Miss M's Art Show

I know some of you family members are wanting to see Halloween pictures, but you will just have to wait a little longer! Miss M has a piece of artwork featured in a "real-life artist" gallery in our city. Her work, along with about 150 other pieces, was selected to be in a special children's exhibit of works in grades K-8, all from her school district. The opening is next Sunday, but took the visiting grandparents over for a peek this morning.
If you are local, you should go check it out. (Let me know if you want the name of the gallery.) It is housed in a very old building with art in all kinds of mediums. There are also artists at work on some days....we plan to check it out again soon! They were setting up for an event of some kind today - what a great space that will look magical tonight!
works from some talented young artists....

Miss M really liked the burger and gumball guitar.

Vintage Tea Table

Each fall, the ladies ministry at my church holds an annual "Celebration Tea". Women in the church volunteer to host tables, which entails decorating a table for eight in any theme. The food committee provides the tea and treats which are both beautiful and delicious. The menu this year included:

• bowtie pasta salad in Parmesan cones
• herbed chicken salad sandwiches with cranberry peach chutney
• oven roasted shrimp on cornmeal scones with balsamic roasted tomato salsa
• ranch cream cheese baby carrots
• chocolate dipped chocolate mousse Oreos
• peach blueberry cheesecake bars
• orange praline pecans
  

YUM!!! Comment or email if you want any of the recipes.

Every year, there are several fall and Christmas tables. I personally have created an Americana table (the year my brother served in Iraq), a bird table (using and in honor of my grandmommie's bird collection), a Valentine table (my b-day is Feb 11), and a vintage table. I have actually done this theme twice, but this year was my favorite.

Cupcake Nana helped me secure some of these items. Lots of ladies stopped by to say their mother/grandmother (and sometimes themselves) wore Evening in Paris.


My grandmommie's old jewelry box, with her hankies and mostly costume jewelry spilling out. I used pieces from both of my grandmothers. I purchased all the plates, saucers, and cups second hand. I admit to spending $3 on a little green saucer, but most everything else was not more than $1, with several pieces being even less. You can barely make out the favor I gave each woman at my table - a sweet silver heart bookmark. These cost about 50 cents to make and can be done in less than 1 minute. I promise to post directions and a link to where I found this great idea! PS If you enlarge this photo, don't worry about seeing something floating in the water pitcher. It's just edible violets I picked from my yard in the spring and then froze into ice cubes.

Mints leftover from Miss M's tea party - they have been in the freezer since July! More about the mints here and the party here. I gifted our Pastor's wife with this little pedestal dish I made. There is another one not in this shot that I gave to the guest speaker. Curious to know how I made them? Check back soon!
Sara served two and half years in Nigeria and hosted this lovely table.

A spring themed table...

I seriously considered a candy table...so fun! Instead, I plan to do a cupcake theme next year!

So serene and calm...

Each hostess provides a favor for her guests and ladies at this table received a snowflake pattern fleece blanket!

My friend at add a few sprinkles did this elegant table using items from her husband's home country of Latvia.

There were several more equally lovely and creative tables, but I was unable to make my around the room and photos of all of them. The best part of the afternoon was hearing the speaker share about difficult times in her life when not only was she faithful to trust God, but He was faithful to His promises. What a blessing to hear someone who truly gives thanks to God in all things.

Witches Shoe Party Favor

****WARNING**** Don't click on my photos to enlarge them! My poor magic marker coloring really shows up. Also, I did remove the big glob of glue off the toe after I took the pictures!

I saw this fun idea on a totally cute blog and had to try making one for Miss M's teacher. I was out of black card stock but refused to go to the hobby store because it has been raining buckets at my house today. I improvised and used a black magic marker on gray card stock. Also, I could have purchased some themed ribbon and probably some charms, but I used what I had! Other than getting a little high on the fumes, I think it turned out pretty good for a first attempt. I didn't make the liner either - just lazy I guess!
before assembly...
Next time though, I think I will try using glue dots - less drippy that way while you are waiting for it to dry - hence the baby clothespins. Also, my pictures don't show the cute little tag that a bushel and a peck added. I took her suggestion and it just ups the cuteness factor by about 50%. It says:

Trick or Treat
Witches Feet
Mrs. XXXXX can't be beat!
Happy Halloween!

