Halloween Weekend Arrives

The Friday before Halloween has finally arrived and I still have so much to get done.  Today I'll be finishing last touches around and outside the house.  I'm going to start cooking some of the food for the big party, because trying to do it all tomorrow would just be insane.  On top of party prep, I still have a house that needs to be cleaned top to bottom...having a dog makes it virtually impossible to clean ahead of time.  But in the end, it's all worth it when I'm finally able to get suited up in my costume and everyone begins to arrive in theirs.  I'm really looking forward to another magical Halloween night!

A few pics of costumes from last year's Halloween party...

The BF and I as Adam and Eve

Apollo Creed and Clubber Lane (Mr. T) from Rocky

Zombie Couple

Happy Halloween!

Tricks and Treats

Every year we throw a big Halloween party.  One of the things that takes the most time getting ready is putting together the food menu.  Last year I was very ambitious, and most everything I made was from scratch.  This year I'm making it a little bit easier on myself, but it's still going to be a lot of work.  I'll e posting lots of pictures once it all comes together, but until then....

Here are some pictures from last year's Halloween food table.

This was everything minus the witches fingers breadsticks and ghost loaded potato bites (which I'll show below.)

Witches Fingers Breadsticks and Bloody Marinara

Ghost Loaded Potato Bites

Puppy Chow Mix

Spider's Web Nest Taco Dip and Black Tortilla Chips

Candy Apple Bites, Red Velvet Skull Cupcakes and, of course, candy.

Witches Brew with Floating Eyeballs

Why do front load washing machines make clothes smell moldy?

I am so annoyed by this!  My parents bought a brand new Kenmore front-loader a few years ago, and every time I would go to grab a towel at their house it would smell like mildew.  I swore I would avoid this.  So when we finally decided to buy a front loader we went for a Maytag Neptune.  For the first month, it seemed we had no problem.  We took some advice from the BF's mom to leave the washer door open between washes and still, just a few months after purchasing, our towels are smelling like mildew.  What gives?!  I would definitely ditch the front loaders, but the issue is that we're in the middle of renovating the basement and adding a organized user-friendly laundry room like the one below.

Does anyone else have this problem?  Does anyone have any good remedies?

Take Five Tuesday: EELS

"My Baby Loves Me" is a quirky upbeat song with a Where's Waldo feeling video off the EELS newly released album Tomorrow Morning. Tomorrow Morning is described as "the final installment of a trilogy that began with Hombre Lobo (June 2009) and End Times(Jan 2010)."  The truth of the matter is that the EELS have been in the mainstream music scene since 1996.  Stepping out during the era of grunge, front man, Mark Oliver Everett (aka "E") shared a stage with the likes of Tori Amos, Fiona Apple and others.  You may remember the record "Novocaine For The Soul" which almost sounds new when listening to it again today.  Also, check out the first video released off of Tomorow Morning, "Spectacular Girl".  Overall, new or old, the EELS offer some good listening for a mellow Tuesday.

End of Week Wrap Up

Happy Anniversary

 I have not been very accessible this week, but it's all for good reason.  I'll start by saying that yesterday was the 3-year anniversary for the BF and I which I found out after coming downstairs and being greeted by this lovely bouquet sitting on the coffee table.  Now, don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't know when our anniversary is, it's just that, and this I'm positive of, he picks a different day every year just so he can beat me to the punch.  As I understand it, the anniversary is Columbus Day Weekend (which is roughly around the 9th/10th every year).  Apparently, he understands it as the Sunday of Columbus Day Weekend 3 years ago which happened to be October 7th.  This seems a little fishy to me, but one thing we're both sure of is that 3 years have gone by in a flash and we're still very much in love.

As for the Yard Sale last weekend...

 It was pretty much a bust.  We woke up early, organized everything outside, hung signs everywhere (including the dog park, dunkin donuts, the bagel store, etc) and settled in for a bustling day.  After 3 hours, we had made a grand total of $21.  So we gave things to friends who had stopped by to cheer us on, loaded up the car with gobs of stuff to be donated to Goodwill and called it a day.  The good news:  our basement is much more clutter free and some of the better stuff we saved and posted on Craigslist and Ebay.  So far from those efforts we have made a grand total of $245.  So I'm feeling pretty good overall and we still have a few more things to offload.

Random Going-On's

I made these cupcakes.  They were pretty delicious.  Pumpkin cupcakes with maple frosting and Heath bar topping.  Yum!  The recipe came from the October issue of House Beautiful.  The Barefoot Contessa came up with the recipe and it was yummy as promised.  The best part...while baking, the whole house smelled like Fall.

 I am going to attempt to make this DIY sunburst mirror.  Janell from the blog Isabella & Max Rooms did a tutorial on how to make it here.  I have gathered all the exact same materials, so this is definitely happening.  I'll keep you updated on the progress.

