Oh white meat dark meat I just cant choose

Thanksgiving is only one week away! You know what I am thinking so I wont even type it. Right? Right? Moving on. I am doing Thanksgiving at my house (as I stated in a previous post) so I have been frantically searching the internet for (cheap) fall decorating ideas.




I found the acorn banner (link posted 2 posts down) and decided that is way easy (cheap) and super cute to make. I went to work.

I finally got my printer in working order after much frustration but way less money then it would've cost for new cartridges. Guess I am thankful for the frustration and saved money. Anyway printed out the acorn pattern Rachel provided. Used cardstock I had and Dollar store wood grain contact paper. VIOLA! Cute acorn banner done!



Then I searched high and low for a super easy way of making paper garland. I have a ton of scrap paper that I keep saying I am going to sell or I let the kids make birthday cards with. The pile keeps growing and growing. So the other day I thought eureka I have it! I will punch all those papers up and use them for paper garland. Hehehe smart smart me. I sat and watched a few shows and punched till my fingers hurt.


I found a site that said use wax paper to make the garland. I went to reach for my wax paper and wouldn't you know it...I was out! Grr what to do? I have a ton of tissue paper (super cheap) and decided it must work the same way and tried it..Indeed it does! I will say little bits of paper get stuck on the thread but they easily come off.



First I cut thin long strips from the tissue paper and spaced my punched circles out on the tissue paper. I used very little glue stick glue to keep them in place. I do mean very little! If you use to much the tissue paper will be stuck on your paper.

Ran it through my sewing machine just as if I was sewing a dress or shirt (haha yeah right never have done that before).



When I came to the end of one strip I just fed another through after it. Once I got all my strips sewn I then pulled off the tissue paper. It comes away easily and I only used about 2 sheets! I love paper garland and the best part is it cost me 0, nada, nothing to make! I had all the supplies already.



I also found some very sweet printables on MarthaStewart.com and used those throughout the living room. The squirrels are my very favorite.




I had the silver glittery pumpkin/gourds from halloween. They are perfect for thanksgiving too if I do say so myself.



The flower garland on the mirror is made from white cupcake liners I also purchased (you guessed it) the dollar store. I will show how to make those in the next post.

I really wish I could do more. I want a new mirror for that mantel and still have yet to find something to put above the mirror. I have the angel but its just there temporarily.

I must say it is hard to decorate on a non-exsistant budget, but possible. Hope I have inspired you to save a little money and gave you some ideas for your own thanksgiving celebration! More to come.

♥♥♥

Browned Leaf Vertigo

Little sad because I had to say goodbye to Mojo. I just couldn't give it the time it needed. My DT girls are sooo amazing. I hope to work with them again soon. I know there are other scrappy adventures out there for us.

Speaking of other adventures I have been working on lots and lots of scrappyness. I have really cool news to share soon. Was really super happy when I got the email.

Have some more PSA dt work to share.


Hair clip


Door hanger


cupcake toppers


There are so many things you can do with these stamps and they are super easy to use. The sets are soo adorable you have to check them out.

October is such a lovely and wonderful month. Looking back tho it always seems to fly by. Maybe because it is always filled with so much. My son, mom, and grandmother all have a birthday in October. Then of course there is Halloween. Trying to cram so much in one month gets really challenging.

One of the things that has become a tradition is taking the kids to the pumpkin patch. Not just any pumpkin patch but Delloso farms. It has a haunted house, corn maze, zip line, Rope obstacles, pumpkin shooting (hehe), jumpers, train rides, petting zoo, bike races and my goodness lots more. It really is a cool place. Only downfall is almost EVERYTHING costs. A family of 6 well you can see how it would get very very expensive. One day my goal is to be able to go and do EVERYTHING with the kids. I hope that goal will be able to be met soon.








This is the first time we have went so late in the day. We decided to go on Friday since the forecast for the weekend was rain, rain, and more rain. It started to sprinkle while we were there and towards the end it was getting pretty wet.



We had a lovely time tho.

Going to school is very challenging. Not just the work and time but the fact that I have no money and no job makes it the most challenging. I am praying that when I am done it will all be worth it. I am sure right away I wont be making a whole lot but in the months to come there is great potential. Just hope that it comes my way.

I'm gonna be an emo kid for halloween

I have to start out by saying I am super proud of myself. I have been posting quite regularly to this ol blog. Yay me! Ha.


Hubby and I went to the movies this weekend. Haven't been in a while and there was so many wonderfully scary movies out. We choose to go see My Soul To Take. Wes Cravens new nightmare he devised. It really screamed Wes Craven. Think Freddy and Scream mashed together. I liked it tho. Was a little disappointed with having to pay extra for 3-d. Most of the time I had forgot I was watching a 3-d movie. If you can see it do so in 2-d and save the extra money. The ending lacked just a little but all in all a really good movie.

