More Style Than Cash

While Waiting for Trick or Treaters - Day 55

By Ingrid Talpak on October 31, 2012 5:00 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

It's All Hallows Eve today so...

May you be protected from Ghosties and Ghoulies and long legged Beasties and things that go BUMP in the night.

If you are handing out candies you'll find that there is long lulls between the trick or treaters. Since you can't wander to far away from the front door I generally use this time to get started on one of my Christmas chores.

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Making Halloween Work for Christmas - Day 56

By Ingrid Talpak on October 30, 2012 5:00 AM | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

The stores are filled with Halloween treasures right now with the big day on Monday.

If you have little ones or not, it is hard to miss all the great things that are out there for this spooky holiday.

While everyone is thinking about costumes and candies keep your eyes out for what you can use in your Christmas festivities.

Even thought the two celebrations are miles apart you might be surprised at what you can use from one to save money on the other.

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Where will Everyone Sit? Day 57

By Ingrid Talpak on October 29, 2012 5:00 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

I remember in my 20's going to parties where it was BYOC, bring your own chair.

When we are a lot younger we don't mind sitting on a carpet balancing a plate on one knee and a drink on the other but to ask your 70 year old Aunt Addie to do that isn't really realistic.

Whether you are serving your family dinner buffet style, sit down formal or hosting a party with food people are going to want to have a place to sit.

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Your Pets Over the Holidays - Day 58

By Ingrid Talpak on October 28, 2012 5:00 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

While we might be having a great time during the holidays our pets might not be fairing so well.

If you have a pet that is as sociable as you then they will enjoy the change of routine and the extra people in you home, but if they are shy or have problems then you should have a plan in place.

Are you going to be going away for any time during the holidays? Are you going to be gone for more hours of the day than usual?

You want Fido, Fifi and all the rest of your fury, feathery family (or scaly or slippery) to enjoy themselves as much as you are.

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Day 59 - Recap

By Ingrid Talpak on October 27, 2012 5:00 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

It is now less than 2 months until Christmas and I hope that I have given you lots of little things that you have looked at, thought about, kept up on and accomplished.

Time to look back over the last nine days to make sure that you have not missed anything or to give yourself a quick reminder to catch up on some items and to keep up with your planning.

Spending a little bit of time now planning out the clothes that you and your family will be wearing is going to save you a lot of grief latter and avoid any unpleasant surprises like finding out that something has been out grown or is now too frumpy to wear.

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Spooky Halloween Portraits in Frames

By Ingrid Talpak on October 26, 2012 5:00 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

For the last several years dollar stores and craft stores have been selling wonderfully spooky portraits that when looked at a different angle turn into creep images.

While I love the look of these portraits I'm not so enamored with the "frames" that they come in and decided that I could do something better.

Placed around my home these have an added ghoulish effect since I mingle them amongst genuine photos of relatives.

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The Pre-Season Shopping Zone - Day 60

By Ingrid Talpak on October 26, 2012 5:00 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

This weekend is a time that a lot of retailers hate but you can put to good advantage for your Christmas.

While everyone is geared up for Halloween the retailers can't wait until November 1st for them to really let loose with the holiday decorations, flyers and music.

This could be one of your best shopping weekends as every one else if preoccupied with Halloween there are some serious bargains out in the stores trying to lure customers in.

I hope you have been keeping up with your Shopping list from all the printables from Day 97 as this weekend could really pay off for you.

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How to Carve Apples for Halloween

By Ingrid Talpak on October 25, 2012 10:30 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

While flowers and greenery are always great to have on the table as a center piece they seem a little too...tame for a Halloween meal (unless you use a plant like Venus Fly Trap).

Swap them out for an evening with these grinning apples. Apples are easy to carve and quick to do.

All that you will need are a few fresh apples, a paring knife and a little bit of time. Place un-carved apples in a bowl and your carved ones on top for an instant easy Halloween center piece.

Best of all you can eat you center piece when you are done with it!

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Buying Party Glassware in Bulk - Day 61

By Ingrid Talpak on October 25, 2012 5:00 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

Parties, family gatherings and impromptu get togethers can call for a lot of added glassware.

You could just hand out plastic drinking glasses but environmentally they're not that great and lets face it, drinking wine or champagne out of a flimsy plastic containers seems cheap.

If you entertain a lot, or if you know that you will be hosting large events a few times a year, it's worth while to have a few dozen wine glasses and beverage glasses.

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Holiday Serving Dishes - Day 62

By Ingrid Talpak on October 24, 2012 5:00 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

It would be great to serve all your holiday meals from fine china and porcelain but perhaps not possible. Or is it?

If you are a few pieces short of you full service then there might be some places that you can pick up the rest of your pieces with out spending full price.

If you don't need to match your dishes then take a trick from the catering business. Caterers always know that having plain white serving dishes means that you can garnish them so they will look great.

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Holiday Table Linens- Day 63

By Ingrid Talpak on October 23, 2012 5:00 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

Chances are that at some point in your holidays you are going to want your dining table to look amazing.

It might be during a Thanksgiving, a party or when you are hosting Christmas dinner for 12 or your Christmas breakfast.

A beautiful table cloth and napkins can make the simplest table look elegant.

No matter how much you would wish it wasn't true, plastic table clothes will never look anything but cheap. Don't think you can just go off to the dollar store and get a great looking table cloth. The plastic ones have creases permanently folded into them and they are usually so thin you can see the table underneath. They also have a terrible habit of sliding around on the table.

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Skull & Medical Printables for Halloween

By Ingrid Talpak on October 22, 2012 12:27 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

For something goulish for Halloween why not print off these free PDF's of medical body parts.

I found a old beat up book of anatomy at a antique shop years ago that was filled with macabre etching of the human body.

Beautifully illustrated I have made it my Halloween tradition to place these out every year.

For a unique trick or treat bag you could glue one of these images to a large black gift bag.

While these images are a little creepy they are not gory which makes them a bit more fun.

More Style Than Cash will not appear on your printable.

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What to Wear When Santa Comes - Day 64

By Ingrid Talpak on October 22, 2012 9:00 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

While you are now getting things figure out so you will look great at all the fancy parties you will be going to, most of the time you are not going to be all decked out.

You are going to be spending evenings snuggled up on the couch watching Christmas show or reading out loud to the little ones.

If you look back on years of Christmas photos then you will see most of them are of Christmas morning when everyone is in their PJs.

It's hard to look glamorous in your jam-jams but you can look good and so can the rest of the family.

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Getting the Little Ones All Decked Out - Day 65

By Ingrid Talpak on October 21, 2012 5:00 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

If you have children then there are times over the holidays that you want them to look really great.

It might be for a family portrait, a visit to the grandparents house, to church or you would really enjoy having them dressed nicely for Christmas dinner.

It is hard to justify spending a lot of money on fancy clothes that you know they might only wear a few times.

Where can you get clothes for a reasonable cost that look great?

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Holiday Dressing and the Little Things - Day 66

By Ingrid Talpak on October 20, 2012 5:00 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

You are beginning to figure out what you are going to be wearing to all the festive places you are going to this season but don't forget about the little things that make you look great.

There is nothing worse that planning to wear your fabulous black designer pantyhose with your stunning new dress just to find, as you are pulling them on to head out the door, that there was a run in the ankle and the only clean pair of nylons you own are the ones that are a size too small.

Continue reading Holiday Dressing and the Little Things - Day 66.