Valentine's Day Wreath

I decorated for Velentine's Day inside, with my mantel, but I wanted to do a little something outside too, so I threw together this quick Vantentine's Day wreath. 

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The large pink heart is from Dollar Tree, the banner is from the dollar section of Target, and a simple black frame. I simply tacked the banner to the frame, and hung it in front of the felt heart.

Simple, quick, and cheap.

It also makes me smile every time I walk in the front door, so another win! 

Just enough outdoor decor to spread the love in my neighborhood. 

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Valentine's Day Mantel

Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays! I love all the pink, hearts, and love in the air! I decorated the mantel to get the house in the spirit. 

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I used my vintage window was the backdrop again, just like my Halloween one. You can see I put some favorite photos in black frames, and fake roses with glitter hearts, in a pink vase. The pink wood LOVE sign is from Target, and the love box, is from the Dollar Tree. 

I got these glitter initials at Michael's a few months ago, and I knew they would be perfect for a V-day mantel. I love when buying things on sale on a whim works out... Months later! Haha! The felt hearts banner I made, but the hearts are from Martha Stewart's Michael's line. I just sewed them so they'd be strung together. The pink glitter clothes pins are from Target, and perfectly match the pink glitter star bursts that I got from the Target Christmas section! 

The "BE MINE" banner is from Michael's, and I just love how large it is, but I felt like I needed to fill the space it left, so I rigged up a dollar store felt heart on finishing line, so it looks like it is hung on the wall, not a string. 

The frame has some Hobby Lobby wrapping paper on one side, and a felt heart with "I Love You"  ribbon. And, of course, no Valentine's Day is complete without conversation hearts! 

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Halloween Decor

Halloween is my favorite holiday, so now that we have a home, I was super excited to decorate it for it! I have had this up since about mid September, butI figured it was about time to blog about it, now that Halloween is just 6(!) days away! 

Here is a shot of the mantel, below you can see a "play-by-play" of my items. 

 

1. Bat cut outs. I image those lucky enough to have a Silhouette could use it to it these out, but Ihave access to an old school die cutter, that I used. Dana at made cut hers out by hand.

2. A vintage window that I picked up for $10 at a local antique shop.

3. Scrap paper bunting - I just free handed shapes, then sewed them together, putting about 3-5 stitches between each piece.

4. Halloween Photo Banner -  I printed photos at Walgreen's, then cut them into squares. I wanted to print them in black and white, but I forgot. I still like them though! I used mini clothes pins from Michael's to hang them on a Halloween ribbon, also from Michael's.

5. Happy Halloween Banner - I had a Halloween sticker pack from the dollar section of Target a few years ago. I used the letters and put them onto old book pages, that I cut into squares. Then I used craft glue to attach it to more Halloween ribbon from Michael's. 

6. I bought these vases at a local antique store, to spray paint black, but then changed my mind once the mantel started coming together. The purple flowers and glitter accents are from Michael's. .89 cents each, can't beat it, for a little glitz! 

7. Black Feather Boa - I draped it across the back, in front of the window base, to give a spook factor. There are also purple Halloween lights behind the window. I got then for about $5 from Michael's, but Christmas Tree Shops had them for about $4.

8. Miniature Bird Cage - from Michael's summer clearance section, for just 1 cent! Win!

9. Paper Mâché Skull - I had every intention of covering it in white tissue paper, but I never got to it. But there is always next year! 

10. Jar of Buttons - I wanted to pull my purple, black, green, and orange color scheme to really pull together so I threw some buttons in those color into a jar to add to the effect.

11. Saranac Jug - Joe bring it home, drank it, and I rescued it from the recycling bin!

12. Jar of [googly] eye balls - I bought a pack of Halloween/monster googly eyes at Michael's.

13. Owl - from Pier 1's 75% off section! after Easter. I keep him out all year, but thought he fit in on the Halloween mantel. He is one of my favorites!

14. Candle - large purple sparkle pilar candle from Michael's Halloween section. 

We also have some pumpkins on the front porch, and of course, holiday kitchen towels. 

I love coming home to all the decorations! 

This is my first try at a holiday mantel, but I love it, and that all that counts right?! 

Do you decorate for Halloween? Share your links below so I can check them out! I love getting new ideas from seeing what everyone else is up to.  

