Happy Planner Layout | Halloween Week & Life Lately

I'm sharing this week's Happy Planner layout, although technically it isn't a brand new spread. I shared this Halloween week a few weeks ago, but since this is a weekly Happy Planner Layout post, well, it should be posted still. hehe.

I decorated this spread using Traci Reed's Halloween collection. Almost everything here came from leftover die cuts I made while working on a scrapbook layout. I always love finding ways to use those extra pieces instead of letting them sit in a drawer, and they worked perfectly for this planner spread.

Now for a little life update...

Reading... or maybe watching?

Last week, I finished two books, which I'm really happy about! I was originally thinking of squeezing in one last book before the month ends, but then... The Walking Dead happened. 

I'm already on Season 3 and it's the perfect series to watch while I'm ironing clothes. It scares the hell out of me, like when I am playing games and Ton finds it funny, but it's the good kind of scared. hahah. idk if you get what I mean. Although after binge-watching since Sunday, I might need a little break before jumping back in. Maybe I'll pick up another book instead? We'll see!

Lucky update

I was a little worried about Lucky last week because he wasn't quite himself. He still had an appetite, just not his usual enthusiastic one, and he seemed a little quieter than normal.

Thankfully, he's looking much better now and seems to be back to his usual self. If you missed my previous Lucky update, he recently had a dental procedure to remove plaque buildup, which meant he had to be put under anesthesia. I'll probably give him another week before I start brushing his teeth regularly, as I should according to the vet.

Tacoville is back!

One of our favorite restaurants from our Al Ahsa days, Tacoville, closed after only about a year of operation, so we were really excited to discover that their branch here in Al Khobar is still open.

It's located in Al Khobar City Walk, which reminds us so much of Al Ahsa because several of our favorite restaurants are all in one area. It definitely brought back some happy memories.

Balcony dreams

Winter is almost here, so we've officially started shopping for outdoor furniture for our balcony.

I think it'll become such a nice little space to relax in during the cooler months. We're even thinking about getting one of those fire pit tables so we can make s'mores outside. Fingers crossed we can find one that's reasonably priced!

This was only the second time I'd actually stepped onto our outdoor space, the first was when we viewed the apartment, and I forgot just how spacious it is. We just need to clean it then get furnitures!

Salted egg adventures

My homemade salted eggs officially reached Day 40, so last week I finally boiled them!

I've already made salted egg chicken legs (alongside garlic parmesan chicken legs because why choose just one?), plus spaghetti with both red and white sauces... yes... all for just the two of us. 

A few days later I made chicken with salted egg sauce and another batch with ala king sauce, and now I'm officially obsessed with salted eggs.

I'm already planning to start another batch this week so we'll have fresh ones again in another 40 days. Hopefully winter also means we'll start seeing bigger shrimp at the grocery!

A friend was curious about my homemade salted eggs too and even asked if she could have a few pieces. hehe!

Dinner with friends

Over the weekend we invited some friends over because I marinated way too many chicken quarters for just Ton and me.

So we ended up hosting a casual dinner with leftover spaghetti, lots of barbecue chicken quarters, Java rice, and buttered corn. It turned into such a fun evening.

A taste of home

We also finally tried the taho someone was selling through Facebook.

I wasn't expecting much, but wow... it was so good! Even the smell instantly reminded us of the taho back home in the Philippines.

We shared it with our friends too and they loved it just as much.

Bazaar upgrade

The husband worked on upgrading my card display stand for future bazaars!

It's now painted pink (which I absolutely love) and he even added a built-in stand at the back. That means we no longer have to prop it up with Bath & Body Works candles like we used to. 

It's much sturdier now... and so much cuter!

Sadly, one of our scheduled bazaars was postponed because of the recent happenings here in Saudi. But that's ok. It means more time to prep for me!

Shampoo update

Remember when an Arab lady convinced me to try the 360 Hair Professional line after noticing my shopping cart was full of Fino products?

Well... I gave it a fair chance.

The shampoo and conditioner just didn't leave my hair feeling as smooth as Fino does, so now that I've finished both bottles, I'm officially back to my beloved Fino.

