Happy Great Pumpkin Day!

Only 2 more until the Big Day!! Wow! Gotta get going!

Today's agenda is to work on those invitations! After making a guest list, I realize that hand-crafted cards with vintage appeal for 100 people is not going to happen! I would need about 30 or so invitations, but still waaaayyyy out of my area of expertise, not to mention patience! So, it's back to the Word document/Office Depot idea. But that's ok...it'll be cute!

Over at MHH's forums, we've got a discussion going on fall decorating. Check out the great ideas those folks have for a festive fall home.

I am planning on hosting on this blog a virtual Fall/Halloween decoration tour of homes! Won't that be fun? I'll set a date, around the end of October, probably, and link the blogs of everyone who wants to participate to this one. Fun, huh? This idea came out of a forum discussion at MHH, but it's not limited to members. If you want to participate, keep your eyes peeled for the date to send me the links and a photo, and I'll set you up! (We'll also be doing this on Pumpkins and Reindeer for Christmas!)

This is from an old magazine (Good Housekeeping, 2004!) and this is exactly how I'd like my outside doors to look for the party! Isn't it beautiful?

Have a great Great Pumpkin Day!

Happy Haunting!

Cathy

GPD post 2!

So, I'm thinking that I'm going to try to work on those invitations for the Boo!Bash2 on Thursday. I have no clue what I want to do just yet, so between now and then I'll try to figure out how many invites I need, and that will determine what kind I make! If I have a whole bunch to make, I'll do a document in Word, frou-frou it up with clip art and email it to Office Depot to print in color on orange paper. If I only have to do a few (less than 15, say) I may try to get a little more creative. We'll see...last year we had 60 folks and I didn't send ANY invitations, just phone calls, emails and word of mouth!

Off to make my guest list! Might as well get that done, huh? Then I won't have to do any housework if I'm "busy" doing other vital stuff like a guest list for a party 3 months away!!

Happy Haunting!
Cathy

Great Pumpkin Day

Thursday will be Great Pumpkin Day, which means a fun filled day of Halloween planning! I was scheduled to leave for a trip that day, but due to circumstances that really tick me off, but I can't control, I'm not going, so I'll be here!

I'm not really sure what I'll do on Thursday, but I'll think about it today while I'm clearing and cleaning the laundry room (yuck, yuck and more yuck...hot and dusty job!) and report back later. If I work really hard today and tomorrow getting regular work done, then the rest of the week I can do Halloween stuff and finish up Christmas in July in style!!

So, until then..

Happy Haunting!!

Cathy

Proof Postive

That fall is coming! I found these on my walk today!! There's hope!!

Halloween Countdown

Ginger has just announced over at Magical Holiday Home that the Halloween/fall party countdown will start September 21. For those of you who don't know how big of a geek I am...I love to count down stuff!! I mean I love it! I even create my own countdowns, things like "VBS countdown" for preparing for Vacation Bible School, kids' birthdays and of course, any special activities we have planned far enough in advance to count down!

So, visit over there and see if you want to participate! It's fun!

I'm planning on making and sending invitations for the Boo!Bash2! this year. Stay tuned for details!!

Happy Haunting!
Cathy

Ghost Host

During the afternoon Halloween party planning chat today, we discussed the Ghost Host decoration. I want to do this in our front yard this year. We are planning a virtual project for several to make one at the same time and post our progress on the boards!

FamilyFun.com has the original directions, plus lots of other cool stuff. Click here for more haunted fun!

Ghost Host

craft materials:

*6 dowels

*small white garbage bags

*newspaper

*masking tape

*old white sheets

*string

*black permanent marker

Time needed: under 1 hour

1. First, find a good location for your gathering of ghosts. They look especially good when circling a central pole, such as a tree or lamppost. (I plan to use the sycamore tree in our front yard...)

