Tricks and Treats For Your Halloween Creations

Pumpkin Carving Art

One of the best things about Halloween is the opportunity to get creative; with crafts, costumes, parties and even food.  Here are some fun things we did this season:


Let’s start with the Jack o' Lantern.

What I like about carving a pumpkin is that you can never mess it up! So what if you miss an eye or make the mouth too big? Our son thought he messed his up last year…so to cover it up, he made a puker pumpkin. Boys! But, really, he's on to some thing- the best masterpieces are the unexpected ones: like this year's pumpkin eating another pumpkin!

This Year's Winner of the Funniest Pumpkin

A little bit of crafts:

I found the best little ceramic painting place when I lived in Pennsylvania. I went there so often, that I only had to sign my first name to pieces I created: I miss it. I'm sure you have a place in town close by that offers a paint your own ceramic....if so, you should definitely go with the kids or even make it a girl's night out (some have wine parties!). I made this candy bowl in 2000

Now for Treats:

As you may know, today is my birthday! Yes, another year older and as a friend so kindly wrote, another year wiser. If I am to blow out candles, I prefer to have them on a cake that I did not bake! So, my daughter has been making cupcakes for the last couple of years. This year she got very creative, and made each cupcake different!

Didn't they come out so cute??!

Me? Total slacker:  I took Little Debbie Snack cakes and added a little bit of icing and mini chocolate chips:

I could have done the same thing to brownies, but then that would have required me to bake...which is off limits today!

And now a Trick!

I have no idea how I discovered this....but I share this trick to anyone who will listen! HA!

Did you know that a banana splits into 3 equal parts? It's true!



Whole slice of banana...



Three equal pieces!

I know! Amazing right?! I bet you are trying it right now!!

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What are some of your favorite Halloween creations? Leave a comment below and let me know!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is a Treat in My Book

Halloween is my favorite time of year. Then again, I am partial to it. It is the day that this little goblin came into the big bright world! Being born on a holiday can be a drag, but I think I lucked out in the most fun department. Sure, Christmas has lots of toys and good cheer, but each birthday, I got to dress up, be a different character and eat loads of candy. For me, Halloween really is a treat!

I am definitely showing my age here, but I remember as a kid going to Woolworth’s and looking through all boxes with cellophane windows that lined the shelves. When peeking inside, you could see the plastic mask of your favorite character and tucked underneath would be a smock that you would tie at the neck. They were awesome. My favorite was Snoopy and my brother's was Superman. The great thing about those costumes – after each wear, you could fold it up for next year and place the box in the closet for safe keeping.

As kids came into the picture, Woolworth's was long gone and ordering peas in a pod or pumpkin onesies through catalogs took its place. As they got a little older, it was really fun to create costumes! A few years ago, we decided as a family to dress up as vampires-our makeup came out awesome..I wish I could find the family photo, but this is all I could find:

Doesn't my son look a little like Eddie Munster??


I plan on dressing up this year to hand out candy to all the little ghosts and goblins. I will not divulge what or who I am until Nov. 1, so you will have to come back and see! I will have a post and picture for you-speaking of pictures-I am entering into the SITS Halloween Party for a chance to win a sa-weet new camera! This could be the best birthday weekend ever!

Candy, treats, having fun with my family....

I can’t think of any better day to turn a year older!

Halloween and Upcoming Events

To test my bloggy speed, I am going to try to tell you as much as I possibly can in 10 minutes, since I decided to watch Modern Family last night rather than write this post. I know, bad! Oh, well...I have been under the weather for the past three days and believe it or not, I just needed to relax.

Halloween is upon us and a fun weekend is about to begin! We are having our annual pumpkin carving party on Friday. We invite some friends over and the kids go to town with their gourds...have a few snacks and many laughs. When all is said and done, we line up the Jack-o-Lantern masterpieces and light 'em up. It looks awesome! The kids ooh and ahh at the final product. I think this year, we may have a judging contest with prizes.

Pumpkin Parade 2009

Not sure how my son will top his creation from last year.....



Yes, a Puking Pumpkin

But we will see!

