Affordable Halloween and Fall Decor

So we all want to have ghosts and ghoulies and all things spooky this time of year. Frankly, decor isn't really in our regular budget. Once in a while, when I find something practical, useful and affordable we add it to our  Little House of Love. But switching out decor for every season, isn't quite something we've chosen to spend our money on, so I have to get creative. Utilizing nature and sales and craftyness when at all possible. So here's what is on my list of things to do for the Fall/Halloween season!

Oh yeah. I'm excited about this one! We are having to make a couple modifications, but I think it will turn out great! If you wanna see the details here's the site! I'm not too sure on the lighting aspect of the whole thing, but we'll see. And I will do my best to get some detailed pics up after the weekend! But we're planning to use an old pickle jar, the four dollar head and about 2 dollars worth of hair gel. And if we had gone to Dollar General I'm sure we could have gotten the hair gel for much cheaper. Not sure tho. I don't use gel.

These lil' creepos are in the oven as I type. Oh my goodness it was so much fun! And the fact that you can eat what you scrape away made it that much more enjoyable. A great activity to do while listening to some spooky music with the kiddos! Easier than carving pumpkins, and a good way to get them into the decorating aspect of it all. We bought the cheapest apples and all we had to do was carve them and soak them in some salted lemon water. Super duper easy, and super duper cheap! Also I have a little trick I'll share when I do the tutorial...it lets you eat more of the apple, and well. I think it will help with the display aspect of the project. The great tutorial I used is here.

Okie dokie, so those were the kind of easy schmeezy ones, right. Well....the other ones I'm planning on doing are too! I know...get on with it, right? Okay.

So we're planning on doing a little party for the spookies. Really, we just want to hang out with our friends and enjoy some time together. So yeah... I want some decorations to make the house a little more festive. I have tons of construction paper laying around the house, so I'll be utilizing some of the huge stack to make this guys:
.

Aren't the precious!?!? They come from a sweet little blog that I've gotten some great advice for organizing from: Organize Your Stuff Now She has a no-nonsene, budget friendly way of organizing and decorating that I love. Maybe I should join one of her link parties. ^_^  She used scrapbooking paper, but I will use construction paper...because I have the motherload from my education classes. >.<

What else...goodness if I had the time I'd be doing all the stuff I pinned to my new spooky board. So fun!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot these guys. I still have to find some glow-in-the-dark paint...

I think they will be cute lining our walkway to the house! Hello Lucky provided this idea! Again, I'll be changing a few things up in hopes that they will be something we can use next year too!

And to revisit a couple things I've done in the past....

This was a lunch for Shi, and it had bones, ribs, and pumpkins made from carrots! He loved it!
I think I'll have to make him one or two to assemble this year. 

How could I forget these!?! They were so fun! And simple with things we have at the house. Always!

Let me know what gets your spooky bone crafting! I will have plenty to show next week! Time to go check on my shrunken heads!

~Rolling through life to the rhythm of love...share the bliss!

Nostalgia on a Thursday Night

I was reading an article I found online about what to buy a person when they first get a new home. It was broken down into lists depending on culture and regions. I was intrigued at the simplicity of the list for the new German kitchen, and had most of the items on that list, whereas on the "American" list I didn't have even half of the list.

Of course, we aren't the typical U.S. or "American" family. One income, small house, no credit cards...living in our means...if you are familiar with my blog then you know. I try to make our pennies stretch and our dollar, well it gets around.

So...back to the list. For the American household the list was:

Cast iron skillet
Dutch oven
Charcoal grill
Heavy-Duty food processor
Kitchen cart w/built in butcher block
Sandwich press
Roasting pan
Deep Fryer
Knife Set

Now, I am no gourmet cook...but none of these things were in my kitchen when I first started out on my own. Not a one. I didn't get a Cast Iron Skillet until this summer, and we just bought a dutch oven a week ago. I have a measly two cup food processor that I rarely use, which screams like a banshee if I put more than two frozen bananas in it to make my Banana Ice Cream. I have some knives, only one really nice one up until my Birthday when I was gifted a couple more. We do have a grill, it is propane...I think of Hank from King of the Hill every time I think of grilling on propane.

