Spud Bar

I've been holding on to this post for a while. Now that we're in the midst of football season, and the World Series is just around the corner, I thought this was the perfect time to share it.

Check out this fabulous, interactive SPUD BAR spotted on Jubilee Events. So many great toppings to choose from, displayed in a style fitting for men and women. They not only included baked potatoes, but tater tots, mashed potatoes and potato wedges, too. Bookmark this for Superbowl, too!

Copy Craft: Halloween Hand Soap

When I saw this idea on Oopsey Daisy, I thought it was so cute and I knew it would make the perfect Halloween treat for the girls' teachers. After all, they're always looking for extra supplies, and the kids will get a kick out of washing their hands from a pumpkin dispenser.

Since I don't own a Silhouette machine, I had to really compromise. I made mine with black duck tape, and I was able to find orange tinted hand soap.

Here is what I used:

• Hand soap (Target brand, purchased at Target)
• Black duck tape
• Green curling ribbon (already on hand)
• I ended up using Goo Gone to get the label completely off (3 oz bottle from Dollar Tree)
• Scissors
• Pumpkin template here

Once you remove the back and front labels, cut out the template. I taped each little piece to the duck tape, then cut them out, and position them on the soap dispenser. Finish with a ribbon or curling ribbon. So cute! The girls are going to deliver their "pumpkins" on Friday!

Linking to:

Annual Pumpkin Parade Party

Cupcake Liner Halloween Crafts

Cupcake liners have become a craft staple. Here are some inventive ways to use cupcake liners to add Halloween fun to your home. Click on the links below to find the complete how-to on each project.

Halloween topiary by craftown.com; Friendly Ghost by Made by Munchie's Mama; BOO Wreath by The Crafty Life; Witch hats by Half Baked; Candy Corn topiary by Made by Munchie's Mama; Batty String Lights by The Hazel Bloom

This Week's Tip-off: MyPartyIsOver.com

This website is a long-time coming! MyPartyIsOver.com is a place where you can sell your used party goods, or find party goods for cheap! So many of us spend so much time and money putting together our celebrations, that it's great to have a place that is able to give them extended life. And it's certainly not as overwhelming as eBay.

**Take Note: Until the end of this month (that's only a few more days!) you can post your party goods for FREE**

Make sure to check out this valuable resource before and after your parties!

Merry Monday: Boy Meets World Sip n' See

Sneaker lace-up napkin rings, yo-yo flowers and globe-inspired accents. When I first spotted this party on The Party Wagon, I totally fell for all the DIY details in this cute Sip n' See. For those of you not familiar with a Sip n' See, it's a get-together for friends to "sip" a celebratory drink and "see" the newborn baby. It's not as formal as a baby shower, but it's convenient for the new mom to get visits done all in one "sitting" rather than have visitors consistently pop in.

Designed by Pink Peppermint Paper, this adorable Sip n' See went with a "Boy Meets World" theme, using map patterns intertwined with little boy influences. Here are a few of my favorite details. Make sure to see the rest of the party at Pink Peppermint Paper's Blog.

Fall Fun Tree List

Get ready for Fall fun!

A couple of days ago I took down our "Summer Fun List." I loved doing it because it really gave my daughters a good perspective of how much we actually did over the summer. (i.e. They couldn't whine "we didn't do anything"!) But, when I took it down, they asked, "So, are we going to do it again?" Honestly, I didn't even think about doing one for Fall, and I don't know why! Fall is my favorite time of year, and it's packed with things to do: harvest festivals, pumpkin decorating, nature crafts, Halloween, etc!

There were so many ideas floating around blogland for Summer Fun Lists--but I didn't see one for Fall. So, I put this Fun Fall Tree List together. Instead of an actual list, I thought it would be fun to add "leaves" to a bare tree and watch it get full. The girls love the idea, and can't wait to get started!

If you want to hang your own "Fall Fun Tree" you can download the tree image here. For the leaves, I used a template from Rebecca's Fall Leaf Layout at About.com . I put together some leaves for you if you want to print them out on colored paper like I did. You can download the pretyped leaves here. You may also want to refer to the leaves for activity ideas.

This is the first Autumn weekend, so start filling up your tree! :)

Linking Up To:

Lolly Jane Boutique WGW #30

Be Different Act Normal Show & Tell Saturday

Skip to My Lou Made by You Monday

Tip Junkie Homemade Projects

Get Your Craft On

Blue Cricket Design Show and Tell

Whatever Goes Wednesday

Hookin' Up With HOH

Tidy Mom I'm Lovin' It

504 Main Tickled Pink

Feature Yourself Friday

Whipperberry Friday Flair

Fall Welcome Jars

Did you see this super adorable project on Eighteen25 yesterday??! I have warned the family not to throw any bottles into the recycling bin. I have plans to make this as Thanksgiving decor. I'm envisioning one bottle with a small "give" and the rest spelling out T-H-A-N-K-S. So cute and a great recycling project, too.

