Halloween Drinks!

Moms and Dads, when the tricks and treating, and candy highs (and lows) *wink*wink* are over. And your little ghosts and goblins are all snuggled in their beds...kick off your shoes and have your own treat!

Doesn't this Pina Ghoulada look tempting? Find it on Martha Stewart along with these other great ones!

How about some Swamp Sips? These would be sooooo cute at a Halloween Party on a table full of green moss!

Berry Scary Martini anyone? Or maybe a Screwed up Screwdriver?? {lol}

Find the recipes here.

AND, just incase the kids are still up on their sugar rush and you want to make them something special too, try these kid friendly drinks.

Blood-Red Hot Chocolate! Super easy! Just add red food coloring!!

And some Boo Shakes!

CHEERS!

Play With Your Makeup for Halloween!

Mama's don't forget yourselves on Halloween! It's always fun to play with your makeup, so here's your perfect chance!

My sister shared this pic with me a few weeks back from Miss Chievous.  Check it out!  She also has a

 you tube video you can watch and lots of other tutorials.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this picture!!

These lashes are from Shu Uemura and unfortunately I don't think are available any longer but just get some inspiration! You can find false feather lashes right now even at Wal-Mart!

It's Halloween so anything goes. Now all the fun runway makeup you see in your magazines, you can try! Let Halloween be your excuse! {wink*wink}

Have fun...go play with your makeup!



Yummy Comfort Food!!

I got a request for some recipes and I came across these that look like heaven! The weather is getting cold and it's time for us to plump up for winter. That's what I told my Husband anyway! {...as I was buying brown sugar and corn syrup and yams  and....well, you get the idea!}

 I'm gonna make some soup to warm me up today but tomorrow I just might be making this one!

I found this tempting Corn Chowder with Chilies on Pioneer Woman. If you haven't checked out her site, you have to! She has great recipes and even a section with viewer submitted recipes. There's a homeschooling section, a photography tip section, lots of fun stuff! While I was there I could not stop my hand from clicking on this yummy pic too and grabbing this recipe.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE SWEET ROLLS!!

Can you imagine?? I want to!! {lol}

Homemade dough, sugar, chocolate, butter.....ahhhhhhhh. Get the recipe here. And get cooking!!

The Party Take on This:

These recipes would be great for a dinner party or any party.  Have a rustic party with lots of appetizers.  Tiny cups filled with this corn chowder, wedges of quesadillas on a big platter, garlic bread hot out of the oven, more mini cups or bowls with some homemade chili beans...can't you picture it? And for your dessert table....cake stands fulls of these rolls, and classic cinnamon rolls, and donuts, and mini pies...... with mugs of your favorite coffee and hot chocolate! YUM!

Sounds like a hit to me!

Custom Party Package Giveaway!!!

*****THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED*****

I'm sorry for the wait, BUT they say good things come to those who wait! So........

here's the GIVEAWAY I promised!!!

A CUSTOM PARTY PACKAGE

Including:

20 Custom Invitations

2 Dozen Cupcake Toppers

2 Dozen Custom Tags

1 Custom Banner

{don't have a birthday party coming up? That's okay....use it for a dinner party, holiday party, etc.}

To Enter:

Leave a comment at the end of this post letting me know what you would use it for. {1 entry}

"Like" this giveaway and mention it on Facebook and come leave another comment letting me know you did! {1 entry}

Become a "fan" on Facebook and let me know you did! {1 entry}

The Giveaway will be be open until Sunday, Oct. 31st at 10:00pm PST

and a random winner will be announced on Monday, Nov. 1st!

GOOD LUCK!

p.s. I've had some questions about how to enter. If you had all three entries it would be three seperate comments that would be something like this...
1.) I would use this for my daughter's birthday!
2.) I liked this and mentioned it on facebook!
3.) I'm a fan on facebook!

Haunted Playhouse!

Okay, you saw the adorable owl I shared from Alpha Mom the other day and today I had to share this Mini Haunted House I found there a while back too! My kids would lose it if I made them this! And who am I kidding, I'd be squeezing myself in there too!! =)

Head over to the post here to see how to make one!

