Paper Halloween

<p>Hey hey! Hope you are having a great week! I’m dragging today – between a late night car break down and a cold that came on super fast last night, I’m in a bit of a fog today. I apologize for any misspellings in this post ahead of time. :)</p> <p>When it comes to Halloween decorating, I’m all about quick, easy and stuff that doesn’t take up valuable storage space. We put up most of our Halloween decor outside, and I don’t do a ton inside just because I always go through the fall/Halloween dilemma. Put up fall, take it down, do Halloween, put it back up after? Or put up fall, add some Halloween in here and there? The older I get the more I go for the latter. ;) Over the past few years I’ve come up with a solution that meets all of those criteria – the easy to store and cheap part especially. I love experimenting with different ways to use them too. </p> <p>I’ve shown you a few of these ideas before – one of my favorites is using our lamp shades. What looks like this during the day:</p> <p><img alt="wooden box fall decor" border="0" height="611" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgshpNWpPPp86U8rN7gquTYwd3_X07kk7lrIrcR-gBB7sK64JH7TfAYVitknxpaPjTIkC3vN8mrbcHppZkZlzeMo1HPnZrkhGRpEZ5h1mgmO5a2NapPz8zOWLtm_tY9d7pCXqvMMhRk8/?imgmax=800" title="wooden box fall decor" width="400" /></p> <p>Has a little surprise at night: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP2W7Byz_RmPrf2EN0nVPqX4KB0WY6LkqMa_yDWjsSJMUEo-0jYVUrh-akUtOxUK2IQ75uTkZOnSW2gJWzbn0JAHetvKycF_BzLh8xrpn9rZzr7pFb6Hl3bJZjtTaqZInNQ6cP7OcrgbU/s1600-h/IMG_3366%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img alt="Halloween paper cut outs on lamp shade" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzvIdwp5ml_nSA6_6P3RTA9SYWuMLDGSlh8CSHjQ0egkmvM0b2C3TKdh7U29AMi5mRc2NJzMqBSX5RXZgb-1_5XAp_BMVbm_pHd6wLFPT5txMrPXoUv6Y3zy5yDx2RZPem6W2Tod1XOBo/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="Halloween paper cut outs on lamp shade" width="327" /></a></p> <p>I just cut out the shapes years ago with my vinyl cutter – they have kept fine over the years. (I use a little bit of spray adhesive or just tape to put them on the inside of the shade.)</p> <p>On most of our lamp shades you can’t see them unless you turn on the light, but some are lighter so you see them during the day too. I just think it’s such a fun little Halloween surprise: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2HDJDmFWw4UO-Fxp8xbBmjSoE7ZDyfay-axuLncJHVdhS9mnuZriplwAyLkSe8wUUw_EVOLqCOxn3tYuW_kVwhejeigmShjEGZ9xVzJ-4iyJbyhojKO_Y3-7RiQOsBO4h1YiKUSO6f8/s1600-h/IMG_3372%25255B27%25255D.jpg"><img alt="Halloween paper cut outs on lamp shade" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1i7AhYmtaZiTbHNDiNtaRQVng21kqIPR61lAFYr0n9hfZ-zHbzPKBzq12rI4BlB6-xWwQjxH4eig9VRs-wTtCDN_z25ny8Ag0cdq5Dmz9WtY8KV39QsgZx2pQmxvf_t_BzbL11XJAvEM/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="Halloween paper cut outs on lamp shade" width="320" /></a></p> <p>Of course our infamous Martha Stewart mice usually go on the stairs: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPngYS0CbHbjEAkY7UILPADiYm1L1MqAo8e_6d6cpxp2vcepFansys2DgbAOCLEwmnXFxeY97_-Ic7M45BNqSAjq5u1eXclnJFKaC77ER4e3e_RXXKh9SW4k4S-ayVGMOoOe3mS35Lbs/s1600-h/IMG_0568_thumb%25255B1%25255D%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img