SMASH "Dance" Style

At the end of each dance competition season, I put together a scrapbook for my cousin. It usually takes me the entire summer, up until the start of the next season to complete. With the introduction of Smash books, we decided to "smash" the season as it went along. On the ride to and from, we smash a little and then each night if we have time. We are using the "Pretty Pink" folio.

1st Master Workshop at the start of the dance season

2nd & 3rd Master Workshop

1st Convention – Camp Pulse

School Talent Show

Showoff at studio for Family and Friends

2nd Competition/Convention - Tremaine….. instead of all the misc. papers to keep up with, we had the teachers autograph straight into her book and then using my pogo printer, we stuck in the mini prints

1st Scholarship of the season….hopefully many more to come!

She was also chosen as the “Studio Dancer of the Year”

She loves smashing in her “dance” book and I love the fact that come July the book will be complete.



"It's beginning to look a lot like christmas....." part 1

My four day thanksgiving weekend was filled with family, lots of food, shopping, sleeping and christmas decor.  Since I was able to get my black friday shopping done online and on thanksgiving day, that left my black friday free for decorating.  The weather here in south louisiana didn't lend a helping hand.  It rained all weekend so i focused on the inside.....

Let's start with the tree....

For many years now, family and friends have asked the process i use to decorate my tree, so here we go.

• my tree comes in three pieces.  i fluff as i go and always arrange the top design before placing the last piece of the tree
• using a large roll of ribbon( purchased at hobby lobby, the 100 feet rolls) in gold, i loosley wrap around the tree starting at the top.  Ribbon is tucked in the braches.  This is mainly as a filler.

• repeat with red ribbon, tuck extra ribbon still on the roll under the tree skirt
• add beaded garland, this garland was given to me by my mother so not really sure where it came from

• add ornaments, gold picks, birds, etc
• starting at the top take a strip of the black wide mesh ribbon and attach to branches making poofs
• add umbrellas

• stand back and admire

thoughts for next year's tree.....

this is my first time christmas decorating in the new house.  I basically went with what was done in the last house with a few changes.  I would like to add a revolving tree stand next year.  Along with something new to the top of the tree.  Also i need to rember to move the rug before setting up the tree.

now on to the rest of the house.....

I do not have a mantel/fireplace, so i always decorate the top of the tv armoire.  The presents are empty boxes wrapped in kraft paper.  The nutcrackers were purchased from walmart a couple of years ago.  The gold sconces are from hobby lobby last year.  The red trees are actually a christmas card holder.  The reindeer are older than I am and use to reside over the fireplace in my parents house, but since have been handed down to me.

On to the christmas village.....

I picked up two dickens village houses at a trash to treasure sale a few years ago and have added pieces from walmart's classic village collection each year. I have finally filled the entire ladder shelf, so i doubt i will add any other big pieces.

Next is my Fontanini Nativity collection........

As a young child, I always admired my aunt's extensive Fontanini collection and was given a starter kit the first christmas when i moved out.  My collection has grown since then.  My grandmother gives me a few pieces each christmas and I have found others on sale.  In the old house it filled a round decorator table but now it resides on the shelves a my new chinese cabinet.  I hope to add many more to this collection.

As i mentioned above, it rained almost the whole weekend so i did not manage to decorate the outside.  I plan to do that this weekend, weather permitting.  I did start on some of the outdoor decor that is staged in the house.  I have seen the large ornaments hung in store window display a many of times and always wanted to do it on a smaller scale at my house.  The windows in the old house did not lend well to this but in the new house they do.  Simply using numerous types of ribbon and shatter proof ornaments, hang in different lengths from the inside of the windows.  I also added some lighted garland wrapped in white mesh ribbon.  i only got one window done but will be completing the second on with the rest of the outdoor decor this weekend.



Once the outdoor is complete, I will post more pics......

Halloween Wrap-Up

I know I am five days late......its been a busy week on top of being sick

but here is the last of halloween post for 2011.

Final decor pics:

 Front door all lit up for trick or treat

Make shift graveyard

Trick or Treat  TREATS.....

 Halloweenies, Mummy Faced Pizza's, Pumpkin Guts, Veggie Skelton with brain dip, Mummy Brains

 Treats Table: Vampire bites, Teenie Tiny Witch hats, Strawberry Ghosts & Dirt Cake

Our Trick Or Treaters.....

A Tradition Continues.......

Last year, Trick or Treat party was held at my house as I was the only house left in the avenues willing to have a party.  Post here with last year's decor and party.  The new tradition continues this year even though I have moved.  The new house, still in avenues, has bigger enteraining area plus it more appealing for those cute trick-or-treaters (Im located on the main blvd).  Knowing this would be, I have been working on decor since the beginning of September.  Mostly everything is handmade with a few bought items added in.  Most of my inspiration have come from pictures collected on pinterest or ads out of magazines like pottery barn.  Here we go:

Let's start withe of the house......

The SPOOKY letters and candy corn garland are from last year with added pumpkins and sign purchased from TJ Maxx (last year)

Continuing in the living room.....

In the display box is one of the many layouts from last year's Trick or Treat.  We love to look back and see how the kids tastes in costumes change just within a year.  The spider plate is a new diy addition.  Gotta give credit to "Crap I've Made" for the idea.  I used a white plate from dollar tree, black puff paint and a spider ring leftover from last years goodie stash.

Next up is the Sofa table with the Subway art and Glittered Witches Hats......

The subway art is from Eighteen 25 and the other print is from Craftily Ever After.  The Witches Hats idea came from Oopsey Daisey. 

 The Boo Banner is my own creation.  I used Glitter cardstock and "Boo" line details from American Crafts

The glitter spiders where purchased at Micheals.

On to the kitchen/dinning room.....

More candy corn banners above the kitchen sink

 A little fall decor above fridge... all puchased in previous years from Tj Maxx/Marshalls

 Can't really see it in the picture above  but if you look in the lower right corner the are some spiders crawling up the fridge door.  I simply cut the ring part off and with a little sticky tack attached them to the door in a curved line.

"EEK" letters are also from Eighteen 25.....

If you notice in the background above there is a jar of candy corn, a better picture of this to come....just need to fill the third jar.   The idea came from Eighteen 25, i just updated their easter theme with halloween and used wooden candle sticks I already had on hand.  The plan is to use these year round for each holiday.

Moving on to the outside.....

This is a work in progress as i have run out of tulle.....

The jumbo spiders and the web were purchased this year from my local Dollar Tree.  When its dark outside and the light in the dinning room is on, the web looks like it glowing...so cool!

 The start of the front entrance......

All the pumpkins are fake craft ones from either Micheals or Dollar Tree (small orange and glittered brown).  I simply wrote my initials and bats on the white ones with a sharpie. The black poka dot was done by using garage sale stickers and painting the pumpkin black with acrylic craft paint. Glittered pumpkin were done with Krylon's new glitter spray paint and dollar tree pumpkins.  Scarecrows were purchased from walmart two years ago.

 My skeletons were made using my silhouette and this file.  I enlarged the pieces and attached them using brads.  Since we are dancers in this family, "S" is in a perfect tilt and attitude jump.

 Underneath "S" is a spider family and two pumpkins.  Both purchased last year from Marshalls.

 Just a small wreath on the bedroom door.

MOre decor to come.  Party pics will be posted after Halloween......Stay Tuned!