Decorating for Fall/Halloween Procrastinator Style

This is call the Procrastinator Crafter Blog for a reason...Once again I have seemed to wait until the last day to decorate for the Holiday. Like every other mother our there I have been busy!! There just doesn't seem to be enough time to decorate!!

Today I had both children home in the morning (by choice not because of illness) so I decided we were going to work on some Fall/Halloween projects!! If there is one thing my daughter loves is decorating or craft projects (I am so lucky.)

Our first project was to decorate some wood figures my mom sent the kids a month ago! Once they were colored I added them to a wreath. This isn't just any wreath! My Maternal grandmother (Mamma II) made this from grape vines my Paternal Grandfather grew at his home in SC. My Grandfather has been in heaven for 13yrs and my Grandmother has not lived in that home for 5 years so this wreath is extra special too me! I realize not much of it is showing but I know the history. Then I added a bow. Can you tell I have no bow making skills? Everything is upside down except for one side...gee wiz! Oh Well, I love it and so do the kids!


Then it was time to decorate with the gifts from mother nature. Lawson was a BIG help!


The finished product!!

I think my daughter has a better eye for decor then I do!! She really did this all herself. I just picked out the holder! I love the contrast in textures!

Then I filled in some picture frames that I had on display EMPTY for way too long...


Then I added little bit of whimsy to keep things fun...

Now I wish I had decorated for the Fall/Halloween sooner. I love Fall decor!! The house seems so festive now!!

A couple of other projects I completed earlier this month to finish out the tour...

Greeting my guests in the foyer is this sign...


And this is on my dining room table. I love this because it isn't moving until after Thanksgiving!!


Too be completely honest there is one project I just didn't have enough time to complete. I was hoping to make a topiary and use a painting technique I saw on V-spot. Oh well!! Maybe it will be done by Thanksgiving or maybe next Halloween!! Until then here it sits...

We have a winner!

I bet you thought I forgot... I didn't I just got busy!

Congratulations to Wendy!! With comment "I just started to read your blog last week and so based on what I have seen I really love your desk chair redo!!!I also really really love that picture frame so I hope I win!!!!!!!!"

Thanks to Random.org for helping me pick winner- #14.

Also, I have to give thanks to Katie at Katie's Nesting Place I recently won a "Not-so-Scary" Halloween Give-away. Thanks Katie!!

100th Post Giveaway

I never thought in less then one year I would have 100 things to post about. But here I am!!

I truly LOVE writing on this blog. It keeps me motivated, keeps me honest in my progress on projects and in the mean time I have met some other wonderful (extremely talented) women.

I honor of my hundredth post I am having a little give-away.

Here is what I am giving away, a frame, a diaper case, and chocolate.

You are probably thinking RANDOM!! But hear me out.

The frame is made by me (duh), and I use the leftover wallpaper (from my powder room) that helped me in this and this project!! Now you will have a little piece of my home in yours! I LOVE this wallpaper!

Then the diaper case is in honor of one of my first posts! Back in January 2009 I made myself a diaper case. No one read my blog back then except my sister. Now that I have a few more followers I am honoring my first project. Plus, I am making the exact same one for my sister! SURPRISE!

Finally... Chocolate... If you can't do anything with the frame or diaper case give them as gifts and keep the chocolate for yourself!!

It is a win-win for everyone!

Here is how to win...

1. Leave me an entry. If you don't have a blog account leave your email.

I am NOT going to ask you to follow me or post about me. I am not big into begging!! Unless you like what you see then feel free.

2. If you want a second entry...tell me your favorite project I have done in the last year! (This is just for my ego)

The give-away will end on Sunday Oct 25th and I will email the winner on Monday Oct 26th

Thanks so much to everyone who has followed me, commented here or just came over to win a give-away!!

Procrastinator Party- FINISHED DESK CHAIR

Today is the deadline for Melissa's Procrastinator Party...and I am happy to report I finished 4 days early!! I was so excited about this chair that it took me no time to finish. Funny how that works...When I am excited about a project it gets done faster...go figure!

Here is the finished chair!! The material is canvas paint drop cloth and the black trim I made from a left over material I had hoarded for several years!


