Watch Out for the Halloween Copycat!

It's that time again.

What time you ask?

Time for a magazine copycat challenge with Debbie of Debbiedoos!

I took my copycat from the Grand Dame herself, Miss Martha Stewart.

I had to laugh because I could have sworn this was last year's magazine, but I was sadly mistaken. Very sadly mistaken.

Would you believe it was Holiday Halloween 2007?

Have I really had it that long?

Have the last 4 years passed so quickly that I thought that only 1 year had passed?

Is it really that big of a blur?

What's wrong with me?

Ok. Ok. Sorry. I'll get back on track.

The inspiration ala Martha:

The copy ala Me:

Now I've said before I'm not exactly talented at this copycat thing, but it is fun nevertheless.

These are oranges, hollowed out. I then took an Xacto knife & carved faces. I filled the oranges with vanilla ice cream, added a curly q of green wire to the top & there you have it...a fun little ice cream jack-o-lantern!

Ok, run on over to Debbie's now to join in on the copycat fun! Ok?

Happy Halloween!!

When Your Mom Loves the 80s

When your Mom loves the 80s, she makes you listen to 80s music.

She regales you with stories of the fun she had in the 80s.

She astonishes you with her knowledge of 80s trivia, 80s movies, 80s history and of course, 80s fashion.

She has talked to you about everything from Cyndi Lauper to the collapse of the Berlin Wall, from the Miracle on Ice to BandAid.

You have heard it all.

Now if you are any normal teenager, you might just roll your eyes. You might want to scream when your Mom brings up random tidbits from this decade.

But then there are teenagers who, unbeknownst to their Mom, become taken in by the 80s,swept away if you will.

Teenagers who see something like this on Pinterest, and squeal with delight:

Source: 9gag.com via Gina on Pinterest

As that 80s loving mother, you are amazed when your teenager tells her friends that she would rather not see the new Footloose movie because, "Why would anyone think they could replace Kevin Bacon?"

As that 80s loving mother, you think, "Oh mercy, what have I done?"

I didn't see it coming. I'm surely not stuck in a time warp. I've changed with the times, I just have a fondness for the 80s, that's all.

When that teenager tells you she wants to dress up as Madonna for the Halloween dance at school, you have to embrace it, right? After all, are you not the one who instilled this love of all things 80s in her?

So tell me, how did I do?

Ok, I did give her Madonna's mole. It was a necessary detail. That earring in her left ear? Yeah, it's authentic...mine, circa 1985.

(Look at that smile....she just got her braces off last week.)

Now oddly enough, I didn't keep my rubber bracelets. Luckily, I was able to find some online, 48 of them to be exact!

I made her strike this pose ala Madonna from her Lucky Star video.

(On a side note: I had to laugh because she was worried about being inappropriate by wearing the rosary beads. I had to remind her that she is not Olivia, she is Madonna. LOL)

She tells me this was her most favorite costume ever. It's probably best I don't comment on that!

Linking up at:

The Girl Creative for Just Something I Whipped Up

A Halloween Tablescape

With October 31st quickly approaching, I couldn't miss the opportunity to set a fun Halloween table.

I apologize for the wrinkled tablecloth. It's a glossy plastic on the other side & I couldn't iron it with high heat for fear it'd melt!

Let's see, the pumpkin bowls are from Christmas Tree Shop. Black Flatware from Target.

My Debbie Mumm Halloween plates. I love these plates. I've had them for at least 10 years, well before I ever heard the word "tablescape." Orange dinner plates were a Dollar Tree find this past summer.

The Frankenstein plate is my favorite one in the set.

Green mercury glass pumpkin from Tuesday morning. I used some of my kids' Goosebumps DVDs to add a little height to the candle.

Green bubble goblets from Target.

I'm linking this to:

The mother of all Tablescape parties...Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.
Open House Thursdays at No Minimalist Here
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Potpourri Friday at 2805
Falling for Crafts at One Artsy Mama

I'm sure that Halloween happiness will be in abundance at each party, so go check it out!

And as always, I appreciate each & every one of you & your sweet comments.

NY Yankees Baseball Party

My son turned 10 a few weeks ago and decided he wanted to have a Yankee baseball party.

Always one for a party, I started brainstorming ways to make his party fun & creative.

I ordered these amazing invitations from Fun Invites on Etsy. I received so many calls about these invitations...the guests were fascinated by them.

For security reasons, I smudged out our address.

I hung a "clothesline" of baseball cards.

Here is the tablescape I came up with:

Oh how I wish you could have seen my husband's face when I told him I wanted that green indoor/outdoor carpeting stuff. I know he was thinking, "Oh no, she's lost her mind!" When he found out it was going to be my tablecover, I knew he secretly loved the idea.

We had Grandy's Slam Peanuts and Jeter's Jacks. Of course, we had to have Baby Ruth bars. (Although I do know they were not actually named for The Babe.)

Gardner's Seeds.

What Yankee party would be complete without Mo's Closer Punch #602?

It was hard to come up with an idea for decorating a basic bundt cake. Scrapbook supplies to the rescue!

C.C. Sabathia's Cupcakes.

Here is the table with all the food including Posada's Pizza, Swishalicious Chips & Dipalicious, Teixeira's Tenders and Cano's Corn.

Honestly, my son just stood in front of the table and stared. He was speechless. My daughter said I should be an event planner. The guests (98% Yankee fans...there's always 1 or 2 Red Sox fans lurking about) adored it, so I think I pulled it off.