Crafting update

Things have finally slowed down a little on the crafting front.

I officially finished all of my Polkadoodles projects for the rest of the year! I might squeeze in a little extra crafting here and there, but all my scheduled design team work is done.

I can't share any of the projects just yet, but I am sharing a little behind-the-scenes peek. All I'll say is... the upcoming collection is unbelievably cute, and I'm really happy with how my cards turned out.

It also made my day when Nikky shared one of my projects in the Polkadoodles Facebook group and even mentioned it in her announcement. That was incredibly sweet!

Meanwhile, I also finished another set of six cards for the Rosie's Studio Card Making Challenge. I only have three more cards left to make so I can continue posting daily until the challenge wraps up at the end of the month.

Not bad!

Weekly menu & little wins

I'm also sharing this week's menu below, along with a few photos, including the treats our friends brought over for dinner.

You'll also spot my Analog Journaling Bag, which I've already shared in its own blog post. If you haven't seen it yet, you can check it out here.

It feels really nice looking back at that project because it started as one of those little ideas I casually mentioned here on the blog... and I actually followed through with it. Small win, but definitely one that made me smile.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you're having a wonderful week, and I'll see you again soon for more crafty projects and little life updates.

Polkadoodles Hello Autumn Collection | KCC#23 Card #11 - Cute Hedgehog Witch Halloween

Hello, crafty friends!

Welcome back for another project featuring the adorable Hello Autumn Collection from Polkadoodles! Today's card stars the charming Hedgehog Witch Hello Autumn Colour Digi Stamp, paired with the coordinating Hello Autumn Pattern Papers Set A for a fun and festive Halloween-inspired design.

One of my favorite ways to kick off a card is with a sketch, especially when I'm creating a whole series of cards or simply want to enjoy a relaxing afternoon in my craft room. I find that sketches remove the pressure of designing a layout from scratch, giving me more time to play with papers, images, and embellishments. They're a fantastic starting point, but they're never meant to be followed exactly, that's where the fun begins! When I was a newbie with sketches, I thought I should follow the sketch 100% all the time but as time went by, I felt more free to adjust to my liking.

For this card, I used Sketch #11 from Kendra's Card Challenge #23 as my inspiration. Rather than copying it exactly, I added a white mat layer behind the patterned paper to frame the design and included the adorable Hedgehog Witch digi stamp as the focal point, even though the original sketch didn't feature an image. It's a great reminder that a sketch is simply a guide, you can adapt it to fit your style and the products you want to showcase. I've included the sketch below so you can compare it with my finished card.

This project is another card from my 15-card series using just six 6" × 6" papers from Hello Autumn Pattern Papers Set A. It's amazing how versatile these papers are, and I've loved seeing how each sketch creates a completely different look using the same supplies. If you're curious about the challenge, head over to Kendra's website to learn more about the cutting guide and card sketches. While this card was made with KCC#23, be sure to join the current KCC#24 challenge, it's filled with another fantastic set of sketches that are just as enjoyable to create with!

If the Hello Autumn Collection is still on your wish list, now's the perfect time to add it to your craft room. With its adorable autumn and Halloween characters, coordinating papers, and seasonal sentiments, it's everything you need to make the most of autumn crafting before Christmas projects start taking over our desks!

I hope you'll come and join us for the latest Polkadoodles Digi Choosday Challenge and, if you're looking for even more inspiration, give Kendra's Card Challenge a try too. As a bonus, Polkadoodles is one of Kendra's wonderful sponsors, so you could even win some fabulous Polkadoodles prizes while enjoying the challenge!

Polkadoodles Products Used:

• Hedgehog Witch Hello Autumn Colour Digi Stamp

• Hello Autumn Pattern Papers Set A

Happy crafting!

Polkadoodles Hello Autumn Collection | KCC#23 Card #9 - Fox Ghost

 Hello, crafty friends!

I'm back with another autumn-inspired card featuring the adorable Fox Ghost Hello Autumn Colour Digi Stamp from the fabulous Hello Autumn Collection at Polkadoodles! I combined it with the coordinating Hello Autumn Pattern Papers Set A and sentiment to create a cute Halloween card that's perfect for the season.

