Ring a Ding Ding

With my wicker basket and my tomato bike bell, I feel like me and my baby blue bike can do anything. However, I recently took my bike out of the shed after a long winter, and realized the cute bell I would ring for no reason, didn't work. Instead of alerting people of my comings and goings, or getting Mr's attention, it now makes a sickening click....non-effective!

With one thing on my brain - I found a slew of different bells that would take the place of my tomato. Which is the cutest? You decide.

Flamingo Bike Bell - $8

Lief! bell - This is only sold in UK, and seriously is as cute as a button.

Turtle Bike Bell - $17

Bird Bike Bell - $30 (This is also a light which is great if you are coming home as it's getting dark!)

Orange Hand Painted Bell - $29.99

There are too many to chose from, but at least I know there are ones out there to replace my now dudded tomato bell. A moment of silence for the ol' chap.

Which one would you pick? 

 

Signed Sealed Delivered

There's something about opening up your mailbox and seeing a cardboard box with your name on it - which I guess that 's better than seeing someone else's name. What a disappointment that would be! You are all psyched because you see an BIG box, and your mind starts going - gee what did I order? Did someone send a gift? And then you  pull it out, and it doesn't even have your name on it - it's the lady two doors down who has a solid obsession with the home shopping network.
To prevent the potential theft of my neighbor's  Mighty Flexible Sealer (this IS a product on HSN. Don't ask.), I found the company Birch Box. I love surprises, mail, and samples. This company combines all three in one inexpensive box.

I signed up for this program last week, and already received my box for June.

The company, BirchBox, sends you beauty and health samples every month depending on your profile. You have the option of then buying the full size product on the website. Each month has a different theme and June focuses on traveling - "Wanderlust".

Once I received this box, I ran up the steps and thew down all the other mail. Ripping open the container, I found a nice little selection of items. 

1. Coola Classic SPF 30 Cucumber Organic Suncare

2. Wanderlust ColorClub Nail polish - Mod for Manhattan

Today was the first day I used this lotion and I have to tell you it was light weight , non greasy and didn't make my face shine like the sun. I put it on mid-day then spent the rest of my afternoon outdoors, and when I came in for the evening, I didn't have any redness.

Before I even received the June box, I bought the colors off the website because I LOVED the four colors. Unfortunately, the one they sent was my least favorite. They are smaller bottles, but they don't clump.  The colors are fun and summery.

3. Twistband Hair Ties
4. Wanderlust postcards
5. Couture La La sample perfume

The postcards came with 6 different universal "Hello" greetings.  These will be super cute to mail out when we are away for a few days, or want to send a quick hey to someone!

These hair ties were hands or hairs down my favorite product.  So much, in fact, that I bought the whole set online.  They are sold out right now - but I would continue to check in to see if you can order them.  The patterns are fun and nautical (great for the summer), and the company prides themselves on the fact that using these ties will not leave a crease in your hair. Awesome! I often have a few hairbands around my wrist for "just in case" moments, and these serve not only as functional but fashionable. Love love!

The perfume is sweet smelling, but not over powering.  I liked it but probably wouldn't spend the $90 a bottle. 

6. Eyeko Skinny Liquid eyeliner
7. Amika Hair mask

One of the neatest products was the skinny eyeliner. Mostly because I would never purchase this myself, but I found it fun and easy to use.  In addition to sending a full size liner, the company also sends you a youtube video through your email on how to actually use it the "correct" way - and by that I mean not turning out like a raccoon or a prostitute.

I have no picture of the hair creme because simply - I used it all. The sample got me through three hair washings, and I LOVED the citrus smell. I forced A to use it this weekend, as I raved about how smooth and silky my hair felt. I could have been a  walking flipping advertisement. I can't say enough good things, only I wished our time together lasted more than a weekend. The jar is mucho expensive, and at $40 a pop, I probably won't be buying it anytime soon -but I thoroughly enjoyed the samples.

Overall, I loved this month's selection and I can.not.wait. till July's box!!

Before I Fall Book Review

There are books that seem to take forever to read, and then there are those that you can't put down. That you lose sleep over.  Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver was one of those books.  I started reading it this morning, and finished before dinner. I LOVED the concept. 

I will start this off by saying I don't like to write reviews of the books I love. I never seem to capture the magic of the novel, and can't get across the beauty of words all the time. 

I will try. 

