Color Me Happy | Pumpkin

What is it about fall that makes me so darn happy? I want to wear cozy sweaters and sip pumpkin spice lattes all day. This is my official welcome to October - my favorite month of the year.

We're hoping to take some family photos in the park on Sunday with the colorful leaves. What's on your agenda?

See you Monday!

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DIY Bat Garland (Free Download!)

The Paper Source catalog came in the mail not long ago, and I adored all of the cute & clever Halloween decorations. The bat garland seemed the easiest for my limited drawing skills.

Well, apparently my drawing skills are even more limited than I thought. Several tries - and lots of paper - later I gave up and went to Michaels. I bought a bat shape, traced it and scaled it bigger and smaller.

Tracing and cutting I can do. Barely.

To make your own, you'll need:

• Bat Garland Template (free download of 4 different sizes of bats)
• Black construction paper
• 1 piece of white paper for the moon
• Black ribbon, string or twine
• Scissors and hole punch

Use the bat shape template to trace and cut out as many bats as you want (there are 4 different sizes). Use the hole punch on the wings and string through your ribbon or twine. Alternate the sizes and add the moon if you like. You can also use the hole punch to add some eyes for your bats.

That's it!


(See my head poking up in the photo? Hehe.)

I Went a Little Nuts on My Halloween Mantel

So one of the benefits of no Internet or cable over the last couple of days has been lots of free time. (It's still out. I'm at another coffee shop, which I kind of enjoy, I must say. Repair man coming today. Hopefully.)

I channeled this new found time into Halloween decorating. I have NEVER done a festive mantel for any holiday (other than lining up Christmas cards). And, given the chance, I went a little nuts.

I got some webbing stuff to hang on the huge mirror over the mantel and taped up a couple of creepy spiders. And creep they do. Massive amounts of tape are not keeping those guys in place and every day they inch a little lower. Seriously, it weirds me out.

Silver branches found tucked away in the basement were stuck in vases filled with candy corn leftover from Caroline's picnic. The Spells, Cures & Potions books are my fave. I covered big recipe books in black construction paper and wrote in chalk (yep, my handwriting stinks).

Coming up is a quick tutorial (with download) on how to make your own bat garland!

Don't you love that spooky shot of the backlit pumpkin? I promise there are no lights in there!

DIY Rosette Hair Pins

Hi, this is Anna from IHOD and I am sharing a little DIY with you today! These pictures are pretty self-explanatory, but I will explain just in case. Start from the top left!

What you need:

• pre-cut fabric petals or any fabric circles
• thread & needle
• bobby pins

1. Fold your first petal in quarters, stitch on the bottom side of the folds.

2. Place the stitching side down into the center of the second petal folded in half. Fold petal around the inner petal and stitch on the sides again.

3. Repeat this step, except add the bobby pin on the inside and stitch around it.

4. On the last stitch, pull through the center of the rosette, cut the thread, and knot. This way the knot will not show on the outside.

Make two or three and wear in your hair!

Cool Mom | Anna from IHOD

I'm so happy to have my friend Anna here today. I first starting reading her gorgeous blog because of her amazing taste and style - then I discovered she has two little ones! How does she do it? Cue major envy. Welcome, Anna!

Hi, it's me Anna from In Honor of Design blog, and I am a mama of two {so far ;)}, and we live in Atlanta, GA. I am thankful to Stephanie for having me as a guest! I think we both share a love for the creative realm and find our outsource on our blogs! :)

 

My favorite moment of the day: I have a few. One, when my babies first wake up. They both are the happiest when they first rise and are full of smiles. It makes my heart melt. Second, when the kids are asleep and my husband and I have time to catch up with each other and watch movies together.

A typical Saturday morning involves: My husband Gabe likes to cook breakfast on Saturday mornings for us since he works during the week. He is quite good at it I might add! We then usually hit the road and either do errands together or find an outdoor place to hang out. Recently it was the apple orchard!

My go-to product in my beauty arsenal: Mascara. If I have mascara on I feel feminine, like I at least won't scare the neighbors, ya know? ;) Cover Girl Lash Blast is a fave.


I feel my best when: I am enjoying a good meal with my husband, when I am designing or creating, and when I am snuggling with my babies.



My personal style idol is: Rachel Bilson because her style is spot on, but it's relaxed and chic!

My guiltiest pleasure: Watching Rachel Zoe and eating ice cream in my sweats. It does mind and body good. ;)

I am passionate about: Faith and family. They are never compromised. That and all things design related of course. :)

Last skill I learned: How to work my new DSLR Camera, and if you consider applying make-up with a baby on your hip a skill, then I will throw that in too. ;)

My proudest parenting moment: When my 2 year old started to share and give hugs to his little buddies. It made me so proud to know he has a big heart.

I love it when my kids say: My son repeats everything he hears me say so now he calls me by saying, "Hey sweetie! Come here!" I die every time.

Thank you, Anna! Pop over and say hi - and don't miss her giveaway!

Lookbook Love | FM908

I've been on the hunt for a new coat, and thanks to Greedy Girl, I think I've found it!

Look at these amazing handmade coats from FM908. And most are about $100!

I'm a sucker for red. Can't decide between the cape and the cashmere.

Do you buy a new coat each winter?

My Syle | I Have No Shame

Apparently there is nothing I won't do for this blog. This includes lying on the ground in the midst of leftover confetti (a party? a wedding?) and instructing my husband to climb up on a ledge to get a photo.

Oh, and I'll wear a hat too. Mark immediately called me Robin Hood and Henry chewed on the brim and threw it in the tub. Subtle.

