Yummy, Spooky, Fun~

When Margaret asked if I would make something for her to take to her Halloween party, of course I said yes! I went searching online, but I wasn't finding anything that inspired me.

So here is what I came up with on my own.

Zombie Teddy Grahams with white chocolate crosses!

Not only are they pretty cute, they are so very yummy!

Simple to make, I just made a batch of one bite brownies, following the directions from the fancy box that they came out of. While still warm, I stuck the Teddy Grahams into the brownies.

Then I melted white chocolate in a glass bowl over a small pot of boiling water. I then poured it into a baggie. Take my word for it, and let it cool a little once you pour it into the bag.

Once cooled slightly I cut a small hole in the corner of the bag and started drawing my crosses and a few headstones onto wax paper. Let them cool fully, as well as let the brownies cool fully. Stick them into the brownies and you are done!

Happy Halloween!

Down on the Farm~

This is another post showing projects that I created using my October kit from Down a Dirt Road Scrapbooking. The patterns and embellishments are all from the Country Livin' Collection, by We R Memory Keepers.

The photo that I used in the first layout was taken right on my aunt and uncle's farm in Ontario, sitting on a vintage tractor. The papers are perfect for this Country Livin' photo.

The embellishments were all vintage inspired.

My second project is a page in the family calendar for 2014.

Sean's Birthday Menu~

October 23rd is a special day in our house, it's Sean's birthday!

I try to plan a menu for his birthday supper catered just for him. I also like to try new recipes for the occasion.

This is the birthday card that I made for him.

The patterned papers are from the Simple Stories, Generations Collection.

Table all set for his birthday supper. Sean's parents happened to be in town as well.

I started with an appetizer of 

Brie Croissant Stackers

The main course was Slow Cooker Bacon Wrapped Apple BBQ Chicken (which was so tender and tasty), a side of Carrot and Pineapple Coleslaw and a regular fave of ours Honey Mustard Roasted Potatoes.

The birthday boy was happy and full! Mission accomplished!

Let's Get Sketchy October Week 3~

A sweet and simple layout that I created based on last week's Let's Get Sketchy sketch.

This is the sketch that I based my layout on.

Creepy Crawly Treat Bags~

Today I am taking part in a nice little Halloween themed Blog Hop with some of the ladies from Down a Dirt Road Scrapbooking. So I hope you check out all the haunting craftiness!

Are you looking for a quick and easy treat bag idea? Well here it is! These sweet little treat bags are created from simple mini brown paper bags. The black buttons I used to create these Creepy Crawly Treat Bags came from Buttons Galore & More.

Here are the links to the other Blog Hop participants:

Vernette

Alicia

Tasha

Button Birdie~

This is a close up image of a sweet little Button Birdie card that I created. For a quick and easy tutorial on how to make a card just like this stop on over to Buttons Galore & More.

Challenge #66: Creatures~

It's that time again at Use It Tuesday for another challenge to use up that scrap stash that you may have laying around. This week's challenge is Creatures.

I couldn't think of anything else other than our favorite creature and family member Kya.

The patterned papers that I used are not that old, just under a year. But the dog theme stickers that I used are more like 5 or 6 years old, and had never been touched.

If you have never taken the challenge before, why not try it this week!

Sketchabilities #101~

This week's sketch at Sketchabilities was a fun one to work with.

I have been trying to use up some patterned paper that has been laying around for far too long, so I have been using a lot of it with sketches.

This patterned paper is by Close To My Heart.

I love the colour combination of this collection.

This is the sketch that I based my layout on.

Haunting Dinner Party Decor~

I am delighted to be a part of this Fall Blog Hop!

Thank you so much for stopping by and seeing what I and the rest of us hoppers have created with this fall theme.

You don't need to have a big fancy to do, to call it a dinner party. This Halloween, have a dinner party for your family. Set the table as if it were a fancy dinner, and have place cards for your family.

How fun would that be?

Here are some simple place card and wine charm ideas that will take you just a little time, but give your family a very fun memory.

I used Halloween novelty buttons from Buttons Galore & More dress up these haunting place cards.

I used another button on a wine charm with a smaller simpler name tag.

Halloween and fall theme buttons are on sale right now at Buttons Galore & More!

Thank you again for stopping along during this Fall Blog Hop. Below is a list of the other hoppers that you should check out!