This book is a cross between Mean Girls and Groundhog's Day (sorry for two film references but I adore both movies!). A girl and her pack of three friends rule the school and are relentlessly nasty to almost everyone.  On their way home from a party, they crash the car and die.  This isn't giving much of the book away because you learn this just by reading the back cover, and yet the main character, Sam, wakes up the next morning - again, on Cupid's Day.  She wakes up six more times to relive the week and hopefully make sense of her life and make a difference.  

Without giving much away, she definitely attempts to seek redemption and the end of the book had me sobbing, just like Fault in Our Stars (a book I read last summer and my family had to give me a pep talk about reading misery books while on vacation). I found myself rooting for her, hoping she would make certain choices, praying she would somehow make it out alive at the end of the week. 

I loved it. I am sad it's over. I wished things could turn out differently in the end, but the book provides hope and if anything - sends across the message that anyone can be fixed. Anyone can make a difference. 

Thank you

I am not someone who fears their birthday - in fact, I welcome it.  I love the idea of getting together with family, I adore balloons, and deeply enjoy cake. ANY cake. 

Yet every year, I have this irrational fear that my husband will forget. Forget my day. Days leading up to it, I literally am an annoying fly buzzing around, reminding him. Every year, he reassures me that he's not Last minute Larry with this. I don't really care about the gifts, but I just want effort, and forethought.  

This year, we celebrated with my family the weekend before and mother made my favorite pie - Strawberry Dream. YUM. I can not say enough good things.  I literally do the title - dream of this pie. Therefore, even though we were going out to a restaurant for my actual day, no homemade cake would be had - which I was completely fine with.  However, when I arrived home after work on my day, there in the fridge laid not one, but two cakes for my birthday. Made by Mr.  Let me state this: He is not a baker. He does not have sweet tooth, so the fact that he went through the trouble and then actually cleaned up the kitchen afterwards and before I got home was enough for me.  

(I had to post these because these Toms are my FAVORITE pair I own - given to me by A.) If you don't own a pair, these are the ones to get! They are crochet and lime green.  They fit like a glove, and the best part about Toms - every pair you buy, a pair gets donated. You buy they give!

Thank you B for always making me feel special. Thank you for remembering my day.  Thank you for whipping up your version of Strawberry Dream pie, and then a WONDERFULLY delicious coconut cake.  I loved it almost as much as I love you. 

Tea-se me

The amount of tea choices at the local grocery store is a bit overwhelming.  However, trying to find a tea that doesn't contain "Natural flavoring" is quite difficult.  After giving up ALL forms of sugar (minus that in fruit), it has come to my attention that no one knows truly what is in certain products. I always assume that tea was healthy - don't ask me where or when I started to believe that, but I did.

However, after spending a solid hour in the Tea/Coffee aisle, it became clear to me that most teas actually contain sugar in some form.  The Republic of Tea wins the prize for the most varied tea choices, but which ones are good for you?  I suppose they are all better than a soda, but when you are attempting the Whole30, you need to pay attention to what you are brewing.

I like the idea of canisters, though I feel like it's a waste just throwing them out.  What can you do with them when you are done with the tea?

The coconut Cocoa tea sounds WONDERFUL, especially with a splash of your choice of milk (almond milk I prefer).  To me, this seems like dessert :) The plus side to this is that it's Caffeine free.  Hey - you could do worse damage to your body, right?  

A Journey from broke to wealthy ( or somewhere slightly between)

 

 I used to come home from work, and as I approached the back door - I would hear a southern twang  over the radio waves, and I would be filled with frustration.  Why would Mr. listen to such nonsense?  Who wants to hear about other people's problems?  Not me!  I had enough to worry about, paying our bills, that I didn't want to hear about some random guy in Arkansas and his financial troubles. I knew troubles. I didn't need to suffer through listening to it. As I would enter the house everyday, I would wonder, really - what does this Dave Ramsey from Tennessee know about my debt?
Well....fast forward three years later. Clearly, Dave knew his stuff.  I, unwillingly at first, agreed to be part of "Financial Peace University" with my husband, (really with the hope that we didn't have
 to listen to the crappy podcasts anymore). We took a class for a year, and only started implementing what we learned last year. I can't tell you why it took us that long, I blame it on pure stubbornness. We were used to a certain way, and even if it wasn't working, it was our way.  But after taking the course, we decided to actually give it a try.  In that year, we paid off almost $70,000 in debt. It wasn't this magical class and POOF - no debt. It honestly took A LOT of extra side jobs, tutoring sessions, and a few cutbacks - but we did it. We did it with a little, okay - A LOT of structure and help from Dave Ramsey course. We are still left with about 6,000 in debt - but that number seems like peanuts compared to what it was.   

