pumpkin planning

So I'm walking through the department store en route to the cat food, and while passing the newly stocked garden department, I can't fail to notice a large rack of seed packets. Then, while perusing said seed packets, my eyes fall upon a particularly large one.

With a name like "E Z Gro Monster", how can I resist?

I'm in the midst of contemplating a new location for my pumpkin patch this year. It will have to remain in the front of the house. This seems to be the only part of my yard that receives enough sunlight. But I'm hesitant about repeating last year's experiment and planting pumpkins in the front yard. The grasping vines made mowing the grass all but impossible by mid-summer. And while that provided a nice, atmospheric effect in October, it wasn't quite so attractive in July and August.

So this year, the pumpkin patch will remain in front, but closer to the house. I think I'll make another attempt at growing pumpkins vertically. This time with better support. The veranda railings might work nicely . . .

The Hunt for the Appropriate (Halloween) Theme Begins!

It's a delightfully long weekend, and I should be working. On work. Because I'm behind at work (did you know I have a real job? No? Good. Let's pretend I didn't say anything about it then).

Instead, I have a horrendous head cold and don't like to be doing anything strenuous (like thinking) for any length of time. So instead, I've been sitting with a little notebook by my side writing down possible Halloween Party themes for this coming pre-October 31st weekend!

Between my husband and I, here's what we're considering so far:

• The tales and poems of E.A. Poe
• Murder Mystery (a la "Clue" or Agatha Christie)
• A Hitchcock Halloween
• Bloody Mary (and other ghost stories)
• 50's SciFi
• Living Dead
• Stephen King (I don't really read him, but Carrie Mae throwing a "Carrie" themed party? I like the sound of it)
• Grim-Grinning-Ghosts/Haunted Mansion
• Black-and-White movie monsters
• Slasher Horror/Camp Crystal Lake

I just need a little bit of a theme to get my brain going and the props and menu started. I work better with a theme. I suppose we could just as easily pick "glow in the dark" or "Green" and I could work against it, but if you can't tell: we're kind of movie/literature people, first and foremost.

The Murder Mystery party is something I've been pondering for awhile now. Husband is on-board, so that might actually be the summer-time soiree.

What about everyone else? Do you already know what you're planning for this Halloween? If so, can you send some runner-up ideas my way?

:)

too many cheesecakes

Sometime before Christmas, I developed a mild addiction to these miniature cheesecakes. Caramel. Cheesecake. Wonderful little glass containers. Four dollars for two. What's not to love?


But I didn't realize quite how much I was loving them until a glance inside my cupboard told me I would need additional storage space for all those wonderful little glass containers.




I'm thinking that they might easily be turned into nifty little Halloween candles. However, if my addiction continues unabated, by October, the light from all those candles will be blinding.

inspiration

These past months have reminded me just how unconducive full-time work is to hobbies. And certainly to blogging. The period of time during which I was unemployed (or between jobs, to use a happier term) was a halcyon time for me (except for that pesky reduced income). Otherwise, my days were my own. My schedule was uncluttered. The possibilities were endless. Since my return to work, that hasn't quite been the case.

But as I struggle to bring balance to my life, I turn to the Internet for inspiration. And nothing is more inspiring than vintage Halloween imagery. In keeping with my witchery theme for Halloween 2011, I've been considering attempting to give it a vintage appearance. Emphasis on the word "attempting". Because my best-laid Halloween plans often have a way of going . . . awry.

the workshop in winter

After this week's snowfall, it would appear that I'll have to focus on indoor Halloween projects for the foreseeable future.

Rare Cupid Halloween Postcard

Here is a cupid Halloween postcard.  Just perfect for the Halloween Enthusiast at Valentine's Day.