Wow, I can't believe it's been a week since my last post. The time is just flying by and I seem to be super busy lately. Between things I'm doing for the school, projects here at home, plus sickie children, I don't seem to have as much time on my hands as I thought I would. My day just seems to fly by and I'm really not as productive as I would like to be.

I did get the chance to go with my friend Maret the other day to get her some Halloween decor. I just love decorating other people's houses, and helping them spend their money. I'm sure it makes my hubby happy too. Anyway, we stopped by Michaels just in time to get these puppies at half off. I'd had this urn for years and had wanted to do something fun with it, so voila. Add some raffia to the base and cut a hole in the pumpkins and this is what you get.



I also had some raw burlap that I had used last year. I just sewed, yes I sewed the edges and made myself a little runner. Totally wavy and not at all even or symmetrical, but I kind of like the natural look I have going on. Then I added these mini urns I found at a resale shop here. Quite a bargain at $.50 each. Add a little faux pumpkin and we're all done.



Oh, and I have to share my favorite bargain from last week. So I went with my sister shopping at the outlet mall near her house. They have a great Marshall's there, and look what I found on clearance for $20. This was regular $90. It goes perfect in my dining room. Now I just need to decide on the window treatments. Right now I'm thinking that I want something natural in there, like some nice burlap, or linen or something. We'll see.



I've been creating some fun Halloween decor for my sister, who has been sicker than a dog for the past three months... yes she is pregnant, and doesn't have much energy to do anything. Yes people, there is something in the water, and I need to stay far, far away from it. Everyone and their sister is getting prego right now. My sis, my cousin, a family friend, another family friend, and my friend just had her fourth baby. Yes, I need to make sure that I don't drink their brand of water. Although my girls have been asking me to have two babies... one for each of them. WHATEVER!!! Anywho, back to my original story, my sis asked me to make her some fun stuff for her house. Well my favorite toy right now is definitely my Cricut. I have been cutting different little things out of vinyl, which I'm totally loving. I wanted to make her a fun "Boo" sign, and this is what she got. It'll look totally cute on an easel.



I also made this fun, simple little picture frame. I'm make so much use out of my scrapbook stuff I haven't touched in months.



It hasn't all been crafting and shopping here. This weekend, I got a wild hair and decided (while in the middle of switching out all of my girls' summer/winter clothes) that I would move their room around. Well, I'm still working on it. I will post pics of that adventure in the coming days. But for now, I am off to put some steaks on the grill, put my girls to bed, and get ready for the Heroes premier. Can't wait.

Have a great night!
*ciao*
deb

So I'm working on a new look for my blog. More me. In fact, the background to this one, is actually the the print on the fabric that I made curtains out of for our downstairs powder bath. I have a lot of black and white in our house. My studio is black and white with green, so this suits me just right. I still have to work on the banner, so bear with me. That should be fixed int the next couple of days.

I've been running around so much lately, helping out a lot at the girls' school, putting together the school newsletter, running around with family and friends, that I hadn't had a lot of time to work on the rest of my fall ideas. I did see some great stuff the other day on The Square. Super easy, and super expensive there. I thought to myself,"I can totally make that." So I am working on that. Plus I saw some other fun ideas while in blog land. It is amazing how talented all these women in blogland are, and I have just gotten more ideas. I am putting some "Holiday Decorating Baskets" together for a couple of my friends and family. I thought that would be a fun little "Boo" present.

While out shopping with my friend Maret, we stopped by Big Lots to get her a spider web and a few other goodies. Well, look what we found...





This cute little metal pumpkin was $12. I love it. I just added some fall ribbon, also from Big Lots and tada... fall door. Oh, and that witchy crow down there... yeah, $4 from HobLob at the end of last season. Love her.




We also found these fun spider votive candles for $2. Super cute!!!




Then, while checking in on my blog friends, I found that Joy had posted about this little craft. Who would have thought of using those cheap little frames from the Dollar Tree for this craft? Well she did, so again, I copied it. Love them. Some of my friends will be getting these.



So since I now have a new door treatment, I wasn't sure what to do with my twig wreath. I really wanted to be able to use it, but not quite sure where. Well, I decided to use it as part of a center piece for the kitchen table. Not sure if I am loving the hurricane or not. Maybe I need a big pumpkin there. What do you think?



