Halloween 2010 Recap

Despite feeling under the weather, we had a fabulous Halloween. Here's my favorite picture from pumpkin carving. I just love how this captured the wonderment in BBC's eyes! I can only imagine what he was really thinking.

As if Halloween isn't filled with enough sugar from the candy, BBC managed to talk DH into donuts for breakfast this morning. BBC wanted sprinkles on his chocolate donut so DH took a play from my book and added these when they got home. Totally.Cracked.Me.Up!

Speaking of sprinkles, I bought some cookie stencils last year on clearance for just pennies. We had a little fun with them yesterday. Yes, I know, more sugar! Anyway, I just LOVE this spider that BBC did all on his own. It was my favorite by far. No one has been allowed to eat it. I think it is too cool!

Going through pictures I realized I didn't get a single picture of BBC in a costume this year (yes there were several). He dresses up so much that I guess it's just second nature and I forgot! So I figured I would share some of my favorite pictures from friends in the area.

This is Amy's daughter and Jill's son. They are the same age and spend a lot of time together. They are even sweeter than this picture in person if you can believe it. I love that pumpkin outfit that Anna is rocking out.

Anna must have a thing for pirates because here she is in 2008 with my little pirate. Sigh - they are growing up too quickly!

I hope my friend, Sandy, doesn't kill me for adding this picture. She and her darling went as crayons - isn't that the cutest couple costume? It helps to be a cute couple, too.

And the biggest belly laugh of my Halloween is this family. This is my friend April, her husband, and her two BOYS. Take a close look at the picture. Isn't this the biggest hoot ever?

Well that's how our Halloween wrapped up. I'd love to hear some details about yours!

~Southern Fried Gal

Willow House Weekly Deals

In addition to the monthly deals* in my Willow House Online store, my OUTLET features weekly deals on several products which ends up being 70% off retail! To enjoy these deals, go to my store and click on the Orange SAVE 70% off header (this image changes - it is the second one in the series).

Here's a look at what is on special through tomorrow, October 31st - lots of TREATS!

Don't forget, if you spend $39.96 you can pick an item under $40 from my regular store for half off or if you spend $59.96 you can pick an item under $60 from my regular store for half off. A great way to stretch your Christmas gift budget!!

Happy Saving!

~Southern Fried Gal

Halloween Hodge Podge

Here are a few ideas to create some last minute Halloween fun this weekend!

Cheryl over at Tidy Mom shares a twist for a Halloween breakfast surprise - Pumpkin Pancakes with Black Cinnamon Syrup - so fun!

It is finally chilly here in Arkansas today (after 80+ degrees most days this week). This Ghoulishly Rich Hot Chocolate from Singing With Birds looks very inviting this morning!

Shannon over at Bless Our Nest has the most clever (and easy to copy) ideas! She made this adorable Boo Plate with a thrift saucer and a cupcake liner of all things! Super cute!!!

I'm still in love with my Halloween Door this year - is that wrong? A similar look can be pulled together quickly and for the most part using items you probably already have around your home.

Also - look for clearance sales this weekend and pick up one or two items to build on your look next year. Make sure you LOVE the item and aren't simply attracted to it by price. If it's a great deal and you never use it, then it's a waste of your money. Learn from my mistakes!

I hope you have a wonderfully sweet and spooky Halloween weekend! No tricks around here!

~Southern Fried Gal

Of course I'm sharing this post over at Amanda's today!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

This is the season of changes for me. I don't know if it is the prompting of the changing leaves, reflecting over another year of life, or what but I seem to face the most changes this time each year.

I have been doing some soul-searching and researching and I've decided to make a few changes on my blog. Between my new Willow House business and Online Store, my blog, my facebook page, and my twitter id it felt like I had multiple personalities. It was beginning to confuse even me. No jokes, please! {giggle}

Because I refer to myself as Southern Fried Gal I am going to take that up as my identity. Everything I do going forward will be under that name. You may have noticed I updated my blog header overnight. I replaced dreams with gal in my blog title as well. Soon I will update my address. Content, voice, BBC antics and anything else you love about your visits here will not change.

