Into the blue

I have another itch. This just isn't doing it for me...

The stairwell wall/art ledges

It's too bland, and with the painting of the banister to brown velvet (like the bathroom cabinets) I'm thinking of painting this whole wall a rich shade of midnight/cobalt. Some inspiration...

sources (from top left): Isabella and Max Rooms, Emma's Design Blog, Pottery Barn, Decor 8, Isabella and Max Rooms

What's great about this shade is that it works so well with gallery walls. I love this example  from West Elm because it really shows the elements I would incorporate - varying light & dark wood tones, white baseboards, gray tones & art collages...

source: West Elm

I picked up these Valspar swatches from Lowes. I'm leaning towards Motor City Blue. What do you think? I used their online painting tool to see what it would look like...

I'm also a little torn on what to do with this large wood section lining the stairs. Brown velvet, like the railing or white like the baseboards? I'm leaning towards white I think.

Perhaps I'll also add a backsplash of the color next to painted linen cabinets in the nearby hallway.

 

After missing out on this picture lot I was lucky enough to find another one. Mix in a couple of photos and I have a pretty good gallery wall here. The wall up the stairwell is 8 feet wide so I think it will yield the dramatic feel I'm looking for.

A collage of white

It's back to normal at the homestead after the Halloween party madness. I did some shuffling of decor, starting with the window inset between the living room & kitchen nook.

The key to decorating with white is mixing different shapes, textures and heights.

- Have a lovely weekend.

Trend: numbered tableware

You know how much I love numbering things. Enjoy the round-up!

napkin rings
tile coasters
plates
napkins

Halloween party

The edible blood drops on the cupcakes were created using corn syrup, coco power & red food coloring

I cooked a lot this year. The menu consisted of...

Murderous mushrooms

stuffed with crab, roasted red peppers, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese & garlic

Skewered Curry Chicken & Mango Chicken Sausage

served with apricot greek yogurt dip

Cheese Platter

Brie with cabernet jelly & almonds. Chèvre with dried cranberry & pistachios.

Torta with pesto, sun-dried tomato & cream cheese

Spanakopita

chopped spinach, ricotta & feta wrapped in phyllo dough

I displayed cards with food descriptions (right). The cupcakes were stacked on the dessert tower from our wedding (left)

and for dessert...

Red velvet cupcakes (pictured above) & Vampire Bite sugar cookies:

My brother's girlfriend, Melissa was also sweet enough to make these amazing cake pops & chocolate covered oreos!

That's her on the left with my brother Ryan. Aren't their costumes cute? She made those as well from the cartoon Invader Zim.

I can't believe she got my brother (the eternal wearer of black) to wear pink

Bob (best man at our wedding) made his own Dwight costume from The Office

A team effort here, pregnant teen couple from the movie, Juno & Cruella DeVille

People's creativity just amazes me sometimes. Gotta love the timeliness of the Chilean miner. Britni (right) made her own proton pack (Ghostbusters). It lights up and everything.

Can you find Waldo?

Here's me & Mr. Poli - or more appropriately the king of the castle. He's been growing this beard since we got back from New Orleans, especially for this costume. So glad he shaved it!

Are you a True Blood fan? This year I dressed up as Bill's ex, Lorena, complete with vampire tears of course. Isn't it cool when they cry blood? I even had time to give myself a vampy manicure= 1 coat black polish + 1 coat pearly red polish + black tips.

It was so nice to see our friends and family. This is why I love parties!

Halloween decor

Our Halloween costume party was last Saturday. We had a much better turnout this year than last year's party. I'll be posting the recap in 2 parts - the decor details and the actual party.

If you recall the inspiration board, the theme was antique paper, black & white. I really didn't spend much in terms of decorations this year, which can be good because it forces you to get creative! I searched through my cabinets and found quite a few things that underwent spooky makeovers.

Here's the fireplace mantle, which features the glam pumpkins & the evil building blocks I posted earlier. The pumpkins are resting on candlesticks from Ikea that I wrapped in black tulle. See, common decor items get a spooky makeover.

This birdcage was used as a cardholder from our wedding. Last year I spray-painted it black. It made a 2nd appearance this year.

