31 Days With ME:Halloween Tablescape and HI!

 HI!! How have all of you been? I've been doing OK. I'll catch you up to speed on how I'm doing probably tomorrow, but THANK YOU for all the sweet emails and comments I've been reading them all and my heart feels so good because of you all!

Somehow, Halloween snuck up on me, well it didn't sneak, I just wasn't paying attention. I have been planning this tablescape for weeks and I wasn't going to let a little chemotherapy get in my way . :) I thought maybe I'd save it for next year, but nah, I got it done. Planning it out certainly helped. 

First though, I wanted to show you the chalkboard door in the kitchen. Logan and I did some chalkboard art for Halloween. I did a similar spider on the bi-fold doors at the booth, you might remember. Logan did some free form art from his height and below ;) He wrote the word Fall a few times and "I love Fall" towards the bottom (I didn't quite get it in the photo). A kid after my own heart.

 We have had so much fun with this chalkboard door, I highly recommend doing it if you can. This is the door leading to the garage, so it's perfect.

What better way to catch up on my 31 days series than with a tablescape??? I should have done it before chemo, but of course just didn't get around to it...but I had stuff gathered and a plan in my head and knew exactly what I wanted to do. So the weather was cooperating, the sun was shining, it wasn't too windy (it is often VERY windy here), I had some strength...so outside I went.

You know, I think what I like best about doing tablescapes are the centerpieces. I mean there are only so many ways to do a place setting, but you can get really creative with the centerpiece.

I started with two vases. You might remember them from a mantlescape I did a couple of fall seasons ago...I had spray painted them white, but I sprayed them black for a change. You guys know I'm a spray painting fool. Take a look at the vases before HERE.

 While I was at it, I spray painted this little compote too. Tis true, nothing is safe from me and a can of spray paint.

 A dollar store crow perched upon a painted pumpkin, see the painted pumpkin project HERE, did those last year.

 Place settings very simple, vine chargers (Mary Carol Home Collection), White Gibson dinnerware, black napkins, vintage silverware and topped it all off with a splash of orange with a pumpkin I glittered.

 Here is the other vase. This is very simple to recreate. I literally got those branches from a downed tree, and picked up so fallen leaves and put them in the vase, that's it. Spooky looking right? And a side note, that tree in the background just refuses to turn, he's got a brother in the front yard that is completely red but this guy is still green.

A little concrete birdbath made a fun pedestal for the painted pumpkin, and natural excelsior softens around the pumpkin.

 Pumpkin wands and vintage jars, you've probably seen those labels from Martha Stewart a bazillion times, I printed those off a couple of years ago, coffee dyed them and stuck them on a few bottles. Still love them. See how to make the wands HERE.

 Jack-o-lantern luminaries I found at a yard sale...juuuuuust didn't quite make it to the booth this year. :) I actually saw them for sale at Target from Smith and Hawken.

 A two-tiered serving piece that will be going to the booth for Christmas. I found that skeleton hand at Michael's this year.

 Isn't this 3-D glitter candelabra cute? That is from Walmart, but they didn't have anything nearly that cute this year.

 I know it's awfully close to Halloween, but I hope you are inspired! I will talk to you tomorrow and show you pictures from War Eagle Craft Festival. It was a lot of fun but then it was not a lot of fun. I was really crazy to go two days after chemo...but I'll show you tomorrow. See you then.

Pottery Barn Inspired Halloween Garland

I know it's early, don't kill me....I did a Halloween project.

I was inspired by the cute garland at Pottery Barn and just had to try my hand at it. I've got a thing for garlands and really enjoy hanging them across my mantle. Since I had chemo last week, I rate this project low on the difficulty level, it's a good project that doesn't take a lot of energy. :) Really though, it's super simple and turned out great.

Here's what you need: Jute Twine, Canvas or Painter's Drop Cloth, Black craft paint (and brushes), Sharpie, Instant coffee (and a casserole dish to put it in) and a sewing machine.

The canvas is about 9"x6" and I ripped it (vs. cutting) to get the rough edges. Rip enough for what you want to spell....I did a 'Happy Halloween' and a 'Give Thanks'. I think it would be fun to do 'Trick or Treat' too. 

On the sewing machine, create a small pocket to feed the twine through....finished size of each pennant is 8"x6"

I hand lettered 'Happy Halloween' in spooky Gothic text using a Sharpie. I'm pretty sure there are other methods out there of lettering, I just feel more comfy doing it by hand. 

Fill in all your letters with black craft paint. I think it looks a little more spooky with the imperfect edges

Get all your letters done and let them dry well

Next, prepare a coffee bath in a casserole dish. Submerge each letter and blot extra liquid off on a towel. I just laid them out on the counter and when I got them all stained, I laid them outside in the sun to dry. The canvas stains beautifully!!

