Happy Halloween!

I've got a basket overflowing with candy just waiting for all the little ghouls and goblins! Side note: I did not want to get a Halloween specific basket that I would use once a year for the candy, so I just pinned some festive Halloween ribbon around the edge of a regular ol' basket that I can use everyday once it's served its Halloween duties. Apparently in Illinois, the Trick or Treating starts in the early afternoon.. as in 1pm. That will take a little getting used to. In California, kids Trick or Treat starting at dusk. I think that adds to the magic of it all, but I'm sure it will still be fun.

I can appreciate all of the spooky & gory Halloween decor, but I prefer the more subdued, natural version. I like the pumpkins, leaves, & hints of a softer orange and green (versus the obnoxious neon colors). It's much more convenient since I can leave most of my decor up through Thanksgiving and it's still relevant.

Last week I thought I should have something a little more Halloween specific up to get in the spirit. I went to Hobby Lobby (aka: Heaven on Earth) and got my materials for under $3. I took my plain Halloween banner and perked it up with some pretty orange and green scrapbook paper. All I needed to complete it was my handy Elmer's Spray Adhesive and my craft knife. I sprayed the front of my letters and set them face down on the back of the scrapbook paper. I let the letters dry for at least 30 minutes before trimming around them with my craft knife. I was pretty pleased with my results! Not too shabby for $3 and roughly 45 minutes of my time (technically only 15 minutes since 30 minutes were for drying).

Before

After

With less than 2 hours before the Trick or Treaters arrive, I should go get ready. I have no costume planned, but am considering going as a Mid-Westerner. All I need is my plaid shirt, jeans, boots, and maybe pig tails for good measure. I know, I am completely stereotyping! I would be interested to see what a Mid-Westerner would look like dressed up as a Californian ;D

Pick Me Up

I haven't been myself for the past week. I've felt unusually down and was experiencing a huge lack of motivation. I blame it on a heavy dose of homesickness and hormones. It's so strange what happens when I see vibrant beach pictures of my hometown that people post on facebook. Half of me gets lost in sweet memories of home and my spirits are lifted, then I realize how far away I am and immediately I feel like someone is squeezing my heart with a death grip. Am I being a bit dramatic? Well... yeah, but again I blame it on the hormones. Today I decided it was time to pick myself up and dust myself off. Homesickness and hormones be damned, I need to get out of this funk!

My cure for the blues = organizing! I can't explain exactly what happens to me when I start cleaning and sorting through piles of junk. It's like a breath of fresh air. I start sifting through that stack of clothes that's been sitting in the corner of my bedroom or the junk mail that's overflowing on the entry table and it just makes me feel good. I get lost in it and it takes my mind away from negative thoughts.

As I organize, I daydream of creating magazine-worthy rooms in my house. You know the closets lined with neatly spaced bins and baskets or the walls covered in a collage of frames that are placed just so? Yeah, that's what I aim for. My biggest problem is my urge to do everything at once. I get ridiculously gung ho and start working on five projects. One minute I am re-spooling my massive ribbon collection, the next I find myself measuring out paper to line my bathroom shelves! I don't know if I can ever get myself to focus on one project at a time, but I'm working on it.

Before picture... Eek!

Not all of my ribbon, but there are 39 re-spooled vs. 16 original (to give you an idea of how much space it saves)!

Now imagine a candy jar full of pink ribbon... swoon!

The ribbon project is my number one priority at the moment (okay, along with organizing my entire craft room). I found a system that is absolutely GENIUS at Capture the Moment and am in loooooooooooove! It's practical AND pretty. I'm envious of her ribbon collection. My supply is meager compared to hers. Psh, the fact that I thought mine was "massive" is laughable! Don't even get me started on her craft room! That would be one of the magazine-worthy rooms dancing around in my head when I organize my craft room. A girl can dream, right?!

Californiaaaaaaa

4 months after leaving California, I go back and forth between missing home and accepting that Illinois is my "home" for the next 3 years. Today is one of those missing home days.. like reeeaaallllllyyy missing home! Something tells me that listening to Phantom Planet's "California" while browsing through my favorite pictures from CA isn't helping any with my homesickness..

At my favorite place on Earth (DISNEYLAND)

View of the ocean on my wedding day

Beautiful San Diego sunrise viewed from my deck


One of the many gorgeous parks I used to take the girls I nannied (being away from CA also means I don't get to see the girls as they're growing up and that breaks my heart)


Our clothing for Fall in California.. much different than Illinois

Standard foot wear in Ca pretty much year-round

I promise I am trying to cope instead of letting nostalgia get the best of me. I can see the bright side of living in the mid-west during Fall. I actually get to see what seasons are all about! I get to see the leaves change.. then the trees go bare.. then comes the snow (but I'll worry about that when the time comes). It's about time this Cali Girl gets schooled in real seasons. It will be a pleasant change to visit a pumpkin patch in chilly weather (not 90+ degrees like in CA the past couple of years). I look forward to swaddling myself in sweaters and having my very first real winter coat. Bring it on, Illinois.. I can take it!

Fab Find Friday: Old Navy Hoodies

With the temperature starting to drop in Illinois, I decided to take a trip to Old Navy for some Winter gear. I didn't find any super warm jackets like I'd hoped, but I did come across some hoodies! I realize I'll need more than some flimsy hoodies to keep me toasty come Winter, but I can give you 3 good reasons as to why I HAD to have me some hoodies: 1) It was located in the sale section with a price tag of a whopping $10; 2) What can I say, I am a nut for hoodies. I would wear them every day of my life if it was an option; 3) Being a Cali girl far away from home sweet home, I was jonesing for a little piece of home & this little beaut came into my life at exactly the right time:
Since they they were $10, oh-so-comfy, and because I am crazy for hoodies.. I grabbed one in "marshmallow" and "bougainvillea" as well. I was tempted to get some in some ridiculous colors (bright orange & bright pink) that would have looked terrible on me, but I had to draw the line somewhere! Anyway, these will come in handy for the beginning of Fall & are perfect to throw on when going to or leaving the gym!

For some reason the sale price is not showing on the Old Navy webpage :/ Maybe they are no longer on sale or only on sale in stores? Old Navy always has sales, so I am sure they will be on sale again shortly if they are not still on sale.

You better believe I am rockin' my "Cali Love" hoodie with pride this very second. The only con? I've got the beginning of 2Pac's "California Love" on loop in my head..