One thing that challenged me were the OLD cushions. I approximate the cushions to be 40+ years old and they were a little deflated. Instead of buying a new cushion I wrapped the cushion in 2 diaper cloths (the best I could up with) and it gave it the fullness it needed. It was the perfect length and everything!! I got lucky!!



I got my daughter involved in finishing out the inside of the chair.



The finished inside compartment!!


The desk area is FINISHED!! This desk area is a combination of history. The chair belonged to my husband's Grandmother and the desk belonged to my Grandmother!! This area was destined to be GRAND!!



One last time... Here is the chair before...




After: LOVE IT!!


Thanks to my friend Karen for her advise!! I love that we can ask each other for decorating advise through email.



Thanks Melissa for hosting another Procrastinator Party!! It is right up my ally!!

ALSO: Tomorrow is my 100th post and I am having a give-away! Come back tomorrow to see what I am giving-away and enter to win!!

G-R-E-A-T!!

Sometimes things don't work out the way they were suppose to...

That is when you stop and start again the next day!!!

Preparing for Baby- Dresses

NO, it is not for me...

For my SISTA!!

I am so excited to be an Aunt!! As an aunt I can spoil my sister's baby girl and give her back (hehe)!! My sister has been a loving and wonderful example of what an aunt does for her nieces and nephews so now it is my turn to be an aunt.

In preparation for this new bundle of joy my sister has me really busy. I should mention I volunteered to do all of this she never asked. To keep me on check here is my list...

- Crib Skirt (Check out this website to see her bedding)

- Bumper Pads

- Diaper Case Cover

- Top Secret Project (to be revealed after Nov 21st)

- Dresses (lots and lots of dresses)

I have finished 1 out of 6 dresses to be made (off-white not shown)!! I am going to wait on finishing out some of them so we can have them monogrammed once the baby is here!

Isn't getting ready for a baby fun???

Underwear or Pumpkin Spice Candle

Yesterday I went to my local Kohl’s to pick up some necessary items for my family. Socks for my son, tights for my daughter, and underwear for myself. I was right on track, right on budget with no diversions, and heading to the check-out. Then I saw it…

Yankee Candle Spiced Pumpkin.

The perfect Fall Fragrance for your home!! I smelled it, added it to my cart…Continued to the front check-out, and 3 steps later I stopped dead in my tracks. I realized I was now over my budget and I had an impulse buy in my cart. Now any sane person would have put the candle back without thinking about it twice, because one stinking 22oz candle is as much as 3 pairs of underwear. Well, I am not normal….

This conversation in my head…

Sensible Maridith (SM)- Put the candle up, I do not need this
Impulse Maridith (IM)- But it smells so good and think how good it make the house smell
SM- Put up the candle!
IM- How about if I put up the underwear?
SM- It has been forever since I have bought underwear like embarrassingly too long
IM- How about if I put up 1 pair of the underwear and buy the smaller version candle?
SM- CRAP, now what do I do…that makes sense…

This was seriously the conversations I had in my head...

Underwear or Candle?

Is this really the path my life has taken??…Yes, and I love it and the choices I have to make… I chose the underwear.

Maybe this weekend I will make a Pumpkin Pie to fill my home with that wonderful aroma!

Procrastinator Proclamations- Desk Chair Before

I love Melissa from The Inspired Room, because every once in a while I feel like she has a party just for me! haha! She has a Procrastinator Party where we all set out to complete a project we have been procrastinating on.

I am super busy right now with preparing for some vending events with The Other Kid, preparing for the newest addition to the family (not me), and everyday life's adventures, but I decided WHY NOT!!

Recently I finished painting a desk for my den. It only took me 1.5 years to finish (nice procrastination on that one!!) And since the chair I was hoping to use does not fit in the cut out I was stuck finding another chair. Luckily my house does not lack junk (I mean stuff). So, I tried an old sewing chair from my husbands grandmother, that was in the garage, and it fits perfectly... it just doesn't match. My goal is to make over this chair by Oct 20th and not wait 1.5 years for the matching chair....

BEFORE:

Back view of the chair

I have set my goal! I am really good at getting things done when I set a goal!! Good luck to all of the other ladies out there finishing up their procrastinated projects!

Comfort Food- Butterscotch Haystacks

The weather here in North Carolina has been just beautiful. Cool in the evening and warm in the afternoon. I have already broken out the crock-pot and have made some wonderful soup for my family.

