Ready or Not!

 My schedule just keeps changing so I decided yesterday that today would be the day to start my Halloween decor...ready or not. And, I am NOT ready. I love Halloween and was anxious to get my new stuff out but I REALLY hate to see autumn go!

As always, I started in the living room and had planned to pretty much "stay the course"...until I didn't. I not only decided to change up a lot of things-which always takes so much more time than just putting things out where they always are-but I also decided to use less. When I looked at last year's pictures, there was just a lot! There always is. Lol

It has taken me four hours and I just finished the living room-well, almost. I CAN NOT find the two "raven" pictures that hang next to the chest anywhere!!! I'm totally annoyed at myself. I know where they always are-except they're NOT! For whatever reason, I must have put them somewhere else last year and I am over looking for them. Of course, without them there and because I decided to use the black draping garland somewhere else this year, the whole Edgar Allan Poe vignette looks wrong to me and it is driving me crazy! I made the executive decision to call it and come see you for a minute then grab some lunch and move on. I will go back and tweak when everything else is done.

I made myself get to this point quickly so then there was no going back.

And, I must admit that I'm working at half speed because this kept me up very late last night!

It arrived pretty late but I am a pro at putting things together and I was so excited to see it that I started right away. I have gotten a fair amount of things from this company and there is usually no issue...until last night. The "instructions"-which were just drawings-were SO SMALL that you literally couldn't tell one screw size from another and since they almost all had the same number of screws, there was no telling them apart. I started putting it together the way it looked like it should go but then after putting in the first eight screws-which were very big and very long, I COULD NOT get any of the next group to work. And, the whole thing went together with an Allen wrench that was provided. I do not enjoy using those things. This one was small but not small enough to allow you more than a quarter of a turn before you had to reposition it and, it just downright hurts your hand after awhile. These darn screws were long because you are supposed to be able to sit on this thing but since I knew I wouldn't be sitting on it I came very close to just going to grab some smaller screws of my own or even the glue gun. Lol

After a long time of back breaking work, I seriously almost gave up but you know that wasn't going to happen. And then I wondered if maybe I had used the wrong screws in those places and had to back them all out-a quarter turn at a time-and then try the next size. I also had to use my Dremel because there were a few holes that didn't match up but, in the end, waaayyyy past my bedtime, I got it done...and, I don't know why but I love it and it makes me so happy. I couldn't get you a good picture because my bedroom is also cluttered with Halloween stuff but here is a glimpse. It will look so cute once I get my autumn bedding out and on the bed. I am so far behind this year. Before I know it I will be looking at Christmas and my favorite season will be gone.

I'm off to grab a quick lunch and then get back to it-hopefully I won't spend any more time looking for those darn raven pictures. Anyone want to make a bet? Lol Stay safe and stay tuned.

Flying By the Seat of My Pants

I have admitted that even though I have not started my Halloween decor, I have been thinking about it a lot...especially with all of the new things sitting so close to me every time I sit at my computer. And so, even though I really like the pumpkin I got at Walmart and think I know where it is going to go, I thought about embellishing it a bit maybe with a bow and some florals. But then, I thought about a floppy witch hat and my mind started working. I gathered a bunch of supplies because I really didn't know where I was going and began.

 My first thought was to make a hat out of crumpled brown Kraft paper. I have seen them done like that and they can be cute but I am not the biggest fan of paper crafts. If it turned out well, I would want to keep it for future use and paper things are hard to store without "injury". So then I thought about burlap. I wanted it floppy and thought that might work. But, in the end, I turned to felt. And, even though I have a very large stash of felt, I only had one small scrap of black left. I grabbed it and then some dark brown and figured it could probably be painted.

I started by tracing and cutting 2 circles using a plate as a stencil and then forming the cone from the scrap.

Next I cut holes in the circles to match the size of the bottom of the cone and then made cuts for tabs around the rim of the cone so I could adhere it to the hat brim. I wasn't going to use hot glue because I don't like the way it works on fabric but I didn't have enough Fabri-Tac left and didn't want to wait so I threw caution to the wind. Lol

I made sure it fit and then put a dot of glue on each tab and glued the two pieces together before adding the second circle to cover the tabs.

Then I used my Waverly chalk paint in the color "ink" to paint the whole thing. I watered it down a bit so it flowed easier on the felt and I painted the top even though it was already black just in case the paint gave the fabric a different texture.

