Holy Moly - is it HOT here in SoCal. Like, in the 90's at the beach. Seriously!!? What the!!? I am soooo ready for Fall and cool weather and yet here I sit, dripping sweat in tank tops, shorts, and flip flops. Come on Mother Nature!! U R Killing me!!

Moving on.
I want to thank you all again for the input on my painted pumpkins. After giving it some thought, I made a decision and went for it. Here's a reminder of the "before" picture...

Ready for the after??!

Here's a few close-ups...


I guess I just wasn't feelin' the orange and went for a black/white/aqua scheme instead. U like!?? I like :) Here are a few more pics of our "spooky" Halloween decor...

I picked up this sign at the dollar tree and thought it could be easily made into something more "me."


This is what it looks like now :)
I flipped it over and sprayed it with chalkboard paint. I had some fun doodling too. It's hangin' on the mantle with my chalkboard vases :)



Kinda subtle, I know. It tends to get pretty cluttered in here during holidays so I'm liking the clean look this year.

And in the kitchen/dining area...


So, there you have it. All gussied up for Halloween! I have some fun "fall" decor to put out once Halloween is over. Maybe then I'll feel like bringing the orange back into my life ;)

Stay cool people!! Stay cool!

Hello everyone! Happy hump day :)
I have finally loaded up my Etsy shop with spooky goodies so if you are looking to spruce up your haunted house, head on over and shop till you drop!!
The latest addition (back by popular demand) are the book page spider medallions...


I was worried that I wouldn't be able to make these this year because I couldn't find these particular spiders/webs anywhere. Luckily, my girl Cassie came through and sent some my way. Phew! Close one!!

Now, for a vote. Opinions pa-lease!
My signature Halloween/Fall decor for the last few years has been my painted pumpkins...

As you know, aqua is my go-to color for all holidays.
As most diyers/bloggers do, I'm tempted to change them up a bit. My hubby wants me to leave them alone and loves them as is, but I am totally torn. Truth, I don't really feel like re-painting them. Lazy. But is having the same thing year after year a bore? Am I just rambling? I don't know. Thoughts? Haha!! Heeeellllp.

Halloween hangover??? Halloween hangover!!!! I wish I could still button my jeans, ha ha! Oh well. WORTH IT!!! Mmmmmmmmm!!! I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween. We sure did! Especially these two:
Darth Vader.....

& Strawberry Shortcake.....
My hubby made {yummy} potato cheese soup with all the toppings, my sister in law made hot apple cider, and my mother in law brought over a pumpkin pie. YUM! Oh yeah, and this is why we were the coolest house on the block: (courtesy of my mom aka Nana). FULL SIZED Candy bars!!! Oh yeah!!!
Yep, pretty much awesomeness!!!! Noah and Hayden got tons of candy (& even a tube of toothpaste and an organic apple...which got thrown away immediately. I've seen Snow White, ha ha). It was a GREAT great night! Yay!

Moving on!!
Ok, remember this big framed fabric "art" that I have had hanging over my bed???
No?? Well here's a close-up to help you remember...
Remember?? I found the frame while thrifting, I purchased the fabric on Etsy, I made the burlap bunting and the rest is history. I really loved the way it looked when I had all white bedding. It was a bright fun pop of color in an otherwise beige and white room. BUT - if you can recall, I recently changed a few things up in my bedroom:
New bedding, new lamps, new pillows, and a whole new "vibe." The "art" just didn't seem to fit in anymore. Agree?? I tried to relocate it in my house, but the fabric is really loud and colorful and it just didn't fit in anywhere. After a trip to my favorite fabric store, and some brainstorming, this is what I came up with:
Want a closer look???

Fabric close-up. It's a linen-type fabric with a flocked damask print over it. {LOVE}!

I added some interest by cutting some of our family photos into circles and adding some vintage postcards, starfish, etc :)  note: I backed the photos in card stock so they would hang straight and not be curved and flimsy.
I plan to change out the photos as the seasons change. Soon I imagine it will be strung with Christmas cards and snowflakes. I think I'll keep the "Happy" banner in place because well....it makes me feel happy :)


I love the neutral and eclectic feel of it and just love the way it came out! You like?? Hope so :)
It's officially November now people! Bye bye jack-o-lanterns and spooky branches, HELLO Fall leaves and acorns! Stay tuned :)

It's official! the Tubs-o-Halloween junk have come out from hiding in our garage, YAY! Hello friendly tubs :)
Time to splatter the SpOoKy around the rest of the house :)
First addition - my pretty painted pumpkins that I made last year (read about them here). I felt like they needed a boost this year so using my merchandising skills (I used to do merchandising for a local boutique), I staged them. I found some awesome white-washed basket planters on sale at IKEA for $1.99 and they make the perfect pumpkin "risers." See....


Here's a closer look: (disregard the super stylish save-your-head-from-cracking-open bumpers on the fireplace edge. Chic, I know).
I used a sharpie to add some black "stitches" to the baskets just to give them some interest.



(the witch pumpkin was from target a few years ago)
I like 'em. I'm a pumpkin girl I guess :)

Here's shot from the coffee table...
I'm hoping Hayden doesn't realize that the candy corns in the mason jar are actually edible. This could get interesting :)

I hung up the paper bunting that I made a couple years ago over the "den."
front view:
Back view:
and my little bird cage now has a pumpkin friend :)
My dining table got a few spooky trinkets too :)
That's about it (for now). My living room looked like this minutes after I took all of these pictures. Ha ha. Keepin' it real!
It's a gloomy rainy day here in SoCal and it definitely feels like Fall (happy dance).
Happy Day to you fine people!!!