Halloween Portraits and Jam!

A semi warm day, we headed out to get a few official Halloween shots for this year.  

Halloween wouldn't be the same without Elmo who is now joined by a witch potato head pumpkin and a ghost one, who didn't make it into the pictures as our hands were freezing and we couldn't push the parts in :)

Had to bribe her for the witch shot.  I asked her to put on a costume and she wanted the one she is going to wear for Halloween night (but I wanted a witch pic!).  After a promise of a surprise, she reluctantly went out (in a wind that wanted to blow that hat off) and posed for her crazy Mom.  She got her surprise, but for the life of me I forgot what it was!

We brought out Rob's favorite Halloween decoration...Kitty, who seems to be always a bit grumpy. When I first got this, it sat so that each time you opened the door, you caught a glimpse of her (Amelia always refers to her as a her) ...spooked us every time.

Next post will be pics from our Halloween Walk at the Nature Center and of course...Trick or Treating!

(shhh...don't want to jinx anything...but so far...no snow)

As promised...making Jam!

My friend and neighbor, Renee, gave me the MOST DELICIOUS Rhubarb and Strawberry Jam a few weeks ago and she promised to show me how as I have been wanting to learn for quite some time.

Last Friday was the day.  I brought my Rhubarb that I had frozen earlier and she had Raspberries.  This was perfect as she gave me a few Raspberry plants too awhile back.  I would have all the ingredients in my back yard!

 We went at it.

The recipe came from a book that she recommended after I complained of having so much Rhubarb I didn't know what to do with.  Remember, I am not a big fan of Rhubarb...but Jam I am!  I am hoping  the book turns up at Christmas :)

It was great to watch someone who does it all the time (you should see their garden and raspberry patch!) and of course, have fun chatting while you work :)  We made 2 large and 2 small jars. 

Since I was only armed with my iPhone, when I got home I took a proper pic.  I had purchased the blue vintage jars that I thought were so pretty...and will be once the jam is out :)  The blue makes the jam look much darker.

I also came home to no greeting from Amelia (never has happened before).  I found her lying on the couch with a 102 degree temp and a few minutes later BLAH.  

Literally, a 24 hour bug...by Sunday she was running around like her usual crazy self.

Have a great Halloween!

It's beginning to look a lot like....Halloween!

I actually started decorating in September after our first snowfall, as it made me want to decorate for Christmas.  I chose to get busy with Halloween first.  I was listening to Christmas music though...just so you know :)

I tend to decorate the same each year and posted last year on our decorating adventures, so might just talk about new stuff in the years forthcoming.  People surely will get sick of seeing the head made of paper towels and coffee that I made about 8 years ago.  

I will say this...I used to put the Halloween and Christmas decorations up in a day...that was before little miss Amelia came around with the attention span of 3 minutes.

We managed another Halloween craft too.  A quick one that she was eager for as it involved glue and paint.  

Once I acquire a few sheets of orange tissue paper, think we will make a tissue paper pumpkin to go in our growing pumpkin patch.

Friday, Amelia came down with a bug.  Knowing we would be up a lot that night (needed a good night light) and to give her a bit of a lift as she was feeling pretty miserable, I brought down her pink Christmas Tree that I promised she could decorate on her own once the Christmas decorations came out.

  

By Saturday afternoon (and Rob's birthday), she felt much better and went to play in her room.  After quite sometime, I  went into check on her and this is what I found.

Pretty much all her jewelry on the tree with gifts underneath.

We are leaving it up.

Later that evening, after a dinner of florentine stuffed flank steak (Amelia had bland pasta as we didn't want to risk another sleepless night :), we sang happy birthday to Dad and enjoyed his favorite chocolate brownies. 

Next time (as this post is getting rather long)...My first time canning jam with my friend and neighbor, Renee.

Felt Cookies

I cannot tell you how many times I have seen 

something and said "I can do that".   Rarely tho, do I.   

I saw these felt cookies on Nana Company blog and thought they would be great little Christmas gifts for friends and all the little girls in the family...including mine.  

Amelia loves tea parties and anything to do with her play kitchens (more about that later).  After I did one, I decided to give her set a wee early.  Now I am hungry.

Yes...kitchens.  

Remember we purchased an outdoor cottage 

this past summer.  

A few weeks ago, my husband and I stood looking at it through our entertainment room doors saying that we had to put a coat of sealer on it and when would 
I do this as it was getting a bit chilly out.  

We both glanced at the double doors and looked at each other.   Yep the cottage was coming in. 

 Thus...2 kitchens now ... one in her room and one in the cottage.  Winter is lonnnnnngggg here, it will help keep her busy with the lack of sun :)  I pondered at the notion of going out to the cottage at 10 below (or 10 above for that matter!) even when we bought it and how it would handle the high winds...so this will have to do and our 2nd Christmas tree will have to find a new home.

 It wasn't a hard move at all ... open doors and slide it in.  When the snow melts it will go back outside where it can be properly played with and a coat of sealer will go on at that time, in case we decide to leave it out there :)

Made her a "Doc is in/out" sign as she has been giving her animals check ups as of late.  

Found the plant holders were great for a pumpkin and her mailbox too.  Thankfully, I had brought her Nasturtium plants, that once decorated the plant holders, in right before that snow burst we had and they are still doing well.  LOTS of  Nasturtiums next year for sure!

We broke out the rakes the other day and headed to work:

Then we had a wind storm and all leaves in the yard and on all the trees were gone.  So much for our pile of leaves.

I printed this Halloween game from Paper Coterie. 
 Be careful to not eat too many candy corn while playing. 

We have been playing a lot...will have to go to the dentist soon if we are not careful :P

Have decorated the house and have had several playdates and lunches to get into the Halloween spirit, but have decided to forgo once again a Halloween Party as our bathroom remodel has yet to be done and it looks as if potential prime time Halloween dates would be right in the middle of demo/tiling or putting together.  Next year. 

Will have some pics of decorating next time for sure. 

Fall Like

It has been a Fall like week and Amelia and I have been taking advantage with long walks and Halloween decorating...cocoa and apples with carmel mixed in too!

Found a bag of plastic leaves in our Halloween bin and made a Mod Podge bowl that I have been seeing around on Pinterest.  

Of course we peeled the glue off our fingers screaming "AHHHHH our skin is peeling off!!!"  

Amelia loved that part the best :)

Great week for sidewalk chalk too!  

Bet you didn't know that Ghosts need eyebrows, legs and hats.  She did a scribble that looked much like a 

New Yorker magazine sketch of a mans face...and she 

didn't even know it :)

Found a deck of Nature cards.  Figured I would put one in her letter every so often, to do as that days activity.  Since the mail in her mailbox novelty has not worn off, I am in need of new material for her letter/pkgs I do each morning ...except Sundays (no mail for anyone on Sundays :)  ... this will give me 52 days worth!

Lastly...a beautiful, chilly, Fall day required a trip to the zoo.  Had to wear her tiger hat...naturally.  We love the zoo.