Welcome To Booville

Today's project is so easy that with a little assistance your 5 year old could do this. And they will have the satisfaction of seeing their work set out as a Halloween decoration.

You can use it as a centerpiece on your table or as a decoration on a mantle or side table. Let's get started.

First you need find a container. I just used something I had sitting in the windowsill. Mine was pretty tall so I added some crumpled up newspaper.

Next, cut some styrofoam to sit in the top of your container.

Get some of this really cool SuperMoss and cut it to size and plop right on top of the styrofoam. It doesn't need any glue and it doesn't have to be perfect.

I used some black foam and cut out a tombstone. I used white fabric paint to write R.I.P. on it. Once it dried, I used an xacto blade to cut a little slit in the moss and poked the tombstone through the moss. It stands up on it's own. No glue.

Make a ghost by gathering any kind of flowy white fabric. I had leftover cheesecloth from mummy costumes. I took a barbecue skewer and trimmed it to the height that I wanted. Stick that into some styrofoam and cover with the fabric.

Using the xacto blade again, I created a small hole in the moss and put the ghost in its place. I let the ends of the fabric cover up the edge that didn't meet the edge of the container.

Go ahead and throw some little pumpkin ornaments on there. I also used some little rocks.

Tie some ribbon or raffia around the middle of your container to add an extra touch of detail.

We're almost done. I salvaged the rest of that skewer I used for the ghost. I printed "Welcome to Booville" and "Beware" on orange paper. Cut them out. Add little jagged edges to the sides by cutting tiny triangles and tape them to the skewer. Place the sign through the moss just like you did for the ghost.

And there you have a seriously easy Halloween decoration for you table or any where else you need a little Halloween cheer.

To finish it off for my table I wrapped the rest of the cheesecloth around the base of my container and sat the rest of the pumpkin decorations around as well.

You could adapt this same moss theme for next Easter using little Easter Eggs and a decorative bunny or chick. Your sign could say "Hoppy Trails!"

How would you adapt your container to make it your own?

Snack Throwdown:

Last week's winner was Lauren so the official score is now Kate 2, Lauren 3.

Don't forget to click on their links and see what they made for this week. This weeks secret ingredient is Sour Cream. And lastly, we're also voting for next weeks ingredient, Avacado or Black Beans.

This is Cheryl with your seriously easy craft project, signing off until tomorrow...

Spring for a Decorator

Hunker down.  It's going to be a fun and long week of hanging out with yours truly.  Cheryl, Heather, and Katie are getting time off for good behavior.

Richard and I spent Saturday night at our friend's apartment.  His building is the the oldest apartment building in Dallas and is chock full of quaint nooks and crannies.  My favorite was the 16" book ledge that trimmed the entire dining room.  Steve had the shelf filled with interesting books about art, antique decanters, eclectic book ends, and all sorts of other notable curiosities.

In short... Steve was born with the decorating gene.

I was not.

I aspire to live in a cozy home that is well appointed.  I dream of nicely displayed art on my walls, well placed furniture, window treatments more imaginative than vertical blinds, and just-right accessories (but not too many.  I don't like clutter).  They say Libras appreciate aesthetically pleasing things and of me it is true.  My problem is my skill set doesn't match my aspirations and rather than do something about it I am paralyzed by my own sense of perfectionism. 

Then I met Andrea.

Andrea is an unpretentious, no-nonsense interior decorator who tells it like it is.  She spoke at a mom's luncheon I attended about a year ago.  The topic had something to do with organizational tips and with every minute she spoke I liked her more.  The icing on the cake was at the very end, when in 90 seconds she demystified every life-ling, grandiose belief I had about interior designers.

Frankly, I thought interior designers were only for rich people and we're not rich.  I imagined that by calling an interior designer I was entering a covenant from which I could never escape.  I thought by letting an interior designer in my house all sorts of expensive products would be thrust upon me and thousands of dollars later I'd be searching for new and creative ways to dodge her phone calls until finally she'd get the hint and cut me loose.

Knowledge is power.  Here's what I know now.  Andrea charges $85.00 per consultation.  She's been to my house twice since last year.  Both times I met her at the door with a legal pad full of specific questions and three hours later pictures are hung, furniture is rearranged, wall colors have been selected and suggestions (not high pressure edicts) have been made about future improvements.

Andrea is my friend and maybe by the end of this week she will be yours too.  This week - the first full week of April - I thought we would delve into some home improvements.  Andrea has supplied me with a short list of decorating tips which I intend to pass along to you this week.  Each day we'll tackle a suggestion and see what we have by Friday.

Are you ready for some spring cleaning and home improvements?  Have you already started or do you consider guilt-free clutter the silver lining to winter months?  Tell us!

Fun announcement:  Spring cleaning doesn't, by the way, have to be reserved exclusively for our homes.  Sometimes the most rewarding spring cleaning we can do is on our own person.  Check out some spring cleaning Katie did this past weekend!  Newcomers will be interested in knowing Katie (co-author and loyal reader) has the greatest, curliest, thickest hair.  Now it's just 9 inches shorter!!!!!!!  It looks great, Katie!

Check back for the next five days when, in a clean sweep, I will present an decorating idea a day!

Signing off until tomorrow...