Back in my Jr. High French class, we used to sing a song that went something like "Whoopee, c'est l'Halloween!" Translation - "Whoopee! It's Halloween!" I sing that song every year because that's totally how I feel about the season.

Apparently it's apparent.

My friends have sort of caught on. And last week, my awesome friend Aimee brought her toys over when she came for a much needed big girl playdate while the kids were at school. She has the new Cricut Explore™ (can you sense me drooling?), and we had a blast with the brand-spankin' new cut-able Cricut Decorative Window Cling, Black.


My problem, as always, is too many ideas and too much fun.  Where to even start?  So I narrowed myself by choosing a very narrow little window that still has a big impact because of the high-traffic location in our home.

This tiny transom window next to the door is a weird space I never know what to do with. I already have bats flying in my house, so spiders seemed the perfect creepy crawly choice.

Aimee showed me how to select my designs and size them the way I want them.  It is really very intuitive with the Cricut program. It's a simple matter of selecting the graphic.  It then appears on your design page.  Clicking on the graphic enables sizing and movement within the page, and while sizing, the dimensions, both width and height are displayed.  I was able to get my spider web to the exact width of my transom window by measuring my window first, then adjusting the graphic to the same width.

Maybe it's the little kid in me, but I have way too much fun watching the cutter create the designs.

Applying the window clings is SO easy! The spider web took some patience to get on straight because it's delicate, but it was worth it.

I think Aimee thought we were done after such a big project (and I absolutely should have been).  But I was all caught up in the Halloween spirit, and had fallen in love with one particular seasonal subway-art-like graphic.  So we tried that one, big, in window cling, for my mirror in my kitchen.

Things I learned:
1- The window clings look AWESOME!

2- It was too big and too delicate, so it took a long time to get onto the mirror correctly.  I love the result, but it was difficult.  Instead, I'd probably do it in vinyl on glass and put it in a funky frame and put it up for Halloween.

3 - Because it was so big, we tried to use the transfer paper (the sticky stuff like giant masking tape) that is used with vinyl application to keep the pattern straight as we applied it.  THIS DOES NOT WORK WITH WINDOW CLING! The window cling sticks to the transfer paper and will not come off easily.  It is MUCH easier to simply apply the window cling directly. Unless there is a transfer paper of some sort that is barely sticky at all, I would not recommend using it with the window cling product.  After I removed the transfer paper, putting my design on the mirror proceeded much faster and more smoothly.

4- I NEED a Cricut. My mind is buzzing with ideas.  For Halloween, the cute projects Cricut Halloween Treat Bags and Cricut 3D Pumpkins look like so much fun! I'm a new convert. That's all there is to it. :)

You and I are bound to be friends if, when I say, "Sunday night," you immediately envision gorgeous Edwardian era gowns, chandeliers, valets and footmen.  Even with the Olympics at stake, Downton takes precedence.  Did you watch last night? I mean, seriously, what is Rose going to do next? And could you BELIEVE that Edith almost went through with it?!  And come on - as if we can't see what's going to happen with Mary. 



I desperately need someone with whom to discuss, gasp, giggle and conjecture.  And share favorite Dowager Duchess quotes!

I was recently asked to be a Downton "expert" guest host on my husband's popular podcast, The Shrink Show, when they covered "The Psychology of Downton Abbey." (click link for show). We covered everything from the time period, to appeal of the show - including the touchy feminism topic.  I was humiliated after recording to realize a huge flub on my part, when one of the show's hosts got me confused about a character name.  How embarrassing!
One thing I claimed on the podcast was that among the biggest draws of watching are the opulent visuals.  The costuming, the Abbey (Highclere Castle, if we're being accurate), the hair - ooo la la! Eye candy! Admit it - part of the reason we love to watch is to see what Lady Mary is going to wear to dinner! Ralph Lauren himself was so inspired that his Fall 2012 line was introduced to the Downton theme music. And since my youngest tells everyone that I'm a "Designer," I'll admit I'm in the process of trying to figure out how to achieve Downton inspired Easter Dresses for my girls this year.  I sure wish they'd show more children.


