Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Stella was a cat on this particular night (I think tonight will be the fifth night of dressing up), but tonight, she will be a spider again.  Girl likes her options! Speaking of options (I totally didn't do that on purpose, but we'll go with it)…have you entered the ElemenOPillows giveaway? Just leave a comment on THIS POST, and you could win a $50 credit to the shop. 

Stella's Spider Costume & Bag

There comes a time when your child has a very strong opinion about what she wants to be for Halloween. For Stella, this was last year. She was a pirate. This year, she insisted on being a spider. Are you seeing a pattern? Who knows what next year will bring, but I don't think she's planning on being a princess anytime soon.  Either way, she sure makes a cute spider--even when she's trying to be scary!  Here's what I used to make her costume:

black pillow (I got mine from Target.)

two pairs of toddler tights (not sheer)

webbing and buckles (I got mine from JoAnn's.)

batting

needle & thread

safety pins

black duct tape

fishing line

three pairs of black gloves

You can pretty much tell how to make the costume by looking at it, but I'll try to explain it as well. I started by stuffing the legs of the tights with batting. I then hand-stitched the bodies of the tights to the pillow. Each pair of tights faced the opposite way. For example, the legs on the left are from one pair of tights, and the legs on the right are from the other. The gloves are just placed on the feet of the tights. They didn't need to be attached. I then used webbing to make shoulder straps and a belt to evenly distribute the weight. (It's not heavy, just big.) I reinforced the webbing with safety pins, since they could be put deeper into the pillows than a needle and thread.

Once all of the legs are attached to the pillow, I used fishing line to attach the legs in two spots per leg. I made a duct tape "cuff" for Stella's wrist and used that to attach the fishing line to the legs. Without this, the fishing line would dig into her arms. When she lifts her arms, all of her spider legs are lifted as well.

Utah Halloweens are cold, so a long sleeve t-shirt, leggings, a skirt and top hat (because she is a fancy spider), boots, and a fur vest will hopefully keep her warm enough to do a little bit of trick-or-treating!

Her treat bag was super easy. I used a white tote from Hobby Lobby and made the lines with strips of black duct tape. The spider is just two felt circles stuffed with batting and stitched. I hot-glued the four pipe cleaner legs to the bag and then hot glued the spider body over the top of the legs. I then added button eyes.

Thanks to my momma for helping with the hand-stitching and to Jeremy for his awesome knot tying skills. All that practice tying surgical knots has really paid off!

Linking up at 

Fluster Buster

The Dedicated House

[in five]: Favorite Pumpkins

I really haven't even acknowledged Halloween on this blog...or in my house. Actually, Stella put some Halloween decor in her bedroom, but that's about it. Quite honestly, I just want too many other things to spend money on Halloween decor, and I'm too lazy to come up with something creative. Stella's costume, on the other hand, well, we had that taken care of weeks ago! In fact, she's already told me what she wants to be next year, although, it's changed a few times. But, to stay in the Halloween spirit, here are five of my favorite fancy pumpkins.  Which is your fave?

image  from Better Homes & Gardens

image from A Subtle Revelry (tutorial)

image from Better Homes & Gardens

image from HGTV

image from Good Housekeeping

[so cheap, so easy]: Looking Glass Pumpkins

Looking Glass paint is definitely on my list of things to try. You spray it on the inside of glass, and you get this super awesome shine. I bet you're wishing you hadn't gotten rid of all of those glass vases under your sink, right? By the way, why do people keep them there? Garbage can, dish soap, cleaner, and glass vases. Random...OR maybe not so random for people who can actually keep a plant alive, so they keep the vases near the water. (Just explained that one to myself.) Anyway, if you happen to have any pumpkin shaped vases under there, get them out and spray them! Check out the original post at Designs that Inspire to Create Your Perfect Home.

image from Pottery Barn

Five Funky Pumpkins

Funky pumpkins are all the rage (and I have no idea why I call them funky pumpkins). Here are five of my favorites that you can create using gauze, paint, ribbon, thumbtacks, or stockings, nylons, tights...I either sound like I'm ninety or nine. You know what I'm talking about--the cute shear things you wear on your legs. Or your pumpkins.

