Family Flu

My family is out with the FLU....I am going to spend the week focusing on getting my family healthy and on track for a Happy Halloween. Wishing you all a Happy Halloween too!

See you all in November.

Field Trip Fridays

I have lived a few places in the 30 years I've been alive.


Oregon: 18 years
Tennessee: 1 1/2 years
Utah: 9 years and still going strong!


I have criss crossed our nation visiting several states (visiting = staying at least 3 days) since I boarded my first plane at 12:

California, Nevada, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, Wyoming, Georgia, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Pennsylvania, and Florida.


I have also traveled out of the US twice:
The first time on my honeymoon to Italy.
The second time to Japan.

Wasatch Mountain Range

Call me bias... I have never seen a more beautiful area in Autumn then right here.

American Fork Canyon ~ about 10 minutes from my house.

Mid Week Munchies

My oldest son goes to school at 8:00 am and although I love being up early, my warm bed is always hard to get out of. Now that fall is really here and daylight saving time is upon us I always start to crave pumpkin pie. Why should I wait for Thanksgiving? Here are a few recipes I found on Food Gawker that I want to try this fall, before Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin Pie from Dirty Kitchen Secrets

Pumpkin Pie from Acquired Taste

Pumpkin Pie from Spatulas, Corkscrews and Suitcases

Halloween Quilt Part 2

After I finished my first Halloween Diamond quilt and I had a few diamonds left over, so I immediately started in on a second smaller quilt. Mind you this was all last fall, I really wanted to use fabric from my stash, and not purchase anything new, but I was struggling with the border. Ultimately I decided on this tartan check pattern. After sewing it on I was not in love, but like I said, it sat for a whole year.

I have learned that sometimes I just need to let a quilt sit, tucked away for a season to let the fabric settle.

Bringing it out this fall I had a change of heart: I loved how the fabric makes the quilt pop and I love how it is true Halloween orange. Yes there is such a thing as Halloween Orange! (just like Christmas red) even if it is only in my mind. The lines are off and skiwampus which is annoying and I (probably) should have done it on the bias, but taking a risk has it's rewards: I learned that each time I create a quilt it doesn't have to be perfect!

Any Halloween quilts out there? I would love to see them!! Please share.

Halloween Quilt

I meant to submit this in time for Amy of Park City Girl Quilt Festival...but last week just got away from me. So even though I am late I still wanted to post what I had planned to show.

I am currently binding this quilt. Last fall I made each of my boys a Halloween quilt. But alas, I never got around to quilting or bounding them. So all weekend I have been working on their binding. Halloween just wouldn't be complete with out them. I can't wait to put them on their beds!!!

I picked this diamond pattern about 3 years ago and immediately started collecting fabrics. I have about 35 different fabrics in all, ranging from true Halloween prints to fabrics with orange, yellow and black. Ella quilted it with spiders, cob webs and swirls. Tuned in tomorrow to see the second quilt.

Halloween Craft Giveaway Winner

Thank you so much to everyone who particpated in this Giveaway!!

Your sweet words and encouragement all week was sooo appreciated and always made me smile. You know how to make a girl feel good!

Kitty and I had so much fun hosting: Sisters that Spook! I hope everyone has a wonderful Halloween with their family and friends, I know I will!!

The winner of my Fabulous Halloween Giveaway is: Carin who said:

"More great ideas! Hey I am already a follower and I will be sure to tweet about this giveaway as well." With 4 chances to win she was random #5!!!

Check back in December, Kitty and I have some wonderful ideas all ready in the works to make your Christmas even better.

Carin, send me your address and I will get this off giveaway package off to you.

Halloween Wrap Up and Giveaway

Kitty and I have had an amazing past week hosting Sisters that Spook. When we originally thought of this idea I was excited, but as we created our ideas, made the crafts, cooked the delicious foods and wrote the posts....it only meant that much more and solidified what fun sisters can have. Thanks Kitty for such a wonderful week. We are planning to do this again, so stop by for more great ideas at Christmas time!!

