{Crafts} -- Last Minute Halloween T-Shirt Idea

Do your kids wear their Halloween costumes to school on Halloween?  At my children's school, they are not allowed to wear their costumes.  However, my kids usually wear a Halloween themed t-shirt to school on Halloween.  This year, I went for an easy, inexpensive, DIY bat silhouette shirt. 

 

You'll need:

 

T-shirt

Bleach Pen

Bat Silhouette (I downloaded one online, you could also use a bat coloring page)

Scissors or Exacto Knife

Contact Paper

Old Newspaper

 

Instructions:

1. Find a coloring page or bat silhouette online and print it.  You could use any other type of Halloween image, too: black cat, witch's hat, pumpkin, etc.
2. Cut out the silhouette and trace it onto contact paper.  After tracing it onto contact paper, cut out the silhouette.  I cut out the inside, leaving a rectangular piece of contact paper with a bat cut out of it.
3. Place contact paper on t-shirt, positioning silhouette where you would like it on the shirt.  Place a few sheets of old newspaper in between the layers of the shirt, so no bleach gets on the backside. 
4. Using a bleach pen, trace and fill in the bat.  Carefully remove the contact paper.  Let bleach dry for a few minutes.
5. Wash t-shirt in cold water.  After drying, it's ready to wear!
 
 
 

 



{Recipes} Lemon Cranberry Muffins

When my daughter spotted cranberries in the produce aisle at the grocery last week, she squealed.  She loves cranberries and has even been known to eat them raw (yuck!). 

 

Her favorite way to eat cranberries is Cranberry Chai Cupcakes.  But, cupcakes are a little much for breakfast (except for birthdays, of course), so we decided to try a new cranberry muffin recipe.  We found a great Lemon Cranberry Muffin recipe that I tweaked ever so slightly.  The result was a delicious, sweet, yet tart muffin. I loved the texture of these muffins.  They were denser than a cupcake, but still light and airy.  And, my daughter certainly approved of these! 

Lemon Cranberry Muffins (Adapted from Allrecipes)
2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cranberries, coarsely chopped
zest of one lemon
sparkling sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line 16 muffin cups with paper muffin liners.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Using a grater, zest lemon peel into a small bowl.  Then, squeeze 1/4 cup lemon juice from lemon.  Combine lemon juice and milk.  Set aside so milk can sour.

Mix eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and lemon zest.  Pour sour milk into egg mixture and beat on low.  Add the entire flour mixture into egg mixture.  Beat on low just until combined.  Stir in cranberries.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 the way full.  Sprinkle with sparkling sugar, if desired.  Bake about 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into muffin comes out clean. 

{Grateful For} -- Indian Summers

We've had FANTASTIC fall weather the last few days.  The leaves are a beautiful palette of red, orange, and yellow, but the temperatures feel more like late-August.   My kiddos and I went out to Shaker Village this week to enjoy the weather and I snapped a few pictures.  Hope you're all having a wonderful October!

Leading up to Thanksgiving, there will be a new {Grateful For} series on the blog.  For the next few weeks, there will be short posts about some of my favorite things.  Please feel free to leave what you are grateful for in the comments section, too! 

{Crafts} Dia de los Muertos Tissue Paper Poms, Flowers, and Banner

 

Dia de los Muertos celebrations are often decorated with tissue paper flowers and tissue paper banners.  Tissue paper decorations add a festive look to any Dia de los Muertos party.  And, the best part about these decorations is that they add big impact for very little cost!   Here are the instructions for each of these decorations:

 

Poms:

(For pictures, please see this post)

1.  Start with about 10 pieces of tissue paper.  For smaller poms, cut tissue in half. 

2.  Make 1 1/2 inch accordian folds.

3.  Using curling ribbon, tie the center of the tissue (you could also staple the center). 

4.  Trim the edges of the pom by either rounding the edges (see orange pom above) or cutting pointed edges (see purple pom above). 

5.  Pull apart individual tissue sheets, pulling toward the center until all pieces are separated.   

 

 Flowers:

1. Follow steps 1 - 4, above.

2. Begin pulling center sheets toward center.  The only difference between the flowers and the poms is that with the flowers, just pull the sheets towards one side, not towards both.   

