Halloween Party 2013

 

 

This past weekend we held a Halloween party at our home and I wanted to share some of the pictures with you.  To me, the best decoration that made the most impact, was the window silhouettes.  Using white chalk, my sister drew them on black poster board.  After cutting them out, they were taped to the windows.  On Pinterest, there are links to different sites that did this same thing.  One said to put yellow tissue behind the cut-outs.  Since I couldn’t find enough yellow or even orange tissue paper at the local stores, I purchased one plastic tablecloth.  I thought I would try it out before I purchased enough for all the windows.  Come to find out, you don’t really need anything backing them if your curtains are light enough and white tablecloths works just as well as yellow.  The only rooms in our house with yellow tablecloths in the upper left room.  The curtains in this room are dark brown and didn’t allow enough light to go thought.  The bottom right room is white tablecloths and the remaining windows have nothing behind them except the closed curtains.  The curtains in these rooms are lined but they are light colored and allowed enough light to shine though.  I think they look fantastic and it costs less than $10!

 

 

I purchased complete costumes at Dirt Cheap for $5 and my husband built stands using 1X2’s and chicken wire.

 

 

 

This was another great idea!  It looked like the witchs’ hats were floating in the air!  They were hung from the ceiling using tacks and clear fishing line.

 

 

Glittery orange jack o lanterns were placed on top of the kitchen cabinets

 

 

 

With the exception of just a few people, everyone dressed in costume.  From Duck Dynasty to

 

 

some groovy characters!

 

 

Even my father in law got in on the fun in his Darth Vadar costume!

 

 

And the night wouldn’t be complete without at least one scary zombie!

Sharing with:

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll thru Life

Open House @ No Minimalist Here

Tuesdays Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

The Scoop Link Party @ The Farmhouse Porch
Project Inspired @ Artsy Chicks Rule

Be Inspired Friday @ Common Ground

Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Fabulously Creative Party @ Jennifer Rizzo

Coastal Cottage Tour

 

 

This beautiful home is located in Naples, Florida and was designed by Renee Gaddis Interiors.  I came across her portfolio while searching for the original source of a picture that I used in last week’s post on stairwells.  The first picture in that post was from this home.  To see that post, click here. 

 

 

The calming neutrals with a touch of blue is my favorite color combination!  There is a casual elegance to this space that I just love! 

 

 

The dark wood in the recessed ceiling is such a special touch.

 

 

 

 

Notice the intricate detail on the bed frame and, once again, another gorgeous ceiling!

 

 

Here’s a peak into the guest house!  I would love to be a guest here!

 

 

Sharing with:

The Scoop @ Confessions of a Plate Addict

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Spooky Halloween Mantel

 

It’s almost that time again for all the ghouls and goblins to come out!  I have been slowly decorating the house for Halloween.  We are having a costume party in two weeks and besides a few little things here and there, I’m basically starting from scratch!  It's been quite a few years since I really went all out for Halloween.  I usually just jump straight into Fall/Thanksgiving!

 

 

The living room mantel is finished and most of the decorations are from the Dollar Tree.  The cling on’s on the mirror were used on the sideboard in the dining room last year.  To see that post, click here.  I cut the pictures out of the plastic frames and purchased black frames to dress them up a little.  The frames are from the Dollar Tree as well.

 

 

To add a little more spook here, I lite a red candle and dripped the wax down the white candles.  I had to search though all the Christmas candles to find one that was solid red, most were red on the outside and white on the inside, making the wax clear.

 

 

 

Have you any thrifty Halloween décor ideas that you use?

 

Sharing with:

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll thru Life

Open House @ No Minimalist Here

Tuesdays Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

The Scoop Link Party @ The Farmhouse Porch
Project Inspired @ Artsy Chicks Rule

Be Inspired Friday @ Common Ground

Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Fabulously Creative Party @ Jennifer Rizzo

 

Judging Others

 

Source

 

Most of us have developed a bad habit of judging other people without knowing all the facts. Jesus plainly warns us: "Judge not, that ye be not judged.” (Matthew 7:1 KJV).