A Sale For You

Click Here

Take Five Tuesday: Far East Movement [FM]

FM is a group of four, each representing a different background in the Asian-American community (Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Filipino).  The group first came to the scene in 2006 with their hit "Round, Round" featured in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.  With their newest album, Free Wired, they've dropped a single called "Like a G6" which has placed #6 on the Billboard chart and #1 on itunes.  So, with that said, you've probably heard this song...I for one cannot get it out of my head...and because I like to share everything with you, Dear Readers, I hope it becomes stuck in your head too.

Enjoy!

A few last minute things to wrap up the week

Restaurant.com is having a deal today that you can buy any $25 gift certificate for just $1!  There's no catch.  Just type in promo code "WOW" at checkout.  I just bought 4 $25 gift certificates and my grand total was $4.50.  That's the second time I've bought from them, and I love it.  They have a ton of restaurants on the site.  There were over 100 just in a 5 mile radius of my house.

In other news...

Addi Roo has been very sad the past few days.  It's been raining so she hasn't been able to go to the dog park to play with her friends.  Lucky her though, I was going through boxes (for the yard sale...see below) and I found this mechanical cat that my mom bought for me when I was living in New York and missing not having a pet.  This cat meows and purs and blinks and moves all based on motion sensor.  So when I placed this cat on the ground, Addi had a fit.  She barked and rand around it and looked at me as to say "What gives with this cat?"  She especially did not like it when I would pick it up and pet it.  She would then whine and howl and try to bite at it's tail dangling. 

But after a while, she gave in.  Really she had no choice; it was her only playmate option.  She still doesn't love the cat, but...

She's learning to live with it. :)

Don't forget:  Big Yard Sale at my house this Saturday morning.  Email me if you'd like to come and I'll give you the address!

Yard Sale Alert!

This Saturday from 8am until 1pm, we're having a YARD SALE. 

Just look for these signs :)

 After years of growing up helping my mom organize her garage sales, I'm having my first Yard Sale this weekend.  After moving in with the BF and our continuous remodeling of the basement, we have acquired a lot of stuff and not a lot of space to store it.  I'm so glad to get it all out of the house.  Whatever we don't sell is going to Goodwill, so really...everything is negotiable.  If you live in Baltimore, or are going to be in the city Saturday morning, email me or leave me a comment with your email and I'll give you the address to stop by.  

Here's a list of just some of the items we'll have:

*Clothes (misses sz Small, sz 4) sweaters, winter coats, jeans, etc
*Shoes (womens sz 6)
*Purses
*Various small electronics (hair dryers, curling iron, cordless phone, portable iron, travel dvd player, dvd burner etc, X-box)
*Bar and dining items (wine cooler, shot glasses, shot glass holder, pitcher and matching glasses, decanter and matching wine glasses, cutlery, etc)
*Art and pictures ($2 - $5)
*Bedding, pillows and blankets (twin sheet sets, king blankets, twin feather duvet, throw pillows, bed frame)
*Curtains, curtain rods, towels racks, door hooks, towels, etc
*Furniture by ABO Designs (Dresser, Parlor Table, Lamps)
*Tools (cordless drills, small hand tools, wrenches, etc)
*miscellaneous iron pipe fittings
*James mountain bike
*Tailgating Grill/Cooler (Coleman Fire and Ice)
*Much, Much more!

Mid-Week Must Have's: New Arrivals at Overstock

I love Overstock!  The fact that they ship everything for $2.95 is insanely exciting.  I love checking in every once in a while just to see what's new.  Check out what I found today!

Cream Oval Back Settee $205.99

Antique Lime Green Sofa Table $319.95

Wood Leg White Accent Chairs (Set of 2) $196.99

Indoor 3-light Copper/ Crystal Pendant Chandelier $159.99

Gettin My Clean On

The BF has been fighting off flu-like symptoms for the past week.  I happen to think the change in season and crazy weather hasn't helped the situation.  Maybe the biggest factor though is all of the dust having been kicked up over the week's  remodeling projects and the countless mounds of hair hiding in the corners compliments of Addi Roo.  So today in an attempt to get my baby feeling better, I have cleaned every nook and cranny of this house.  I have to say...even I feel an ease in my breathing.  But now, I'm pooped.  I'll be back to play tomorrow.

Showing Some Love

Today is what I'm calling "Blog Follower Appreciation Day."  Basically, it's a cloudy, yucky day out and I feel like catching up with all my lovely followers and leaving them much needed comments on all the cool things they're up to.  If you're stopping by for the first time today, become a follower and I'll stop by and say hello to you too!

Courtesy of Neko Arrange

Because I feel like sharing...

