Happy Halloween!

Just in time for Halloween, I finished a painting of this guy!

 

It was different working on this piece because I usually work smaller...

 

 

....much, much smaller....haha!  I had Maggie sit next to it so you could see the size :)

 

 

I thought he was the perfect character to celebrate Halloween and usher in the winter Holidays, too :)

 

I wish all of you a magical, fun-filled Halloween!  For those who are dealing with terrible Sandy right now, my heart goes out to you....and I'm hoping you and your families stay safe, warm and dry!

 

Candy Corn Hugs,

Cameron

Warm Holiday Wishes!!

I just wanted to write a quick post to wish all My Beloved Blog Buddies, far and near,

a most Magical Holiday! 

 I'm looking forward to a New Year filled with shared inspirations, fun discoveries and amazing projects with all of you!  Let's laugh til our sides ache and enjoy all the goodness

 a brand new year will bring!

Big hugs from my family to yours!

Cam

Making and Baking

It's been over a week since my last post....and I feel like I have nothing to show for it...

I haven't been "making" anything in the last week.  With Thanksgiving festivities...which included multiple stops on multiple days and Maggie being out of school all of last week...there hasn't been much time for making stuff...

But there has been plenty of excitement for the upcoming Holiday...and I realize we've been "Making Merry" :)
Which counts....or at least is the excuse I'm using for my absence...heehee!

Here's a peek at what we've been up to....

The wreath My Hubs made for his parents over a decade ago hangs on our front door...

A cute little easel displays some Seasonal colors and a Happy Snowman....

Our front room was supposed to become our Formal Diningroom...but the piano my Hubby doesn't play but won't part with is in there...and it's not a huge room......sooooo, I put up a little place in the corner that I can dress up and satisfy my "Oh what a lovely table" urges ;P

...and of course, there's our tree...

Fake this year....a pre-lit one we got as a hand-me-down from my MIL who is Christmas obsessed.  I wound in 1 long strand of colored lights thru the entire tree which gives little hints of twinkling blues and purples and reds here and there.  I like the effect :)

The one thing I made over the weekend that I enjoyed the most is this....

That's right!  Homemade Dutch Apple Pie!  This was the last piece....and I ate 5 out of the 6 pieces we cut it into.  Low carb diet? What's that?!  Haha!

Trust me...I don't eat all fancy like this everyday.....I had to remember to slip it off the paper plate I dished it up on to take the picture.  I thought I'd better prove I actually do cook before all the evidence was gone :-D

I hope you and your families are enjoying eachother....and the Holidays you celebrate together :)

Biggest Hugs and Candy Cane Kisses,

Cam

A Halloween Tale ~ with a Treat!

Dreaming in our little beds...
A crow's call "Caw, caw" in our heads...

We wake with a start, aroused from slumber,

get out of bed and nearly stumble....

The ground all around is littered with bones,

....in the distance, there are creaks and moans...

A chill runs through us, we're not at home...

We are in a garden where only tombstones grow.

Each skull seemingly peering...

into our very souls...

And inside the tombs is an eerie glow...

We hurry swiftly, quickly trying to find

a place to hide til this nightmare subsides...

Up ahead, there is a light.

A lantern on the porch of a crickety old shack

beckons us to approach...

Though a tingle says stay back.

A lump forms in your throat...

Better to go...

Then wait for him to attack!

The door opens without effort...

We peek cautiously inside...

One wall is ablaze with flickering candlelight.

A piano before us

looks like it never plays...

A broom leaned on its side...

Books and photos displayed.

A black cat sits upon the floor

near a chair and a cauldron

we swear wasn't bubbling before...

...and on a tray near the brew

are jars filled with a slew

of ingredients most bizarre,

Items like decay and spider eggs...and things grosser, by far...

Another room down the hall

to the the right

Holds even more peculiar sights...

Jewelry and candles..

pictures of a beau?

Edgar Allen Poe!

A hat stand for a Crone's cone...

And are those eyes we spy

in that ornate jar?

Plucked fresh, the tag describes

when beauty was ripe within these eyes...

Nevermore.

....and hanging on the door

Witch's tights!

Have we found her boo-doir?

What could be next,

we wonder as we step

into the livingroom we go to inspect...

The fireplace mantle is shrouded and dressed...

...and someone is trying to escape the chest...

A boneyard atrium with a warning to beware..

we dare not let out spirits locked in there...

The table is hospitably set...

with tea and chocolates just waiting for guests.