Because the paint was watered down, it really saturated the hat and it is HEAVY. I'm not sure how long it will take to dry and I found the perfect spot so both sides can dry at once! 

And now I wait. Lol I'm going to grab some lunch and then see where it stands. If it is dry, I will move on to the next step where once again I have no idea what I might want to do. I think I want some embellishment...just not sure what. We shall see.

I'm back. Once I had the hat on the chair spindle, it actually dried rather quickly. I will say that now that it is done, I might have made the brim just a bit larger and I maybe shouldn't have doubled the felt. It isn't flopping quite as much as I would like but I think the unfinished bottom would have bothered me because this might find its way somewhere else and then it may have been visible...but, I digress. In any case, I bent the tip of the hat down to make it appear a bit more "rakish" and thought about hanging a spider off of the end but I really didn't want anything "cutesy". I think if I work the felt a bit I can soften it enough to keep the tip down and maybe get a bit more of a "flop" on the brim.

This is where I was initially thinking of using it-we shall see once the decorating commences.

I also didn't want to go too "cute" with the other embellishments so I just added a band of cream silk ribbon and a small tie of orange silk. As I get closer to actually putting this out, we shall see if anything changes.

We haven't had a drop of rain in ages so I am off to check the fountains and water all of the outdoor potted plants. Stay safe and stay tuned.

Monday, Monday!

 Usually I don't venture out on a Monday. I prefer to use the day to catch up from the weekend and do what I need to plan the coming week. But, I am notorious for acting once something is in my head no matter how much I really might not want to. And so, that was the situation today! When I was at daughter #3's house on Saturday she was showing me some candles she had picked up at Michaels when she had to kill some time waiting for a framing order for a client to be finished. Now, she is not one to usually have the "flameless" candles. She prefers "real" ones in beautiful vessels. So do I actually except that I am at the age now where I might very well forget about a real one and even if it is in a vessel, it doesn't need to continue to burn if no one is watching...but, I digress.

She showed me two beautiful, large green fluted candles that she found and loved and I was immediately taken with them. They are not from Luminara-which is the company I prefer because they just look so much more realistic and even though I have used mine for many, many years, I have never had one stop working-and I'm not totally in love with the flame but, for whatever reason, I loved those candles and decided that I "needed" them in my life. And so, off I went on a Monday morning!

And then I found that pumpkin. I have a smaller one from HL but I couldn't pass this beauty up...one can NEVER have too many pumpkin candles. Lol And then I spied the gold turkey. I don't have a lot of Thanksgiving decor so another turkey is always welcome. And, all of this autumn goodness was 50% off. 

I'm off to find homes for the candles and you will see Mr. Turkey back in November-which will be here before we blink! Stay safe and stay tuned.

Thinking Ahead

 So yesterday I was invited to daughter #3's house to watch grandson #1's Coast Guard Academy football game on TV. He is playing so much this year and it is way more fun to see it on a big screen TV than my iPad thing. Since I was already going to be out and about I thought I'd make a run to Walmart before heading to her house. Saturdays at Walmart are not my favorite but I am thinking ahead to my visit to St. Pete and the Halloween painting party that is happening. I knew I wanted a smaller painting that could sit on a shelf because, honestly, there is just no wall space left uncovered. Lol I knew I had seen some smaller landscape looking "paintings" at Walmart and figured if I could find one there I could avoid any more shopping. And, I'm actually really happy that I decided to go because, on first glance, I thought I might be too late. The paintings were not where they have been for quite some time as all things seem to be "go" for Christmas. There was already some stuff brought in and other many empty shelves standing in wait.

Luckily I went on to a few other spots where I go for home decor and happened upon what I was after. Neither one is exactly perfect but I grabbed them both and think I can make either work.

This one would be my preference because it is dark and moody but I'm not sure it gives me enough room to add embellishments. Most of the ones I've seen have ghosts. I guess I could have the ghosts in the tree with a few along the ground? Not sure but, if I don't use it for this I will definitely use it for my autumn and Thanksgiving decor. And, I think it was $11 something? Not bad even just for the frame.

I think this one gives me way more area for ghosts, pumpkins, etc. but, right now as is, it reads spring to me. I'm thinking I can always change the colors on the flower field to something more autumnal before adding the embellishments. If not, I will save this for a shelf for my spring decor. This one was $10 something.