Finding Sunshine- http://www.jlfbarnes.blogspot.com/

Designs by Erica- http://ericahoughton.blogspot.com/

Use It Scrapbooking- http://scrapbookgirl71.com/

The Memory Nest- http://thememorynest.blogspot.com

She Zig Zags- http://shezigzags.blogspot.com

My reilly Boys and Me- http://myreillyboysandme.blogspot.com

Capture the Moment- http://crystaljustus.blogspot.com/

Creatively Me- http://tampatha.wordpress.com

My Scrappy Corner- http://myscrappycorner.blogspot.com/

Let's Get Sketchy October #2~

I created another layout based on a sketch from Let's Get Sketchy. My goal this month is to create a layout for each week's challenge.

The patterned papers are from the Generations Collection by Simple Stories.

This is the sketch that I based my layout on. I hope you take the challenge too!

Meeting For the First Time~

This is a simple layout share.

I created this layout using a photo I hold dear. This is when Zoe first met sweet Grady. Lots of snuggles were had that day!

I created this layout using patterned papers from the DIY Shop Collection by Crate Paper.

The black buttons used were from Buttons Galore & More.

Decorative Photo Tray~

Walnut Hollow is a company that has partnered with Buttons Galore & More to create some great crafty projects together. One of the items that I chose to work with was this originally plain wood serving tray. I knew from the start that this serving tray would NOT be serving anything. Instead I wanted to to make it more of a shadow box to showcase a special photo.

So that is exactly what I did. I took the plain wood serving tray and painted it white with acrylic paint.

I picked up a regular metal clip from my local stationary store to actually hold my photo on the tray.

The patterned papers and coordinating embellishments are from the Teresa Collins, Memorabilia Collection. Have a I mentioned that she is my favorite designer? No?....well now you know.

I used lots of Mini Glue Dots to adhere all those black and grey buttons from Buttons Galore & More.

Now this is where my serving tray and now decorative photo tray sits. Front and center in my wall of shelving.

Cabot Shores Getaway~

This Thanksgiving weekend Sean and I did something that we have never done. We went away just the 2 of us for a Fall Weekend Getaway. In September and into October I entered a contest through Nova Scotia Tourism to win a Fall Weekend Road Trip. There were retreat weekends all over the province, but we chose to pick a getaway that was a little closer to home. As some of you know, Sean and I are often running the roads to see family and friends away from Cape Breton. This gave us the chance to dream of exploring parts of beautiful Cape Breton Island, that we wouldn't have otherwise been able to do on a whim.

Then I received an email saying that I had won the weekend getaway to Cabot Shores Retreat.

Excited couldn't even describe how we felt. We booked our getaway right away!

So here are a few of our photographic memories of our PERFECT weekend getaway at Cabot Shores Retreat.

The Cabot Shores property is right on the Cabot Trail overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

A view from the rocky beach looking back over the Cabot Shores property. From here you can see our yurt (the small white building), the lodge with the green roof and the chalets to the far right.

We also just happened to be there when the fall colours had begun to peak.

This photo shows you one of the things that made their huge property so special. They have created a "ferry", much like the Englishtown ferry. This ferry takes you from the meadow to the stone beach.

When you book your retreat at Cabot Shores, please take our word for it and add on the cedar hot tub. Perfect for two, and really no better way to end a day of hiking and exploring than to spend a couple of hours soaking in the moonlight and listening to the waves crashing on the stone beach.

This was the view from the deck of our yurt.

A shot of the inside of our incredibly cozy yurt.

Did I mention that Cabot Shores is pet friendly?

A huge plus to a family that includes our pooch when we travel.

Kya's favorite things about the weekend were sunning on the porch, playing in the ocean and hiking nearby trails.

The gorgeous hand painted dome of our yurt, looking up at the changing colours of the surrounding trees.

The main lodge provided a warm and inviting atmosphere any time of the day. Every single meal they provided from the Bistro was full of flavour. Many of the organic ingredients coming from their very own property.

Paul and Barbara are the owners and operators of Cabot Shores Retreat.

Paul was thrilled to find out that we were musicians, so of course Sean brought his tuba along. Some blues and some jazz to finish off the perfect weekend away.

Thank you just doesn't even seem to cover just how much we appreciated this Fall Weekend Road Trip.