Haunted House, how to...

I posted last week about the start of our Halloween decor and my favorite item...the haunted house I made. Once it is up in the foyer they boys know that trick or treating is just around the corner.

Since I made this a few years ago before a blog was even a concept for me I didn't take progress images, but I will try to give you all the details so you can create your own as well. The first thing that you will need to decide on is what doll house kit to use, 

for my project I used the Arthur Dollhouse Kit. 

I had Rob cut a piece of MDF that was 4" bigger than the size of the dollhouse so I had room to decorate. Once you have that you can start off by building the house and getting it all set up. When it is dry start to get it all ready for the Halloween season by painting it. I used an orange base paint and then used diluted black paint on top to give it a 'dirty' look.

When placing the shutters around the windows put them on crooked, make it look dilapidated and worn. That is what would scare you away from a home, isn't it? For the shingled I stained them with the diluted black paint as well for a weathered look. Add a bit of moss to the corners with a glue gun and let the scary factor grow.

For the base of the house use a glue gun to place more moss around for the ground. Along with moss I added twigs to the roof and the sides of the home. A place like Michale's has some small Halloween items that are perfect for this project where they keep the Halloween villages, I managed to pick up the little trees and a few skeletons from there.

Check out THIS site for some fun Halloween items to add to the surroundings. Pumpkins, headstones, spooky skeletons. This is where you can really make it your own!

So that is the low down on the haunted house that graces our foyer every year, I hope that you take on the challenge of making one yourself. It is sure to be a crown pleasure and something children will look forward to seeing year after year.

Some readers left comments last week asking about some of the items that I had sprinkled throughout our home. HERE is a link to the crows; they are great heavy card stock and can be used year after year.

The bats that are on all of our mirrors, most of our windows, and even the lights above our island can be purchased HERE. And I have searched on-line for the vintage looking tin posters, but I am not finding any. I did pick them up a few years ago at HomeSense, similar to Home Goods in the States.

And then the fun two black glittered chandeliers that I have above our kitchen sink can be found HERE. I hope that this gets you ready to get your home all spookified!!!

We really do embrace Halloween here, it will be hard to let go and I know the boys are going to miss it next year. Since we are moving from a suburban neighborhood to an acreage there will be no trick or treaters, or 'spookies' as W calls them. We will still do it up and have fun, but I will admit this is the one thing I will miss...all of the neighbor kids coming up to the door and screeching 'TRICK OR TREAT!'. 

I hope the new owners of our home embrace the fun that can be had. It doesn't take much, just a few spider webs, a fog machine, strobe lights, scary music,
lots of pumpkins, and tons of candy.

And of course some fun and festive characters that make themselves
at home during the season.

 
All Images via Veranda Interiors

OK, I will stop being all sentimental...for now. Have a great day and get the decor ready!! Mel xo

Window Seats, a must...

Incorporating window seats into our next home was a must. We currently have a large built-in day bed in our home and it is the most used spot besides the kitchen on the main level.  The bottom drawers hold all of the toys and it is my favorite place to sit, especially on a fall evening with a glass of wine.

 Image my own

Pretty much every client that comes through out home before the design process begins wants to incorporate a space similar to ours into their new home. Can you blame them?

Image my own

We are having another day bed built-in in the next great room as well as 2 built-in window seats in 2 of the upper level bedrooms for the children. 

Image via Houzz

Besides offering additional storage it is also a great place for them to sit and let their minds wonder, perfect to enhance the creativity that keeps growing each and every day.

Image via DecorPad

Do you have a favorite spot in your home? If so make sure you get to spend some time there today. Mel xo

Simply Stunning

Image via Mountain Living

Happy weekend! Mel xo

Fridays Favorite - Fall Boots

So living in the Great White North there is a need, a need for boots. A couple girlfriends and I went out for some retail therapy the other day and these are the beauties that followed me home...

Wellies: Everyone needs a pair and my old pair had seen better days. With our building site being a constant mud pit and the other job sites I needed something that I wouldn't have to worry about. What better than a pair of Hunters. Of course I stuck to black, but I did go for the gloss, a bit dressier so when I am meeting clients I can still feel like I am rocking my boots. 

Fun Boots: New year, new boots. These beauties caught my eye as soon as we walked into the store. They were actually yelling at me, I swear!! I will admit that there was some guilt about buying them, but every single one of my friends insisted that I keep them since they are too fab to not have. 

