~Happy 7th Birthday~

Happy Birthday to our beautiful daughter...

We LOVE you very much.

Love Mommy and Daddy

~Bats, Rats and Spiders, Oh My...~

As promised...Here’s the house decorated for Ella’s 7th Birthday! We wanted the decorations to have a more old-fashion feel than scary; however I think Ella’s would have loved scarier! Maybe when she’s a little older...

These are the pictures that I made and sold on Etsy. Every picture that I made Ella would ask

" Is that for my party?"

So I made one extra on every item that I sold on Etsy...

All in all it was a great party and I had ton's of fun making and shopping for all the decorations.

Have a very Happy Halloween!

~Cemetery of fear...Or Not!~

It just 2 days before Ella’s Birthday party and we are beginning to put up the little cemetery with the fog machine and ghost. As you can see Ella doesn’t look overly scared as she dances around posing for pictures...In fact she was a little annoyed that we didn’t make it scarier.

Doing a little jig. What a ham... This one's my favorite. It reminds me of the Michael Jackson "Thriller" video. I love that video. She's so cute!

~It's All About The Scarecrows~

We live in a very quaint little town that is very family oriented. The town or school district is always hosting some kind of event/contest during the holiday’s... This year Ella’s class participated in the Annual Scarecrow contest hosted by the Windsor Unified School District and they got 2nd place...

Here are a few of the entries... Enjoy the creativity!

"The Headless Horseman"
Ms. Tom's 3rd Grade

They did an amazing job, don't you think...

"Coraline"
Mrs. "B" 2nd Grade

To all the kids in Room 13 "Great Job...YOU ROCK!"

"Jack"
Mrs. Petsahos 3rd Grade

"Frankenstein
Village Center Extended Care

"WUSD"
Transportation Department

"Where the Wild Things Are"

Mrs. Moore's Kindergarten

This one took 1st place. Wow, I loved this one!

"God Of Fire Devil"

Windsor Adult School

"Robot Dinosaur"

Mrs. Boivies Kindergarten

"The Scream"

Ms. Luna's Kindergarten

Next year this is a "must do" for our Brownie troop... What fun!

~Natural Elements~

I think incorporating the simple beauty of natural elements is one of the easiest and most attractive ways to include any season into your decor.

By using natural fiber rugs, window treatments, natural fabrics, or even twigs from the yard, I can achieve a rich and warm room without too much muss and fuss. Natural burlap wrapped around pillows can give some natural texture and seasonal pizazz!

Beautiful colored flowers in pitchers of creamy white and browns, be still my heart!

Natural things are so beautiful all by themselves in a bowl, you can’t go wrong!

I love this idea for keeping special memories! Gather sand and shells picked up on vacation and put them in individual glass containers marked with labels identifying the date and location of collection! I love the simple beauty and meaning of decor like this. Happy Fall!

~Drinks That Warm The Soul~

Cocoa Mixes

¾ cup(s) quality unsweetened cocoa
6 ounce(s) quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
¼ cup(s) sugar
1 ½ tablespoon(s) cinnamon
1 ½ tablespoon(s) pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon(s) ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon(s) ground clove

DIRECTIONS:
Our hot-chocolate mixes, made with the finest cocoa and chocolate, are a cut above most store-bought varieties. Fill jars with the mixes, cover the lids with a festive swath of fabric, and include peppermint "stirring" sticks for added flavor and color. To make hot chocolate, combine 1 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of this mix in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until chocolate is incorporated and mixture is warmed through. Serve immediately.

Make the mix:
Place all ingredients in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process just until mixture is powdery -- about 30 seconds. Be careful not to overprocess. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

This is a little taste of Heaven!

White Spiced Coffee

3 cup(s) whole milk
1 cup(s) whole organic coffee beans, lightly cracked
1 1/2 stick(s) (3 inches long) cinnamon sticks
4 whole(s) green cardamom pods
1/4 cup(s) honey
2 tablespoon(s) dark rum

DIRECTIONS
Place the milk and crushed coffee beans in a saucepan. Heat the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, about 7 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat and let the beans steep in the milk for 15 minutes. Strain the coffee mixture and transfer to the jar of a blender. Discard the crushed coffee beans. Add the cinnamon sticks, cardamom, and honey to the steeped milk and blend on high speed until the spices are coarsely ground, about 30 seconds. Strain the liquid back into the saucepan and discard the ground spices. Rewarm the spiced coffee over medium-high heat until the liquid is hot and steaming. Add rum, if desired. Pour into warmed coffee mugs, and serve hot.