alt="mice cut outs on stairs" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRqAMQ79HDwDKjMDNSp00vC5mTR7mA9KENPetmtuGwIZfzxMBfE5hDmH7y7lEX28VTsEetJCiYLnoo5f2Rz_JphN4I6MN6cbaJtEIyIndLHuSAbmDI1Zxzo_cbVbCkGk8wvk1jBndRJs/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="mice cut outs on stairs" width="320" /></a></p> <p>We put them up this year too, but when I finished this next project I realized it was a bit much, so I took some down. I have a new spot in mind, we’ll see if I have time to pull that off before Halloween. ;)</p> <p>Last year I showed you how I added a gaggle of <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2011/10/halloween-up-in-here.html">bats on the wall</a>:</p> <p><img alt="paper bats on wall " border="0" height="675" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeO2Tso07LS7pSEwWM0n2EwCyNoBYhWgdlXdkC6e1HRRB70gpjBB2i_kT2jroTlw-MlaL9VjgZYOh8xqLAm4TFOpa7YlFYEg_a9l8hW-kK9f484GYO5Cypzjcdaw4PD2CG1UWMqoQoFBs/?imgmax=800" title="paper bats on wall " width="450" /></p> <p>Is it a group of bats a gaggle? Who knows. Sure. I’m tired people. ;)</p> <p>Well, back then our walls were that <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2012/07/pink-walls-begone.html">pinkish hue</a> and the paint was a flat sheen – so when I took down all of those bats the sticky stuff I used to hang them left a billion little dots on the wall. Niiiiiice. </p> <p>The walls are eggshell now, so we probably won’t have that problem again, but I wasn’t taking any chances. This time I added them to the old windows I have hanging near the staircase instead and I LOVE how they look! </p> <p>I just used that sticky gummy stuff again to put them right on the windows:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EuWc902rC5Naug03oOn7iQP4BmixDbhzEvsvZYSTq1h083SMRblR_WLVcHEj-iiQDnJxxoTigxcmZHdYjUmRZ2C6xUTiRuzwH0VksA4r9dVng5SB3VUFUzZwfpnCS62YQgDYewsmK6c/s1600-h/IMG_3379%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img alt="paper bats on wall Halloween" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9cjrkO6XsAFzEbojKn_165geWQkR1LnCEzbcKRRq89IE7WcvzMnjDPEPpf5ZD6HeZgYfosh-e507hu6wDS-8nyWtiPxSJuUtsDaSWKYrZon7LzZBfTSm4m_ijOk3M2Jxtl6aTr8W_Jso/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="paper bats on wall Halloween" width="320" /></a></p> <p>I bent up their wings to give them some dimension:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMYSGYhXgUyM6G472iZSv8oh5vLyMh54-5dYv0Il77If_PEaNXztpRVqIGI2CJGLGvCH9WxOUWYoK-Dug2i9sq7lRJBqYFxWwbf5lOAYYj4-n5LLXVtMQkw6gQ2FIAjNnQ0l-aFM6Yb2A/s1600-h/IMG_3387%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="paper bats on wall Halloween" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzbWrnQhyphenhyphenmAeQq4JHAMbWVwGvP58SFzT2IZl0DXHdhwbhyphenhyphenTQ1jhud09oP2PcxgW8QnG0vsf-lfnrNKvFILicdv8RQVZXB-_k3Huu1n-gN5lQckN8mqrbrGXUWE7UrdMG7OH4Xkr3AzI0/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="paper bats on wall Halloween" width="320" /></a></p> <p>Last year I added some eyes to a few of them:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlx-2T-SQBvxm3wDy05ve96uQR3hs_ZCSOAOknDT5q4_pOdcfaiKMQaAoeQGSrsex73zZcnG81yzsqGB1rarASgdGXcs5iYwU_Tra3nsVdT8agnaeCfOilWPQABLgcKdn3xeJmdM9H1Bo/s1600-h/IMG_3385%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img alt="paper bats on wall Halloween" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFynmKuRENSWL_4O9auofo9FGTNJBlEI8BTZYm8qQpNFku43Z8YeKgx6xaGbBER7-qYrkSIA5rNZrpfXZ3WE8Y1ErWKBrIm410shnn2wTCLJFar2cF7H-NDdSulaBNvc9ifiEqXzUVQU/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="paper bats on wall Halloween" width="320" /></a></p> <p>So fun! </p> <p>They make a impact but didn’t cost much – well really anything:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgklqzbFpwf5GhWWj-0ZOtD5VV50JiNty8ycJAoUiJjByo2vnaiqXeEZRc9gvYmCSgNx6TuvPpqV8Prr6uuycGSXluBPXxtPJXx8NV9V5wNgUeP4VvQ1DQC6ZI3sAXU98UveN14AbHy_-w/s1600-h/IMG_3375%25255B17%25255D.jpg"><img alt="paper bats on wall for Halloween" border="0" height="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg6zOKAr2qtUa9Fw0C8jBTxinj1pAYiz5jx2QBTuFMjb8Y4epGGXGConV3MFUiURUJF-Nq6j4f3s8Z4QgoXIiNJKdcrFaXAtVgECnTMQqOiWCk85nSX07Q6tbmdB6dtXzaExLnfPgCxv0/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="paper bats on wall for Halloween" width="512" /></a></p> <p>I wanted to add more but tried to show some restraint. </p> <p>I was planning on making some quick Halloweeny pillows for the settee but then the monster cold hit me last night and that wasn’t happening. Maybe I’ll get some whipped up this weekend. Or maybe I’ll just sleep. :)</p> <p>Our skeleton friend hangs out to greet our visitors:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQAwaLWCrpddrF9rwKvHIObT7VcHdE6Br77qT8sm9C27jxrFhggunvMNmD-lB3DaqcOfVlq3F6iroLB7wU-PvG5Hl5MR2ERa3LFRJotl-Dd1AWtzHryN21S3TlEkQOR7adxkggJsA_yVI/s1600-h/IMG_3394%25255B13%25255D.jpg"><img alt="sparkly skeleton" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkG3_rBoxKiQWzeys4sEsTJYyOHF0ulWtQ7ZVclrAoZg7h1kC_hy0qVPE_5VunjwouhaUgFY5vUPsjpAuNs-wRh5r7eXJ1Jj9ft1F_Z-sD223Xbkhi1XJdlX5hgIXnoYNtuVLIC6GHMv4/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="sparkly skeleton" width="320" /></a></p> <p>He’s just chillin’. Feet crossed. He should really close that mouth though. So rude. :)</p> <p>He doesn't show up great so I may spray him with some sparkly silver spray paint to brighten him up a bit.</p> <p>I love using paper for Halloween decorations – it’s cheap and takes up hardly any storage space – you can’t beat it! If you have a Silhouette or similar vinyl cutting machine it takes no time at all to create these. If you don’t, you can usually find them at craft stores and I found a TON of different options at the Dollar Tree last fall and this fall. </p> <p>There are also printable options online – I found a great resource <a href="http://painting.about.com/od/freestencils/a/stencil_hallown.htm">here</a> with a bunch of Halloween images you can print and cut out on your own. </p> <p>What’s your go-to Halloween decor? Does your family get into the really spooky stuff or does it stay cute and lighthearted?</p>

Paper Halloween

Hey hey! Hope you are having a great week! I’m dragging today – between a late night car break down and a cold that came on super fast last ...

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Library lights (finally!)

