Whyyyy do I have the most motivation and inspiration to do home projects when I'm stuck at work?  I blame this Diply article I clickbaited my way into this morning as I was lying in bed, cursing at the alarm.  The looming holidays make the itch that much worse - I want to finish these tasks and be able to show off our home to our guests and enjoy it to the fullest!

While there are so many I could illustrate, let's start with this stack of crown molding that's been waiting in our garage for well over a year (closer to 2?  I've lost track).  We just have to slap a fresh coat of paint on 'em and put 'em up (with some help from some adultier adults who have done that sort of thing before).


Also?  this ivory fireplace insert is driving me batty....I bought black high-heat spray paint long ago to take care of it, I just have to put forth the energy (and bravery) to do it.


It looks like it was spray painted previously, so maybe it used to be brass?  I thought I'd be able to take it out but I'm not sure I can, so that means taping and papering and plastic-ing like this tutorial from Bright Green Door.  Not hard, just time consuming, and something you can't un-do if you screw it up.  Ooooh, also - WE NEED A MANTEL.

In our hall bath that gets the most use when we have company over, we're not at a point where we're ready to rip out and re-do the sink and countertop, but they're so fugly.... I want to give the cabinets a mini-makeover with paint in the meantime (hello lipstick-on-a-pig technique!) and have been drooling over Urbane Bronze by Sherwin-Williams or something in that family.

I have the most drive to do these kinds of small-ish projects when I am wholly unable to...does anyone else have that problem?!

Halloween this year was pretty low-key.  I think it falling on a Tuesday put a damper on things...we only had about half the Trick-or-Treaters we usually do!  Our Halloween get-together this year was our Stranger Things party a few days prior, but in previous years we've thrown a big shindig.

I put out my Halloween luminaries to light the way to our door - white glossy paper bags with spooky faces drawn on with permanent marker.  I use battery-powered votives to ensure no little goblins set themselves on fire.

Over the weekend I hosted a girly slumber party (without the slumbering...we all prefer sleeping in our own beds as opposed to on my living room floor). 


This event has been in the works for awhile - my sweet friend Twinkle moved to the US in middle school and we've often talked about some of our favorite childhood movies she has yet to see. Well, "let's make a list of movies you have to see" turned into "let's have a weekend-long slumber party during which we watch all these movies you have to see."  But then we got realistic....we're (masquerading as) adults and have too many obligations to spend a whole weekend lazing around eating junk food and watching movies.  So we kept it to one night!  You better believe we were in our jammies and makeup-free, though!

The signature cocktail was a raspberry lemonade spritzer with a rim full of sprinkles....



My friend Lofton also brought some apple cider and mulling spices to which we added cinnamon schnapps (of course).  Because we were so full from snacking, I have tons of cider left over to enjoy by the fire!

Have you ever had a grown-up slumber party?  It was a lot easier to stay up late when we were foolish kids without responsibilities!  😝