Halloween Tabletop and "Eyeball" Recipe

So, we had a great time at book club the other night and I thought I would share my tablescape with you and some of the treats I served! The pics aren't that great...had to use a flash as it was held in my basement. My friend Mary brought a mulled wine called Witches Brew that she bought from a Michigan vineyard...it was good!! Maybe too good.

Here's a close up of the eyeballs I made...marinated mozzarella balls with sliced green olives! Easy peasy...well, a little tedious.

Here's the recipe:

Marinate these ingredients overnight:

1 pound cherry-sized fresh mozzarella balls

1/3 cup olive oil
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon course ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 sprinkle of crushed red pepper

1 tsp of Italian seasoning

Then, add the 10-12 pimiento-stuffed green olives, cut in half.

Tip: carve a little hole or slice the top to make a flat spot on top of the mozzarella ball so that the olive slice has a place to sit otherwise it will slide right off...trust me
 Drizzle remaining marinade over mozzarella balls, and serve.

HAPPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!


 
 

Reminder: 31 Days of Hope Auction Ends Soon!

There are still items will little or no bids in the 31 Days of Hope Auction so I'm asking all my followers to go and take a look at this auction. It's for a really good cause (a cure for breast cancer). Above is the switchplate that I donated and below is the mirror I also donated. Know someone who could use these as a gift? You could do your Christmas shopping early and support a great cause...how great would that be??? They are provided as a set and right now they are only at $3.80!!!! And, there are other very lovely items with no bids at all! Please consider helping.

A Very Special Room Makeover

Let me tell you about a very exciting and worthwhile project that I'm working on with a few other designer type gals. A friend of mine is a mom of a young boy with cancer. They have been facing an uphill battle with this ugly disease for quite awhile. It appeared when he was only seven years old and then returned when he was 10. His parents want to make his young life as awesome as they can as they continue to fight this disease. 

One thing Suzanne (the mom) wanted to do was to create a very special bedroom makeover for him. So, when she asked for help, I believe I was first or second in line! I love doing makeovers and well, having three boys, I have the experience. The little boy wants a Call of Duty (military video game) themed room. We are at phase two right now and I will share our progress along with a final reveal as we go.

I had two assignments --window treatments (I'll show these in another post) and a lamp...I came up with an idea for using a helmet for a lamp shade and an amo box for it's base...after all, you can make a lamp out of anything, right? 

Someone donated a vintage helmet and amo box, and I purchased the lamp kit at Home Depot

I was going to do it myself, but someone else volunteered to put it together and since I didn't have the drill bits necessary, I gave it all to him. He finished in one day! And here it is...I love it and I hope Joey does, too.

He can even store stuff inside (like a secret compartment)! I do plan to cover the screws you see sticking out inside the box because they are sharp, but other than that, the lamp is complete.

A Pretty Parisian Pink Box

How's that for alliteration? Anyway, I've been in a pink mood because of breast cancer awareness month so while I was creating my name blocks for my friend, I painted a little box pink. It cried out for more, so I stamped it. It still cried out for more so I added some vintage jewelry (I broke apart an old brooch that was missing some stones).

I love it. But, I'm going to sell it.

Don't forget about the 31 Days of Hope Auction!! Click here to see what is up for auction for this very worthwhile cause!!!  Linking to:

A Thank You, A Fun Project and A Reminder

Thank you to Kristin of My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for my $100 gift card to Walmart!! I can't wait to spend it! I entered Kristin's giveaway a few weeks ago and was super happy to win. If you haven't seen her beautiful blog (and I mean beautiful), you must visit. She has an incredible house and lots of great ideas to share.

I just finished these sweet letter blocks as a custom order for a friend of mine. It was lots of fun and guess what? Just as I finished them, I got another order for one on etsy! You may remember that I did a few of these for another client in this post.

I stamped the backs, too (something I didn't do before) and now I'm liking this little addition.

Here's the J up close...it's a little more special (added crystals and a ribbon) since it's the first letter of the baby's name.

Next, a reminder...Less than a week left!!!

