30 Days of Thankful - Day 3

It's Saturday.

That's Game Day in these parts.

 

And that means that today I am thankful for AGGIE FOOTBALL!!

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I mean to tell you, we are having such a good time in the SEC that most of us are wondering why we didn't make the move sooner!  Truth be told, I haven't made it to an 'away' game this year but I am dying to experience Aggie football in our new conference locales!!

 

And our new head coach Kevin Sumlin seems to be doing a real fine job!!

Congratulations coach!

 

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And what's not to be thankful for when it comes to Johnny Football?  He's breaking school and conference records every weekend and he's only a freshman - WHOOP!!

That's Aggie-speak for hell yeah!!



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We're up against a tough team this weekend in Starkville, Mississippi but I watched the game in Baton Rouge (l.s. who?!) and and we handed that victory to them. 

If we can play a clean game today, we will win.

Farmers Fight!!

 

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And even if we're 'outscored', at least we never lose a half-time!

 

Gig 'Em Aggies and

Bet the Hell Outta Mississippi State!!

30 Days of Thankful - Day 2

 

My neighborhood is great!  Not only because of the people who live here, but also because of where it's located - so today I am thankful to be living in my small town!

 

It has been a wonderful place to raise a family because the community is still close-knit and community-oriented!  Our little town of 30+ thousand hosts more community events than you can imagine and everyone still goes to the high school football games on Friday nights!

We celebrate Halloween with a Trick-or-Treat in the Park,

 

Christmas with a parade and snow in the park,

 

 

Easter with the biggest Easter egg hunt I've ever seen,

and an awesome 4th of July parade and party in the park as well!!

We are lucky to have three major parks in our town and they serve as the hub for community events.  In the spring and summer there are concerts at one park, movies at another and even a 'dive-in' movie at the city pool!  Best of all, all this family fun can be had for free!

 

I'm serious!!

 

And that's something else to be thankful for!

 

Don't forget to link up your own stories of gratitude at the 30 Days of Thankful Blog Hop and I'll see you around!

Sharing this Day of Thankful at Cowgirl Up, Hodgepodge Friday

30 Days of Thankful - Day 1

Today, I am thankful for MY NEIGHBORS, who make trick-or-treating something we look forward to each year!   Although, we also have fun trick-or-treating with friends in their neighborhood too, walking our 3 little blocks is simply the best.

The candy's good, the conversation is better and the safety of my little ones is never an issue.

That's Speed Racer and a Circus Poodle by the way - ha!

It's so good, even our old neighbors come back to the block to join the fun!  Last night Sheep told me, "I love trick-or-treating in our neighborhood because there's a friend behind every door." 

 

 

I couldn't agree more!

 

Don't forget to link up your stories of thankfulness, add the party to your own blog and/or grab a button to spread the joy!

 

 

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Join Me for Thirty Days of Thankful!

All I can say is "Whew!"

October has been fun but I am so glad it's over!  And only two weeks of school this month before we're out for Thanksgiving break, which means a mere 54 shopping days left until Christmas - Ack!

Just kidding!

Well, not about the shopping days, but about the "Ack!"

I am determined NOT to get all wrapped up in the craziness of the holidays, so I have decided to spend the next month reflecting on everything I have to be thankful for instead.   I hope these daily reflections will support, encourage and inspire you . . . and keep me focused on what matters most!  And I hope you will do the same for me, by linking up your own stories of gratitude over the next few weeks!

Feel free to share this on your own blog too.  I would love to see our stories of thankfulness all over the web this month!   They can be silly or serious.  Current or past posts are welcome.  I'm sure mine will be a mixture of both.  {Grin.}  Also, feel free to grab a button and share this party with your followers - I'd be mighty thankful if you would!

