{halloween} My Dad....

This is my Dad  at our parade during the 4th of July. Yes, he is on a cow. Yes, we own horses, lots of horses. Why the cow? I don't know he has some sentimental attachment to this bovine that he named "Junior."

So I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when I saw what he wore to the church Halloween party last night. I mean he did ride a cow in a parade.

                                                 

I am guessing he is Big Foot. I'm not quite sure what is with the flowers, I'm hoping it is in reference to Harry and the Hendersons. But who knows, this guy rode a cowin a parade, so why not be a female Big Foot.

He has very high self-esteem, it's why he can wear things like this in public and not lose any sleep over it.

So I hope you all have a great Halloween and I REALLY  hope that your relatives are a little less "extravagant" than mine...if they're not, well I feel your pain.

{Punk's Birthday} in six days!

It is funny to think that this time last year I was laying in a hospital bed thinking about how much I just wanted to be home, how I didn't want to have an IV in my arm, and how badly I wanted to be able to just WALK around the hospital. I felt idiotic when Hunk had to wheel me through the hospital in a wheel chair, but now I know that my complaining then would only be "chump change" for what was about to happen.

This is Punk when he was born. He was tiny, very tiny. And, well, he was very early too. 

It is crazy to think that his little body survived, but he did and he is here to stay.

Over the next week I will unfolding the whole story of how this little guy made it and what we learned as new parents. I will also be unfolding piece-by-piece my plan for his sweet 1st birthday! I figure that because we didn't get to really enjoy his birth (I hear it is the most amazing time in a parent's life) that we will have one smashin' birthday party to make up for it. Believe me...it is gonna be a HOOOOOOOT!

And who knows, maybe you will all get to see a video or two of this sweet little boy!

Halsey

{Thrifty Thursday} A time saving question for all you bloggin', workin', cookin', carpoolin', awesome moms out there

I have been having this internal battle with myself for the last few weeks and I was hoping all of you could help me out. I guess part of being thrifty (or sane) is finding ways to save time. Right now I have two blogs a family blog and Spunky Junky and it seems that when I begin to put effort into one I forget to put the same amount of effort into the other.

My ultimate vision is to combine the two blogs. Hunk disagrees because and says that I should just have two seperate blogs because there  will be people that will only want to know about our lives and people that will only want to know about my craft ideas. HOWEVER, I think I am sometimes redundant when I post to two seperate blogs and I would love it if I could combine the two so I can talk about being a mom to a crazy punk and crafting all at the same time BECAUSE many of the things I do make (or that I talk about on Spunky Junky) do relate to my family.

So my questions are:

Is it possible to combine two blogs? Does it sound like a silly to combine a family blog with a craft blog?

Besides if I did combine the two then I could fill you all in on Hunk's little secret behind the burly man beard ;)


Halsey

{Giveaway} Spunky Junky headband and earring set

The day started out so amazing. I truly loved this morning, this afternoon, this night. Correction, I loved carving pumpkins and chilling with friends, but the four hours of my life I have wasted on trying to get Blogger to cooperate could have been better spent. I would have had more fun standing in line at 4:30 in the AM on Black Friday in Walmart. Blogger you test my patience...

Sooo, on a happier note, I mean very happy note, and because I am still so happy I am going to be offering another giveaway! YEAH!

This time, however, I am giving away two prizes to two lucky readers! YEAH AGAIN!

First, because  I love hair accessories I going to be giving away these two Spunky Junky headbands.

Secondly, because I LOVE my followers so much I will also be giving the two lucky winners a matching set of earrings to go with their new headbands. YEAH for the third time!

You know what to do:

*You must become a FOLLOWER of the Spunky Junky blog (follower is not the same as subscriber)

*You must become a FAN of the Spunky Junky Facebook page

*You must leave a comment below this post telling me what your plans are for Halloween!
IF you do all 3 things then you can enter 3 times!!!!!

The winners will be announced MONDAY... (I usually announce Sunday, but I am going to enjoy Halloween with the Punk and his crazy cousins)

I was featured on a blog today!!!!

I did a little gig this morning when I got up because I found out that I am being featured on a blog for the FIRST time! I got a message from Mandy over at Suger Bee that she was featuring my owl bunting.

I haven't been this excited since finding out that I can now buy Grandma Sycamore's bread, here, in Montana!

So if you get a chance head on over to Sugar Bee and give Mandy some love by checking out her blog!

And, don't forget that later today I will be posting a NEW GIVEAWAY....and, I may just throw in somethin' special because I am in such a great mood ;)

{Tutorial Tuesday} Owl Bunting

Over the next few weeks I am going to be doing a few tutorials on punk's nursery.  His room is bright and colorful with a lot of  different shapes and sizes accenting everything from his crib to his dresser. Hunk thinks that it is girly, I think he is wrong. Sooo, we agree to disagree.