I am also going to participate in a weekend long Halloween Contest by the SITS Girls....The prize is a sweet new fancy camera...one that I am drooling over. I love to add pictures to the blog and I have a little Nikon, that takes some sweet shots, but the prize camera, well, if I win, wait til you see *those* shots! Look for my Halloween themed posts on October 30, 31 and November 1. This would be such a cool prize, because what you may not know is....I am a Halloween Baby! That's right! So this could be the best birthday ever! :)

November 1st is also the day that we meet our new Blogger of the Month! I hope you have enjoyed our October Blogger of the Month, David! If you haven't visited yet, please check out his site. I think you will be quick to follow him!

The Chicago Series is about to wind down...we have met The Professor, The Movie Star, Gilligan, Skipper and Mr & Mrs. Howell so far. Next week meet Mary Ann! We will then have a recap party, Chicago style! I have had so much fun writing this...and I am glad you have enjoyed it too.

Since the Chicago series has been so well received, I decided to run a "I am Thankful For......" series in the month of November. Look for Thankful Thursdays, which will be written by guest bloggers sharing their story! Can't wait! Speaking of guest posts....

Nirvana Mamma wrote a guest post to kick off Blog it Forward!! Did you see it? Well, hop on over to www.blogitforwardnow.com to check out her fabulous post! You can find the first task announced at the bottom of that post. Join in! It's a good thing!

Ok. Ten minutes are up! Hope I didn't miss anything!

Have a great day!

Wordless Wednesday :: Arachnophobia, Adirondack Style

Adirondack Spiders are B-I-G!

The Wonder that is Halloween

To celebrate the upcoming Halloween holiday, today's guest post is from our Blogger of the Month, David McGrievey of An Illustrated Life. I hope you have had the chance to visit David's blog to enjoy his witty banter and beautiful illustrations.

I recall the scent of fallen leaves crushed under my feet as my sister and I went door to door screaming 'Trick or Treat" at weary married people. Aside from the few healthy apples dumped in our pillowcases, we were never disappointed. We grew up in a neighborhood with emphasis on neighbor.

Nobody gives out treats in NYC.

Luxury high rise condominiums are closely guarded by uniformed doormen who do not let annoying costumed children in.

My apartment building is not that fancy, no doormen, so consequently, my first year living in this city, a lone fat Asian kid knocked on my sixth floor door and said "Trick or Treat." Dumbfounded, I gave him a piece of sliced Wonder bread, it was the only treat I had.

I dropped the pathetic slice into his colorful 'Trick or Treat" bag knowing full well it was not a treat, I felt bad.

Turns out the kid lived downstairs and he was the only English speaking person in his family. He gave me the stink eye while passing in the hallway for a year after the sliced bread incident but we later became friends. I believe NYC gave birth to the phrase "Never take candy from strangers," which is why I give out Wonder bread.

Please enjoy this fall image of mine which appeared in The New York Times. It is of the Guggenheim Museum and looks like sliced bread, no children allowed.

Gilligan's Island The Chicago Series: "Mr. & Mrs.Howell"



via Google Image Search


The morning greeted us with a downpour and rumbles of thunder. Such a difference from the day before. We decided to make this a shopping day and walk through downtown. We planned for a dinner at Gibsons Steakhouse later that evening and I needed a pair of shoes to go with the outfit I brought.

We walked to Macy's (formally Marshall Fields) to see the famous Tiffany ceiling,

and then made our way through the store, floor by floor all the way up to the Walnut Room. I'm sure if these beautiful wooden panels could talk, they would have wonderful stories to tell. After reading through the information placards, the guys were starting to get antsy, so my friend and I set them free to venture down the way to belly up to the Elephant & Castle while we continued to shop.

Giving ourselves only an hour, with shoes being the focus of this store, we grabbed an elevator and saw this:

The shoe department had its OWN BUTTON!

We  realized that we were on the express elevator which only traveled to certain floors, shoes not being one of them, believe it or not!

To the escalator we went, as time was ticking. Not sure if the floor we were on was the shoe floor, two older gentlemen sitting in chairs just off the moving stairs quipped "If you are looking for shoes, you are on the right floor! Our wives have been there for over an hour! It's that way." they both said in unison as they pointed to the left through a pile of bags, which no doubt were handed to them to hold. "Tell them to hurry up if you see them!"

We found our way to the shoes and my, oh my, were there shoes. almost the entire floor! After a quick scan, I found the perfect pair and best of all, only paid $11 smack-a-roos! Deeming this a success, we headed downstairs and across the street to visit one of my fav-or-ite stores, Ann Taylor Loft. AT's clothes fit me like a glove! Every dress I have ever tried on, I usually buy it because, well, it fits perfect. Cannot beat off the rack shopping. Love it. I was a little disappointed in this visit though, because the dress selection was zero.

