It's the Funky Pumpkin Charlie Brown.....

Every year on Halloween night Linus sits in the pumpkin patch waiting for a visit from the Great Pumpkin. Last week I was on my own quest to secure some pumpkins to decorate with so I dropped in on Linus to see what his pumpkin patch had to offer. Charlie Brown and Snoopy were on hand to help in the selection. I looked at this one but it was too tall and lean. I plowed through all these but none were what I was looking for. These were a bit lumpy. This one was too shy. These were all very ordinary, sigh, no perfect pumpkin in sight.It was a most sincere pumpkin patch indeed but I did not find what I wanted so I left empty handed wishing Linus well in his pumpkin patch vigil. I decided that I might just get, GASP, fake pumpkins! I could reuse them every year. I searched high and low in bins and upon shelves looking at pumpkins made from vines, plastic, ceramic, resin, metal, corn husk, and about anything else you could imagine and my search was fruitless. I wanted something different, unusual, not the same old same old for the front steps. With a sigh I gave up. Then it happened, while walking by a display of fabric, this caught my eye. It screamed "PUMPKINS!" to me. Upon closer inspection I realized that this fabric was vinyl coated with a sheen and texture of a silk. Better yet, it was on the dollar a yard table! Visions of pumpkins began to dance in my head. I quickly snatched the bolt off the shelf and dashed to the pattern books. In case you are wondering I used McCall's pattern #M5724.

Armed with a pattern, thread, fabric, two wooden dowels, and a big box of fiber fill I had found my perfect pumpkins! After a few snips, clips, and sewing machine zips I had six pumpkins for a fraction of the cost of real ones or store bought fake ones. Darling daughter came home from work and dubbed them super cool, "Funky pumpkins mom. I love them!"The directions said to sew them together in a stack but I knew they would never stand up to wind that way so I stitched them a little shy of the ending point to leave a small hole on each end for the dowel to fit through. I stuffed them and then slid them onto the dowel which was anchored in floral foam in the tin planters that I already had on hand. I gave them a good spray of water repellent just to be on the safe side. Another trip to the woods netted more vine to twirl and secure around the stack. Each stack rests on a bed of moss.
I also finished out the door garland. I made a bird from some fabric scraps (he got a coat of water proofing too) and wired him to the boughs. I couldn't find my rusty old letters to write my "welcome" message with so I cut some from a scrap of cork board, spraying them with glue and sprinkling them with copper glitter. I pushed copper wire through the top of each letter to secure them to the vines.I decided my friend, Sweet P., needed some tricky treats. So I put together a little bag of treats all in good fun. I thought she might need a bit of tonic to ward off the chill of the evening so I packed her up some witches brew made from a scoop of graveyard dirt (hot cocoa mix), which must only be stirred with a spooky spoon (white plastic spoon dipped in melted white chocolate with a mini chocolate chip face), and must be topped off with ghost poop (mini marshmallows). YUM! remember this is just Halloween fun! I tucked the witches brew and recipe along with a popcorn ball, M&M's, and Hershey's Kisses into a treat bag and delivered it to her.While Linus sat waiting in his pumpkin patch last night and poor Charlie Brown was receiving rocks in his treat bag we had a little gathering here at the Quill. I had unexpected guests drop in just as I was about to decorate for the nights event. I sweetly sat and sweated it out much relieved when Handy Hubby arrived home from work early. I politely excused myself to slap something together, not what I had planned but better than I expected for ten minutes! They departed shortly before family arrived.The candy was dandy, sweet and salty!And yes I admit it, I cheated! Those are not homemade caramel apples or popcorn balls AND I served my guests pizza from the box when it arrived AND they had to drink soda from the can! Can you believe it? On paper plates no less, not even cute holiday ones, just plain white! What's a hostess to do when a monkey wrench is thrown into her plans?

As we were sitting around talking a hush filled the room as a Ninja burst through the front door with a loud "High Yah!" and karate chop move from his plastic sword that was taller than he was. I have to say that he was the cutest little Ninja that I have ever seen. In true Ninja style he tumbled over, got up with a grin, and came over to give his Hannah-son a hug.

Sweets, treats, and eats were dispersed and pumpkin carving commenced. We had a 28 lb. pumpkin to carve. Darling daughter and her date did the honors. It took the other four of us to keep up with the tiny Ninja Boy! A simple design of two spooky trees was rendered. At the big reveal all the lights were turned out and Darling Daughter entered the room with the lit pumpkin. She found herself attacked by Ninja Boy who was attracted to the flickering flame like a moth! The attack was so sudden that she almost lost her grip.Here is Ninja Boy gazing into the pumpkin flame.This was one of those days that you want etched into the heart as well as the memory. Nothing went as planned but turned out better than expected. Laughter rang through the walls of the Quill as one small family came together. Conversation flowed like water. Love permeated the air. The Spirit of celebration reigned quietly over all.

"There is nothing like the hearth of home,
With the family gathered 'round,
Where love, laughter, and merriment abound."

~Miss Sandy~

Beautiful and bountiful blessings on your weekend!