Back from the Bahamas?

 Okay, now that I'm back from my absence vacation it's time to get back to work! (Ya don't believe it I've never been to the Bahamas, but I would love to) Here is what I used for my Fall/Halloween decorations this year. Recently I have been trying to change up my "style," it has been slow, but I'm hoping things will fall into place.

So turquoise is not your typical fall color, but I was going for something new and different. I think overall it came out looking pretty amazing if I do say so myself.

 This vintage sign was a pinterest find from the amazing Ella Claire Blog. I followed her tutorial and used her designed graphics. I wanted mine to be more white with subtle distressing, so I covered my under color with more white paint than she did. I was a little nervous to do the painting process, but in the end I just plunged into it, and I am thrilled with the outcome. It has got me thinking about a potential Christmas sign to go in it's spot next month.

I took the pictures before I got my photos into the frames. I ended up finding some old Halloween photos of my brothers and I when we were little all dressed up.

 I love these little pumpkins, I used them last year and love their stripes. I never get around to buying pumpkins before all those amazing white pumpkins get bought. I figure these are the next best thing. I found them at Walmart both years.

 This white plate was a find from Pier One. That place has been one of my favorite splurging places. I don't know if you can see it in the picture very well, but it has a slight scallop and design. I just couldn't walk out without it.

 This little plate was a House of Smith Halloween decal that I purchased and applied to a plate found at Tai Pan Trading.

 This 31 was also a House of Smith Halloween Decal. I backed my picture frame with some scrapbooking paper. When trying to get the glass back in I was a little to impatient and broke the corner, and of course I had to brake it after I had stuck the decal on. Oh well, so goes it. Nothing a little decor strategically placed won't fix.

Well, Happy Halloween, oh wait, Happy Belated Halloween?
Hopefully there won't be a year long vacation in between each post, wink wink.

Attempting December Part 1

Yes I do realize I am late, which is what seems to be happening a lot to me lately, but a girl can only do so much. Let me just give you a little background. My family owns a UPS Store, and as you could imagine the month of December finds us quite busy. I was very excited when Ali mentioned December Daily a couple months ago, this will be my 3rd year participating, so I decided to get things done early and start my basic pages in September. Things kept getting pushed back and I found myself with a lot less free time. So here it is almost half way through December just finishing my foundation pages.
I was trying to find things to simplify this project for me. We put in a lot of unpaid overtime, late nights, exhausting days, and find little time for December Daily, but I love looking back through my albums from past years. I love celebrating and documenting the season, so I decided to adopt Ali's Layout from last year, hoping to relieve some of the stress of the holiday.
I know I will not be able to keep up like a lot of people (I find a couple empty spots in my albums, but that's okay with me. I love the things that I do have, and will cherish them for years to come) but I am up for the challenge. I hope you will come along with me for the ride and maybe even celebrate a bit of Christmas in July :). Each transparency will be accompanied by a Daily template from Ali.
So here we go. Most of my Overlays come from Hambly and I have stuck with just a handful of different products, some things from my stash, and of course ideas and products from Ali!
(Sorry I'm not so good at remembering exact product names)


Day 1: Hambly Overlay, Evalicious December Tag, Bananafish Studios Number Tag.


Day 2: Hambly Overlay, Red Bird Ink Number Coaster.

Day 3: I think It's an Anna Griffin Overlay, Evalicious Tag, Bananafish Studios Number Tag.

Day 4: Hambly Overlay, Red Bird Ink Number Coaster.

Day 5: Vellum, Tim Holtz Metal Numbers, Fiskars Extra Large Star Punch, Corrugated Paper.

Day 6: Hambly Overlay, Evalicious December Tag, Bananafish Studios Round Number Tag.

Day 7: Hambly Overlay, Red Bird Ink Number Coaster.

Attempting December Part 2

Day 8: Tim Holtz metal numbers, stars punched from corrugated paper with fiskars extra large star punch, on vellum.

Day 9: Hambly overlay, Bananafish Studios Tag, Glitter Stickers I believe were from Making Memories a couple years ago.

Day 10: Hambly Red Grid Overlay, Old Basic Grey Chipboard letters, Red Bird Ink Number Coaster.

