Pumpkin Bread

Fall weather is finally in the air around our house!  It really makes me crave the tastes of fall and all those great Thanksgiving classics!

Today I'm sharing a little taste of fall. I made a little tray of fall goodies for my husband to carry to work last week, and the Pumpkin Bread was a very popular treat. Hope you enjoy!

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Fun Halloween Sweets

Photo Credit: Taste of Home

Can you believe that Halloween is just a couple of weeks away? Whew...how time flies! Today I've got an array of fun sweets and treats to help inspire your creativity this Halloween!

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Pumpkin Wall Hanging

During the summer I shared a couple of projects made with embroidery hoops.  And here's another! This Pumpkin Wall Hanging is very easy and very budget friendly!

I made with it with a couple of sheets from scrapbook kit that I got at the Dollar Tree and (believe it or not) the fabric from an old shirt.

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Free Halloween Printables

Halloween Party Printables from Party Planning Center

My Free Fall Printables post was my most viewed post last month, so for this month I've got some Halloween printables for you. As always you'll find links to the sources where you can download these beneath the photos. Happy Downloading!

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Harvest Halloween Sponsor #2 Paramore Art Works

It's time to spotlight another Harvest Halloween sponsor.

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Harvest Halloween Sponsor #1: Kelly's Cottage Shoppe

As some of you may know, I'm participating in a Harvest Halloween Blog Hop. By the way, If you'd like to participate in the hop, you can still sign up over at Savey Spender.
For this event, I will be giving away a prize pack of items from 4 different sponsors, and each week leading up to the event I'll be spotlighting one of these great sponsors.
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Fall Letter Craft Tutorial

I love fall crafts and decor!  I made this shabby style fall craft the other day.  I guess you'd call it a wall hanging (even though I've hung it on the fridge).  But the concept behind my little fall letters could also be applied to banners, cards, place mats and more.

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Sweet Thursday: Halloween Edition

Time for this month's edition of Sweet Thursday! If you're new here, this is my monthly dessert round-up, where you're invited to link up a dessert that falls under our current theme.  This month's theme was Halloween/Fall.  Thanks to all you great bloggers for sharing your sweets with us!  I just love Halloween, and seeing all your great ideas makes it all even more fun!

For next month's event, there will be no theme per se, but I will more than likely try to highlight some Family Favorites, Thanksgiving, and Holiday Desserts. So feel free to send in anything that you think would fit in well with that.  You have until November 16 to send in any submissions.  And then the linky event will go up on Wednesday night, November 17, for those who'd like to link something up.  I realize that's not really a whole lot of time, but towards the end of November I'll be working on a lot of Christmas stuff (both on the blog and at home), and I want to make sure I can fit everything in to my schedule.  (Plus, the following Thursday is Thanksgiving, and I know people will be busy with family at that time.)

On a side note, I'm sponsoring my first giveaway over at Just Sew Sassy this week.  The giveaway post is supposed to be up some time on Thursday, so if you have a moment, please go over there and check it out!

Hope you enjoy this month's round-up!

Pumpkin Cupcakes from Mommy Topics

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies from The Domestic Engineer

Jack-O-Lantern S'mores from Recipes for Moms

Halloween Pizza from Singing with Birds

Halloween Suckers from How Does She?

Chocolate Dipped Cookies from Nina's Recipes

Halloween Pops from Lisa's Recipe Cards

Witch Hat from Nap Time Journal

Halloween Tea Cakes from Simply Sweet Home

If you have a Fall or Halloween treat to share with us, please link it up below.  And I ask that you please link up the URL to your actual post, so it will be easy for us to find your submission.  Thanks!

Halloween Kitchen Decor

This post should prove that you don't have to spend a lot of money or be very crafty to create a super cute table setting.

We have an antique sewing machine, which belonged to my grandmother, in our dining room.  I always keep a cover over it to protect from potential cat jumpers, and every few months, I try to change it up a bit.  This month I decided to make it a little more festive for Halloween.