If you like this idea, be sure to go here for a shoe template. Not sure who the original idea came from, but it really is precious and could easily be adapted for other themes. It would make a great favor for a princess party, don't you think?

Neighborhood Boo Game

Have you ever been boo'd? Not like at a sporting event, but with a surprise treat left at your doorstep by a sneaky neighbor? This game went around my parent's neighborhood several years ago and I decided to have the wee ones help me play in our neck of the woods. (OK, not woods but more like metropolitan area....)
The basics of the game are as follows:

• Prepare a few treats for neighbors. (We did 6 since we are starting the game.)
• Leave at their doorstep with a Boo note and directions. You can google boo game for ideas or I can email you a copy of the one we used.
  
• The neighbors are instructed to hang the boo sign from a front window or door.
  
• They also have two days in which to make two copies of the note and leave it with treats for two neighbors who haven't been boo'd yet.

That's it! We did some assorted Halloween candy for neighbors we don't know very well, homemade sugar cookies for the ones we do know, and a mug with teas for our diabetic neighbor. You could also do a single sunflower ($1 each at my grocery store this week!), a small potted mum, apple cider, even just some crisp apples!
We got caught by a few neighbors, but it was still fun! My battery was low so I didn't get any pics of the delivery, but here is what a few of the goodies looked like.

The poem I found to use reads like this, but if you e-mail me a request, I will send you the entire document with a friendly ghost, poem, and directions! A friend from church suggested including a halloween tract which made me think about including an invite to your church fall fest! I also thought that classrooms could do it within a school. If you boo your neighborhood, let me know how it goes!

Boo!
To our good friends on the street;
Our homes location made us meet.
You now have been Boo'd, but who would we be?

We'll never tell, it's a secret, you see.
We placed these goodies for you and yours;
Then we ran away fast, after knocking on the door!
Happy Halloween

Frugal Fall Fancies

UPDATED: I finally investigated the giant acorns a bit. They come from the burr oak tree and I found a site selling them in packs of five for $5 - AND they were sold out! Just look how much cash I have sitting in that bowl! And I have more in the basement....oh well, maybe next year!

How's that for an alliteration? I finally dug around in the basement and found the last of my October decorations. I will switch things up just a bit when I put away the Halloween things, but most everything will stay as is. So here goes with a few easy and very inexpensive ways to decorate your home.I found these GIANT acorn things under a tree at the local municipal airport my folks use when my dad flies in for a visit. I would hate to see the squirrel that eats these things! I usually put a few drops of cinnamon oil on a cotton ball and bury it under the acorns. The bowl is from my great-grandmother's dishes. After Thanksgiving, I just store them in a gallon ziplock.As you can see, the wee ones had to jump in a shot...all their idea, nice huh?

Next up - an idea that is as old as the hills, but you would be surprised at how many people don't do this simple centerpiece. I picked up my container several years ago off a sale table at a local craft/floral store. I use it with many different items throughout the year, usually with candy! My friends and family know NEVER eat the candy in the centerpiece! (Even Mr C already knows this!) I have had this candy corn for at least 7 years. I just put it in a ziplock at the end of the season and store it with my other Halloween decorations. Yes, sometimes the candy sticks to itself. I just break it up with my hands! I KNOW that candy corn isn't that expensive but I watch EVERY penny folks!