As I started writing this post Shrek popped into my mind along with this song. I just had to share. You can thank me when you are still singing it much later today.

Changes are a good thing and I am excited about those that presenting themselves in my life (even though some are a little on the challenging side). What changes are you making?

~Southern Fried Gal

WHW: Hurricanes for the Holidays

October is winding down and the holiday season is just around the corner. Before long we will be dolling up our homes and opening them up to holiday guests. This is the perfect time to pick up a few "blank canvas pieces" to transition you from Thanksgiving bounty to Christmas cheer!

You may recall a few weeks back I posted a video with Willow House designer, Melanie Grant. In this video she talks about blank canvas pieces as being able to move from surface to surface and season to season. My favorite blank canvas piece is a hurricane. I have gathered a few ideas using hurricanes for inspiration.

This picture is from Christmas with Southern Living 2007. I am going to borrow the idea of nuts, sticks and feathers (oh my) for my Thanksgiving hurricane. I love the height using the twigs in this photo.

Another simple and inexpensive filler for your hurricane is various fruits of the season. Nothing says harvest and bounty like fruit. Notice also how the hurricanes sizes and shapes are mixed for more interest. Photo: Christmas with Southern Living 2004.

Hurricanes transition easily from harvest to Christmas with a few simple adjustments. These would look lovely with just the glass balls and greenery. I like how they are topped off with fresh flower rings and a larger glass ball as well. Photo: Christmas with Southern Living 2007

This is a simple harvest mantle flanked with two hurricanes filled with orange sand and twigs. Photo: Melanie Grant Video

Fill the same hurricanes with glass ornaments for a quick switch-a-roo! Photo: Melanie Grant Video

In this series of photos I noticed a few things. Hurricanes look great with almost any filler. There is power in numbers. From 2004 to 2010 hurricanes remain a stylish piece for the home.

If you don't already have a few hurricanes for your home decor now is a great time to make the investment. And of course I have several ways to help you do just that! Currently in my Willow House online store, I have several hurricane options three of which are glass only hurricanes like those featured here.

Hawthorne Hurricane (item number 41395)

Hemingway Hurricane (item number 40350)

Outlet Hurricane (item number 57505)

With this month's customer specials you can pick these up at great savings! Between now and October 31, if you spend $39.96 or more (in either the regular store or my outlet) you can pick a product from my main store valued under $40 for half-off! OR if you spend $59.96 or more (in either the regular store or my outlet) you can pick a product from my main store valued under $60 for half-off!

Here are some product combo ideas to help you get your blank canvas pieces and save big!

1.Purchase 3 Outlet Hurricanes at $16.96 each and then pick a half-price product from my main store (think Christmas gift). Perfect choice on a budget.

2. Purchase one Hawthorne Hurricane at regular price and get the second for half price. Perfect choice for flanking the mantle.

3. Purchase one Hemingway Hurricane and one Outlet Hurricane then get a Hawthorne Hurricane for half price. Perfect choice for mixing hurricanes.

4. Purchase 2 Hawthorne Hurricanes at regular price and pick an item under $60 for half price (think Christmas gift).

What is you favorite way to transition your hurricanes from Thanksgiving to Christmas?

~Southern Fried Gal

Halloween Door Decor

I think I fall in love with my door a little more each time I change it out! Here's what we ended up with for our Halloween look this week.

And here's how it looks all lit up a little later at night!

You probably recognize a few things like this basket of mums. I added the Boo! sign I used on my bucket last year.

These friendly little guys are recycles from the past. I acquired the electric jack-o-lantern several years ago for $10 - a great investment! The ghost was a last-minute project to surprise BBC last year.

I just realized that all the ghosts I make don't have mouths! I wonder what that means? Ha!