Just like with the coffee table I posted on a couple of week ago, I simply used a piece of fabric as a table runner, and I created another set of these easy coasters to go alongside the pumpkin. Very simple, yet festive!

Here's a close up picture.  I just love this fabric, featuring a pumpkin, ghosts, purple bats, and little yellow eyes.

And to add a little more pizazz, I just added my little Halloween treat box and this little Halloween snowman figurine. Very fun and festive! (And Easy!)

I'm linking up this week to these crafty linky parties

Halloween Treat Box

We were grocery shopping the other day when my husband picked up a big box of cupcakes. This was the same weekend that I broke out all the Halloween decorations for outside.  I find that if we don't keep snacks like cookies and cakes out on the counter, they will  be forgotten in the cabinet and will eventually have to be thrown out. I was deciding which bowl or jar to the put the cupcakes in  I got inspired to create this cute little treat box. 

To make your own treat box, just take any box or other container you find around the house.  Then get a couple of coordinating scrapbook papers. ( I purchased the packet which included 8 sheets of Halloween paper from the Dollar Tree! I actually bought it a year or two ago and had totally forgotten about it.  Big surprise when I started hunting through my paper drawers!)

Next cut your paper to fit your box.  Since I'm not the craftiest person in the world I find it helps a lot to trace the shapes you need with a pen or pencil.  For this particular project I found it easier to cut each side individually but whenever possible, I try to wrap the paper around the item I'm decoupaging.

Finally apply mod podge to the back of your paper and stick the paper to your container.  Make sure it goes on smooth.  If you're using a cardboard box like I did, you could alternatively use a glue stick.  After you've completely covered your container, you can finish all the project by giving it another light coat of mod podge.

After it dries, your ready to fill the box with your favorite Halloween treats!

I'm sharing my project at these crafty linky parties.

Halloween Coffee Table and Coaster Craft

I finally got my Halloween stuff out this past weekend.  In the past I've only decorated outside, except for some fall garland over the cabinets in the kitchen, and some fall leaf window clings on our back door, but this year I decided to brighten up the indoors a bit.

I created this cute arrangement for our coffee table in the living room.  Usually I like to be very elaborate and "busy" with the decor, but in certain areas, I tend to keep it a little more minimalist.  One reason is because stuff can get in the way in certain places, and secondly my cats would be too tempted if I covered the tables with too much stuff.  In fact, in the photo below you'll notice a small set of gray ears just to the left of the pumpkin. (That's Rebel.  He loves to decorate, and his style is, well...very unique!)

Easy Table Cloth:
For the coffee table, I simply used a few yards of cute Halloween fabric-- no sewing or crafting involved --and it's much cheaper than any table runner you could buy.  Of course, the jack-o-lantern was added to the center.  I thought about getting a couple of smaller ones to go beside it, but here again, I'm keeping it simple.

Making Your Own Coasters:
And finally I made these cute little coasters just to have something else to set on the table.  For these, I simply took a couple of old coasters that we weren't using.  Then I used them as a stencil to trace two circles and I cut them out.  For the next step, I've seen a lot of people using mod podge to stick the paper to the coaster, but since we won't really be using these coasters, and since they'll only be out for a month I came up with an idea to help me change up these coasters any time I want.

I had some magnet strips with adhesive on the back.  And I just took my scissors and cut a very small piece of magnet off, and stuck it to the coaster.  Then I cut off another small piece and stuck in on to the paper.  Put the paper and the old coaster together, and you've instantly got a new coaster!  And after the holiday, you can either throw the paper away or save it for next year.  Meanwhile you can create a new set for the next holiday.

Next week I'll be sharing a Halloween mod podge project that I did over the weekend and another table decoration, so please come back and see!

This week I'm linking up to these craft & decor parties, plus over at My Blessed Life and Tater Tots and Jello for the Celebrating Autumn event, and Susie QT Pies Scraps for Life for the Halloween Tricks N Treats Party!

