Winifred Sanderson Costume- Halloween 2012

If you visit my blog regularly, you probably know I’m pretty serious about Halloween. I’ve posted costume ideas before including The Breakfast Club, Jay and Silent Bob, Rosie the Riveter & Marty McFly, and more. This year I decided to take my own advice and add some 90′s nostalgia to my costume by being Winifred Sanderson from the kids classic Hocus Pocus.

Wedding Color Schemes

I am a color person. I like adding colorful scarves to any ensemble, I cannot like in a plain white room, and someday I will own painted yellow kitchen chairs. True story. My love of color also overflows into wedding daydreams. I think most women daydream about the perfect dress, the perfect venue, etc. I take it one step further and spend an unhealthy amount of time brainstorming fabulous color schemes. There are 2 schemes that I currently cannot get out of my head.

Here’s a little peek at my color fantasies:

I love pops of yellow in general. In small doses yellow is such a happy, cheerful color. It’s easy to add a bit of whimsy with any of the many yellow flower choices (tulips! sunflowers! daisies!) or charming details like a vase full of lemons as a centerpiece or a refreshing pitcher of lemonade. Peacock blue on the other hand adds some masculinity and romance to the mix.

Next up- turquoise and red. This combo has a bit of an early 60′s retro feel, which I LOVE. Red & Turquoise are definitely a stretch for more neutral/understated brides but for color lovers out there it’s hard to beat. I can see a very hip and nontraditional bride wearing bright red lipstick  and a birdcage veil and carrying a bouquet of poppies. Tea-light filled Ball jars littering the tables and coordinating favors (homemade strawberry jam?) add to the effect.

DIY Group Costume: Jay and Silent Bob

I honestly think this costume works just as well as a couples costume as it does for 2 guys. The reason? If a woman goes as Jay, there is no need to invest in a blonde wig.

DIY Group Costume: The Breakfast Club

IF HE GET’S UP…WE’LL ALL GET UP…IT’LL BE ANARCHY!

DIY: Group Halloween Costumes

Last year I posted 5 Fun Halloween Costumes that you could create yourself fairly easily. This year I’m back with 5 new ideas, this time for couples or groups. Once again, these costumes are perfect for anyone on a budget- especially those who like making their own costumes and/or have access to a thrift store. I’m going to give each costume idea a separate post, but here is a sneak preview:

As a product of the 80′s/90′s, I couldn’t resist a healthy dash of nostalgia. Stay tuned for more info!

Framed Fabric Wall Art

In the living room of our apartment we painted the longest wall in the room a deep rusty orange. In order to make this bold statement wall flow well with the rest of the space I wanted to choose some colorful artwork. I happened to have a TON of fabric samples from my time as a design student, so I decided to gather a bunch of photo frames and use the fabric to make an original piece of wall art.

Handpainted Mugs

I recently read about a product called Pebeo Porcelaine 150 Paint Markers. They’re basically paint pens that you can use to write on ceramics. They are non toxic, dishwasher safe, and permanently set just by baking them in the oven. I decided to buy some mugs and start decorating.

Custom Photo Collages

This year for Christmas I decided to make my parents a present. I wanted to do something with family photos, but decided against a scrapbook because I wanted it to be something they could hang up and show people regularly. I ended up making them a custom photo collage, arranging years worth of family photos into the word strang (our last name). It turned out really cute so I thought I would share it with you guys.

DIY Penny Tiled Table

Like any young college aged person, I have a fair amount of hand me down furniture. One of my hand me down pieces is a cherry wood coffee table. It’s a nice quality/solid wood table, but the cherry stain didn’t ‘t look great with my deep pumpkin colored accent wall and the table was was a bit traditional for my taste. It also wasn’t exactly in pristine shape after a few run-ins with a certain beagle. Rather than throw away a nice quality piece of furniture I decide to revamp it by painting it black, tiling it in pennies, and sealing the top with a clear resin. Here is how it went…

Decorating for Less: Paper Snowflakes

I’m cheap. Well…according to my boyfriend I’m frugalicious. I just do not like spending money on things that I don’t absolutely need, especially if I can easily make something similar. I’m always way more excited and proud of myself when I make things rather than buying them anyway. This is why every year when the holidays roll around I break out the scissors and cover my walls with handmade paper snowflakes.