 

 



 

Banner:

1. Using about 3 sheets of tissue paper, cut paper to 14"x10".

2. Fold paper in half, so your rectangle is 7" tall by 10" wide. 

3. Cut 1 inch fringe into the open end.  The easiest way to do this is using a cutting mat and rotary cutter. 

4. Attach banner to ribbon, using double sided tape.



{Mirabelle Creations Party} -- Dia de los Muertos Party Update + a Free Printable

Are you familiar with Dia de los Muertos?  I was introduced to the holiday about three years ago when my daughter performed in Bluegrass Youth Ballet's signature ballet, Dia de los Muertos.  Dia de los Muertos, which translates to Day of the Dead, occurs every year on November 2nd. The holiday has its origins in Mexico and Latin America. It’s a day of remembrance and celebration, where people gather to celebrate their deceased loved ones. 

Last year, I created a Dia de los Muertos themed dessert table for Halloween.  The dessert table included yummy treats, like pan de muertos, skull sugar cookies, skeleton cupcakes, and agua fresca.  In the Ocotober 2012 issue of TOPS Magazine, I updated the party, with tips on how to host your own Dia de los Muertos party.  The update also includes ideas for appetizers that you could serve at a Dia de los Muertos party. 

These appetizers can all be prepared before the party, so you can spend time hanging out with your guests, instead of cooking.  Whimsical, bright decorations will create a fun, festive mood for your party!

 

These simple Two Bite Tacos Carnitas can be made ahead of time so you are not assembling them right before the party. They are also great for parties because you can eat them without a fork or plate.  The recipe is available on TOPS Magazine's site. 

Serving chips on a cake platter and store bought guacamole in a compote dish is a fun way to present a basic appetizer. 

Tissue paper decorations, such as the tissue banner and tissue flowers, are an inexpensive way to add traditional Dia de los Muertos decor to your party. 

Greet guests at the door with margaritas or mock-aritas.  Another great Dia des los Muertos drink would be agua fresca.

 

The Two Bite Tacos Carnitas are topped with a Chipotle Barbecue Sauce and a Tropical Fruit Salsa.  Guests can assemble their tacos to their own liking. 

Cumin Spiced Rice was served in single serving size glass dishes.  Guests can simply grab a cup to snack on at their leisure.

The food label shown here is a also available as a FREE download!  So, hop over to TOPS magazine to get your copy.  They are great for food labels, name cards, thank you tags, and favor tags!

{Recipes} Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls

This Saturday my little guy and I woke up craving cinnamon rolls. Since it was already almost 9am, I didn't have time to make rolls from scratch.  But, I knew I had several frozen balls of pizza dough in the freezer.   Have I ever told you how much I love this pizza dough? 

I keep several balls of it in my freezer at all times.  My love for this dough is threefold.  First, the ingredients are simply flour, water, yeast, and salt.  Second, I'm impatient!  Once I decide to make pizza, I want the homemade flavor, but don't want to wait several hours for dough to rise.  You can pop this dough in the microwave and defrost it in under 5 minutes.  Third, for less than $2 a dough ball, it's definitely a bargain! 

 

 

These cinnamon rolls were so tasty!  They are not an exact substitute for cinnamon rolls from scratch.  But, if you want a homemade shortcut, these are a great alternative to the prepackaged rolls.  As a bonus, I know they are made without any strange ingredients I can't pronounce.  

Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls (adapted from Daily Waffle)

1 ball of frozen pizza dough, thawed
4 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2-4 tablespoons of warmed milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter 9 inch cake pan.  (Make sure you actually butter it, don't just spray it with cooking oil spray). 

Onto a floured surface, roll thawed dough into a 12 inch square, about 1/4 inch thick.  When I rolled out the dough, it was more like an oval, which worked just fine.  Using 2 tablespoons butter, spread butter over all of the dough. 

Combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt.  Sprinkle cinnamon mixture over the entire surface of the dough. 

Tightly roll the dough up into a log.  Cut dough log into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces.  After cutting, you may need to re-roll the ends of the roll a little more tightly.  Place rolls into cake pan, leaving space in between each roll.  Using the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, dot each roll with a small pat of butter. 

Bake for about 18 minutes.  Let rolls cool slightly. 

For the icing:
Combine sugar and vanilla.  Stir in milk, one tablespoon at a time, until reaching desired consistency.  Drizzle over cinnamon rolls while they are still warm. 

{Press} Halloween Parties for TOPS Magazine

 

The October issue of TOPS Magazine is now on newsstands in the Central Kentucky area. In honor of breast cancer awareness month, it's the magazine's Think Pink issue.  The issue also features my Halloween Parties article. You can read the entire article online, HERE. 

 

The article also includes a link where you can download these fun FREE printable labels.  The labels can be used as food labels, name cards, or even as favor tags.  They come in four festive colors. 