For those of you reading this without benefit of my previous posts here are some examples of what I'm talking about-paintings doctored for a Halloween feel.

As much as I hate to see my favorite season go so quickly, I am getting very excited about this. I have seen it done for the last few years but just never jumped on board. Doing it with a group of my daughter's friends will be so much fun...can't wait.

And, as I was roaming the aisles, I happened upon this. It reminds me of my favorite enameled cast iron pumpkin but it is ceramic.

They had them in other colors as well and I truly have so many places that I could have put this that, if I happen to go back before they're gone, I just might grab a few more.

And this sits right next to me making me very nervous about waiting so long to put out my Halloween decor. I'm starting to waiver...I can feel the pull so we shall see. It will all really depend on the roofer and then my hair appointment and granddaughter #1's visit this week. I got lots of cleaning done on Friday so I'm good to go there. We shall see what happens. The more I look at this "sandwich board" sign, the more the ravens look like they have always been there. That was such an easy fix. I can't believe it turned out so well!

By the way, the football game was one for the books-literally. The Academy won 92-60...most total points ever scored in an NCAA game, including games with overtime! I got to see Har and I got to catch up with grandson #2 and his girlfriend, eat some delicious treats and come home with leftover food for a few more meals! Wins all around!!! Stay safe and stay tuned.

Serendipity!

Serendipity: the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

I love it when this happens and it seems to happen quite often for me. Today was one of those days. As my family and friends know, there is always a "story" with me. This one starts about a month ago. I love to follow many decorating and crafts sites. I think it keeps me up on the latest trends and even though I don't subscribe to trends-I'm a decorate with what you love kind of gal-I do like to see what others are doing and many times they are doing something that will fit perfectly into my esthetic. That being said, many times it fits my esthetic but not my pocketbook! Lol You can pretty much get and do anything you want as long as you can afford it.

So again, about a month ago as I was scrolling somewhere I saw a bench which seems to have a lot of variations and names. Some of them are antique and even those that aren't carry a hefty price tag. But, never-the-less, they spoke to me and I looked to see if I could find any that would meet my budget. And, when I didn't, I kind of forgot about it.

Fast forward to daughter #1 buying me a new throw for my family room when we were out and about last weekend.

I have become obsessed with this throw. It is like petting a cross between the softest bunny fur and velvet. Since I chose the light green-a shade of my favorite color-I knew I could have it out every month except those that demanded just red like the 4th of July or Valentine's Day. I was already thinking about what I could do with it those other months when I thought back to the bench and how perfect that would be at the foot of my bed in my bedroom that would accommodate this color any time of the year. And, quite frankly, I was beginning to rethink the "budget" issue and just splurge when I received an email from a decor site that offers what they say are better prices and comparable merchandise to some of the other sites. I have ordered from them before and I have loved everything I have gotten so...Happy Birthday to me, Merry Christmas to me, Happy Mothers' Day to me...well, you get the picture. I hit the order button and can't wait for it to arrive-which, if it goes like usual, might be another 10 days or so. We shall see. This is exactly how I envision using it but with my throw draped over the bench.

Look at that chippy goodness. I actually had a moment of pause when I thought I might ask my brother and sister-in-law if they could help me make one. They have helped me on projects like this before and, we probably could have come up with a reasonable facsimile although probably not one that you could actually sit on but, then I looked at the thickness of that wood. Wood is expensive these days and I'm guessing that we probably couldn't have done it for much less than I ended up paying. And, now I can save asking for their help for other projects. Lol

Again, I'm not sure why things like this speak to me but they do. And today, it all just came together! SERENDIPITY!!! Stay safe and stay tuned and I will share this with you as soon as it arrives.

Just Checking In

 I really didn't plan on dropping in but, I had a change of plans-well, several changes of plans. Lol

I have been out in the yard catching up on some chores and was really going great guns until I got to trimming the jasmine going up the post on the front porch. Just as I really got into it I felt a number of stings on my upper arm and then saw wasps coming at me from all over the place. Those darn things HURT! I have never had an issue with them in this plant before. You can bet that I grabbed my can of spray and covered that thing but I really wasn't able to see where the nest was so I'm not sure if I got them or not. I was going to go on to something else but every time my shirt sleeve touches the stings it hurts all over so I came in the do something a little less active...and here I am.

