HAPPY HALLOWEEN !

Hi readers and happy Halloween,

I've spent all day being busy sorting stuff out, carving pumpkins and decorating. I'm now finishing writing this and editing it as I wait for the Trick or Treaters. So, firstly my pumpkins. I decided to go with Sparky from Frankenweenie and Jack Skellington from Nightmare Before Christmas. They turned out pretty good and I've already had some neighbors and parents really liking them.

I can't believe how long it took me to make them, even though they were simple designs. I watched nearly all of the second season of American Horror Story and I was glad of the distraction because asylums, torture and hospitals are the worse things for me and I can't really watch stuff with those things in them. I've got the last two episodes to watch now, but the setting has mostly moved out of the asylum now. I'm looking forward to watching the third season a lot more now and that's about witches which I'll be fine with. Anyway, here's my pumpkins close up;  

I'm hoping they'll keep the evil spirits away night! I've had 22 trick or treaters so far and I'm out of sweets. I made 20 party bags up and believed I'd have some to left to eat afterwards and now I'm having to give away my person Halloween sweets. I've never had so many kids before, but it's getting a bit later now, so I might have said goodbye to the last of them. 

I also manged to do the lantern from my last post and I'm really happy with it. I decided to not use the black marker to color in the outline as instructed, because it just wasn't working. So, I used my black glitter paint again and I added some purple glitter paint into the inside to give it more sparkle. I've still got another two to do, though they are going to have to wait till another time now. But I'm not too bothered because I'd love it to be Halloween all the time anyway! I'll be posting them up in November now and showing how I got on with them. Then In December, I'm going to do Christmas scene ones. 

In the kitchen yesterday, I made gingerbread ghosts, pumpkins and bats. I used a different recipe to the one I normally use and though they turned out okay, they are far from perfect. I think the problems from my Halloween Count Down part 2 post also effect me and again. They do taste fine, but I wish they looked better. I was tempted to put them in the goodie bags for the kids, but then decided against it due to not being sure if the kids were going to be okay with them and if the gingerbread icing would survive. My last biscuits went down so well and I can only hope these do to. I think next year, I'm so going to stick with the recipes I know work and do turn out really good. Who knows what I'll be up to next year, though?

One thing I always think about at Halloween is how many pumpkins are wasted. I know that sounds like an odd thought, but none of of the pumpkin goes to waste in my house and so tonight I made roasted pumpkin seeds. These are really easy to make! I washed and dried the seeds then added in some brown sugar and cinnamon. I cooked in them in the oven for an hour and half on a low setting. They are a tasty and health snack! Plus they can be added to lots of different dishes too.  

With the rest of the pumpkin the plans are to make my mum's pumpkin pie and a pumpkin soup. With her being away at a party, I've not been able to make those tonight and I've frozen the pumpkin so we can use it when she returns. I'll write about that next week because pumpkin pie is something no one should miss out on!

Here's a photo of all the stuff I got to go in the goodie bags. I was hoping to get some toys and maybe theme stationary too, but none of the shops I went to had anything like that. I just liked the idea better then mixing everything in a bowl and the kids really like them. I think I'll have to look at getting some more next year though because this time has been really busy. That's if I do decided to do it again though. 

I've fond memories of trick or treating with my family and friends or else going to parties and I just like the idea of those memories starting in other people. A part of me does wish I was hosting or going to a party tonight though. Oh, well, maybe next year.... 

I think that decorating the house has to be my second favorite part of Halloween. (Pumpkins come first!) Being home alone and not actually having any plans isn't a great feeling and so to cheer myself up, I took a trip into the attic to find my Halloween decorates, yesterday. I found one box that had some stuff in, but nothing worth getting it and the second box had only my large pot lit up pumpkins, Spider chase lights and a box of parrot lights from my 21st birthday party. I'm really not sure where the rest of my stuff has gone to. There must be another box in the attic or else it's stored under my bed. Anyway, I decided to do what I could, but in handing the pot pumpkins to my mum their cardboard box completely split and she got whacked on the head by them. 

I was a little upset that they both smashed but then more so about my mum. She got a concussion and went into shock. I was really thinking my dad would have to drive her to the hospital or a walk in center. But once she had sat down and didn't feel sick and dizzy any more, she seemed okay. That though led to a small argument with my dad as my parents at that moment were getting ready to go away for the weekend and to a Halloween party with my dad's diving club. I felt pretty bad about the whole thing and my dad moaning about my 'wrong time'. I should be use to that over the years, but once again I had been going through the whole debate about not going into the attic and not decorating the house, but deciding that I really needed to. (This enters into another long story, which I'm hoping to write about at some point in November / December) I was hoping to find some super glue and get them repaired, but I can't find any and I've so not had the time today.

Anyway, here's a photo of the front of my house; 

I was hoping to do a little more decorating, but it rained heavily in the night and everything was soaking wet still. It's not meant to rain tonight, but it's been looking like it might do. I wanted to put my skeleton dog out tied up on the grass with an bowl and a bone, but I got scared someone might steal him. Which I know is a bit of a silly thought to have, but yeah.....issues. Don't think most of the kids would have seen him anyway because the front wall is high. Also, I never found the rest of my decorations.

Lastly, I'm about to burn my favorite candle; Happy Halloween from Yankee Candles. I know I've wrote about this one before, but I just love it so much. I got luckily too because I found it at a really good price on Amazon and after deciding there was a high chance I'd never find one at that price in the future due to them now retiring it and the fact they only released a limited number around Halloween anyway. I've got three of them now and one of which I'll never burn because I'm hoarding it away! Also, the photo isn't mine because my camera has run out of battery.  

Thanks for reading! Please remember to follow and share. Also check out my other blog: https://thestoryfiles.wordpress.com/ and get ready for a new month of stories starting tomorrow. 

Preview for next month;

The Little Paris Bookshop Review 

Welcome To Night Vale, A Novel Review

November Update 

Possible posts:

My long term health problem

Youth Centre work 

Preparing for Christmas