When we judge others, we put ourselves in God's place, taking the authority reserved only for him. We forget that other people are fighting their own inner battles and sometimes that conflict shows itself in irritating actions. But if our own behavior is imperfect, why do we expect better from others?

We can remove this kind of thinking by practicing compassion and forgiveness. Only when we treat others the way Jesus treats us will we demonstrate the kind of love He wants us to have.

With His help, we can do this. We can make a little progress every day until we reach the point that we "do to others as you would have them to do to you." (Luke 6:31 NIV)

TO CONTINUE READING, GO TO  ABOUTCHRISTIANITY.COM

Gallery Wall in Stairwell

 

Source

 

Hanging a gallery wall in our stairway has been an ongoing plan of mine for awhile.  I love art groupings or even mirrors!

 

Source

 

I do have 4 or 5 vintage mirrors stored away that I could use.

 

Source

 

Source

 

I do have more grain sacks that I could frame like the ones in the above picture or like I posted about last week.  To see my grain sack art, click here.  What I really want to do is use vintage art, or maybe a mixture of art and mirrors!

 

Southern Living

 

Here’s my real dilemma! My stairway is enclosed like the one below so I don’t wait the gallery wall to make it look too closed in.  Personally, I think the one below is a little too much for my area.

 

Source

 

What do you think?  Will it make my stairway seem smaller?  Or should I do one wall, two walls, or none at all?  Just use art work or a mixture of mirrors and art work?

 

Sharing with:

Be Inspired @ Common Ground

The Scoop @ Confessions of a Plate Addict

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Kid Friendly Halloween Table

 

 

Wow, it’s been awhile since I did a tablescape!  I’ve had other things going on and haven’t had time to play with my dishes!  Even though I’m heavily involved in getting ready for a Halloween party, I wanted to take a break and do a table with some cute salad plates I picked up last year on Hobby Lobby’s clearance aisle.

 

 

Our local Dollar Tree had a few of these cute chair covers!  I thought they were perfect for the mood of this table!

 

 

I have had these cute metal jack-o-lanterns for years.  I put one of a candlestick to elevate it a little.

 

 

The black plastic chargers have a Halloween design around the edge and are topped with orange Fiesta dinner plates.  The salad plates have a vintage look.

 

 

Even though the blue plates have that Fiesta look, they are not.  I found them at Goodwill for 59 cents each and since I didn’t have any blue this color, I grabbed them up.  Ever since I painted the kitchen in the gray blue color, I’ve had visions of orange accents for the Fall!  To see more about the new color, click here.

 

 

Flatware is Reed & Barton and the vintage goblets were a yard sale find.  Have I mentioned that I still haven’t found my groove, so to speak, when taking pictures in my brighter colored home?  Before I had trouble with too little light and now I have too much!

 

Sharing with:

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Thrifty Things Friday @ The Thrifty Groove

Centerpiece Wednesday @ The Style Sisters

Treasure Hunt Thursday @ From My Front Porch to Yours

Let’s Dish @ Cuisine Kathleen

Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Seasonal Sundays @ The Tablescaper

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll thru Life

New Orleans Style Charm

 

 

This room is so elegant and welcoming.  The neutral colors just seem to wrap you in warmth.  These rooms are from a home on Magazine Street in New Orleans and were designed by Nelson Wilson Interiors.

 

 

You can see the faux fireplace better in this picture.  I want to put one in the master bedroom before winter gets here and this is a perfect example of what I would like to have.

 

 

The French doors lead to a bathroom that was originally a closet.

 

 

I love the tile work in here.

 

 

In another guestroom, the armoire is balanced on each side with botanical prints.

 

 

What’s a guest suite without it’s own study?  I do love the artwork collection on the wall.  I have attempted to do this several times in different areas of my home but it never looks right on my walls!

 

All pictures are from Houzz.com.  To see more of this house, click here.

 

Sharing with:

The Scoop @ Confessions of a Plate Addict

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Discover the Cure for Loneliness

 

Source: Fine Art America

 

Loneliness:  Toothache of the Soul!

