The Most Amazing Pumpkins

(Image from lasvegassun.com- artwork by Ray Villafane)

Happy Halloween, friend!

I am somewhat freaked out, but mostly fascinated with these jack-o-lanterns carved by artist Ray Villafane.  You have to check out this slideshow of his amazing work.  Have a great Halloween!

etsy love: Go Jump in the Lake

I love the bold colors and vintage look of the signs and frames from the etsy shop, Go Jump in the Lake. You have to check them out, friend!  Here are a few of my favorites

ebay for Halloween costumes

I am a big fan of DIY projects, but most of my attempts at DIY Halloween costumes yield the same, "What are you supposed to be?" result.  So for Halloween, I employ my other hobby, online shopping. One of my favorite sources for Halloween costumes is ebay.  For the past few years, I've purchased my kids' costumes through ebay and found some great deals.  They have nearly every costume ever created and with a variety of sellers and options (new or used, bid or buy it now) you can find the deal that is right for you.

These baby animal costumes are all brand new and all available on ebay for $18 each with free shipping!  I've seen the same exact costumes sold through other retailers for double the price. So if you are still looking for the perfect costume, try ebay, friend!

Winner of the Shabby Apple Giveaway!

With special thanks to True Random Number Generator for it's assistance, I'm excited to announce the winner of the Shabby Apple giveaway.

Congratulations, Tiffany!  You've won the Teachers' Pet skirt! Please contact me by friday to claim your prize.

Last Chance to Enter Shabby Apple Giveaway (your odds are good)

Today is the last day to enter the Shabby Apple Giveaway! Your odds are still good, and the giveaway is quick and simple so be sure to enter by Midnight tonight.  Good luck!

Layered Halloween Yarn Wreath

The question, "Why didn't I think of that?" came to mind when I saw the layered Halloween wreath my my very creative mom whipped up (I taught her everything she knows....or was it the other way around?).

My mom was kind enough to let me share her creative idea with you. There isn't a formal tutorial for this wreath, but I will walk you through it.

• The bottom layer is a black feather wreath from JoAnn's (which is very much on sale right now)
• The second layer is a yarn wreath (I'll post the tutorial ASAP)
• The big flower at the bottom is simply a piece of home decor fabric (also from JoAnn's) cut out in the shape of the print and pinned to the wreath with a black felt rosette in the center

                                            

• A strip of the fabric was also used to tie the wreath to the metal wreath hanger
• You can find the directions for the rest of the embellishments here.

 Thanks, Mom for sharing your brilliance!
P.S. There is still time to enter the Shabby Apple Giveaway!

Incorporating books in seasonal decor

I haven't pulled out the autumn/Halloween decorations yet, but I'm thinking very hard about it.  One simple and fun element I always like to include in my seasonal decor is picture books. We choose a book with a seasonal or holiday theme.  It must have great illustrations and a good story.  I display it on a table or shelf in a little vignette along with our other seasonal decor.  Of course we  pull it down from said display and read it a dozen times.  We pack the book up in the same box with the decor at the end of the season.  It makes for a fun discovery the next year.

For Fall, we display Pumpkin Soup.  It is the sweetest little story about friendship and teamwork and soup.  The illustrations are as delicious as I  imagine the pumpkin soup to be. You can flip through a few of the pages here. I picked it up at Barnes & Noble, but it is available on amazon.com  (for $6.95) and probably a dozen other places.

Do you have a favorite fall or Halloween book?