We carved jack-o-lanterns this weekend. BBC's obsession with ghosts continues. I went for silly. DH got a little more involved and I think it turned out pretty cool!

I picked up these friendly ghost lights at Sam's for $10 this year. They are LED so I expect them to last a few years. They have several settings for the lights. I like a nice, slow fade in and out. When I'm not paying attention BBC and DH switch to the hyper speed which freaks me out.

Here's the other corner of the porch up close. Isn't that wooden crow cute? I got it at one of my favorite local shops last year for $2.50!!! Do you see that X on the pot. BBC found a piece of leftover chalk and the whole front porch is marked up. Nothing is safe around that boy!

I hope you enjoy our boo-tiful door as much as we do! What do you do to greet your little ghouls for trick-or-treating?

~Southern Fried Gal

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Halloween Mantles

I tweaked our mantle this weekend for Halloween. BBC was very excited to see the ghost tree in here. It is so neat that something I love to do can bring joy to him as well!

I love decorating my mantle. I am always switching it up and looking for new inspiration. Hopefully I can pay it forward by sharing a few other mantles for inspiration. This is a peek back to last year's October mantle.

My friend, Chas, always has the cutest Halloween decor. This is her pass-through mantle a few years back. This side features ghoulish treats.

And the opposite side gives me chills - in a fun way! I love those spiders crawling up the wall.

I never thought I would enjoy decorating for Halloween as much as I do. We try to keep it lighthearted. It's fun to create memories with BBC. Speaking of which, check back tomorrow for our jack-o-lantern debut!

Do you add a little spook to your decor? Happy boo-tifying!

~Southern Fried Gal

Easy Pumpkin Patch Brownies

Looking for a quick but fun treat for your Halloween get-together this next week? Pumpkin Patch Brownies are a quick and easy way to make it look like you spent hours in the kitchen.

I had a little help from a few of my friends. If you have the time and want to save on pre-made items feel free to bake your own brownies and whip up your own chocolate frosting. Please let me know if you make your own pumpkins, too!

Here's a picture tutorial of the steps to finished product. I squiggled on a few green leaves and vines to give my patch a little more detail and make folks think I really slaved away.

The only item I personally made was the green icing. Here's my formula for quick and easy colored icing - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar sifted : 2 drops green food coloring : a splash of water. Then just play around with the consistency. I only mixed up this tiny amount and put it in a plastic baggy but you can use that ratio to make more. I have decorating tips, but you could also snip a small hole in the corner of your baggies to get the job done!

There you have it - easy peasy! So easy, in fact, a six-year-old can do it! Don't you love his RED hair? DH took him to the Pumpkin Palooza at work yesterday and he came home with red hair. Thankfully it did (mostly) wash out for school today!

Tomorrow morning the ladies ministry at my church is having a Mugs & Muffins get-together. We can pop in between 9 and 10:30 with our favorite mug and enjoy a muffin and fellowship!- how fun is that?

After that my family will be cheering the HOGS onto a victory against Ole' Miss (dear Lord, I pray). We are also going to carve pumpkins and dress the door for Halloween this weekend. BBC drew me a picture of what he wants it to look like. There WILL be compromise involved. Oh my!

Don't forget to enter for your chance to win a $25 Visa gift card and a bottle of NAKANO vinegar and a chance to win a $40 gift certificate to my Willow House ONLINE Store and Outlet!

How about you? What's on your agenda for the weekend?

~Southern Fried Gal

I'm linking up to these parties for more weekend fun!

NAKANO Seasoned Rice Vinegar Giveaway & Review

This giveaway is now closed. Check willowhouseSFG to see if you won!

My taste buds tingle for tang - no, not the drink - I'm talking vinegar. Plenty of my favorite foods are better with a splash of vinegar (or two). You can imagine how excited I was to get the chance to review a bottle of NAKANO Seasoned Rice Vinegar!

