Brent came home with bar stools one night that he got for a STEAL! I believe he paid $30 for all three. There was only one problem…they were kind of hideous! I knew I had to do something to them, and after thinking a bit I turned them from drab to fab! Plus, the project cost me about $50 for ALL THREE!
Get That JLo Glow In A Few EASY Steps
JLo is is impossibly gorgeous, and has been for quite some time! Like many celebrities she has a small village, or glam squad, that keeps her looking picture perfect at all times. That can discourage ladies like us, but don’t fear! There is a way to get this look on your own, and it’s pretty simple! I’m going to take you through the step by step process.
Super Easy Side Dish: Perfect Potatoes
This is my go-to side dish when I’m not feeling very creative in the kitchen and I need to whip up something quick! This dish takes about 35 minutes to make and the potatoes come out perfect every time!
Delicious Pizza Flavored Pumpkin Seeds
Of course, one of the best parts of carving a pumpkin is roasting the seeds! As you all know, Brent and I put our creativity to the test in a pumpkin carving showdown. We were both winners with this pumpkin seed recipe I whipped up!
Microbeads: Beauty or Beast
Micro beads. It sounds kind of scientific, right? Politicians and environmentalists have been making a lot of noise about the little objects as of late. You probably used micro beads this morning and you may use them again tonight. Keep reading to find out what they are and why some say they’re threatening our environment.
Super Cool Halloween Costume Idea
Last October I was working in Rochester, NY when a video of a baby in a stick figure LED costume went viral. To my surprise, there was a small company in the Rochester area known for making the LED suits! Of course, I had to go there!
Pumpkin Carving Contest: 2014 Edition
There’s an art to choosing your perfect match. Actually, it’s more like destiny, sorting through a maze of dozens of items that seem to be the same in an effort to find the one that stands out. I found mine at Whole foods, and for a steal! My beautiful pumpkin soul mate only cost me $5 – and I think it gave me the edge in this pumpkin carving contest!
Getting Started
Brent and I decided to turn pumpkin carving into a contest. We can turn just about anything into a contest and both of us always want to win! We’re just competitive like that! We started off by cutting small circles out of the bottom of our pumpkins. If you’re like us, you grew up cutting the circle at the top. However, if you cut it at the bottom you can smooth the inside of the circle out, and use it to place your candle. It’s a little easier than having to stick your hand into the pumpkin to light it.
Then, we used our hands to scoop out all the gunk! Can you tell this was one of my favorite parts?
After that, we used spoons to smooth out the inside.
Carving the pumpkins
Then, it was time to let our creative juices flow! We used a permanent marker to draw our stencils on to our pumpkins.
Now, it’s time to carve! We used a box cutter and other small knives we had in the kitchen. For my wolf I cut straight through the solid lines on the stencil I drew. For the dotted lines I shaved down a little bit of the skin of the pumpkin.
Presenting our pumpkins
After about an hour of carving our creations were done!! Here they are with the candles inside:
Brent’s was inspired by Donna Goudeau of, “Mama I love you” fame. Here’s the YouTube video of her that has gone VIRAL.
Mine was inspired by a phrase we always joke about when we’re competing… are you going to be a sheep, or a wolf?? I used a Better Homes and Gardens stencil for guidance, but I drew mine on freehand. It’s not exactly like the stencil but I love how it turned out! I used a little bit of water and a paper towel to scrub off the parts of my outline that were showing. You can find the stencil here, along with a lot of other great ones!
Are you getting into the Halloween spirit by carving a pumpkin this year? I’d love to see your creations!
Be sure to check out VIDEO of the 2020 pumpkin carving contest!
Why I Shop Small, And You Should Too
You would think I was a jet-setter by the amount of TSA approved items I buy. I have bought more little bottles of shampoo and conditioner, skin care, and perfume than the law should allow. Truth is, I’m not going anywhere. I do, however, have a great reason for buying so many mini items, and reason why you may want to give it a try.
OBSESSED: Black Opal True Color Stick Foundation
It felt SO wrong. As I put my car in park I hurried inside—I didn’t want anyone to see me. I was cheating. I have been going to Sephora since I joined the, “grown-up,” world. I swore by Make Up For Ever’s HD foundation, singing the praises of its wide range of colors to match every shade of brown. If you’re a brown girl you KNOW how important that is. This day I wasn’t going to Sephora to re-up on foundation. I was going to CVS.