We eventually met up with the fellas and had a snack to hold us over until dinner. The E&C was a great place; good food and good beer.

 



We decided to head back to the hotel to freshen up for dinner. A few hours later, we were all gussied up and in Gibson's. As we settled into our booth, we enjoyed our cocktails and salad. A big white cake passed our table, carefully handled by a waiter and behind him, followed the rest of the wait staff. They all wished a family in the corner a Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary! The couple sitting next to us proclaimed "We have them beat! We are married over 50 years!" So, of course we struck up a conversation with "Mr. & Mrs. Howell."

He is the owner and head baker of a prominent bread company in the city. He and the missus just spent the day at the Navy Pier celebrating Italian Fest. He asked if we had gone. We replied no, that we shopped down in the "Loop" instead. He told us that was too bad, because they were giving away bread like crazy and it was good stuff. We chatted about visiting and where we were from, and learned that he grew up with and was close friends with the owner of the steakhouse; that his wife's cousin owned another well known establishment: Morton's Steakhouse. He told us stories of the good old days and fun that had him give up drinking: to which his wife said "As you can see, I didn't!" shaking her glass like a dinner bell with a giggle. Can't you just picture Mrs. Howell doing that?? They were gracious when our dinner arrived and bid their farewell.

This is one meal that I did not take a picture of!! I can't believe it! The steaks were out-of-this-world delicious, cooked to perfection. We decided to split the sides: 1 double baked potato and a dish of spinach, broccoli and garlic. I wish you could have seen the potato that was served. It was huge! It was cut in half and then each couple split a half! I could not finish my quarter. I had no idea that potatoes grew this large. WOW.

The only picture of food that night, was rightfully saved for dessert. I thought the potato was big. This thing was mammoth! You know it is one serious, bad-ass chocolate dessert when it comes with a steak knife plunged into the center of it. Look at this thing!

We couldn't finish this either. We saved it for breakfast the next morning! Mmmm!

It turned out to be a beautiful evening. My husband had the idea to go to the Hancock Building to have a night cap. When we arrived in the lounge, it was so ungodly hot. We found a table just behind the tables next to the window. Not the best view, but you could see parts of the cityscape. We ordered from the waitress and then it hit me. The building was swaying. I am not a boat fan because of the motion. In fact, if the kids are fooling around in the back seat, I have to yell at them to stop because the movement of the car makes me sick. The building is built to give and move with the wind. Now mind you, it is only moving inches and to the normal person is probably not even noticed, but to me it felt like yards. Combined with the heat in the room I was getting sick.  I excused myself to the ladies room and found a line, but not to the stalls. It was to take pictures!

This is the view from the ladies room!!

I returned to the table and felt bad to say that I had to leave and that I would meet them downstairs when they finished. They were kind and chose to leave with me. I guess our friend was feeling the same way, so it was fine with them if we found another spot.

We decided to take our nightcap back to the establishment at our hotel.

Here is where we encountered "MaryAnn". Every boy's favorite, right? She lived up to all expectations. And then some!



To Do or Not To Do List is My Friday Question.

Welcome Friday!! Woo-hoo! It has been one of those weeks. How 'bout for you?

I started my day around 4:30am trying to catch up on some laundry and decided not to do my exercise routine, but instead hit the road for a run. More on that in a minute.

So, as I was getting lunches ready, I also prepared my To-Do list, and if you remember from my Bucket List post, you know how much I like lists! This one is a doozie....not sure I will get through it today, but will try.

First thing on the list was to take the kids to get their braces tightened. Yes, that was a plural. We have both kids in braces and it's been so much fun, I recommend it to every parent of a teenager! *yes, sarcasm*

Here is what my kids look like when they hear that it is time for "The Visit" to the orthodontist.

image via Google search

A tip for those of you that are venturing into world of orthodontic care...and have managed to keep your arms and legs (payment is pretty steep for these things), before the wire tightening visit, be sure to help your child deal with the pain by giving Motrin/Tylenol BEFORE the visit. Did you catch the be-fore? Me? I should listen to my own advice, because I forgot. It wasn't pretty when they walked out of the back...both holding their cheeks saying "Ow."

Next on my list was to go to the bank...check....next....run...