NAKANO sent me a bottle for review along with a $50 Visa gift card. I was thrilled to get Basil & Oregano. My mind instantly went to tomatoes - yum! I love a good tomato, cucumber, and red onion salad. This seasoned vinegar added a sweet twist to that classic salad. Add feta cheese for extra contrast in flavor.

This particular vinegar also provides a yummy way to dress up steamed broccoli - and let's face it a healthier one, too! Nakano Seasoned Rice Vinegars are naturally brewed, fat and gluten free and have a sweet, light flavor.

My dear husband is exploring his culinary side as of late. This past weekend he made a beautiful pan-seared tilapia. He added a splash of this vinegar just before serving. Man! Can you say flavor explosion? This by far was our favorite use of the vinegar. We probably wouldn't have tried this had it not been for this opportunity. Now we are excited to check out the other flavors!

Here's the best news about this review - YOU can enter for a chance to try it for FREE as well! NAKANO is generously offering one lucky reader a $25 Visa gift card, a bottle of their seasoned rice wine vinegar, and a booklet with coupon and serving ideas!

Here's how you can enter...

1. Visit the NAKANO website then come back and leave a comment with your favorite Splash tip (mandatory for entry).

2. Become a fan of NAKANO on Facebook for 1 additional entry (be sure to leave a separate comment below).

3. Tweet, share on Facebook, and/or write a blog post about this giveaway for up to 3 additional entries (be sure to leave the link in a separate comment of how you shared the love)!

This giveaway will be open through 10 pm (CT) on Sunday, October 24, 2010. A winner will be announced on Monday morning on my Facebook Page!!

Good luck!!

~Southern Fried Gal

The opinions expressed in this post are my own. I was not influenced in any way by the compensation I received for reviewing this product.

WHW: Spooktacular Ideas

Our Framework Urn (41284) lends a spooky look all on its own! Here I spray painted Spanish moss with black paint and tucked into the bottom of the urn. Then I topped with a friendly Jill-o-lantern. This piece would also be cute filled with glittery bones or a glittery skull nestled on top of the moss.

I spooktified (do you like all these words I'm making up today?) my large Galveston Hurricane (41256) by adding coffee beans in the bottom, nestling our large Parisian Luminary (41053) and dropping in a pumpkin spice candle. I think this would also be cute filled with candy corn in the bottom with peeps ghosts lined on top of that with a candle coming out the top.

Next I took my small Galveston Hurricane (41152) and filled the bottom portion with coffee beans, added a layer of candy corn, and topped off with the recycled ghost tree from last year's project (see below). I can't wait for BBC to come home this afternoon. He is going to go nuts over this one!

This is our Flower Market Door Bucket (40664) flipped over and painted orange . Get more details on how I put the rest together in this post.

And finally I'm still in love with this idea for our Sedona Sconce (41149)! The EEK vinyl stickers, a little faux cob-webbing and candles make a delightfully spooky greeting when you walk in our front door.

You can find all these products and more in my Willow House Online Store. What other Willow House products would you spooktify?

~Southern Fried Gal

p.s. In October when you spend $59.96 or more in my new Willow House Online Store you can pick an item under $60 for half off! All of the products featured here (except the Parisian Luminaries) qualify you for this special! For example, if you wanted to flank your mantle with our small Galveston Hurricane, just buy one at regular price and get the second for half! Or if you want one large Galveston Hurricane and one small purchase the large at regular price and pick up the second for half off! Here are some tips on navigating my store. Happy Shopping!

Want to host an online shopping party for your friends and family to earn FREE and discounted products? Let's get you set up today!

Weekly Willow House Product Giveaway

Each Tuesday Plate and Pattern hosts a Willow House Giveaway from the prop closet! This week they are giving away a set of Ingleside Luminaries. Hop over there for your chance to win! Good Luck!

This is one of my product picks for teacher appreciation gifts. I think they would be a perfect way to say thank you. Fill with candies, a candle, or fresh flowers and add a clever tag.