Once we're all sitting around in our Edwardian attire, we realize how pedestrian our surroundings are, eh? At the House of Antique Hardware Blog, they've come up with a Downton Abbey collection to bring the decadent decor home.  I love this line from the blog; "hardware is like jewelry for the home," which, if it's true, no one knows jewelry like Downton! 

Now, typically, my decorating style is decidedly not Highclere worthy, but so many of these pieces are charming!  I'm looking around my house wondering where in the world I could possibly put a chandelier.  Just a few episodes makes it pretty clear that everyone needs a chandelier, right? And a white tie.


















What does it say about me that I think the downstairs collection fits best in my house?  And how cool is that bell?

So, who wants to join my Downton club? We can hang a chandelier.













*This is a sponsored post, but all opinions expressed are my own.

My book club gave me this pin.  It's not that I'm not a movie fan - because I love movies.  It's just so rare that movies get anywhere near the experience of the book.  When I read a book, I feel like I'm walking around in the world and I'm smelling the smells and feeling the wind or the rain.  It's  immersive.  Movies rarely hit that level.

I make exception though for all of the Middle Earth films.  I'm going to go all fangirl when I talk about it, but that world is so exquisitely well done, down to every minute detail, that I can't help but believe.  And oh, how I'd love to go there!  The Middle Earth tour in New Zealand is definitely on my bucket list.
I can settle for the next best thing though and create my own little piece of gorgeous with some hints of the Shire in my home.  I found this blog post about Middle Earth inspired hardware pieces that inspires me to put the same attention to detail in my home that Jackson put into his sets.  The website is called House of Antique Hardware, and the post is called Create your own House Under the Hill.  All of the pieces evoke somewhere not only ancient, but also mystical.



Everyone who comes to our house lately knows our doorknob is completely screwed up.  How fantastic would this be for a replacement?




This collection satisfies both my yen for fantasy, and my Frank Lloyd Wright sensibilities!









But as much as I drool over this decor, the coolest ideas I got from the article were incorporating hardware into costume design.  If you know me at all, you know how much I LOVE making costumes, and with the new Spring Comic Con just around the corner, and my kids already bugging me about costumes, I'm so intrigued with the ideas to use hardware more creatively.  I love the suggestion of using this pull as Elrond's broach! Super cool idea.  Check out all the fun ideas here!

I can use all the ideas I can get to top last year's Comic Con!  Luckily we had Halloween costumes to draw on, and it was our first Con, but the bar has been raised. When people were stopping our Hobbit to get their pictures taken with him, it sets a precedent.  This year, FULL ELVEN ARMOR!  Seriously.  Because we obviously take our LOTR seriously.  (We won't even mention my Legolas standee.  Nope, we won't.)

I adore Autumn!  The colors of Fall are my colors, and I'm not sure my house ever looks better than it does in the autumn.  One of my favorite decor items are gourds - mostly just the plastic kind from craft stores, but I do have a few pretty real dried ones I've bought.  Last year, my wonderful neighbor noticed my love of gourds and brought me a bunch of fresh gourds from the garden.  They were beautiful!  (I wish I'd taken pictures)

 I had about a dozen assorted sizes and shapes that I spread throughout my different Fall arrangements.  After Thanksgiving, I didn't want to just throw them out, so I decided to try my hand at drying out and preserving the gourds.  I did some research online and went to work.  I set aside an area in my backyard and set the gourds out to dry.  From what I read, the main concerns are air circulation and moisture drainage.  The gourds can't sit in water, and they must have constant air circulation.  Temperature can change - they can even freeze - but no standing water or stagnant air.