To end this Halloween Extravaganza, I wanted to share with you some crafty ideas on what to do with all that Halloween candy "the day after".

*Set aside some candy for next month and make a Thanksgiving Countdown!! You know I love 'em.

*Need a gift or have a party coming up? make a few candy necklaces

*Were your trick or treaters hard core this year? Here is a link for ideas on places to donate your excess candy to those in need.

For the last week, I have search the web for great Halloween Crafting Ideas and wanted to share some of my favorites with you.

Jodi ~ Ghost Family

Amber ~ cutest witch hat for your front door.

Cheeky Magpie ~Witch Hat Candy Carrier

Value Village ~ Halloween Silhouettes

Toy-A-Day ~ Make your Own Wild Thing

Emily ~ Autumn Table Runner

Little Birdies Secrets ~ Halloween Candy Bucket

Now for the giveaway!!

I thought it would be fun to give~away a little piece from all the tricky post I did this past week.

Halloween Card ~ Ga-Ga for Gifts

Eye Patch ~ I Spy with My Little Eye

"Spooky" Garland ~ No Bones About It

Smorgasbord of Hat Supplies ~ Witches and Wizards

Vinyl Polka Dots ~ Pretty in Pumpkins

Ghost Peeps ~ Goblin Feast

Betz ~ Jack-o-latern Hoopla

Last but not least, Gabriel Olson who made our amazing "Sisters that Spook" Design is giving away a printed copy of the sister witches. Oh, Yeah!

You will get (1) entry each for doing any of the following:

Leaving a comment

Twittering about this giveaway

Blogging about this Giveaway

You will get (2) entries for becoming a follower. 5 total chances to win! Let me know in your comments which ways your are entering!! Giveaway ends 10/14.

If this post could not get any better, Trick or Treat yourself over to Kitty's Blog because she is hosting a giveaway as well with all her treats from the past week!!! You will not want to miss out.

No Bones About It

I love garlands!! If you ever stopped by my house you'd spot a garland somewhere in my living room. My Mom had a lot of garlands in her home decor and I guess I inherited that "garland gene". Garland's can be an expensive accessory to buy for your holiday decor, but I have come up with a ever-so-cute and inexpensive alternative. With a little bit of crafty know how you'll be making garlands for every season!!

Here is what you'll need:

Ribbon, Rik Rac, String ~ something to attached your "items" to.
Letters ~ chip board, glitter letters etc.
Dollar Tree skeletons
Dollar Tree drink coasters ~ clever, I know!
Mini close pins

First you need to decide what you want to SAY: I choose "spooky" but I also thought of "eek", "boo", "trick", "ghost", "witchy" the list could go on forever.

Once you have your word...spell it out. I found these letters on clearance at Joann's for .50 cents and bought letters that I thought I could use to spell things out.

I spraypainted the chip board black, but I have also mod podged the letters with scrapbook paper.

I used rik rac for this garland, but ribbon or fabric is also a fun alternative. Measure the space where you plan to hang the garland. Remember your garland will "sag" from the weight of the "items".

Now the fun part, just start attaching your "items" to the garland. Mix and match your skeletons and coasters with the letters and be creative!! I never glue anything down permanently until I am sure. Even then alot of the time I just attach the items with clothes pins or string. That way if I don't like it I can always change it.

Linking up:
Tip Junkie
Tidy Mom

30 Handmade Days
Sumos Sweet Stuff
Blue Cricket Designs

Nightmare on 13th

You know when your really afraid and you close your eyes tight and think about "your happy place"? That is how I felt last Monday night when Kitty, her husband, Me and my husband all went to Nightmare on 13th! Located on 13th South in Salt Lake City ~ how clever! is no place for a chicken like me after dark.

It was all fun and games until we pulled into the parking lot. The cold sweats, chattery teeth and sheer panic started. I'd like to say it was smooth sailing and I was "real brave" but I screamed and pleaded 1 minute into the Haunted House for mercy and the nearest exit.