Absence Explained

So I apparently haven't written since April, really?! Oyeee! I have no excuses for April - July, but in July we bought a house, so it all went crazy from there! I have lots of home improvement project posts line up, but before that is Halloween! Its my favorite holiday, and this is the first time with a home, so I got to go all out (as I could manage) with my decorations. Post to come shortly! 

Until then, here is our home! 😊

Camp Half-Blood T-Shirt

Freezer paper is probably my favorite craft. So quick, so easy, so satisfying.

 This time I used it to make two Camp Half-Blood tshirts for Halloween. One for me, one for the tween I babysit for. She is big on the Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus series and wanted to be Annabeth for Halloween. I've read the PJ series, and am slowly but surely working my way through the Heroes books, so I decided to make one too. 

We printed a design off the internet, and then went about freezer paper stenciling it onto orange tshirts from Michael's. We bought them on sale, her regular fit was about $3, my ladies fit was $6. 

Dana from MADE has a great freezer paper stenciling tutorial, chech it out here. www.danamadeit.com/2008/07/tutorial-freezer-paper-stencil-makenna-loves-goldfish.html

I am planning on wearing mine on Halloween too, but I'll either be Piper or Hazel, depending on what accessories I come up with between now and then! 

Freezer paper is great for custom shirts, onesies, or anything you want monogrammed! 

My tween and I have plans to make Camp Jupiter shirts next, yellow print on purple tshirts. Maybe in the next couple of weeks... 

How To Print Instagram Photos At Walgreens

So the other day, web going through my personal ocean of emails, I got one from Walgreens, that in one tiny spot advertised they were now printing Instagram photos. I immediately investigated! Before we start there are two very important steps:

Step one: Be in love with Instagram
Step two: Have a Walgreens nearby

After that, all you really need is a smartphone, tablet, or other similar device.

Download the free Walgreens app on your phone. Once its downloaded, open the app and click the photos icon. 

The photos menu gives you a few options for where to get photos from, including Instagram and Facebook.

Click the "print from Instagram" option. You will then by prompted to log in. After that you should see your Instagram photos, just select which ones you want to print, which Walgreens location you them printed to, and proceed to check out!

The nice part about printing from the app is you don't have to make a Walgreens username or password, you just put your name, phone number, and e-mail address. Once you've checked out, you photos should be ready in about an hour, and when they are you'll get an e-mail.

You pay in-store, so no credit card information goes through your phone. At my local store the prints cost .29 cents each, and because I've shopped there before I had an e-mail code for 25% off. A bargain in my book!

Then just head to your local Walgreens photo section, and pick up your super cool 4x4 photo prints!

I am in love with these cute little prints! I'm hoping to make something similar to this:

 [ Source ] 

It is an Ana White clothesline picture frame. I makes it so easy to swap out the pictures. Hope you enjoy your prints! I am absolutely addicted, and now I love Instagraming more than ever!

Polka Dot Pizza

My fiance and I love pizza! We're both born and raised in New York, so essentially "Life without pizza, is no life at all!" We actually met while we were both working at a pizza place, in high school, so pizza has always been a part of our relationship. However, now that we live in Maryland, we've realized that good pizza down here is hard to come by. This triggered us to started making out own. Its not only cheaper, but it also gives us the freedom to experiment.

My favorite to make at home has both fresh mozzarella and fresh tomatoes, but I hate having to deal with the cooked tomato skins when I'm biting into a slice, so I came up with Polka Dot Pizza!

You'll need:
Cookie sheet
Cooking spray
Pizza dough (regular or whole wheat)
Olive oil
Crushed garlic
Grape tomatoes
Fresh mozzarella
Spices
Fresh basil

Instructions:
Its very simple, start by rolling out your dough. I used Giant brand whole wheat dough, but you can use whatever kind you like. Lay the dough in a greased cookie sheet, then rub a little olive oil, and crush garlic into it.

Then take grape or cherry tomatoes, and slice them in half. Then put them onto the oiled dough, flat side down.

Slice fresh mozz and place the slices ontop of the tomatoes. I shook some dried Italian seasoning, and some crushed red pepper, before baking for 10 - 15 minutes.

Chop up basil, and when the pizza comes out, sprinkle onto.

Finally, cut up, and enjoy! I love that you can get a half a tomato in each bite, so no fighting with tomato skin! Yeay!