GLITTER SKULLS

I've been wanting to do this project since I saw Martha's Glitter Skulls in last years Halloween issue of Martha Stewart Living Magazine!
I couldn't find a reasonably priced large skull, however I found these paper mache' skulls at MICHAELS for $1.99ea. Not too shabby!
The Elmer's Glue I had already, but the Martha Stewart Onyx Glitter I also found at MICHAELS. This cost $4.99. It's a little more than I like to spend, however, I barely used any for this project so it will last me for several more crafts :)
First, I painted the skulls with just regular, black acrylic paint. I didn't want any of the paper mache' to show through the glitter.
Next, I watered down the Elmer's glue, painted it on the skull in little sections and sprinkled on the glitter.
*Make sure to work over a plate or something to catch the excess glitter. Pour the excess glitter onto a creased piece of paper so you can pour all the unused glitter back into the container. No waist here! Let it dry for and hour or two and....

VOILA!!! I LOVE IT!

I also had those cute little dollar store skulls and some dark rocks that I put in the bottom of the hurricane, stacked the skulls and it turned out wonderful.

Finally, I have a completed Martha inspired decoration for Halloween!

I linked up to these parties:

BATS

A $1 Project

This very inexpensive project couldn't be easier. I got the inspirations from a picture I saw in the Country Living Magazine. Mine is not as substantial or outdoors, but for our small apartment, it does the trick. Older children that can use scissors can even help out with this project! It took about an hour to complete from start to finish. All I did was purchase two large, black poster boards from the Dollar store(.50 cents ea.) This entire project was only $1!!!!! I drew and cut out a bat and used that as a stencil to trace on several bats to my poster board. Then just start cutting!

My little collection of bats growing as I watched Sports Nation...Yep! I watch Sports Nation :)

Then, I used double sided tape the adhere them to the window. They look awesome at dusk!

I even put a few on the edges of the window and bent their wings to make then appear as if they are flying.

A fun little project that cost $1.

I'm linking this project to:

CHOCOLATE Cookies

This is a delicious, easy recipe that was in my Mom's recipe box! It was given to her by a family friend years ago, and I thought I'd pull it out and give it a try. It originally calls for peanut butter chips, but I had M&M's on hand.

(they are the fall colored M&M's so they worked perfect!)

My son Easton was seriously ready to taste them!! Hope you'll give them a try, ENJOY!

1 1/4 Cup Butter or Marg. softened

2 Cups Sugar

2 Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

*Beat together Butter and Sugar till light and fluffy then add the Eggs and Vanilla

*In a separate bowl mix together these dry ingredients:

2 Cups Flour

3/4Cup Cocoa

1tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

*When these are combined, slowly add into the wet ingredients.

Then gently fold in 1 bag of M&M's
(again, you can substitute with peanut butter, or white chocolate chips..whatever taste you like)

You can make these as big or as small as you like :)

Bake @ 350 degrees for 9-10 min. If they are bigger, 10-13 min

ENJOY!

I linked up to these parties:

MY VERY FIRST AWARD!!!

This award came from Liz at Project Naptime!

I just want to thank her for the recognition. Blogging is a new found LOVE for me and I never expected anyone but a few family members would follow along with me. This award is very flattering. Being awarded for something I have fun doing...what a treat.

So, along with this award, I am supposed to Thank and link back to the blog that awarded this to me.

Thank you Project Naptime

Next is posting 7 things about myself:

1. I grew up in Western Washington, but just over a year ago my husband, two boys and I moved to Eastern Washington.

2. I love Martha Stewart

3. My favorite movie of all time is It's A Wonderful Life

4. I have two of the cutest little boys, Jaxon and Easton

5. One of my favorite restaurants is The Crab Pot in Seattle, WA

6. I LOVE summer

7. One thing I must have every day is coffee!

Next is giving this award to 15 blogs I love to follow and letting them know! In no particular order, here they are:

