Last-Minute Halloween Costume for Baby

I was debating whether to dress Harrison up for his first Halloween. He's not even two weeks old, so the store-bought options are too big, and I've felt too busy to make something myself, then it hit me: ghost onesie. All it took was a white onesie, which I already had, and a black Sharpie. I just sketched out the friendly ghost face and then filled it in with the Sharpie. Put a paper bag inside the onesie so the ink doesn't bleed through the back. Voilà and boo! And if you've got an orange onesie handy, you could turn baby into a cute little jack-o-lantern. Hope you have a Happy Halloween!

Temporary Tattoo Easter Eggs

I used a little Texas inspiration for this year's Easter eggs. This has to be the easiest way to decorate eggs ever. I downloaded some western-inspired clip art from Etsy, printed the designs on temporary tattoo paper and applied one to each egg. I like the impact of the tattoos on un-dyed white eggs, but brown or dyed eggs would work too. You could also just buy temporary tattoos or even design your own. Anyway you go about it, you'll end up with some impressive Easter eggs.

Also, last year's subway Easter eggs.

Washi Tape Matchbooks for Your Valentine

Washi tape and my crafting abilities seem to suit each other perfectly. It doesn't get much easier than this, but I think the results are still pretty cute. Just take some new or old matchbooks and cover them in washi tape in whatever colors and patterns appeal to you. (Etsy shop PrettyTape has a great selection.) Trim and smooth the edges and attach a little note with a pun that's worthy of your valentine. "Come on, baby, light my fire" is still up for grabs.

Door Decor

I never think about buying wreaths since I live in an apartment, but there sure are some beautiful fall options out there. They're so welcoming and cheery, it seems like just the right time of year to hang one ... just as long as trick-or-treaters don't steal it because if there's one thing kids can't resist, it's a seasonal wreath.

[found here: wheat; red berries; quince; lavender and roses; hydrangea; boxwood; orange berries]

Falling Leaves Pumpkin

My annual no-carve pumpkin tradition continues. This year, I gave my pumpkin a fall foliage look. You can just buy stickers, or like I did, create your own custom stickers with washi tape, wax paper and a leaf paper punch like this one.

Just lay a strip of washi tape across the wax paper, sticky side down, and punch out your leaves. Wider washi tape is easier to work with when it comes to fitting your shapes in. Then peel the wax paper off the back and place the leaves on your pumpkin.

Here's last year's pumpkin and the year before that.

Neapolitan Tote Bag

Maybe I spent too much time hovering over cartons of ice cream as a kid, but I've always thought chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, all lined up just so, made a lovely color combination. So I took that Neapolitan inspiration and added a little summer fun to an otherwise basic tote bag. It's perfect for hauling goods to the beach, to the park or better yet, to an ice cream party.

You'll need:

One canvas tote

Painter's tape

Paint brush

Fabric paint in pink, brown and white, if you need to lighten up your colors

Divide the tote bag into three equal sections with painter's tape. Line the bag in case the paint seeps through. Paint one section pink, one brown and leave the middle section unpainted. Let it dry overnight, remove tape and you're done!

April Photo Project: Homemade

The photo theme for April was homemade, and I loved seeing these little glimpses into your lives. It was fun to see your lovely photos but also the inspiring projects and yummy treats you created. Here's my homemade bread, a little flat and sad, but still tasty. Below are some of the more successful works you shared.

Rebecca of A Daily Something created this darling homemade vase.

Ann of Oh Beauty made some tasty-looking granola.

Jennifer of Perishable Item shared her adorable mad hatter hats.

Birte took a photo of this unique clay piece she created.

Melanie of You Are My Fave shared her whimsical fabric flowers.

Kimberly created this print of her bicycle.

Vanessa of Hey, Lady Grey captured her tempting palmiers.

Amanda made a darling paper wreath.

Rachel baked these banana muffins.

And Amy of Reams Photo took a pic of her homemade latte.

If you want to share one of your homemade photos, just leave a link below! I'll announce May's photo theme on Friday.

New York Subway Easter Eggs

New York City is full of inspiration, even on a crowded subway, so here's my Easter egg tribute to the city's transit system. The trains are labeled by different numbers, letters and colors, so with some food coloring and stickers, I created egg versions of the 22 subway lines. I used this food coloring kit and these 1-inch number and letter stickers (you'll need black letters for the yellow line). It's a fun spin on basic egg dyeing and my way of saying, "I love you, New York ... yes, even you, sad, little, unreliable G train."

A couple of tips if you want to make your own subway Easter eggs:

• I really loved using the food coloring kit since it has all the colors you need, even grey and brown.
• You can dye the eggs with the stickers already on them and remove once the eggs are dry. The colors may seep through a little in some cases, but this method was pretty successful for me.
• For a more foolproof method, just attach the stickers after the eggs have been dyed and are dry.
• Instead of Easter grass, I used a shredded subway map.
• And wouldn't these be fun for an Easter egg hunt? "Find the 6 train!"

Christmas Crafting: Cinnamon Ornaments

I remember making cinnamon ornaments like these in preschool. Actually, Ms. Johnson probably made them for us and we scribbled on them with markers and took all the credit. I had that ornament for years and years and the smell never faded. It was puzzling how something that smelled so much like food and looked so much like food wasn't edible, but I was a naturally obedient child and never tried to take a bite. Since part of the fun of this time of year is getting all wrapped up in nostalgia, I decided to revisit cinnamon ornaments. They make a sweet, little homemade gift to pass around or attach to presents under the tree.

Cinnamon Ornaments
Adapted from Martha Stewart

1 cup ground cinnamon
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 Elmers glue

In a medium bowl, mix together 1 cup ground cinnamon and 1/4 cup applesauce using a rubber spatula. Stir in 1/2 cup craft glue. Stir the dough until consistency is smooth and dry. Let stand 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Turn dough onto a cool, flat surface. Flatten with your hands, then flatten with a rolling pin to 1/4 inch thick. If dough becomes too dry, spritz with water. If it sticks to rolling pin or work surface, sprinkle with additional cinnamon. Use the cookie cutter of your choice, then use a straw to poke a hole in each ornament for string or ribbon to go through. Transfer ornaments to a baking sheet. Bake for approximately 2 hours, flipping ornaments over once halfway through. Makes about 20 ornaments.

Painted Pumpkin Bottle

I decided to do a little Halloween crafting with a pumpkin as my inspiration. I started with a Martinelli's bottle since it already has that leaf texture built in, so I drank my apple juice, washed the bottle and got to work. 

I used Martha Stewart craft paint which works on glassware. Just pour some paint directly into the bottle. The consistency wasn't thin enough to swirl it around, so I added a little bit of water, about half a teaspoon, to get it moving. You can always add more paint or more water to achieve the right consistency, so start small. Then, roll the bottle around, upside down and side to side until the inside is covered completely with paint. 

Set the bottle upside down on a plate lined with tin foil to let it dry, picking up the bottle and wiping the top off occasionally. Mine took several days to dry. I love the glossy look you get from the paint behind the glass. I added a little copper paint to the outside to highlight the leaves, and there you have it, a happy, little pumpkin bottle. I haven't tested if it can hold water yet, so I just stuck a few flowers in without it. 

Here are some more tips on painting glass. It's a fun and easy project! Happy Halloween!