Inexpensive, Last Minute Halloween Decorations

Happy Wednesday Friends!

Are you ready for Halloween?!

We are ready at our house! We made a trip to Party City on Sunday to pick up Griffin's costume & also a few accessories for Parker. While we were there, I couldn't help but notice how mesmerized the boys were with all of the halloween decorations in the store! They were both SO EXCITED that I began to feel guilty. 

Guilty that I hadn't done any decorating at home!

I NEVER decorate for Halloween! I always decorate for fall & we always carve our pumpkins for Halloween night, but I've never really embraced the Halloween season....it's usually not my thing! 

But, because the boys were so excited this year & because I couldn't stand the mommy guilt I was feeling, I decided that I would try to add a little "spooky" to our existing fall porch decor. And because today is Halloween, I thought I would share I would share our Halloween porch with you today.....

The decorations are nothing extravagant, but the boys LOVE how it all turned out! I was determined to   decorate without spending a lot money, so I loaded up on goodies from the Dollar Tree, Dollar General, & Walmart! I think between the three stores, I spent around $15.00. 

A $1.00 bag of spiderwebs went a long way in this little space! They cover my little scarecrow bench...

Griffin found this ugly little rat in the Halloween section of Dollar General. He was insistent that we buy it, so the rat now sits the scarecrow bench in the mix of webs & pumpkins...

My mums are now covered with webs & little spiders....

The momma spider sits on the other mum with her baby spiders close by...

This "Dead Zone" sign was purchased at the Dollar Tree. It's made of styrofoam, so it's lightweight. I actually just hot glued it to the porch railing.

More webbing & spiders make their way up the porch railing....

I decided to take down my fall wreath for a couple of days & decorate our front door for the occasion. I completely stole this idea from Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick & mummified our entry....

Isn't he just too cute?!

I used four rolls of white crepe paper to cover the front door. The paper is just taped to the sides to hold in it in place. I made sure to overlap the paper to really make it look like a mummy and then cut out they eyes & mouth using white & black poster board. 

I'm thrilled with how he turned out & the boys really love him too! Now we have a festive entry for the million trick or treaters that will be visiting our house later tonight!

Speaking of the boys, I also thought I would share a few pics of them in their Halloween costumes if that's okay with y'all?! 

Parker is Batman this year and it's safe to say that he is fully embracing the role....

Seriously, if this kid could grow up & be a super hero....he would TOTALLY do it!!

I REALLY wanted Griffin to be "Robin" so my Batman could have a little sidekick, but since the Robin costume was right beside the Thomas the Train costume at Party City, you can imagine how that played out....

Turns out this two year old is very opinionated when it comes to his Halloween costume. 

I kept saying "You're gonna be Robin & bubby is gonna be Batman." 

He crossed his arms, pouting & replied "No, I'm Thomas!!"

I've learned to choose my battles & I knew this was one I wasn't going to win. Plus, you should have seen the happy dance he was doing in Party City when I gave in & bought the Thomas costume.....TOTALLY worth it!!

He kept saying "Yay! I'm Thomas! I cited!!"

And when he's "cited" that usually translates to silly....

Would you look at that face?!

 CRACK ME UP!!

Here is a picture of them together....

Pretty cute if I do say so myself! :)

What are your kids dressing up as this year?!

Did you do any Halloween decorating?!

I hope you all have a fun day!!

Be safe trick-or-treating tonight!

Homemade Slow-Cooker Spaghetti Sauce

Hey Friends!

I hope y'all had a great weekend!! 

On Friday, the weather here turned colder! We've been averaging temps in the 50's for the last couple of days and I don't know about you, but colder weather always makes me CRAVE comfort foods!! 

One of those comfort foods for me, is my great-grandmother's slow-cooker spaghetti sauce recipe!

 Y'all this spaghetti sauce is unbelievably DELICIOUS!!! So, I thought I would share the love & give you guys the recipe today that way you can try it for yourself! Sound okay?!

Oh yeah....did I forget to mention that you make it in the crock pot?! 

Delicious & easy! Woot woot!!

Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef (uncooked)
6 Tbsp minced onion
16 oz can tomato sauce
4 can - 6 oz tomato paste
1 cup water
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp salt
2 bay leaves (dried)
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp basil
4 tsp parsley flakes

Place uncooked ground beef into the crock pot. Add onion, tomato sauce, tomato paste, & water. Then add in seasonings. Stir ingredients thoroughly until mixed well. Cook for 3 1/2 hours on high. Remove bay leaves before serving. Enjoy!

I hope you'll give this recipe a try!! 

I PROMISE that you won't be disappointed!!

What comfort foods do you crave when the weather gets cold?!

