Pumpkin Carving!

Yesterday we carved our pumpkins as a family! Usually we carve with Mike's siblings and their boyfriends but things have been a little crazy lately! I'm sure we will continue the tradition next year! Here are some pictures:

She didn't cry when she put her hand in the pumpkin, but she didn't really like it. All she wanted to do was to eat any part of the pumpkin she could!

 It was a fun afternoon! Look how bad my pumpkin turned out! I had a little booboo with the knife so my pumpkin ended up with a gigantic nose! hahahah. We usually use pumpkin carving kits with those little knives..I used a steak knife. Bad choice. hahah. Mike had the good knife! (Obviously) he also carved Addy's little pumpkin! Super cute!

I also thought I should show you Adalyn's Halloween basket. I have had fun making little baskets for her for each holiday! Here are her Valentine's Day and Easter baskets! It is getting easier to put stuff in the baskets because she is getting so big and pretty much eating everything now!

Here is her basket:

In the basket we have a Halloween book (I have included a book in every basket! I lovelovelove books!), a pack of Goldfish, some socks, a ghost puppet, some hair clips and a new pair of slippers. They are pink cats and are super cute. She had a pair of these already but I lost one of them!  Cute basket, right?!

I have loved every single minute of the month of October. It has been lots of fun doing crafts and dressing the babe up. I can't wait for CHRISTMAS! I will be working so I won't have as much time to do all this fun stuff...but we will find some time, I'm sure! I can't wait!

Ashley

P.S This is my last week off before I return to work!!

What I made on a Sunday Afternoon

Yesterday we had the 7th annual pumpkin carve at Mike's parent's house! We started this way back in 2006 and have done it every year since. I knew I wanted to wear one of the pumpkin shirts I posted on here but of course, knowing me, I left it to the very last possibly second. This literally took 10 minutes (at the most) to make and turned out pretty cute!

I found the t shirt at the dollar store for $2.00 and the felt was 3 sheets for $1.00....so for $2.33 I made this:

I literally cut the shapes out of felt (free hand) and used hot glue to stick them on!!! I don't know if you can tell by the side of the shirt, but it was WAY too big...so I cut up the sides and tied them together to make it more fitted. I also cut the collar off because it was too tight. The chest area is still a little big but I think it turned out really cute! :) I am looking (and feeling) like a pumpkin!!! I am 37 weeks tomorrow!!

Here's how our pumpkins turned out this year:

 Always lots of fun!!!

I also quickly made this album to post the pictures from every year's carve. It originally had flowers on the inside of the plastic cover...I used an exact o knife to cut on each side of the spine and pulled the flower paper out. I replaced it with Halloween scrapbook paper I had.

 I just put the photos in and used number stickers to put the year of each carve. It is funny to see how much everyone has grown since then!!! Now we can add to it every year! ( I can't believe next year there will be a baby in the picture!)

It was a great night, as always!! Sometime later this week I will show you what I made to take over there! Yum Yum

Ashley

DIY costume Ideas for pregnant mamas!

Here are a few DIY maternity Halloween shirts I could make:

SKULL CUTOUT TEE

 FREEZER PAPER STENCIL SHIRT

CUTE PUMPKIN TEE

This one was more of what I had in mind! So cute!

We will have to see what I come up with!

Ashley

Halloween Costume Ideas....for one big pregnant mama!!

I was thinking I would just make a Jack-o-lantern tee and wear it on Halloween to work...but some people actually paint their bellies....is that weird?! Anyway, here is some of the stuff I found when looking up my costume idea: ( all of these are pre-made!)

 ETSY

ETSY

 ETSY

ETSY

 

CAFE PRESS

The last one is more of what I was thinking. I think I could re-create that, couldn't I?! The other shirts are super cute, but you are only going to wear them once so why spend $30+ to get one shipped to you?! That is just  me though...I am THRIFTY after all! :) I will continue hunting for a good DIY project....we'll see if I can find one! If not, I might have to create my own!!!!

Ashley

Our Halloween Decor

I was a little sad to take down our "fall" mantel but after I decorated for Halloween it was ok! I searched the blog and realized I have never posted about a Halloween mantel. I don't think I have ever done one. Last year I had some sticks in jars and put some crows on them...but I think that is it! I found this picture from my cellphone:

 I do see cheesecloth there...so maybe I did something but I have no idea!

