A Few Words.....And Some Halloween Inspiration!!

So,.......
I wanted to take a few moments and explain why I've not been around much lately.....
First, I hope you all know how much I LOVE this blog and all of you GREAT readers out there! You guys are what keeps me blogging/crafting late at night when I should be sleeping (really, I should be....)
Next, I wanted to tell you all the real reason I have been MIA so much (gasp!), well aside from the fact that there are 3 cute little girls always running around here that keep me pretty occupied.
So, I've mentioned before that I get migraines....and they suck (for lack of a better.....PG-rated word)!! Well, what I didn't say was that I get them all.the.time. Like several days each week....and recently they have gotten worse and more frequent. (if you don't know what migraines are, here's a pretty good breakdown, but I have never had an "aura" with mine.....so needless to say I'm jealous, cuz they sound pretty freakin' cool!).
Anyhoo, typically mine start with a regular headache for several hours and then advance in to full-blown migraine attack, where I need to sprinkle a box of cereal on the kitchen floor and turn on Phineas & Ferb to keep my girls happy while I retire to my closet and lay on the floor and just try to sleep it off and keep my feet against the door to keep my kids out when they run out of cereal....or till the baby has a poopy diaper....whichever comes first. Ok, I'm not really THAT neglectful.....but you get the picture. The migraine part is also usually followed by another headache or just where I feel crappy and tired for another few hours.....such a treat!
I do take a daily medicine to (cross-my-fingers) keep them away and then a medicine to stop them when they do decide to bless me with their presence....and that second one works well enough IF I catch it early enough, so, thankfully (hallelujah!) they don't always progress to the migraine attack part.
So, there it is.....I still think of you all very often and will continue to post whenever I am able or not prying my older 2 children off the baby....cuz they "just love her so much, mommy" or keeping my now-walking toddler from running (yeah, that walking-to-running thing happens FAST!) over and getting the child-safe scissors from the craft table and putting them straight into her mouth. And then, blah, blah, blah, blah.......
Ok, enough boring stuff and onto the the good stuff!!
Here are some Halloween crafts I did in the past that still garner a pretty good following and will hopefully get your creative juices flowing in time for the long-awaited, candy-filled, sugar coma night (I will post new stuff soon!):





Glowing Jack O' Lanterns and Monsters These have been SO wildly popular since I posted about them last year....and anyone can see why. Cheap, easy and they glow!!



Spooky Cupcake GhostiesThis also has a recipe for super-easy homemade fondant so you and yours little ghouls can make your own! 



Halloween Countdown BlocksWhats better to foster anticipation than letting your kiddos count down each.and.every.day.



Glass Halloween BlocksSo, can I tell you how much I LOVE finding craft supplies at Home Depot or Lowes....this is one example....



Super Yummy EyeballsMmmmmm, what more can I say?
Okie dokie, so get out there and make up some of your own ghostly goodies to display around your home!!
Have fun!!

A Few Last Halloween Ideas.....

Ok, so anyone game for 2 last great Halloween projects.....for next year, of course. But still fun to look at and keep in mind for later :)



For this project, I was inspired by Shelley of House of Smiths and her supa-cute Halloween subway art she showed here!!
So, I decided to make one to add to our Halloween decor stash this year (I like to add something each year).



I got myself a perfectly nice frame at the thrift store for a few buckaroos (just like Shelley) and painted it white (I always like to use primer first to make sure it sticks well)
Then, after cleaning the glass thoroughly, I applied my words to the back (it was cut out backwards), popped the glass back into the frame with a nice kraft paper background.......
AND



Ta da!!!
Totally cute, right?



Next up, I just fancied up a cute jar for some spooky gummy worms.
I found this SWEET blog Love Manor and they had some spooky and realistic-looking Halloween labels that I HAD to use!



So, I printed one up and then dirtied it up a bit around the edges and used my Terrifically Tacky Tape to stick it to this cute jar and then added some yummy wiggly worms to it.



YUM!!
Okie dokie, one last idea while I've got you all here.....
My friend Chanelle told me about the "Halloween Fairy" at their house and I thought that was a fantastic was to get all that candy OUT of the house AND still keep the kiddos happy. 
So, after they get home and look through their stash, they get to pick out a few pieces to keep (5-10ish) and then put the rest under their pillow (or at the foot of their beds since it's supa hard to get that from under a sleeping kid's head). 
Then, the Halloween Fairy comes and leaves them a present and takes away ALL THAT CANDY outta the house and the kiddos LOVE IT!!! They even tell all their friends about it.....and when their friends tell them they haven't heard of the Halloween Fairy, it just makes them think they are so special to be the only ones ;)
Hope you all have a spooky and safe All Hallows Eve this year and be sure to come back on Monday for a Supa Special giveaway I will be hosting!!!! Don't forget!
Have fun!

Yummy New Halloween Countdown Blocks

Howdy everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend and maybe pigged out on some yummy fried foods :)

Today I wanted to show the new countdown blocks I made with some yummy new Halloween paper from Echo Park. I LOVE this collection with all the orange and black & white!! It's great! Plus, we are making these as part of Super Saturday this year and it'll be great!

Anywhoo, I made this set awhile back, but didn't show a whole tute.....so here goes with pics and all!!

Sooooooooo, start off with 2 blocks 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" (get a 4 x 4 and cut it down.....they are really 3 1/2 x 3 1/2, don't ask me why......but that's the way it is :) You also need a 1" thick piece cut 8" x 3 1/2" for the base.Now, paint these puppies black.



Annnnnnnnd while they dry, cut out 12 squares of paper 3" x 3". Don't forget to cut a small strip for the front of the base. Of COURSE I used Apothecary collection from Echo Park and the papers are double-sided, so that means you have double the choices!!

Mod Podge the paper onto your blocks and a little strip onto the front of the base.
Then, while you let that dry, cut out your numbers (and "countdown") using your die cut machine OR you can just print them out onto the back of your paper in reverse and then cut them out by hand.

You will need: 0,0,1,1,2,2,3,4,5,6,7, & 8 (make sure the #6 can double as #9 if it's turned upside-down)
Then, glue on your numbers and the word "countdown". On the first block put: 0,1,2,3,4, & 5 On the second block put: 6 (will also double as 9), 7,8,0,1,2


After those are dry, you can seal with a few coats of Mod Podge or a finishing spray. And....


Yay! How ca~ute are these new ones!?!?!? 

LOVE IT!!!!
Anyhoo, I'm also putting these kits in my Etsy shop in case you don't have time to gather all the materials yourself (busy time of year and all).

Stay tuned.....I have a lesson to teach you all that I learned from my daughter about sharing in kindergarten......


Have fun!