<p>So I mentioned <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2012/10/bookcase-love.html">last week</a> that I <strong>finally</strong> ended what was a four month long search for lighting for the dining room bookcases I am finishing up. </p> <p>Actually four months is conservative. I think it’s probably been more like eight. :) When I last blogged about the bookcases, this is where we were:</p> <p><img alt="DIY built ins with bases" border="0" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qLXXslkhXXut87YaYphhKlV3WpjdZgwnxKPj8W07rfa2CVrdYFhGJuEtOX9g2pw8nBibyw4JKTkp85UAY1fPIYQRm32y-dpP4idGDBULv5PzHWfvpoIhGhFB7jvPy2L4y1oF6vlevZE/?imgmax=800" title="DIY built ins with bases" width="380" /></p> <p>I said I was going to be finished with them in September. I was wrong. :)</p> <p>Now, I’m aiming for end of October. I think I’m gonna be able to do it. </p> <p>Anyway, see those spots at the top? Those are where the lights were supposed to go. The lights I. could. not. find. ANYWHERE. </p> <p>Until last week. ;)</p> <p>Now that I’ve gotten over the HUGE hump that was the lights, I’m SO ready to get this done! When we <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2012/03/dining-room-transformation.html">first started</a> this project (ohhh, back in March), I showed you the lights I had picked out for the tops of the bookcases:</p> <p><img alt="plug in spotlight" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4p5bJodBegJ9hho0LzUl7mlHDbnTzN_-CQFeQIiEEzI_aMnderltir3eT5jMHX62rLkoXJGyBvkhmHFQtnGNeT8na8ztj8LWr0Kz1Ndlnut9W2yvENFb3zHrR3Y95LrvOmuHv2UWpWQg/?imgmax=800" title="plug in spotlight" width="320" /></p> <p>They were little plug in spotlights that I was going to hardwire in. But they were dinky, and my whole goal with them was that they would be directional, so I could direct the light down over the built ins. These didn’t stick out enough to really be able to cast light over the shelves. </p> <p>So, I moved on to my next idea. Hardwiring a picture light, like this: </p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzp_ajSgWXcwdBLTB0BZUN0GjqkCafGOHvsdtD1CGfZtNwsl8LyDmvXcGKU8xkuNeH8Wd9iz7j90432djQPA0F6LUsohgEmHf-n3fA8cT8U8bVTz8MHUY_Mw1Sj0jDVNRtdXLmnth9Ck/s1600-h/09794.fpx%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="plug in art light" border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBZkxX3TGRIhLZoc1ZGB8P2psqIcYGRDmQ6uhnGZQvUXWQ_uEm_7tVyq85XxUwiFUlSzwNNJDSDOiMIQS7E_C92_xvoN_jONXxFXaXpJ4-bOyjd1_mnD7AMr8o9A3en-QpJdG18Uv06A/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="plug in art light" width="300" /></a></p> <p>This one is from Lamps Plus, for like $70. You can find the exact same thing at Lowe’s for about $30. (I showed you how I used one of them <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2010/02/science-fair.html">here</a>.)</p> <p>Anyhoo, Dad and I were standing at Lowe’s one day, about to put four in the cart, when he noticed something – the arch at the top of the light wasn’t going to work. We put in a header at the top of the built ins, but it was only eight inches tall. These wouldn’t work because they were too tall. </p> <p>Bummer dude. <em>Seriously.