wallpaper borders

(*warning! no "pretty" pictures in this post--just run of the mill iphone quickies!)

we haven't tackled any major items on our punch list, but a few small things are getting done.
for starters, we are in the process of having our exterior doors painted:
(isn't the paper towel in the dead bolt hole classy?)


i also bought some shades for my ebay chandelier. this is such a minor thing, but makes a world of difference in the output of light! it is much softer and more pleasant. i am not 100% in love with these shades...i ordered them online and when they arrived, i almost returned them, but i figured they are good enough for now.


my mini office, right off the kitchen is badly needing some storage. we bought this ikea peice but havent put it together yet:
i have been zeroing in on how i want to design this space, and i think i finally have a good idea of what i want! i will be sharing more details soon.


halloween was a blast!



my oldest daughter olivia has officially "aged-out" of halloween, so that was a little surreal. instead of trick-or-treating, she and some friends got together and hung out. so weird that i have a non-trick-or-treating child!

charlotte turned 12 the day after halloween, and so we had a "halloweenish" birthday party for her at our house.  i actually have some professional pictures of a few of the details that i will post later in the week. yay!


FIXED the weird pink streaks coming from my new spot light by replacing the bulb! i was so worried that the new bulb i bought at lowes were going to have the same coloring, but it didn't! i am so happy!


and, we woke up to snow on sunday morning! it was such a shock because the previous two days were in the high 60's. ahhh, utah...you kill me sometimes!

Happy Halloween to everyone. I love Halloween. Today is the annual Doggie Howl-o-ween Costume Contest at the Hotel Monaco in Alexandria. Izzy has won Most Glamorous Dog three times in a row. The last time we won a fabulous weekend in NYC. Last year was unfortunately canceled due to Hurricane Sandy. That was the Japanese kimono costume in the last photos. My daughter Kate, Isabella (Izzy), and I have this year's costumes all set to go. Izzy's involves a wig this year, so we'll see how that goes. ;-)

 It's an outdoor event, of course, and it's sunny and 72 degrees here in DC today. Here are some photos of my house all ready for Halloween and some photos of our costumes from past years.

halloween always seems to sneak up on me. one minute, school starts, and the next...it's halloween! if you are a mom, then you know how busy this time of year can be--costumes, treats, parties...it all adds up to a lot!

here is my simple halloween door this year:
 i have had the witches brooms forever---i bought them at big lots for $4 about 10 years ago, and it is a miracle that they have lasted through our many moves. they are one of those bulky items that i *almost donate every time we move, but i love them SO much, and i always manage to talk myself into keeping them.
(yep. our exterior door has still not been painted. it's on the short list of things to get done!)


and, in the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" category, i am still using this  this easy and very affordable wreath that i made 5 years ago. i love it because it only looks better the more battered and worn it gets!
you can get the low down of how i made the wreath here.



i love halloween!
i try to make the treat we give away at least a little special.

 this year, i made some cute, simple labels to wrap around Hershey's bars.
(i bought the full size bars at costco---they come in a pack of 24)



if you like these wrappers, feel free to grab them and use them!


these would also be great to bring to a halloween party or to give away to your childs classmates!
here is a peek at some gift bags i gave away a few years ago:
seeing these always makes me happy!


you can also get these wrappers that i made two years ago for an assortment of candy bars:




oh, and take a look at the buddy the elf costume that i whipped up from some thrift store finds and a little fake fur and fabric paint!
we started with a sleeveless green mock turtleneck, a black t-shirt, and a black belt, all from the thrift store.





i cut the collar and cuffs from some fake fur (made templates from paper first) and hot glued them in place, and then embellished the green tunic with some gold fabric paint. the leggings were found on ebay.






i never actually sew my kids halloween costumes from scratch, but i am pretty darn good at taking a dress or shirt or whatever from the thrift store and transforming it into a costume!  (it always seems like my kids want to be something that is impossible to BUY...!)
here is a look at some of my kids costumes from the past few years:


vicious gladiator + two goddesses.


medusa, a pirate + cleopatra.



teen wolf.


teen wolf (close-up) talking on the phone and WAAAAAAY too busy to take a picture....
(wish you could get the full effect of the creepy red contact lenses! they were expensive, but made all the difference!)

be sure to check out my HALLOWEEN pinterest board--i have all of the goodies from years past, including some scanned images that are some of the most pinned images from my blog!


PS---i have been having some HUGE issues with my pinterest account. about 5 months ago, there was some glitch that stopped the counter going up on my followers, and would not allow certain people to follow me. i kept waiting for them to resolve the issue, and they finally did! so---if you *thought you were following me, and then for some reason you weren't, that is why! try again--all is finally well!
CLICK HERE to follow me. (again.)