A Little Bit of Blog Neglect...and a Halloween Craft!

I have been a blog neglector!
There is a story behind this, its full of excuses, but I'll tell it anyways!
Last week was October Break for my kids, and we had been planning a big trip to Oceanside with the Taylor side of the family for over a year.  Well, the week before was craziness, so I didn't have time to write a bunch of posts before we left.  I did, however, have time to organize my photos and put them on a thumb drive so I could post while chilling on the beach.  Um, yeah....the thumb drive didn't make it to the beach!  Of course I forgot it!!  I was bummed for about a minute, then decided not to worry about it, and to just enjoy my time with my family.  So that's exactly what I did!!!

We played by the beach:

We panned for some gold, and rode a covered wagon at the 

Mormon Battallion Memorial Site:

We got our fill of Legoland:

 And I even managed to do a little shopping!  First at this gem of a store:
Architectural Salvage in San Diego

This little store is a MUST if you are ever in the area!  It is full of so many fun treasures!

Then on our way home we stopped at the Kobey's Swap Meet, where I found some items that will keep me busy for a while!

I really think I needed this time to relax and be with my family and not worry about anything.  But I'm still struggling to get back into the swing of things.  Remember when I said the week before we left was crazy?!  It was crazy because I was watching my sister's 3 kids, one of which is the same age as my baby!  I love her kids, the hard part is that they are moving to Michigan on Saturday!  My only other sister is leaving me, and I start to cry every time I think about it.   So I'm trying not to, but as Saturday gets closer, it seems to be the only thing I can think about!

Well, thats the end of my story!  But since this is supposed to be a DIY/Home Decor/Craft blog, here is a little project I whipped up for Halloween.

I made this little Spooky sign the same way I made my Family sign (full post and tutorial here)

I am not a huge fan of Halloween, and I'm always thrilled when its over and can put away what little decorations I actually put out!  (My poor kids, haha!) But this is my buffet all ready for 

Halloween!

 Therena

Party Links:
From My Front Porch to Yours, Shabby Nest, Love of Family & Home, Savvy Southern Style, Oh My Creative, By Stephanie Lynn, Nifty Thrifty Things, Life on Lakeshore Drive, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Not Just a Housewife

Thrifty Thursday: Fall Banner

I made this little banner the other day in honor of this lovely fall season!

 This little project took me less than 15 minutes to make, and cost me.....oh, maybe $5.00

These are the supplies I used, and I didn't go to the store to buy anything.  I went to my scrap bin to find both colors of burlap, and I used ribbon I had that I thought went well with the burlap!

 I cut the burlap into circles, cutting the green bigger than the brown.  Then I stenciled onto the brown, glued them together, then strung twine through them like this:

(I used a hole punch)

I tied the ribbon on, and hung her up!

Simple little project, but I'm loving it!  My mirror was needing a little something, and this worked out perfectly!

Therena

Party Links:
From My Porch To Yours, Reasons to Skip the Housework, Embracing Change, The Shabby Nest, Love of Family and Home, By Stephanie Lynn, DIY Showoff, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Skip to My Lou, I Should be Mopping the Floor, Rain on a Tin Roof, The Casual Craftlete, Naptime Creations, Coastal Charm, Mod Vintage Life, A Stroll Thru Life, Craft-O-Maniac, Home Coming, Love Grows Wild, Sugar Bee Crafts, My Uncommon Suburbia, Alderberry Hill
 

Boy's Bedroom Reveal #1

I am thrilled to be showing you one of my boys' rooms!  I finally finished the Music Room, which is my 6 year old's bedroom.  He requested the Music theme, but I mixed it with an Industrial look, and he couldn't be happier!

 This locker was a STEAL!  A guy on Craigslist sold it to me for $30!  It was in really good shape, so I just painted the doors with Martha Stewarts Metallic paint

 And my favorite part about this locker is that it hides all my son's "treasures"! (He is such a packrat)!

 I found lots of goodies at a Vintage Market in downtown Mesa, like this fabulous chair and tub!

Going with an Industrial vibe also made it easier for me to incorporate some of my son's "treasures" 

that he refused to hide in his locker (like his Knight statue)!

 Therena

 

Party Links:

Reasons to Skip the Housework, Embracing Change, The Shabby Nest, Love of Family and Home, By Stephanie Lynn, DIY Showoff, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Skip to My Lou, I Should be Mopping the Floor, Rain on a Tin Roof, The Casual Craftlete, Coastal Charm, Mod Vintage Life, A Stroll Thru Life, Craft-O-Maniac, Home Coming, Love Grows Wild, Sugar Bee Crafts, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia