Halloween on the Brain!

I know, I know what you are all thinking! That its just too early to start decorating for my favorite time of year, but its all I can think about! The stores around here are starting to put out all their decorations and since all my plants are either dying or have been dead for quite some time, I want to change all my summer decor for Witchy decor! Look what Curious Sofa did last year:


Now if anyone knows where I can get mannequin legs, because I so need to do this on my front porch, please let me know!

Look at some other cool things I found:


This is a little tempting to do in the Dining Room, I mean you can just paint afterwards, right? I think this one was in the Pottery Barn Catalog 2 years ago, but oh, it's still a great one!


How fantastic would this setting be for your next Halloween Party?


Well this isn't my bedroom but I do think I have a cobweb growing like that from the window trim down to my table. Well hey, I guess I started my decorating early after all!


I'm thinking I need to do this to the front porch. You can never have too many cobwebs around, well at least this time of year they are considered ok!


This is another fab idea for the front porch. Carving out your initials into the pumpkins or even your address would be a fun idea!


Well who doesn't like Martha Stewart's puff balls? She has them in every color you can imagine. I just love the idea of these hanging above your buffet table at a party!


Look how creepy fun this party would be to go to!


Now this would be a great project for the kiddos! Painting rocks black or orange and writing fun Halloween words on them. How great would this be in a glass jar, or a big bowl on the coffee table!


This is just one of the many displays seen at The Curious Sofa

Well I'm off to a 5th grade band meeting but I'm sure my mind will be on other things, you think?

And if you haven't stopped by to enter my wonderful giveaway, please head on over! Plus I made a change to how many times you can enter this giveaway, up to 5 chances to win!

Giveaway Update!

Happy Sunday everyone! I posted a Giveaway on Friday and I can't stop thinking about it! I want so many people to know about this fab artist that I am changing a few ways to enter!



This was what I wanted you to do to enter:

1. Become a follower of my blog 1funkywoman.blogspot.com or let me know you already do follow me!
(I better see your smiling face, lol)

2. Go to Allison Strine's shop and let me know what caught your eye!

Now I want you to do those things plus I'm giving you a few more chances to win:

3. Tweet about it

4. Post about this giveaway on your blog

5. Or post it on FB

Please leave separate entries for each!

Wow that's 5 possible ways to win!

So leave your comments here or go to my original giveaway post

Happy Entering!

How about a Giveaway?

Happy Friday everyone! I thought since its been a whole week since I turned 39 and nothing too crazy has happened. Oh wait a minute! I did happen to burn dinner but only once and dinner wasn't on the table until 7:45, which meant we still needed to do showers, which meant bedtime wasn't until 9:30 and somewhere between all that homework was done. But hey, I did manage to get the kids out the door for school and both of their practices on time, with just a minimal amount of screaming on my part. Whew, glad this weeks almost over! So with all that said, why not do a giveaway, celebrating my kids are still breathing this week, lol! I have to say, I am so excited about this one!

I'd like to introduce you to Allison Strine who owns
Allison Strine Designs on Etsy!
and her blog allisonstrineblog



This is what she has to say about herself ~

I’m a wife, a daughter, a sister and a mommy, and mostly I’m one of the luckiest people on the face of this earth. It’s a bit ironic, considering the fact that for the first 30-odd (and they were odd) years of my life all I wanted was to be someone else, anyone else. I never thought of myself as having a single creative bone; instead I delivered pizzas, worked with horses and later became a television editor.

If you’d told me five years ago that I’d become an artist, and create collages that actually speak volumes to people, and sell my work to lots of women all over the world, well… you better believe I would have thought you were crazy! I’m learning so much about myself during this phase of my life; chiefly that I really do have my own voice, and that lots of people feel the same way I do, and that that I’m not the only one to go the whole day without putting on a bra!

Maybe it was the last comment about going the whole day without putting on a bra that spoke volumes to me and I just had to know who this fabulous person was and ask her if we could be friends!

Ok, maybe I've scared her off and she thinks I'm a stalker, I'm really not Allison! Anyway I think she is so talented and witty that I'm having a hard time deciding what to order for myself!

She has wonderful 8 x 10 prints, soldered charm necklaces and magnets that will have you in stitches!

I can't decide between this:



or this:



What do you think?

Now on to the Giveaway:
Ok everyone, Allison is offering a $35.00 gift certificate to be used in her Etsy shop! Wow, that means you could pick a pendant or a print and a magnet! Can you believe it?

This is all you have to do:

1. Become a follower of my blog 1funkywoman.blogspot.com or let me know you already do follow me!
(I better see your smiling face, lol)

2. Go to her Etsy store and let me know what caught your eye!



I'm loving this one, see what I mean too many to choose from!

Giveaway will go until Friday September 3rd so good luck!

Have you heard of Sam Tsui, he is Amazing!

I haven't the foggiest how I found this guy but wow is he talented! I think he auditioned for Glee at one time. Well he has my vote! Please turn off my music at left before listening!







I hope he brings a smile to your face this morning, as much as he did for me!

Enjoy!

Nate Berkus is coming!

Now, a lot of you might already know this and it could be that I am so behind with all things "in" these days. I mean I walked around today with floods on and tennis shoes because of my ankle brace. But hey, at least I was laughing at myself, ok and talking to myself right in the middle of the store! Say it with me folks, CUCKOO! Anyway around here capri's and tennies are the standard Mom uniform, help I'm being sucked in! Oh God I hope not. I think I just wanted to go incognito today while running errands, but this dam brace can't fit into any other shoe but a tennis shoe! Talk about sticking out like a sore thumb. Ok, I'm sorry I digress!