<center> <a <span style="background: yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">href</span>="http://<span style="background: yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">sassypantsstudio</span>.<span style="background: yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">blogspot</span>.com/"><<span style="background: yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">img</span> border="0" <span style="background: yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">src</span>="http://i1144.<span style="background: yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">photobucket</span>.com/albums/o490/jmlee91/30DaysButtonresized.<span style="background: yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">jpg</span>" /></a></center>    Sharing this Thankful Thought with Mop it Up Mondays, Meet Me Monday, Debbie Doo's Newbie Party, Take-A-Look Tuesday, Wow Us Wednesdays, Cowgirl Up, Whimsy Wednesdays, Show and Share, Overflowing with Creativity, Creative Me, Made U Look, It's a Hodgepodge Friday  

Our Annual Pumpkin Primp!

Well, it was a fun (but hectic) weekend, and the weather was just PERFECT here, which only added to the enjoyment. 

Prayers though for all my friends and family living in hurricane Sandy's path, who have a lot more on their minds than Halloween tonight. {Hugs.}  I hope the rest of you were able to get out and soak up some Fall too!

One thing that didn't get scratched off our annual Halloween bucket list over the weekend was painting our pumpkins!  As I've mentioned before, we steer clear of carving around here . . . so painting it is!  Besides, my kids love anything that involves getting messy and is mom-sanctioned too!

I really do love to watch my budding Picasso's at work.  So much so that we've actually hosted a pumpkin painting party every year, sometimes for friends and more recently for classmates.  I've always loved Halloween.  And most moms are more than happy to let their little Picasso paint a pumpkin at someone else's house.  Last year we had about 15 (!!) first graders painting pumpkins on the porch.  I'm crazy - I know!!

Anyway . . . we've had our pumpkins for a couple of weeks already, but haven't managed to find one night to even have neighbors over for an impromptu pumpkin primp.  So with Halloween only 2 days away, it was time to just 'get 'er done!'

Snacks knew just what to do and within minutes had his first masterpiece ready to display!

We use tempera paint our pumpkins, which makes for easy clean-up - though I suggest investing in one of those plastic-backed tablecloths from the dollar store for this project, especially with little ones!  I also put them in paint smocks to protect their clothes.  These were actually party favors from Sheep's birthday.

I have several old muffin tins that I keep handy for paint projects and they work great for keeping the colors separated!  They are also easy to clean afterwards!

The best part of using tempera paint is that if you make a mistake (Who, me?!) you can simply 'erase' it with a damp paper towel and start again. {Smile}

CAUTION:  That also means these designs are not waterproof so they will not last in the rain, unless you spray them with a sealant afterwards.  Otherwise, just make sure that stay on the covered part of your porch!

It was a lot of fun painting this year with just myself and the kids - I was able to actually join in on the fun too!  Sheep and I decided to make angry bird pumpkins (Thanks for the inspiration Rachel!) and then I decided to make a monogrammed pumpkin to greet our guests on Wednesday night!

Cute, huh?!

 

I had everyone (available) add a thumbprint and then I added their names in small lettering.

I did say no to the idea of adding the puppies' paw prints as well.  Even I have my limits - ha!

They all look wonderful at the front door.

 

And the kids (and I) are mighty proud of them too!

 

Making memories is what the holidays are all about and I am so thankful to have taken this afternoon to do just that.

Happy Halloween Y'all!

 

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Foam-tastic Cupcake Toppers!

 

Why not trick out your Halloween treats with these Cah-YOU-t cupcake toppers?!

 

 

They're so easy (and cheap!!) that anyone can do them -

no printing, no punching, no nothin' required!

 

Well, that's not totally true . . .

you will need some toothpicks and some foam holiday craft stickers, but THAT'S IT!!

 

 

I grabbed this package of 110 stickers with a 40% coupon a few weeks back and will have plenty-o-toppers for many Halloweens to come!

 

 

Simply peel back the paper (partially), add your toothpick, and re-stick the paper backing!  I used two toothpicks on the cats - one on each leg - rather than one in the middle, so you wouldn't see them.

