Hi readers,
My favorite time of year has rolled back around and now its' 19 days till Halloween! I'm so excited and have already done nearly all of my shopping. I've got some new decorations - black fabric, lights and a banner for my front door/garden. I've been making things and I got them to show you today! Also, planning out my baking, deciding my costume (I'm staying at home again this year, hopefully with my boyfriend coming to stay the weekend) and researching what design to carve on my pumpkins. The only thing left on the list is to get stuff for the trick-or-treaters. I'm torn between making goodie bags and just putting a random mix of sweets/candy into a bowl.
There's a few other things I've got to do too; one of them is craft project, which I'll be including in my actually Halloween post. The other is to hunt down the Happy Halloween candle by Yankee candles. I've got two at the minute, but I found out a few weeks back that its' now been officially retried and getting hold of one is like panning for gold. I'm hoping the shop I got my last two from have got one in, but if not I won't be getting one this year. Tidying my house and decorating are of course on that list too.
So, whilst I seem in a bit of a writing block today, I thought I'd do this post and get myself in the mode of writing. I've got the story and the ideas in my head, but for whatever reason I can't seem to put it down in physical form. That sounds kinda weird, because you'd think you'd just type or write the words and that'd be that. But it's the art of conveying what it's in my head which is the issue. For some reason the right words and the structure don't seem to want to come. There's not much that can be done other then to write through and just try to edit things later. I'll be doing that tonight after eating homemade stew and dumplings!
That's the other thing I love about autumn, I get to eat all my favorite foods like stews, pies and soups. There's just something so wonderful about getting home from walking my dog in the woods or else having been wrapped up in writing for a few hours and tucking into a hot, filling meal. Speaking of which here's a photo of the chicken, leek and mushroom pie I made last week:
It took me about two hours all together, but I'm way pleased with how it turned out and it tasted so nice. Everyone enjoyed it and I had the leftovers for lunch which tasted twice as good! I've added this recipe - it was actually a free leaflet in a supermarket that I picked up - to the recipe folder to be used again. I'll be putting up some more baking stuff on my Halloween post as I've got a list of savory and sweet things to make. And I digressed from what I set out to write.....
Okay, so I'm huge on making things for Halloween, just in case you didn't already know that and Pinterest is my awesome place for discovering things and putting them all in one place. A few weeks back I was looking at some craft ideas for the Youth Centre children to have a go at and I found the pattern for a soft toy/plushie bat. Well, my mum has been helping my dad make his Halloween costume and has had the large sewing machine out, so I thought I'd ask her to help me make the bat. I'm good at sewing and using the machine, but her expert skills are just so useful and the fact that her sewing machine never seems to want to work for me. So here he is:
He is just so cute and looks cool sat on my desk, though I'm tempted to snug him in bed. He's big and fluffy, just what I wanted and he turned out so great. I did think about making some smaller friends, but I'm running low on fabric right now. I've included the link to the website were the pattern and instructions are below. He just makes the perfect Halloween companion and I'm sure kids will just love him, though he's a bit complicated and time consuming for the kids at the youth club to make.
Instead, I'm going to get them to make these cute felt pumpkins!
Once again I've included the link below, these are just so easy and quick to make. I added the faces and leaves on and put them in basket as a center piece. I also put some dried mix spices/pumpkin spices in the orange pumpkin on the right and some dried lavender into the purple one at the back -which I just noticed you can't really see.- They do smell nice and I think they'd also make nice little gifts. As decorations they look awesome and I'm half tempted to make some more, but I'd have to buy some more orange felt because I'm almost all out. I'm sure the young people at the youth club will enjoy making them!
That's currently were I'm up to with Halloween stuff. Like I said before I'll be posting some more stuff next week (depending on things) and then on or just before 31st. Watch this space for all of that! So, now it's time for this month's updates!
The novel I'm reading at the minute is:
My mum give this book after she had read it and it was actually a gift given to her by a friend to read on her canal boat holiday with my dad last month. She enjoyed reading it and suggested I give it a try, even though she knew it wasn't my normal subject/theme. I've read 50 pages and though I'm getting into it and do find it interesting, I'm not sure there's enough for me to want to actual finish reading it. Which does say a lot about me, because I hardly ever finish reading a book. My mum does say it gets better, so I'm hoping to stick with it. I'll probably do a review when I'm done, so I won't write any more about that now.
Currently writing: short stories. I'm busy battling my way through writing horror/supernatural/Halloween themed stories for my blog. I had put up a request for submissions throughout last month, but had no luck, beside from an old uni friend helping me out when I was mega ill two weeks ago. So, yeah, luckily I got a few ideas and lots of inspiration, but I keep hoping that I'll open my emails and see that someone has submitted a story to me. I just think I'd be nice to hear other peoples' voices etc on my blog for a change and it'll help bring more people in. (Link is below if you're interested)
Currently Listening to: I'm still getting through all the new album releases of September and the ones I missed. So, I've still got 5FDP, BFMV, Disturbed and Kamelot high on my music list. I've also been listening to Halloween themed music and my natural sounds still. I've been watching a lot of YouTube videos too, including episodes of The Addams Family and The Munsters. I'm also going to watch some of The Dinosaurs TV episodes too, does anyone remember that show? I was addicted as a kid!
Candle scent of the month: This is also my favorite time for candles too! Normally, I'm burning Yankee wax tarts and picking Autumn smelling ones. But this year I decided to have a look online and I found these on Amazon and thought I'd give them ago. It was worth taking the risk, because they are really great scents and I love the Pumpkin Crunch Cake one. Right now I'm burning the Witching Hour and I'm looking forward to the Tricks or Treats soon.
Lastly, though I know this is boarding on Christmas, I just wanted to share with you the knitting my mum has done recently. She got the patterns and the wool in her knitting magazine and after some begging so made them for me. They are so cute and set on my computer desk. I pick them up and give them a hug when I start to feel stressed and/or worried. The next thing on her needles is a werewolf! I can't wait to meet him.
Thanks for reading and good luck in whatever Halloween activities you're up to. Here's my bat and pumpkins once more!
Links to me:
https://thestoryfiles.wordpress.com/
https://www.pinterest.com/hails9/
https://twitter.com/ironmaidenfan9
https://www.facebook.com/thestoryfiles
Other links;
https://americanfeltandcraft.wordpress.com/2013/10/04/diy-mini-felt-pumpkins/
http://www.tipjunkie.com/post/halloween-bat/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00FBM8680?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00
Photos from:
http://libertyridgefarmny.com/2012/09/19/pumpkin-picking-adventures-in-albany-clifton-park-saratoga/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Paris-Bookshop-Nina-George/dp/0349140359
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00FBM8680?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00
My own personal ones.
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