</em> </p> <p>So that was forever ago, and since then I’ve looked online <em>everywhere</em>. This was perfect: </p> <p> </p> <p align="center"><img alt="SINGLE LIBRARY WALL LAMP" src="http://www.circalighting.com/product_medium/m_S2601HABrevised.jpg" /><a href="http://www.circalighting.com/details.aspx?pid=2632" title="http://www.circalighting.com/details.aspx?pid=2632">(source)</a></p> <p>Again, a plug in I believe, but they are easily hardwired. </p> <p>But this one was more than $200. Each. I needed four. Not happening. </p> <p>This one too…gorgeous:<img alt="LIBRARY WALL LIGHT" src="http://www.circalighting.com/product_medium/m_SL2922HAB.jpg" title="LIBRARY WALL LIGHT" /></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://www.circalighting.com/details.aspx?pid=648" title="http://www.circalighting.com/details.aspx?pid=648">(source)</a></p> <p>About $250 I think? Choke. </p> <p>I loved the long arms on this, and I knew I could pull it out away from the wall so it would work with my clearance issue: </p> <p><img alt="swing arm library light" src="http://www.circalighting.com/product_medium/m_sl2923bz.jpg" title="swing arm library light" /></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://www.circalighting.com/category.aspx?cid=14" title="http://www.circalighting.com/category.aspx?cid=14">(source)</a></p> <p>But again…more than $300. </p> <p>It was getting frustrating. I looked at sign lights (too big and expensive), I looked at lamps I could hardwire (way too big). </p> <p>I considered something like this from IKEA:</p> <p><img alt="ikea wall light" border="0" src="http://www.ikea.com/PIAimages/0114555_PE267084_S3.JPG" title="ikea wall light" /></p> <p>Only $20! But it was too small, the wrong color and four hours of driving to get it. :)</p> <p>I was starting to feel like Goldilocks. ;)</p> <p>Lamps Plus had this:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxg3qUUcCvyMxx2VeVeKW8MSlS4gxHJGjQPC6hzA-yziYMRxla-fvYa5p9o_FG_qHhC0JKp_c8yeRyCU2SPX2GlgQ6rrZrRs7he9bR9bjRc0qqbG4KsD8EGvEKvsdym3d-WDnfMyqEVk/s1600-h/P1302.fpx%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGqV6eeCe3zUyrzfFdPqqXqk-U9lQ_pMs2m69ecHQSwXUS0oifdm1yjyHGrhTJBkm7RuzuHZ1bjLqTaEVkBo63YPHAeXfVGf4PNHkgsVWw1DOgD8c6u1gjn59Mct6ABbFwOP_VGUJZss/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="300" /></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://www.lampsplus.com/products/kenroy-frye-pharmacy-bronze-plug-in-swing-arm-wall-lamp__p1302.html" title="http://www.lampsplus.com/products/kenroy-frye-pharmacy-bronze-plug-in-swing-arm-wall-lamp__p1302.html">(source)</a> </p> <p>But the light part didn’t move. So when it was installed it would just shine light down to the floor. Not the look I was going for. They had another version I found over labor day that was $95, and I was thisclose to ordering them, but I held off cause I still didn’t want to pay that much. </p> <p>Of course a few weeks later when I was so frustrated I was considering it, those were gone. :)</p> <p>So the other day I had had it. I tried one more place -- a local lighting store and they carried exactly what I wanted. For $170. And a six week wait. </p> <p>I was totally defeated. But I was determined to find something <em>that day</em>. I had already looked everywhere fifteen times, but something took me to Home Depot (again). I had a feeling I’d find something. (I really did…I have a weird sense about these things.)</p> <p>This time, I had a different idea. I’d look at the outdoor lights too. </p> <p>And wouldn’t you know it. I found the one:</p> <p><img alt="home depot bronze outdoor light" src="http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/300/ce/cec73f4e-8406-4e42-b5e2-08f027ee9b96_300.jpg" title="home depot bronze outdoor light" /></p> <p>They had two sizes, and I went with the bigger one. It’s a dark copper/bronze, which is what I wanted. The clearance was good for the ceiling, and it was the perfect size – not too big, not too little. The bracket was the perfect size for the header. The light didn’t tilt like I wanted, but that was an easy fix – I just bent them ever so slightly myself. :)</p> <p>You can see this one online <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=202047242&storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&MERCH=REC-_-product-2-_-202047238-_-202047242-_-N#.UIayNFEpUg9">here</a>, but the funny thing is that it’s listed for $90 online – they were only $35 in the store! So I got all four lights for $140 – basically $100 less than ONE of the fancy ones would have cost me. </p> <p>I was thrilled but didn’t want to get too excited till I got one up to see how I liked it. </p> <p>I LOVED IT:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfSsZIoTc1E7DdAm4jnC45XH38TTQrCflkUNCOhzw6wlEY49sUsB-ddEXfw_dFixS9e1w1IpxhDocuiVmrYdFZ_fXVypQdhjpbw_2FeyeBMaxi1o_MHvA5AbcarSyURjeX4a4TgIUhuw/s1600-h/IMG_3351%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="outdoor light fixture inside" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2rjJ2FhitY7LsqOFgpfoKkrQumzq7_-oKczJTPvA9rBWelUcRMFHlBL6GLQSDjfJfAI-GatohCvwBD9n71al6dtu4inJDH5BoUsRr2PIfRDFICG9N43_zaMA4kKKdMpfzX-q6YeQHpM/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="outdoor light fixture inside" width="450" /></a></p> <p>They don’t stick out as far as I had originally wanted, but I realize now that may have bugged me to have them eight to 12 inches out from the wall. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8g_03Io9qGd_qmvY6byW08Hrvo9Mbf-TYzdsvUXXobwApEHlOixjXgnnq_FVGAkq0pqfiLA0Y4IuwJYkPksd8h0sG4DfvkzwT1_Bu3ZnrQ-TkzX3wxR92PIa3zA-ycX6-jyvBzs-PisI/s1600-h/IMG_3352%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="IMG_3352" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9xOKIcDotpjnZAQ_qMNJ5SldXnhhWnb5Bo8DVUL1UfxMAbpXrxD3_BNJyhJtQkAX14hkOo56t9kCzAautGmhA7u-sn6Ti08Ue_qeSrTPTNsBflolu5W7olwplOK5yQAPSZCQi6YPxX5o/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_3352" width="450" /></a></p> <p>Ignore the unfinished top. :) My plan is to add crown around the top and there is <em>just</em> enough room to get it up there. </p> <p>They were a breeze to install – I just screwed the wall bracket into the wall and then wired it up. Light fixtures are usually my nemesis but these went up so easy and fast. That <em>never</em> happens to me when it comes to lights.</p> <p>In the store they used the little round light bulbs instead of full-sized ones, and I loved that look. I don’t want to see the bulbs at all when you’re standing in the room:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinz7nQW71dViatWcCuSOJvGtE4fGZu4ouGGya4r0YDQsrVtSjwk4C07VJr_aEa29hRuGMIknW3uVP2EVSe3nEKg6mPod8WWESm_v9tQzOqc-aOIxQirPULfge-9oiB-zfcz0RKf96ol0/s1600-h/IMG_3365%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="bookcase light" border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0rYC-aDzf1GYvHTYYzj3rdt1s18yV3MsvCLwY9ftuzUXtQI3axmptiRRgfNvpY8wpTZAtl0Yisj5Gr_9VG-EB3FlTTOF9GWN3IdxQqXs6o6EMNKQ3iin0U5-ZxftWzbeYMxHqTyY8Zrs/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="bookcase light" width="400" /></a></p> <p>With the little tilt that I added, they shine down onto the shelves beautifully:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj80CaSkQnkKg3V4nKQDzU4z2lyU8indjKfk9qUVnZR06uklYdbbbozFPhyphenhyphenJhMpgwQjyl324l1gjExiYQnhb38DAvFlwuH4UdVo2iy1T5OFQ3x7hxZSwKUNKZp9w6BoL8ueo4mcXkVwXOs/s1600-h/IMG_3360%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="outdoor lights turned bookcase lights" border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_oZzZ_4-O3PsLhk5NjIETlOtoFAXqbqajtXQRYxbyz8yjyxrUWUWMDJm-_wdI5N8-pRCt0mdBODMR6Ou7TsBzSdf3ENahrYFhWXqN4Rzk90TyzQ2dfHq5XiPYcwxO_L3GTYSuKPUlaV8/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="outdoor lights turned bookcase lights" width="400" /></a></p> <p>Love them!! I couldn’t BELIEVE after all this time I found them at that price, and in the outdoor section of all places! </p> <p>Of