image from Better Homes & Gardens

image from Feeling Lovesome

image from Skip to My Lou

image source unknown

image from Better Homes & Gardens

Fall Faves

Ummm, how did it become September, let alone September 24th? What the what? I love the fall! I love having windows open and enjoying the crisp weather. I love the colorful leaves. I love wearing layers and being a little bit chilly. And, speaking of chili, I like that, too. And soup. Here are some of my other fall faves...what are yours?

Cute little Cookie Monsters - tutorial here

Spooky Tablescapes - image from Urban Comfort

Fall activities with the fam - pumpkins, hayrides, and picking apples

Funky pumpkins...love funky pumpkins - image from Faith, Trust, & Pixie Dust

Stella's Cookie Monster Costume

This post has nothing to do with design, besides the fact that this little Cookie Monster looks really cute walking around my house! I had a couple of people ask for instructions on how the costume was made.  Then, my friend Kelli at The Turquoise Piano suggested that I post and link up Stella's costume, so here it is! My sewing skills are quite pathetic, and I don't own a sewing machine, so this is an easy project. I got the idea over a year ago from some similar costumes I saw on Etsy.  I wanted to wait until this year, because Stella couldn't walk last year, and the costume would have been a disaster on a crawler!  Plus, she is obsessed with Sesame Street, so it was extra fun that she enjoyed being Cookie!

I used about 3 yards of tulle and 1/2 yard of matching fabric for the lining. My SIL Emily sewed the tulle onto the lining for me (three layers of tulle). We also used elastic across the chest. The lining is just a simple a-line shape. The costume hits Stella about mid-calf.

The head piece is part of a feather boa hot glued to a thick headband (hot glueing is really my strength)! The eyes are styrofoam balls and buttons, again, hot glued onto the headband. The cookie bracelet is two round pieces of felt stuffed with batting and hand stitched around the edge. I used a darker thread, because I wanted the stitching to show. The chocolate chips are mini pom poms hot glued onto the felt. I then glued the entire cookie onto ribbon. The ribbon was just tied around Stella's wrist.

The straps are grosgrain ribbon. I stitched the ribbon to the front of the main piece making sure they were close enough together that they wouldn't slip off of Stella's shoulders. I sewed two metal clasps (a loop and a hook clasp) in the back of the costume, and their counterparts on the two pieces of ribbon.  I hand stitched more of the feather boa across the top of the dress.

This is not the greatest picture of the bag, but I wasn't planning on doing a tutorial.  You might have to use your imagination a little! I bought the bag (in a three pack) from Hobby Lobby. I cut out a felt circle using the same felt as the cookie bracelet and glued it onto the bag. Again, I glued pom poms for chocolate chips. For the stitching, I drew them on with a fine-tip Sharpie marker. I also wrote, "Me Want Cookie" around the perimeter of the cookie.

See, I told you it was easy! Here's a list of where I'm linking, check them out:

Making the World Cuter

Dittle Dattle

Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Skip to My Lou

Mo Momma

Be Colorful
Sweet Little Gals
Today's Creative Blog
Sugar Bee Crafts
Tales of a Trophy Wife
Blue Cricket Design
Seven Thirty-Three
Mom on Timeout

[so cheap, so easy]: Stella's Pumpkin

I know I don't typically (well, ever) post [so cheap, so easy] projects on Mondays, but I suddenly realized that Halloween is only one week away! We've already gone to one party and have at least one more. (Click here to see my cute little Cookie Monster in action.)We're having lots of fun enjoying Halloween and the beautiful fall weather. 


Stella is nearing two, and it's so fun to have her enjoy the festivities. A couple of weeks ago, Stella decorated her "pump." I wanted her to be able to do it by herself, but I also wanted it to be cute, because cute is important! I think I found a good solution, and there was even a little bit of learning involved, too! I bought black, felt letters/numbers from Michaels. I peeled the backs off, and Stella stuck them on the pumpkin. So easy, even a two year old can do it!