Loneliness is one of life's most miserable experiences. Everyone feels lonely at times, but is there a message for us in loneliness? Is there a way we can turn it into something positive?

Sometimes loneliness is a temporary condition that departs in a few hours or a couple days. But when you're burdened with this emotion for weeks, months, or even years, it's definitely telling you something.

In a sense, loneliness is like a toothache: It's a warning signal that something is wrong. And like a toothache, if left unattended, it usually gets worse. Your first response to loneliness may be to self-medicate - to try home remedies to make it go away.

Busyness is a common treatment.

You may think that if you fill your life with so many activities that you don't have time to think about your loneliness, you'll be cured. But busyness misses the message. It's like trying to heal a toothache by taking your mind off it. Busyness is only a distraction, not a cure.

Buying is another favorite therapy.

Maybe if you purchase something new, if you "reward" yourself, you'll feel better. And surprisingly, you do feel better - but only for a short while. Buying things to fix your loneliness is like an anesthetic. Sooner or later the numbing effect wears off. Then the pain comes back as strong as ever. Buying can also compound your problems with a mountain of credit card debt.

Bed is a third response to loneliness.

You may believe that intimacy is what you need, so you make an unwise choice with sex. Like the prodigal son, after you come to your senses, you're horrified to discover that this attempt at a cure not only makes loneliness worse, it also makes you feel desperate and cheap. This is the false cure of our modern culture, which promotes sex as a game, as recreation. This response to loneliness always ends in feelings of alienation and regret.

The real message, the real cure.

If all of these approaches don't work, what does? Is there a cure for loneliness? Is there some secret elixir that will fix this toothache of the soul?

We need to begin with a correct interpretation of this warning signal. Loneliness is God's way of telling you that you have a relationship problem. While that may seem obvious, there's more to it than just surrounding yourself with people. Doing that is the same as busyness, but using crowds instead of activities.

God's answer to loneliness is not the quantity of your relationships, but the quality.

Going back to the Old Testament, we discover that the first four of the Ten Commandments are about our relationship with God. The last six commandments are about our relationships with other people.

How is your relationship with God? Is it close and intimate, like that of a loving, caring father and his child? Or is your relationship with God cold and distant, only superficial?

As you reconnect with God and your prayers become more conversational and less formal, you'll actually feel God's presence. His reassurance is not just your imagination. We worship a God who lives among his people through the Holy Spirit. Loneliness is God's way, first, of drawing us closer to him, then forcing us to reach out to other people.

For many of us, improving our relationships with others and letting them get close to us is a distasteful cure, as dreaded as taking your toothache to a dentist. But satisfying, meaningful relationships take time and work. We're afraid to open up. We're afraid to let another person open up to us.

Past hurts have made us distrustful.

Friendship requires giving, but it also requires taking, and many of us would rather be independent. Yet the persistence of your loneliness should tell you that your past stubbornness hasn't worked either.

If you muster the courage to restore your relationship with God, then with others, you'll find your loneliness lifting. This is not a spiritual Band-Aid, but a real cure that works.

Your risks toward others will be rewarded. You'll find someone who understands and cares, and you'll find others whom you understand and care about as well. Like a visit to the dentist, this cure turns out to be not only final, but much less painful than you feared.

Written by Jack Zavada, contributor for About.com.  To see more, click here

Grain Sack Art

 

 

I have a new piece of art for the mud room and it’s made from a grain sack!

 

 

I love history, especially history that involves my home or family, and since my mom was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, I knew I wanted this grain sack!  My first thought was to use it on the mudroom porch but I didn’t want it to mildew because it is in perfect condition.

 

 

 

After Hunter made me a frame, I trimmed the sack to fit, and stapled it to the frame.  I used a few upholstery tacks to dress it up a little.

 

 

Do you surround yourself with meaningful items in your home?

 

Sharing with:

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll thru Life

Open House @ No Minimalist Here

Tuesdays Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

The Scoop Link Party @ The Farmhouse Porch
Project Inspired @ Artsy Chicks Rule

Be Inspired Friday @ Common Ground

Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Fabulously Creative Party @ Jennifer Rizzo