Little Lovables: October 2009

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Sweet Treats: Cute Desserts for your Halloween!

Mummy wrapped water bottles for a candy dish! Adorable, quick, cheap and easy, how to here!

Are you a procrastinatior? So caught up in decorating/making costumes/ or REAL life day to day tasks that you totally spaced out? Did you forget that you invited some people over tonight, or that you are hosting a Halloween party or assigned to bring a treat to one? Well, don't you fret, because we have ALL done that in one point (or all the time) in our lives. Here are some quick and easy ideas for you, my friends. And if you go here to my recipes, you will find tons more sweet treat recipes, like cupcakes, bars, and cookies!

monster cupcakes recipe

Ghost marshmallow recipes for your hot chocolate? YES! Recipe.

Broomstick treat bags! Adorable! Make your own stencil by cutting a design on paper.

simple black and white spooky cookies (slide #4)

Witches fingers. I've seen them made of of cheese, cookies, biscotti with almond sliver nails...

lots of recipes online

Godiva chocolate strawberry ghosts, or make your own with this recipe!

Witchy cookies recipe

Can't think of a theme for that oh-crap-I've-been-so-busy-I-totally-forgot-I-was-hosting-one party? Here's some good themes ideas complete with ways to make them work on Ghoul Friday!

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!!

Friday, October 23, 2009

A Little Lovables Halloween

the husband is not a fan of the spider and crow, ha!

I feel like my Halloween decorating is completed enough to show you now. I did have a few other cute little surprises, like a flock of birds flying in a v formation that I stamped to our central mirror... but it has already been smeared to an inky fog by my toddlers, and frankly, I'm just too tired to redo it.

last year, on the ill fated mantle, blythe was a kitty, oh, where is my boa??

I tried to stay away from orange, and do more of an elegant black, white and creme theme like last year, but orange snuck in here somehow, so I just went with what I had. I tried to mix the harvest style with spooky without messing up the themes too much. I'm an all or nothin' kind of gal, so this harvest/Halloween mash up was a major step for me.

found this vintage brass owl family at a garage sale for $1 a few weeks ago!

For the pumpkin in a mirror project, those are from those child's foam decorating kits. While the boy had fun making his own, I thought I would do something a bit kooky-classy. I got this old frame from a garage sale last month and painted it white. It naturally distressed in that time from my lack of putting it anywhere safe.

I hot glued a black ribbon to the back (can easily be unpeeled later). Then I made my foam jack o lanterns. But oooo-wie... too dang orange for my sore eyes! So, I got some black ink (for stamping) dabbed it with a paper towel, removed the pumpkin faces and smeared the ink around, emphasizing it around the edges. I reapplied the faces, but wouldn't stick well to the ink, so I hot glued them on. Then, I hot glued the pumpkins to the ribbon! It fit perfectly in that little odd space in my display.

the only good thing about that desk, is using it as a vignette surface ;)

This is the pumpkin carriage thingy I adore that I painted! I added a light up jack o lantern inside, crystals, and a pocket watch. It did have little mice on it, but they disappeared somewhere. All I need is a glass slipper for a Cinderella display.

I saved $6 on this. I really wanted the more expensive flowers, but settled for these, hey I'm trying! The vase I got at Goodwill and the bird and berries were all clearanced items. I can really jazz it up later after Halloween for more of the harvest look. You can see a making of the floral arrangments here:

And there is Frankenstein and his bride. The husband thinks they are too scary. I contemplated painting them a little shabby chic style to ease that scare factor? What do you think? Oh, and her head fell off. E6000 saved the day.

I love that pedestal pumpkin. It's glass and a clearance hobby lobby find. So cute and chic and no need to paint! Although, the pedestal part would look pretty nifty black... hmmm...

Another angle of my long counter top that is really useless except for knocking into it and getting heinous bruises. A junk collector too. I am pretty sure my decorations fall under the "junk" category as well. Sorry husband of mine!

This here shadow box I got from Viv's Whimsy Halloween swap. I love it! So cute, the velvety curtain with pom pom fringe and vintage image are so pretty. Oh, and that's a page from Twilight that skeleton is standing on :) Thanks Michelle from Chaos Cottage for making me this!!

The one I made her was a little ghosty fellow in chains with little flying black birds inside of a wooden coffin.

I thought I would show you some previous years Halloween costumes for your viewing pleasure.

Sonic boy as Mr. T. He loved it and so did everyone else! We used mascara for the 'do and I sewed clearance Homecoming chains and junk to a yellow terry cloth bib, so it was light and comfortable to wear.