How did we get there? What made us even attend this class?

PART 1: Facing the Financial Mess We Created

I don't think we understood HOW badly we were in debt. (Nothing like pointing out how far you've come!)

I have to say it was more my mindset than Mr's of wanting things you couldn't afford. He didn't have a  credit card (and still doesn't), and when I wanted something I didn't have the cash for - I would charge it.  Simple as that. Nothing seemed out of my reach! Good 'ole Visa would come to my rescue. What happens when you start charging vacations? Furniture? wedding? OH BOY!  I didn't realize, basically because I never added it up before the financial problems we created.  Four years ago, when we were about to get married, we had to really take a hard look at our finances. How can you save when your bills were more than you were making?  It was time to face the facts.  We needed help.  At the time, we had satellite radio (an expense we no longer have), and a good fellow, Dave Ramsey had a show where people screamed about how they were out of debt. Literally, they would call in and shout "Debt Free!" What a celebration! Could we eventually make that call and shout those words? It felt like the light at the end of the tunnel was barely on.

Looking back, things could have been so much worse. Somehow each month, we always paid our bills.  We never missed a payment.  We were able to continue to  live our lives and enjoy ourselves.  But we were slave to our jobs. We HAD to make a certain amount of money in order to make payments each month.  There was no true freedom.

What we learned from our year of taking the course (and believe me we learned a lot) was to BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET.  You want something? Save! My trusty Fisher Price piggy had purpose again. 
The most important and hardest part of this was to follow your budget. Track your money. Follow where it goes. 

I created this budget that I use - Feel free to download and use as it works for you!

 

We still have a long way to go, because following Dave Ramsey's Steps to Financial Peace - the battle isn't over.  After creating a budget, and sticking to it - there are many other steps that will secure your freedom in the finance department!  Another post shall tackle that :)

 

Thank you on a sour note

Thank you husband for the breakfast in bed. Thank you for waking me up with my favorite egg meal - "Eggy in a hole" (heart-shaped), and saying Happy Mother's Day, though I have not carried a child for nine months. Thank you for recognizing that this holiday isn't just about the actual mother, but also those that care for the child day to day.

Thank you for the one good part of my day......because after I snarfed down my breakfast, my day turned from good to crap.....so thank you for the one and only highlight. (I will not get into my sour moments and will resist the urge to be Debbie Downer).

Happy Mother's Day to all  -but I am glad it is over. Let's get back to real life.

Date Night Rejuvenated

How predictable am I? My first few posts of the year are typically about what I would like to accomplish....lose...create...find...restore..read..so on and so on.
If I was to list all of my 2011 goals, it would be overwhelming not only for me to type but for the reader (you my little darlings) as well! And since I am not here to torture you, I decided to spare you the nitty gritty and get on with my life/year.

One goal I  WOULD like to mention is  Date Night (and I definitely  am not referring to the movie..thought it was good).  Before the vow exchange, Mr. and I would go on "dates" every month.  Not just your movie and dinner date (we had those too), but like an actual planned out date - whether it was to a bed and breakfast, musuem, scavenger hunt, bird watching - we had actual legit dates.  It was fantastic and romantic.  Then we got married....dunt dunt dun.  That seriously seemed like the end all and be all of our fun times. Who knew?!

2011. Let that be our year to reconnect (Are you there B? It's me, your wife).  I would like to bring back the inventive date nights/days/weekends.  If that means we will have to say no to some other plans, or not attend every practice or game, or not tutor as much - then so be it!  I can handle that - and I think the people around us can handle it too.

According to a recent study, just the plain ole' dinner and a movie isn't enough anymore to keep marriages sparkling.    According to NY Times, "Rather than visiting the same familiar haunts and dining with the same old friends, couples need to tailor their date nights around new and different activities that they both enjoy, says Arthur Aron, a professor of social psychology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. The goal is to find ways to keep injecting novelty into the relationship. The activity can be as simple as trying a new restaurant or something a little more unusual or thrilling — like taking an art class or going to an amusement park."

I think we can handle that....I'm going to put my thinking  headband on (I like to wear it like Rambo), and brainstorm neat-o things to do in January....and Mr. can plan for February !! (hint hint!)

Budget Me with Fashion

My husband and I are trying to budget our money and save, and not only did we take the Dave Ramsey course (which could be another post in itself) - but we are trying to look over our finances every month to see where we spend our money wastefully.  It seems our biggest problem is our debit card (err…my debit card).  I use this as my life line - and yes, the plus side is you can't spend more than you have....but what if you have all of your money in your account and you just keep spending?!  It could be a disaster.

