2010's Pumpkin Creation

Hi all

Just a short post to show you this years pumpkin creation.  I didn't have time to go searching the web this year for inspiration so I decided to copy the design I came up with last year (as luckily I took a pic that was still on my phone!).

We've put a little more effort into our Halloween preparations this year which 'A' has loved.  We've decorated the hall with cobwebs and pumpkin garlands and of course you've already seen our super cool 'mini pumpkin treats'.  'A's gone off to get changed now and I'm all ready to don my nice new witch's hat!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN ALL!

Fabulous Girlfriends - Part 2 - Jo

Thought I’d give you a little insight into the fab girls in my life and how our lives became intertwined in the first place.  So here’s the low down (in no particular order….before anyone gets upset lol).

Jo

I actually first met Jo quite a few years ago when I was around 16 as we were both in a production of West Side Story that was staged at Dudley Castle.  After completing this particular show I then joined Halesowen Musical Comedy Society which Jo was also a member of.  At the time we were probably more so 'acquaintances' rather than friends.  We saw each other at rehearsals and chatted but that was as far as things went, probably due to the fact that I was a little younger and we had very different lives.

A few years down the line I happened to bump into Jo on the school playground one afternoon and it also turned out that we had a mutual friend.  We got talking each afternoon and discovered we had daughters in the same class and also that she'd been tying 'S's shoelaces each week at football practice as his bad mother (me!) basically left him to get on with it :).  From then on we became closer and closer and our friendship bloomed!

Jo and I set up a school choir about 3 years ago which is still going strong so what with that, general school runs and the fact that Jo's also now in the Circuit Ladies Choir.........we pretty much see each other most days!  In fact it has been known for us to stand and talk for a good hour outside the school gates after everyone else has gone home (much to the caretaker's amusement!).

We've had so many good times and happy memories already, there are just too many to name them all.  We've shared family camping trips, drunken girlie nights out, drunken bonfire/new years and just general parties (noticing a theme here?), Tenby weekends and many, many cups of tea!  Jo is a really good friend and super listener and is always there when I need her. She's also now the fountain of knowledge regarding all things 'puppy' as she's already been there and done it all with lovely Airedale, Arthur.

Here's to many more cups of tea, drunken episodes and super times.

[caption id="attachment_237" align="aligncenter" width="604" caption="Me and Jo"][/caption]

 

Wall Murals for Kids by My Wonderful Walls

A site which has caught my interest lately is My Wonderful Walls. It is owned and operated by Stephanie and Michael Goins out of Chattanooga, Tennessee. They have recently partnered with T.C. Thompson's Children's Hospital in an effort to bring some joy to the ill patients. How? A few times a year, they visit the hospital and install their wall murals. They have helped to decorate and entire floor full of rooms and hope to do more.

By writing this post to my blog, they will donate one mural to the hospital.

How cool is that?

At their online store My Wonderful Walls offers these awesome wall murals as stencil kits and stylish kids wall art. The stencil kits make is possible for all parents to paint a mural in their child's bedroom. And they have all sorts of themes for boys and girls alike. Check out Garden, Princess and Fairy for your girl; Transportation, Dinosaur and Forest are great for any boy's room; and more gender neutral themes include Under the Sea, Farm, and Jungle.

For more information about their products or to donate to their mural-give program go to http://mywonderfulwalls.com

Here's an idea of their artwork below, I think it's lovely!

Two new cards

Two new cards created in the last week.  Dad celebrated his 6?????? birthday on Sunday and we all popped round for tea.  Due to his interest in ornithology (or birds for those of you not in the know!) I made him a pyramid card with a picture of a 'Firecrest' on the front.  Only problem was I'd not made a pyramid card before and when I looked at the enclosed instructions they were for a different card! Hmmmm difficult!

After a little searching on the web for a picture of the end result I managed to jumble something together which didn't look too bad.  Also found a lovely poem online at http://www.dennydavis.net/poemfiles/bbychld/fthrpoem.htm



Today was Emma's little boy's birthday so this was a bit of a challenge as I'd not created a child's card as yet.  I had some great dog theme diecuts so decided to make something with these.  I hope he liked it! :)

Halloween Pumpkin Treats!

When looking in Mom's latest 'Homes & Ideas' magazine last month there was a cool idea for Halloween treats.  'A' and I had a go at making them this morning and we're quite pleased with the results.  For those of you that want to make them for yourselves I put the piccies below.

1. First take two sheets of orange tissue paper.  Draw a circle around a dinner plate and cut out.

2. In the centre of the circles place a handful of halloween goodies.

3. Start to pull up the sides of the circles to form the mini pumpkin's 'stalk'.

4. Tape around the 'stalk' with green florists tape.

All that's left is for your Halloween visitors to rip open the pumpkin to find the goodies inside!

All things ghostly - sceptic or believer?

Advertised in this weeks local paper was an article stating that there would be a ghost walk in the run up to Halloween.  This was to be held at Haden Hill House which is a local victorian house that is open to the public.  Upon seeing the article I asked my youngsters if they'd like to go, to which I had a mixed response.  'S' finally decided that he wasn't bothered but 'A' was a little unsure. Her concern was "I'm not worried about hearing the stories, but I'm scared I might actually see something!".

I, for one, have always had an avid interest in the paranormal and although I've always been very careful how much information to feed to my kids on the subject, I've always encouraged them to have an open mind about such things.  I can't quite remember what initially spurred my interest in the supernatural but I know it was around the time when I started at high school.

My interest continued and then a few years ago I became involved with a super local ghost research society for a short time.  Part of my membership to the group involved me carrying out all night investigations in various 'alledgedly' haunted locations across the UK including The Ram Inn (Gloucestershire), Woodchester Mansion (Gloucestershire) and Pebble Mill Studios (Birmingham).  I enjoyed this immensely but I think most of the enjoyment came from the humour shared with the other investigators and the actual adrenaline involved in the prospect of maybe 'experiencing' something unexplainable.

Unfortunately, I think it was my lack of 'experiencing' anything untoward (and also my new love of all things Derren Brown) that has now made me more sceptical than ever!  Although, the experience of the investigations was often quite spine tingly at times, I don't feel I once encountered anything that couldn't be accounted for in human terms.  Obviously, there are many stories around, often from credible, trustworthy sources but the truth is I simply cannot believe it until I've seen it for myself!  Of course I still long to be convinced that there are more things in this world than we can possibly explain but up till now I've not come across any!  Nevertheless, Halloween is looming and I will endeavour to put my scepticism aside, just for the fun of it!

New poem for Nan's 90th

[caption id="attachment_177" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Gran's 90th Card"][/caption]

Made Nan a lovely card for her 90th birthday next weekend using the new 'teabagging' technique I'd learned, but I always like to insert an appropriate poem or verse inside.  I did a bit of searching for something suitable but upon typing the words 'poem Gran' into Google most of my results were poems for funerals......how very cheery!  Due to this I decided to have a go at writing one myself and this is what I came up with (the reference to moving house is due to her having moved many, many times!).  It's not quite Shakespeare I know, but it will suit my Gran :)

Well, Gran it’s your birthday

So an ideal time to say

Just how much you mean to us

In every single way

You love to chat and tell us things

About your life so far

You make us laugh with things you say

But that’s just who you are

Now that you are 90

You really must slow down

No more moving house again

To another tempting town!

You really are so special

And though you don’t like fuss

Enjoy you’re 90^th birthday

With love from all of us !