Once they are all dry, feed the twine through, tie loops on the ends, and it's ready to hang! Here is the 'Give Thanks' garland for Thanksgiving. I made this for my MIL since we usually have dinner at her house and it will look great across her mantel. Hopefully she's not reading this. :)

I painted simple lettering for this style

...but the Halloween one is staying with me!

I already can't wait to do a Halloween mantle, but I have resisted cracking out the pumpkins so far....but it won't be long!!! You'll probably notice the lettering is not perfect, but I like the added quirkiness....and I'm nothing if not quirky. Ask anybody.

Spooky!

Hope you are inspired!

Halloween Mantle 2011

Hallow's Eve is fast approaching and I finally got around to doing some spookyfication around the living room. This years mantle look similar to last years, mainly because, um, well, I'm using the same stuff...but I did change it up a bit and I hope you're inspired!

Hopefully you remember the painted pumpkins, well two of them never made it out to the porch. I decided to use them up on the mantle instead (I really loved the b&w ones!:).

The two tall white vases I've had for years are perfect for permanent leaves and real branches. For a fun addition I printed some Halloween images (from the Graphics Fairy) onto book paper and randomly hung them on the branches (I just poked the branches through the paper). Cheesecloth spiderwebs really add to the spooky effect.

I get a lot of questions about my owl silhouette. I got it years ago at TJ Maxx and I have never seen another like it or even similar. I really wish they would make them again.

For the chair, I just used a white knit blanket to give it that 'ghostly' look, so easy to do.

To finish off the mantle, I clustered several in the center, repeating the candles in the fire box...you'll see it all lit below.

The Trick or Treat banner if from Martha Stewart Crafts

I love my little collection of pumpkin men, they come out every year

This is my fave. :)

If you liked the pumpkins on a stick, I made a different size, this one is a glittered one inch pumpkin on a stick, so cute!!

This was a new piece for this year, I found him at Home Goods. Since I've got a thing for owls, he certainly made it home with me! I think the little white owl behind him is a little jealous. :)

And since a Halloween mantle wouldn't be right without some evening shots with all the candles lit.

This is a non-working fireplace, so I love having the candles in there, nothing earth-shaking, but I still like the look. I used a combination of tealights and column candles. I get questions about the mirrors in the background, I bought four inch mirror tiles and hot glued them to the inside of the fire box. A non-permanenet solution to an ugly fire box.

A spider crawling across my book of Shakespeare which happens to be opened to Macbeth...Double, double, toil and trouble fire burn and cauldron bubble.......:) Love it.

I hope you are inspired !

I'll be back next week!

Get the look:

Painted Pumpkins

Pumpkins on a Stick

Glittered Spiders

Halloween Mantle 2010

Need a design boost? For advice and guidance on style, contact me!

Painted Pumpkins

I had to write this post pretty quick because somehow, I clicked 'publish' and all I had done was uploaded the pictures. I was trying to knock out a post and have a quick snack but I think the Oreo cookie package hit ctrl and I pressed 'P' to type painted pumpkins and it published. I should probably not dip Oreos in milk and try to type/write at the same time. That's my tip for the day from me to you. :) Anyway, what I really want to show you are my upcycled painted pumpkins. You know me, I like to use what I have on hand and really get a fresh look by using what you've got. Not that I am against buying new, but refurbishing/upcycling is like a challenge to me.

I have had these 'funkins' for oh, about ten years now, they even made the move from NC, and they are looking a little worse for wear. They are the kind that are carvable, but still artificial. Since I'm on some kind of pumpkin kick this week, and I've never actually carved into them, I figured I could do a little painting.

I spray painted this one flat black and a smaller one flat black, and the other big one in pumpkin orange, all of which I had on hand. Looks better already!

After I let them dry, I used chalk to draw out a design that I liked. This is great to do because you can get an idea of what you want without committing to the paint right away. Don't like the design? Damp towel takes it away.

I pretty much let the pumpkin be my guide.

This one turned out to be my least favorite. It would have turned out much better if the pumpkin orange was a flat paint, but all I had was glossy, so be it. I knew I wanted to do a chevron pattern on one of the big pumpkins, so I used chalk to draw out a fairly simple design. It's not perfect by any means.

I ended up really liking the black and white designs the best, they look really cute with the chalkboard front door (Take a look at the door HERE). I put a crow on the top of this one.

and a spider on this one.

I took pictures of them inside, even though they are for outside, but it's been raining this morning. So a few indoor photos instead.


I did manage one, although you don't really get the full effect with the close up. I'll have to get a wide shot later.



I hope you are inspired to give painted pumpkins a try!

Need a design boost? For advice and guidance on style, contact me!