The bar in the dining room even got a seasonal makeover. I made these rorschach test pages using antique paper and black craft paint. Simply fold the paper in half, add a couple of drops of paint, then refold & press firmly. While trying to decide how to display these, I started thinking about how crazy people in movies always have these wild paper collages on walls. I somehow came up with this idea of weaving them in this yarn spider web, sort of symbolizing the complexity of the human mind. This isn't a real quote, but it seems like it should be...

I reused these potion bottles from last year and here's one of my bleeding candles. I did a couple without the script paper because the paper tends to smoke a bit more when burned.

This is the wall cutout between the living room & the kitchen nook where I created The Dead Sea display.

With the exception of the glitter skull, all these items were scavenged from around the house. Never underestimate the decor power of recycled canning jars & wine bottles.

The hor d'oeuvre table featured some creepy vintage illustrations, using picture frames I already had on display.

The effect at night looked like this:

Part II - The Party - coming up!

Monday link love

Two gorgeous things... This photo makes me want to experiment with lace & photography.

source: From Me to You

 

 

source: Snippet & Ink

I'm over the moon for this Quoth the Raven inspiration board. Gothic loveliness indeed.

Top 10: Scary films

One of the 12,345 reasons why I love October is all the scary flicks on TV. I'm always game for a good horror film. Here's my list of favorites...(in no particular order)

LOVE this poster BTW.

Stanley Kubrick's The Shining

It's long, it's slow, but there is just something that creepy you about a slow zoom shot focused on nothing but Jack Nicholson's unhinged glare. The minimal soundtrack just adds to the overall creepy feeling you get, knowing that something sinister is unfolding just below the surface.

Poltergeist

Ghost & haunting flicks are my absolute favorite and this one is a classic. This film portrays how I feel about the paranormal - it's both exciting and frightening. It starts with the playful stacking of chairs and then you have a freaky portal to the other side coming out of your kid's closet. And just when you think it's all over...

Return of the Living Dead Part II

While there are countless zombie flicks, this one remains my favorite. The zombies are oozing slime, it starts in a graveyard and who doesn't love the goth-obsessed 80's punk rockers? And it's full of classic one-liners. Favorite: "Send more ambulance..."

The Haunting (1963 version)

Perhaps you've seen the horrible 1999 remake of this film. Do yourself a favor and watch the original. It's a psychological thriller that leaves you feeling uneasy. It will make you question every sound you hear in your house at night.

The Evil Dead

Technical filmmaking aside, Sam Raimi's early work is still impressive and features one of my favorite horror actors - Bruce Campbell. Although the sequels/remakes aired more on the slapstick/humor side, the original is totally suspenseful and scary. I mean a tree rape scene? You'll never wander into demonic woods in the middle of the night again.

Mr. Boogedy and Bride of Boogedy

This is for sure my most obscure choice. It originally aired on Disney's Wonderful World of Disney, hosted by Michael Eisner in the 1980s. It featured the early talents of David Faustino & Kristy Swanson. It's the classic tale of a family hoping for a fresh start in a home that turns out to be haunted. It totally scared me as a kid, but remains a guilty favorite as an adult. Unfortunately Disney hasn't released it on DVD (bitches) but you can watch both Mr. Boogedy & it's sequel, in parts, on You Tube.

The Blair Witch Project

Okay, before you get all judgy I have to explain that I watched the Sci-Fi special on TV, then saw the film in the theater BEFORE all the hype. This film was the first of its kind to hit the mainstream and I totally fell under its spell of documentary-style realism. I remember feeling so desperate & scared for the people in the film. That and I'm pretty sure that going camping the next week didn't help either.

The Watcher in the Woods

Yes, another Disney film but hey it's good stuff. Mysterious lights from the woods? A creepy old lady haunted by the disappearance of her daughter? At first you think ghosts, but the truth is far more out of this world.

Thirteen Ghosts (2001 version)

I'll admit, the plot has giant gaping holes and the acting is pretty craptastic, BUT (and that's a big but) the ghosts are REALLY scary! They flash & flicker and jump out at you. It's like wandering through a 90 minute fun house.

