Sunday, October 30, 2011

EARLY HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION

We celebrated Halloween early this year.  Eleven kids (not all ours!) eating, laughing and making memories.  Teens think it's "lame, mom" to have their photos taken, so I shot the decor.  Here are few photos taken before the party started.
One of the few holidays when our pink corner cabinet sticks out like a sore thumb!
Wishing I shut off the ceiling fan light before taking this shot.  If you look closely, you can see my husband in the background setting up for an annual tradition...Charlie Brown's Halloween...on VHS!
Our long table came in handy for the kids to eat together with their friends.  No photos of them eating because that's "lame, mom!"
 The scariest Halloween prop we had this year:  The witch with wings.  Creepy.  No need for a broom!
The black phone...I intentionally took the receiver off the hook thinking it would make a scary prop, but my husband and kids didn't "get it."
The mouse hole and mice are die cuts from last year's Martha Stewart Halloween line.  Love them!  
Eyeball chocolates inside metal jack-o-lanterns hanging from a black wire glitter tree.
White candles fit in anywhere, anytime!
I don't have a letter "K."
Bought these creative soda bottle labels.  
 My daughter baked pumpkin cupcakes.  Yum.  My favorite part of this photo:  the Lysol kitchen spray on the counter top.  See it?  
 
 The one time of year when spiders are welcomed in our home.
 Our frog treats were Oreo cookies dipped in chocolate.  Too sweet for words.
 Inside the skeleton bucket are chocolate dipped pretzel rods.  A nice combination of sugar and salt and mom friendly (not messy to eat!)
 This year I found black roses to add to our decor.  I never thought I'd like them, but I do!
 White pumpkins...love them.  I don't mind investing in pumpkins for Halloween because they carry over so well into Thanksgiving.  Save those pumpkins because Turkey Day is just around the corner!
 
Thanks for stopping by.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Mantel of the Month

 I'm honored to be October's Mantel of the Month at Enchanted Treasures!  
Thank you, Roberta!  
You can read my interview with Roberta here.
Roberta's feature gave me the motivation I needed to try something different with our mantel.  Now that cooler weather is around the corner (even here in Southern California) I wanted to create a Fall/Winter theme in Nordic/French style.
I began with rabbit fur as my foundation.  Then I added vintage dictionary pages, old books, a rusty bird house and a variety of metal crowns.
A few candles, vintage crocheted lace...
Another crown, and more candles....
 Vintage music sheets, an ornate cross and a rhinestone crown detail the white candles....
Two pieces of linen fabric create a drape over the fireplace opening (Roberta's favorite element!)
The lined basket houses my firewood, kindling and pine cones.
DONE! (at least until the Halloween decorations come out of storage.....)