Wait! Is that an insect?!

We find ourselves relaxing

even if just a bit...

...and I giggle to myself

as I tell you my secret.

I'm the one who brought you here,

My Dear,

to have tea with me!

Every year

Near Halloween

I prepare for company.

I empty out my pantry shelf

I cast a spell...to make a switch.

I close my eyes and make a wish....

And transform to my Witchy self!

Heeeheeheeeheeee!

Thank you so for joining me...and to the Lovely Vanessa Valencia for hosting this chance at spooky mayhem and revelry!!

Don't leave just yet, I have a Treat,

That one of you soon may receive...

Please leave a comment down below

and a way to reach you in case I don't know.

A guest will be chosen on October 29th

...and this crow will find a new place to reside :)

Okay, ryhming's over...phew!

Does anyone remember where I left my broom?

(sorry)

Heeeheeeheeehee!

Cameron

GoodBye (for now)

Hello Dear Friends!  Wow!  It's really time for me to do this post....

A post where I sign off for a while to attend to real Life...

                       

.. .

the paperwork for our new home has been signed....

It's time to pack up all our memories

and start afresh...

Time to say Goodbye :(

Goodbye to our ugly mint green door. 

 I'm not sure why the Apartment Complex chose this odd color for our front door...it certainly would not be my first choice...but is now etched into our minds...and photos :)

Goodbye makeshift mantel.....

My main area for Seasonal Decorating...

The focal point and backdrop for so much of the important milestones in our lives...

..and the first thing you see as you open that ugly green door....

But now...

It's already reverting back to the empty walls it began as....

....before a Marriage and a Family transformed it into a Happy Home....

That front porch has been my little stage through 9 years of Holidays and Celebrations!

                                               From Western Themed Birthdays.....

To Autumn Welcomes...

I have always enjoyed making it something to be proud of...

Despite that green door...haha!

So now, I get to pack up our (messy) Lives into tidy brown boxes and make a change...

...a change of address, a change of scenery.....

... a change of proximity to those I lean on.... (we'll be so much farther away)

...and, yet, I am not having a change of Heart :)

As emotional as this move is proving to be.....thinking of all the things we'll be leaving behind....

It is also solidifying for me, that relationships are not defined by the miles between us, but by what we feel in our Hearts...

...And that what makes a Happy Home is not the 4 walls we reside in, but the people who reside there with us! 

(Don't you just want to call your spouse right now, or give your child a great, big hug?!  Go ahead...They deserve it.....I'll wait!)

Here is a look at where our new Memories will be created....

The plants are dead and neglected....

The house sits empty...waiting for the sound of laughter to fill it once again :)

Where my daughter will come home to after school....

....where my Hubby will be doing yardwork on the weekends....

...And where my new stage will be...

to welcome Friends and Family.

(That furniture was left by the previous owners)

....And look....no ugly Mint Green Door!

Though, I will miss that door....and all it represents in my memory soooo much!

So, Good-bye Dear Friends...

....at least for a little while, as I get things in order around here...

and make the biggest move of my Life :)

I'll have so much to share with you upon my return!

Hugs to you all,

Cam

btw:  I've changed my email address so I won't lose touch with anybody:

paintmyselfpretty@yahoo.com

Fitting Halloween in a Box

Or at least on one!...haha....

I told you more little painted boxes were in my future!

I think they're a really fun way to add a bit more Halloween Whimsy to my house without destroying my budget :-P

I've been wanting to experiment with crackle glaze for a while now....

So, I thought these would be a safe, small project to experiment on...

I like the added texture and "finished" appearance it gives!

I learned, though, the thicker you apply, the larger the cracks....next time I won't be so careful, and I'll really slather it on :)

This one I made for a "Nightmare" lovin Friend!

I wanted to paint Zero inside, but the sides of the box were a little too deep to have good control over the brush/pen....so, a Halloweeny wrapped gift seemed appropriate :)

I used some irridescent glitter over the ribbon inside, and Jack's bowtie outside...

I think you can just barely see some of the flecks in this picture :)

My only complaint with these boxes is sealing them.  Does anyone have a suggestion on what to put on them that doesn't make the lids stick?  I've tried the crackle glaze and Mod-Podge with both having that kinda tacky feel....I have to pry the lids off sometimes...and the paper tears a bit :(

It's cold and rainy here today...and I'm loving it!! Hope you are all having a wonderful day, too :)

Big Hugs,

Cameron