Our pumpkins this year

I saw polka dot pumpkins a couple years ago, but didn't get a round apple corer till this past year, so this was the first time I got to make them. I like how they turned out, but using pumpkins that are similar in size would definitely work better.

LMS wanted another kitty cat pumpkin, so I cut out more sticky back felt. We had a bigger pumpkin this year, so I had to make the felt pieces a bit bigger.

I love pumpkins in the fall- on the porch and in the kitchen. I've been trying out recipes for gluten free vegan pumpkin muffins and cookies. They've all tasted pretty good, and they smell heavenly! I looove the smell of baking pumpkin goodies (pumpkin with all the spices), so yummy!

Our Halloween Costumes

Little Miss Sunshine wanted to be Cinderella this year, so I decided to sew a dress that could be used for dress-up later, just like I did last year. I started out using the pattern I used last year for her Aurora dress, but the sizing was weird and I didn't like how it looked, so I ended up altering the bodice and side floufs. It was a lot of work, but the results were worth it, in my OCD opinion. I used the tutorials here for the accessories, which was a clever idea that I totally wouldn't have thought of myself. And of course, I changed them up a bit and made them my own. I'm really happy with how her costume turned out, and LMS loves it.

The angle of her head in this pic shows off  her hair nicely. I like this pic, even though the light isn't great.

I wanted to dress up for our ward trunk or treat, but like every year, I couldn't think of anything. As I sewed LMS's Cinderella dress, I realized there was a perfect costume idea in the movie. I sewed up some sheets, and I became Cinderella's Fairy Godmother.

Very blurry pic taken by a neighbor. We were leaving for the ward activity, and it was getting dark, so the lighting wasn't the best and I didn't have the flash on. And LMS wasn't smiling. Oh well.

Better pic, at the ward activity. 



I'll try for some more pictures tomorrow. Since Halloween is on Sunday this year we'll be hitting the mall for some trick or treating tomorrow afternoon. I just have to decide if I want to dress up also. Hmmmm.

Coffee table re-do

The finished table, sitting on a recent craigslist find.

Like the cabinet, I lightly sanded the edges of the legs. It'll get kicked and scuffed up, so why not give it a head start?

I like the contrast of the painted base and the stained top. I've seen others do it, and I like the look.

What my $15 craigslist started out looking like:

What it looks like now:

I like the results!

Inside the craft cabinet

On the outside, it looks nice and neat.

But when you open it up, you can see all the stuff it's hiding:

What exactly is all of this stuff?

The unfortunate thing is that there's no room for fabric, so after I finish sorting it all (not quite done yet), I'll put baskets-full of fabric on top of the cabinet.

Want to see my quick and easy way to keep the door panels in place?

Those two red dots are red plastic push pins.

I put two in the top and two in the bottom,  and the panels aren't going anywhere.

It will be very easy to switch them out.

The cut edges of the fabric do show, but only when the doors are open  :)

My new craft cabinet is finally finished

We got back from our road trip a week and a half ago. After the usual unpacking, laundry, grocery shopping (our frig was completely empty), and trying to get back onto a schedule, I managed to finally finish my cabinet. 

After putting the top back on the base, I put all the doors and knobs back on. Then I lightly sanded all the edges and corners. Nothing super-noticeable, just enough to cover up any future dings. Because let's face it, I'm a klutz, and I will be banging things into the edges. The top coat of paint is a really light blue/gray- it looks almost white, but you can see the difference where the white primer peeks out. I like the two-tone (three-tone if you count the dark wood under the primer) look.

I then cut thin plywood (leftover from replacing the backing on the cabinet) to replace the glass that was originally in the doors. Since the cabinet is full of sewing and craft supplies I wanted the cabinet completely closed in- I'm not a fan of open cupboards. I prefer to close the doors and hide the mess. Not that there's a mess right now, it's all still organized, but things don't always stay that way.

Then I covered each panel with fabric I bought on sale at JoAnns. I just hot glued the fabric on the back, and it will be easy to switch it out. LMS actually wanted a different fabric and was disappointed that I went with this one- I like it though. 

 I liked the one on the left, but it's a little dark for the room, which really doesn't get very good light.

LMS liked the one on the right, but it's a little too bright for now. Come spring, though, I think it'll be a nice change.

A couple of the panels ended up a little crooked, but I'm ignoring it. (squash that OCD, squash that OCD)

I left the medallions in place on the base cabinet doors, and used the original knobs on all the doors. I didn't replace the original magnetic closures. The doors stay closed without them, and I was too lazy :)

I spray painted the knobs, but that was all I did to them before putting them back on. They were kind of brassy black before, now they're all black/brown.

Love the detail!

What my $50 craigslist find used to look like:

What it looks like now:

I'm happy!