Our cable and internet are still out (I'm popping into Panera to post) so I apologize for not replying to comments or visiting my fave blogs yesterday!

DIY Jingle Bell + Tassel Clutch

I found this lovely gray felt clutch at Hobby Lobby while out hunting down clutches for this DIY project. I love the size - it easily holds my wallet, phone and a couple of diapers. And only $4.99?! Go get yours right now!

The only problem - it was kind of plain. And I couldn't decide how to spruce it up. Star stickers? Black lace? Cute red bow? Maybe use duct tape again?


Red was definitely the way to go. I kind of have a thing for red accessories.

It's too bad I don't have a good story about an insanely expensive purse that I was trying to knock off. Because that would be way cooler than telling you I was inspired by a tablecloth.

Red cord curtain tiebacks are magically the perfect length. I also finally broke down and bought an X-Acto knife (which would have come in really handy here, let me tell you). Now I have a decently stocked craft drawer!


If you'd like to make your own jingle bell + tassel clutch, you'll need:

• Gray felt clutch found at Hobby Lobby. ($4.99) If you're an industrious type, you could probably easily sew your own.
• 3-4 jingle bells. ($1.99 for 8 but I think all Christmas stuff was 40% off)
• Red curtain tieback with tassel. ($2.99)
• X-Acto knife
• Glue

Step 1: On the inside of the clutch flap, mark where you will cut the slits to weave the cord.

 
Step 2: The guide above shows how I spaced the cuts. You will make a total of 6 small slits. The 2 inch width is where the cord is on the outside (i.e., visible). Continue the pattern till you reach the other side of the clutch. You'll end up 1/2 inch from the other outside edge as well.

Step 3: Cut your first slit at the 1/2 inch mark. Pull the cord through from the front, stopping when you hit the tassels.

 
Step 4: Continue cutting the slits about a 1/2 inch wide. Weave the cord through.


Can you see all of my pen marks? It took me FOREVER to figure out the spacing. Maybe next time I'll try using a pencil.

 
Step 5: You can glue any excess cord on the underside of the flap if you want. I didn't bother. I just tucked it in.

Step 6: Tie on the jingle bells. I added 2 to each tassel. Dab a bit of glue on the knot. When it's dry you can snip off the tassel string ends.


This is actually how it looks with my wallet, phone & diapers in there. Love!


The sound of jingle bells is totally putting me in the Christmas spirit. Is it too early to start listening to Christmas songs?

Giveaway! $50 To Oh Yum Etsy Shop

Kathy has the most perfectly named Etsy shop because literally every item will make you say, Oh Yum!

Gourmet marshmallows in yummy flavors like Bavarian Cream, Chocolate Mocha, and Egg Nog. And a Marshmallow of the Month Club? Genius.


And the soaps, body butters and lip balms look good enough to eat. There's even a soap in my favorite ice cream flavor: Mint Chocolate Chip.


Since you are now craving a marshmallow, you're in luck. Kathy is giving one lucky reader a $50 credit to her Etsy shop, Oh Yum.

Thank you, Oh Yum!!!

In order to win you must:

Visit Oh Yum and tell me your favorite flavor

Follow Henry Happened via GFC (publicly please) or RSS

You can also get extra entries if you:

• Follow Oh Yum on Facebook
• Follow Henry Happened on Facebook
• Follow HH on Twitter
• Follow HH on Bloglovin'
• Blog, post on your Facebook page or tweet about this giveaway. Tag your tweet with @henryhappened so I can track it

Example tweet: I just entered the $50 Oh Yum giveaway at @henryhappened http://wp.me/p1BF9z-uC

Giveaway ends Monday, October 3 at 11:59PM and the winner will be announced on Facebook. Good luck!

Question | Do You Wear White After Labor Day?

This is one of those rules that everyone says is meant to be broken but I still follow just the same. Know what I mean? As soon as we hit Labor Day I packed away my white jeans.

Taylor braved a white ensemble for NY Fashion Week. Post Labor Day. The original Glitter Girl has amazing style so maybe it's time to reconsider?




5 ways I might wear white:

1. Diamonds. Hello, always a "do." Even fake ones!

2. White furry vest. Plus this is a great fall wardrobe transition piece.

3. Oxford shoes that give a touch of menswear. I'm also a fan of these boots.

4. Lace. So pretty and so easy to cozy this up with a soft sweater.

5. White bag. White seems like an easy transition color. Trade in your straw totes for this before going for a winter bag.

Exploding Flowers

I spotted this Exploded Flowers series here awhile back and loved them. Yes, these are real flowers that artist Qi Wei took apart bit by tiny bit before photographing. The precision and detail is incredible.

Then I stumbled on this series of exploding flowers from artist Ori Gersht. Inspired by lush 19th century still lifes, Gersht shot each bouquet as they were ignited by explosives.



Which do you like better? Order or chaos?

On Sisters | Dakota + Elle

I was so taken with Dakota and Elle at the Rodarte show last week. Don't you think they are gorgeous? And it makes me so happy seeing sisters who are obviously such good friends.

I mean, what a dream to get dressed up in fancy (if a little odd) clothes and attend a fashion show together. Because isn't pretty much everything better when you get to do it with your sister?

Lately I'm missing my sister, my best friend. Our wacky text message conversations always make me laugh but I'm ready for an afternoon of escaping to a bad romantic comedy. We might not have fashion shows, but nothing is better than an afternoon at the movies sharing Twizzlers and nachos.

Photos: top, middle, bottom