Masquerade Ball

My tiny porcelain cherub could not go untouched by the grace of Halloween around this house. So, to adorn this very small 6.5 inch tall bauble, I had to crack out the tweezers. First, he needed a very dapper, vintage mask to compliment his antique winter white glow, which was constructed using a toothpick, black card stock and fingernail scissors. Then, his party hat is made of scrap booking paper, green tinsel and an elastic band. Elastic or tied ribbon is best so it can be easily removed and stored for next years decorating.


Last, what party would not be complete without a Halloween handbag. I cheated here and used one of those pieces of scrapbook stickers you buy in a pack at Michaels. Be sure to remove the sticker off the back to avoid it adhering to the figurine. Now, I am so inspired to gussy him up for New Years and Valentines Day!

Eek! a Mouse in the House

I bought this little fella at World Market in Raleigh. He sits perfectly in my fruit bowl. The only thing I had to do was make him a party hat.


His extra tiny hat is constructed out of scrap booking paper, a plastic spider and a small sign printed off the computer. He is not scary, but sweet!

Doggone "Tricks & Treats"

Okay, I could not resist decorating my dog statue in the foyer for Halloween! I was first inspired by a cat mask I saw at Target in the dollar bin. I really wanted to purchase it, but my Mother thought otherwise. Well, I can always rely on my crafting abilities to recreate a mask of my very own. So, I whipped out the felt scraps and embroidery thread and Poof! Instant doggie costume.
I could not stop there with the whole cat theme, so I took it to the next level. I made a party hat that says "Scaredy Cat". Can you stand it? This little dog is all "tricked out". I love Halloween! You can get away with anything!

A Happy Halloween Breakfast

Look! I starved Shane (my husband) to death! Was it my cooking? Early this morning I thought I would surprise my husband with a little Halloween humor by placing "Earl", my skeleton prop, in his place at the kitchen table.

Also, a few other feathered friends, Mr. Buzzard and Mr. Crow, decided to partake in the breakfast festivities. No Halloween is complete without a party hat, adorned by all.

I LOVE these totally retro black and white tea glasses! I stumbled across them at our local antique mall on Ash Street, here in Goldsboro. The booth the girl has is all vintage inspired. I highly recommend it if you have the time to check it out! You never know what you will find.

Of course, no holiday would be complete without being properly punctuated with a decoratively glazed doughnut from Krispy Kreme. In order to obtain these morsels, I had to sneak out the patio door early this morning, so that our pack of dogs would not wake up my husband. The hoops we jump through for a Krispy Kreme doughnut surprise!

A Visit to the Parker's

Before I blog about the following arrangements, let me tell you a little about the wonderful couple for whom they were made. The Parker's, they are the most ideal customers I could ever hope to work with and for. This husband and wife team together have transformed their home into an exquisite and intimate showcase. It is as if the pages of a Southern Accent magazine had somehow fallen out and manifested itself into a 3-D pop up card. Their home is truly a reflection of them, simply beautiful!




It is always easy to create when you are given such fabulous ingredients to start. This is a wonderful hand painted box the Parker's have on the sideboard in the entryway into their home. In the past, we have made removable artificial arrangements for Christmas, so it was perfect to make one for the fall season. In it I stuffed squashed pumpkins, gourds of various sizes, and wild and unruly vines, twisting and turning their way up and through the arrangement. The idea is to make it appear as though it has been growing in the woods unkempt, while nature has taken its course.

Surprise! What do we have here? Why it is the Parker's granddaughter. She is precious! She was so excited to show me that she and Ya Ya (aka Mrs. Parker) had decorated for Halloween. It began as a plain white tree, which they purchased from my store (nice start) then, they added black and white festooning, mini jack-o-lantern buckets, candy corn lollipops (twisted to the tips of the tree branches) and black crows. To top it off, literally, an orange bedazzled witches hat! I love it! Plus, do you not love the wild hot pink walls in the kitchen? I told you this house it fab!

Last, we have a pair of wheat sheath bundle arrangements adorning the sideboard in the dining room. The previous fall, the Parker's son was married and these were used to decorate for the rehearsal dinner. I think they are quite spectacular and easily placed into this perfect home.

Diva Pumpkin

While trying to imagine what the perfect Halloween gift would be for two dear friends of mine, it finally hit me... a flamingo pumpkin! They love all things flamingo and they take it to the max! A perfect example of this was best demonstrated last Easter. One day after work as I slowly cruised past their house, my eye was quickly drawn to a hot pink flock of plastic flamingos, gloriously roosting in the top of a dogwood tree. As if that were not enough, nested below in the monkey grass were giant pastel Easter eggs that looked as if they has just been laid. I can't stand it! I LOVE their style and whit, so I hope this masked pumpkin does them justice.