Yes. Run. I have not really done any running in about a month. I have walked, done weights, worked out with kettlebells (which I am in l-o-v-e with, btw). But no running because I have been rehab-ing a past knee injury.

So, today was the day to test the waters. I went for a very easy 30 minute run and it was good. It felt great to see the fall colors and get some cool air into the lungs. I am still in the wait and see mode to make sure that the knee stays "normal".

So I am up to 4 things checked off my list....

Not. even. a. dent.

How is your "to-do" list going?

Wordless Wednesday:: Fall is Here!

Gilligan's Island The Chicago Series: "The Skipper"



The Skipper via Google Image Search

We left "Gilligan" in search of a place to have fun. The bouncer was extremely kind to the "early bird" -older-crowd (aka: us!) that showed up at his door. We peeked in and asked if it was open and he said it was. Our next question was how quickly did the tables fill up, because we definitely wanted a table. How sad is this...it was only 6 pm! He said they would probably be full in an hour. We all exchanged looks and said we should go in now and asked if there was a cover. Here is where our new friend won all our hearts....I believe he ducked inside and asked the hostess to let us in without a cover charge. We had our hand stamped and off to a table we went inside "Howl at the Moon."

There was a pretty sizable group celebrating a retirement party for a woman named “Feathers”. Now, I have no idea if this was her real name or her “stage” name, but she was referred to this all night long.

Next to Feather’s party was a smaller crowd of all ladies celebrating an 80’s reunion. Who says older folks can’t have fun? We just have to party early! We've learned to like our sleep.

My husband and I had gone to a Howl at the Moon while visiting San Antonio, TX. He surprised me for my 40th birthday by planning the whole trip-(I know. He is awesome!)-we stayed on the River Walk, saw the Alamo and had the best margarita’s I have ever had. Ever! One evening we decided to visit the dueling piano bar to see what it was all about and ended up having so much fun! We were really hoping that it would carry through with Chicago for our friends to enjoy, and it did! The songs were flowing, folks were dancing and the musicians were playing and cracking snarky remarks getting the crowd going. About an hour after we sat down, more musicians joined on stage; In addition to the 2 pianos, there were drums, a bass, guitar, harmonica and even a trumpet! Three guys and two girls-all rotating between instruments. I can say that I was impressed. What a talented group on stage!

What was that bobbing to the beat up on the dance floor? Is that….a…skipper hat?

My husband told us of a legend that had been spotted around town wooing the young ladies with his soft shoe and that he caught a quick glimpse of him at the Oktoberfest while we were chatting with the "Professor". Seems everyone knows who the dancing Skipper is but can never say where he will show next. As luck should have it.. he was here! I would say put one of his "crew" members in a mix of young ladies, add some music and you have caught yourself a Skipper!

He did not confine himself to just the dance floor either…he made it around the whole bar, like a silent shark, grabbing a hand here and there and pulling in a giggly girl. At one point it got a little creepy because right in front of  our table, we caught a glimpse of his dance moves that went way too low and with a little too much gyration for an 80+ year old guy. I thought he was going to break a hip! He found his way back to the dance floor and to a pretty retiree named Feathers who was now wearing a fuchsia boa and was kicking up her heels as well. That was the last we saw of the Skipper and of Feathers.

I mean, really. Who can resist a man in uniform? Such a smooth operator!

Directions: Putting One Foot In Front Of The Other

In this sculpture, no two pair of feet are facing the same direction. They are pointed toward their own particular path. Is it a path with purpose or is it wandering aimlessly?

Aimless or with Purpose?
At first glance, I thought it was aimless, but as I got closer and physically walked through it, I felt that it was more with purpose.  I wish I could feel as solid as these metal limbs, so sure-footed in the direction they wish to travel. Then, I found it. My own path beginning to take shape as I made deliberate steps around the solid masses. To make my way through, my path needs to be my own and not like anyone else.

Stepping on Toes
Sometimes when traveling, we intersect with those that seem to be headed in the same direction and may step on toes. We do not mean to do it, it just happens and we say sorry or excuse me. Can I get to where I am going without stepping on toes? Nope. And I know that mine will get a kick now and then too. It's all part of the journey.  I try to look at these missteps as a reminder to keep following my path no matter what.

A Change In Direction
Can a path change? Of course. It is a choice we all make.  Do we go left or right? Stay on the familiar or take the road less traveled? No matter what we choose, it is our individual journey from point A to B. We may use a detour now and then, but that is ok. I think the important thing is: find your path with purpose. Make each step count.


