Window to My World - Pumpkin Rock

When you move to a new town, it can seem strange, cold, and lacking when compared to the place you came from.  I have discovered, however, that in time, something pretty amazing happens.  Suddenly, your "new" town becomes "your" town, a warm, familiar place with traditions and customs you now embrace.  

Last Halloween, actually, just after last Halloween, we discovered one of our town's unique traditions.  Starting November 1, people from around the town bring their Jack-o-Lanterns to a rock face known as "Pumpkin Rock."  
We're not sure, this may actually be a fairly new custom, but it is one that we were excited to join in this year.  And so, despite the heavy rain, today we headed down to Pumpkin Rock to deliver our Jack-o-Lanterns to their final home.  They seem pretty happy to be there:

 We were really impressed with the pumpkin carving skills on display at Pumpkin Rock:

 After I said good-bye to our Jack-o-Lanterns one last time, we went for a drive to check out the local Inukshuks, which had been decorated for Halloween:

 And that, my friends, was Halloween in our town, a place that has come to feel very much like home!

 

A Nesty Halloween "Post-Mortem"

I absolutely adore Halloween, and we had a really great time this year!  As promised, here is a photographic review of our "Halloweekend!"  

We started things off on Saturday night with a Halloween party.  I was pleasantly surprised at how many of the attendees came in costume.  I decided to get all dolled up a la "Mad Men" in a wonderful vintage dress my mother found at a Value Village store several years ago.  I added a bee-hive, bluish red lipstick and some pearls, and I was ready to go!

One of our guests had celebrated a birthday earlier in the week, so we feted them with a cheerful chorus of Happy Birthday, and, of course, a cake:

 This cake was featured in the 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Halloween.  Another great idea I discovered from Martha was the idea of having a Halloween Candy Bar:

 This station proved quite popular and it sparked many fun discussions about favored (and not so favored) Halloween treats.  I am already planning a Christmas Candy Bar for our annual Typsy Eve bash (more on that in a future post).

We had a wonderful party. Our guests brought some really yummy treats; I'd like to say I didn't have cake for breakfast, but, well, that would be a lie.  We slept in and were pleasantly surprised that there was very little clean up required the next day.  A load of dishes, a sweep of the broom, and a trip to the barn with some garbage, and we were finished!  We had plenty of time to play dominoes, drink coffee, and carve some pumpkins!

  I used the same  set up from the Candy Bar to display our Halloween Treats.  

 We love to decorate for Halloween, and every year we pick up a new piece.  The treat bowl above was this year's addition, while the groovy silver jack-o-lantern was 2009's.  Below is a collage of some of our decorating, with a sampling of our decorative pieces:

 The Trick-or-Treating part of the evening went well; we had approximately 30 ghosts and goblins come to our door.  We still have lots of treats left over (oh dear!).  In between visitors, I enjoyed sitting by the fireplace and getting the Halloween reports from my friends and family across Canada via Facebook and the phone!  Now, the jack-o-lanterns are almost out, the door bell is silent, and it's just about time for one last cup of tea and maybe, just maybe, one more mini chocolate bar (but only one, I swear!).  Tomorrow, I can't wait to check out all the great Halloween stories in Blogland!

Have a wonderful week!  'Til Wednesday!

Something New - Nesty Creations

Happy Halloweekend!

 You may be surprised to discover that today's post has nothing to do with Halloween.  In fact, it isn't going to be much of a post.  You see, I've taken on a new endeavor; next week I'm going to be participating in my first craft show!  After years of crafting for my own entertainment, I'm going to take the plunge and actually put my stuff "out there" and see how it goes.

Like Nesty the blog, Nesty crafts are a mixed bag.  I'm not a master of any one craft, but I know what I like and I know what I like to create.  I'm not going to knit for this one (although I like knitting very much) but I am going to be presenting a unique collection of handmade items.  There will be Christmas ornaments, possibly some mini-album / gift card holders, and some sewn items like these adorable little bags that have been taking up all my time the past few days:

I'm aiming for quality, not quantity; I'd rather have a few well-made items than a table full of junk.  And so, I'm taking the time with each project to pay attention to the details, like careful pressing and seam finishing.  I'm quite pleased with the final result.

I'll be back Monday with a Halloween "post-mortem."  (Sorry, I couldn't resist that one!)  Have a wonderful weekend, and a very Happy Halloween!

Window to My World - Halloween at My House

I just love decorating for Halloween!  Here are a few pictures of what I've done to make our home spooktacular for Halloween!  Enjoy!

How do you decorate for Halloween?  Do you decorate the interior of your home?  What about the exterior; is there a wreath on your door, a pumpkin on the patio, or corn stalks and hay bales on the front lawn? We'd love to know!

 

Happy Hallo-week!!!

The excitement of Halloween is really building now!  The big night is less than one week away, and it's time to put the finishing touches on costumes, make sure you have enough treats, and finishing "shrouding" your home in spook-tacular decor!!!  However, prior to Halloween night, it's a good idea to review some safety tips to ensure that you and your loved ones have a spooky, not scary, Halloween.