Today, for various reasons, but mainly because it was hot and I normally don't see many people, I was wearing sneakers, white soccer shorts, and a blue University of Kentucky Wildcats t-shirt.  I thought it was the perfect attire for walking Addi Roo to the dog park.  We went, she acted a fool and had a great time.  We were taking our leisurely stroll back to the house when out of the corner of my eye I noticed a few cars stopped at a red light and one car, in particular, had a guy inside with the window rolled down.  

(Now let me paint the picture for those who don't quite understand... I live in Baltimore.  Baltimore city to be exact.  When guy's have their window rolled down it means two things: they're saving money on AC AND (not or) they are 100% going to "holler" at any girl that walks by.)  So to combat this, I kept looking straight ahead paying no attention to the car, but none-the-less, I heard the shout out of the window...  

Now right as the voice hit my ear I began to internally say to myself, "Really?  You're gonna "holler" at me when I'm wearing this hot outfit?"  Until a moment later it sunk in what the guy had said... "How you gonna walk that dog wearing THAT shirt?"  So, naturally, I lowered my head to look at my shirt.

So I did the only thing I could, I looked over at the guy, who was actually an older gentleman on further inspection, and replied, "It's just mean, isn't it?"  And he replied with a smile, "Terrible."

And here I thought I had my dog park outfit picked out perfectly.

I hope everyone has a happy and fun-filled weekend!

One Rue to Follow

Have you seen this new online magazine called Rue?!?!  Well, you have to check it out.  Hailing from Chicago, and rivaling Lonny, comes the next best thing in online design magazines.  The premiere issue came out last week, and I can't believe I waited as long as I did to check it out.  My favorite part about Rue is that it is founded by a team of bloggers from such parts as Plush Palate, The City Sage, Live Creating Yourself, Sacramento Street and many many more.  The interior design blog world coupled with photographers and designers from the likes of Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Domino, HGTV and on and on is a design-lover's dream come true.  Just wait til you check out the first issue.  I can't even...

Front window Halloween Decor

This was another project, but very simple.  I collected an assortment of (discounted) craft pumpkins from Michaels (two large w/ black glitter, two large with orange glitter, and three small white).  I used a sharpie to write BOO on the white pumpkins like so:

And then I arranged them all in the window (we only have one front window as we live in a row home in Baltimore, but the good news is we get a lot of foot traffic in front of the house admiring the display) with some orange lights I had leftover from last year.

We also have the front door and entryway decorated with some sticky window decals of blood drips and splatters and a sign that lights up and says BEWARE, but my camera (also known as my blackberry...I know, I know, it's sad) is not the greatest.

Last Year:

 Blood drips and splatters, orange lights, and spider webbing with spiders in it.  That was the best I could do last year as I didn't live in this house and came up to do all of the decorating and cooking the night before our annual Halloween party.

Happy Birthday Woman!

Today is my Gran's 80th birthday!  She lives in Atlanta, which is a far cry away from Baltimore, MD, but I'm sending lots of love her way.  I really do just love that woman!

Gran and I at Tavern on the Green, Christmas 2008.

So, in honor of this special lady, my Take 5 Tuesday song of the day is September by Earth, Wind, and Fire (a special favorite of my best friend Reed, who reminds me every year to listen to this song on the 21st).  If this doesn't make you want to get up and dance, I don't know what will!

Halloween Banners

I love Halloween, so you'll probably see a lot of Halloween things from me over the next month and a half.  I already started decorating this past weekend, and I even finished my first Halloween craft.  

I started with the idea to make a Halloween banner, and went to Michael's to pick up a few necessities: assorted paper, glue stick, suede string, and a few Halloween-themed add-ons (spiders, bats, and skull).

I cut the paper into pennant-sized pieces, and cut coordinating paper into rectangles for making the letters, which I free-handed because stencils are way expensive.

(Addi Roo was not much help!)

I wanted to use the skull as a spacer between my words, but it was originally brown so I painted it with some purple glitter paint.

Lastly, I attached the suede string and bats and spiders with a glue gun and had the BF hang it.

The end result: "Happy Haunting" banner that spans the living room.

Sharing with:

Unbeatable One Day Furniture Deal

So I have raved before about how much I love Groupon and Living Social.  Well, today Groupon is offering a deal that for $50 you get $200 worth of furniture and home accessories from Gardiners Furniture.  I thought it was such a good deal I just had to share. Check it out here!

The deal only works at these Maryland locations: Bel Air, Catonsville, Pasadena, Towson, and Westminster.

Today I'm getting alot done...

So...I'm leaving you with another house tour (I've been very big on peeking into other people's houses lately).  This house tour comes compliments of Holly over at Life in the Fun Lane.  I'm totally enamored with how serene this house looks.

Enjoy!!

Living Room

Laundry Room

Master Bedroom

Baby's Room

Powder Room

Family Room