Let the Merry Making Begin

Hear ye! Hear ye! Anthropologie Holiday Decor is online! I anticipate their holiday collection and window displays every year. They always inspire and influence my holiday decorating. Their ornaments are out of this world. I buy some every year. Look at the beauties below. They are a couple of my favorites. I know it's only October and it's 90 degrees out today (I'm in Tampa, FL), but these girls have me ready to deck the halls!

Halloween Scrapbook

I wanted to share the Halloween scrapbook that I put together for Lilly last year. So far I have finished pages of memories from her first and second Halloweens. I will add pictures this year to finishe up the book. I bought the book in the dollar spot at Target, one of my favorite places to find scrapbook treasures. I made some tissue fringe and tied on a gingham bow to embellish the cover. It was such a fun project! If you look closely you will see some frayed ribbon, torn paper and smeared ink. That is because Lilly literally looks through this book atleast twice a week. She was looking at this book at Easter time!

A "Sweet" Weekend

Well our friends Amy and Nolan came to visit this weekend and we had a blast. The kids really enjoyed the campfire, fall festival and just playing together (especially outside in the beautiful weather). We all consumed more sugar than I thought was humanly possible. I filled a cone that I made (pictured at left) and some whimsical Halloween take out boxes with treats for my friend and the kids. Below is a picture of Lilly and Nolan enjoying their yummy cupcakes in my kitchen. We took pictures of them in their costumes but I think I will wait until next week to reaveal Lilly's costume. I can hardly wait to post it...I might give in before next week and show you. We'll see :)

I taught today and had open house tonight so I am pretty beat. I will be back tomorrow to post pictures of the fall crafts that the kids did. They are too cute. Have a great Wednesday!

Love, Molly

Embroidery Hoop Wall Art

I am so excited today because there is only one more day until my best friend Amy and her son Nolan are coming to visit. We are going to take the kids to a family campfire at our church, a local fall festival and a pumpkin patch. The weather is supposed to turn cooler this weekend so it should be such a fun fall weekend. I can't wait to post some pics of their visit. We're going to be dressing the kids up and taking pictures and doing some craft projects with them so be sure to check back and see what we did.

Also I want to share my latest project. Remember the embroidery hoop art I wanted to create for my family room wall? I thrifted some hoops and used some scraps from my fabric stash and here's how it turned out I'll be back soon.

Have a great weekend! Love, Molly

Chenille Stem Whimsy

Okay, so I am obsessed with these little Halloween chenille stem creatures. They look so authentically vintage but I made them. A few months back I found the idea at Vintage Image Craft and I couldn't wait to make them. Then I saw them again a couple of weeks ago at MarthaStewart.com. I searched high and low for the orange and black bumpy chenille stems and could not find them locally so I ordered them online at Crafts, etc. I got them only a few days after I ordered them. Crafts, etc. is very prompt. Anyway, I printed out some vintage pumpkin and cat heads and went to town making them. I've made about 20 so far for Halloween gift buckets and for my own Halloween tree and decor. I can't wait to make Christmas, Valentine, and Easter versions. Elves, cupids, Bunnies. How cute will they be? They are super easy to make so you really should try them. Just click on the links above for instructions and printable clip art to use for the faces.

Happy Fall Ya'll

This weekend I met one of my favorite people in the world, Christie (aka my best Girlfren), at Mom and Dad's lake house and we had a blast. We took our kids to the "Coon Hollo Corn Maze" Friday night. The maze is on a farm in Micanopy owned by one of my dearest childhood friends and her family. I have so many fond memories of summer time on her family's farm growing up. Playing in the pastures, feeding the cows, hiking along cow trails, playing in streams. It was so good to see her and her children and to enjoy her farm with Christie and her kids, Hayden and Skylar. "Coon Hollo" had a corn maze, a tractor train, a hayride, cows, bucking barrels, tubs of corn to play in, a fort made of hay, a pumpkin patch and much much more. It was one of the coolest fall outings I've ever had. The only down side to the day was the weather. It was in the 90's! Very depressing Florida fall weather. It was worth all the suffering and sweltering though. Hope ya'll had a fun fall weekend. Have a wonderful week!

Spook and Sparkle Part 2

Happy Tuesday! As promised here is my Halloween decorating Part 2. The pictures below are of my Halloween spooky village. It is made by Lemax (sold at Michaels stores). My husband and I started the village the first year we were married. Then for the next couple of years we added to it. I didn't buy anything else for a while until last year, I bought the moss covered base to display it on (which I think adds so much). I have the village on a sideboard as you enter our house. It is so fun all lit up at night. Lilly just loves it. Some of the pieces even make spooky sounds. I hope you guys are having as much fun as I am putting out your pumpkins! P.S. The guy above, left is a favorite of mine. I bought him years ago at Michaels I think. He reminds me of the vintage Halloween candy containers like this.

Spook and Sparkle Part 1

My halloween tree and other decor went up this weekend. I was only able to take a couple of pictures before my camera battery died. Tomorrow I will get new batteries and show you the rest. I am so happy with my tree (left). I made the topper today and added it to the top. I add something new to it each year. Lilly got so excited when I lit up the orange lights. She even hung some of the ornaments. She did such a good job that I didn't even have to move them :) She said "Mommy, I being careful". She was careful except when she tried to take a bite out of the glass candy corn ornaments. yikes! Can we say safety hazard. She was running around saying "Decorate! Let's Decorate!" She is a mini me for sure. Below is a close up of the tree topper. Hope you enjoy. Come back tomorrow for more spook and sparkle!