 

 

Check out the article, which discusses throwing a Halloween party with a Dia de los Muertos twist, for more party ideas.  It also includes recipes for Two Bite Tacos Carnitas and Pan de Muertos.  Over the next couple of days, I'll be posting more ideas for throwing a Dia de los Muertos party. 

 

Until then, don't forget to hop over to TOPS magazine to download your free printables. 

{Contributor Post} - Vampire Bat Cookies for The Celebration Shoppe

 

These not too scary vampire bat cookies are a simple Halloween treat that are perfect for an after-school snack, playdate, or Halloween party.  I made the bat cookies for my kiddos for an after-school snack. Luckily, I snapped a few pictures of them before school let out, because as soon as they got home, the kids scarfed these right down! 

You can find how to make these little vampire bats over at The Celebration Shoppe.  So, swoop on over to there to get all the sweet details.  And, I'm so excited to say that it's my first post after being announced as a new regular contributor for The Celebration Shoppe. 

 

I'm so honored to be joining Kim over at The Celebration Shoppe!  The Celebration Shoppe has always been one of my favorite sites for party, crafting, and baking inspiration.  Kim's work has been featured in Parents magazine, Better Homes and Gardens Tricks & Treats special issue, Pregnancy magazine, Columbus Parent magazine and many others.  If you haven't already, hop over there and spend a little time poking around!  You'll be amazed at what you find! 

 

And, you can find the little party circles that I used on the milk bottles in my Etsy Shop.  The whole Trick or Treat, You're so Sweet Halloween Collection is now on sale in my Shop. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{New to the Shop} -- Eat, Drink, and Be Thankful Collection + Free Thanksgiving Printables

 

I'm so excited to share my "Eat, Drink, & Be Thankful" Collection, now available in my Shop.  The Collection was featured on Amy Atlas's blog!  The design includes a cranberry, candlelight orange, and wheat color palette with a herringbone pattern and fall leaves.  Additionally, there is a coordinating kids table "Whooo's Thankful?" collection that you will receive with your purchase. 

Coordinating "Whooo's Thankful?" Kids Table Collection:

THE THANKSGIVING COLLECTION IS NOW AVAILABLE IN MY SHOP

Collection includes:
1. 3.75 x 8.75" Invitation design (blank, may personalized for an additional fee)
2. Party Banner, text reads "Thankful"
3. 2" Party Circles: Leaf Silhouettes and "Eat, Drink & Be Thankful"
4. 2" Thank You Tags, text read, "Thankful For You"
5. Fancy Labels / Placecards, blank
6. 8 x 10" Eat, Drink & Be Thankful sign
7. Water Bottle Labels
8. Drink Flags
9. "Be Thankful" Pie Bunting

Coodinating Kids Collection includes:
1. Party Banner, Owls
2. 2" Party Circles: Owls and "Whooo's Thankful?"
3. Fancy Labels / Placecards, blank
4. Leaf Silhouettes
5. Utensil Holder Pattern (not shown)
6. Owl Coloring Pages (not shown)

You can also download the following printable items for free:

Owl Utensil Holder Pattern
Thankful Tree Leaves
Owl Fancy Labels
Owl Coloring Pages

{Mirabelle Creations Party} -- "Trick or Treat, You're So Sweet" Halloween Party

 

Halloween is quickly approaching!  My little ghost and goblin are already starting to plan their Halloween costumes, even though they seem to change their mind on a daily basis.  And, of course, I'm thinking about how to celebrate this fun holiday. 

 

I'm so excited to show you this "Trick or Treat, You're So Sweet" printable party collection I designed for Halloween parties that are more sweet than spooky.   Last week, I styled this party to showcase the collection. 

 

 

The design started with the polka dot invitation.  The little bow tie wearing bat and polka dots set the tone for a Halloween Bash filled with sweet treats.

 

 

Most of the desserts for the party were purchased at my local grocery store.  To make the Brownie Bites, start with purchased or homemade brownie bites.  Then pipe store bought or homemade white icing on top and garnish them with orange gum balls. 

 

 

These easy one-bite treats were delicious and simple.  Plus, they added a pop of color to the dessert table.

 

 

The Creamsicle Cakes were made portable by putting them in mason jars.  Since they are portable, guests can either enjoy them at the party or take them home as a favor.  

 

To make these layered cakes, simply bake a white cake on a large cookie sheet.  Using a round cookie cutter, cut them to fit in the jar, layering the icing between the layers.  A little bit of black trim from the fabric department embellishes the ordinary mason jars.

 

 

The party circles from the Halloween Collection topped cupcakes from my favorite local bakery, The Twisted Sifter.  I stacked two cake plates and an antique compote bowl with Sixlets to create height and interest on the table. 

