The older I get, the more I am drawn to the simple and serene.  I think this master bath would be soothing even with four kids pounding on the door. 

     This beautiful end-cut wood floor was on display at the Deseret News Fall Home Show.  I have seen butcher blocks made in this fashion but never a wood floor.  I think this floor would be so divine in a casual living room or dining room.  I could also see this floor adding warmth and texture to a sleek, white modern kitchen.  Ah, the possibilities.

     Today was the first gloomy day of the season, so the kids and I stayed in and made Halloween Treats.  We made witch, skeleton, ghost, spider and bat sugar cookies.  We also made skeleton and jack-o-lantern cupcakes.  I think the kids had the most fun with the Tarantula cookies.   

     For some reason, I gave them six legs to decorate the cookies with instead of eight.  Halloween cockroaches?  No, that’s gross not creepy.  I’ll give the recipe for the Tarantulas below.  I just used black licorice to make the legs and eyes.  

      We set the table so we could dine on our treats in style. We used colors drawn from our decoupage pumpkins for the place settings. I used wooden letters I decoupaged for another project for place cards. All in all it was a fantastic day since we didn’t have to go out in the cold rain and there weren’t too many fights over who got the biggest cookie or who accidentally ate who’s cupcake.

Saucepan Cookies

2 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. milk

3 T. cocoa

3 c. oatmeal

1 T vanilla

pinch salt

     Mix the first four ingredients and pinch of salt together in medium saucepan and bring to a gentle boil.  Boil for one minute.  Take off heat and stir in vanilla and oats.  Mix well and then spoon onto wax paper to cool. If you are decorating, be sure to put eyes and legs into cookie before it cools.

 Please join me at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescapes Thursdays.

     This is a breakfast nook in a model home featured in the 2009 Utah Parade of Homes.  This is such a great look.  I absolutely love that table.  If I had the space and the budget this would be at the top of my wish list.  I love the creamy white chairs with it too.  I think the stained wood and cream is such a soft, comfortable and classic look.  I also really like the way the designer carried the stainless steel around the room from the applainces  to the chandelier.  It gives just that little whisper of modernness to what could have been beautiful but sleepy room

     I changed my running route recently.  I now run by this house most every morning.  I haven’t been down this particular street for a while and was pleasantly surprised by their new (at least to me) front door.  The homeowners have been remodeling at least since we moved into the neighborhood three and a half years ago.  This  house is in the newer part of the neighborhood and as far as I can tell, the changes have been purely cosmetic.  I think it is absolutely fantastic that they took what they had and made it what they want.