Well, hang on to your seats ladies, drum roll please.......Nate Berkus is coming to prime time! Whoo Hoo! I'm so excited I'd do a cart wheel if I could, but I'm afraid I'd break something. I don't think there is much on t.v. that is worth watching these days, but I do believe this one is a must see!

Nate is also developing a website where people can contact him about their design dilemmas. How exciting will that be? Even if you don't want to post a question out of embarrassment, it's not like you have to put your picture on there or even your real name for that matter. I'm sure there will be someone who is gutsy enough to ask the same questions that are haunting you!

So stay tuned to your televisions on September 13th! Hey, that just happens to be my Dad's birthday. I guess that means the show will be a winner for sure, won't it?

Bippity Boppity Boutique!

Did you know that Disneyland has a boutique where little girls and boys can go and get themselves gussied up to look like a princess or a pirate? Well as they say, "when in Rome!" So, off we went to the salon!



As we walked over to the chair, the gals addressed Claire as "Princess". They asked things like, "Princess how old are you?" "Princess what do you like to do for fun", Princess what grade are you in? " Now I don't mean to be a party pooper, because it was probably just the heat getting to me, but I just couldn't take all the sweet annoying voices anymore. Disneyland is suppose to be the happiest place on earth but frankly there were moments that were a little nauseating! Come on, I'm already paying a fortune for this, so there is no need to butter me up, just get on with it! I really needed to not hear the word princess again! I think even Claire was like, my name is Claire! I decided I needed to do the talking and wanted to see what kind of dirt I could get from these ladies! Let's just say no such luck! Their lips were locked up tight, like Fort Knox! Any Disney secrets I hoped of getting, weren't ever going to pass their lips! Hey I had to try, I was inhaling too much fairy dust and I think it was making me the opposite of sweet! Claire really did enjoy herself and yes I managed to survive and get out for some much needed fresh air!


I thought she should just go out looking like this. She's my little Alfalfa!


And here getting the royal treatment!


Picking out lip gloss!


Magical Bippity Boppity Boo Fairy Dust sprinkled on her!


She was so nervous to turn around!


I think her smile says it all, don't you?




Look at her profile. How cute are those Mickey clips?


Not only did we do the hair and makeup, but yes we caved and got her a princess dress and shoes! We did tell her that this was what she would be for Halloween! I'll let you know if this is what she ends up being. Who wants to take bets she wants to be something else? After all it is still 2 months away!


No idea of what they are looking at, I just got a kick out of their expressions!


James and Claire couldn't get out of the Tarzan Tree house fast enough!


I guess this was why they ran, maybe they thought they were next!

Happy Monday everyone! And Happy 1st day of school for some and 1st full week of school for my kids!

La Dolfina is my new bestie!

You know how you meet someone and it feels like you've known them forever? Well this is how it felt when I met Therese
from La Dolfina! Some of you may know her already, but if you don't you must go over and check her out! You will fall in love instantly!

When my trip to California was coming up, I had mentioned to Terri that I would love for us to meet somewhere.
She jumped at the chance and we set up a time for my sister and I to drive to Alameda, California which is not too far from my sister's house!

My sister and I headed over to Alameda but not before we made a pit stop at a wonderful store called "Dream" in San Mateo!
Terri, you must go, you'll love it!

Hours:
Tuesday 12-5
Wed - Fri 11-6
Sat 11-5
located: 905 S Claremont St. San Mateo CA 94402
ph# 650 458-9906

Darling storefront!


My lovely sister!


Don't you just love the blue wall?


There are so many amazing chandeliers, so you can't forget to look up!


Aren't you all drooling? Oh, I can't wait to get back there! The gal that owns it is a hoot, but wouldn't let me take her picture. I don't know why, she was darling! So if you live in the area go check out her store, it's fantastic!

Now, on to my buddy Terri! My sister has also been following her blog, so when we decided to go and meet her, we were so goofy and acted like two kids on Christmas morning! We had to snap a picture of us driving!



This is what we saw when we drove up! I think I looked at the address and then my notes and then the address again. I went back and forth thinking, wow is this really her house?

Look at that, now that's curb appeal!


She has such a way with showcasing her treasures. I could stand and stare at every detail for hours!


Gorgeous chandy in her bedroom!


She didn't want her pic taken but I insisted! Look at who's blog she is reading.....mine of course! Can you imagine blogging in there, ah heaven!


Her toile walls are fabulous!


Darling bathroom. Look at that light, I think I might just have to sneak in there in the middle of the night and snag it. Do you think she would notice?


Another fabulous armoire! This one is the front room as you walk in. I could sit in that room all day!


Drooling yet? This is on her patio, I know, it's fabulous and in person it's truly dreamy out there!


All I needed was a glass of wine and I would have been set!


Terri is so witty, cute and just a ball of energy! I wish I could hang out with her everyday! We had lunch at a little greek cafe and sat outside. It was lovely. Her friend Debbie (I will die if I got your name wrong) came along and she was so much fun too! We then went over to the Alameda Historical Society where they have a kind of antique thrift shop. A few of the gals snagged some things!

We then did some curbside shopping. I sure wish I had thought to snap a picture of that. I think someone had been evicted from their apartment and there were boxes and bags and furniture that we just devoured, hoping to find something fantastic in that mess. I think all 4 of us looked like mice scurrying for food. We had so much fun and laughed so hard as we were digging for some sort of lost treasure!



Thank you Terri for such an amazing day! I will remember and treasure it forever. You are so wonderful, and kind, and oh what a gem you are! I can't wait to see you again!

Hugs and kisses to my new Bestie!