Created by Somewhat Simple, you can find the original post here.

Glitter Tablescape

Who doesn't love some sparkle in their life?! Hey Look did a fab tutorial on adding sparkle to your party table with these great DIY glitter projects for (who else??!) The Glitter Guide. Projects include tea light holders, menu cards and napkin rings. The ideas are perfect for the upcoming holidays, dinner party or girly get-together. Get the full how-to here.

Pumpkin Juice w/Printable

A great idea gets recycled. That is definitely the case here!

Remember this fun "Love Juice" idea that was featured on Tatertots & Jello for Valentine's Day? I actually made them for my girls' preschool class and they loved it. Well, I'm taking that idea and modifying it for Halloween. The Love Juice now becomes Pumpkin Juice!

What you need:

• Small bottle of water
• Green curling ribbon
• "On the Go" drink powder packets. I used Market Pantry (Target brand) in Tangerine Strawberry flavor. It was a bit on the red side. Next time I'm going to try the regular Tangerine flavor.
• Black Sharpie
• Hole puncher (not shown)
• Straw (not shown, optional)
• Pumpkin Juice labels (Download word doc here) (Download PDF version here)

The directions are very easy.

• Remove the label from the water bottle
• Draw a Jack O'Lantern face on the water bottle with your Sharpie
• Print out the labels either on Avery labels, or on heavy white paper, and affix to packets
• Put a hole at one end of the packet. *Be careful not to get too close to the inside of packet to avoid opening the contents.*
• Cut a long piece of curling ribbon and put it through the packet's hole. Before you tie the packet to the water bottle, put the straw in place first, and then tie the ribbon on–also securing the straw to the bottle.

The kids will get a kick out of seeing their pumpkin get its color! (I poured the whole packet which made the color and taste really saturated; just pour in half the contents) Renee and Siena are already enjoying their bottles!

Linking to:

Blue Cricket Design Show and Tell

Night Owl Crafting Hoo's Got Talent?

Southern Lovely Show & Share

Someday Crafts Whatever Goes Wednesday

733 Sugar & Spice

Hookin' Up With HOH

Under $100 Linky Party

Frugalicious Friday

I'm Lovin' It

Feature Yourself Friday

Sassy Sites

504 Main Tickled Pink #66

Whipperberry Friday Flair

Lolly Jane Boutique WGW #30

Pity Party 55

Be Different Act Normal Show & Tell Saturday

Skip to My Lou Made by You Monday

Tip Junkie Homemade Projects

Get Your Craft On

Annual Pumpkin Parade Party

Merry Monday: Apple Themed Shower

Tis the season for apples! Red or green, apples are a great item to incorporate into a Fall party. Remember these ideas I posted here?

Here is a darling apple themed shower from Katie Grace Designs. Even if you don't do a full apple themed party like this one, there are many great take-away ideas using apples.

Visit Katie Grace Designs here to see the rest of this pretty shower.

DIY Candy Corn Vases

Here's a great reason to finish off that bottle of wine! I simply love these candy corn bottles. I'm always looking for Halloween decor ideas that aren't creepy or scary. Adding one or three of these bottles will add Halloween fun to your home that's subtle, yet chic. Fill with black roses or branches for your table or mantle. You also can use this idea in different colors for any time of year or holiday!

From The Swell Life, get the full tutorial here. And while you're there, check out the rest of her Halloween ideas!

DIY Lentil Frames

Add the look and texture of Fall to your home using something that might be in your pantry–lentils! From Choose to Thrive, I love the organic textures and colors of these frames. Perfect for any room in the house.

Find the full tutorial here.

Cupcakes for Dinner!

With the cool air settling in at night now, the cravings for "comfort food" are coming on strong! Comfort foods like meatloaf and potatoes don't always make a great presentation, unless of course, you turn them into adorable cupcakes like this! Skinnytaste.com has turned meatloaf and mashed potatoes into cupcakes you could have for dinner! A great idea for a dinner party or even to get your kids to eat meatloaf. The meatloaf uses ground turkey for a leaner version of the traditional meatloaf. Get the full recipe here.

Book Page Pumpkin

I love this little pumpkin project because it fits so many themes. It's perfect for a classroom, library or book club party. But the book pages also give it a vintage feel. Make the edges black instead of orange and you give it a gothic look for an adult Halloween party.

From Creations by Kara, find the full tutorial here.