Next up...layered candle holders. So easy that your little ones could help you - unless they run the risk of sticking things up their nose! (Fortunately, that has not happened at my house yet.) Just buy a variety of dried beans, peas, and popcorn and layer them in a way that is pleasing to you. You can use any clear glass container. My mom has a really cool square one that she uses on her kitchen table. I wanted a variety of sizes so I choose two sizes of mason jars and a "flowerpot" candle holder. Nestle in a tea light and you have natural beauty in the daylight...
and all lit up at night! To store them, I put the small one and all its contents into a baggie. For the larger ones, I use a ring and lid to keep things nice and tight. No worries about any little creatures getting through the metal and glass!
Cupcake Daddy and Miss M just got home from AWANA and I need to hustle her in bed quickly! Thursday mornings are ROUGH at our house!

Tattooed Soap Tutorial

Anyone who knows my children in real life probably has seen them sporting a tattoo at least once. They both "wash around" their tattoos so that they last for WEEKS people! So long in fact, that our pastor once asked if they ever took a bath because Miss M had the same tattoo for at least two Sunday mornings in a row. I digress...back to the reason for this post....doesn't this look like a fun project?

I just happened upon this fun little blog called Dollar Store Crafts and she has some fun ideas! I think Miss M and I will try the tutorial and give it a test run for a craft at her kindergarten fall party later this month. (I am the room mother...) If it proves too hard for the class, we could always make them ahead of time as a favor...better than just giving them more candy, don't you think? We'll let you know how they turn out!

No Sew Pumpkins

We made these several years ago in my MOPS group, but even though it isn't a new idea I thought I would post a few directions. I had one of the moms from the group ask me how we did them because she wanted to make another but was afraid to take hers apart. No reason to be worried - I took mine apart for the photos! For this project you will need:

• a roll of toilet paper - with a full roll of paper and NOT just the tube!
  
• fall fabric, cut in roughly a 20"x18" square - depends on the size of your TP roll
• plastic grocery bags and/or tissue paper for additional stuffing
• stem of some sort - I used a wood chip from my smoker and wrapped it with green florist tape
• silk fall foliage

I just took the TP roll, double bagged it with 2 old sacks and then stuffed some tissue paper around it as well.Plop it in the middle of your fabric and start tucking the ends into the center of the roll. You might have to use a table knife or something to really get it stuck down in there well. Once you have it all tucked in nice and neat, stick in your stem and leaves. Really...that's it!I haven't tried it yet, but I think you could make larger ones with a roll of paper towels. Wondering about making smaller ones with a partially used roll too?
I tried several times to get a shot of just the pumpkin but he kept jumping in the frame!
Our Sunday school hayride that was to be tomorrow has been rescheduled for next month. Miss M is bummed, but it has rained something like 5 inches in the last two days....no way the tractor could pull us all around in all the mud! Cupcake Daddy has a deacon's event at church tonight, so the wee ones and I plan to snuggle in with The Shaggy Dog remake, a bowl of popcorn, and a bottle or two of strawberry soda. Oh yeah, and the popcorn will be made on the stove- none of that microwave JUNK for us!

Not sure yet what Saturday will bring, but Sunday is already a full day. After teaching the kindergarten class and going to worship, my MOPS group will be hosting a diaper changing tent at a local safety fair. We have done this two times before, but at a different event. That was a four 4 festival but this only 4 hours so it should be a piece of cake. I'll let you know how it goes!

Standing Broom - Fun Party Trick!!

So several of my friends on Facebook (yes, I am ones of THOSE people) have been posting today about making an ordinary broom stand on its own. There have been a lot of silly explanations as to how this works, but my family was at least a teeny bit impressed this evening...
especially when it was STILL standing over 4 hours later when I finally got around to taking the picture! I also tried my big shop broom, but couldn't get it to work. My patio floor seemed to work the best, but I was able to get it to work in the kitchen as well. Anyway, feel free to impress your friends, especially the ones of the shorter variety. Just don't call CNN...they already did a story on this in Alabama....can you believe it, a real "news" story?!? Guess there are much worse things they could be reporting on though.

Cozy Thoughts....