Seriously, I threw all 3 of our outfits together in 15 minutes, as I was rushing out of the door to go to a Halloween party. Bad momma, I know. But, the boys loved being scarecrows! I wired a nest with eggs and a bird to the eldest and put hay things and feathers in their pockets and sprayed his hair all crazy like. Of course, we had to have red triangle noses and freckles! The overalls I wore were my mom's from the 70's. I wore them for hippie day in high school during homecoming week. They have hippie patches on the bum, and a band one called "Up with People" I know, funny stuff!

Well, this Halloween, we are going as candy corn (that would be me), Sonic the Hedgehog and his little red buddy, Knuckles, though the oldest is intent on his little bro being a witch. Weird! You can see more of how these costumes turned out here.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Hair Fashion Accessories

pssst... remember my craft fair post with my excursion in hair accessories making, and how I said they would be available for sale very soon?

Yeah, that was a long time ago and I only JUST NOW put some of the headbands in my shop, (including that lace necklace!) So, go and check them out *if you want*. Oh, and I am not above haggling right now, seeing as how we are preparing to move and all, so long as it is reasonable my friends ;)

now, feel free to continue reading my Halloween decorating post below :)

Treasures in Fall Decorating

put your treats in little baggies and hang from a tree- sweet!

This monster of a post is going to be in three parts. Harvest style, touches of whimsy, and more pumpkin ideas! Sorry to make it so long, but, folks, we are running out of time. Halloween is almost here so these ideas need to get out NOW! Next post will be treats and MY decorations here, so you can see what I have been a-brew-in. Enough talkin, start imagining how you can apply some of these ideas to your festivities or your home... If you really want some amazing ideas like decor, glittered pumpkins... then go visit Martha's Halloween page. Also, The Decorated House has some great tips on painting those plastic pumpkins using Fusion spray paint! I personally can't handle anymore overload, (as you can see from my extra long Halloween posts) so the link is going to have to do!!)

Part 1: Getting Creative. Skulls, pumpkins and monsters are not the only thing Halloween decor is made of, so use something you have lying around, or in the attic, watch faces, keys, vintage baby carriages, anything!

woodcutter axe framed, think faerie tales here - curious sofa

jarred fairy lights with creature faces, brilliant! -not so idle hands

witchy legs -curious sofa

wicked witch of the east- old painted dollhouse and witch legs - curious sofa

doll hands, vintage treasures -sadie olive (follow link for more)

clock face, pedestal cake stands, witch sillohette - sadie olive

autumn bird mobile -awe!!- emilie friday

watch faces and an awning, very 'Sweeney Todd' - curious sofa

Part 2. Decorate that Door! I will be skipping this part since I'm cooped up in an apartment, but for those of you who can, try skipping the foam tombstones, and pull out that wheel barrow, throw some hay and pumpkins in it. Put up some lights, twigs, painted gourds, garlands, candles, a wreath, urns, flowers, corn, create a welcoming theme for your entry way...

painted gourd ghosts, and vines - bhg

martha stewart

vintage characters, cotton, broomsticks, pumpkins and wheat on a carriage - curious sofa

pottery barn

good housekeeping

spell a message to your guests -country living

halloween outdoors

Part 3: Decorate those Pumpkins! You can paint them, carve them, glitter them, but arranging them, that is the magic of a display. Pair odd sizes together, sort in sections of threes, cascade them down steps, or a table....

gilded pumpkins, so fancy, but not uppity -country living

paint them white, then add black polka dots, stripes and swirls - house of 3

or, after painted, stencil them, stamp them, put them in urns and candy dishes- house of 3

paint them natural colors, in plaids and other patterns, and disperse them with natural pumpkins -bhg

ooh, a candelabra! I would love to this this lit. -bhg

glue mini ones to a moss covered foam wreath, then tie with a ribbon

fall bounty on a fabric wreath, so charming - craftstatic

acorns, pine cones, nest, sweet bird, can be up all season! love the peach and pinks! -knock knocking

Harvest filled pumpkin. Hollow it out, insert a water filled jar and fill it up, put on a pedestal. Easy!

love the plaid and argyle painting. with a nice shiny coat of sealer/polyurethane -country sampler mag

or a pretty, primative harlequin design

Henna pumpkins! I used to do henna way back when, got certified and everything. The key to it is having proportion in negative and light spaces. So basically, keep the design centered and even, thin lines, then swirl away. Start small in the center, and then build out from there to create, paisleys, flowers, lace designs... here are some free ebooks, or google for more. Henna kits can be bought at craft or beauty places like Sally's.

Classic black and white. Simple vignette includes boxes, leaves and a frame. Don't have pretty boxes that fit your theme? Then wrap it in paper. Store the paper in the box and change it out during the seasons.