Halloween 2010

Please forgive the lack of captions. I would add them except that this is a pretty sneaky post; it's actually 2011, and when I went back to look at last year's Halloween post I realized that it was not in existence! That was just not acceptable. --And since I like to go back and compare holiday photos at times, I really needed this post to appear in sequence, so I adjusted the posting date. Hey, at least I am admitting it right?

It WAS a very fun Halloween.

The cider donuts were pretty good too. :)

My Latest Obsession

(No, not cupcakes... ) Owls. I've always loved them, but lately... Oh, I don't know how to put it. I just can't get enough of them, I suppose.

One day a few weeks ago Thomas was doing his homework, and Gabe, in usual fashion, found a piece of paper and a pencil and brought them to the kitchen table to do his homework too. I suggested he draw an owl, and I helped him. It just so happened that he had recently received a kids' wildlife magazine full of pictures, stories, and information all about them, so I took it out and drew some with him. I couldn't get enough.

In hindsight, it wasn't the first time... I now recall adding countless owl designs to my Ravelry faves long ago...

Since that day, though, I've been particularly drawn to the little creatures (both realistic and artistic). Still, it wasn't until I happened upon these cute little sugar creations at WalMart the other day that I realized an owl might be just the first birthday cake subject idea I was after. Needless to say, I am now so excited to get designing.

In the meantime, these super simple treats temporarily satisfied my need for some light baking and adorable owl-decorating--for today, and, however basic, Thomas and I had fun assembling them.

Next time I'll make my own pumpkin flags though. Either way, they were quite tasty!

I could be wrong...

but I think we like potatoes.

The best thing about October

is not zucchini bread, but zucchini bread is a very good thing, and it smells soooo good right now! I've recently been alternating between pumpkin, zucchini, and banana breads... so yummy!

October is full of great things, isn't it? Just look at all these colors.

Aren't they beautiful?
I bought four potted garden mums on Friday for one dollar each (really). They really brighten up the area by our steps. Unfortunately, though, they keep blowing over. I suppose it is high time I planted them.

I also brought home a bag of these for the boys:

Gabe has been lining them up on the kitchen counter and counting them. He pulls his little blue chair over and steps right up. Some times he "beeps" them like a cashier scanning items.

Yes, it's October for sure.

Honest to Betsy

Yikes! It has been WAY too long. This year has been tough, and I've been busier than a bee, but then, you'll have that. (Holy ADPi flashback!) Rather than fill you in on all that you've missed I figure I'll just dive right in. Sound good? Hope so.

It's that time of year again. We've been to the apple orchard and the pumpkin patch, and the boys' Halloween costumes are ready. I've been making pumpkin bread and have the zucchini ready to go. I'm once again dreaming of planting pumpkins and zucchini in our own garden. (If you know when I should plant either (spring, I presume, but still... ), and/or have any special instructions, please let me know!) I really don't remember loving Halloween THIS much when I was growing up. It was fun, sure, but wow... Now I get to decorate and watch my own kids get super excited. I'm starting to understand the craze behind the holiday. It really is pure fun.

Now that we have a house, I really want to decorate, but I have super limited funds, so I'm looking for no-cost craft solutions. Any ideas? Brian's mom was just here for a visit and brought me a huge bag full of handed down yarn (Yippee!), some of which was super bright orange... Pumpkins, perhaps? Do you think if I make some pumpkins and hang them from the railing outside, they will fade just a bit? I was thinking of combining two strands; one of orange and one of something slightly less blinding. We'll see. I want to make ghosts too... and maybe a black cat or two. Of course, I have been blessed with an outpouring of requests for my knitted goodies, so I really need to start with those. There just isn't enough time for everything. *Sigh.* Same old, same old.

Of course, I can't leave you without a picture. Or two. Or three. I mean, you have missed SO much already.

I'll try not to disappear for months this time.

(They're all there; look closely!)

And one of these days, maybe I'll finish updating my photo blog.... At this rate it could be a while. :(