I don't think I ever want a fryer in my home. I can fry things in my wok...and well, fried is not a word I want in our weekly food rotation. A roasting pan would be nice, but frankly I'm not sure I want to store something I would only use once in a blue moon...our space is so limited. Which brings me to the kitchen cart. Yeah...no room for that. But once we finish our porch I think I will get one so that it will be easier to take things outside. Do I really need to discuss the sandwich press?

Yeah... didn't think so.

So the list for Germany:

Einkaufskorb- a Shopping basket
Frühstückbrett- small breakfast board used for breakfast or snacks
Potato Masher/Ricer
Cheese & Fruit Knives
Coffee or Tea Pot
Salad Bowl
Beverage Tools
Cloth Napkins & Napkin Rings
Pots & Pans

I have everything on this list except the Breakfast boards and the Cloth Napkins and Rings...both of which I would love to have, just haven't found ones that I like yet.

Well...scratch that. I have found some Breakfast Boards that would be really awesome...

Haha, so true. Nothing beats coffee or breakfast brought to bed, tho.
(For my Non-German Speaking readers:
It means; If you want breakfast in bed, then sleep in the kitchen!)

I think this one is just pretty! Even though I'm not a surfer...

And this one...oh my. A bit harder to explain in English, but here goes.
The first part says "Men are easy..." but if you add the anders it changes the meaning to
"Men are just different"
Get it?
Got it.
Good.
Now I want to buy it! ^_^

So as I'm looking over the options on google, I see something that I didn't realize. A dear friend of mine actually sent me one, and I didn't even realize it! I have a Frühstückbrett! From Germany! That makes me so happy. And...another wedding gift might just work as one too. ^_^ We received a cute little cutting board with an engraving on it. Awh...soo scratch that too! I do have a couple. Now I just need to find some good, affordable napkins and napkin rings. Then I will have a proper German Küche (kitchen).

Daily I use the tea kettle, and my knives...I don't think I would regularly use a sandwich press or a dutch oven. That's more for restaurants and camping, respectively.

Of course this is coming from the woman who doesn't have, nor want a dishwasher. Our water is so hard it would spot everything and that would drive me crazay!

What are your necessities in the kitchen? If I left something out let me know. I'm always up for a new idea for making life simpler....I think an immersion blender or dough hooks for my hand blender would be fabulous!

Thanks for reading! I hope you'll share your ideas and blogs with me!
~Cassie

Bad Bad Blogger.

Oh I have been so bad! Where did September go!?

I was working on my posts with the Challenge...and BAM! Happy Birthday to me. Then the world got crazy busy, and well...I haven't blogged.

So I guess I can do a bit of an update....

First I will finish the questions. I will give the short version and not go too far into them because, well...the main reason I lost steam on it was the last questions weren't really that intriguing for me.

So here goes, and then I'll be back to my blogging self...

Day 26 : Have you ever thought about giving up on life? If so, when and why? No, I don't think giving up was ever an option.

Day 27 : What’s the best thing going for you right now? The best thing going for me? Well...life. I love my life, and all the people that make it better.

Day 28 : What if you were pregnant or got someone pregnant, what would you do?Day 29 : Something you hope to change about yourself. And why. Luckily I can't get others pregnant....um but if I was to become pregnant, well I think I'd worry about having space in our cozy little house of love. We don't exactly have the set-up for another kiddo!

Day 30 : A letter to yourself, tell yourself EVERYTHING you love about yourself Everything I love about myself? Um well, self...I think you are creative, and love the logic mind that overpowers all negative emotions. I love that you are a natural bullshit detector, even if that creates issues with those who like to spew B.S. like nobody's business. I love that you are real, and let people know what you think, because the only people that get upset about you telling the truth are those who live in lies. I love that you like to try new things, all the time-even if that means you get a little scared something might not work out. I also love that you are a teacher at heart and are always looking for ways to try and make others lives better. If only you could figure out how to reach those who don't think they want your help... I love that you are in a boot camp now, and whipping  your booty back into shape. Be sure to keep it up, and love that body more! ^_^ Keep on writing, even if you are the only one reading it and be sure to keep writing down those crazy awesome dreams of yours! 
That is all for now...recipes and other stuff coming soon! Yeah buddy!
How about a Montage Monday, Tell it like it is Tuesday, and a Foodie Friday? Or perhaps a Delicious Donnerstag? Well....I'll figure it all out soon enough!

For now, this lil stone is rolling to bed!