Another Comfort Food for me is Butterscotch Haystacks. This is something my mother made for us and to me it is comfort food. I remember the pure joy I would feel when I would see these in the fridge!! It was like hitting the jack-pot!! Then me, my brothers and sisters would sneak into the kitchen to discreetly have some more without looking like we have eaten anymore, because mom kept count of how many we had eaten!! Wonderful memories!!

Yesterday my daughter and I would make some Butterscotch Haystacks. My daughter is the best helper and watching her and the excitement over making something, I wish I could bottle up and preserve!!

The ingredients are simple... Peanut Butter, Butterscotch Morsels, Cornflakes


I have no idea how much of each I use but melt the peanut butter and butterscotch chips together. Since I used all natural peanut butter (need to use it up because it tastes NASTY in a PPJ) I had to add butter (never had to do this when using Jif or Peter Pan) to make it more liquidity.

Add the cornflakes, coat to the best of your ability and place on cookie sheet in stacks!

About an hour later TRY not to eat all of them in one sitting!! I did catch my daughter in the fridge and she said she was "just looking" I just had to laugh to myself --tradition continues.

I should add I am a Baking Idiot so if I can make these anyone can!!!

Something needs to change...

Fall is a wonderful season, and I love everything about the fall...except for the unforgiveness it provides with the direct hits from the sunshine. You know what I am talking about, right? In my home, I can see how dirty my windows are, the dust in small crevices, and how colors in my home are JUST NOT RIGHT!!

See how this wall use to separate my den and kitchen, I was able to use two different reds and no one seemed to notice.


Now that the wall is open...the reds clash and it REALLY bothers me...do you see it??? Also, it seems to me that I am fighting with the spirit of this home as well. Our home is a traditional '80s home, and not that I am in love with '80s style, I feel like to honor the spirit of the home (yes I think their is a spirit of a home) I need to stick with something more traditional/classic with a 21st century designs. Right now the kitchen seems to contemporary for the house....


Since money doesn't grow on trees around here, I am not able to buy new curtains or even make new ones. Add to that, I am also getting tired of the yellow paint, but too many other projects to contend with right now. That leaves me two choices...

a) deal with it curtains
b) find another solution

I chose, B. I was rummaging through some old pictures and was reminded of the FIRST set of curtains I made 3 years ago. These might fit the bill????

The color is perfect, the design (Maridith Original) is unique, an it is FREE!! (Picture from my daughter's first birthday)

I realize as I get older the more particular (anal) I am getting. I went cheap cheap 3 yrs ago and did not line them. BIG MISTAKE... DO NOT CHEAP OUT ON LINING...

That left me this weekend lining them with an old sheet... (making a curtain liner is harder to do after curtains are constructed!!!!)


Here is the new look.... What do you think...better? If you don't think so tell me why... I can take it... I am a big girl...

Okay, there is still the chairs in the old fabric...

A women's job is never complete!!

Party is Cancelled

Do you ever use a party/social gathering as motivation to finish all of those nagging projects?

I DO, I DO, I DO

My husband and I were using our 1st Annual Oktoberfest Party (you know celebration of the fall and beer) as partial motivation to finish up some projects around the house.

Then LIFE HAPPENED, we ended up canceling the party that was suppose to be this past weekend. We were really looking forward to the party and getting a bunch of our friends together. It has been 3 years since we have had a party, but we are not fortune tellers, and a week and a half before the party my baby boy got sick!

My baby ended up needing surgery and a staying the night in the hospital. No fear (now), the patient is doing wonderful, but since it was so scary we decided it would be best to cancel the festivities. We just had no idea how the week would unfold for him plus getting ready for a party seemed like a little bit much! I was a little sad about cancelling the party, but my son's wellness comes first. Although I would like everything else to slow down...contract agreements still exist. That left us with some of the house projects that were still on-going.

TWO of our nagging projects were the garage and the deck, but were SUPPOSE to be done by the party...

ONE of them we are doing ourselves....

The other one we PAID for someone to work on....

Guess which one is finished?

HALLELUJAH IT IS DONE!!

Don't get me wrong my husband is doing an awesome job on the garage and it is so close to being done, but like I said LIFE HAPPENS!!

