Happy Halloween

Boo! 

B is for broomsticks witches to fly,

O is outrageous spooks that go by,

O is for orange pumpkins so bright,

These are the signs of a Halloween night.

 Can you believe Halloween is on Monday?!  This will be the last edition of Friday Favorites featuring all things Halloween.  It makes me a little sad because I love, love Halloween.  However, I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. 

This week doesn't really have a theme, just some fun Halloween ideas that have caught my eye this week.  Enjoy!

 

I need to add these to my Pinterest account for next year!  They are so cute.  Check out how they were made at Young And Crafty.

Could anyone resist this Candy Corn Fudge? I know I couldn't.  You have to see how it's made over at Yesterday On Tuesday.

Finally, this is on my list of things to make this weekend.  These are too cute and I love anything chocolate.  They are so simple to make.  Head over to Mrs. Happy Homemaker for the tutorial.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Halloween Weekend. Pay these bloggers a visit and thank them for the sweet ideas.  

*if you were featured, please feel free to grab a feature button on my sidebar. 

Ghost Lollipops

 I have to give Gina @ The Shabby Creek Cottage a big thank you for this cute idea.  I needed an idea for a special treat that would be handed out at my husband's pumpkin carving class for kids.(My husband works for a Parks and Recreation dept. and does some special event planning)

 This idea was too cute, very easy and extremely frugal. I think it cost $2 for everything. I already had the coffee filters and hot glue on hand, so all I needed was the lollipops. Thanks Dollar Tree for cheap candy!

 All you do is put a dab of hot glue on the filter and stick the lollipop right on the hot glue.

 Pull down the coffee filter to give it that ghost shape.  Repeat with one more filter.  Gina @ Shabby Creek Cottage did three, but two worked fine for me.  She also used smaller lollipops and now I know why.  The smaller lollipops will allow for the ghost, when finished to stand on it's own.  On mine, the stick was too long, so I had to lay the treats down.  They still did the job though.

Don't you just love that crayon marking on my table!?

 Last thing you do is draw on two black eyes.  So easy.  When my boys woke up from their nap, they wanted one of these treats so bad.  Torture on a kid when they have to wait for candy! 

 Here they are ready to go to Daddy's pumpkin carving class.

 Ew, pumpkin guts.  Jaxon was in heaven.

 Easton on the other hand, took out a few handfuls of pumpkin guts and then wanted nothing more to do with it. 

 Here are their pumpkins completed.  Traditional Jack O' Lantern and Mickey Mouse.

Finally, at the end of the class, they were able to pick out a Ghost Lollipop.  Oh, the fun of giving a kid candy at night.  They took a little longer to fall asleep.  Wait till Halloween, yikes! Yes, he does have a black eye. The play set at a local park was in his way.  The life of a little boy, always some kind of bump or bruise!

Another Little Owl

 I think I'm lucking out finding cute, thrift store owls.  I don't really collect them, but I see so much potential in them to make cute decor.  Especially for Fall. 

 This little guy I found for .99 cents.  What did I have to lose by buying it?  If it turned out hideous, then I was only out a dollar.  However, I gave it a few coats of white spray paint...

 and it turned out so cute!  It makes for a great candy holder! 

 Right now I have my Salt Dough Candy Corn in it.  I could also see planting some grass in it during the Spring.  Can't you picture this little guy with a grassy hairdo?! 

I've been on a roll finding thrifty things lately.  I can't wait to share them all with you. 

Halloween http://niftythriftythings.blogspot.com/search/label/nifty%20thrifty%20sundayis in a week, whoo hoo!!

I linked Up:

Someday Crafts
The Shabby Nest
Lovely Crafty Home
Tatertots & Jello
Lolly Jane
Nifty Thrifty Things
Under The Table And Dreaming

Halloween 2011

Our boys picked out their Halloween Costumes today.   Jaxon is Superman and Easton is Batman. I love my little Superheroes!