The Descent

This was the first film we watched with our new surround system and it did not disappoint. A group of girls go spelunking only to find mysterious creatures below. The part I found most terrifying is that the interpersonal relationships between the characters are shaky at best, and when you're stuck in a pitch black hole with no wiggle room, trust never seemed so important.

Style Parade 10.22.10

So hey. Check 'em out. The riding pants paired with (no surprise here) riding boots. I am a serious coat collector. I love this one because of the print & modern cut. Plus it's not too heavy, which is nice for California winters. Although it looks a bit more gray in this pic, it does have a bit of blue hue to it.

I added this olive jeweled necklace for a little bling. I don't normally wear lipstick, but I love this burgundy shade with my hair color. It's so rich. I've had these riding boots since forever. They're from Mervyn's. Now you know they're old when the company went out of business.

Coat: TJ Maxx; $45. Stripe tunic: Old Navy; $8. Riding pants: Old Navy; $6. Boots: Mervyn's; $70ish. Necklace: Forever 21; $9.

Fit Test {pants}

riding pants, skinny cords, harem pants; Gap & Old Navy

Momma needs a new pair of pants. My wardrobe is sorely lacking in the pants department & with cold weather on the rise I'm thinking one new pair will do. I really want something stretchy and different from what I have in my closet - but versatile too. I tried on a pair of riding pants at TJ Maxx & they were awesome! Fitted in the legs, but blouseny (yep, just made up that word) or loose-fitting in the hips with little front pleats. Unfortunately they had a huge stain on them. So sad. Anyway, they're great for boots (obviously, they're riding pants!) and fit well on my hips.

Another option is the harem style, although I'm concerned this style might be short-lived. That and it might look like I have 'droopy drawers'. Again, it depends on the fit. I've been having luck so far with skinny styles, as long as they're paired with longer tops or tunics. I've been wanting some dark blue velvet pants, but haven't found anything in my budget.

....

-The verdict?-

After trying on all 3 styles, the riding pants won. The skinny cords were an absolute joke. I'm quite baffled by ridiculousness of these pants. I'm not a large woman, but saying I felt like a "stuffed sausage" is an understatement. Shame, shame on the person who made the decision to construct these pants. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the harem pants in fact felt like 'droppy drawers'. Just awful. The riding pants weren't 100% what I was looking for, but good enough. I was looking for some sort of magical hybrid of the riding & harem pants that probably don't exist in the real world. Normally I don't settle, but the Old Navy riding pants were $6. Yes, 6 smackers. Anyway I'm happy with my purchase & I'll be posting how I styled them a little later today.

DIY Evil building blocks tutorial

If you recall, similar blocks were in this year's Halloween inspiration board. These were very simple to make, and inexpensive too! $3.


Supplies:
-(3) 2" wooden blocks (available in the woodworking section at craft stores)
-black & antique white craft paint
-foam brushes
-painter's tape
-mod podge
-exacto knife
-BOO word template (click on the image below)

Instructions:

1. Using the foam brush, apply 2 coats of antique white paint to all 3 blocks.

2. Meanwhile, print the BOO word template on computer paper & cutout using the exacto knife.

3. Using the painters tape, make a triangle shape on opposite sides of each block. Paint the top of each block and the triangle sides black (2 coats).

4. Using very little black paint and the foam brush, edge the corners and the sides of each block. Remember, you're adding a rough texture here so don't apply a lot of pressure. Brush very lightly and layer using long strokes.

5. Using another foam brush, apply a layer of mod podge to 1 (non triangle side) of the block. Carefully place your 'B' letter cutout. Apply 2 coats of mod podge over the top.

6. Repeat step 5 for remaining 2 blocks. 

Style Parade 10.20.10

I've had this vest for years. Perhaps 8? I've worn it once. Until today. It's uber cool because it's reversible! See...styled 2 ways.

style 1: cloth side out - cool & casual

style 2: fur side out - casual luxe

Ultimately I wore it today styled like #2, mainly because I felt like packing on the jewels...

Faux mink vest: Old Navy. Gray top: Target. Boots: Franco Sarto (purchased Off-Broadway shoes). Bracelets: JC Penny, Forever 21. Rings: Forever 21. Necklaces: Forever 21 & Urban Outfitters.