Even if you don't have children heading out to trick-or-treat, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with Halloween safety advice.  I covered Halloween Pet Safety in a previous post, however there are other steps you can take to keep yourself, and visitors to your home, safe.  As well, by reviewing what safety professionals are advising parents, you can help make their jobs easier by complying with common wisdom on everything from treats to keeping your yard free of tripping hazards.



Below, you will find links to some websites that offer lists of Halloween safety tips. The Canadian Red Cross list has some cute "seasonal" references in it, and the RCMP offers two lists; one for parents and one for Trick-or-Treaters.  I hope you find these links useful and informative:

• Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Halloween Safety Tips for Parents, and for Trick-or-Treaters
• Ten Halloween Safety Tips from the Canadian Safety Council 
• Health Canada offers tips for a Safe Halloween covering everything from Decorating Your House to Costume Safety
• Halloween Safety Tips From The Canadian Red Cross even includes advice on not getting run over by a run-away broom (a fun way to encourage kids not to "criss-cross" streets)

Have a great week!  See you on Wednesday!

Halloween Primer Part III - Don't Forget Your Pets!

There's something about the days leading up to Halloween that seems to invite mischief, tricks if you will.  Acts of vandalism, pranks, and impromptu explosions of fireworks are some of the less fondly anticipated aspects of the spooky season.  Of course, in most cases, these incidents are mostly just annoying, and after a disapproving shake of the head, we go along with our day (or evening, usually.)  

Fireworks in particular are a popular Halloween annoyance, and the nights leading up to Halloween are peppered with explosions.  It didn't really bother us much until we got Molly, who, like many dogs, is absolutely terrified of fireworks.  Last Halloween was especially hard on her, as there were an exceptional amount of explosions going on.  Tinky doesn't seem to be as effected by them, but he does take his cues from Molly.  Long story short, they did a lot of barking, and I got a headache.  I thought that I had stumbled upon a solution when I found a "Sounds of Nature" radio station on the television for them to listen to.  It drowned out the fireworks, and they seemed to like the babbling brooks, cooing doves, and ocean waves.  What they didn't like at all was when the whales chimed in.  Back to barking!

What I'm essentially getting at is that, although Halloween is lots of fun for humans, even some of the more innocent parts of Halloween can be really hard on pets (think costumes, candy and trick or treaters).  Luckily, there are some great online resources to advise you on how to keep your furry friends safe, happy, and calm during the Halloween weekend:

• Martha Stewart.com has a great article on Halloween Hazards 
• The ASPCA's list of Halloween Safety Tips has lots of great advice on everything from candy to costumes.
• The Dog Whisperer Cesar Milan's website Cesar's Way has a great post on how to have A Calm and Balanced Yowl-o-ween.  

 What these great articles all work to establish is that by taking a few precautions, you and your pet can have a safe and happy Halloween together!


Have a great weekend!  I'll be back on Monday as the countdown to Halloween continues!

Halloween Primer Part II - Tunes!

I suppose there are people out there that don't have a soundtrack to their lives, or at least one that they care about, but for me, music is intrinsically linked to my memories.  I'm officially old enough now to say that hearing a song on the radio has the ability to send me back decades.  This past week I've heard REM's "Everybody Hurts" on the radio no less than 4 times, and each time I hear the familiar intro I am back in Grade 12 hard at work on our Christmas play.  Gordon Lightfoot or Simon and Garfunkel remind me of early childhood.  Garth Brooks and Brooks and Dunn were staples during 4-H Weekend and trips to Provincial Show.  The Pogues and Radiohead are university and pubs and roadtrips.  

Still not convinced of the recollective power of music?  I have three words for you: "Dirty Dancing Soundtrack."   See, I told you so!

Of course, events and holidays have their own special soundtracks.  My aunt has a killer mixed CD that gets played at the family Christmas skating party every year.  You might think it would be full of Bing and other holiday favorites, but it's not.  Instead, we whirl around the ice to Donna Summer and lots and lots of hits from the 60's, 70's, and 80's.  We get our Christmas carol fix a few days later at our neighbor's Boxing Day bash, when we (literally) all gather around the piano with song sheets and belt out songs like "Marshmallow World" and "The Little Drummer Boy."  And my mom and I wholeheartedly agree that once October hits and Thanksgiving is over, we are allowed to (publicly) play our Christmas music.  (I mean, it's not like I was listening to it on my iPod during a walk in July or anything...never mind!)  As for events, well, I think the fact that many to-be-weds are eschewing a DJ or band in exchange for plugging in their iPods is a sign that soundtracks are important to our celebrations, our observances, and our lives.