Thanks to Savvycents, it seems the cash system approach is definitely working for us (me). 

What is Savvycents?

It contains everything you need to organize your monthly or weekly budget using a cash system. With an accordion style file system inside the wallet you can separate money, coupons, receipts or store discount cards by categories. Your wallet comes with file cards where you can label each category with our pre-printed labels. There are also blank labels where you can customize your wallet based on your personal categories. You no longer have to carry envelopes or zip lock bags to separate your money and coupons. Your change will fit nicely in a coin pocket located on the backside of the wallet. 

It also has 6 pockets for debit cards and store discount cards. On the opposite side there is a place for your driver’s license and a place for your checkbook. 

I received this pink wallet to review, and it has been a godsend.  At the start of the month, I withdrew the amount of money we needed for the following "cash paid" items: Groceries, gas, gifts, entertainments, and personal items.  I can see exactly how much we have to spend and when we are starting to dwindle.  Most people use this method of cash envelopes already.  My mother taught me the cash method but with bank envelopes when I got my first job.  Clearly, it didn’t stick – or I wouldn’t have created this debt hell I live in…but everyone lives and learns!

  I like this a little better than the white stuffy envelope because I am not walking around with ten bank slips in my purse. This looks like a wallet, and acts like a wallet.  I tested it out, and it actually is pretty sturdy – I’ve had a ton of wallets that lasted only a few months because they had small holes, or simply made it difficult for me to remove my license and cards when needed.  Once I had a wallet that every time I put change in it, it would disappear – it took me three times to realize that the change was going to an unknown secret space in my wallet, and I had to cut it open to get out the money! 

So far, Savvycents seems to hold everything I need. I like how there are many different compartments – some for credit cards/license, some for coupons and cash.  You really can carry whatever you would like – and it would be super organized.  

I plan on organizing my wallet and get it ready for full maximum usage for Black Friday sales. I will not be held up by my lack of organization, and carrying all my coupons and gift cards around in one container will be great!

Thanks Savvycents for making my cash system a little more fashionable :) 

Lullaby music for the dog and giveaway

We don't have a baby in the house...though some mornings it feels like it.  Our dog (6 year old Shistzu) sleeps downstairs.  We take her out right before we head for bed, and she often snuggles into the blanket.  But somewhere around 2am - she is at the bottom of the stairs whining and crying.  


Sometimes we ignore it. 


Sometimes it is hard to.  


Three nights ago, all she wanted was my husband and I to sit with her. When I walked down the stairs at 3:17AM (47 minutes of whimpering) She jumped and ran around in circles. I thought she needed to go out. NO. She ran to the couch, hopped up and waited. So I sat down - exhausted.  She hopped onto my lap and curled up into a ball. Seriously?  When did we adopt a baby?  


Last night, she whimpered and whined as soon as I went upstairs. So I went down stairs, picked her up - tucked her in (yes. it is pathetic) and pet her for about five minutes.  She fell asleep, and I went upstairs.  This morning, at 4:55am, she was at the bottom of the stairs again. I rolled over, and woke up husband up and told him it was his turn...and doesn't this make you want to put off children? haha.


Enter Cradle Rock, a series of children's lullaby albums.  They turn iconic songs into sleep-friendly listening melodies.  

I was sent Cradle Rock: Country (Kenny Chesney's "No Shoes, No Diaper, Might Be  Problem), Cradle Rock Pop (Michael Jackson's "Thrillaby"), and another Cradle Rock: Country (Johnny Cash's "I Crawl the Line") to review. There are more albums in production, including U2’s “The Joshua Sleep Tree,” Black Eyed Peas’ “Sleep-pea Hits” as well as lullaby albums inspired by Nickelback, Carrie Underwood and The Eagles. (I would love to hear the Eagles!)


Even if our dog wasn't going to sleep through the night, I was!  I found myself putting on the one of Johnny Cash, and falling asleep myself.  It was so good and soothing! 

 Being a Michael Jackson fan, I was excited to hear the lullaby version of this cd.  I couldn't fathom how Thriller would be...because after looking at the playlist - it was on there! Silly Me. There are no words :) But it didn't stop me from singing along anyway.....and doing the dance (in slow motion) I decided that Michael Jackson should not be played for bedtime, as I did more singing and dancing - then snoring.  I reserve this disc for when I have to grade, and need some soothing tunes. 


