Pumpkin Carving . . . And Everything's Better When You Do It With A Friend

I don't love pumpkin carving. I think I liked it as a kid, but as an adult it's just not my favorite thing to do. The goopy, messiness, the smell, the knives involved make me nervous. And, I have to admit, we've actually skipped it some years (I know, bad mom). This year some friends invited us over to carve pumpkins and have dinner with them. And, as you probably know, everything's better when you do it with a friend . . .

slimy

literally up to his elbows in pumpkin goo

finished products


apple bobbing for the kids

and my contribution to dinner - a little puking pumpkin guacamole appetizer

For the Completely Crazy

Need a last minute Halloween costume? Maybe a cute little hat for Thanksgiving? Well, here's the answer - a crocheted turkey hat. Just what every woman needs.
Seen on What Not to Crochet

Internet Down . . . Continued

My internet is still down and I am beyond frustrated. On top of that, my computer is now refusing to connect wirelessly. So I can't even take my laptop to a coffee shop and try to get some work done. Honestly, my computer is lucky it hasn't been thrown against the wall at this point! But, if I'm trying to see the positive in the situation (which I'm not sure that I am), it is amazing how much I can get done around the house when I don't "waste" my time goofing around on the internet.

Anyway, we are having new internet installed on Friday so hope to be back up and running soon.

Internet Down

oh, why can't this be a real solution??!!

So our internet is down. It's been sporadically working for the last couple months but finally the other day decided to completely give up and die. My husband and I have both spent hours on the phone with Qwest "tech support" (pretty sure it's someone in a foreign country whose first language is definitely not English), with no resolution to the problem. Needless to say, we are now switching our internet carrier.

But in the meantime I am going through internet withdrawals. Really, how did people survive in the not-so-distant past without immediate access to anything they wanted??

My Motto

found here

A Fun Blog to Check Out

I recently discovered a new blog via a reader recommendation and it's so great I wanted share with all of you (or maybe you already know of it and I'm just late to the game). Anyway, it's called Better After and it features all kinds of awesome Before and After projects (including my little kitchen revamp and my breakfast bar re-do - thank you Lindsey!). It has tons of inspiration for remaking just about anything - kitchens, bathrooms, passed-down furniture, ugly thrift store finds, you name it, you can probably find it on Better After. I've already bookmarked several projects to try in the future. Here are a few favorites:

lamp revamp from Birdhouse Design & Decor

old crib transformed into an A-mazing bench by Diamonds in the Stuff



I don't have a piano, nor do I actually play the piano, but this is COOL - from The Junk in Our Trunks

and the bright yellow color on this old pie safe is gorgeous - more details here

Thrift Store Score!

My new table runner - found for 50 cents!! Ok, technically, I'm not sure this is a table runner. It kind of looks like it was a scrap cut off of something else. Or maybe someone made it and just never finished the edges. I don't know. But it's perfect on my table for fall -the fabric kind of looks like burlap which gives it that fall feel and I actually really love the raw frayed edges.

Red & Pink

The Lanvin shirt on the left from Barney's retails for $1,460.00 - yes, almost fifteen hundred dollars. Really, who buys this stuff???? Not only is it entirely out of my price range, but it's also silk, dry clean only, and not a very practical piece for a stay-at-home mom. So I made myself a more affordable, machine-washable version:




To make this top, I purchased a white t-shirt ($2.50) and a red silk shirt ($2.00) from the thrift store. I also used a red tee and some scraps of taupe fabric that I had on hand. Making total cost for this refashion $4.50.



I wanted my white t-shirt to be pink so I threw the white tee and the red silk shirt in the washing machine together, washed and dried on hot, and voila . . .

. . . pink t-shirt.


Now you can start adding your embellishments. I cut a bunch of circles in different sizes from the red t-shirt and started pinning them along the neckline. I left some of the circles flat, folded some in half, and folded some in quarters. Once you have them where you like, sew them in place. I did this by hand.


To create the rolled fabric flowers, cut the red silk shirt into strips, approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide, the longest way you can. I cut 4 of these.


Tie a knot in one end.


Roll the fabric around the knot, and tack in place as you go with a needle and matching thread. If you reach the end of your strip and your flower is not big enough, just tack on another strip. Hand sew your rolled flowers to your top, along with a couple of taupe scraps for the "leaves".

And now you have a much less expensive, functional (and pretty) top to wear.

Making Me Happy Monday

Fall in Colorado

all pictures taken in Rocky Mountain National Park