DIY Halloween Plates

 

 

Back in August I started brainstorming and gathering ideas for my Fall and Halloween decor, and as I was flipping through home decor magazines, I discovered these cute plates and knew I wanted to make something similar.

So I broke the Cricut and began creating my design using black vinyl.

 

The point behind this DIY project was to achieve the "look for less", so I used the cartridges I had and the only thing I had to buy was the white plate, which I found for $0.99 at the GW.

 

I searched high and low for a plate like the one in the magazine with a black rim and could not find one for the life of me, so I chose a plate that had a rim and thought about painting it black, but opted out to keep it simple.

 

So using my Doodle Charms cartridge, I made the spider, then used transfer paper to transfer the image onto the plate.

 

I used the basic cartridge called Fonts for the letters, then transferred them onto the plate with transfer paper as well.

 

Here is a picture of me using transfer paper for a different plate (one you will see soon) 

...just to illustrate how the transfer paper woks. I love it and couldn't make vinyl projects without it!

 

 

 

 

 

As I attached my letters, one by one, I placed them in a whimsical pattern around the curve of the plate, then once I was done I used some velcro strips to adhere the plate to the wall.

 

 

 

 

And PRESTO! There is my DIY Halloween plate! I {LOVE} how it turned out!

 

I've been a busy bee trying to get all my fall projects tackled, and I'm almost ready to reveal my entire Halloween entry way and mantel, so stay tuned for more Fall and Halloween decor in the upcoming week!

 

 

Jennifer

 

 

Linking up to the following parties:

http://itssoverycheri.com/2012/09/30/its-party-time-9-30-2012-blog-party/

http://westernwarmth.blogspot.com/2012/10/weekend-warmth-4.html

My First Trip to Savers (Value Village)

Hello everyone! After hearing so much about Savers (aka Value Village for those of you in the South), I decided to check it out myself, and I am glad I did!

 

I went on a Saturday and it was busy so I was skeptical of what I would find and right when I was about to leave I spotted this lemonade sign. I LOVED it and had to have it BUT there was no price tag on it so I took it up front to customer service to see what they would price it as.

 

The manager said I could have it for $3 dollars so I made it mine.

 

 

 

 

This sign is resign, not real wood, but the colors are vibrant and it was in great shape. I know its out of season too but it will be THE PERFECT piece for my entry way table in the Spring. I can't wait to use it!!!

 

 

 

Then there was this HUGE cornucopia. I haven't shown you my fall decor yet but I will let you in on a little secret....I {heart} cornucopias. Yes, love em! To me they symbolize Thanksgiving and it all goes back to when I was a kid. I don't know where I was but I remember seeing the most beautiful cornucopia somewhere and learning about the Pilgrims and Indians and ever since then I've always been a fan of cornucopias, so I can't wait to adorn this one with my fruit of plenty.  Its HUGE and should be a nice centerpiece!

Here is side view of it so you can see just how large it is.

Then of course I found yet ANOTHER Pier One pillow that was in near new condition. This one was a burlap pillow with a cute neutral pattern and I thought it would look good for fall so in the cart she went.

 

 

 

Here is an up close and personal pic and you can see the texture of the burlap.

 

 

 

 

 

So after my trip to Savers I was pumped to hit the GW again in search of fall and holiday decor and it must have been PERFECT timing because I found something I wanted but was not looking for.

 

I really like the Pottery Barn reindeer collection of dinnerware but I don't like the price tag so I was pleasantly surprised when I found this reindeer plate. It is a white plate a gold reindeer which will look great on the mantel during the Christmas season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then........drum roll please...........Pottery Barn creamy white beaded salad plates. I was not even looking for these when I found them, but at 99 cents each I couldn't resist and had to make them mine!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately there were ONLY three of the four plates but nonetheless, that was a great deal so in the cart they went!

 

 

 

 

And last but not least I found a lantern for $4.99. Not as cheap as Christina at the Frugal Homemaker-she got an AWESOME deal on her lanterns, but it was a good deal and I'm addicted to lanterns..... and since they sit outside and take a beating from the elements I have a hard time passing them up when I find them at garage sales and thrift stores. (I hate to pay full price for outdoor items!) 

 

This one was in good shape but it needed to be cleaned up so I plan on cleaning it up and leaving it black for now, but I have entertained the idea of painting it another color.............red maybe? Chrome/Silvery color????  hhhhmmmm...........the possibilities are endless but for now it will remain black.

 

 

 

So my first trip to Savers was fun and it got me pumped up to make  second stop at the GW too! The prices at Savers were higher than the local thrift stores, but they are larger and have a much larger selection of goods therefore you can find some great things if you have the time to look.

 

 

 

 

I will definitely go back again, probably next month, but I am curious to hear what others say about Savers/Value Village. Do you guys find good stuff? Do you think they are a little pricey???

 

Enjoy your week,

 

Jennifer

 

 

Yummy (and easy) Peach Cobbler Recipe

 As I mentioned before, Mr. Chaos and I have been extremely busy the past few weeks so I have been making easy meals that I can make in bulk. Since I have been enjoying the peaches, apples, and pears lately I decied to make a peach cobbler, and wanted to share with you my recipe.  It is "dump cake" style.


For those of you who do not know what "dump cake" is, it is basically fruit pie filling, or fresh fruit if you chose, topped with a cake mix to make the cobbler crust. (This is the PERFECT recipe for those of us who can not make home made pie crusts) LOL

You can make any flavor of cobber/dump cake to suit your mood, but today I am going to show you how to make the peach cobbler dump cake.


Here are the basic ingredients. I used a box of golden butter yellow cake mix but beware, this will be extra buttery and extra sweet. You can use a regular yellow cake mix and it wont be so sweet. I also used canned fruit pie filling, but you most certainly can use fresh fruit if you prefer.

This recipe works best with peaches, apples, pears, cherries, and YES PUMPKIN!
 

 

 

First take your canned fruit and pour it into your baking dish. There is no need to grease or prepare the pan...just empty the cans of fruit right into the baking dish and spread with spoon to even out the mixture.

 

Then empty your cake mix on top of the fruit filling and randomly place pats of butter around the top. The butter will melt and will soak right into the cake mixture. If you do too much butter the cobbler crust will take FOREVER to cook and brown, and if you put too little butter on top then some of the cake will be powdery and not set up like a cobbler, so butter is the key.

 

 

 

If you want to, you can also melt your butter in a bowl and drizzle it over the cake mixture, being sure to coat most of the top so the cobbler mixture can form.

 

That's it! Now bake it for about 40(ish) minutes at 375

 

And BAM! There she is! (said in my best Emeril voice) LOL

 

 

 

.....See how the butter was absorbed by the cake mixture to make a cobbler like crust????

 

 

Now let it cool for about a half hour and then scoop some into a bowl......

 

 

 

And top with vanilla ice cream. {YUM}!

 

 

Then ENJOY!

 

 

Jennifer

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