It was a celebration fit for any Yankee fan. Now if they could have only won the ALDS and made it into the World Series, our celebration would have been even happier!

Linking to:

Just Something I Whipped Up at The Girl Creative
Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Mummy Dogs

I'm a recipe junkie. Not only do I have tons of cookbooks, but I also have a folder full of recipes that I've pulled from various magazines over the years.

This is a recipe that's been in my folder for quite a few years. I finally decided to give it a try. So for fun on Halloween last year, I made Mummy Dogs for dinner.

They may not have turned out perfectly, but my kids didn't seem to mind. They got a kick out of them.

(If you want to try your hand at these, the one of the far left is the one to aspire to.)

Mummy Dogs

Rhodes Dinner Rolls, thawed but still cold
Hot dogs
Mustard/Ketchup

For each Mummy Dog, cut one dinner roll in half.  Roll each half into a 22-24 inch rope.  Wrap one rope around hot dog from bottom up 4 and  1/2 inches.  Cut a 1 and  1/2 inch piece off of the second rope and set aside. 

Then wrap the second rope around the hot dog from the bottom up 4 and  1/2 inches going the opposite way.  Wrap the 1 and  1/2 inch piece around the top of the hot dog. 

Place Mummy Dogs on a sprayed baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from oven, cool slightly and add mustard eyes.  Serve warm with mustard/ketchup.

I hope you enjoy!

A very happy weekend to all.

And the UPrinting Winner is...

I apologize for keeping you all waiting.  



The winner is.................

Congratulations Debby and thank you, everyone,  for entering this awesome giveaway. 

UPrinting Giveaway Last Call

Just a reminder. 

There is still time to enter my UPrinting giveaway.

Please click here for details and to enter. 

I will be drawing a winner later today. 

The Revival of the Bench

I've always got a long story to tell, so please bear with me a bit.

My in-laws have always had beautiful furniture. My mother-in-law (whom I miss dearly) would very seldom ever buy anything she saw in a showroom. Her furniture pieces were mostly custom made.

When my husband & I were first married, we bought his childhood home from his Mom & Dad. They were building a new home & they left us some of the furniture that they weren't going to use.

We inherited their old kitchen table, chairs & bench, which were custom made & so darn heavy. Granted, this was not my style at all, so we bought a new set immediately. For some unknown reason, we still kept the old set in the basement. For big parties & holidays, we would bring up the extra chairs & the bench for additional seating. Having the extra set in the basement proved to come in handy.

This summer, I had an epiphany. What if I used the old bench with my current dining room set? (This set is not the one I purchased as a newlywed.)



Hey, not too bad. She certainly goes with my table.

Ok, but she is slightly beat up.


(Excuse that photo, I must have been doing jumping jacks while taking it.)

Hey, I know! What if I covered her with a slipcover?

Oh yeah, I don't sew. :(

But my Aunt does & maybe, just maybe, she'll make a slipcover for me!







Oh Aunt Genevieve, you are the best!! I was absolutely awe struck when I saw it. It turned out much prettier than I even imagined.

I armed her with fabric & a general photo of what I wanted it to look like...nothing more. I guess I don't have to tell you that her version is one million times better than the one I showed her in the photo.   She's a perfectionist. 

Now, if I could only train my family NOT to sit on the bench for fear of them ruining it.  : D

Have a great day my friends and please don't forget to enter my UPrinting giveaway....see here!

Linking to: 

Fall into Fall at DIY by Design
Wow us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
Open House Party at No Minimalist Here
Inspiration Friday at At the Picket Fence
Home Sweet Home Friday at The Charm of Home

UPrinting Giveaway

Time for another giveaway!

My question today is:

If you were given a supply of postcards, what would you use them for?

Do you have a business or an Etsy shop you'd like to promote?

How about something more personal, like using them for the fast-approaching holiday season?

However you might decide to use them, UPrinting can meet your needs!

UPrinting offers online printing at it's very best. Today, they are generously offering:

100 Postcards for One (1) Winner
5" x 7"
14pt Cardstock Gloss
No Folding
Front Only Printing
2 Business Days Print Turnaround Time *Free Shipping
Limited to US residents 18 years old and above only

Sounds pretty sweet, huh?

And...
"Did you know that UPrinting.com uses vegetable and soy-based inks with lower levels of VOCs than traditional petroleum-based inks to reduce harmful carbon emissions? This helps protect both the environment and our employees!"

Now let's get onto the rules:

Leave me a comment on this post for one entry.
Let me know if you are a follower/become a new follower and I'll give you a second entry.

I'll draw a winner on October 20th. 

Good luck!

Disclaimer:  This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive a postcard for hosting.  All details must be received by October 31, 2011 to qualify.  Winners are allowed to win only once in a six month period. 

Ramsign Winner

It's time to draw our Ramsign Winner!

My trusty assistant....(boy she's gonna hate this picture, but I think it's cute)

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style...today is your lucky day! Hurray!

Kim, I just need an email address & Ramsign will be in touch with you.

It's a cold & rainy Saturday here in NY. I'll be settling in with a cup of tea & this, which just arrived:

I love Matthew Mead's book-azines so I can't wait to enjoy this one!

Later tonight, my daughter somehow (and I'm not sure how) talked me into taking her to see this:

This'll be a birthday evening for me to remember.  LOL

I hope you are all having a perfect Saturday.