Halloween 2013

It has taken forever for me to post but I wanted to document another Halloween.  These are just a few pictures of this year's Halloween.  I got rid of some of my decorations.  I decided that I had too much and got rid of a couple of boxes.  Luckily Marissa took most of them so it was easier to let them go.  I'm trying to keep life a little simpler.  Simpler you question?  Yes, this is simpler for me.  I didn't even unpack several boxes.  My husband felt cheated.  He likes all of it.  He was so sad when I put it all away for another year.  He likes how homey it makes the house feel.  (He's a keeper.  He'll even photograph all of it for me but he is probably cringing at my photoshop attempts.  I have so much to learn in that area.)

These pictures are some of the shelves in the cupboard in our dining room.

This is our dining room.  I love how big it is and yes, my husband and I usually eat at this giant table.  Yes, it is just the two of us most of the time.  I still love it.

  A close up of the Halloween mantel.  It's my "Ode to Edgar Allen Poe."  There are lots of birds and owls up there, old books, old cameras, a beaver skin top hat, player piano music, negatives on glass hanging from black ribbon, and watch faces.  I'm sure he would have had all those things.

 A close up of one of the negatives we found last year at Round Top.  Candice had the idea to use them as Halloween decor so she bought some too.  My husband taught me how to use copper foil and lead solder so I could use them to hang from the chandeliers and from the mantel.  Kind of spooky don't you think?

 I bought this typewriter for Candice and then couldn't part with it.  Good thing we found another one at Wimberley while I was there.  We made the crows last year.

Pumpkin pillows on the couch.  My girls and I all made the goofy ones on the right one year.

This is my pumpkin gourd collection from Jenny Gouchner.  A very talented local artist.

This is the centerpiece on my dining table.  You can see the glass negatives hanging from the chandelier in the top of the picture.  Again I stuck with the photography theme and used old pictures, feathers, old keys, and glass cloches.  I made the pictures holders by sticking wire I formed through wasp nests I glass glittered.  I think they are pretty cool.  I think you can click twice on the picture and see them better.  This is definitely not your typical Halloween decor but who wants to be predictable?

I hope you had a great Halloween.  Mine was filled with memories as I dressed up and made witches' brew in Logan's Halloween class, took grandkids to a neighborhood Halloween party for games, ate mummys (like pigs in a blanket) and tater tots for dinner with the family, and went Trick or Treating with 6 of the 9 grand children.  It was an almost perfect day.  We needed the Stringhams and Eli and Brenna for it to be perfect.

Valentine hand warmers

I've made a ton of these. They are little felt hearts that you fill with white uncooked rice and pop in the microwave for 30 seconds to heat. I have more than 28 hearts right now waiting for delivery. With weather hovering around ten degrees, who wouldn't appreciate the love? Go ahead... make some!

Valentine Exchange 2013

I'm a little late recording this year's Valentine Exchange but here it is anyway.  We had so much fun.  We each made 15 things to exchange and brought something tasty to share as well.  Too bad I only had vegetables to eat instead of all those great looking desserts and treats.

 We had fun catching up on life.

 We enjoyed eating.

 And then, enjoyed exchanging gifts and seeing what everyone came up with this year.

 We all went home with lots of great things.  It's like Christmas in February.

Here is our fun group.

 This is what I made to exchange this year. 

 Corene, who is moving to Oklahoma soon, gave magnets with inspiring sayings on them.

 Dana made potholders and cinnamon pull apart bread.  She is an amazing baker.  Her pretzels are to die for...really they are.

 Cari made cake plates for everyone.  Each one was unique.  She just had her fourth baby the end of December and this was her first outing.  She only lives a half a block away so her husband knew where to find her.

 Lisa made the best whole wheat bread and cinnamon honey butter.  Lisa is due sometime this Spring.

 Shule made a photo album so we could put out exchange pictures in one place.  She even included a picture from a previous year to get us started.

 Sara framed some Valentine subway art for everyone.  Her baby is due in May.

 Sue made a wooden heart with a key attached.  So now we have a key to our heart.

 Becky, who is literally famous for her stain glass stars, made each of us our very own star.  She is an amazing artist.

 Jill gave everyone a ziplock bag fun of fun Valentine things for our families and also a ziplock bag full of things for someone homeless that we could keep in our cars and give away to the many homeless people we see collecting on the corners.  I thought it was very thoughtful of her.

 Brenna made Chalkboards for everyone with her dad and then drew a different design on each one.  She is holding mine.  What a very talented daughter-in-law I have.

 Here's me with mine.  And in case you wanted to know, I'm still doing the diet and exercise thing but can't seem to loose weight.  I've lost 3 pounds in ten weeks... depressing really.  My husband has been shrinking daily of course.

 Heidi made a love sign.

 And Emily made a love sign too.  You can never have enough love though can you?

Stephanie made everyone felt wreaths.  She had her family helping her cut out circles like crazy.  

This is Brenna's mom, Leslee, she made little peat pot baskets filled with a little flower arrangement.

So there you have it.  A recap of this year's exchange and gifts.  The evening went so quickly that we can hardly wait until next year.  We decided that next year you could made something for any holiday because you can have too much of a good thing.  (PS.  Thanks to my husband for taking pictures for us.  You are the best babe!)

Stephanie's Valentine Decor

Stephanie always comes up with the cutest ideas to decorate her house for her exchange party. The food is always great too. Such a clever girl. She made some great valentines for creed.

Candice had her first party this year and her pictures went viral. Hobby lobby and Martha Stewart linked to her. Candicestringham.typepad.com

I loved Marissa's valentines she made for Logan.

Valentine Exchange

I framed and hung 3 prints from Steph's Valentine exchange. I like how they turned out.

My Valentine

My husband holds the key to my heart. I've known him since I was four years old. He was six. The six stands for the number of people in our family. I like to be surrounded by things with meaning.

Valentine project Complete

I'm all ready for next weeks' exchange. I used light bulb vases from Hobby Lobby. Valentine and star confetti is in the bottom. I hand formed the wire to hold the poem and hand cut and glass glittered book page star. It was mostly Candice's idea since she found the vases. I hope everyone likes them.