Have fun building!

Fabulous Feathered Costumes!

"Hoo" could be more adorable?

Isn't this homemade owl costume fun? Check out the instructions on Alpha Mom.

OMG!  Peacock costumes caught my eye online a few weeks ago and tonight I found this one!  Find it here at Angel Babes Tutu's.

This cute little chicken is from Martha Stewart.  Find the supply list and instructions to make it here.

Can't leave out the boys! With just a little more than felt and feathers you can make this quick and creative costume from Martha Stewart too.

Best of luck as you're narrowing down those costume ideas...only 2 weeks left!

Halloween Treats That Don't Have To Be Sweet!!

I have to make these! Aren't they cute?!  I found them here at Fab Frugal Food.  So easy but so adorable!  My kids like hard boiled eggs and I think I would almost just skip the whole deviled egg process and cut a plain hard boiled egg open and stick the "spider" on top like that!!  Love it!

How about these "green meanies" ?!  Another quick snack for the kids or a good snack to take into work for your Halloween parties!  Just apples, peanut butter and slivered almonds!  Check them out here.

Photo: Wendell Webber

Last but not least your little one will LOVE these spiderweb pizzas from Woman's Day! 

Use string cheese for your web!

All of these are quick and easy ideas, but thoughtful and sure to put a smile on someone's face! 

Hope you try 'em!!

Creepy Candy Apples!!

OH...MY...GOODNESS! 

I discovered this today and had to share...

Are these not AMAZING!  I LOVE them.  I discovered Matt Bites today, a really wonderful site about food, drinks, travel, etc. and obviously with BEAUTIFUL photography!  Matt's partner Adam made these. 

 Here are some of the other posts I fell in love with.

I thought this picture looked beautiful! I am dying for that big pitcher in the background! Be sure and check out the full post here.

These pictures were from a shoot he did at Jordan Winery in Sonoma.  I loved them because my Husband took me to Sonoma for my 30th Birthday and we drove down a street lined with trees just like this one on our way to an adorable little Italian restaurant for a relaxing, romantic dinner just the two of us {thanks Mom n Sis for watching the kids!!! lol}.  Be sure and check out this post too!  His site is sooo full of goodies! 

Go get inspired!

p.s.

On a side note, sorry I have not been posting!  I am not feeling well, and without a camera right now {gasp!!}. But I will have some posts coming up soon with some goodies I have been making!  Please stay tuned!

Birthday Cakes!

Check out these cakes from my good friend Jovanna.  Her latest passion is cakes and she's focusing all her craftiness on it at the moment, taking classes, etc. 

Maybe someday she'll have a shop! {and give me free sweets}  =)  Thanks for sharing Jovanna!!

xoxo, Monica

Halloween Decorations!

I got a request for some decorations =)...so here you go!!

This is an idea from Martha Stewart using a black garbage bag!  It is super easy and cheap and looks really great especially on a windy day!  I am going to do this around my whole porch...here is a pic of it in the making

{I should've taken a pic from the from the front view of my house but it was early and cold when I took this picture and I didn't wanna walk all the way outside! lol} I promise a better pic when it's all done!}

Here is another easy idea that looks really cool from Country Living.

Another idea that is great for night time when trick or treaters come to visit are some Halloween lanterns below.  These use materials that you probably already have at home, get the instructions on Readers Digest.

More ideas to come soon!! Hope these get you all started with your decorating!



Halloween Printables!

I found some cute printables online and thought I'd share.  This adorable little treat box is from Family Fun .  {great for your party favors or dessert buffet!} They also have a printable witch that you can piece together and hang on your door and lots of other cool costume ideas, party ideas, halloween recipes...you name it!  There are some other printable kids' crafts on DLTK's Crafts for Kids, including a Halloween Bingo that would be a great activity for a Halloween Party or to get ready for your child's teacher if they are having a party at school! {both sites are great all year long!}

 Another great printable I LOVE is this garland from Paper Crave below! You have to visit their site!

Don't forget to send out a cute invite for your Halloween Party too!  Here's one from Martha Stewart.

Have fun!