TIPS & TECHNIQUES
Timesaver: Use a heavy-bottomed skillet to crack coffee beans and spices. Place in a sealable plastic bag before crushing.

Spiced Warmed Cider

1/2 gallon(s) apple cider
1/3 cup(s) dark brown sugar
2 stick(s) cinnamon
5 whole allspice berries
1 (1/2 inch by 1/2 inch) chunk fresh ginger, peeled

3 whole cloves
8 slice(s) orange

DIRECTIONS:
In a 3-quart saucepan, combine cider, sugar, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, ginger, and cloves. Heat to a simmer and allow to cook 20 minutes. Strain into a punch bowl and garnish with orange slices. Serve warm

~ I Want One ~

Where can I find a patio like this?

I'm in love!!!

~ My House is a Mess ~

So, why not dream about other houses - rather than actually painting, organizing, accessorizing or CLEANING my own home?!!? Here are a few pretty homes..................

~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY ~

I just want to wish my amazing husband a very Happy Birthday! We Love YOU!!!

Love, Michel, Ella, Shep(Lick), Thumper, Draco, Chloe, Spice and even Liberty

~ Creepy Snippets ~

If you see a spider on Halloween, it is the spirit of a loved on watching over you.

Worldwide, bats are vital natural enemies of night-flying insects.

The common little brown bat of North America has the longest life span for a mammal it's size, with a life span averaging 32 years.

In about 1 in 4 autopsies, a major disease is discovered that was previously undetected.

The Ouija Board ended up outselling the game of Monopoly in its first full year at Salem. Over two million copies of the Ouija Board were shipped.

~ Star of the Week ~

Good job! Ella was picked as "Star of the Week." So last night we filled out and decorated her "Read All About Me"

These are a few of my favorite things:

Color: Blue and Green
Animals: Bunny and Hamster
Food: Pizza
Book: Henry and Mudge
Sport: Soccer
Thing to do at school: Color
Thing to do at home: Play

Three super-cool facts about herself:

Is a good friend...
Loves all animals...
Takes horseback riding lessons...

She was so cute filling this out! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you!!!

~ Look What I Found ~

I was doing a little web surfing and found these fun notes called Lunchbox Love - positive note and fun trivia for your child's lunchbox...

Each volume contains 10 cards with different phrases and fun facts, plus 2 blanks. Credit- card size plastic case fits easily into a pocket, purse or on a countertop – making it easy to grab and give.

I just ordered some for Ella - She loves when I put surprises in her lunch!

Go and check them out at http://sayplease.com/lunch-box-love-for-kids

~ Birthday Bash Countdown ~

Its 19 days away, and I’m still in shock! Where has the time gone...? Our little princess is turning “7”, and that means damn I’m 7 years older... Oh well, I’m not dwelling on the negative! There are so many things to get done in the next 19 days. Plus I can’t forget that Mike’s birthdays in 2 days and I gotta figure what to do for him...Hmmm!

Things to do:
1. Order invitations – Done
2. Names of children – Done
3. Buy Ella’s costume – Done
4. Order cake
5. Start decorating – We just have our fall decor up, spooky decor is on its way!
6. Order Ella’s present – Daddy’s in charge of this one
7. Get more pumpkins!!!!
8. Make ghost bean bag toss game – Oh, honey got a project!! I promise to paint it!
9. Order my costume – ugh... What to be, what to be?
10. Teach dog not to eat small children!

Just a little sneak peek! We still have spiders,spider webs,birds and banners to put up. Plus a few surprises, so keep checking back...

~ The Warmth of Orange ~

As we enter fall, summer is not quite behind us yet. So a perfect transitional color from summer to autumn is orange. Deep shades of brick, medium tones of pumpkin spice, and pastel shades of melon all have a place in our homes from now through the end of November.

Enjoy!