 I did eventurally pass these cds on to my good friend (she had a 3 month old) and she has told me more than once, she comes home and finds her huband playing the cd....best part is?  The baby isn't even there. It is her husband listening to it!!  Perhaps not only does it work on dogs and babies, but grown men?


Giveaway: One of you will win the Cradle Rock cd of your choice! 

To enter: If your email is not visible in your profile, you must leave it with your comment. Winner will be announced on this post and will be emailed. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to giveaway notification or a new winner will be selected. Open to US and Canada. Contest will close at 9pm EST 12/2.

Mandatory entry:
* Visit Cradle Rock and tell me which cd you would choose if you win.
*Follow One Plus One Equals Love on Google Friend and POST a comment that you follow :)

Additional entries: Must leave a separate comment for each entry.

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Contest Ends December 1st.  


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good (and fun!) for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.


Happy Listening!

Overwhelming-ness

I am not sure what happens sometimes..but I start thinking and  I can't stop. It's very much like the book, "When You Give a Mouse a Cookie." - when you give me an idea, I will just keep going and going with other ideas that are somewhat and than not somewhat related. 

This morning I was searching in my heart and on the web for something to write about...I found this project which at first I loved .  The concept is heartfelt, and I would love to do this every year for the holidays. The point was to take a family picture on Thanksgiving each year, and then have each person write about what they are thankful for that year.  The fun part is that each year, a new person may show up - then they get to be part of the tradition!

   But then I started thinking how sad it will be when people aren't there - namely my grandparents. I don't know why I do this to myself, but I start thinking about stuff that involves family and starting/continuing traditions, it takes a turn for just sad. So now I am sitting at my desk at work, trying to compose myself and I just have tears streaming down my face.

Any reasonable person wouldn't cry over what is an obvious fact. People age. People change. Sometimes, people aren't there. Always in the end, people leave. Sometimes earlier than you hoped in life. Any normal person would relish the idea to have a Thanks Album and to start a really interesting and fun idea - regardless of the time or what might happen in the future.

 Not me. It just makes me sad.
 I hate change.

Halloween Movies to watch

She's Baaaaaack!
(I meant myself, but whenever I hear that phrase, I always think of Poltergeist!)

This week was a rough and tough one.  I feel like either I had a ton to do at work, or someone in the house wasn't feeling well - and between the doctor visits and a concussed child - the blog fell by the wayside.  That saddened me, and I honestly felt a little lost this week.  Mostly because I didn't have any "Me" time.  Granted, I did see a few friends, and I watched my favorite show, "Glee"  - but little writing was accomplished.

I can tell you that during the duration of sickness floating around  our house, lots and lots of movies were watched - which got me thinking.....I love scary movies! Well, that's a little lie. Because I don't really like them, they scare my socks right off! But I find myself during the colder months yearning to put in a frightening movie, and snuggle under the covers , barely watching the movie (because my hands are over my eyes!).  Nonetheless, it is something that of course reminds me of  Halloween, but also of the changing seasons.

Therefore, I came up with a list of movie to watch this month: Some frightening, some downright scary, others a bit odd...all relative to the month!

1. Return to Oz (the monkeys on skates and the headless woman scared  my 9 year old self 20 years ago!)
2. Rosemary's baby
3. Fallen
4. Sixth Sense
5. What Lies Beneath
6. Hocus Pocus
7. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!
8. The Addams Family
9. Buffy the vampire Slayer
10. Monster Squad

11. The Burbs
12. Witches
13. Casper
14.Beetlejuice
15.  The Gate
16. Goosebumps!
17. Roseanne's Halloween
18. Ghostbusters
19. Creepshow
20.Twillight Zone
21. Night of the Creeps
22. Little Monsters
23. Ghoulies
24. Troll
25.  Lost Boys

I'll be honest here, I only put down  movies that I could realistically watch depending on the mood I'm in. Sometimes I am braver than I think...but all I know is I don't know if I can watch a  movie with scary creepy kids or corn fields or possessed anything anytime soon...I purposely picked more psychological thrillers and just corny movies, rather than blood and guts (I can't stomach that!).  For example, The Ring - probably the scariest movie I have ever seen, and I will NEVER watch it again. EVER. I also realized that most of my movies are from 1980s. Couldn't help myself! On that note, I am heading to Blockbusters to pick up some classics, swing by liquor store for a bottle of red, and then  warming up to my couch!
Perfect afternoon!