We also watched Case 39. Excellent movie! I loved it. Great story line. Great acting. Must see!

There are a billion pumpkin/Halloween recipes I am going to (or say I am going to) make and will post the end results here along with the recipe. I know one I wont be making (would love to tho) are these really neat dexter inspired lollipops.



Really really cool. Maybe next year.

I haven't made much of a dent in the Halloween craft ideas. They are still sitting in my head waiting to get out. School just seems to take over and I cant get what I want done. Study study study. Made custom acrylic crowns, bridges, and preformed metal crowns. Really fun to make.



As I had stated in previous posts I have some PSA goodies I made to share. Here are a few.





Candy cones.


Halloween style magnets

October has not heard my requests. It is flying by with a vengeance. At least I have the kids costumes taken care of. First for us! Another one to be proud of! Haha!

I have a clown with blood, a scary mask dude (not real sure what it is) and a pirate or vampire or mask wearing 6 year old. Hasn't made up his mind but we have a few extras he can choose from! My oldest is going as a band member from a band I hate. Yes that makes me old-ish. Hahaha but oh well it was bound to come eventually right?

What are the littles in your life going to be? How bout the big ones? :)

♥♥♥

Black as the Night Full of Fright

10/10/10 is the date today, so far so lovely. The weather is beautiful. The kids are at church. I got a few crafty loveliness' done. Managed to study just a wee bit, need to cram in some more of that and am watching scary movies. How can the day get any better? *Well money could fall from the sky so I can take the kids to Disneyland and buy myself a new camera with lenses and hubby what ever his lil heart desires, but I wont push my luck hahaha!

This is a fun filled post with a little vintage/spooky Halloween decor. Well it looks vintage-eee anyway. I finally finished my fireplace mantel. My daughter said it looked like something out of a Martha Stewart magazine. Aww she knows how to make my day.




The pumpkin platter I bought at target and the birds from the dollar tree of course!I used the psa essentials Halloween stamp set for the banner and the little medallions. I still have to finish my side tables and my cabinet. I need some printer ink to to do what I would like. Hopefully that will come soon.

I try to take pics throughout the month of all the things that I love so very much and can usually only find in October. Here are a few of those things.






Mmm Carmel apples, Halloween cookies and my famous pumpkin pie cake! Hubby bought me the Halloween cookies like the sweet sweet man that he is. Made the pumpkin pie cake and took some to school for the girls to try. I have yet to have anyone say they didn't love it. It seriously is to die for. Simple and easy to make too!



I already picked up our pumpkins at Safeway. They had the LARGE ones on sale for 4.99 each! I couldn't pass them up. I never buy them at the pumpkin patch they are way to spensive lol! My beautiful mother however bought the kids and I pumpkin patch tickets (the tickets are for the haunted house, corn maze and what not). Next weekend I am thinking?? Oh lovely pictures to come (fingers crossed).

I have been busy with some deadlines for thanksgiving stuff. It is hard to concentrate on all that when its Halloween. I have so many Halloween projects I want to do and don't think I will have the time to do them. Eeeee! Between tests to study for, kids to yell at, and deadlines for other things... Well you get the idea.

Lastly I would love to see your Halloween decor. Leave me a link to your blog or wherever you have pictures. If you don't have any send me some links of some that inspire you!

Happy Haunting!
♥♥♥

But you give me the electric twist

It has finally happened. The child teaches the parent. Ok well I am sure that there are many times that my children have taught me something I didn't know. I mean every day something new comes up. In this case that I speak of my daughter said (as she does many many times) "Mom you have to listen to this band, I think you will really like it." 6 times out of 10 I hate it. The other 4 it grows on me. This time...Well it was different. I fell in love with this music artist as soon as I heard the song. You may or may not have heard of A Fine Frenzy. If you have then you either hate it love it. If you haven't then take a listen.



We have marked off a few things on our summer to-do list. Camped out in the backyard last weekend. Why does it seem to go so perfect and lovely in our heads but when the time comes it is stressful and full of bickering? Well here at my house it is I don't know about you. Hahaha! I know they still will enjoy the wonderful time we did manage to have. We played card games by candle light and read poems from A Light In The Attic I absolutely love Shel. He was a major part of my childhood. (He, as in his writings.)Kids talked all night long and we slept under the stars.




Going to see Eclipse tonight and then tmw Hubby and I are off to the beach (Santa Cruz) to watch a free showing of Lost Boys. I am in love with this city. I have since I was a little girl. My mom loves it too and someday we will live there...Someday. *wink* Hoping I will have many lovely beach pics to share.