My sweet, brave, courageous husband safely escorted me out and then went back in for more!! Below is his very first blog post all about Nightmare on 13th. Thanks Sweetie!
**********************************************************My name is Adam and I'm a 36 year old Husband and Dad from boring Utah. My wife, Pamela asked me to write this blog post describing our experience at the Nightmare on 13th Street Haunted House in Salt Lake City, Utah. I'm doing the writing here because Pamela, who is notoriously afraid of all things bumpy and nightly, got a little too scared and had to leave the Haunted House after just a few minutes.
So, here I am, obliged by my wife to fill in the gory details and convince all of you that you should go, have fun with with your sweetie, and make a wild night of the "Super Fun and Scary" Nightmare on 13th Street Haunted House.

Well, let me be the first to say that this is not a typical "Oh My Gosh", "Super Fun" Haunted House. Don't get me wrong, you'll be happy you went, but you won't feel actual joy until you have made it safely back to your car and driving away. That's when the relief sets in, when the anxiety dissipates, when your nervous tick digs itself out and leaves you feeling yourself again.

Take a deep breath, or 50 and now, only now can you let the good times roll.

Like a good scary movie, it can be hard to watch, difficult to sit through and ultimately nerv wracking, but in the end, that is why we go, to be safely, yet truly terrified, horrified, and mentally wreckified, right?. That's precisely what you'll experience when you go the the Scariest Haunted House in boring Utah. I promise it will be worth every minute and every penny.
*****************************************************

Nightmare on 13th ~ "Featured in "USA Today" as one of the Top 13 Haunted Houses in the U.S." With 20 years of experience and more than 50 different themed areas haunted by nearly 100 characters and 12 Hollywood-quality animatronic creatures, Nightmare on 13th is Utah’s scariest haunted house.

Where: 300 West 1300 South, Salt Lake City

When: September 25-30; October - Monday-Thursday 7:30 to 10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m. to midnight; Saturday, October 31 will be the final night. Closed Sundays.

How much: $15 Nightmare, $20 Xtreme Nightmare, $30 Fast Pass, children 8 and under free. Online specials are available for groups and combined passes for Xtreme Nightmare and Fast Pass for only $20 at http://www.nightmareon13th.com/

pictures courtesy of Nightmare on 13th

Goblin Feast

Growing up on Halloween night, our family ate Sloppy Joes before hitting the pavement and knocking doors for candy. It was always a happy tradition and warmed our tummies to face the cold wind, potential rain and weather of All Hallows Eve. (We grew up in Oregon, the weather was very unpredictable.) With my own boys we like to have a Goblin Feast a few days before Halloween, eating Sloppy Joes and all.

For my little goblins I wanted to set the mood of a graveyard: cob webs, tombstones, spiders ~ you get the idea. The first place I went searching for table decorations was Dollar Tree, almost everything on this table I got from there: tablecloth, spider webs, plates, candy, chains. I could have gone crazy buying up everything in sight, but I tried to be sensible. If you need decorations and your on a budget, I recommend Dollar Tree.

I decorated the table and chairs with webs and mummy gauze. Ghost chains made for a bewitching centerpiece. We ate dinner by candlelight as we sipped our spider drinks. Tricky goblins left candy for dinner guests. But, we saved the best for last, after dinner each guest had to "catch" their own dessert. Goblin fun was had by all..

Catching dessert: we hung peep ghosts from the dinner table chandelier. Eating them off the string was goblin good!

Making tombstones as place settings was a goblin delight!

Dying to know how to make our crawling spider soda drink? Kitty and her little goblin helpers will have your cauldron simmering in no time.

I Spy with my Little Eye

All I am asking for is a good eye patch! Those flimsy ones my kids bring home from pirate birthday parties or the dollar store ~ they always brake after a few "Aye Matey". With Halloween around the corner my kids are contemplating being Pirates. I told them: "The only way your being a pirate is if I make your eye patch".

