Respite (n.) To relieve by a pause or interval of rest.

My definition of a break is a good long nap

[or vegging out with a good movie]. I'll be doing precisely this over the next several days!

My invitation orders are filled now and I'm taking a break from "invitation overload" before I embark on my next projects. {A big THANK YOU to all my wonderful customers and new friends for all your halloween invitation orders! It's been fun being a part of your festivities!}

Next, I'll be preparing for my own Halloween party. Lots of halloweeny decorations to put up, menu to plan, groceries to buy, rooms to clean [ugh!], and costumes to finish. Guess nap time is over! I'll be seeing you in a week or so. Don't worry I'll be back! ~Julie

They're ready...

Along with my Halloween/Party invitations, my new gory severed finger earrings, and gruesome earrings & necklace set are up for sale now on my eBay auctions! Check 'em out!

I'm only going to have just a very small number of these for sale this year ~ so don't miss out!

Accessorize daahling!!!

You know how in my previous blog I talk about making my severed fingers?
And how they go from this...

... to this?

Well, I had this thunderbolts-and-lightning-brainstorm-idea today and got out the clay again and started to make these...

[earrings]

My severed finger Halloween party invitations have been so popular, and I've had them on the brain so much, that this idea came forth! I'm all about accessorizing, especially at Halloween! I mean really - you get great invitations, plan a fabulous party [with a fabulous theme], come up with the best costume idea ever, go to the ends of the earth to find the perfect clothes for the perfect costume, and then what??? NO ACCESSORIES???!!! AAHHH!!! Halloween costumes are all about the accessories! That's the most, best-est, fun-est part!

I plan for weeks, for my own Halloween party. My hubby thinks I'm crazy, but that's some of the fun for me. I'm a planner and list-maker, so I sit down and create my lists; my guest list, my food list, my to-do-clean-the-house-fix-the-whatever-that's-been-needing-fixed-and-now-company's-coming-list, and my costume list. Sometimes I'll sketch out my costume too if it's something I need to sew or create [maybe my hubby's right, maybe I am crazy! :)].

Last year was my pirate themed party and I was - you guessed it - a pirate! Too fun!

You saw my husband's costume here. I was snapping photos of our friends and their awesome costumes, but don't have a photo of me and my hubby together. :( Oh well, there's always this year's party. Here's a shot of our entry room going into the house...

...you thinkin' what I'm thinkin? Nevermore!

Did anyone say Halloween???

I told you I love, love, love Halloween didn't I??

Well, here's the proof of it! I just got on a roll and had so much fun I just couldn't stop. The only thing is that there just isn't enough time in the day for it all. I work full-time and when I get home I need to do all the usual things (laundry, cook supper, feed the cats, get a little down-time and watch tv while vegging on the couch, etc, etc) and then I start crafting. Good thing I'm kind of a night owl at times.

Anywhoooo... check out my newest listings, my favs are the gorey severed fingers - these started the whole thing - I made these for my very first Halloween party many, many moons ago! They were a big hit! It was so much fun to hand-deliver them and watch people's faces as they unrolled the invitation and found that finger inside!

Since I usually create 3-4 invitation designs each year for my own party and then use only one, I decided to put all that creative energy to good use and actually make some of those other designs come to life! There are 4 of my Halloween/Costume party invitation designs up for auction right now and some more on the way.

I already know what I'm going to be for Halloween, do you? Don't bother asking - 'cause I'm not telling! (Hee hee, it's a surprise!) But do share what you're dressing up as, I'd love to hear about it! This night-owl thing is making me tired, got to go for now!