Sorels: Welcome to the frigged cold winters that we have around here. These beauties are rated for a -25 temp and will be perfect on the job sites this winter. We will have 7 homes in the ground by December, so that means a lot of time freezing my bum off outside and in homes that are not closed in yet. I feel like these still give me tons of function without sacrificing style. 

Have you gone out yet and treated yourself to a fall splurge...or three?? If not time to do so, it is the weekend after all! Mel xo

It's that time of the year!

Since it is official that this Fall / Halloween will be our last holiday in our current home I decided to get everything up early so we (mostly the boys) could really enjoy it. Here are a few images of what has been completed. W is still asking for 'lots of those fiery pumpins' but they are not out yet, soon enough W, soon enough.

Here is our front door, the crow actually scared my neighbor when she came over earlier today. This is one feature that I am going to miss, it is so much fun to dress up with the seasons.

This is one of my favorite items for this time of the year, mostly because I made it. Look for a feature on it HERE. I made it way before my blogging time so the post will not have any progress imaged, but there will be tons of info.

A la Martha, lots of bats and crows are scattered around the house. The boys love the 'spooky' factor that they add to our home.

A few little details to the powder room. Some more silhouettes and I added in some black twigs to the urn I have in there year round.

I still have quiet a bit to put up, but my time for things like this is quiet limited right now. I am off to make the interior selections for our Wexford Spec home, I will be sure to fill all of you in on the carpet, tile, stain, and paint colors that will be covering that home. Have a fab day! Mel xo

Seen on Frou Frou Decor, A Few of My Favorite Things, Just A Girl, Shabby Next & Chic on a Shoestring

Knock Knock - One more Lake Home

OK, final lake home feature till the spring...I promise. This jem was built by Stonebreaker Builders in Illinois. Love the details on the exterior of the home.

The overall appearance of the home is very welcoming and inviting....

I love creative lighting in the mud room, not a place to overlook it.

This makes me want to be a kid all over again.

The master retreat has calm tones making it easy to unwind and relax.

Loving the butcher block island, something I don't think any amount of wine 

would get Rob to agree to.

What a view, this is making me miss the cabin that much more.

Saved the best for last. Wouldn't you love to lay on the large hanging daybed at the end of a long day on the lake...screened in porches are great features on lake homes.

Hope you enjoy!! Now back to decorating for fall, lake time is over. Mel xo

Well, it is SOLD!

When we listed our home we decided to have professional images taken. Well, go figure, the day after we have the photos done we have our 6th showing and that produced the 4th offer we had, not a bad ratio if you ask me. Since the photos should be seen by some I thought I would share them with all of you. Here is what we have called home for the past 4 years, it has been very good to us and there are endless memories, I will be sad to say goodbye...

So what can you expect to see in our next house?? A similar floor plan just larger and a few more rooms. Not a single drop of oil rubbed bronze, not one crystal on a chandelier, a lot more color...pretty much the exact opposite of what you see here. And yes, there will be art work in the next house, since I knew I was going is a different direction I haven't wanted to invest in any, but now we can!! My brain is going a million miles a minute, now that we have to be out in December I know I will not last long in a temporary home, so full speed ahead on the new digs that will be going HERE. I hope you continue to follow us on our journey...it is sure to be a fun ride! Mel xo

Posted on Between Naps on the Porch today too!

Never Forget

Image via Arnold Berns

Never forget. xo

Fridays Favorite - Fresh & Fab Salsa

This is a staple in our home, I pretty much make it weekly. Once you do have it going back to any of the store bought salsas will not even be an option...trust me on this one.

Fresh & Fab Salsa

Makes about 6 cups

10 tomatoes, cored and chopped 

(If fresh tomatoes are $ or not ripe you can sub in 3 - 14.5 oz cans of chopped tomatoes with juice)

1 - 4.5 oz can chopped green chilies

2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

2 jalapenos, cored, seeded, and diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4/ C. olive oil

3/4 C. chopped fresh cilantro

Juice of 2 limes

Juice of 1 lemon

3 t. cumin

2 t. salt

1 t. pepper

1 t. red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients...that simple!

Doesn't it look beautiful, fresh, and tasty?? It will last in the fridge for 5 days and I think it just gets better with the ingredients blending more and more.  Keep in mind it does make quite a bit, no need to double it like my brother did when I first gave him the recipe. 

Another weekend already, crazy how fast the weeks are going lately! Hope you enjoy yours and that you have a bit of spice in it. Mel xo