Sweet Thursday: Halloween/Fall Edition

I hope everyone has a great Halloween this weekend! If anyone out there is still looking for a sweet treat to make for the holiday, or if you're already making your Thanksgiving plans, here are some yummy creations to choose from.

Join The Round-Up: If you have fall/Halloween dessert that you'd like to have included this round-up, just leave your link in the comments section, and I'll add you.

November Round-Up: The next round-up will be on November 19. The theme will be Family Favorites. So anything goes!

Pumpkin Cake from Maltese Cakes & More

Great Pumpkin Cookies from Joy in my Kitchen

Jack-o-lantern Cake from Joy in my Kitchen

Apple Pie Muffins from Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog

Apple Tart from Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog

Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Filling from Sweet and Savory Says it All

Pumpkin Streussel Bars from Sweet and Savory Says it All

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Filling from Nina's Recipes

Candy Corn Cookies from Nine More Months

Easy Crumb Cake from Secrets of a Southern Kitchen

Ginger Bars with Chocolate Chips from Millie's Place

Witch Cupcakes from Simply Sweet Home

No Bake Caramel Cookies from Simply Sweet Home

-Jerri

Not-So-Scary Halloween Giveaway

Is everyone busy getting ready for Halloween? You Can Make This has a ton of projects and ideas for Halloween and all occasions!

And this week I'm happy to announce that you can win a $50 bundle of Halloween downloads from You Can Make This! This is the perfect prize for all you crafty ladies out there, and if you're a little crafty-challenged, then you could pass it on to the crafter in your life!

Your $50 Bundle of Halloween downloads will include the following books:

Fancy Filled Tutu with Bonus 40 Tutu "Recipes"
Pumpkin Polly Patterns
Paper Piecing Project: Pumpkin Patch Pillow
Frayed Applique: Too Cute to Spook!
Little Miss Spider Applique Patterns
How to Applique the Easy Way
Hocus Pocus Patterns
Just a Little Something for a Happy Halloween Table Runner

One Simply Sweet Home reader will win this $50 bundle of "No So Scary" Halloween ebooks from You Can Make This. To win visit You Can Make This and leave a comment on this post, telling us an idea or project that you would like to try.

Giveaway Closed. Thanks for entering!



-Jerri

My Fall Decorations & Happy Halloween

We got the house all decorated for Halloween/Thanksgiving. I was very happy with the way everything looked. I used the 2 scarecrows/leaves/pumpkins I bought last year. (see last years post on fall decor tips here.) I also added 3 more scarecrows, a couple more pumpkins, a wreath, and some potted chrysanthemums. And I have an electric jack-o-lantern to put out on Halloween night.

Oddly enough, it was my husband that actually suggested that we get more scarecrows so we'd have one for each post. I had no idea how festive he could be. But when we got the scarecrows home, we realized that we actually needed one more, but we may just wait till next year for that.

I also have to brag on my husband again, not only for helping put up all the decorations but for coming up with the idea of how we were going to stand the scarecrows up against the porch posts without them falling down. (Bungee cords/tie downs. They work brilliantly, and the colors of them blend in well. From a distance you can't even see them. And up close, it just looks like the scarecrows have a belt on.)

And finally, I have to ask that you please excuse the look of the actual porch. The previous owners painted the concrete a few times, and we still fix it, and we also have to install some new rails and paint the shutters. I told my husband laughingly, "The porch rails are missing, and the concrete looks terrible, but we have scare crows!" lol. Have a fun and safe Halloween!

Immediate right of walkway/step. Behind this scarecrow, you can see the new wreath we got, a small scarecrow and string of leaves on the window.

Immediately to the left of the walkway/step.

Front of the house. I wanted to get the whole house in the picture, but then you can't see the scarecrows as good.

This green one is my favorite for some reason.

Happy Halloween!