Halloween inspiration from Pottery Barn

It's almost September, which means we are approaching Halloween season!!! Have you seen the latest Pottery Barn catalog? Starting on page 30 they showcase their Sleepy Hollow spread. Those DIY wheels just started turning in my brain.

Inspiration

Creepy chalkboard welcome message

Table runner with creepy tree motif. This would be a super easy DIY with some burlap & craft paint.

 Create headless portraits from old photographs.

This could easily be done in Photoshop using the lasso & clone stamp tools.

Paper bag luminaries are simple to make and cheap! You can print vintage images directly on paper bags using your home printer. Illuminate with flameless candles or string lights.

Make creepy signs out of balsa wood.

You can distress them with paint or stain, then write a message using a paint pen.

Remember my bleeding script candles from last year? Create a similar effect using pillar candles instead. If you can find them, how cool would it be to use old crime headlines? Like Jack the Ripper Strikes Again! Or even pages from the Obituaries. Imagine the possibilities...

Silhouette chalkboards for the hors d'oeuvre table. Clipart & adhesive chalkboard paper should do the trick here.

Are you planning on entertaining this Halloween season? Where do you get inspiration? Leave comments below.

365 project: 8/22-8/28

5pm the next day and I still haven't unpacked my weekend bag.

The perfect plum. Blood red center always tastes the best.

A daily dose of vitamin D is good for the spirit.

Late morning at the cafe.

 Made this ruffle necklace for Lisa's birthday.

Gary thought the ruffle necklace looked more like a mustache necklace. Lisa demonstrated that he wasn't entirely wrong here.

Super lazy summer day. Way too hot to go outside so we stayed inside playing video games.

Style Parade 8.27.11

I hardly got dressed last week. I've been sick with a cold/cough and finally started to feel better on Saturday. After living in yoga pants all week I just wanted to get dressed up and feel normal again. 

I know I shouldn't complain given all the crazy weather happening in other parts of the country, but...it's been HOT! We've had such a cool summer in So Cal that I almost forgot how miserable August can be. I turn into a cranky 2 year old when temperatures rise over 90 degrees. 

Dress: Asos $33. Purchase here.

Sunglasses: ModCloth; $12

Wedge Espadrilles: Victoria's Secret online

Earrings: I'm Your Present, etsy

Guest post on What the Frock?

Happy Friday y'all! 

Dana from What the Frock? asked me to do a guest post while she's enjoying her honeymoon in Alaska. What a lucky lady! She's got a slew of great bloggers lined up while she's on holiday, so check back for some sure to be fantastic guest posts. Thanks for the opportunity Dana!

Here's my top picks for fall fashion. Click here to see the full post.

Visit What the Frock? for details on this lovely fall look.

Confessions of a Sorority Girl

I love Netflix streaming because it's 'no risk' movie watching at your fingertips. I was browsing when I came across a title that looked so bad that it might be good...Confessions of a Sorority Girl starring Jamie Luner (please tell me I'm not the only one who remembers Just the Ten of Us) & Alyssa Milano circa 1994.

Spoiled little rich girl Sabrina arrives at Sorority High with studying the last thing on her mind. Spreading malicious rumors and splitting people up are just some of the things she finds amusing. Her behavior not surprisingly though, starts to alienate her from her fellow classmates.

Tagline: They're Smart. They're Pretty. And They're All Bad! = Serious campy entertainment!

 

As campy as it was, I couldn't help but admire the filmic commitment to the time period. I felt like I was watching one of the 1960s beach movies with Frankie & Annette. Era intact, right down to the pastel hues of technicolor & bad bluish 'night lighting'.

Fabulous classic convertible...check!
Headscarf...check!
Cat eye sunglasses & classic red lips...check!
Trunk luggage...check!

Don't you love this pink tweed throwback? So very Jackie-O.

Bad girls 'play chicken' in speed boats...

 ...and smoke cigarettes after curfew while plotting the next move.

I loved all Sabrina's outfits. I don't think many can pull off bra-like tops & high-waist shorts these days, but in context, the look is fabulous!

Target - fall home collection

CasaSugar featured Target's 2011 Fall Home Collection, which also included great items from Missoni.

Giddy with excitement for...

This ampersand, which the writer cleverly pointed out could be used as a doorstop.

I need a doorstop!

and

Black & White chevron print galore.