Hence: The Homemade Eye Patch.

This is so easy, you'll have this made before Johnny Depp can say: Captain Jack Sparro

Supplies:

• Felt: Pick any color and choose a high quality felt. You only need a piece 3" by 3". The polyester blend is almost impossible to sew with.
• Elastic: the very skinny kind
• Fabric glue
• Sew machine

Three Easy Steps:

#1 Download this template for the patch. Trace and cut around your felt.

#2 Take your elastic and measure your child's head. With your fabric glue, glue elastic ends to patch.

#3 Sew a quarter of an inch all the way around the patch.

Linking up:
Tip Junkie
30 Handmade Days
Sumos Sweet Stuff
Blue Cricket Designs

Pretty in Pumpkins

I love to decorate my porch for FALL. Pumpkins, gourds, squash, corn stocks...I love it ALL. I think it has to do with the cold weather and wanting to give each friend who knocks on my door a warm welcome. And nothing says welcome like my front porch!

The family went and picked their favorites at the local pumpkin patch.

Did you notice my Polka-A-Dot Pumpkins? Aren't they pretty? Want to learn? Me too!

First: Wash and Dry your pumpkin. Second: Get some vinyl, have dots in all different sizes made. Third: Stick the dots all over your pumpkin.

Fourth: Get yourself a good can of quality spray paint. I like this brand, Design Master, the gloss is really pretty. Pick any color, in the past I've used brown and white as well as black.

Fifth: In a well ventilated area and using a tarp to protect the ground, Spray your pumpkin(s)!

Aren't they pretty? Make sure you let the pumpkin dry completely before moving. It only takes a few minutes.

Sixth: Peel off the dots. Place on your porch and invite all your friends over!

Linking up!:



Blue Crocket Designs
Tidy Mom
Craft O Maniac

Ga-Ga for Gifts

Oh, what wicked fun us sisters are having in the kitchen...sparks fly and magic happens!

This simple, easy craft is sure to brighten any witch or wizards day! Take a clean, small mason jar and if you're like me search for the lid. Once the lid is found, fill jar with Halloween Candy. Easy. At my local grocery store, they have a small selection of bulk candy. Isn't bulk candy wonderful? When I lived at home in Oregon...Winco had the best bulk food section...but I digress.
So.
Fill your jar with yummy sweets and treats. I like to color coordinate and layer my candy: black gummy pumpkins on the bottom, orange and black gum drops for the middle and orange runts for the top layer. Really the possibilities are endless!! Cut a small piece of Halloween fabric to make it festive and before you can say: "Where's my broomstick?" your finished.

Now for the little note. I love Jo-Ann's, it is a great store and I love how they discount merchandise before the holidays. I can always go to Jo-Ann's a few days before any holiday and find what I need on sale. Last year, I picked up these cute Halloween charms. I have been using them right and left this year.

Isn't this card cute: Have a boo-tiful day! I thought of a few more: boo-riliant, boo-tastic, boo-thday, boo-cuse, boo-lievable, boo-gining. Let me know if you come up with anymore!! Happy gift giving.

Linking up:

Homework

Witches and Wizards

Nights are chilly, fall leaves, homework, college football, pumpkins: You know what time of year it is....Halloween! How I love thee Halloween, let me count the ways. Kitty and I are kicking off a weeks worth of posts dedicated to making this Halloween happier than its ever been.

To get things started we are making Wizard hats. What's not to love about a friendly wizard, Harry Potter? My boys loved making their wizardly hats and have enjoyed wearing them around the house waving and castle spells.

Supplies were found around town at local craft and party stores. I found their hats at Partyland for $3.99. Pipe cleaners, pom pom balls, googly eyes, and various what-nots all made it on the hats.

Halloween supplies were attached with a hot glue. Please assist smaller children with glue gun.

Any wizards living at your house?