Day 11: Hambly Overlay, Evalicious Tag, Banana fish Number Tag.

Day 12: Baseball Sheet Protector, Ormolu Tag.

Day 13: Hambly Overlay, Red Bird Ink Number Coaster, Making Memory glitter alphabet.

Day 14: Making Memories Overlay, Evalicious December Tag, Bananafish Studio Number Tag.

Day 15: Hambly Overlay, Ormolu Tag, Making Memories Glitter Alphabet.
Day 16: Hambly Overlay, Red Bird Ink Number Coaster, Basic Grey Chipboard Alphabet

Day 17: Tim Holtz Metal Numbers, Star punched from corrugated paper with the extra large star punch from Fiskars.

Day 18: Hambly Overlay, Bananafish Studios Tag, Jillibean Corrugated Alphabet.

Day 19: Hambly Overlay, Red Bird Ink Number Coaster, Making Memories Glitter Alphabet.

Day 20: Tim Holtz Metal Numbers, Stars punched from Fiskars extra large star punch.

Day 21: Hambly Overlay, Red Bird Ink Number Coaster, Not sure who the stamp set was made by, but it is an older one, Stamped with Colorbox Cranberry Ink.

Day 22: Baseball card sheet protector, Basic Grey Chipboard Alphabet, Making Memories Glitter Alphabet.

Day 23: Hambly Overlay, Bananafish Studios Tag, Ormolu button.

Day 24: Hambly Overlay, Evalicious Tag, Bananfish Studios Circle Numbers.

Day 25: I believe it is Anna Griffin Overlay, Red Bird Ink Number Coasters, Ormolu 2.

Very Grateful

“Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.”

-G. B. Stern

Happy Thanksgiving!

Toil & Trouble

Here we go! Happy Halloween! This is as much Halloweeny as I usually get. Haunted houses, corn mazes, scary movies, and dressing up usually aren't in my schedule this time of year (maybe I should change that, hmmm) Yes, I know Halloween is tomorrow, but I thought I would show you a little of my Halloween decor.





Hope you all have a wonderful and safe Halloween!

Plucked From A Raven

In my quest (yes it officially was a quest) for the perfect Halloween wreath I found myself at the final store with hopes dashed. What did I want you may ask? Well, I wanted a wreath just the right size to fit in my wonderful antique window, (am I obsessed with that window, no way I've just stewed over how I want to decorate it for the next 6 months ;) black, feathered, and a little spark of fun. Now was that to much to ask for? I would think not. The retail gurus and I were not on the same page this year (Usually they have been pretty good to me and the internet doesn't hurt!).
So there I was all mopey browsing pier 1 when an idea popped into my mind. My eyes had met with THE BOA! I've made fresh Christmas wreaths before, I thought to myself, and there it was I snatched up those boas and couldn't get home fast enough.


So all you really need is a boa of any color, a wreath form, (some people use pool noodles, or they have something similar in the plumbing section at a home improvement store, I think) wire, and spray paint (optional).
I thought it was so fun I actually did it twice. The first time I was able to see the white Styrofoam form, so I took it apart to spray paint it black. I think it was actually eating away at the foam.

All I did was start the boa on the form and wrap the wire around the boa and the form, repeat, repeat, repeat until it is all done. Voila it is Finito!

Want to see how it all comes together? Stop back soon!

Oh I Have A Blog?

Sorry for the long silence, there have been quite drastic changes in my life recently. Not exactly pleasant, but as the world would think necessary. Oh how I hate growing up :(. When I was little I remember always wishing that I was a grown up. Hmmm must learn how to retract those memories.
Well here is the "reveal" to my sneaky antique window. It's pretty simple, but sometimes simple is good right (okay maybe it was a [whole lot of] a little bit of laziness).


So here are a few close-ups. Gotta love those close ups!


Yes I do realize that it is almost Halloween (how did that happen?) and I should be sportin' all the dark mystical all hallows eve decor, but I promise that will come (maybe after Thanksgiving). Oh and did I mention something unpleasantly big happened in my life? Just had to throw that in again (CHECKLIST # 23 must give some reason for copping out after my second post. CHECK!)