DIY Halloween Floral Arrangements

Brittany, the uber talent lady behind One Charming Party got in touch recently to see if I might like to share one of her recent projects with you. Of course I said "yes"...I mean come on...she is just too good. Here she shows us how to take simple supplies and make a truly spook-tacular floral display for your home or Halloween party. Take it away Brittany!

Using black and white flowers and incorporating hues of grey, you’re sure to instantly set a frightfully fun mood this Halloween. And you don’t need to splurge on vases for these spooky decorations. Pull out your cans from the recycle bin and spray paint the cans black or leave them plain. You can even glue two cans on top of each other, just hide the seam with some ribbon (only the top can is used for flowers and water, but it gives the illusion of a taller vase).

Then add feathers, mini signs (made with black paper and a white paint pen from the craft store), moss or painted branches to add interest to your Halloween floral arrangements. But most of all, have fun with it.

We used a variety of flowers in these arrangements: ranunculus, dusty miller, gerbera daisies, berzelia, scabiosa (with the centers painted black with acrylic paint), rudbeckia seed heads, football mums, Spanish moss, and a manzanita branch.

See a whole lot more from Brittany at One Charming Party.

Flower arrangements by Megan Dunford of Persimmon Floral. Photography by Nicole Hill Gerulat for One Charming Party.

Inspiration Daily: 10. 21. 11

Credit for these beautiful images: 1. Untitled by mariano brizzola, 2. Untitled by hillary boles, 3. mushroom by jennifer davis, 4. 20110925_34 by susanna erkheikki

Pear Crisp with Pecan Brown Sugar Topping

The last time I ate a pear was probably over 10 years ago...back when my Mom had a gorgeous pear tree in her yard that I took under my wing and pruned and fawned over. I don't know where my love for that tree came from (seeing as I have the most underactive green thumb imaginable), but somehow the fruit it eventually produced was some of the best (of any fruit) I've ever had.

So clearly it had been a long time since my last pear and over the weekend I found myself tempted by a pretty bag of the golden fruit at Whole Foods. The problem that I discovered after bringing them home is that they're not really a go-to fruit for me (not sure if it's the texture or what). So in an attempt to not let them go to waste I scrounged up a recipe for Pear Crisp online last night and adapted the one I found to suit the ingredients I had on hand. Of course I also made it gluten free, but you can follow along with standard ingredients found with the link to the original recipe and simply substitute the pecans in the topping like I did.

Here's the recipe (adapted from Fine Cooking):

Pear Crisp with Pecan Brown Sugar Topping

For the topping:
2/3 cup gluten-free flour (such as Carol's brand - my personal favorite)
5 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened
1 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
Pinch salt

For the pear filling:
4 to 6 pears, peeled, halved, cored, and cut into 1" pieces
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract (gluten free)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Large pinch ground cloves
4-1/2 tsp. cornstarch

Make the topping:
In a food processor, combine the gluten-free flour, butter, pecans, brown sugar, and salt; pulse until the mixture starts to hold together. Set aside.
Make the filling:
Heat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl mix lemon juice, vanilla, 1/2 cup of sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and cornstarch. Add cut pears and toss to combine.
Bake the crisp:
Pour the pear mixture into an 11x7 inch over-proof baking dish or into individual ramekins. Cover with the topping. Turn the oven down to 325°F and bake the crisp until the top is golden brown and the pears are tender, 40 to 60 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy! xo Ez

Eye-Catching: Favorite Four

Just four lovely things that recently caught my eye (maybe they'll catch yours too):

1. Hand Dip-Dyed Wool Cowl - Good Night, Day | Brrr...last night we had our first official frost of the season. Looks like somebody (read: me) needs a consolation prize.
2. Homemade Peanut Butter Finger Candy - Not Without Salt | Ohhhh...myyyy...goooodnesss!
3. Little Champage Diamond Ring - Rust | Gorgeous jewelry and equally awesome photo styling.
4. Eames Golden Side Chair - Okay Art | I don't know about you, but gold leafing everything in my house is starting to seem like a totally sane idea.

Inspiration Daily: 10. 20. 11

Credit for these gorgeous images can be found by visiting: 1. see it coming by Kristina Strasunske, 2. Grilled Peach by Sinemage, 3. cosy craft by Pilli Pilli, 4. Light in the Woods by Julianna Swaney