 

 

The Cupcake Toppers include a black and white polka dot lollipop design, orange and white polka dot bat design, solid orange bat design, and diagonal stripe candy design in orange and black.  To view all of the designs, please visit my Etsy Shop.

 

 

Caramel apples are a must-have at any fall party!  These caramel apples were store bought.  Have you ever tried to make your own caramel apples?  I recently tried and it was an epic failure!  The homemade caramel tasted fantastic, but it slid right off the apples.  If you have any great caramel apple tips, I'd love to hear them!

 

 

I used the drink flags from the Halloween Collection to decorate the caramel apple sticks.  The apples sat on a black cake stand that I made last year.  An easy way to make a cake stand in any color is to first purchase an inexpensive glass stand.  Using the paint color of your choice, paint both the underside of the top and the inside of the stand portion. 

 

 

Apothecary jars filled with black and orange candy added color to the dessert table design.  The 4 inch circles included in the Halloween Collection were attached to the outside of the jars. 

 

 

I stacked alternating black and orange gumballs in one apothecary jar.  All of the candy was purchased online from Nuts.com, my favorite candy source.  

 

 

The glass jar was filled with black Sixlets, so the giant orange lollipops would stay in place.  Of all the candy on the table, these lollipops were my son's first choice. 

 

 

These glass bottles were filled with clementine flavored Izzes.  This is by far my kids' favorite special occasion drink. The glass bottles are recycled Starbucks Bottled Frappuccino Drinks.  The bottles were decorated with ribbon, a party circle, and striped straws.

  

 

To complete the party, paper goods were used as decorations.  First, I hung paper tissue pom poms and circle garlands made from scrapbook paper.  These inexpensive elements provided a festive feel to the table.  To the front of the dessert table, I added the "sweets" banner from the Halloween Collection. 

 

 

 

THE PRINTABLE COLLECTION IS NOW AVAILABLE HERE! 

 

The Collection is now on sale for a LIMITED TIME ONLY! 

{New to the Shop} -- "Trick or Treat, You're So Sweet" Halloween Printable Collection

 

 

Can you believe that it's already time to start planning for Halloween?  It feels like it was just summer and now we're into the month of October!  I've designed this "Trick or Treat, You're so Sweet!"  Halloween printable party collection.  The color palette for the collection is black and orange with polka dots and stripes.  It also includes two little sweet bats and candy treats.  It's now available in my Etsy Shop for only $12. 

 

The Collection includes:

 

Blank 5x7 Invitation

Party Banner
2" Party Circles
2" Thank You Tags
Fancy Labels / Placecards
Two Blank 5 x 7 Signs
Two 4" Party Circles

Drink Flags

 

There is a 30% off introductory sale price for the Collection for a LIMITED TIME ONLY!!  Regular Price is $12.00. Now available for $8.40!!  Sale price only through October 12th!

 

NOW AVAILABLE IN MY ETSY SHOP!

 

Stay Tuned for pictures from a party the the Halloween party I styled using this Collection!

 



{Trendy Tuesday} -- Cute Homemade Halloween Costumes

What do you prefer -- homemade or store bought Halloween costumes?  I've  used both in the past, but I enjoy making the costumes when I have time.  I've pulled out a few of my favorite past homemade costumes to share.  The first ever homemade costume I made was a sunflower when my little girl was just 20 months.  It seems like an eternity has passed since I took these pictures.  She has also gotten much better at posing for pictures over the last nine years!

 

 

A few years later, I recycled a Raggedy Ann costume into a Little Bo Peep outfit.  My sister-in-law's mother actually made this fantastic costume.  I just added the bows at the shoulders and wrapped an oversized candy cane with black ribbon to make her hook.  Little brother's sheep costume was store bought. 

 

 

Last year, I agreed to make the kids vampire capes for their Halloween costume.  I bought the fabric several weeks before Halloween.  But, we hosted our in-laws 50th Wedding Anniversary Party the week before Halloween.  So, just hours before trick-or-treat, I was finishing these capes.  I'm trying to talk them into being magicians this year so they can just reuse the capes.  I'm not sure I've won that battle, yet!



Here are some more great homemade Halloween costume ideas if you're still planning your costumes.  And, if you have a great Halloween costume you've made, please share the link below in the Comments section.  I'd love to see them and share them with my readers! 

 

The White Rabbit via Weisse Guys

 

 

via The Daily Green

 

 

Clark Kent via Pinterest

 

 

50s Waitress via Family Fun

 

 

Rocket Man via Real Simple

 

 

Ipod via Spoonful

 

 

Owl via Sweeter than Sweets