And so, I feel it is important to have a good Halloween soundtrack.  Much like my annual Christmas Mix, my Halloween Hits evolve each year, usually with more additions than subtractions.  Here is a basic list of songs that I like to play in the weeks leading up to Halloween.  These are the perfect songs to fill treat bags, dip caramel apples, or stitch up a costume to:

1. I Want Candy - Bow Wow Wow
2. Werewolves of London - Warren Zevon
3. Pet Semetary - The Ramones
4. Ghostbusters - Ray Parker, Jr.
5. Thriller - Michael Jackson
6. People are Strange - The Doors
7. Clap for the Wolfman - The Guess Who
8. Bad Moon Rising - Creedance Clearwater Revival
9. I Put a Spell on You - Screamin' Jay Hawkins
10. Monster Mash - Bobby "Boris" Pickett

If you're planning to have a Halloween Party, there's a few more tunes you could add.  I always like to remember that, for a party playlist, you should consider that there will be a variety of guests with many different musical tastes.  So, don't be afraid to add in selections from genres you may not listen to on a regular basis.  And hey, more often than not it's the song that everybody would normally turn up their nose at that gets everyone up on the dance floor (how else can we explain the enduring popularity of the Chicken Dance and The Macarena?):
11. Weird Science - Oingo Boingo
12. Eyeball in my Martini - The Cramps
13. Dig My Grave - They Might Be Giants
14. The Devil Went Down to Georgia (Re-recorded) - The Charlie Daniels Band
15. The Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley
16.Black Number One - Type O Negative
17. Dragula - Rob Zombie
18. Bela Lugosi's Dead - Bauhaus
19. This Is Halloween - The Nightmare Before Christmas Sountrack
20. A Nightmare on My Street - DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince



Now, as any horror movie fan will tell you, a properly composed instrumental can be very effective at sending shivers up your spine.  The last few selections could be added into the party mix, but they would be equally great played as background music for a spooky dinner party or as trick or treaters come to the door:
 
21. Halloween Theme - John Carpenter / MCA Music
22. Tubular Bells - From The Exorcist
23. Buffy The Vampire Slayer (Main Theme) - Knightsbridge
24. Materia Primoris (Theme from The X Files) - Mark Snow25. Overture (The Phantom of the Opera) - Original London Cast
26. Beetlejuice (Main Titles / End Titles - Danny Elfman
27. Sleepy Hollow - New World Orchestra
28. Psycho (Suite) -  Elmer Bernstein
29. Theme from The Outer Limits - Neil Norman



And of course, what Halloween mix would be complete without this enduring classic...
 
30. The Addams Family - Vic Mizzy

 My list is definitely designed for a grown up Halloween party, but sites like iTunes have great ready made playlists where you can get ideas for your own personal list if you want one that's a bit more family friendly (I found iTunes Essentials super helpful in making up my list!).  Have fun, and be sure to add in any favorites I've forgotten in the comments!

Halloween Primer - Treats A-plenty (But Hide Them Well!)

Now that we're into the final half of October, there is no denying that Halloween is coming up and coming up fast!  Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and I've been having lots of fun decorating and planning for the big event!

While planning the perfect costume / party / menu / all of the above, it's important not to forget a very pivotal part of the Halloween experience - buying the treats!  It may sound obvious, but think back: how many times have you had to make a quick trip to the store on October 29 or 30?  And were you sometimes shocked to discover that there was almost nothing left to purchase? If you mentally raised your hand to either, then you know that it's time to add "Buy treats" to your to-do list.

The next item you'll want to write on that list is "Hide Treats."  Why?  I'm willing to wager that a good portion of you who have made that emergency treat trip did so because you did the unthinkable and dipped into the stash.  It is a well-known fact that, once opened, a bag of mini chocolate bars will not last long (or mini chips, or mini licorice, take your pick).  Regardless of your choice of treat, once its containment perimeter has been breached it's not long for this world.  And so, to prevent this from happening, you should hide your treats, and hide them WELL!!  My treats are residing in a basement storage room with my Christmas decorations right now, and they have been there undisturbed for over a week.  This may be a new record.

There are other steps you can take to protect your treats (and, subsequently, your wallet and your waistline).  One is to not pick out the treats yourself.  My husband picked out the treats this year (our last trip to town was a "two carter" at the department store and he swung by seasonal before I did).  He picked out Pringles and mini bars.  A good pick; although I do love chocolate, I am entirely more likely to rip into Twizzlers or Nibs.  And while I will eat a chip or two if a bowl is placed in front of me, they just aren't tempting enough for me open an entire case.

If you are faced with picking out the treats yourself, you could pick out something that there's no way on earth you would ever, ever eat.  Like those bags of sour powdered sugar objects, or things that look like slime.  I could have a truckload of those items and would feel absolutely no temptation to dip into them.  Now a Tootsie Roll or Pop, that's another story....and that's why I didn't throw a bag of those in the cart!

Do you have a Halloween Treat survival (or disaster) story?  If so, we'd love to hear them in the comments!

Have a great week!  See you on Wednesday!