Miss M was finally well enough to go back to school today, but thunder, lightening, and heavy rain made her want to stay in bed today! (Honestly, it didn't sound too bad to me either!) After taking her to school and running some errands, Mr C and I headed home. After lunch and doing a a few things around the house, I settled in with a cup of specialty coffee and a good book for a brief re-charge before Miss M got off the bus. I found this cup...

on a top shelf in my cabinets - long forgotten. Nothing fancy, but it was my sweet Grandmommie's. I don't know for sure who gave it to her, but I just remember her using it often. When she moved from her apartment into a nursing facility several years ago, I took it and stored it away. She passed away 4 years ago this coming December 7. I also took her big Pyrex mixing bowl...wasn't that a silly thing to want? But my Grandmommie was an excellent cook and it is something I use at least once a week. Each time I pull it out of the cabinet, I recall special times and meals she lovingly prepared. How about you....do you have something simple or seemingly insignificant that means a great deal to you?

All of my grandparents are now deceased and I miss each of them. If you are blessed enough to have grandparents who are still living, (of this I am HUGELY jealous!!) then why don't you give them a call, send a note....acknowledge their influence in your life in some way?

PS I have not forgotten about the promise of a "leave it out until Thanksgiving" decoration....I am still digging around in the basement for it. I am sure I have walked past it a dozen times already!

Fun & Easy, Not So Scary Ghost

Miss M enjoys decorating our home for EVERY holiday, both real and imagined so it was with great joy when I drug out a fall/Halloween box from the basement. Her fever was down for a bit and her energy level was up, so we got busy during Mr C's naptime. Our neighbors down the street have no less than 5 blow up things in the yard, complete with tombstones, skeletons, and more....and we have small yards mind you! Miss M used to be afraid to walk past that house but last year she learned the word "excessive". That is sooo not our style....but this little guy greets guests at our front door the entire month of October.
About 10 or 11 years ago, my mother and I saw a similar decoration and thought "We can do that!". After gathering up a pair of little shoes, pants, a white sheet, and a few wood scraps, we set to work. Actually, my brother helped my mom while my dad helped me with mine.We started by building a "body", then used a staple gun to attach the shoes and pants, which we stuffed with newspaper. For the head, we tied fiberfill in the middle of part of the white sheet and then tied the entire "head" onto the body. Once you are happy with the proportions, drape the rest of the white sheet over your goblin and cut out the ghost costume. Use a black permanent marker to draw on the eyes and you are finished!We also wired on a treat bucket and I used a few safety pins to attach the ghost sheet to the pants...I got tired of the wind whipping the costume off my little trick-or-treater!
I have another super easy, leave it out until Thanksgiving kind of decoration to show you later this week....I just have to remember where I stored mine last year.
What about you...what graces your front porch this time of year? Also, I will admit that we have a few cobwebs - just not the purchased ones like our neighbors! I totally don't get BUYING cobwebs do you?!?!

I'm Back!

Things have been C-R-A-Z-Y busy the last several weeks and I have had more than one friend ask me where I've been and get on me about not posting. Kitchen work continues, but has come to a standstill for the moment because now I have to decide exactly what color to paint my newly repaired walls. Admittedly, the primer is starting to grow on me!
MOPS started and that really does take a large chunk of time, especially in the beginning of the year. I attended the MOPS National Convention in Nashville last weekend and promise to post pictures soon. The wee ones and I also made a visit to the zoo and a hot air balloon race in our town a few weeks ago. Again, pictures coming to a post near you!
Right now, Miss M is feeling puny. 100 students out of 365 in her school were absent with flu-like symptoms on Monday. Her class of 18 had only six children in attendance on Monday. She was tired and running a fever when she got off the bus this afternoon...she cried when I told her she couldn't go to school tomorrow. (Cupcake Daddy is pretty sure she is not his child.)
Mr C has helped me put out some fall decorations around the house this week. I must take a picture of a little ghost my dad and I made about ten years ago. Easy and cheap, but so fun by your front door! I will post pics and directions very soon. Right now, I am off the disinfect a few surfaces int e house before heading to bed.