 Welcome to this weeks edition of Friday Favorites @ Make The Best Of What's Around.  This week is all about Halloween Mantels.  I have a lot to work on for next year.  These three mantels are so creative, and so cute!  I love them and I think you will too.  Enjoy!

 First up is from Starshine Chic. Very spooky and very cute! I love the mix of cream, white and black. 

 Next is from 52 Mantels.  I love the mix of spooky skeletons with the cute layered pumpkin, fabric pumpkins and trick or treat sign.

The final mantel is from The Diary Of Dave's Wife. What a cute way to incorporate everyday items into a seasonal mantel.  Check out that cute cloche ghost.  Love it!

I hope everyone enjoyed the cuteness as much as I did.  Happy Friday everyone!

*If you were featured, feel free to grab a button on my sidebar.

My Furry Kids

 Have I introduced you to my Furry Kids yet?  I don't think I have.  Well, here they are. Bob(in the back) and Zoe(up front). 

 Bob was born to a back porch kitty at my Mom's home back in 2005.  He was our first baby.  We actually had to give him up for two years when we first moved over to Eastern Washington/Idaho.  Thankfully my Sister Darcy took good care of him.  Finally, in August we were able to get Bob back.  We missed him sooooo much.  He's a funny little guy.  Just look at the two different colored eyes.  He acts more like a dog really. 

This little princess is named Zoe.  We just adopted Zoe in September.  She is about five years old.  When we went into the animal shelter, she was the first kitty we said Hi to.  She put her paws on my chest and sniffed my nose, then caressed the side of my face with her tiny, claw less paw.  It just about melted my heart.  She is a sweetheart and a cuddle bug.  I am so happy we decided to add her to our family. 

So, these are my Furry Kids, Bob and Zoe.  I thought I should introduce them to you since they are usually the ones keeping me company as I do my blog posts. 

Halloween Vignette

Today I want to share with you a simple Halloween Vignette of items I already had in my stash of Halloween decorations. I never really understood how to decorate with holiday decor. I always just put it in a spot that looked alright. It just filled a space.

Since I began blogging in June of 2010, I've learned a ton about how to put together a vignette or rather, how to stage your decor around certain focal areas in your home. For example, I have the Martha Stewart-like Glitter Skulls that I made last year.

Instead of just placing them in a hurricane one on top of the other, this year I added the mini skulls with one and placed the other skull on the outside of the hurricane and proped it up on some vintage books. I also placed a famous Dollar Store crow to the top of the books. He looks like he's keeping watch over the room! Creepy and very appropriate for Halloween.

I decided to add a haunted house to the mix as well. It just fit in with all the black and darkness in this one spot. Isn't it kind of cute?! You never know what you'll find at your local Safeway.

To keep a bit of lightness to it, all of it sits infront of a mirror. I love how it's all staggered to keep your eyes moving. Halloween Vignettes like this one, adds interest and character to parts of your home. I love when a guest comes over and they stop and take a long peek at what's happening throughout your house. Better yet, your decorations don't look all cluttered and just thrown onto every surface.

If there is one good tip I could give you about decorating for a season, it would be to put away everyday stuff like pictures, vases, books, etc. to make room for seasonal items. It keeps the clutter down, and gives you something new to look at for a month or two.

I linked up:

The Shabby Nest
Tatertots and Jello

Happy Birthday To My Mom

The Happiest Birthday to my favorite lady in the whole world...my Mom! I love you Mom. I hope you have a wonderful Birthday. Take time for yourself today. You deserve it.

You have to admit, mummy crafts during the Halloween season are pretty darn cute! I've seen so many cute mummy ideas that it was hard to choose just a few. Here are a few that caught my eye this week. Enjoy!
How fun are these posable mummies made by http://thethrillzofhillz.blogspot.com/2011/10/make-something-posable-mummies.html.
I could absolutely picture these on my dining room table. Adorable. Check out how http://wraysist3rs.blogspot.com/2011/10/mummy-and-spider-web-bottles.html

Wouldn't you love to serve these at a Halloween party? I would. Better yet, I would love to eat them...YUM. Get the tutorial from Crystal@ A Pumpkin And A Princess.

