Halloween Crafting and Baking

(Regarding yesterday's election results: whether you side red or blue, I am thankful government is divided again! It is important that one side doesn't control everything.)

(I know it is past Halloween, but these are excellent for Thanksgiving too! Next year, I'll have them out for all of Fall!)

I love crafting. I find it (and baking) relaxing and rewarding. I would rather make it myself than purchase it. I often think I can make it better, personalize and/or enhance it. So when I saw plastic beaded pumpkins at Walmart and glittered (chunky, tacky) pumpkins at Target, I knew I could reproduce something similar and nicer.

(I wish I has a picture for you! My camera charger is at home. But trust be these are beauties.)

I found a variety of plastic pumpkins at Michaels and Walmart rather cheap. I selected a handful in different sizes and colors. I then applied a spray adhesive to the pumpkins, in sections, and covered the adhesive with glitter. Let dry overnight and you are ready to go! I did this outside and put newspaper down. (Easier to cleanup too!) 

Materials: plastic pumpkins (they will last for years!), spray adhesive, Martha Stewart's glitter*, newspaper or cloth.

*Fellow bloggers informed me of Martha's glitter. They nearly insisted I use it. Only the very best. I didn't know there was a huge difference. But let me inform you, there is! Martha Stewart's is super fine (like sugar). I bought mine on sale. If it isn't on sale, there is always a coupon for Michaels. 

I also made this piece of deliciousness. Halloween chocolate bark. I saw several recipes for this, so I combined them to my liking. Some used white chocolate as the base (not a fan!), Oreos, toffee bits, Butterfinger pieces, etc. I had to draw the line somewhere. I used semi-sweet Ghirardelli chocolate chips, candy corn, pretzels, almond slices, and orange and yellow M&M's. I drizzled the top of mine with Ghirardelli white chocolate. I also lined my baking sheet with wax paper rather than aluminum foil.

My only recommendation, don't use semi-sweet chocolate chips! I don't know why I didn't think of this at the store. I recommend using milk chocolate. However, semi-sweet chocolate chips haven't stopped my roommates from eating it - they love it!

I know it is passed Halloween and people are probably tired of talking about it, but chocolate bark can be used for any holiday. Christmas = peppermint bark! Use your imagination! The variations are endless!

xxoo

Happy Halloween

How cute are these Halloween votives?! I like the different take on carved pumpkins, but I think carving pumpkins is part of Halloween traditions. These would make a great addition to indoor decorations. I wish I had found them before Halloween night, so I could have made them! There's always next year!

Click here for a step-by-step guide.

xxoo

Finally Friday!

I am so thankful it is the weekend! It has been a looooong week, but not a horrible week. I had a Nutrition and Disease exam Tuesday night and that was it!

So remember last week I mentioned going to a corn maze? Well I didn't. But tonight the college group at church is going! Someone mentioned that you need to go when the corn maze first opens because people are mean to the corn stalks. Hopefully the stalks aren't too damaged.

This weekend is huge for the Gators! It is known as the world's largest cocktail party. It is a huge rivalry. It is Florida-Georgia weekend! (Not to be confused with Georgia-Florida, because that doesn't exist!) This game likely determines our fate in the SEC. We still have a chance of taking the SEC East if we win this weekend. This game will be a nail-bitter for sure!

And, it is Halloween weekend! I love Halloween. I like decorating but I don't care for costumes. My mom found a motion activated mummy-man for our apartment. The sad part is, my roommates and I are too short to set if off. The wind randomly sets him off. It is funny to sit in the living room and here him make noise. I'm pretty sure our neighbors hate us. Oh well. Mummy-man is awesome. The best part of Halloween is seeing the cute little trick-or-treaters. But since I'm not home this year, that won't be happening.

I highly suggest you make those pumpkin cupcakes that I posted about last week from Living in Lilly. They are amazing, but I already knew that! My roommate came home and said, "um, why does our house smell so amazing!" The deliciousness was again solidified when I took them to church Wednesday night. One of the guys thanked me in front of everyone before praying before worship started. I'm telling you, these cupcakes are a-m-a-z-i-n-g.

Happy weekend and Halloween ya'll!

See you Monday!

xxoo

Friday = Weekend = PTL

Praise the Lord my biochem exam is over. I went the entire day without eating and I was struggling at the end. I was so wrapped up in studying and then a lecture, time just got away. It (exam and not eating) was brutal!

This is going to be a low-key weekend and I need it. I have a few more Halloween decorations to put up. And I am going to make these cupcakes (they are amazing!) from my friend at Living in Lilly.

It is bye-week here and Lord knows they need it. I love my Gators, but honestly, football isn't our thing this year. Losing and underperforming seems to run in my educational career though. My senior year of high school, I think we won two games. And this senior year isn't looking too pretty either. This season has proved that anything can happen in the SEC. I hope this bye-week provides the team with much needed rest, refocusing and regrouping. 

I heard about a corn maze here in-town this week. I've never been to one and it looks like fun. I might go this weekend, but the weather will play a big factor in that decision. 

I hope ya'll have a nice and relaxing weekend. See you Monday! 

xxoo