 

 

These over-sized toppers make such a bold and FUN statement atop my Halloween cupcakes that they are sure to be hit at the school carnival's Cake Walk tomorrow!  I am not-so-secretly hoping to win these beauties back for myownself {Grin} because I love, love, love this recipe!  Though it never happens, a girl can dream, right?!

 

 

We have Fall Festivals and Halloween carnivals on just about every corner in our town this weekend and the weather has (finally) cooled off, so it should be a GREAT weekend to enjoy them all!  I hope you and your family are doing something fun this weekend too!

 

Happy Fall Y'all!

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Ghostly Greetings!

 

Who will be welcoming your guests and goblins next week?

 

Why not treat them to a Ghooooostly Greeeeeeeting this Halloween?!

 

I ran across these cute tomato cage covers at a Fall Festival last year and KNEW I was going to need (at least) one of my very own!  Luckily, my mad Internet skills led me straight to an awesome source at Desert Saints Magazine that has complete instructions, so head on over if you're interested in whipping one of these up for yourself!

 

 

The instructions were very easy to follow and the whole project cost me less than $10 to BOO-t!

I used a blanket stitch to apply the mouth and eyes, but you can't really appreciate it like I thought you might, so I wouldn't bother!  You could certainly glue this entire project as well, but I think sewing will end up being more durable over the long run.

 

 

Here he is lit up at night - I chose to use a small spotlight, but I've seen other sites that have used white Christmas lights underneath, so whatever you have handy!

 

 

This project also whipped up quickly - under an hour, so you've still got plenty of time to knock one or BOO! of these out before the trick-or-treaters arrive!

 

Happy Halloween Y'all!

 

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Skirted Wine Stems!

 

Aaaa-ooooooooooh!!

Can you tell that I am excited about Halloween?!

 

It kicks off the Holiday Season for me and I just love it - especially with Sheep and Snacks around to enjoy it with!  But every now and then, mama needs to howl at the moon {grin}, so I invited some friends over for a Girl's Night Out, complete with food, WINE and shopping - so fun!!

Imagine that - a "31 Party" with a Halloween theme  - am I clever, or what?!

So in addition to a few frightful foods, I decided to spruce up my wine glasses for the occasion as well.  I saw these clever Pumpkin Wine Stem Labels by Shannon at SMC by Design and for some reason it got me thinking about how I might do these more easily by simply using an orange cupcake liner for the base instead of card stock.

I couldn't find any orange liners while I was out and didn't have all day to shop, but I did come across these liners with a spider web design.  Anyhoo, one thing led to another, and before I knew it, I had these cute little numbers instead!

Aren't they adorable!!

 

And the best part is that you could literally do this easily and inexpensively for almost any occasion!

I snagged these wine glasses at Wal-Mart BTW, in a boxed set (easy storage) that came out to only $1 per glass!  Perfect for party at the house with wall-to-wall tile (mine) and a bunch of moms getting silly!  They're not as nice as my 'good' wine stems, but there won't be any tears shed if something happens to them either.  Just sayin'!

I had already purchased the spider rings for some other fun Halloween projects and had plenty more than I needed, so a simple snip was all it took to add these babies to the glasses for some more spooky fun!

I decided they would also make great holders for name tags too.  All that took was some card stock, a hole punch and a Sharpie to add the names!  Easy, and important when all your stems start to look the same!

Some kept their tags on the rim, which worked great!

I moved mine down to the stem.

I just love how simple and cute these came out!

Cheers  . . . and Happy Halloween Y'all!

Sharing this sassy idea at Mop it Up Mondays, Meet Me Monday, Debbie Doo's Newbie Party, Take-A-Look Tuesday, Wow Us Wednesdays, Cowgirl Up, Whimsy Wednesdays, Show and Share, Overflowing with Creativity, Creative Me, Made U Look, It's a Hodgepodge Friday