We managed to fit in one trip to the Pumpkin Patch before the season ended. Sugarwings and I spent almost 3 hours there, just talking to pumpkins and meeting new fuzzy friends. She certainly is a nature child and is happier playing with dirt than toys most of the time.
Here she is in a quickie little video of her naming her newest buddy.
We found a few little pumpkins to adopt, and it was hard to convince her that the caterpillar couldn't come home with us too. She was satisfied when I told her that next time we went there, she could visit him again and he would be a butterfly.
We did a little shopping at the local Salvation Army too, where I got her a big bagful of new clothes for 20 bucks. Isn't this little outfit cute? It was a pale blue, but I dyed the shirt and floral overalls in a fuchsia dye to brighten them up. The whole outfit cost $2.00. (I'm not counting the cost of the dye, because I bought it to dye the sheets for the Gypsy Fairy Wagon Bassinette and just threw these in with them)
Kids clothes are so expensive, and fit for such a short period of time, that I am always on the lookout at thrift stores and am thrilled to get hand me downs for her too. Plus, since she is such a dirt aficionado, its nice to not worry about what she is wearing. I might not be as quick to let her wallow around, happy as a pig in mud if I'd spent $20 on one outfit instead of on a whole bag of outfits. Plus, have you looked at the price tag on kid's clothes? $20 wouldn't get me very far!
This has been a particuarly fun Halloween season, with Sugarwings big enough to really get into it all. She loves the Monster Mash as much as I do, we've been singing and dancing to it all week.
For our party, I set up a caramel apple making station in the treat cabinet, and I think that the adults enjoyed making their treats as much as the kids did.
My fairy grand baby was as happy to make a caramel apple as she was to do her very own witchy face makeup.
Pixie Pie liked them too. Seems like anytime you give kids an oportunity to do something themselves, they are pretty happy. We do a lot of "make your own" parties- mini pizzas, cupcakes and tacos are all fun for kids to put together. And with 4 little dorkies in the house, the floor doesn't get too bad while kids are creating their plates. The dogs hang out under the table and are enjoying the party more than anyone else.
We set up a pumpkin decorating station outside the kids were given paints and brushes. I had big plans to clean off all the seeds and roast them, but there was just too much going on and a bit too much paint mixed in with the pumpkin guts to do it.
When Sugarwings and I carved our own pumpkin earlier, she helped me pick out all the seeds. I'd never roasted them before, but there wasn't much to it, here is how we did it:
First, we washed the seeds and got all the strings off.
Then, tossed them with sea salt and a splash of olive oil, then spread them out on a cookie sheet to bake at 350 until they started to look about half way done.
I melted a 1/4 stick of butter, added just a little cinnamon and sugar and a cup of pecans, Sugarwings stirred them altogether and we both spread the mix back out on the pan again. I cooked them till they were crunchy.
I wasn't sure how long they needed to bake, so just checked on it every few minutes. When the seeds started to explode and pop, I figured they'd gone long enough! I wasn't expecting that.
We've been eating them on salad all week. They are only lightly sugared, and its pretty tasty that way. They'd be good on ice cream too.
It started to turn cold later, but was still pretty nice for this part of the evening.
We still haven't had our first frost yet! I'm thinking about hauling my potted topiary rosebush into the studio while it is still blooming.
My aqua eyeshadow as face paint was popular, lots of us ended up with an unearthly blue glow.
The kids painted mini pumpkins and made ghosts too. Its always funny to me, how serious the kid's faces are while they are working.
Yep, it was a fun Halloween week for us here at the cottage. Now, if only I could whip up a magic spell that took away all the sticky hand prints from my door knobs… I've been finding remnants of the caramel apple extravaganza everywhere!
Today, I'm still scanning and printing images for the Romantic White Christmas, and Beth and I are working on a banner for the class. Its still in progress, but here is a peek.
While I was scanning images for Christmas, I found these pumpkins for you. Just right click, save the larger image in the window to your computer and print.
Hi Karla. I love that you want to, and do, have as much fun as the kids. For me, that is part of the liberation that comes with Halloween! Crazy fun is OK. Your White Christmas workshop: is that online or in a shop? ‘Cause I’m feeling “white” this Christmas is the new green.
Love the post Karla, the pic’s re all so great of your Halloween get together, looks like you all had lots of fun! Happy Halloween to you all! Marilou
Karla
What a great Grandmother you are!!! You are making memories for your little ones that they will always remember. Loved all the pics
So excited about your next class
Your pictures & video of the pumpkin patch are so sweet. I’m really gonna miss my kids this year. At first I thought the unhealthy blue glow was your photo program until I noticed the arms are not blue. Cool effect!
Happy Halloween
~Marilee
What a beautiful family you have and they are so lucky to have such a fun and ambitious Gramma like you. Sugarwings photographs so well, she’s a beautiful little girl. She could be a model. Love the sweet caterpillar video. Happy Halloween to all of you !
:o) Sue
oh what fun you had Karla..looking forward to sticky door knobs in the future…love your agua makeup..scary lol
Love those socks !!! 🙂 Sugarwings is pretty brave, you couldn’t get me anywhere near that fuzzy creature !!! Lol !! 🙂 Glad the day was so special and fun for ALL ! 🙂 Hugs 🙂 🙂
Hi Karla,
What a fabulous post, I have such a huge smile on my face after reading this. Fabulous!!!!
Thanks for sharing and Happy Halloween!
Debby
What fun!