For this project, I reached for another Kendra's Card Challenge #23 sketch. I love using Kendra's sketches whenever I'm making multiple cards because they really speed up the design process. Instead of spending time figuring out a layout, I can focus on choosing papers, colours, and embellishments, and that's my favorite part!

The best thing about sketches is that they're meant to inspire, not dictate your design. For this card, I followed Sketch #9 but made a few changes to suit my style. I added a white mat layer behind the patterned paper to create a subtle border, then included the adorable Fox Ghost digi stamp and a coordinating sentiment, even though the original sketch didn't include a focal image or greeting. I've included the sketch below so you can see how I interpreted it.

This card is part of my 15-card series using just six 6" × 6" papers from Hello Autumn Pattern Papers Set A. It's incredible how far one paper pack can go! If you'd like to learn more about Kendra's Card Challenge and how to create your own 15-card set, be sure to visit Kendra's website. Although I created this card using KCC#23, make sure you join the current KCC#24 challenge, which is now open! The new sketches are just as fun and inspiring, and I'd love to see what you create.

If you haven't picked up the Hello Autumn Collection yet, now is the perfect time. The adorable autumn and Halloween characters, coordinating papers, sentiments, and embellishments make creating seasonal cards so easy. Before we know it, we'll all be diving into our Christmas stash, so enjoy these cozy autumn designs while the season lasts!

And of course, I hope you'll also join us for the latest Polkadoodles Digi Choosday Challenge! We'd love to see your creations. Plus, if you're playing along with Kendra's Card Challenge, here's an extra reason to join - Polkadoodles is one of the challenge sponsors, giving you the chance to win some wonderful Polkadoodles prizes!

Polkadoodles Products Used:

• Fox Ghost Hello Autumn Colour Digi Stamp
• Hello Autumn Pattern Papers Set A
• Hello Autumn Sentiment

Happy crafting!

15 Polkadoodles Hello Autumn Cards with Kendra's Card Challenge #23 Sketches

Before I officially dive into Christmas crafting, I wanted to share one last celebration of autumn! 

Over the past few weeks, I've been sharing cards I created using the absolutely adorable Hello Autumn collection from Polkadoodles, pairing each project with card sketches from Kendra's Card Challenge #23. In total, I made 15 cards, each inspired by one of the challenge sketches. It's always amazing to see how a single collection can create such a wide variety of designs just by changing up the sketch!

The Hello Autumn collection is packed with charming woodland friends, pumpkins, leaves, florals, and all the cozy autumn vibes you could ask for. If you haven't had the chance to craft with it yet, there's still plenty of autumn left to enjoy, making it the perfect time to create cards, scrapbook layouts, journals, and other seasonal projects before we all switch our craft rooms over to Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas... 

I’ve already had a little peek at Polkadoodles' upcoming Christmas collection, and I've played with it too, and trust me, you’re going to love it! It's absolutely adorable and has such a fun, childlike feel that it's sure to bring out the child in all of us. I can't wait to start sharing my projects with you very soon!

If you enjoy creating from sketches, don't forget that Kendra's Card Challenge #24 is currently underway! Whether you're new to the challenge or a returning participant, it's a wonderful way to stretch your supplies, build your card stash, and find fresh inspiration. Be sure to check out the current challenge and join the fun!

Below you'll find all 15 of my Hello Autumn cards, along with the Kendra's Card Challenge #23 sketches that inspired each one. I hope they give you plenty of ideas for your own autumn crafting!

If you're feeling inspired, I'd love for you to join the Polkadoodles Digi Choosday Challenge and share your own creations. It's always such a fun and welcoming community, and there's plenty of inspiration to be found each week.

Thank you so much for stopping by! If you'd like to keep up with my latest cardmaking, scrapbooking, journaling, and crafty adventures, be sure to follow me on my social media channels. I'd love to have you along for the journey!

Instagram: @my.cat.and.crafts

Facebook: My Cat and Crafts

Happy crafting!