Disclaimer:...we did not cancel the party because the garage looks like this!! My friends love me no matter what my garage looks like...I think!! We were just hoping for the added motivation to have all pieced together before the party. Oh Well!!

It will get done when it gets done...there is no rush now...

Monthly Craft Challenge

Today I am participating in Heidi's Monthly Crafty Challenge. I really needed this challenge to get my creative juices flowing. Sometimes I am nothing more then a copycat and I can not think outside of the box....like exhibit A. However, as my mom said "Copying is the best for of flattery." I saw this and could not WAIT to make me 1000 of them!


Exhibit A:
I saw this NO SEW PUMPKINS on A Little Bit Vintage (consider this the best form of flattery.) She shows a wonderful tutorial on how to make these. I made these out of different textures fleece, muslin, and burlap. Fleece is the easiest to work with!! I did not have to buy a thing either. I am sure most crafters have all of these items in their home.



This is my new fall arrangement...Thank you A Little Bit Vintage!

It truly was so easy my 4 yr old daughter made some!! I am thinking GREAT teacher gifts. Plus you can add potpourri to make them extra nice!

Exhibit B:
My next project kind of evolved. My grandmother gave me some orange/red wreaths from her craft collection this summer. They were 2/$1.00 from Ben Franklin's (I am pretty sure that store is gone now, just to date these things) Then I printed "B-O-O" on scrapbook paper and since I didn't have ribbon I made my own.

I had some scrap material from a romper I made my son and made a ribbon strip.


This is what I came up with...

An added touch I hot glued different sized eyes on the black ribbon!! I think it is perfect and I can't believe I made Fall/Halloween Decor from stuff around my house!!

Go check out some other awesome projects at Heidi!! As an added bonus go and check out Xazmin and see her wonderful giveaway. She is participating in Heidi's challenge and then giving hers away!!

I LOVE THE FALL!!

Master Bedroom- Decor Fabric Added

I have lived in my house for 3.5 years and the one room that has gone untouched is our master bedroom. From talking with other women, I am not the only one who neglects the master bedroom. Not sure exactly why that is, but probably because us women tend to make everything else a priority over ourselves! Another reason for me, I have the oddest shape bedroom on the planet. I have two dormer windows and a half wall. It makes for a very challenging set-up.

That is all about to change!!

I pulled out some material that I purchased 2 years ago for my living room and decided it would work perfectly in my bedroom. Waste not want not!! I remember purchasing this material off of eBay for $32.00 for 9 yards (TIP: GOOD DEALS ON MATERIAL AVAILABLE ON EBAY).

BEFORE:


See all these crazy angles and how challenging this can be?




DURING:

First I made the curtains...nice but not enough...


Then came the shams I made with this beautiful trim...note to others....trim make all the difference. For years I would short change myself when making pillows and not adding trim to my pillows. I would find myself not getting the "custom" look I was going for and wanting to change them out quicker then I normally would.

TIP: ADD TRIM, IT IS WORTH THE ADDED EXPENSE!


Then came the bed skirt. As luck would have it my guest bedroom bed is the same height. So the kids got to enjoy a trampoline for a day. The ONLY time they have been aloud to jump on the bed!


A handmade bed skirt is a lot easier then I expected. I got directions on how to make it from the library, but I have found some other great resources on-line. I used an old bed sheet and made a box pleat bed skirt.

AFTER:

So here is my Master Bedroom with the Fabric added....

I rearranged and added an elephant print above the bed. It is not exactly what I have in mind but it works for right now. I also temporarily put the painted toy box in front of the bed to show off my bed skirt. It took me 3 seconds to remember why I had the long dresser in front of the bed. My son uses the toy box as a launching pad to catapult onto the bed!!

I have also completed #7, 8, 9 on my Getting Back on Track List. I love having a list and being able to check it off. ESPECIALLY when I can see the my progress around the house!!

PROCRASTINATED TIME: 3.5 years before I have done ANYTHING to my bedroom

PACK-RAT COLLECTION: I've had this material for 2 years!!

VERDICT: This is a work-in-progress still and I have promised myself to have a room that I love to go into, rather then hate!

COST: $32 for the material and $23 for the trim. Total $55 for curtains, shams, and bed skirt!!