Project #30 or the opposite

Some may look at these pictures and think, "Wow! Great idea!".  I look at this and think BLASPHEMY!   For me, Halloween is the time of year that I throw caution to the wind, and test my dental  plan - I consume mass amount of chocolate and sweets.  There is no stopping me once the candy is in the house.  So when I see projects that consist of glue and any sort of sugary snack, a red flag appears. WHAT?!  Why would someone waste perfectly good candy?  

For example, while standing on line at Shop Rite - I glanced over at the recent issue of Woman's Day magazine, and doth my eyes decieve me? Hot glued candy corn?? 

I couldn't bear the thought, and I immediately put down the magazine and cringed.  How could they?!

The saga continues....as All You magazine glues not just candy corn, but an array of candy goodness to a cone and calls it decoration.  

Now, usually I am all for these two magazines, but when it comes to gluing, stapling, ironing, sewing, patching, taping,  and anything that does not consist of eating - it worries and pains me. I realize that I should post projects and ideas that I favor, but I couldn't let this slide.  Please. For the love of candy.  

Moyers in Namibia: As We Prepare...

My best friend and her husband are preparing to leave for Africa in a few weeks. I wanted to support her and have everyone check their blog out. Julie is one of the most amazing people I know. Her strength and dedication to God and to her cause inspires me to be a better version of myself. She is witty, kind, and a wonderful friend. She is someone that I will always call my best friend, regardless of the distance (or continents!) apart we are.

Please read and follow her as her and her husband, Mark, venture forth and make a difference in the world.

Moyers in Namibia: As We Prepare...: "It is amazing to us that we are leaving for Africa in 5 weeks to begin our 8-month mission trip through the Africa Inland Mission! As each ..."

Much love and happiness to you guys!!!

I'm a GLEEk!!

I couldn't help it - but when the previews for Glee aired a few weeks ago, my lil heart fluttered out of my chest! I love the idea of an hour of karaoke on my living room couch.

Let me count the ways I love this show:

1. Sue Sylvester - Her sarcasm and complete loathing of Mr. Matthews (*sigh*) is absolutely hysterical.  And the way she addresses her Cheerios? I would get fired! 

Sue: "Boobs McGee, you're demoted to the bottom of the pyramid, so when it collapses, your exploding sandbags will keep everyone safe from injury."   HAHA

2. The school's guidance counselor, Emma, is as sweet as sugar - it's almost sickening! But she is adorable in her little sweater/dress J. Crew vintage look is definitely what I am striving for this school year!

 Grabbed from extrabux.com

3. Kurt. I loved him from the moment he sang "Single Ladies" last season!

4. Puck. Everyone loves a bad boy...and it helps that he sings!

5. Pretty much every dance and song routine.  As I watch the show, I like to dance around my living room (as my husband and dog stare at me in confusion) while singing into my hairbrush.  No evening can top that :)

  

Haunt My House

I can't believe the summer is over and I am posting about Halloween!  My brain can't wrap around the idea of projects, but I will gladly post what our house looks like!

My husband and I made haunted gates to welcome our guests throughout October. We took planks of wood making a pillar on either side of the fencing. Then we taped the sides and spray painted them gray and made it look like it was bricked.  We made a fence out of PVC piping and painted it black to resemble fencing in a graveyard.

Lastly, we put gargoyles on the top of the pillars. That is my favorite part of the display!  People actually thought we had them up all year round!!

The creepy spiders crawling up our house are my favorite!  We have over 8 spiders crawling up the house (they are HUGE!!!) and actually are quite frightening.

Each year we try to create an additional Halloween decoration.....any thoughts of what to add to our house?   

Please Please Please Let me get what I want

After staying up the wee hours by myself, with company of my dog (she is a great sidekick), I just decided what I need. I want. I must have.


A cricut. After this realization, I ran up the stairs to whisper this in my husband's ear while he was sleeping, so I hope he dreams of it!  But I said it fast and low so maybe he will subconsciously dream of crickets - sounds somewhat like my new lust! Right now it is on sale for a whooping $97 at AC Moore! Which is more than half price!
I don't know what exactly I would do with this machine - but it seems every blog I read, the bloggerette (yes. I made that word up) has one! And she creates beautiful projects!  


Hopefully, I will continue whispering sweet nothings of craft machines in my husband's ear, or I will just take matters into my own hands!  

What kind of projects have you made with this pretty little thang? Leave a comment with your link!

Let's Hear it for Summer!

A picture recap of our summer!

Happy Labor Day Weekend!!

Here's to a wonderful summer and a soon-to-be a wonderful fall!!