As the water leaves the gourds, mildew forms on the surface and then dies.  This creates designs on the skin that discolors the gourd.  In order to minimize this effect, I tried one of the suggestions to periodically wash my gourds with a bleach-water solution to remove the mildew build-up.  Even though I read that it was ok for the gourds to freeze, I was afraid of how wet they'd stay in the snow, so I moved them inside to my basement after they got past the initial wettest stage (which my kids call the "stinky" part).  Despite equal treatment, at the point of moving to the basement, my gourd count was down by half.  None of my gourds that were similar to pumpkins in shape made it - they got mushy and rotted.  One of the instructions I read explained that in order to dry a gourd, it needs to have a stem of at least 2 inches long.  My gourds with stems fared best, so this is good advice.  After their time in the basement, the surviving gourds were down to 3.  They are a good three though, so I'm still happy!

The largest of the three gourds is my favorite of the whole group, and I knew I wanted to do something special with it.  I read about carving gourds, painting gourds, staining gourds - WOW - I had no idea of the gourd crafting out there!  But what I had in mind was a little bit different.

This is what my gourd looked liked when it was all dried and ready to go.  I read that it needed to be prepped by rubbing it down with some steel wool, however, my husband used all our steel wool to stuff any exterior holes to prevent voles from burrowing around our house, so I resorted to a super-fine sandpaper.  It took off any of the peeling skin left from the drying process and prepared the surface to receive paint.  I should note that when the gourd is dry, it is very lightweight and often rattles with the dried seeds inside.  It feels very fragile, but I've read that it is as hard as some woods.

After my gourd was sanded, I drew designs on it with pencil.  Then I carefully traced over my pencil designs with hot glue.  This was quite the adventure since by the end my hand and arm were shaking from trying to hold steady and get a smooth bead the whole time!  When I look at this project, I can instantly see the difference between where I started and where I ended based on the quality of the line!

Here is a close-up of the design on the surface of the gourd.

Next I spray-painted my little friendly gourd.  The first coat of paint I wasn't too smart and sat it on the ground.  For the next coat I wised-up and hung it in our tree so I could get the bottom too.  I thought I was going to stick with this color, and even finished it up with this color, but then ended up not liking it after a couple of days living with it.  I didn't like it glossy, and the color was just not as deep as I wanted it.  So I grabbed an acrylic dark brown that I had on hand and brushed on a coat.

To achieve the final finished look, I used a watered down antique gold acrylic paint to create a wash that would make the design stand out and give it a little sparkle.  I'm still wondering if I should have gone a little darker with the brown, but overall I'm quite pleased with my silly little gourd project!  I'm so glad my fabulous neighbor brought me some fun gourds so I could play!!  Not quite as pretty as when they're fresh out of the garden - all harvesty goodness, but still fun.

Just a quick little funny decoration I made for a baby shower at my house.  I wanted something to accentuate the tall double arches in my entry hallway.  I cut three different sized circles from double-sided card stock, cut daisies from white with centers from the same cardstock as the circles. I then connected the circles and daisies in random ordering using a needle and thread.  I sewed a hole in the top of the circle, knotted the thread, let the thread run down the length of the circle before poking another hole in the bottom and knotting it again, and then repeating the process to attach subsequent shapes.  Each strand of circles and flowers was sewn to a strip of grosgrain ribbon, to create the garland.

I was really pleased with the way it turned out.  It was in constant, gentle motion and looked very sweet.  I had only two issues.  First, I attached the ribbon to the arch with scotch tape, which looked really tacky - as you can see clearly in the photo.  If I hadn't been pressed for time, I would have run to the store for some removable double stick tape so that it didn't show.  Second, I cut out enough to do both arches, but ran out of assembly time.  It took A LOT longer to put together than I anticipated.  Otherwise, I think it was so much fun that I'm inspired to repeat it with variations for other events.  Hmmmmm, Lily's birthday is coming up....she wants a horse theme birthday.....oh the possibilities.