All the supplies I used for this year's mantel are ALL from the dollar store!!

Here it is:

I bought 3 boas from the dollar store and made a feather wreath just like my sister in law. Her blog post on the wreath is HERE

The crows are from the dollar store too! My dad bought me the two little crows on the sticks last year at Michaels for so much money...these were only 1 and 2 dollars! Do you like the black cheese cloth!? I had white up there before but you could hardly see it!

For the banner I made...I found the tutorial HERE. It is super cute, and super easy too!

 

The skull under the cloche is from the dollar store as well.

 Here are some branches with crows on them too...I think I should have spray painted them again though, you can hardly see them!

So there is is! Halloween mantel 2012!!

Ashley

Outdoor Fall Decorating!

Here is my outdoor decor for the year!

It was very windy when I took these..the corn was blowing all over the place and I ended up with makeup all down my face because my eyes were watering...hahahahha

Mike surprised me one day with the beautiful white pumpkin! I love white pumpkins! He also grabbed some hay and corn stalks for me too!

We got the gourds and orange pumpkins when we went to a local farm a couple weekends ago! Here is a shot of me, looking like I am stealing a pumpkin. hahhahahh I was 31 weeks. I am now 33 weeks!

and here is one of my Sadie girl...posing very nicely despite all the wind!

 I love fall!

I am very excited for Thanksgiving this weekend! It is one of my favourite holidays!!

Ashley

P.S- I am going to show you guys the nursery next week! There have been a lot of people telling me they want to see it, and it is ALMOST done...so I think I will show you guys next week!!! It is obviously my new favourite room in the house!

Fall Decorating!

I love fall! I have had this decor up for a while now but forgot to post!! Sometimes I think it isn't up long enough since Halloween is right around the corner....sooo...I  need to put these up early so I can enjoy them! P.S Do you know what I am going to be for Halloween this year?! A PUMPKIN! hahahahah

I mostly decided to do the mantel this year and not go super crazy. I framed the printable I found HERE...that is my centerpiece. I added some leaves and gourds and of course the fall banner! I love it!

 I still brought out the fall pillow cover and added some stuff to the corner there.

 I love having a mantel. Especially in a corner. This is my favourite corner of the house mostly all year long...

I also added my GIVE THANKS blocks on the shelf over here...

 and added a fall-ish garland here, my acorn wreath and some acorns/gourds in the basket...I think this is what I did last year too.....(I went to go check but realized I didn't show you much of the fall decor....I had wedding brain, I am guessing that is why! hahahah)

 I added my FALL FRAMES on the window sill along with some colourful fall sticks.

 And of course have to update the chalkboard in the living room!

So, what do you think?! I love fall and all the pretty colours, so this makes me happy! I will post sometime this week about my outdoor decor too! Also you will probably see a Thanksgiving post in there too, since it is this weekend coming up. It is very early this year but I love Thanksgiving so I am not complaining!

Ashley

I joined the fall link up party at AKA Design
Go check it out! :)

The Plan for Fall...2012

So, it is September. I still can't believe it. September means back to work for me but it also means a change in season. It changes to my FAVOURITE season.....FALL. I love fall. I love the cool weather, the smells, all the pumpkin baking, Thanksgiving, decorating outside and inside and so on. Mike and I tend to do a lot together in the fall as well, maybe that is why I love it so much. We also got engaged and married in the fall! (We are coming up on a year! Can you believe it!?)

Here is my fall mantel from last year:

 I am not sure if I want to change it up completely or just change a few things. I guess it will depend on my energy level!  Here are a few things I found on Pinterest that I want to attempt this fall:

 I thought this wreath on the table was pretty cute. I think I can recreate that!

 some sort of a leaf pillow would look nice in the living room!

I thought this would be cute if I made a leaf banner. The leaves are made of newspaper

I found this free printable that I think would look nice on the mantel

I also found this cute fall printable bucket list. I think I am going to print it off. There are a few on there I know we wouldn't do (like go to a football game) but we do most of these things every fall! :)

 I would also like to try to make these yummy things:

 yummy pumpkin fudge!

pumpkin bread with streusel topping

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

And I will have to make these acorn doughnut holes again...they were a hit last fall! (and super easy)

I am definitely looking forward to fall! I am just curious how many of these things I will do/make since I will be pretty pregnant...I guess we will see!    :)

Ashley