Have a great Tuesday everyone!!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Linking up here....
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Happily Ever Before & After Week 9: Bathroom Makeover via My Blessed Life

Happy Friday Friends!! 

I'm happy to report that things are moving along with the bathroom makeover!! In fact, the new flooring should be installed & finished today!! Woot woot!! :) 

I will give you guys a full update on that space towards the beginning of next week, but for now, I thought I would share another FABULOUS bathroom makeover with you! This lovely space comes courtesy of my friend Myra, from My Blessed Life. When this makeover first began, I think Myra was mainly wanting to remove the vanity & replace it with a new pedestal sink, paint the walls, put up a new shower curtain & add some fun new accessories. However, when her dad came over to help her take the old vanity out, they kind of opened a giant can of worms! 

You can read more about that by clicking HERE.  

Needless to say, they soon found out that they were going to have to put in a little more work into this bathroom than originally anticipated! Isn't that how it always works?! 

Let's take a look at what the room looked like before....

The room was dark & dated and the bathroom vanity took up so much space!!

Now let's take a look at the after.....

I think it's plain to see that all of their hard work paid off! Isn't it beautiful?! 

The pedestal sink makes such a big difference & really opens up the space! I'm also in LOVE with that beautiful chevron shower curtain and it's feminine burlap ruffle! :)  Can you believe that Myra made it?! You can view that tutorial HERE.

Also, be sure to check out the FULL TOUR of Myra's bathroom by clicking HERE!! 

You'll definitely wanna see the more detailed shots on her blog! There are SO MANY details packed into this small space! You won't want to miss them! :)

Looking for more room makeover inspiration?! 

Be sure to check out my "Happily Ever Before & After" Page.

Gotta makeover that you would like to see featured in this segment?!

Email me: tdiehl2005 (at) yahoo (dot) com

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a great weekend!!

Don't Miss Out - DIY projects, home decorating, crafts & more by checking out my subscribe page

Current Obsession: Mustard+Navy (Fall Fashion)

Hey Friends!

How's your week going?!

Today, I thought I would take a little break from decorating & DIY and talk a little bit about fall fashion! 

Is that ok with y'all?!

More specifically, I wanted to talk about current obsession with mustard yellow & navy blue....

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Isn't it just the perfect combination?! 

I'm absolutely LOVING mustard yellow this fall! :)

Especially paired with navy & white polka dots.....

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Because what girl doesn't love polka dots?!

 They're cute, they're feminine, they're FUN!

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The girl in the picture above....isn't she just the cutest?! 

She has a blog called Sunday Crossbow, which I discovered while writing this post! It is loaded with ADORABLE fashion/outfit ideas & inspiration. Check it out HERE. The outfit she is wearing in this picture is pretty much all thrifted with the exception of the tights & her necklace! BRAVO!! 

Here she is again sporting some navy gingham with mustard & white stripes....

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I'm also loving mustard with navy & white stripes.....

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And I really like this next look....

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The navy blazer is classic...and how cute are those mustard skinnies?! 

I'm totally gonna be on the lookout for those on my next shopping trip! 

So, how am I incorporating this color combo into my own wardrobe?! 

Well, if you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen this picture I posted yesterday....

Mustard Cardigan: Target ($23)

Navy & White Striped Tank: Target (Clearance $2.97)

Navy Rosette Necklace: Vintage Wanna Bee

This is my one & only navy & mustard outfit that I currently have in my closet, but I'm hoping to change that soon! :) 

What colors are you crushing on this fall?!

Are you digging the mustard & navy combo like me?!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Hey Everyone!!

I've got another yummy fall treat to share with you all today!! :)

I made this chocolate chip pumpkin bread yesterday afternoon & let me just tell you....it was DELISH!! 

After it was done baking, I turned the stove off & set the loaf pans aside to let the bread cool. Then, I loaded Griffin up in the minivan to go pick up Parker from school. When we got home, Parker opened the door and said "Mmmmm.....I smell something mom!" It was so cute, you could just hear the excitement in his voice! He knew I had made something good! So, I cut a slice for each of the boys & they literally inhaled it! I seriously think they would have eaten the entire loaf if I would have let them!! 

Anyway...here it the recipe!

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups of sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp of vanilla
2/3 cup water
1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin
1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Grease two 8 inch x 4 inch loaf pans & preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine flour, cinnamon, salt, & baking soda in a bowl. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla, water, & pumpkin. Use a mixer to blend ingredients.

4. Slowly blend in flour mixture. Then add chocolate chips.

5. Divide batter evenly between two loaf pans. Bake for 60 minutes or until brown. Check bread with a toothpick, if it comes out clean then the bread is done!! :)

6. Let bread cool before removing from loaf pans. Slice & enjoy!

Have a great Wednesday!! 

