Friday the 13th Inspired Table Decor

Hey everyone! Today is my Birthday and to celebrate I created a "Friday the 13th" inspired table setting. Personally I view the 13th as a lucky day ;) but traditionally it has been viewed as a very unlucky number. I used this as an excuse to explore my love of Gothic decor. When I was planning this shoot I immediately thought of the old tree stumps at Rattlesnake Lake they remind me of Tim Burton trees and I knew they would make the perfect makeshift table. Apparently Rattlesnake Lake used to be a small town called Moncton the town flooded and is no longer there all that is left is the lake and creepy logged trees. I just kept imagining how cool a wedding would be out there by the water (if it weren't so muddy!) using all of the stumps for tables. When I was deciding on a theme for this shoot I was excited to discover that my birthday was on it's original Friday the 13th date and if you are planning a similar event here is a list of the next freaky Fridays to come. Also, I found so many awesome craft items at the Spirit Store and since Halloween is over everything is 60% off. I hope you enjoy this post, I really enjoyed designing it and I think there will be a lot more table decor and event design posts in the near future.
 

Gothic Bouquet DIY

Ihave these ideas every so often that haunt me until I make them a reality and lately that has been throwing together a table decor post. When I was thinking of a theme it really was a no brain-er to do something centered around my birthday which is on it's original date this year Friday the 13th. I decided I really wanted a large centerpiece but did not want to spend a lot on flowers so I made most of the arrangement with things I already had. Follow the directions below to create a moody-Gothic bouquet or add your own spin on the arrangement.

Ingredients

• Terrarium
• Fake green moss
• Red apples
• Gold skulls (bought from Spirit Halloween and spray painted) 
• Fake spider webs/natural color (also bought from Spirit Halloween everything is 60% off!)
• Branches (Indigenous to the area of the photo shoot to look more natural)
• Large deep red flowers

When making your arrangement make sure you wash your terrarium so it is easy to see inside. Place the moss in the bottom and then press some of the skulls and apples into the moss where they can be seen through the glass. Then take branches and crisscross them throughout the bowl making sure they are evenly distributed. Once you have done that strategically place your red flowers in the bouquet. Once you have your arrangement looking the way you want it take the remaining skulls and sprinkle them over the top even place them inside the red flowers. And there you go! I think this would even look amazing for an off beat bridal bouquet as well.

***Full Gothic Table Setting post will be on the blog Friday, November 13th!***

Savory Fall Stew Recipe

Shopping List

• 1lb to 1.5lb of round steak for stew
• 3 big carrots
• 2 russet potatoes
• 1 cup of petite peas
• 8oz of hunts tomato sauce
• Lawry salt
• Onion salt
• Chopped onion

Pick out a good size pot (you will be making everything in one pot) Put the round steak in the pot and season with Lawry salt and chopped onion to your own digression. Brown the meat and continue turning until it is all browned. Add the tomato sauce and a cup of steamed water and continue to cook and stir for 20 minutes. Add additional water if needed. Cover and continue to cook on a medium heat for at least two hours, check to see if you need to add water.When the meat becomes tender after several hours 2-3, peel the carrots and cut them into small chunks. Let the carrots cook for about 10 minutes in the sauce until tender. Add the russet potato cubed, let cook for 15-20 minutes. Add half a cup of petite peas and then simmer until ready to serve.

Autumnal Sweet Treats

mini pumpkin pies 

Hello, hello, I am sorry I haven't been on the blog as much... I am actually working on a ton of new projects so that I can be more consistent with my blog schedule. I am hoping in the near future to be posting every Monday and Wednesday so stay tuned for that. Life has been crazy lately... I have been interning for the last 6 months at Moorea Seal and that recently lead to a job which I am super excited about! I visited San Francisco for the Blogcademy a few weeks ago which was SO worth it and I am currently looking for a new place to live/ "maybe" entertaining the idea of starting the house buying process... we shall see ;) All that being said I have been BUSY. So to slow things down a bit and get in the mood for the holiday season which is right around the corner here are a few of my favorite fall treat posts. Follow the link below the images for the full post and recipes.

testing, testing... mini pies

pumpkin spice biscotti

no bake cookies

San Francisco Blogcademy: A blogger must!

Paul and I flew down to San Francisco last weekend and I attended the Blogcademy for the first time. It was so much fun! and I learned so much. It was a two day workshop 10:00am-5:00pm both days with a lunch break and time to talk to other bloggers. I really feel like the workshop was well worth the travel and investment for the following reasons...

Networking opportunities -There were about 20 other bloggers in the class everyone with a different background, story, and blog focus. It was great to hear everyone's experiences and questions. It also made me realize that although my Pacific Northwest Style seems mainstream to me living here in Seattle it is very different from a lot of other bloggers. It gave me hope that I am not being sucked into an inauthentic vacuum.

Industry tips and tricks - I don't want to give anything away but I was really appreciative of how the headmistresses shared blogging advice in detail with us, coding, blogging audit advice, finances, and ever social media tips. That is only a dent in the mass amount of info that we received in the two day course and it really helped me to realize that there are so many resources out there to expand my blog.