The 31 Days of Hope auction began on Saturday...please support this worthwhile cause with your bids. I have two items (as a set) up for auction. My Pink Printemps Mirror and coordinating Dream switchplate, still at $1.00...spread the word!

 Click here to see what else is up for auction for this very worthwhile cause!!!  

Fun Finds at the Flea Market

Well, I did find some fun things at the flea market yesterday (not a lot, but I'm happy). I walked in with money and walked out with 2 bags full. My favorite find was an antique Agfa box camera (above). I'm going to give it to my oldest for Christmas (I don't think he reads my blog, but we'll find out, won't we?)

Four good quality wood cigar boxes that I will soon turn into jewelry boxes to sell in my etsy shop.

A very pretty vintage rhinestone bracelet. Not sure if I'll wear it for the holidays or sell it yet. Hmmm, maybe I'll wear it if I don't sell it. Sounds like a win-win plan to me.

***********And, don't forget!!!****************

The 31 Days of Hope auction began yesterday...please support this worthwhile cause with your bids. I have two items (as a set) up for auction. My Pink Printemps Mirror and coordinating Dream switchplate. Right now there's only one bid...up to a whopping $1.25...come on people!! If you don't need these, you can always give this to your favorite little girl for a gift. 

 Click here to see what else is up for auction for this very worthwhile cause!!!  Many of the items have little or no bids.

Charmed, I'm Sure...And...31 Days of Hope!!!

A few weeks ago, my sister Stacie, an incredible jewelry designer, asked me to create a "charm bar" for her. What's a charm bar, you ask? Well, it's a display for her necklaces and charms where people can select the type and length of necklace they want and choose one of her many beautiful silver charms.

She sent me a few ideas of what she was looking for and I set about the house (garage) to find something. I found several old drawers that I thought would work perfectly. It saved the time of me actually building a stand (which would probably look pretty amateurish anyway) and it lent itself a vintage, shabby chic feeling (which she wanted).

She also wanted to indicate to people that it was a charm bar (make a sign). Here's what I did:

1. I painted the drawer an off white and then sightly distressed it around the edges.

2. I hand painted the little wooden letters, the stamped them with French script and distressed the edges with ink to make them standout. 

3. Then, I figured out where to put the six hooks she wanted (I gave her a few options and she choose the one below). I painted the hooks and attached them and the letters. I also stenciled some subtle white flowers in the background.

And, the result.... can you see the flowers? Sorry, this was taken in my basement.

I also created a vintage magnet display for myself while I was at it...and I'll show you that in another post. Have a great weekend...heading to a few estate sales and a flea market this weekend after my son's soccer game...I will show you what I got on Sunday!

******The 31 Days of Hope Auction has started today******

I have two items (as a set) up for auction. My Pink Printemps Mirror and coordinating Dream switchplate:

 Click here to see what else is up for auction for this very worthwhile cause!!!  

Halloween Has Arrived...In a Big Way

Watch out! Halloween has arrived at my house...I am always inspired because every year I host my book club for our Halloween discussion. Everyone is required to dress up like a character from a book we've read that year. I decorate and also love to create some ghoulish treats for the "event." Above, I use caldrons to serve my food and in the background (just for effect) are test tubes filled with "blood." The test tubes are really old spice containers.

My family room is the most decorated every year and I grabbed most of my ideas from a party I attended some years ago. First, you'll see my house and then some pictures of the party (way over the top and beyond my budgetary and time constraints, but you'll enjoy the tour).
My buffet:

My fireplace, which looks very eery when lit up with candles at night (you'll see a similar picture from the "party" house tour below).

Now, here is the partyhouse...every square inch of the home...inside and out was decorated by a very creative and enthusiastic local interior designer. There are a lot of photos, but you WON'T be disappointed. 

First, guests received this invitation...it was based on the movie "Psycho."

Outside front yard:

Let's step inside, shall we? Front hall...That's "Mother" getting guests a key.

Now for some random inisde scenes before we step out to the back porch and back yard:

Now to the back porch and backyard....

Bar and cold drinks housed in a coffin...

The view to the water...notice the ghost on the pier...

So, I told you, you would love it! Use these ideas to go all out or just grab a few of them like I did.