I love it when people decorate their homes for Halloween, especially when it’s not too gory and oh so clever. I’m not one to go all out for this particular holiday, we just don’t get a lot of trick-or-treating kids at my door. But just around the corner, the kids all flock to to Mic’s place, he’s a legend. I just had to share the coolest Halloween house in my neighborhood.

Meet Captain Mic, a true buccaneer at heart.

Mic’s wife stamps hundreds of those bags every year and fills them with treasure for all the kids (chocolate doubloons and candy gems inside).

On an ordinary day the house looks like this:

For Halloween, Mic transforms it into a pirate ship!  This was last year’s version, he built the bow, raised the mast, hoisted the sails, and took over as Captain of the Mourning Star. 

iPhone pictures do not do her justice, the “ship” is simply incredible! All the kids in town love this stop along the trick-or-treat trail.

Skeleton pirates fire the homemade cannon (check out the chain and rope details) and they walk the plank that Mic also constructed, aarrgghh. 

To get to the door, you must pass through this skull arbor, beware! 

On the lawn is this coffin raft he built, I love all of the details, the pulley, the ropes, the bamboo oar, and the rat!

Captain Mic pulls out an old rowboat and fills it with another skeleton pirate.

Get near the front door to ask for candy and this scurvy dog awaits.

Mic definitely gets in the spirit of Halloween with his incredible pirate ship house! It’s fantastic by day, but veeery spooky at night, all lit up with his pirate music playing.

Mic couldn’t be nicer and the kids love the big show. He definitely gets my vote for the Coolest Neighbor Award.  Got any spooktacular Halloween houses in your neighborhood? 

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The kids were watching the classic Snow White the other day and there’s a scene where SW is running in the forest and the beady eyes are everywhere and she freaks out but it turns out it’s just bunny rabbits.  

I share that tidbit with you only because it was the inspiration for my latest Halloween project, a framed chalkboard drawing of a forest with those glowing beady eyes that spook kids big and small.  Here it is, my latest (cheap) art idea just in time for Halloween.

This quick art project cost me nothing (well, I didn’t shop for anything new) and took less than an hour.  I found this old frame at a thrift store many months ago, it came with a nature painting that I may or may not keep, I’m undecided. Anyway, I paid $5 bucks at Goodwill and it was sitting in my garage. The rest of the supplies, (the foam board, chalkboard paint, and twinkle lights) I already had on hand. 

To make this I followed these four steps.  1. Cut a foam board to the size of your frame, then cover one side with two coats of black chalkboard spray paint.  2. Sketch then fill your chalk trees, 3. Use a small nail to determine location of glowing eyes, and 4. Insert tips of twinkle lights behind back of canvas.  Boom, you’re done.

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That time of year is here again – we’ve got guests visiting from all over just about every weekend until the end of the year. With all the festivities planned over the next few months, I wanted to make some wine glass charms to help keep everyone’s glass identified during all the celebrating.

I first found out about an embossing powder called Amazing Glaze that hardens to a resin from my friend Cathe, she had used it to to make a memory pet tag and decal penny pendant in the past and I really wanted to try it out!  I ordered the powder, some pendant bases and earwires, then came up with several versions of DIY wine glass charms. The first are these blingy sparklers which will work for just about any occasion.

With the right supplies, these are so easy to make!  Find some earwires, pendant bases, and some Amazing Glaze, and you’re in business (my sources below).

The sparkling gem versions were made with simple colorful glitter from my stash that was layered along the bottom of the pendant base, then topped with a small amount of the powder glaze (seen below). 

Using aluminum foil beneath, I simply baked the first layer of powder inside the pendants in a 350 degree oven for two minutes and allowed it to cool for 5 minutes. Then I applied two more thin layers following the same technique, 2 minutes in a 350 degree oven until the powder melts and turns clear.

It hardens into a resin to make these little gems for your wineglass!

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Well, it is finally done. Nothing like a series of link parties to kick my booty in gear for the autumn season. Sarah is hosting the final get together, so I added some autumn touches to the front porch.  Now it’s time to sit back, relax, and enjoy this season!

I’m completely embracing all of the fall hues this year with no regard for one color and no playing favorites. Bring on the all the harvest colors I say ~ burgundy, yellow, orange, green, and aubergine.  No muted or monotone color palette this year, I felt like throwing all of them together. Hey, if the rug can do it, shucks, so can I.

I swapped out the white iron benches that have sat on the porch for years for my wine barrel side tables. I’m in a ‘use what you’ve got’ kind of mood and these came from the outdoor cabana which we retired due to the oncoming rains. The cabana will return next year, so I made use of the half barrels on the porch instead ~ how very harvesty of me.

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