Link Love: Spooktacular Edition

I don't know about you but Halloween is my FAVORITE holiday.  Its funny how much I love it given how much I dislike all things scary, spooky, startling and dark.  What I do love about Halloween is the option to dress up like someone or something else for one day. Oh, and the candy, I really like the candy.

image via Real Simple.com

In honor of my favorite holiday and my husband's 30th birthday, we are throwing a Birthoween party on Saturday night.  Since he, I and MTV turned thirty this year we decided to theme our party around all things MTV.  All costumes, food, music and drinks are to be inspired by MTV.  We've got our food, drinks and costumes planned already. We can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with!

image via www.pest-cemetery.com  (no I'm not kidding)

If you are looking for last minute holiday inspiration yourself, here are a few great links from around the web!

These inexpensive, yet beautiful DIY webs beat that tired, old bag of cottony cobwebs.

Fashion Pumpkins, the Missoni and Balmain are my favorite!

Spooky salt and pepper shakers (that can be reused for a Flintstones themed BBQ.)

Cute drink labels for a kids-only or adults-only party!

Dress up as the Hamburgler and other costume ideas from your own closet.

How beautiful is this wall of bats?

image via www.folsomfriends.com

So do you love or hate Halloween?  Are you celebrating early with weekend tricking or treating?  Whatever you get into, have a spooktacular weekend!

This Week's Love: Birthday week

So tomorrow I leave my twenties behind and enter my thirties.  Overall, I'm pretty excited.  It will be my first decade where all the choices I make are entirely mine but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a few moments of panic over the past week.  That house with a big yard in the burbs, a dog and 2.2 children are still alluding me, but in exchange for those things I've had an amazing time travelling, running races and living it up.  I've been celebrating in small ways all week and will continue to over the next two weeks since Jamie turns 30 just two weeks after me.  Here are a few great bits from the week/web that have gotten me in a celebratory mood.

Homemade Twix Bars

If you love homemade candy, or have never tried it, I highly recommend you make this homemade Twix bar this weekend immediately.  While mildly time consuming (rice grinding is required) it yields a phenomenal end product that will make the vending machine version pale in comparison.  Homemade caramel is where its at, yo.

New Birthday headgear 

I shrieked when I opened this birthday present from my friend Kelly.  I love great, interesting headbands and fascinators and these three represent my style really well. Sometimes I feel like a prep, sometimes I feel like a glam fairy, and sometimes I love a little of both.  I will be wearing that black one this weekend with my new birthday dress.

Rosie Lee sparkles for my birthday 

I picked up this copper sparkle polish for my birthday nails with an ULTA coupon last weekend.  Between  the coupon and my rewards points this $12 nail polish left with me for $4.  Woot woot!

via www.reddressboutique.com

To me this red BB Dakota Audry dress is my ideal birthday dress. It makes me happy to look at. Unfortunately it is sold out EVERYWHERE in stores and online in my size.  I desperately tried to wiggle myself into the next size down but it was not meant to be.  In the right size I imagine it would have the most perfect fitted bodice, and full pleated skirt.  I so wish it could be mine!

via A Mom in Red High Heels

For my birthday, my inlaws scheduled a hair cut with celebrity stylist Jordan Blackmore when Jamie and I go to NYC next weekend to celebrate our birthdays.  I am beyond excited and going to let Mr. Blackmore work his magic but this curly look on Maggie Gyllenhaal really appealed to me this week.

With that, I'm off to Chicago tonight for a girls weekend with two of my most favorite ladies.  We'll be doing lots of gabbing, walking the lakefront, wining and dining.  Can't wait!  Have a great weekend darling readers!

This Week's Love - Second Edition

TheSartorialist.com

Yesterday was the start of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, and for the next week beautiful clothes will grace the tents and runways for crowds of fashionistas. Oh, to be a fly on the tent wall!  Since I'm green with envy of all those attending Fashion Week, this week's link love is all things fashionable and feminine.

Have you seen this video? So clever and pretty!  The hats, pencil skirts, pants and jean looks are my favorite. 

The Anthropologie catalog is beyond beautiful. I'm suddenly craving all things tweed, knit and jewel toned.  That mustard swing coat is calling my name...might have to gift it to myself for my birthday.

If I was getting married, this would be my invitation suite.  Swoon-worthy.

I want to hang these photos in my dream walk-in closet and then create some of my own!

Beautiful floral arrangements inspired by rooms.  Loving the mint green tea cup.

Thinking about making butter this weekend.  Must.enjoy.summer.fruits.as.long.as.possible.

http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/4176/PreviewComp/SuperStock_4176-881.jpg

With that I'm spending my first blissful weekend at home sans plans since early June! You cannot possibly imagine how excited I am to clean house, grocery shop and do those mundane weekend things you take for granted when you are constantly on the move.  Beyond the mundane, I'm planning to finish my book, cook up a storm and dust off my sewing machine.  I hope to share some projects with you next week!  Have a wonderful weekend. 

This Week's Love

http://mhcyoung.blogspot.com/2010/02/forgive-me-for-being-corny.html

We made it through another week, hip, hip, hooray!  This week has felt particularly long, for you too?  Then again its my first 5 day work-week in ages, what can I say, it's been a tough summer :)   Anyway,  here's a round-up of some of beautiful dabbling of the week:

Are you watching Project Runway?  Who are your early favorites?  Over on Susan's blog, she's sketching looks based on the week's challenge using an HP TouchSmart just like Runway contestants!  Her first outfit is here, I'd totally wear it!

True Blood make-up?  Wow! Loving the packaging, vibrant eyeshadow colors, and the beautiful cheek stain.

Its Heirloom season! If you have these colorful, sun-kissed beauties in your kitchen try this recipe! Or this one.  Both were fantastic, fast meals this week.

I envy this gal's amazing style each and everyday.  These bright cozy colors and those leopard loafers get me excited for fall.

Next time I visit family in PA, I'm definitely taking a trip to Terrain, check out their beautiful wares for home, garden and you! 

Speaking about fall, I'm thinking about getting a pair of these in Multi for an early birthday present to myself, any Frye fans out there?  Not that I need any more shoes, here's yet another new pair....

Tshirt - Ann Taylor Loft, Flower /Key Necklace - H&M, Skirt -Gap,Shoes - Me Too 

What are you up to this weekend? I'm heading to Indiana with my mom to visit my grandma who's been under the weather, three generations together! Hoping to see family, new and old and get a screening of Harry Potter version 2.0 in there too! Have a great one, whatever you get into!