So that is my first change of plans. My second is my date for my Halloween decorating. I was planning on doing it next week but I have a leak in my roof that needs attention and the "guy" will be coming some day next week to look at it and hopefully address the issue. He will need to be able to not only get through the house but up into the attic and, if you've ever seen any of my posts where I show you the behind the scenes of a holiday decor swap out-particularly Halloween-you know that for at least four days my house is barely navigable. Then granddaughter #1 is coming on Friday to visit and go to Hud's football game so that pushes me pretty much into the next week. That makes me nervous because daughter #1 is coming that week either on Wednesday or Thursday so I would have to work really fast. Of course, if I don't do it then I won't be home until well into October. Wow. Decisions, decisions! I'll figure it out...and you'll be the first to know. Lol

Since my autumn decor will be out a bit longer than expected, I didn't have any trouble making a change when I got another surprise. As I stepped out onto my front porch yesterday afternoon to water the potted plants I spied this.

And, the minute I saw the "target", I knew what it was. Daughter #1 had found a beautiful landscape at Target while we were shopping last weekend and bought it to do her Halloween "ghost" painting on. I loved it and was going to get one but, alas, there was only one. I was fine with that because, honestly, I thought it was too pretty to use for the ghost additions. Anyway, I guess she felt bad so she ordered me one. Like I said, I am spoiled. Of course, once I had it here I realized that it is much closer to what I really wanted for the autumn decor in the living room under the shelf-where I had "settled" for the church picture. 

The church picture worked but it wasn't really what I wanted so once I had this beauty, I decided to go ahead and give it a try.

I love it. It actually echoes all of the colors from the shelf in the painting. It will be up probably for my autumn and Thanksgiving decor from now on. And, the church found a home in the family room.

While I was outside enjoying our beautiful weather I got a good look at this beauty.

Considering that I do absolutely NOTHING to this plant, the show that it gives is amazing!

It is one of the species of Blue Sky Vine-I have two others that are blue sky vines but another species. They're pretty but nothing like this one. It reminds me of the orchid trees that grew down in Vero Beach. They lined the street of our church there and are very visible in one of my wedding party pictures when I got married. They really were so pretty.

That's it for me. Just checking in and not sure when I'll be back. Stay safe and stay tuned.

Tempus Fugit!

We are having a beautiful start to our week. The temperatures are definitely going down-more so overnight and into early morning-but, I will take what I can get! The two dogs are still here so I'm not doing any large projects right now. The biggest thing on my list is to make another big pot of my favorite soup-Martha Stewart Veggie Vermicelli. So, as I was planning my very laid back day, I actually caught a glimpse of the calendar and realized that I don't have much time left with my autumn decor and still haven't finished showing you everything. All we have left are the bathrooms but, never-the-less, I want to get them immortalized on here so I can look back when I need to.

Let's start with the guest bath. I always use this small arrangement here for autumn but, honestly, I am missing the lantern with the timered candle that I have used for the last few months so I think next year this will be changed up a bit.

And my nod to autumn in the primary.

I did swap out the every day candle for an autumn one but forgot to take another picture.

That's all that I have for today. I will need a day or two after the dogs leave to catch up on inside and then I think I will hit outside so, the rest of the week is probably spoken for. Guess that means I will start my Halloween decor next week. I have plans with granddaughter #1 for the weekend of the 25th and then soon after that daughter #1 and I are going up to Gainesville to take my granddaughter out to finish buying some of the smaller pieces of furniture that she still needs for her apartment. When we return from that, I am off to St. Pete. The tickets to see Steve Martin and Martin Short that were Christmas gifts but had to be rescheduled are now scheduled for early October so I will go to that with my daughter and then spend the week at her house until the next weekend when she is hosting an early Halloween get-together with her friends and I am invited. She's talking about possibly doing one of the Halloween painting parties where everyone brings a landscape picture of their own liking and then we will "Halloween" it up by adding ghosts, pumpkins, bats, cats, etc. That sounds like so much fun to me. I don't have a landscape that I would want to use so, somewhere in my very few free days I will have to head out to find one. If all of that plays out, I won't be home again until October 11th or 12th and I can't just be doing my decorating then so next week it will have to be! I am going to try my hardest to soak in every last bit of my autumn decor until then. Once autumn comes down and Halloween goes up, I realize just how quickly my favorite time of year always seems to go! SIGH Stay safe and stay tuned.