course this is just a peek – the painting and some trim isn’t done. The accessorizing and arranging isn’t done either. But I am thrilled with the lights – they are just what I imagined in my head when I started dreaming this up almost a year ago!: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgpbYdrbPhGqiknrtkkmOwhxx5aGQHAcWtbYGmAiWnxUQsOPThUHAvTQf0cK075xnh0tvxdtNFBFwSFjBlOknzoGA71KKfN8-nXf4evLpHaMhuNS_7K13bYAwWCOI_dRtyaR2mHbjf4Ik/s1600-h/IMG_3364%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="inexpensive library lights" border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyTtt94woCHCQ8u-vkiNJkAiQ40S9QxlWIfVpYw4cwbaHDcDYZipgO-sqBOZPL1mZ7gu3kDcXHfbiyqpU5lIE06MHRzH9Nu_rbfpJRgFCWrskLudZHO7xkmWnPd0OtwGkVDIvjLaKJN4E/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="inexpensive library lights" width="550" /></a>I cannot tell you how great it is to have these up!! I added a dimmer, of course, so they are on all day long lately. And today was perfect for pictures because it’s a dark and stormy one. ;)</p> <p>Of course my gauge on projects is always the Bub and the hubby – their reactions tell me a lot. My husband loves them and I got an actual “Ohhhh and ahhh” from the kiddo, so I always take that as a good sign. </p> <p>Thanks for being patient with me on this bookcase project – they have been a labor of love but I had NO idea they would take this much time. I hope to have a full reveal for you soon! </p> <p>Hooooolla! </p>

Library lights (finally!)

So I mentioned last week that I finally ended what was a four month long search for lighting for the dining room bookcases I am finishing ...

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Mummy door!

<p>Hey there! How are you and how was your weekend? Ours was jam packed full of fall goodness – it was great!! </p> <p>The Bub and I got some more Halloween decorating done on Saturday, including this project I’m sharing today. It’s a super simple one that almost turned into a fail…but I’ve come around and I think I love it even more now! </p> <p>It all started with Pinterest. Are you surprised? I saw <a href="http://honeyandfitz.blogspot.com/2011/10/diy-halloween-front-door-mummy.html#axzz1c2MGVvjY">this</a> mummy door idea weeks ago and knew I wanted to try it out. We put our own little spin on it and it turned out so cute! </p> <p>I just took some white crepe paper from the dollar store (they came two to a pack and I ended up using two packs) and just took strips of it to wrap around the front door.</p> <p>I taped it on the sides of the door and it was time consuming but easy. The hardest part of the whole thing was trying to keep all three animals from escaping while I had the door open. They think they are sneaky like ninjas but I caught them every time…but it did make this project take longer than it would for you I’m sure. ;)</p> <p>Anyway, I forgot to take pictures of this part because I was so focused on the escapees but it’s pretty self explanatory. After the door was wrapped I knew I wanted to make a cute face for our mummy, so I grabbed some poster boards to make the eyes and a mouth:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-I-hNxmme-vM/UIVZQmJ3mXI/AAAAAAAAX3g/fUIC0edySiA/s1600-h/IMG_3335%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_FRpOjdOLiT8qu-yWl85Rz0dwSpTLZUT4312LyzyespkQ0rLu3n2DPyLeoi3G4Jo5N6PyM8ZNi4pqmZvwdcpmhg3NQWX6AnkRhP0SsgeQQcmAfZ4E2qKZykFCPaCtMfuIE5OoeqYNsw/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="320" /></a></p> <p>I traced our Whirley Pop for the eyes and just hand drew a cute, wonky smile free hand. </p> <p>We left for the day after we finished and for some reason I had this urge to take a picture of it – not