Some big news for me. I am officially enrolled in school. I start July 14Th. I am studying to become a RDA (registered Dental Assistant). I am really excited. Scared. Nervous. *sigh* I just hope when I am done this does MAJOR good for our family. This is why I do what I do. I just want a more stable and better life for my kids.

I have a 3 day weekend. Woot! Guess what I am doing? Yeah besides swimming and letting off fireworks at my Mama's house...I am going to be turning our old beat up shed (the witch hut my daughter so lovingly named it a few years back) into my scrap room! I am really excited. I have visions of loveliness in my head. Of course it is going to be a long work in progress kinda thing. It needs a floor. Was thinking handmade rag rug. It needs a roof patch job...Paint, paint, and more paint. Thinking one wall is gonna be chalkboard paint. I seen this LOVELY scrap room that has inspired me oh so very much. I'll take that one please! :) Things to be included in my scrap room...I have 2 sets of lockers one is surely going in there (check), old medicine cabinet, lights like you see on my porch(check), lovely turquoise bistro chair, hand made rag rug I mentioned above, vintage lovelies here and there and a handmade coffee filter hanging light ball thingy(check). I haven't showed ya yet but as soon as I get it up in that room pics will ensue! Ha!

Here are the before.




I see beach blue of some sort or pink on the outside...window, flower box, stepping stones and some other fine wonderful, whimsical bits.

Afters to come through out.

I still have to tell you about Hubby and my anniversary, movies we watched, and crops I have attended. I'll save those for next time.

No crafts to share...gasp! Soon my pretties!

♥♥♥

Like those soft little secrets that you tell to yourself.

Happy {i}NSD!!!! What are you doing? What did you do? I want to see some craftyness ladies! I was thinking of going to Oakdale to get my scrap on with my cousin but we ended up not going. I just get so lazy on weekends anymore. Oh well I can get my scrap on at home. Wish my cousin lived closer tho. Love to bitch and laugh with her.

I must make some stuff today. I mean it would be like a travesty if I didn't right? Seeing as its NSD and all. I will start as soon as this blog post is done.

I have made a few things here and there. This rag wreath is one.

I made it for my door using vintage fabric and a old wire hanger.

I also made a coffee filter light globe. I have no where to put it tho. I can't find the perfect spot. My house is sooooo small. Oh well I am sure it will find a home or get tore up lol! I am thinking the entry way. That is my next home improvement project as soon as the living room is fin. I have a few things in mind for that tiny place. Already have my light switch cover from anthro.When I took off my old one tho it was a big ugly hole and now I have to patch it. Just one more thing I can learn how to do on the internet. Hehehe!
(Pics will come soon.)

I am thinking of painting the tile black and white checkers. I can't really afford to replace them so that's the next best thing. Slap on a coat of paint (not sure what color yet) (really wanna do something with chalk board paint tho) and paint the door robin egg blueish and viola think that will be done. Then on to the rest of the house. Kitchen really needs some tlc. I think that will be a huge project and will be loooooooooooooooong! Need new cabinets, the whole shebang.

Living room is coming together. I have my frame wall up.



I stare at it through out the day and think "do I want that one here or there." I don't know that it will "officially" be done but that's ok. Think I need a coffee table and a area rug.

Thinking of painting the tv stand. Its black. Has glass doors that we took off because the ps3 gets to hot. I asked hubby to take off the back so we can use the doors again and I am thinking fabric curtains in the doors so you cant see all the dvds and electronics. Not sure if I should paint it white or turquoise. Hmmmmmm. Thinking turquoise.

Bought some pillows and am gonna doctor them up. Need a few more tho. I am still working on the wall above the big couch. It just seems so bare. Not sure what to do with it but I'll figure out something.

I bought this bench at Beverlys and painted it white.



Put some kitschy stuff on it and call it done. I wish it woulda been a old garden bench a little bit bigger but this will do till I find one *wink*.

Enough with the home improvement talk it is time to get my craft on! Stay tuned for the Kenner Road blog. I have a tutorial coming up on how to make stamped candles.

Oh and come play with us over at Mojo. My page I made for the challenge.



(used part of the Kenner Road April kit for this)

The blue flower is from Daniela's shop The Art Life and I made those pink fabric flowers for the second part of the challenge. Speaking of fabric flowers here are a few I made that would make good mom day presents.




and the link to the tutorial on how to make them! :)

Mama's day is coming up and every time someone says how creative I am I cant help but be grateful for my mom. She is why I am so crafty. My fondest memories of my childhood is her showing me how to embroider or us going shopping for ceramics to paint. Thanks mom!

♥♥♥