1. Better After

2. Beyond The Screen Door

3. I Heart Naptime W/ Chocolate Sundaes

4. Lemon Tree Creations

5. One Crafty Chick's Creations

6. Sawdust And Paper Scraps

7. Someday Crafts

8. Susie Harris

9. Sweet Something Designs

10. Tatertots and Jello

11. The Shabby Nest

12. This Blessed Nest

13. Tweedle Dee Designs

14. Under The Table And Dreaming

15. The Painted Rooster

Salt Dough CANDY CORN

During the fall/Halloween season, I normally use real CANDY CORN to surround a candle in a glass hurricane! This year, I thought it would be fun to try something a little more substancial. Not only was this a fun project, but it was really easy and very frugal. Here is what you'll need:

1 Cup Salt

1 Cup Flour

1/2 Cup Water+ a little more if your

mixture isn't coming together

Pretty much everything you probably have on hand!!

Mix together till you form a ball

Next, preheat your oven to 200 degrees while you're sculpting your
CANDY CORNS.
This takes a little time to get the right shape, but after a while it is really easy. I just took a knife to create the lines that separate the 3 colors.

Line them up on your baking sheet and stick into your 200 degree oven for 2 hours. I checked them every 30 mins or so to make sure they weren't burning. I even let them sit 24 hours after to completely dry them out.

Next, you might have some rough edges...just take an emery board or a fine piece of sandpaper to scrape them off. (notice the little, helping hands...my son Jaxon helping Mommy)

I used the traditional White, Orange and Yellow! The Folkart paints I bought at Wally World for .99 cents each. Three dollars for this whole project is not too shabby!

Fun, bright colors; however, I wanted them a little more muted and antique looking. A little bit of watered down brown paint does the trick. * Just be sure to wipe it off quickly because it adheres to white paint very fast and you just want a hint on brown!!!

Drying....patiently waiting :)

Finally, into the hurricane they go. They are soooo cute! I love how they turned out.

Something FUN, FRUGAL and DIFFERENT for Halloween this year.

I Love CANDY CORN!

I linked up to these parties:

A Festive Fall Wreath

This is another easy way to decorate for the Fall season! Plus, it was FREE. I had a leaf garland that I used to put on our fireplace mantle; however, we moved and I no longer have a mantle to decorate. So, how to use the garland? I had some floral wire that I wrapped around a cooking pot to make a circle. I did this 3 times around and then wrapped the wire around itself once to hold it all together, then created a loop at the top so it would be easy for hanging! Super simple.

Next step..take apart the garland.

Luckily, the set of 3 leaves on the garland already had wire attached to the bottom. This made the next step way too easy.

I took two segments of the leaves(6 leaves all together) stacked them on top of each other, then started wrapping them around the wire wreath form.

All around the wreath, you'll want overlap the leaf segments till you fill the entire wreath form! Finally, you'll want to fluff your wreath and make any adjustments before hanging it! I chose to hang mine over the mirror in our living room!

I love how it turned out. It looks so pretty for the Fall season. And, it was FREE!

Feeling like FALL

School started, the colors are changing, the weather is cooler, and STARBUCKS has their pumpkin spice latte out...it must be FALL!

This last weekend we drove back to Western Washington to visit friends and family and my Mom decided to go through all of her Halloween/Fall decorations that she no longer needed. She had a few of those fake pumpkins with scratches and dents in them that she was just going to throw out. I decided they could be re purposed in my fall decor. Here is what I did with the first one! Took my jar that sits on my kitchen table, filled it with leaves that I picked off a swag that my Mom was also getting rid of, put the pumpkin in(hiding the scratches with the leaves) and voila...a pretty fall decoration. So simple and better yet, FREE!
This little guy was from the dollar store. My son Easton did not want to let it go, so I figured why not buy it because it will get used for something! More leaves from the old swag..EASY! I especially LOVE the little treat my Dad gave me behind the glass hurricane...an original 1967 copy of It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown... A Halloween favorite. More decor and crafts to come!