Here is one of my dollar crows from Dollar Tree. I had my mom send them to me from San Antonio. They never had them here, and believe me I looked... a lot. Oh, and do you see my Bombay Co. candle stick? $1 at GW.

I also got the chance to go thrifting with my sister last week. It had been a while since we had done this and we were really hoping to find some good stuff. Well, we got a couple of things but nothing major. I did find a gold sconce for $1.99. I didn't take a before picture, but here it is transformed with my bargain frame (I think I paid $3) from Garden Ridge. Add a faux pear and we're all set. I know, I know, a picture would help, but I haven't made it to Costco yet.



And finally... wow there has been a lot of pics haven't there? Anyway, I got this yucky arrangement... seriously who thought this was gorgeous??? at a yard sale on my way back from thrifting. I paid $3, but I thought the urn, which is really all I wanted, was worth that. Stay tuned to see what I do with that.



Okay, I made a yummy brisket for dinner, and I think it is ready so I have to go. Have a great night.
*ciao*
deb

It seems like such a long time ago, but my measurement of time as far as Sept. 11th goes will always be my Belle. She was 3 months old at the time, and I remember sitting on the couch with her in my arms all day watching the reports with tears streaming down my eyes the whole time. Our morning started off with Alex leaving late for work, since he had worked the night before. I had just said goodbye to him when he came running back in and said,"Turn on the TV, they just reported that a plane crashed into the Pentagon." I turned on the television to see the towers burning? I didn't understand what was happening. I thought he said the Pentagon not the towers. Then it all became clear. There was a fear and a feeling in the pit of my stomach that I had never felt before. I sat there, watching it, not able to turn away. Shocked and crying uncontrollably as I watched people jumping to their deaths. It was like a really bad dream. How could this be happening here? Things like this don't happen here.

Suddenly, the towers were gone, and they start talking of other hijacked planes. It seemed like they were picking up suspects linked to the events all over the place. My mother called and said the FBI had gone to look for one of the doctors where she worked because his name was on one of the manifests, and they believed he was one of the hijackers. Two other men were picked up here at the bus station with lots of cash, and weapons? It just seemed like we were all waiting to see where they would hit next.

I remember in the days that followed, I told Alex that I was sad that Belle would be our only baby. I didn't feel at that point that I wanted to bring another baby into this world. It wouldn't be fair. (Luckily I changed my mind, and now have my beautiful Tori.) But then, it was a fear within me for my family, my child, my husband. 7 years later, I look back at it, and it still seems like a really bad dream, and although we sometimes forget even the nightmares that we have now and then, this nightmare we were all awake for, we all lived through, and we will never forget.

*ciao*
deb

Or at least it is starting to look like it from in here. Actually, we are getting some storms, and the temperatures have dropped so maybe I am channeling fall after all. So I broke out my Halloween decor and started going to town in my house. I still have lots to put out. I didn't realize I had so much, but while going through all of it, I realized that my tastes have changed. I am wanting a more elegant classic Halloween look, rather than the light up plastic jack-o-lantern look of before. So I may have to add some of this stuff to my garage sale pile. I took some pics of what I have put out so far. What do you think?




Okay, I got a fabulous deal... well okay, not fabulous, but a whole heck of a lot better deal than it was priced at... on this cloche. Michaels had them on clearance for $19. I had a 40% off coupon and I asked if I could use it on this. The guy said sure, so I got it for a little over $11. Cha-ching!!! The pedestal was 50% off at HobLob. I love how it looks.




Okay, see this spider web and spider? Yeah...$4 at Big Lots. Run people, don't walk. How cute is this?







And here is a look at our family room with some of the decor up. I plan to change the candles on the mantle to urns with pumpkins. I'm going thrifting with my sis on Wednesday, so I will be in search of the perfect urns then.



So that is it for now. I still have more to put out, but that will have to wait for tomorrow. I am way tired, and since there are storms on the way, I have a feeling we will be visited by some little people at some point tonight. Ahhh, the joys of sleeping on 6 inches of bed, and getting kneed in the back. Don't you love it?

Have a great night.
*ciao*
deb

I have been totally MIA this week. Alex took the week off and we were out doing things, movies, lunch, etc. The week totally got away from us, and we didn't accomplish nearly what we had wanted. Then to top it off he got sick. To the point where he was asking me for medicine. I knew he was really sick when he was asking for different kinds and wanted it sooner than the recommended dose. So needless to say, I've been a bad, bad blogger. But I have been keeping up with what others are doing, and I have been creating myself.