sure why, I just thought to myself “just in case”: </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-1nNct93Ubek/UIVZRmszMJI/AAAAAAAAX3w/luc5fORowgw/s1600-h/photo%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img alt="crepe paper mummy door" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSARZx9FcIdXRkFsG6wWQPglQD3e4fCVepFb-pBktLR7J9TQkpfIbELA5-9s7Q-Inzv8Dqr90DCNdk71KDl3E4voz4eTQ6C6nPyRcWk6PdLLwJBRu0bTEDoXyX7R6-KrXc1PFRSrbeUQ/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="crepe paper mummy door" width="360" /></a></p> <p>I zoomed in on him as we drove off and I’m glad I got a before shot. ;)</p> <p>I haven’t even done my normal corn stalks and mums on the porch like usual yet – my sis’s wedding has kind of taken over this fall. Now I don’t know if I’ll do them or skip right over to the Christmas garland. ;)</p> <p>Anyway, SO CUTE right?? </p> <p><em>So cute. </em></p> <p>I loved the mummy door. Well, we came home that night and I about cried. The crepe paper had loosened up with the night air and drooped like crazy:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-S06VBvd_Buw/UIVZShdwkNI/AAAAAAAAX4A/N5ScD2UbWFU/s1600-h/IMG_3338%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img alt="crepe paper mummy door" border="0" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIwVIK6i-v4OrV5d8or9rmGPG5AM1rX4jGMVotPU41ivbh-3oCIme0-0v1BOH1j8SiiIX9aqApuZVsguhjj9wY6z251GLn7LH8hjQFNbk5NzdxHZUqe9vinLw6uDlEcRaJxBwohM0aGfU/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="crepe paper mummy door" width="360" /></a></p> <p>I was SO upset! But the longer I looked, the more I realized he still looked cute. And the longer we keep him up the more I love him. Even hubs said he likes the droopy mummy better cause he looks more like a real mummy. ;)</p> <p>The bottom strands kind of catch under the door now, but I think it will be OK till Halloween. I was <em>thisclose</em> to just putting him up on an interior door, but at the last minute decided to go with the front door: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnC0d9cseLMmjsTAyHUE2A73S6JjqK297AsyE32I3pAgCV7AyqPDR5XNHJ_4-X6E9HHdwjs7ERWeggPsWYZ3nXY71aZhpwnP2H165yiGzrdEIa0eF-Pb8EMVdWwo1zXYTVNz7qdJRgj6w/s1600-h/IMG_3341%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><font color="#4c4c4c"></font><img alt="mummy door for halloween" border="0" height="621" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_QNGJw73hCcu0sZLgkASbeaar6lydoCHqOkePe6fvpgjIitUx9vSLKZSKcYmK5CjULS7rHvnQfrxkwomXUn3Oeqk8rsVxxg7_M_i_9fRm1jP6iNnfa3kgx2RKViN0CJcs4YnWZC0TBJ4/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="mummy door for halloween" width="400" /></a>Yes, we need to rake. :)    </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>In the end I’m glad I did. Even though he’s droopy mummy now. :) Of course if your front door is exposed to the elements you’ll want to do this inside. Ours does not, it was just the wetter nighttime air that made the crepe paper loosen up. </p> <p>What I thought was a fail is definitely growing on me. :) It took about an hour to put up and cost two bucks for the two packages of crepe paper. If you want to splurge on wider paper I think that would cut down on the time factor quite a bit. While I was doing it I was wishing my crepe was about double the width. I may try that next year. :)</p> <p>We worked on a couple other Halloween projects this weekend too, I’ll share those soon! Have you decorated yet? We’re later than usual this year!</p>

Mummy door!

Hey there! How are you and how was your weekend? Ours was jam packed full of fall goodness – it was great!! The Bub and I got some more Ha...

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