Start with a CLEAN pumpkin. No idea why she likes to lick the thing.

Stick on lots and lots of felt letters and numbers. (This one was an "o". Can you tell?)

Ta Da!  All done! She's so proud.

She likes to carry it around with her like it's an accessory. It does make quite the statement.

[kreyv of the day]

image from Eddie Ross

[so cheap, so easy]: Halloween Wreaths

You are in for a treat today!  You get not one, but TWO cheap and easy, and super cute might I add, Halloween wreath tutorials! If you're lame like me and need a swift kick in the behind to get going on your Halloween decor, this is a good place to start. If nothing else, people will think the inside of your house is as festive as your door.

I think I'll make one of these. Yes, I'm definitely going to make one.  I can totally handle tying knots. Plus, I need something relaxing to do after my day yesterday. Go to The Long Thread for the ribbon wreath tutorial, and to Something To Do for the tulle wreath tutorial.

image from The Long Thread

image from Something To Do

Halloween Vignettes

Today I am sharing some of my favorite Halloween vignettes. You'd think that because I love October so much that my house would be full of Halloween decor eye candy. Well, it's not. No decorations. Not. A. One. I know. I'm a loser.

You all know Monica Geller, right? (By the way, my sister pointed out the fact that I refer to the Friends characters as if they're real, and as if they're my friends. I see nothing wrong with that.) Monica, like me, prides herself on and rather enjoys the art of organization...except for one closet. (Remember the episode when Chandler tries to get in it with his credit cards, and Joey thinks that maybe Richard lives in the closet?) Well, I have a closet, and though it's not locked, we call it the Monica Geller closet. The reason I share this whole spiel, is because that's where the Halloween decorations are. In the closet. In a bin. Behind two other bins, and under three bins, luggage, and a box. Ehhh, I probably don't like anything in there, anyway. Guess I should just go buy new.  

image from Better Homes & Gardens

image from Casa Sugar

image from Faith, Trust, & Pixie Dust

image from The Shabby Nest

Halloween Tablescapes

It's only 8:30pm, and I am ready for bed! Poor Stella has some type of virus, and quite honestly, it's making both of us tired! (Don't kids always have "some type of virus?" That's my own diagnosis, by the way.) I pretty much blame myself for her illness. The sister and I wore her out with all of our shopping shenanigans that ran way into nap time.  Sorry Stella. (What...you don't think she reads this blog? And, speaking of people who read this blog...to my hubs: If you are ever bored enough to read this post, I should never say I'm tired around you. After all, I'm not on call at the hospital for 24-30 hour shifts. You read that right. Day 1: 6:00am - 9:00am(ish)(27 hours, not 3!); Day 2: post call (try to get some sleep) Day 3: 6:00am - 5:00pm(ish), then back to day 1. Worst. Rotation. Ever.)

Besides being tired (if I can even use that word, anymore), I am super excited about these chic Halloween tablescapes. (The black, silver, and white is ridiculously fantastic, right?) The trick with creating a Halloween tablescape minus the cheesiness? Skip out on the corny decorations, and instead use a Halloween inspired color scheme to to create your setting. This year, I am so in love with all of the white pumpkins. They are perfect for both Halloween and Fall with just a few tweaks, and we all know I love me some resourcefulness!  

image from Martha Stewart

image from Martha Stewart

image from Urban Comfort

Image from Hostess with the Mostess

October? Really??

Can you even believe it is October? Holy Cow, where did September go?! October is one of my favorite months. I am so excited to do Halloween things with Stella, AND I absolutely love fall (and the fact that it's cool enough that I don't get sweaty just from walking outside).

This week, I will be featuring some of my favorite Halloween decor ideas.  Today's ideas? Pumpkins! I am dying over these!

image from Better Homes & Gardens 

image from Better Homes & Gardens

image from Brown Paper Packages

image from Urban Comfort