This is a spooky little bat card I attached to the gift. Anyone can make this simple goodie with some black card stock and a folded scrap of decorative paper. Draw out any pattern of a silhouette i.e. black cat, bat, witches hat, ghost, etc. and add a folded note card or even better a small folded bag of candy. Jazz it up extra by adding a small rim of glitter around the edge of the card. It is the perfect touch to any Halloween treat!

Trunk Show Spectacular!

Finally, I think I have recovered from our September trunk show. Now, it is time to share all the images and fun we had putting it together (I will not mention the tears shed and mental breakdowns in preparation the night before). First, my good friend Liz was so generous to allow her home to become transformed into a Halloween storefront. Together, we showcased our

many talents, as well as our passion to do what we love!

Liz creates these whimsical one-of-a-kind monsters from scratch. She puts so much thought and uniqueness into each and everyone. They remind me of characters that have come to life out of some children's book. Each one seems to tell a story. I am always surprised by either their number of appendages, wings, tails, googly eyes or the combination of fabulous fabrics Liz incorporates into each one. Her imagination is as wild as her monsters!

The following are a line of Halloween pillows I have been working to design. They are the perfect accent to add a little zest to any porch, patio or sun room, especially for the holiday season. We will see if I can muster up enough umph to get the ball rolling for Christmas pillows. Stay tuned to the blog posts. There might just be one for sale soon!

All of the wreaths are fabulous, if I do say so myself. They range from wildly whimsical to simply elegant!

Who could resist a candy corn wreath! Anyone with children or grandchildren, this would be a must!

How different is the square pine cone wreath. I was so excited when the company I order from still had a few in stock. They flew out the door as fast as I could make and attach a bow.

Here, we find Liz immersed in her element, frantically churning out her fabulous jewels! Oh, didn't I mention, sewing is not her only talent. She also designs and hand makes the most unique jewelry. It is a culmination of her wit, graphic design background and way with words that set her designs apart from anything you have ever seen.

Thanks to two of our wonder friends and their infinite creativity, we were able to resurrect these pruned shrubs from the dead, literally. They called just before the show and suggested we use their former bedding plant for displaying our wears. What a fabulous idea! They were perfect for hanging Liz's jewelry and my ornament, plus they added that extra spooky Halloween touch.

Finally, I had to succumb to bartering with Liz for this sinfully delectable bobble! Oh my gosh, it is to die for! This Halloween bracelet of Liz's is a composit of vintage Halloween, original artwork and elegance. I highly recommend everyone buy one. Now, I cannot wait to see what she has in store for Christmas!

I Love some Etsy!

Etsy, etsy and www.etsy.com! I hope everyone has had the chance to visit Etsy! If you are creative, need inspiration or just a place to shop for one-of-a-kind trinkets, this is the place. To quickly familiarize you to etsy, it is a website kinda like eBay, but there is no bidding (thank goodness) and everything listed on etsy must meet the following criteria: vintage, handmade or a supply to crafters. It is simply wonderful and I have had nothing but delightful experiences with it.

Here, my gardenia tin girl is one of my most recent additions to my etsy purchases. She is a product of rufusandpaco.etsy.com That is the seller's name is "Rufus and Paco" and an informative tidbit for newbies to Etsy, go to seller (in the pull down menu) and next to that type "rufusandpaco" (don't capitalize or add spacing between words). Once you get the hang of it, you will have to have a hit of etsy every day. Well, back to me and my doll. She is made of an antique talcum powder tin and is adorned with all sorts of vintage tidbits from head to toe. I love her handbag created from an old chocolate ex-lax tin and embellished with a few sparkly crystals! Then, her long legs are old silver spoons! Love it!

Finally, when you make a purchase on etys, usually the packaging is just as unique as what is wrapped up inside! My friend Liz and I wait anxiously for the package to arrive, then we call the other person to come over for the unveiling! Rufus and Paco's came like no other. First, my gardenia girl took a worldly trip before landing at my doorstep in Goldsboro, NC as you can see by all her stickers. Once I surgically opened the box, savoring every step, she was oh so delicately wrapped with beautiful two sided metallic wrapping paper and her creator had a sweet note addressed solely to me. You do not get service like that, except in a small town store sole proprietorship! I should know.

Happy Sunday!

Okay, how could anyone not have a good week or wonderful Sunday after discovering this little goodie outside your front door? This gift is from two wonderful ladies who are dear friends in my life. They are the sweetest, most adorable, thoughtful women I have ever met! Just precious! I love them and the little surprises they leave for me. This trinket is a Halloween Kitty like no other. It is not a scary black cat crossing your path, leaving a trail of bad luck, but rather he is blazing a trail of candy jellybean poo! I LOVE IT! He is "Tricky Kitty."

He is hilarious! I could not remove the smile from my face all day long. I really needed a break of laughter in my week, because I have been in a frenzy to get ready for our Fall trunk show! Perfect timing ladies!