Finally, I could see dozens of these cute, Mummy luminaries adorning a mantle. So cute. Check out how to make these@ Hill Country Homebody.

Thank you for joining me for another Friday Favorites. Make sure to visit these bloggers and leave them a sweet comment. Happy Friday everyone!

*If you were featured, feel free to grab a button on my sidebar.

Happy 56Th Birthday to my Dad

Today is my Dad's 56Th Birthday. This picture was taken of him with all of his Grand kids this past weekend. It's been 2 years since my siblings and I(with all our kids) have been together at the same time.

I hope your day is Wonderful Dad! I love you.

* Also, a very Happy Birthday to my Brother-In-Law Scott who shares the same Birthday with my Dad.

Beware Of Something Cute

This has to be the easiest thing I've ever made! We went back home for a visit and just missed my Sister, Darcy's Birthday by just a few days. I really wanted to make her something cute for her new house, so I came up with this wreath.

I found a cute, glittery, purple sign at a local Dollar Store along with some feather boas. I used six of them.

*just a little FYI, the BEWARE sign is also available at Party City.

The grapevine wreath I had on hand, but you could use any wreath form you want. I just started wrapping the feathers around the wreath form using hot glue to attach the ends. When I got about half way through, I tied the sign with some wire around the wreath, then finished wrapping. Really easy....

and really cute! I wish I had taken a picture of it on my Sister's Red front door. It is absolutely her style. I hope you like it Darcy.

I linked up:

Someday Crafts

The Shabby Nest

Happy 5Th Birthday Jaxon

The Happiest 5Th Birthday to my first born, Jaxon! He is the sweetest, funniest, most lovable little boy I know. I love you "J" Happy 5Th Birthday.

Vacation

Just thought I'd share with you that I'm going on a quick vacation back to my Home Sweet Home in the Seattle Area. I can't wait to see my Mom, Sisters, nieces, in-laws and family up from California. I'll be back very soon!

Have a Wonderful Weekend.

The Easiest Treat Ever

This is probably the fastest, most satisfying treat I've ever made! I found the idea on Pinterest and it is brilliant. If you have any kind of party to go to and are out of ideas for what to bring...MAKE THESE! All you need is a bag of Hershey Kisses, a bag of Pretzels, and any kind of candy topper that you like. I used Peanut Butter M&M's, but you could use regular M&M's, Candy Corn, Reese's Pieces, etc.

My boys were excited for these and actually helped me with unwrapping the foil off the Kisses. I think they knew that they could probably sneak one in if they helped out.

All you do is preheat your oven to 250 degrees, place the Kiss on top of the Pretzel and put them in the oven for 3 minutes.

Here is Easton helping Me put the Kisses on the Pretzels.

After 3 minutes in the oven, take them out and press your candy topper into the melted Kiss. Let them cool for about 2 hours and Enjoy! It's the perfect combination of sweet and salty. So easy, cheap, and yummy! Hope you'll give them a try.

Bats & Halloween Decor

Last year at this time, I had only been blogging for a few months. Needless to say, I had very few followers. This is a repeat of a project I did last year that you can see {HERE}.

I loved this project so much, and it's so inexpensive that I just had to do it again.

All you need is black poster board from the dollar store, some scissors and a template to draw out your bats. I used some painters tape to hang them on the wall and that is it. So easy, yet so dramatic for any wall in your house.
As you can tell, I finally put up my Halloween decor too! I'll have more posts on that later.
This chalkboard was from a previous Earth Day Project that you can view {HERE}. You know me, always re purposing everything! The crows, like the poster board also came from the dollar store and all the mini pumpkins and gourds came from the grocery store.
This little owl was a makeover from the thrift store that you can see {HERE} and the Spell book came from Hallmark several years ago.
As you can see, you don't need a ton of money to decorate...Just a little creativity.

I Love dressing up the house for the month of October. Happy Halloween decorating to you. More to come!

I linked up:

Centsational Girl