Happy Birthday to our best Halloween treat ever!

 Scout's 1st birthday, 1996

To the outside world we all grow old.
But not to brothers and sisters.
We know each other as we always were.
We know each other's hearts.
We share private family jokes.
We remember family feuds and secrets,
family griefs and joys.
We live outside the touch of time.
-Clara Ortega

Happy 16th birthday, Scout.  

We love you!

Not quite what I envisioned

I saw a cute idea lately for a centerpiece I wanted to re-create for my dining table.

It involved spray painting some small fake green gourds and pumpkins and adding them to a vase with branches.  I chose a pretty satin cream color paint, and painted the branches black so it would look Halloween-ish, but it didn't turn out like I thought it would.  The branches were ridiculous and bulky and didn't look right.  I put them by the front door with the pumpkins.

And I didn't have enough of them to fill my $1.62 vase from Sally Ann, so I had to add some other elements to it to fill it up.  Drat.

Maybe next time I am out I will look for more of those vase filler items but for today I am giving it a rest.  I tell myself:  I do a good job, even if my ideas don't always pan out.  And if I never try, I will never learn how to decorate my home and make it an inviting and beautiful place for my family.  Which is why I love Darlene's Master Designer blog post I read recently - it helps me see a bigger picture. 

“I am a Master Designer.

I love Beauty;
I see potential and I want to fill it with beauty.
I aim to create something beautiful that is worthy of joy.

Design is a high calling, one that can improve the lives of others, be a means to foster relationships, and add much joy to my family.

I appreciate fine and lovely things, but they are not my treasures.
I know what is truly important, and
I do not aim to “store up my treasures here on earth.”*

I live to bring glory to God, the Ultimate Master Designer.
He created Beauty.
He created all beautiful things.
And, He created my passion for design, and set that joy in my heart.

Everything that I create,
and have created,
is because I myself was created by a Master.

I am a Master Designer.”

*{verse reference, Matthew 6:19}

It's good to keep it all in perspective!

If you've ever compared your home, your style, your decorating to anyone else's....  

Maybe your vision should change, too. 

Ficus rescue

Back when the summer was blazing, I moved my ficus over to a corner of the yard under the oaks just to save it from frying on the deck.  It loved it there.  Grew another foot or so.  Little did I realize, it was supporting it self on the swing.  When I moved the swing to blow out the red rocks, lookee what happened:

 Yikes!  It can't even support it's own height!  Not sure if that's the pot's fault, or what.  But I really want to leave it here, as it camo's the cords from the bug zapper and landscape lighting.

I rooted around in the garage and found a curtain rod from a failed attempt to hang curtains in the master bedroom.  It was the perfect length and strength to help lend some support.

 I just stuck in down deep into the pot, and secured the tree with a bit of twine in a couple of places.

 

 The rod is slender enough to be unobtrusive in the tree,

Then I moved the big pot from the front door over, to balance out the space.
Plus, I needed to clear the front door area to decorate for Halloween.

 

 I like how shady and cool this area of our yard is.

 While I was out there, I gave the hedgehog a bath in some orb spray paint.

 I think he turned out snazzy!  He props open the back gate letting cool breezes blow through...

 After an hour or so of sprucing this area looks neat again.

 A nice place to sip my wine or read a book in the afternoon...

Shared with:

Love me some Smith & Hawken!

I was supposed to be decorating for Halloween, but I had to make a stop at Tarjay and lookee what I found::

Beautiful rattan pumpkins!  I pretty much love Smith & Hawken, so I gravitate over to that part of the store to see what has gone on clearance lately....

I love the natural detail.  Love that they can stay put right here from now til Thanksgiving is over.  And I love that they were half price.  $11 for the pair!

I put them on the bookcase in the hall leading into the den.  I also put the amber glass vase of eucalyptus back - you can't beat the smell of eucalyptus.  It's a natural look that is simple and effective.

With the burlap runner here, they look right at home!

Easy Spice-y Pumpkin Cake

Cooler weather makes me want to run go turn on the oven and bake something wonderful.  Something that will scent the house like Fall...and Thanksgiving...something like this:

Easy Spice-y Pumpkin Cake

1 c. white sugar

1/2 c. water

1/2 can pumpkin puree

1/4 butter, melted and cooled (1/2 a stick)

1 egg

2 t. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 t. salt

1 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1 tub buttercream frosting (or make your own!)

1/2 c. walnuts (with some extra pumpkin pie spice and a little dab of butter)

Heat the oven to 325.  Spray an 8x8 glass cake pan with Pam. Mix the first 6 ingredients.  Stir salt and baking soda into flour, then stir into wet ingredients.  Bake for 40 minutes or until cake springs back when pressed in the middle.  Cool. 

Meanwhile, toast the walnuts:  I crushed mine up a bit, added to a skillet with a sprinkle of spice and a little dab of butter.  Watch it carefully and stir it constantly over low to med heat to toast the nuts.  Cool. 

Frosting from a tub - I cheated today and it worked out beautifully!  I stored the leftover in the freezer.  After frosting it, scatter the nuts on top, perk a pot of cinnamon coffee and serve!

 Don't mind if I do! (:

Shared with:

and

Front door Halloween

Monday dawned and I was ready to decorate for Halloween.  One little problem, though:  I have no idea what happened to the box of Halloween decorations from last year.  For me, that is huge.  I'm usually pretty organized.  I can't believe I would have purged all of it, so it had to be in the attic.  But since I am deathly afraid of going into the attic, I had to make do!

 I collected some branches from the neighborhood greenbelt,and added some that were spray painted black.

Added a couple of pumpkins from the grocery store...

 And a couple of hairy spiders...which make me jump every time I leave the house, because I'm such a ninny!

The big one is from Wally World, the smaller one from Walgreen's.

Wrapped some Halloween garland around a grapevine wreath and added a chipboard 

hanging sign from Joann's (60% off!)

Something I noticed:  pumpkins from the store are always dirty - clean em up with a bit of Orange Glo and they shine!  Plus the front door area will smell orange-y wonderful...

I like that I was able to use some natural elements - I think I am leaning more 

and more towards that in my home.

 

A little plain, but it will do for now.  I have some lights to string up and I might add a few more branches for drama.  After all they're free!  Plus, eventually, hubby will find that box for me...

Shared with:

Boys primp, too

I remember primping for formal dances in high school.  It usually started shortly after I arrived home from school, and continued until about 10 minutes before my date arrived.  I never realized before - 

boys primp, too!

  

Oh, my!  And they like to mug for the camera, looking pretty handsome...

I think Miss A and Scout make a very attractive couple, no?

Wait!  I need to get a pic of you two together!

Or, maybe not...

All that primping and they are ready to party!

Owl Love

I found this ceramic owl candle at World Market for $5, 

and added it to the mantle in the den. 

Cute!

The guy that rang me up said "Yeah, owls are pretty popular lately, for some reason..."  Ya think?  Which got me to thinking about where all I have them in the house...not saying I'm obsessed or anything...

 But they're in my kitchen...

 And the front room...

 

 and the floating shelves in my bedroom...along with a collection of dust - can't get good help nowadays...

And one is perched in a bookcase, too.  I don't want to wind up one of those old ladies who have owl earrings, and owl sweatshirt, and hand painted owls on her Keds.....but they sure are cute, and seeing them every day makes me smile!  What about you?  Got a thing for owls?