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Rustic Fall Centerpiece Tutorial

 Hey Friends!

Did you all have good weekend?!

I wanted to share another Fall Centerpiece Idea with you today. This one is super easy to make & also inexpensive in terms of materials. If may also look a bit familiar to you....

If you've been around these parts for a while, you probably remember the Rustic/Chic Fall Wedding that my mom & I decorated for last year. This centerpiece was one we did for the wedding, and was one of my favorite parts of the decor for that event.

I see this centerpiece getting pinned on Pinterest over & over again, but realized that I never did a tutorial to show you all how to make it! My bad! So, I thought I would take that opportunity to recreate one for my OWN home & go through the steps to show you all how you can make one too! :)

Are you with me?!

Here we go....

I started with 3 glass jars. A tall cylinder type jar from the dollar tree, a regular sized mason jar, & a smaller jelly jar. You don't have to use these exact containers, but instead just look for something similar. You could easily find similar jars in a thrift store. 

The rest of my supplies.....

White Burlap

Jute/Twine

Book Pages

Monogram Stencil

Craft Paint

Stencil Brush

Hot Glue Gun (not pictured)

Brown Paper Bag (not pictured)

I'm gonna go through & show you how I decorated each individual jar starting with the regular sized mason jar. First, cut a piece of burlap wide enough to cover the width of the jar & long enough to wrap around it. Then, cut two pieces of jute to that same length to use as trim.

Set aside the jute & grab your mongram stencil.  Place it in the middle of the burlap & stencil the monogram to the burlap using the craft paint & stencil brush. If you don't have a stencil brush available, you could easily use a craft size paint brush. 

It should look something like this.....

Give the monogram a couple minutes to dry & then add your jute trim using your hot glue gun. Once the trim pieces are attached, wrap the burlap monogram around the mason jar & secure with hot glue.

Now we move onto the tall cylinder jar. You'll cut another piece of burlap, this piece should be quite a bit narrower....

Wrap around the jar & hot glue.

Then cut two pieces of twine long enough to wrap around the jar and hot glue them around the cylinder as shown....

Now, we are gonna make roses out of book pages to adorn the cylinder. First cut a circle out of the book page. Then cut the circle in a spiral pattern as shown here. 

Starting at the outside edge of the circle, begin rolling the paper towards the center.

Continue rolling until you are to the small circle at the end of the spiral. Add a little hot glue to the circle & attach the rolled paper to it. The rolled paper should loosen a bit when you let go of it.

You should be left with something like this....

You'll want to make three of these total. One will go on the cylinder & the other two will go on the table surrounding the centerpiece.

Hot glue the paper rose to the glass jar & if you'd like, add a little twig for some extra cuteness! :)

The last jar to decorate is the little jelly jar! Cut one one more piece of burlap. Again, cut it wide enough to cover the jar & long enough to wrap around it. 

Grab some brown paper (you can use a brown paper bag) & cut out a leaf. I used a leaf cookie cutter that I had on hand, but you could just grab a small leaf out of your yard & use it for your pattern!

Just to make it look a little more real & give it some dimension, I rolled the paper leaf up in my hand to wrinkle it. I also folded some creases in it. 

Wrap the burlap around the jelly jar & secure with hot glue. Also hot glue your paper leaf to the jar. Then cut a piece of jute to wrap around the jar & tie a little knot to secure it.

On the jelly jar & the glass cylinder, I pulled on the edges of the burlap to cause them to fray a little bit. You don't have to do this to yours if you don't want to, but I like the way the frayed burlap looks. :)

Then add your candles to the the jars & put your centerpiece together....

I had this piece of log?! Wood?! I don't know what to call it! It was leftover from another project, so I thought I would use it! I bought it at Hobby Lobby with a 40% off coupon. I think it makes a great addition to the centerpiece! You wouldn't have to use it though. When we decorated for the wedding, the centerpiece just went straight on the table & it looked great like that as well! The little pumpkin was one that I already had. 

I also gathered some acorns from my mom's yard to adorn the bottom of the centerpiece. Even though they are little, I think they add a lot! It's a little touch of wilderness & you can't beat the fact that they are FREE! :)

The extra paper roses just get nestled into the acorns....

I just love this centerpiece! It's rustic, but I think the paper roses add that little bit of chic-ness! 

I think it looks pretty cute sitting on our outdoor table as well! :)

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! 

I also hope that I inspired you to give it a whirl!

It would be beautiful on your table this Thanksgiving!!

And boy would your guests be impressed! :)

What is your favorite part of this centerpiece?!

Thanks so much for stopping by!! 

I hope you have a Terrific Tuesday!!!

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