I just saw one of those fuzzy caterpillars in my flower garden tonight. Your parties look like so much fun for all ages.
Happy Halloween!
What a fun Halloween week! Love the pics with the caterpillar…so sweet.
Karla, I truly enjoyed the video of SugarWings and her new friend… don’t you just love the innocence of youth? 🙂 mercedes
Next year I’m sending my girly girl over to you, so she can really enjoy Halloween. She loves it (I’m not a fan, but I make the effort), and would LOVE your celebrations. My sister held a little Halloween & fireworks party for her last night – yey, no mess for me to clear up! – and my Little Pumpkin Fairy had a great time.
Despite the best efforts of the supermarkets each year, Halloween still isn’t a big celebration over here in England, but it’s nice to have dressing up parties. Have to admit though, felt a tad foolish leaving the house at 5 p.m dressed as a witchy/Morticia/spooky lady!
Happy Halloween xx
You throw the best parties!! Memories in the making. Looks like a lot of fun. And good luck with the cleaning up.
Karla, Oh I can immagine, the sticky doorknops, after all those small fingers, have been in yummy things,to eat.
Love you as paintet halloween queen-and the photoes of the kids, are wonderfull. WHAT A SPECIAL,AND HAPPY WEEK YOU HAD.
Wish you a wonderfull halloweens eve,dear Karla.
Hugs,Dorthe
I wanna come play at your house and wear blue eyeshadow all over! (Is that the trick to keeping the eyes wide open?)
Love the pumpkin patch and how that little caterpillar looks like a heart kiss.
Thank heaven for little girls…they keep us forever young!
Debbie
Thanks Karla, maybe some iron in your diets for complexion color..LOL. You are remarkable with the children.!!
Love the pumkin scan, the dialogue was fun to read.
thanks
Oh Karla, you do the most wonderful things for the kids. Sugarwings is so adorable in the video!
I love your Stripey Tights!!
Happy Scary Day!
LuLu~*xoxo
Just found your blog – love it. Your granddaughters are beautiful!! I used to roast the pumpkin seeds after we carved our pumpkins too (and we always had to make carmel apples when we did the pumpkins.) My youngest is now 34 and she and the other two (40 & 42) still carry on the tradition. You never know what these kind of things mean to children because you do them so they have fun but the memories do stick with them.
Can’t wait to see your White Christmas!!
Ok–Now I am all cought up.
Looks like a lot of fun has been going on
in your neck of the woods.
Have a safe a fun Halloween!
Melinda
Karla~you are THE MOST FUN! What a terrific grandma you are!!
You’d make a great preschool teacher. You know kids because your a big kid yourself. You are definitely in touch with your Inner Child. LOL
What a beautiful family!
Happy Halloween!
Bo!Boo!!
Love that bootiful glow you have going on!~ I want sticky door knobs~ Not yet, I can wait a bit longer…lol~
Great fun! I love how easy you make it look!
enJOY your Halloween~
What a lucky Mr. Fuzzy-Fuzzy to get to ride on Sugarwings’ pumpkin!
“Seems like anytime you give kids an opportunity to do something themselves, they are pretty happy.” There’s a magic truth about life! So obvious it is easy to miss.
Glad you had a fun and successful party. No amount of makeup could hide all those smiles. ;->
No new baby yet?? Hope Gypsy momma and baby are still doing well!!
Love it!….Sugar wings is adorable and you are unbelievably sweet!….love your costume from the top of your aqua tinted face to the soles of your clever stripped feet…you are adorable!
How adorable…..I have tried and tried and I can’t seem to get sound with my video. I wanted to post a video of my little dogs doing their daily bark and howl( for no paticular reason at all ) but the sound did not come through. I’ll keep trying. In the mean time, I will enjoy my visits to your blog. You always seem to be having so much fun!
have a great day.
Laraine
Looks like so much fun! It must be majorly amazing to hang out at your house, always lots going on. I envy Sugarwings her free and messy spirit. I grew as an only child of a no nonsense mom who never wanted me to get dirty or be messy, boy did I love summers on my grandmothers farm where messy meant merriment. You are a great grandmother!
Thanks for revealing your secret w/ your make-up…it’s incredible! And of course Sugarwings is a little doll…LOVE her voice!
I hear ya about kid’s clothes! I buy Caralyn’s clothes while thrifting too but never have much luck w/ boys clothes so I gave up. They alwasy seem too worn or too plain. I’ve been accused of playing favorites but girls are just soo much more fun to shop for! 😉
Hi Karla, what a cute video!! I also got a kick out
of Pixie Pie’s expression holding the candy apple. It
looks like everyone had a great time. I love your outfit
too. Do you mix the eyeshadow into foundation?
Hugs,
Janis
Karla,
I was going to suggest a vitamin supplement, I’m relieved to read it’s only make up LOL! I so agree about thrift stores for kids. I have to admit when the babies were around 1 I got carried away for a few months, Baby Gap, Gymboree, loved them all. But some outfits never even got worn. Soon finances & sense overcame me & we now hit Kid to Kid or the thrift store. It’s crazy to buy new when you can buy almost new for a fraction of the cost. Same with toys. I find they love the treasures they find at garage sales as much as the new stuff. Your party looked like a hit, what fun making all that messy, gooey stuff! A kids dream. You are for sure in the Grandmother Hall of Fame! Lisa
cute post!! I hope you had a fabulous Halloween!! Have a wonderful day!! Huge hugs!!! Britt 🙂