Be Happy

This round "thing" appeared down the road a year or so ago, and we all tried to guess what it was for, a wrecking ball maybe? At that time is was just a grey metal color. Then one day not too long ago, we drove by and it was painted the bright yellow. So we figured someone just bored seeing that grey ball day after day. Then a few days later the eyes and mouth were painted in and tada! a happy face. This has got to be at least 5 fee tall and probably that big across. I drive by it almost everyday and it makes me smile every time.

Yes...More Fall/Halloween Decor Ideas

I've found so many cute ideas on the web for fall and Halloween that I have to post them. You may be thinking that this is fall decor "overload", but there's just so many clever ideas out there, I wish I could do them all!

I love this country looking vignette with a white pallette. So simple, but yet striking.

The black and white decor is striking and modern in these designs.

Hope you are getting some inspiration for your own fall holiday displays!

New Halloween Art

This is my attempt at doing a little fall decorating. I really dont have that much table room for displays, so I guess this will have to do.

I'm creating more Halloween art to put in my etsy store. I love creating Halloween stuff, there's such a variety of things you can do. I want to create a little bit of everything. So here's another sampling of what I've been working on. These are either in the store now or will be shortly.

These are some ACEO's I drew by hand and then painted with acrylic paints. Made them in a vinage style.

More Fall Decorating Ideas

I've been searching around the web and found some more fall decorating ideas. Thought I'd share with you and hope they inspire you.

Cute and easy ideas for a table centerpiece

If your summer annuals are now gone, just leave the dirt and add a premade twig or grapevine wreath, some berries and leaves and a pretty pumpkin. Also how about decorating your birdbath like this too?

A cute idea if you've got some old garden tools laying around. If you decorate with a bale of straw, how about adding some old tools into the decor.

A couple more tablescapes.

New Art & Supplies in My Store

I've added a few more pieces of art and some supplies for inspiration for Halloween. Take a look in my etsy store (link is on the upper left)

Fall Inspiration & Tutorials

The themometer seems to be dipping lower and lower each night here in the foothills. Gets me in the mood for nesting. Airing out the down comforters. And searching for ideas for fall decorating. I found a few here and thought I'd share. I subscribe to BHG newsletter and they have so many ideas for decorating at any time of year!




This photo is from Better Homes & Gardens. The instructions for the pumpkin centerpiece is here









Instructions (& photo) of this cornucopia courtesy of BHG

Here's a beautiful idea from Heather Bullard of Present Past Collection. She's got some beautiful pictures of fall decorating that's sure give you some ideas. The tutorial for this beautiful crafty idea is also on her blog. Photo used with permission.

A different way to display those fall grocery store flowers instead of a standard vase. Very easy to do (maybe a little more messy than you'd want, but the results look pretty) . Courtesy of Country Living.












This is probably one of my all time favorite vignettes. I wish I was brave enough to paint a wall orange! This is from an older Country Living Magzine issue.













I have yet to start any fall decorating, but I'm really inspired by all the pretty pictures I've found of others' that have been so nice to share their ideas and home decor. There's also alot of links over at The Inspired Room that feature fall decor to give you even more ideas.

Witches, Goblins & Bats, Oh My!

I actually started ahead of the season for once. Here are a few of the Halloween items I've made and put in my etsy shop.




These are some folded pinwheels that I made with vintage music sheets. They were very time consuming to make.


A little hanging with twigs, burlap, raffia and ribbon.



I really like how this one turned out. The photo is an original that I had in my collection. This woman has creepy light eyes. I've also had the old wooden frame for years and invested in some black gloss spray paint and presto!


I really got into making tags this time. I found I had a lot of vintage Halloween images already, but they were small pixel images so would only work on a smaller project.

Dog Days of Summer

I'm not sure exactly what the phrase means "dogs days of summer" (I'm sure I could look it up on the 'net). I believe it's something about the heat, of which we've had a few days of some hot weather again. Luckily my downstairs stays fairly cool, and the wrap-around porch helps alot. My dogs seem to sleep 20 of the 24 hours in a day and I get to listen to them moan and grown, toss and turn, and one who even snores. When one barks or whines in their sleep, the others come to attention to see if they need to bark at something. So to that tune...I took some pics over a couple days to show my funny dogs sleeping. (Yes, I do love my dogs)

Black and White Photography Love

I love black and white photography. I keep forgetting that Canon digital camera can take black and white photos! (along with many other functions I'll probably never learn). I guess its how the subject in the photo seems to be the only thing you focus on, instead of all the extraneous background in a black & white that makes it so intriguing . I wish I was a "photographer". I wish I could see a subject and make it seem "more" on film that it was in real life. So these are my measly attempt at being a photographer and trying to make a black & white seem "arty", lol. There's always room for improvement, but it satisfies me...for now.

I remember when instant pictures came out, i.e. polaroid. We couldn't get enough of those new fangled color pictures. I remember my parents getting the "new" Polaroid, where you had to use this tube like device and run it over the photo to I guess "seal it" or something. Then came the shaking of the Polaroid picture. How iconic was that (there's even a line in a song about it!) I look back at the color pics of my newly married parents in the late 50's and love the muted colors. I see how people use imaging programs to take new pictures and manipulate the color to seem more "old" if you know what I mean. I also love when they add just one element of color in a black and white pic. I also remember my parents having a Brownie camera. I sure wish we still had that, not that I'd use it, but just for display.
Someday...I'll have a fancy digital SLR. My daughter and boyfriend have a fancy Canon that I covet. I've made her promise I have first "dibs" if they ever decide to get rid of it. She assures me they won't.
I just finished this latest piece, I wanted to dip into some painting which I haven't done in awhile. I've been loving this color combination lately and wanted to use them. I'm pretty satisfied with how this one turned out. I painted it on an old book cover, so it has a ragged edge. I pick up books by the handful whenever and where ever I can, and like that I can re-use them before they go into landfills.