Halloween is coming

So in my house other than talking about what do you want to be when you grow up, or "Kate, how old will I be when you are 12?" (yes I think Thomas has finally figured out he will always be 2 years younger after asking this question many many times!) The other topic that comes up is what do you want to be for Halloween. We still need to go out shopping for costumes but so far this year I think Kate wants to be Cleopatra and Thomas some kind of super hero.

So let's take a tour back of our Halloween costumes........

2008 camp rock girl and Scooby Doo

2007 - Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and Shrek

2006 another "fairy princess" type costume and a pirate. I had bought a generic pirate costume, but Thomas was in a major Wiggles phase - which lasted about 4 years! so when I found the captain feathersword from a garage sale we had to have that one. It got a LOT of use.

this is the after assessing the candy picture

2005 Elmo and Cinderella

2004 - a little frog, I borrowed this costume from a friend

hey, get this off of me!

Another princess year - maybe a "fairy princess" this time.

2003 - Thomas was a lion and Kate an elephant

2002 before digital cameras. I had recently gone back to work teaching and Kate used to go to the school I taught at too and wore this little uniform. I couldn't find a picture of her costume this year but she was just a 'princess' which was a pink sweat suit and tutu

2001 Little Bo Peep

I made this bonnet for her and made her a little 'staff' with a coathanger and ribbon wrapped around it. We used to go to a playgroup with some other 'new Mom' friends and this was at our party.

chasing seagulls

I don't know if I've uploaded a video to the blog before, just trying this out....

picnic on the beach with Nana

Decorating dilemmas party

I need a few ideas for decorating in my bedroom, I really like the space, wall color etc and don't want to make any big changes, just want some ideas for bedding colors, art work or other things to hang on the walls. In the next 6 months or so I can probably talk my husband into changing the ceiling fan / light fixture.




I just got these wall tiles from Southern living at home - they were one of my "free" items for having a party. Should I hang them higher, or a different way?

The tables are some we've had several years from IKEA, they serve their purpose well but I could keep my eyes out at goodwill and yard sales for some other end tables to refinish - or could paint these ones, black or white???

The lamps are pretty new - I got them from Home goods and I love them.

They are pillow shams from pottery barn that are makeshift table cloths right now. Not sure if you can see the print on the them but I like that fabric.

The white square mirror was an old southern living at home item I got from my friend Julie
the other side of the room - this ikea CD chest which is our TV stand in here. We have had this a long time and it has always been unfinished pine like this, any thought on painting it, what color or stain??

and another picture that was on my camera when I took these ones.......

This last week I found this blog post on black painted beds

Any thoughts on painting the bed / or other simple / cheap decor I could use in the room?


SO, I'll take any free advice I can get, thanks for visiting my blog if this is your first time here.
Make sure you visit Serenity Now if you have a decorating dilemma to share.

Here She is, the made over $10 chair

The official "before" - the dark wood stain and orange fabric



step one - off the rocker

step two - tear off those old cushions, easy enough

put these to the side so I can measure the new fabric to fit around pillows. I removed the buttons and old fabric. The foam and box / springs in the bottom seat and seat back was still in good shape.

yeah, now contemplate all the little staples to remove with pliers

This is where there are not more progress photos, because in a crazy act of lunacy I can not put off this project until after my back surgery on Friday, so in between laying on my couch on the heating pad I sit up in a comfy chair in my living room and take out all the tacks.

Then after another break I pull the chair out to the garage to begin spray painting. I am to lazy to sand or anything, but basically just wipe off the wood frame with baby wipes. Then 2 coats of Krylon ivory spray paint from Wal-mart. The lighting is bad in these next pictures, but really it probably needed another can of spray paint too. I did not even turn over the chair to get all the crevices and under side - it's ok I tell myself, I am going for the shabby chic look, right?

So after the spray paint dries a little I start stapling away at the recovered pillows. This was pretty easy - the chair had a groove around the back and I just pulled the fabric into there and stapled around and made sure the pattern was mostly straight. Then I hot glued some black trim around so the staples are all concealed.

Put the base cushion back on and screwed it in.

Ta da! My fancy new office chair.

Paid $10 at garage sale, about $10 on fabric and trim supplies from Hobby Lobby, $5 on spray paint. $25 for a "custom" office chair Tools needed - screwdriver, pliers, staple gun, hot glue gun

playing around with my camera software here is the before / after

Posting on Metamorphosis Monday

I am now on my back recovering from the surgery, so definitely no more projects for a while, but I am set up on the lap top and bookmarking ideas!

editing to add one more picture of the chair from the back