep and try hard to finish this series. The writing almost makes you believe that is was written in sections, the flow is not consistent and very choppy. Sookie also seems very jaded and everyone in Bon Temps seems different, it's definitely not the series I fell in love with and couldn't wait to read book after book.  I am also annoyed with the ending, not because of Sookie choosing Sam over Eric but because a lot of it didn't make sense. What about the contract written in blood? Charlaine never really does explain who the "devil" is... my guess is she is referring to Claude and the way he is scarred and burned?

And then Sookie sends Barry to live with Sams mom? FTW??? I get that she can't live with another telepath but still? That seems like a poor way to write off a character. I am thoroughly confused and left hurt with such a pitiful ending to my once beloved favorite series. The only consultation I feel I received is that I had the opportunity to read about most of my favorite characters just one last time. I am happy that in the end Sookie is with Sam, I understand that Eric and her would have never worked out, but I still feel cheated out of what had the potential to be a good book and a end to a great series.