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...may I someday be like you? On second thought, no. Too much pressure. Too perfect. I enjoy sloppy glue gun messes and burnt recipes. However, I will "borrow" some of your holiday decorating ideas! Because I have a hard time coming up with my own. Here's a few of my Halloween/Fall fave's from Martha's site.
I love these sparkly, glittery pumpkins!
Tools and Materials. Small pumpkins, medium-sized paintbrush, similar glitter in Garnet, Tourmaline, and Bronze, $4.99, by Martha Stewart Crafts, from marthastewartcrafts.com ,white glue, paper plate, brown acrylic paint.
Glittered Pumpkins How-To
1. With paintbrush, spread layer of white glue over the surface of a small pumpkin. Place pumpkin on a paper plate or newspaper to catch excess glitter.
2. Sprinkle powder glitter over glue, covering completely. Let dry for an hour, then shake off excess powder.
3. Coat stem with brown acrylic paint, let dry. Once dry, the stem can also be covered in brown glitter if desired. The pumpkins will keep for months.
These Pumpkin Jar Toppers would be perfect for a Halloween party! They make me giggle.
Tools and Materials. Good & Plenty, miniature marshmallows, Twizzler licorice bites (Black), Gummy teeth, Licorice wheels, Candy corn, Neapolitan licorice, Ball pins, glass canisters/jars, scissors, small pumpkins.
Halloween-Candy Face How-To
1. Secure the candy to the pumpkin with ball pins that match the color of the treats so they aren't too noticeable. Tip: Chewy candy is easier to bend and snip.
2. Place pumpkin on glass canisters or reuse large glass jars for candy.
Mummy Heads
Okay, this next one didn't have a "how-to" but isn't it darn cute? I imagine she covered a Styrofoam ball with either electrical tape or painted it black. And then covered the ball with strips of white cloth. Oh, and don't forget to glue on the cute wiggly eyes (can be found at Michael's).
Use a Pumpkin Incense Burner to suggest the cozy scent of pie just out of the oven. I {heart} pie!
Incense Burner How to
1) Cut off the pumpkin's top and scrape out the innards
2) Carve round vents with an apple corer
3) Rub cinnamon or pumpkin-pie spices onto the lid, or push cloves into it.
4) With a lighted tealight candle inside, the pumpkin will give off a lovely fragrance for about six hours.
Mercury Glass Pumpkins - aren't they pretty?
Mercury Glass How to
1. In a well-ventilated area, coat pumpkins with silver floral spray. Let dry.
2. With a craft brush, paint stems with green acrylic paint. Let dry.
3. Brush plastic toy insects with tacky glue, and coat with orange ultrafine opaque glitter. Let dry.
4. Attach bugs to pumpkins using a hot-glue gun or poster tack.
Mini Pumpkin Tealights - these would look so cute at your table for each place setting.
This looks pretty self-explanatory. Although, how many of us have a hand drill fitted with a 1 1/2 inch paddle bit. If you don't own a paddle bit I'm sure we can get the job done with a knife and apple corer or melon baller. The goal is to cut a circle out of the top that is 1 1/2 inches wide. Place tealight down inside the top and there you have it!
Lollipop Pumpkin
What a great idea to have sitting on the front porch for the trick-or-treaters to help themselves to! Another self-explanatory project. If you have an awl (a nail will also work), punch holes about an inch apart going down the length of the rib of the pumpkin. Insert brown and orange Lollipops! *I'm thinking the fake pumpkins you see at Michael's might hold up better than a real one.
Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Squares - I think I've died and gone to heaven. Yep.
- FOR THE CRUST
- 20 chocolate wafer cookies, (half a 9-ounce package)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- FOR THE FILLING
- 2 packages bar cream cheese, (8 ounces each)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Set aside.
- In a food processor, blend cookies with sugar until finely ground (you should have about 1 cup crumbs); add butter, and pulse until moistened.
- Transfer crumb mixture to prepared pan, and press gently into bottom. Bake until fragrant and slightly firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Place cream cheese in food processor; blend until smooth. Add sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, flour, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt; process until combined. Set aside.
- Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until melted. Add 1 cup pumpkin mixture; stir to combine. Set aside.
- Pour remaining pumpkin mixture into prepared pan. Drop dollops of chocolate mixture onto pumpkin mixture; swirl. Bake until cheesecake is set but jiggles slightly when gently shaken, 40 to 50 minutes.
- Cool in pan. Cover; chill until firm, at least 2 hours (and up to 2 days). Using overhang, transfer cake to work surface. With a knife dipped in water, cut into 16 squares. Serve.
I'm joining Rhoda today for her It's Fall Y'all! Party. Click here to visit the other participants to see their fabulous Fall inspiration!
Make sure to join me for our "Celebrating Holidays" party October 16th. Click here for more details.
*All photos, how-to's, and recipe found at Martha Stewart.com.
You all remember my sweet friend Keri of Life in a Cape. She is so darn creative. It shows in the details and care she puts into all of her creations.
I highlighted her fabulous paper creations a while back and gave away one of her funky Jungle Queen Journals. I'm giving you a sampling of some of her creations. My fave's. I am always excited to support our friends who sell hand-made!
Have questions on an item? Leave me a comment!
So go get something to sip on. Sit back and shop with me in the comfort of your own home.
Sweet Birdie Journal (brown) - $12.00
Sweet Birdie Journal (red) - $12.00
Jungle Queen Journal (I own this one. Love it.) $12.00
Jungle Queen Journal (inside, comes with zebra print bookmark)
Sweet Whispers Journal (purple floral) - $12.00
Knitting Journal - $12.00
Busy Mom Grocery List Book - $10.00
Grocery List Book (inside, comes with pocket to hold coupons/recipes)
Naughty or Nice Gift Card Holder Book (holds up to 5 gift cards and makes a great stocking stuffer!) - $10.00
Naughty or Nice (inside) so darn cute!
Disney Princesses Autograph Book - $40.00
Princesses (inside)
Disney Mickey Mouse Autograph Book - $40.00
Sweet Whispers Journal (red floral) - $12.00
Sweet Lil One Baby Book - $40.00
Baby Book (inside) Tons of ribbons and decorated pages!
Date/Planner Book (I own it and use it daily) $12.00
Date/Planner (inside) I heart polka dots!
Need more details on something? Leave me a comment!
Celebrating the Holidays. My memories are flooded with so many different celebrations while growing up. Sweet holiday memories. My Sister Lyssie and I had some rough years at home when we were young. You see, our Dad was an alcoholic and left us when I was 9 and Lyssie was 4. Dark days. Sad days. Mama suddenly found herself a single Mama of two girls. Without a high school diploma let alone any kind of work experience. At the ripe old age of 25, she was forced out into the workplace after spending the last 9 years as a stay-at-home Mama. Divorce was rare in our town. We were the only girls from a broken home in our circle of friends. My Mama pulled herself up by the bootstraps and did what she needed to do to take care of the three of us. She was strong and very brave. So as you can imagine, I treasured the good times. Those good times were cultivated by our Mama during the holidays. She went all out. She made sure that her girls felt special. It was these celebrations that I found myself escaping to. As an adult now looking back on those events I know it wasn't easy for Mama. But I have a feeling it was her way of escaping too.
Now that I am a Mama, I have carried on her traditions during the holidays. And something I hope my children carry on when they have their own families one day.
I love Fall through Winter. Every holiday in between. And since Halloween comes first, I will share some photos and memories.
Mama really got into Halloween. She decorated our home from head to toe. The front yard became a cemetery complete with tombstones and skeletons. Inside our home there were spider webs and all kinds of spooky decor. She held an annual Halloween party at our house with all the neighborhood kids. We always played the same game. With the lights out, she passed around bowls of items while telling a scary story. As we put our fingers in a bowl of spaghetti - she said it was brains. Jello was intestines. Olives were eyeballs. Candy Corn were teeth. You get the ugly picture. Afterward all us kids went out trick-or-treating. Sometimes by ourselves. Back then it was safe to do things like that. Halloween was an innocent celebration. Our parents never worried if our candy was tainted. We had so much fun coming home with our bags full of candy. Dumping them on the living room floor to check out all our loot. Of course I made my candy into piles according to "type" or brand. We got to choose two pieces to eat that night. The rest were stored up high in the kitchen cupboard to enjoy daily for weeks.