My path is about to change. I'm heading in a new direction. I just need to put one foot in front of the other to let the journey begin.

Where is your path taking you and are you going there with purpose?

Leave a comment: I would love to hear your thoughts.

Wordless Wednesday:: Adirondack Beauty

Hard to choose for this week. So many great photos taken on this hike...expect more to follow.

Gilligan's Island The Chicago Series: "Gilligan"



Gilligan, via Google Image Search


Gilligan's three hour tour should have been by city rather than sea. Instead of his weary travelers suffering from "sea-legs" and then being stranded, they could have suffered from "Seg-legs" and found oasis at the local pizza joint.

After our encounter with "Ginger" aka Rude Girl, we needed to put some fun back into our trip, so we set out to have a day touring Chicago by Segway! Since I am not a huge boat fan, I found this three hour tour more my style and really, really fun! If you have ever thought of taking a Segway tour of the city you are visiting, do it! It is well worth the money and you see quite a bit!

When we checked in at Tour Central, we were already planning what we would have for dinner and that was authentic Chicago style deep dish pizza. We asked the clerk where she liked to eat such pizza and immediately said "Oooooh, Lou Malnati's! The. Best. I eat there all the time!" She was very nice to write down the phone number and directions, which we safely tucked away to use later.

We picked out some rocking helmets, and feeling much like a tough roller derby girl, headed down with the group to meet our tour guide and grab our rides.

Our tour guide (I will call her "Belle") was a cool surfer-chick kind of gal, with a funky, artsy vibe. She was from San Diego and was so glad to have just finished nursing school. Chicago's winters were a bit harsh and she was looking forward to getting back home to warm weather and the chance to grab a surf board rather than snow shovel this winter. Belle got us geared up on our Segways and taught us the basics of how to operate one. We were a small group and we picked it up quickly.

  
We signed up for the River Tour which, you guessed it, brought us down by the river! We cautiously moved down the path in the direction of Lake Michigan. Making our way through the crowd as a newly "licensed" driver was a bit scary; maneuvering around an empty plaza is one thing, add tons of people on a narrow paved path is quite another! Thank goodness these things are equipped with bells! I kept pushing the black button on mine. It wasn't ringing, so I stuck close to my friend, who was "ding-dinging" her way through the crowd. 

We made it through without casualty, and greeted the harbor filled with sailboats. It was beautiful.

We toured the harbor, Planetarium, Field Museum and Aquarium, which we were told was THE best place to visit. Did you know that when the Aquarium first opened, they spent so much money that they could not afford to fill it with marine life? So they brought sea water by train and filled the empty tanks charging folks to come and see the ocean!  

After shaking out our "Seg-legs" we made our way past the beach, then Soldier Field and back through Grant Park.

What are "Seg-legs" you ask? A term aptly coined by Segway tour guides after spending hours on the personal transport machines.

On the way back to the Tour Center, one of the Segways stopped working. Oh, no! The three hour tour did end with one of us stranded!! Not to worry, "Belle" was on top of it and coasted back to our 'land-wrecked' friend and brought them back safely. She apologized for ending on such a bad note...but we felt the opposite. Belle did a great job and was an excellent tour guide!

By this time, we could not get out our directions to pizza fast enough. We were all starving. We finally found Lou's and were seated. A lanky fellow introduced himself and took our drink orders. "Gilligan" was working hard to remember that we wanted water and a menu. He brought the menus and then said "Oh, the water!" He returned with three and forgot the fourth. We put in an order for appetizers and beer and waited for him to return to ask for utensils to eat our snacks....he came back with the fourth water then hit his forehead remembering that he didn't have forks and knives in hand. Not the sharpest tool in the box. Every three hour tour needs a little comic relief, right? Lucky for us, he did remember to bring dinner and when the pizza arrived, we all thought my goodness, this was like heaven on a plate. It was so incredibly delicious, I wish I could have eaten a second piece! This picture does not do it justice:

If you head to Chicago and want fabulous authentic pizza, go here. You will not be disappointed!

We walked our stuffed selves out of Lou's and headed down the street where we came across "Howl At the Moon" a dueling piano bar. It looked fun and we made our way inside. Little did we know that in less than an hour, we would finally see "Gilligan's" buddy the Skipper!

Wordless Wednesday:: Battlefield