2. Next, cut your dowels to the height you'd like your ghosts to be. We've seen them in every size, from toddler height (quite cute) to larger than life (quiet spooky). Remember, the larger the ghosts, the more sheets you need to use.

3. To make a ghost head, stuff a white garbage bag or paper bag with crumpled newspaper or leaves to the size you like. Push one of the dowels into the bag, then wrap masking tape around the neck to secure it. Repeat for the rest of the ghosts.

4. Drape a sheet (or half a sheet, if you're making small ghosts) over each head and tie a piece of string around each neck. You may need to experiment with cutting your sheets to the right size. (In the picture they used a queen sized sheet for each ghost and rounded the bottom edges to the desired length).

5. Use permanent black markers to draw a face on each ghost.

6. Gather your ghosts around the tree or pole...with a foot or two around each one...and push the dowels into the earth so that the sheets touch the ground. Angle the ghosts so that they are leaning slightly backward, then knot the corners of the sheets together as if the ghosts were holding hands.

That's it. Very cute, very easy...now to haunt..er..hunt down some queen sized sheets!

Happy Haunting!

Cathy

Halloween Menu and a Reminder...

...not to forget the Halloween party planning chat over at My Merry Christmas, hosted by Ginger, on Sunday. Scroll down a couple of posts for details, or go to MHH and click on the forums and check it out. It'll be fun, no doubt!

Here's my menu for Halloween night. We have the party on the Saturday before Halloween to allow those little trick or treaters to still hit the neighborhoods for their waaayyy more than recommended amount of candy! For the past several years, our friends Eddie and Melissa and their son, Cameron, have joined us for dinner and trick or treating. We have pretty much the same menu every year...I've thought about changing it, but fear a mutiny if I do. So, here's the usual menu. I'm planning the same this year.

Tamale dip and tortilla chips
Salsa and chips
chili with all the fixings...Fritos ( a southern staple!), cheese, sour cream, onions, jalapenos
Cornbread muffins and crackers
Iced tea, sodas and hot cider (weather permitting..sometimes its' dang cold on Halloween, other years we trick or treat in shorts!)
Double Chocolate Ooey Gooey Cake with vanilla ice cream


Tamale Dip
2 lb. package Velveeta cheese spread, cut into little chunks
1 large can tamales, unwrapped and coarsely chopped
1 can chili, whatever flavor you prefer, either with or without beans
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup jarred salsa

Put Velveeta, tamales and chili in a large bowl. Microwave for 3 minutes on high power..stir. If it's too thick, add about 1/4-1/2 cup milk and stir again. Add spices and salsa, stir to combine and microwave another 2-3 minutes, stirring about half way through. Serve with tortilla or other chips.

I like to make this in the microwave and then put it in a crock pot to stay warm. I love this stuff, and it's even meaty enough to stand alone as a meal...although Lynn doesn't think so!! Not very healthy, obviously, but, hey-it's Halloween!!

Happy Haunting!

Cathy

GPD coming up soon!

I am planning to take a short hiatus from Christmas in July planning and work on Boo!Bash2 a little more. I still haven't decided on prizes for the costume contests...any ideas?? It needs to be fairly generic because I don't know if it'll be man, woman, boy or girl that wins...or any combination of that. We had several divisions last year...Best Costume-child division (individual); Best Costume-adult division and Best Couple (doesn't have to be an actual couple, just the costume needs to be a couple...is that clear as mud?). We ended up with a group award as well..my brother and his brood came as the entire cast of Annie, remember? Their pictures are on the side bar...can't miss them!

So, if you have any thoughts about this, leave me a comment and give me some help. I also want to get those pillows done this month. Since I'm leaving for Chicago for a Jewels by Park Lane convention on July 31, I'll have to use the 13th as my Great Pumpkin Day this month! And that's next week!

I got a new Gooseberry Patch catalog yesterday and found a fabulous fall runner in it. I believe that I can make one very similar, if not just like it...take a look!

I'll keep you posted!

Happy Haunting!
Cathy