So I have seen so many cute Halloween / Fall decor ideas on all kinds of different blogs, and I just had to copy some of the things that I saw. So first there was this idea that I saw on Marie's Blog.



Super easy and cost about $3 with a Michaels coupon. The best part about it is I finally found a reason to use those Creative Memories foam stamps that I have in my stash.

Next I saw this idea on Shannon's Blog. So I was at Walgreen's the other day and I saw these pumpkins...



I knew they would be perfect. So I broke out my Cricut machine and cut out the letters out of black vinyl. They didn't stick as well as I would have liked, so I just added some glue to them and voila.



I'm also in the process of making my Happy Halloween garland, so I'll post that as soon as it is done and in place.



Aside from my fall creations, which I have more up my sleeve, I have been working on the darn grout. I have to say that it is looking spectacular. If you remember this is what the area near the girls' eating area looked like before...



Here is the after. Much better I think.


This is the area next to the sink and the dishwasher. HORRIBLE area!!!



And here is the after. I am so excited. My floors actually look clean. I can't tell you how frustrating it was to sweep and mop and still have the floors looking disgusting. Well no more.




So I am now going up to the attic to get down the rest of my fall decor. I am so in the mood, and the temps are a little cooler. Maybe if I decorate for it, it will come... (I'm so channeling Field of Dreams right now.) Oh, and I want to thank all of you who left me comments on my girls' playroom post. I got some great ideas. I am still undecided as to what exactly to do, but I definitely will be making a change in there. Although the yellow is happy, it is just to bright and cheery for me. I need something a little more toned down. So we'll see what I come up with.

Okay, I'm off to put my little ones to bed, and catch up on my shows. I haven't been able to watch any of them since Alex has been home. I am so excited that One Tree Hill, 90210, and Gossip Girl started this week. I know, I know... how old am I? Whatever people, I like what I like.

Have a great evening.
*ciao*
deb

So I have been totally lazy this whole weekend, and have loved it. I just don't feel like doing much, although looking around the house, I keep thinking of things I should be doing. I am still working on my grout, which is looking fabulous but I can only do it in spurts as my back starts bothering me. Then I keep looking at the girls playroom, and it is totally bothering me. It has bothered me for a long time. I guess really since I first painted it. It is just too bright for me and really doesn't go with the rest of the house. My thought is that I am going to paint the walls a more neutral color, like a taupe and then focus on the chocolate, hot pink and white that is in there already. I am really considering painting the picture molding in there, which I really hate. It is so hard to hang any sort of wall treatments in there. What do you think???







Any ideas on what I should do? I am just tired of it and need a change. I still want it to be fun, but since it is the first room to the right of entering our home, I feel like it needs to really be more like the rest of the house and not scream "Children under 10!!!"

Okay, on to something about me and not my house. I was tagged by Brandi at the Berry's Patch. She has some fabulous ideas and way inspiring photos. Go check her out.

Okay so I'm supposed to list 6 unimportant things about me. Hmmm??? Let me think.

1. I am totally obsessed with the weather. Seriously, this runs in my family. (Mother, me, Bella) It's not a good thing.

2. I hate onions, but love onion rings... go figure.

3. I like containers... all kinds. Half the time I don't even know where I'm going to use them, but I just end up buying them.

4. I have trouble saying no. Don't know why, but I do, and then I overextend myself because of it.

5. I like fish sandwiches from McDonalds. I know... eeewww!!! I've heard it before but I do.

6. I'm afraid of dogs. Always have been. I'm getting better, but it's still a thing with me.

So that's it. A little randomness about me. Okay, so now I'm going to tag a few people. I tag......

Bella's Momma from Bits and Pieces of a Blessed Life

Kimba from A Soft Place to Land

Susie from Bienvenue

Joy from Joys of Home

Nikki from Nikki's Nacs

Marie from Watch the Wind Blow By

Okay, I'm off to get some things done today. I really need to make use of this Labor Day, and do some sort of labor. Have a great day. Hopefully you aren't being impacted by Gustav, but if you are or have been... may prayers to you.

*ciao*
deb