I'm not 100% sure if those vessels are water bottles or what, but they'd sure look swell on the bar.

I'm marking my calendar for Sept. 13!

365 project: 8/17-8/21

 Angel game with Gary & my parents

 I loved this color combo requested from a buyer. 

Gina's 30th//San Diego.

The rooftop bar at the Hard Rock was the perfect way to relax after a long drive.

This guy was cruising around the ferry landing in short pants & a safari hat. He was nice enough to let us snap pictures with his old timey bicycle.

Boutiques along downtown San Diego.

San Diego bound

This isn't my suitcase, but I wish it was! I'm off to San Diego for a girl's weekend in celebration of my dear friend's 30th. It's looking to be a fabulous weekend...hope you all have one too.

kisses,

Stephanie

image sources Greetings from San Diego // Pinterest via Katie Armour

Painted stripe curtains

Hanging curtains over the closet has been on my to-do list for a very long time. Like always, I can never find an in-store solution to a problem: A curtain that is long enough, stylish enough and inexpensive. DIY bloggers to the rescue! I came across 2 very helpful tutorials for making a painted Ikea curtain.

Painted Chevron Curtain from Kristen F. Davis Designs and Dwellings By DeVore's Striped Shower Curtain. Thank you ladies for sharing these tutorials, you made this DIY a breeze.

You will need...
Ikea MERETE curtains
Paint
Paint brush
Paint roller
Painters tape
Tarp or protective plastic
Yardstick
Pencil
(Optional)
Ikea VAGEN rod set for hanging
Knee pads or bath towel, rolled up

Instructions:

1. Layout your curtain over the tarp or plastic.

2. Determine your stripe width. For my curtain length I settled on 9 3/4", which yielded 5 painted stripes and 4 non-painted stripes.

3. Using a pencil & yardstick, mark lines on your curtain based on your measurements. 

4. Tape over your line marks. Make sure you tape on the right side of your marks! A good tip from both ladies. I used tape markers to keep track.

5. Start painting! I edged in with a brush as Kristen suggested, then filled in with a roller. 2 coats. Another good tip - remove the tape before the paint is dry. It yields crisper lines.

6. Let dry overnight and hang. The curtains are a bit stiff at first but they soften up over time.

 ............

As you can see from this picture taken when we moved in, there was only one closet door present.

The door is still present behind the curtains. My original plan was to make it a magnetic chalkboard, but I'm finding that the magnetic part might not be an option because of the glass surface. So now I'm thinking of making it a fabric covered pin board or perhaps removing it altogether.

To be continued...

Other posts about this room
sewing space
art wall
workspace
details
window panels

365 project: 8/8-8/16

 I heart these.

 The spines of old magazines.

 I imagine that Kate Spade would approve of this deck. I'm already plotting a game night with girlfriends. 

 I wonder how many age 100 cards they sell.

 Scenes from The Container Store...getting organized with my office.

 no caption.

 Earning my stripes. No really, I was exhausted after painting this curtain.

 The morning light never looked so lovely.

An afternoon with Audrey is always a delight.

DIY gift wrap storage

It seems like gift wrap storage is always a chore. I remember as a child my mom performing countless reorganizations of the gift wrap closet. Ribbons & scraps of paper from last year's Christmas - bags, boxes kept for recycling. You know, you remember it too.

I was really getting tired of this problem in my own home. I realized the problem - trying to keep everything organized in a single large bin. If you shift anything (and you will, next time you wrap something) the whole thing becomes a mess. The easiest thing to do is separate the items by function:

gift bags
tissue paper
boxes
wrapping paper rolls

The first 3 are easy because they're square and flat. So I began combing the house for a wrapping paper solution. I found this popcorn tin in my husband's office from last Christmas. Perfect.

Dump the remaining stale popcorn, disinfect the inside. Pick something to cover the outside design (unless you like the wintery theme).

Some ideas...spray paint, wrapping paper, cork, fabric, chalkboard paint, or in my case, textured wallpaper. I swear, I love this wallpaper. It was only $16 at Lowes and I've used it for everything from refacing the laundry room cabinets to covering old shoe boxes for pretty storage.

Anyway...if using paper, trim it to the size of your can then attach using a bit of hot glue on the seams. An easy practical storage solution using things you already have around the house. Those are my favorite DIYs.