Different perspectives on blogging - The class is taught by three very different headmistresses, Gala Darling, Shauna Haider, and Kat William each had their own experiences with very different perspectives yet are wildly successful I found it very refreshing that the class was taught to focus on what works for me while infusing suggestions of new techniques. 

MOTIVATION - Over this last summer I lost motivation to blog and fell into a negative patch in my life and this convention was a great motivator to get started again. I think I realized throughout the class that I actually have a story to tell, and I really do love blogging as a creative outlet. 

In closing I would absolutely recommend the Blogcademy for any blogger in any stage of their creative experience it was extremely insightful and motivating! 

Modcloth Fit Shop: Visiting San Francisco

One of my favorite shops of all time is ModCloth. Which is no surprise, I love that they update their website every. single. day. (10:00am Pacific Time) with new seasonal clothes everyone with a cute name and description. I love that they have so many reviews on each product which helps me to know what size and fit is best for me. There customer service is freaking amazing! Someone always gets back to me immediatly and my shipping has been upgraded a number of times. They are AWSOME! end of positive rant lol ;) Paul and I were in San Francisco this last weekend I was attending the Blogcademy and he had a meeting at Skywalker Sound... (proud wife bragging) Since I new I was going to be in San Francisco I wanted to check out ModCloths first FitShop. I was so disappointed when I saw that they intended on closing September 7th but was super excited when they decided to extend their stay until after the holidays!... if you are in the area you HAVE to go check it out. I made an appointment and was able to try on one of the dresses >>> The Guilded Grace Dress in champagne >>> I constantly drool over it was so fun and now I know how it fits. I am thinking of this dress for Christmas, actually, with some red accents.

We had an absolute blast in San Francisco! and although we are SO tired from all the things we packed into 3 days it was well worth it. Stay tuned for more posts from our trip. 

DIY Toolbox Planter

 

A few weeks ago Paul and I went antiquing in Seattle. I came across a plain, empty wood toolbox for $15.00 so I decided to purchase it for a craft project. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it other than I knew I wanted to use chalk paint. Currently it is the center piece for our picnic dinner table (not pictured) which was an Annie Sloan project I did last fall. I put a few succulent plants in it and decided the chalk lettering should be plant themed "Flourish" seemed like a good idea since it's a planter. The chalk spray paint I purchased at Micheals it is wonderful. My nephew Colton (4 years old ;) helped me tape up the planter and then we just did three coats of black chalk paint spray. I love how it turned out! I have an old magazine rack I think I am going to tackle next. 

Antiquing for the Soul

 

One of my all time favorite things to do on the weekend is grab a cup of coffee and walk through antique shops. My favorite shop is in Seattle it is called the Pacific Gallery Antique Mall. I find myself wondering a little about the people who owned the items before they came to the shop - but more so about the future possibilities. Maybe it's because I usually see other young couples strolling through the shops as well talking about how they will re-purpose an item. I love that walking through a store of used, old, and worn items can cheer me up it is as if it gives hope for my own life. That no matter how dull things seem to be there is always hope and a new creative twist waiting in the near future to give life new purpose.

 

I really wanted to take this little gargoyle home it is supposedly rare because it is a linx. I loved it because Paul and I always refer to Kevin (my cat) as a "guard cat" or "guard lion" since we do not have a dog. Apparently this garden sculpture is 60 years old. As Paul and I left I saw another customer purchased it... so hopefully it gets a good home. I did find a cute little wooden toolbox which I will be re-purposing soon so stay tuned for a DIY post on that. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and if you have time can stroll through an antique shop or two.

Take a Leap then Power Through

Modcloth Style Gallery - Click to Shop!

body suit / American Apparel

sunglasses / Moorea Seal

sunglasses case / Moorea Seal

necklace / Moorea Seal

skirt / Windsor

shoes / Forever 21

L ife lately has been hellish I mean I'm fine, and I know I will survive. I have my family and my faith but let me tell you 2015 has been quite the adventure. Last week both Paul and I came down with a pretty nasty cold and Paul (a sound engineer) developed a horrendous ear infection. Just when I thought we were out of the woods I parked my car in a metro bus slot in Seattle by accident. The signs that were posted literally contradicted themselves saying 8:00am- 8:00pm M-F I could park there but from 3:00pm-7:00pm I could not. Anyways 5:00pm rolled around and I walked out to find an empty parking stall. Oh Seattle how I love you so. Life on the job front has gotten a little rocky/clouded which is all I will say about that. 

June is on the horizon and I know that things are going to get better but I have to put the effort in to actually create change and I will! One of the more exciting things that has happened to me recently is interning at the Moorea Seal Store in Seattle. I really love it there and can you blame me it is a gorgeous location full of creative and inspiring people. So that was one huge win for 2015. One thing I have learned this year is that most of the things I want out of life require a leap of faith. I know what I want out of life, and I have a foggy idea of how to get there so hopefully by staying motivated, determined, and keeping the faith I will beat these trying times and make progress towards my goals... One just so happens to be moving to a house rather than an apartment so stay tuned for more updates on that. 

For all of you out there who are having a rough year, your not alone! Stay strong and keep focused.