I like Halloween?

Cheap black wreath + black glitter clip-on bird from Michael's. 

So simple and yet it makes me smile every time I come through the door.

Surprisingly enough, I've discovered that I actually like Halloween since having kids. Who knew? I remember a college roommate of mine used to decorate our whole place with cobwebs and pumpkins and scary galore and I used to think, "Really? Halloween? Huh." Well, now I get it. The boys have made Halloween, along with a myriad of other things, way more fun than they ever were before. Sure, those things are usually louder, crazier, messier, sometimes grosser, but always more fun.

So I bring you my newest (right under the wire for Halloween!) spooky creation: vinyl wall art bats! The inspiration for these was twofold in that I already had the vinyl just waiting for a project and I saw a similar set of Martha Stewart bats (which cost more than the two full rolls of vinyl...).

My supplies were simple: Cricut Cuttables adhesive-backed 3mil vinyl (if you were wondering, I do not have a Cricut but just had to have the vinyl), bat stencil/template, white pencil/crayon, and scissors.

First, I found a free bat template here. If you are artistically inclined at all, you could easily freehand a couple of these. I don't trust my skills that much.
Then, I traced a couple different sizes onto the black vinyl using a white water soluble fabric pencil.

I cut them out with scissors and then played with the arrangement using scotch tape on the back. When I was satisfied with the layout, I peeled off the backing paper and rubbed them on the wall.

So easy! So fun!

And the best part? I still have 1 3/4 rolls of vinyl to play with all year round...hmmm, the possibilities.

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ennui in the kitchen

I could also have titled this post "Willing fall to arrive in seasonless San Diego through cooking"...all those blog posts out there about leaves changing, breezes picking up, the feel of fall in the air, they always make me long for just a little bit of weather here...sigh.

As the actual title implies, I have been bored silly by cooking lately. While I've been trying super hard to keep our grocery budget low and everyone healthy and full, I just can't bring myself to make the same dishes we've known and loved for so long. So this last week, I had an experiment of sorts and tried a completely new dish every night. And it was a roaring success! Not only did the kids eat everything, but my husband got seconds at every single meal...followed by a playful accusation that I'm trying to get him to gain as much weight as me :).

And, in a departure from our norm, 2 out of the 4 meals were meatless {nudge nudge, Janis}. I always want to cut back on the meat (admittedly, mostly for cost purposes, but if you'd like to believe that I'm virtuous, by all means, go right ahead). My husband is a carnivore through and through but even he loved these dishes.

So if you need a fresh start in the kitchen, here are 4 great recipes to try next week (all from the Disney Family website). I didn't even think of blogging my little experiment until tonight so there are only photos of the last meal. But, take my word for it, they were all beautiful and delicious.

Monday: Tortellini & Spinach soup

It doesn't get any easier than this. Fast, filling and a big crowd pleaser.

Tuesday: Salmon Cakes with mushroom risotto (Target brand box mix) and salad

A little more work but so yummy. Cooking in oil usually scares me but this was easy.

Wednesday: Asparagus Bread Pudding with salad

The kids didn't rave about this one, but they did still eat it. My husband and I, however, loved it.

Thursday: Chicken Chili with boxed cornbread mix

This was yummmmy and very mild. If your family likes some spice (like we do), add some white pepper and more chili powder).

What is chili without fixins?

 This bowl of chili made me so happy...

And nothing like a little Near Beer to round out chili and cornbread for the pregnant girl.

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my first mini

My first mini quilt, that is.  

And the first project I've ever bought 1/8 yard cuts of fabric for. I felt like the girl at the cut table would call me out for not being a true seamstress and I'd have to prove my worth by listing the many many yards I have at home. But that's neither here nor there...

A girlfriend of mine is getting married tomorrow - yeah! A girlfriend I've known for almost 20 years...I'm positive that we're not actually old enough to have known each other that long, but some kind of new fangled math adds it up to 20.

Besides being mysteriously young, she also has great taste.

Case in point: this is the wedding invitation I got in the mail.

Just wonderful. Spendid, really.

Well, I loved the invite so much that I decided to create a gift based on the graphic. First, I scanned the image and enlarged it. Then, I cut out the individual parts and adapted them for sewing (smoothing out the scribbles, etc.). I cut out the different parts and appliqued them to a piece of Kona muslin (I chose the size based on the frame I could find).

Then, I put it all together in my first ever mini quilt!

Minis are easy gratification and fun to do. Who knew?

This was my first time doing straight binding and I'm not a big fan.

In case you were wondering, bias binding is a lot more forgiving and easier to work with.

And, realizing that it looks (erroneously!) much like a place mat, I mounted it in a shadow box.

Hopefully, it will be a nice reminder of a beautiful wedding day.

To many many years of health and happiness!

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the details

Remember that review I mentioned awhile back? Well, I've mixed it with a little sewing. Of course.

It was great timing when CSN Stores asked me if I wanted to do this, because we really needed some new sheets for our bed. We got these and they're super soft. They're not luxury sheets but I think they'll hold up well and be comfy for a long time. Really, what more can a mommy ask for?

And while I love fresh, white linens, they needed a little something...so I ran a line of decorative stitching across the top of the flat sheet using one of the settings on my machine. Next up are the pillowcases.

I rarely use the decorative stitches but I should really do it more often. That's just a nice little touch, isn't it?

Oh, and did I mention I like a lot of white? It's a little much, I agree. One of these days, I'll paint the walls or get new wall art or get around to sctually sewing some color onto that duvet cover...

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