Anywho, this garland/bunting (I am not quite sure what to call it) hangs in his room. I got the idea for the bunting from a picture on Dear Lizzy..I fell in love right away. I am sorry to say that I don't have a step-by-step tutorial for you to follow, but it is really EASY, I promise!

Supplies you will need:

Scrap fabric

fabric glue

buttons

cardstock or scrapbooking paper

batting

sewing machine

Steps:

1. Cut out your fabric and paper. You will have the main body (green fabric and cardstock), four circles for the eyes, a triangle for the nose, and a tummy.

2. Sew the tummy to the main body.

3. Then sew the main body and cardstock together, remember to leave a small opening, though, so you can stuff it with you batting.

4. Use the fabric glue to attach the nose, circles, and the buttons.

5. Let dry.

6. Once you have made all you owls you will then overlap them over one another and sew them together.

This is what the garland should look like from the back, you will see that I used a zig-zag stitch to give it a little more character

I sewed each owl at a bit of a different angle so it wasn't perfectly even.

 TaDAHHH! The garland goes great with the mod podge stars that surround the picture.

 O.K now I can be honest with you. I actually wasn't going to start the nursery tutorials until after Halloween, but the tutorial I did last night was a disaster. Really. I am not lying.

 Fact: candy corn and pumpkins do not mix.

Here is the DL. This morning I walked out onto my front porch and this is what I saw. Keep in mind there was a pumpkin sitting in the middle of this mess. However, I grabbed it as soon as I saw the devastation. Doesn't it look like blood?

So where did this all begin?

Last night at FHE, Hunk and I were arguing over who could carve the best pumpkin. I got this bright idea that instead of carving out the inside of the pumpkin I would just drill holes in a pumpkin....with all the junk still in it. Then I decided I would stick candy corn in the holes to make it look spooky, scary, I am really not sure what look I was going for. Hunk did a bat on his pumpkin.

Well this morning, this is what the pumpkin looked like. All the candy corn had melted and was running like the Nile River across my porch.

The pieces of candy corn that didn't melt ended up on the ground in a sticky puddle.

Moral of the story.

When you try to challenge you husband to a pumpkin carving contest think about the "brilliant" idea before following through. Secondly, clean up the mess before you have to admit defeat ;)

{Giveaway} Spunky Junky Giveaway Winner!

Hey everyone sorry for the delay! Hope you all enjoyed your weekend. The winner for this giveaway was chosen by using Random.org.

So the winner of this week's Spunky Junky necklace  is Kezlee. Yeah! Send me a message to chit-chat on which necklace you want at halseyw@yahoo.com

Thanks ya'll for participating, come back this Wednesday for another giveaway!

halsey

{Funky Find Friday} Chinese takeout boxes and owls

My little punk turns one next week. I have been planning his party for months and today when I got the mail I had a nice white envelope from the Justice Department waiting for me. I knew what it was even before I opened it. Yes folks, I am being called to jury duty on Punk's birthday. lame. This is probably one of the only times I wished I wasn't a dutiful and diligent citizen.

The day before Hunk and I got married I was in this sweet kitchen store in Salt Lake where they sell tons of bulk items at ridiculously cheap prices. I saw chinese boxes. I wanted the chinese boxes. I had to have the chinese boxes...even though they were in a package of 100. I bought two bags of boxes.

Fast forward four years later. I still have 137 chinese boxes left. I have however used 63 boxes. They are great for providing a unique touch to any gift. I have been using them to deliver cookies to neighbors, giving left over party favors to guests, and they have come in handy as great  Christmas boxes for jewelry and nic-nacs. You are just going to have to wait and see what they will be used for at the party though...sorry.

However, I will give you a tiny sneek peek into his day-of-birth bash.

Punk's party will not only feature chinese boxes but there will also be a large assortment of owls...everywhere.  It's gonna rock. See the invitations? Aren't they cute?

 The best part about the invitations is that I cut up grocery bags, sewed the sides together, and made a nice little envelope for each owl invite.

 Now, I have piles of chinese boxes and paper bag envelopes laying around the house.

Don't forget to check out this week's giveaway....every chicka loves a new piece of "neck candy"....

{Thrifty Thursday} New Uses for Old Things....

Let me just say that today has been Ca-ray-zay!

Internet wouldn't work this morning...so no post, no link parties, no FUN! Then I had to work, then had a doctors appointment, then found out that punk needs to get tubes in his ears, then hair appointment, then nephew birthday bash, then home to watch Modern family, then blog. ahhhhhh!

Bytheway, punk had to come with me to the hair appointment. Yeah, well that is a story in itself. He literally ate a hairball. No, I will NOT describe the details for fear of my dinner reappearing on my living room floor. It really was not that bad, but it was gross.  And my sis-in-law, Jena, was amazing for putting up with Punk and me for two hours, while she did my hair!!!