My hubby and his Sister Lolly have different memories of their Halloween celebrations growing up.
They got to go trick-or-treating, however when they got home with their bags of candy, they got to choose a couple to eat and the rest was traded in for hard cold cash. You see, they grew up in a very health conscience home. Sugar was a no-no. As you can see in the photo, hubby's look on his face says it all. "Man, I know I'm gonna have to give up all my candy tonight!"
My children have enjoyed Halloween through the years too.
It's a little bit different with this generation though. Because us parents do worry about tainted candy. And our children do not get to wander the streets of the neighborhood trick-or-treating. We go with them and we inspect the candy before they can eat it. We still come home and dump the candy out on the living room floor and separate it all into piles. And we have fun together as a family. I don't hold an annual party like Mama did. However, I do make tomato soup and grilled cheese sand"witch"es for dinner. And I do decorate my hutch with pumpkins and other Halloween-y things.
What do the Holidays mean to you? Do you have fond memories as a child? Do you have photos and stories? Do you have special traditions that you enjoy with your family now? Halloween? Thanksgiving? Christmas? Other winter celebrations? Maybe you have some fun ideas, decorations, or recipes. If so, we'd love to have you share them with us! Let's meet back here on October 16th for a party! I'll have virtual cider to sip on and music ready to get us into the spirit of the holidays. And, of course I'll have a fun giveaway too.
Please leave me a comment if you would like to join me for the party. I will send out reminders as it gets closer. Oh, and feel free to grab the Celebrating Holidays button for your sidebar! Let's spread the word!
Heirlooms are the fabric of our lives. They connect us to the past as well as the future! Each treasure has special meaning to us whether it's something that has been passed along through many generations, or something brand new that future generations will get to enjoy. In any case, it is priceless and unique to our own family. Like Maureen from Crazy, Crafty, Creative hubby's Gramma's 1920's Singer sewing machine!
I enjoyed visiting all of the blogs over the weekend. Here are a few to remember.
Lisa from Pupylov shares her Great-Gramma Kistler's washboard, which now hangs in Lisa's bathroom!
Angelique at Six in One Hand rescued her Great-Gramma's old window. Look what she did with it! Now she gets to enjoy it in her home.
For Tricia over at Boutelle Family Zoo, a special treasure is her Gramma's apple pie! Don't forget the cheese! Make sure to read her sweet story!
Check out Dreams and Decor's heirloom, the Fainting Couch. If I were to ever feel the need to faint, I'd want to on this beauty!
And, a personal favorite was shared by my Sister at Life of Lyssie. What a difficult, but sweet tribute to our Dad. These were his precious baby booties!
Thank you once again to all who participated in our Heirloom party. If you missed it, or would like to continue visiting the other blogs, click here and scroll down to the bottom of the post.
Special thanks also goes out to Karl who so graciously treated us to a fun Hudson Goods giveaway! Karl finds us such amazingly unique things on his treasure hunting. Check out these finds below from his cool blog.
Yep, you guessed it. A beautifully rusty old wire rim repurposed into a chandelier!
How about this rusty fork/spoon chandy!
Please come on back tomorrow when I'll give the details for our third party in our Traditions series, "Celebrating Holidays." This one's going to be FUN!
First, I want to thank you all for participating in our Celebrating Heirlooms party! It was so much fun as I made my way around to visit everyone's treasures. If you haven't had a chance to visit the participants, click here and scroll down to the bottom of the post. I will post a re-cap tomorrow as well as introduce October's party "Celebrating Holidays."
Our winner for the very fabulous Hudson Goods present is...
Sares from Loveleigh Treasures! If you don't know Sares, please take some time to visit her blog. It's very "loveleigh!"
Sares chose Karl's sweet birdhouse...