Merry Monday: Pinkalicious Party

vixenMade did a wonderful job capturing the whimsy of the Pinkalicious book illustrations for her daughter's birthday party: the flowers in the backdrop, cupcakes and wands are just a few favorites.

Even if you're not having a full party, there are great DIY projects you can use from this party to make and enjoy with your little girls. Make sure to visit the full post here.

Lanterns for 9-11

As I sat in front of the TV yesterday watching the memorial for the victims of United 93, tears streamed down my face. Renee and Siena asked me what was the matter and I had the challenge of telling two 5 year olds what happened to our country that day. I told them how mommy was in NYC that day; how the tall buildings were struck by airplanes, and how mommy won't ever get to see her friend again who was on that United 93 flight.... Needless to say, I didn't get into details, but since their Grandfather is a retired NYC fireman, I did talk about the heroes from that day, but how unfortunately there are many kids who no longer have their mommies and daddies.

They were genuinely sad as they saw their mom still tearing. Then, my daughter Renee made a remarkable suggestion that made me cry even more: "Mom, let's make lanterns and send them into the sky like in Tangled. Remember, when the king and queen missed their daughter, that's what they did and she came back!" She sounded so hopeful, I envied her naivete. But I so loved her idea, and that's what we did.

We made Tangled lanterns out of milk cartons. I cut off the top of the milk carton, and then cut out panels from each side. The girls mod podged tissue paper around the frame. I found a Tangled template here and with an exacto knife carved it into vellum-like paper and used those as the new panels. I hole punched two holes at the top and put curling ribbon through them. We used battery operated candles for safety.

So, last night we turned on each candle and tied them from our front tree when it got dark.

The girls felt proud for helping mommy, and I was proud of them for thinking of the idea. And in its own way, helped mommy.

My heart goes out to any of you who lost someone on that tragic day. I hope you are able to find some comfort and support today and each day that goes by.

Linking to:

Making Monday Marvelous

Made by You Monday

Craftomaniac Monday

Tuesday Confessional Link Party

This Week's Tip-off

I appreciate any shortcuts that make entertaining easier. If you've experienced frustration making cake balls, remember this tip I saw on Catch My Party here–use doughnut holes! It will save you a lot of time and worry! Here, they're shown as apples for back-to-school, but the doughnut holes would be perfect as small pumpkins for Halloween. Look out on my Facebook page for photos when I try these out!

Have a great weekend!

Pot of Pumpkin Cream with Printable

This is too cute not to make this season! There are so many reasons to make this cute little pot of pumpkin cream: neighbor gift, party favor, take-away after Thanksgiving dinner, or even as a thank-you treat for the teacher. I actually just saw the mini jars at Wal Mart the other day, so they are easy to find.

From The Crafting Chicks for Every Creative Endeavor, visit here for the full recipe and printable download!

Barbershop Birthday Party

I didn't post a "Merry Monday" this week due to the holiday. Since featuring parties is one of my favorite things, I'm going ahead and posting this super adorable party today. Unique theme, strong decor and bold colors, this barbershop party is so fun! What a cute idea for a child or adult. Find the rest of the photos at Half Baked.

Burlap Fall Wreaths

I hope each of you had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Although we're still getting warm weather and enjoying the pool, the end of Labor Day weekend prompts me to start looking forward to Fall and the wonderful colors and decor that come with it.

There are certain materials that remind me of Fall.... one of them is burlap. The look and texture is so reminiscent of Fall. I'm so glad it's getting easier to find in different colors.

Here are three burlap wreaths that I really like. They're giving me some motivation to start making decisions on what I want to make for the season. Do you have plans to craft any Fall Decor this season? I'd love for you to share!

From Just Sew Sassy:

Rolled Burlap and Rosette Wreath

From Craftaholics Anonymous
Burlap Flower Wreath

From A Mommy's Life... With a Touch of Yellow

Ruffle Burlap Wreath

Free Printables for Labor Day!

Like Memorial Day weekend, Labor Day weekend is filled with pool parties and backyard barbecues. If you're planning either of those, I wanted to remind you of some great free printables you can use to spruce up the decor!

From Hostess with the Mostess
Get them here

From The Celebration Shoppe
Get them here

From Paper & Pigtails at Celebrations at Home
Get them here

Whatever you're doing this weekend, I hope you get to relax a bit and enjoy the last few days of summer!

PVC Wine Bottle Holder

This is one of those projects that just makes me sigh, wishing I had the patience and ability to make something like this. (I shy away from anything needing power tools!) But how cool is this mod wine holder?! It looks great in white, but you could probably spray paint it to match your home decor. See the complete tutorial at Adventures in Creating.