Anyway,  if you think this post is lame I won't be offended if you tell me. I want to share with you my all-time favorite article.  "50 All Time New Uses for Old Things" It is the bomb.

Whenever I am down I look at it to try to find out how I can give some of my junk some spunk!!!!

My fave idea that they (Real Simple) suggested:

That's right. Using an old ketchup bottle to make pancakes.

I hate pancakes with a passion, but if I did like them this would be a great idea. They would always be the perfect size, create no mess....maybe, and easy maintence. BAM! What a great idea! Check out the article it is so amazing and thrifty.

Don't forget to go to Spunky Junky Necklace Giveaway!!!!

{Giveaway} Spunky Junky Necklace

I love giveaways. So, folks I only think that it is right that my first giveaway should be from me...to you. The best part about this giveaway is that you get to pick out your OWN necklace. Just bop on over to the Spunky  Junky Facebook page to see your choices (look in the pictures).... 

So here is how you can become the wiener (I am using my Despicable Me accent right now...as I rub my hands together with a crazy, wild look on my face)! bahaha!

In order to be eligible for a necklace (of your choice) from Spunky Junky you need to do a few things:

* become a Fan of the Spunky Junky Facebook page

*become a follower of the Spunky Junky blog

*Leave a comment under this post telling why Fall rocks where you live!

The winner will then be chosen on Sunday at 6 MST.

Good Luck ya'll!

{Tutorial Tuesday} Framed Wall Art

For months I have been looking for a cool frame with intricate details on it. I have scoured thrift stores, pawn shops, antiques barns--you name I have been there. I told myself  that I would only buy the frame if it was in good condition and cheap. The "good condition" has not been a problem. However, the cheap factor has become a relative term because old frames are such a hit these days.

My waiting finally paid off when I found this beauty at a thrift store. I was even more estatic because I bought it on "Half-off Day" so I got the frame for $2.50. Amazing. Hunk rolled his eyes as I walked out of the store carrying this honkin' frame, but I knew exactly what I was going to do with it.

Look at the detail. Isn't it amazing? Yeah, that what I thought too.

So how did I turn this frame from drab into fab? Well, if you remember the tutorial on spray painting the turquoise end table then you will follow those exact steps. 

First, I primed the frame using Kilz Primer. Don't bother buying any other type. I have tried them all and Kilz rocks.  

While, the primer dried I took a paper mache block letter that I had laying around the house and I traced out a "B" on fabric. Important: make sure to paint the edges and back side of the letter, since the fabric with only cover the front portion. I ended up using Mod Podge to attach the fabric to the letter. Easy. Easy. Easy.

Once the primer was dry I then sprayed Krylon Ivory spray paint onto the frame. After running a few errands, eating some chow, wrangling punk, and having FHE with my hunk's crazy fam. (They are crazy, but amazing). I then came home to a dry frame which could then be glazed.

The picture, below shows what the frame should look like after the glazing. If you don't remember how to glaze, well then head on over to All Things Thrifty to see my favorite glazing tutorial.

After the frame and letter had dried I then hung them up in the hallway by punk's room. Here is a little trick that I used for hanging up the "B". Initially I thought I would hang the "B" using ribbon. I didn't like the ribbon, well to be honest, I didn't like the color and I was too lazy to go to the store.

Soo, I used a screwdriver to punch a hole in the back of the "B," I then found the middle point on the wall, stuck in a nail, and then hung the "B."  Very easy, but I am sure I will drive Hunk insane when he gets home. Don't tell him, but it "only" took five tries to finally get the "B" where I wanted it. 

Now, we have something nice to look at--instead of a "blah" wall.

 

Don't forget. This Wednesday I will be having my first giveaway! Come on back tomorrow to see what awesome prize you could win!

Halsey

{Funky Find Friday} Glitter Pumpkins

I have this love/hate relationship with Wal-mart. I love the fact that I can get everything from bananas to windshield wipers all under the same roof. However, I hate the parking, long lines, and that I always manage to buy more then what is on my list.

Yesterday, was a love day. Hence, the glitter pumpkins.  

While scanning the fall section I came across these nifty little pumpkins. Although they are as ugly, I mean ugly,  I knew that with a little TLC they could look amazing on my kitchen table.

I got the glitter effect by using  Crystal Clear Tacky Spray to spray the entire pumpkin. I then began to slowly pour glitter over the sprayed areas. NOTE: I wore gloves because the tacky spray, well, it is sticky, very sticky. I also did this project in the garage. The spray covers everything. 

While, the pumpkins dried I set up the display on the table. I used a white serving platter to arrange the pumpkins. However, I put it upside down on the table so it would help elevate the pumpkins. I then arranged berry garland around the outside of the platter to give added color to the arrangement.

I then arranged the pumpkins on and around the platter.

 Simple and easy Fall centerpiece in less then 15 minutes.

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