Pumpkin Carving Party 2025

 

My husband used my dad's carving tools to write "We're Having A Good Time" into the pumpkin.

 

Hello Friends, we enjoyed another fun pumpkin carving party with our family. My parents grew all the pumpkins. They have gotten very good at pumpkin growing. We had a fantastic selection of pumpkins to choose from to create our 2025 pumpkin masterpieces.

 

I used a little basket to make a hat for this pumpkin.

 

I found a little basket and white bird in a stash of my craft items. The pumpkin I picked out did not have a stem on top,so this idea worked perfect to add the straw hat and bird.. raven. I painted the white bird, black, to make it a raven.

 

 

The pumpkin party crew, and Ernie too.

 

My husband and I created this one together.

My husband and I created this chicken pumpkin. We used chicken wire for the inside to give it a true chicken coop look. 

More creative ideas, does this one look like an owl to you?

 

 

 And now for the pumpkins all aglow.  

 

Happy Halloween to you! 

I am Nuts about Jeremy and it is time for the Hodgepodge

 

I am NUTS for this  fella!

 

Hello Friends, it is Wednesday, it is time for the Hodgepodge. 

Joyce asks the questions.

 We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 

1. How did you meet your significant other? If you don't have a significant other, tell us how you met your best friend. 

 I met my husband working at the Supper Club his parents owned and operated. I was a dishwasher/waitress. He was a bartender/waiter/cook.

2. It's Department Store Day (October 16)...do you still shop in department stores? If not do you miss that kind of shopping experience? Do you have a favorite department store? Any fun memories of department store shopping when you were a child?

 

I use to shop at Department Stores. I do not do it much now. I did enjoy it.

One of my fun memories of shopping at a department store, was with my sister and aunt Sharon. We pretended to have foreign accents as we tried on clothing.  We laughed and laughed and laughed.

 3. Something you're currently nuts about?

 Going for walks with Ernie. I love this time of year with the colored leaves, crisp air and bright blue sky. I am also nuts about pumpkins. We live close to a pumpkin farm stand. All shapes, sizes and colors of pumpkins, gourds and squash. We purchased pumpkins for our pumpkin carving party, gourds for decorating and squash for eating. I already made squash soup, yum!

 

4. What's your favorite nut and is there a favorite recipe where this nut is used? 

My favorite nut is a cashew. I do not have a favorite recipe using cashews. 

 5. On Wednesday we officially reach the '70 days until Christmas' mark. Have you purchased any gifts? If you don't celebrate Christmas then how about Hanukkah presents? 

I have not purchased any gifts. 

I do have a list of what I plan to purchase or make for family and friends for Christmas.

6. Insert your own random thought here.   

A little bit of my autumn decorating... 

 

Happy Autumn Days!!

 

2024 Pumpkin Carving Party

 Hello Friends,

We had our annual Pumpkin Carving Party on Sunday.

The weather was cold and windy, so we had our party in the comfort of our home. Not only was Sunday our Pumpkin Carving Party it was the official day of 'turning on the heat'. We mark the calendar of the official day we turn on the heat and turn off the heat. Ha! Some may think we are strange. Ha!

After a meal of chili, cornbread and apple crisp for dessert we got busy carving.

Rolling out the carpet for our 2024 Jack O Lantern's...

 

 

Creativity is really the structuring of magic.

Anne Kent Rush

 

Creativity, that is what I love about each and every pumpkin carving party we host.

 

If you do it with heart that is art.

SB

 

The chief ingredient for inspiration is curiosity.

SB

 

There are no guarantees except one: Nothing happens unless you try.

SB

 

Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.

Albert Einstein

 

Original is more interesting than perfect.

SB

 

Trick or Treat

 

Happy Halloween to You!

Pumpkin Carving Party 2023

 

 

Pumpkin Party 2023

My parents, both our boys and sweet little Ernie all attended the pumpkin party. 

 

 

My parents grew all the pumpkins. We had big ones, little ones and warty ones.

 

We had a lovely day outside to carve our pumpkins. Let the creativity and shenanigans begin.

This is me... and I had a great idea for this pumpkin. 

 

I purchased a small pipe at an Estate Sale, I thought it would make a fun addition to my  Jack o Lantern.

 

 All aglow on a warm October's night.

A few days after our Pumpkin Party we had two days of stormy weather. After the storm our deck was a carpet of Autumn color.

And now we are into November..

November brings good skating weather, Thanksgiving gathers us together.

Tasha Tudor

 

Happy Halloween Hodgepodge

 

Hello Friends, it is Wednesday and that means it is time for the Hodgepodge. 

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

 Click here to join the fun!

 1. October 25th is International Artists Day...do you have a favorite artist? If so tell us who and why.

C. M. Russell 

I think he had amazing talent sharing the great American West in his works. He truly captures the history and for me when looking at his works, I can feel the West.

We visited C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana. If you travel to Great Falls, Montana, the museum will not disappoint. 

 2. Would you describe yourself as artistic? Elaborate. 

Yes. Many people have commented that the bouquets I create are a work of art. I enjoy designing seasonal flower bouquets and I do think they are a work of art.

 3. What's a skill, task, hobby, or job you've done so often you now have it 'down to a fine art'? 

I think I have designing bouquets 'down to a fine art'. I know what flowers will last in a bouquet for long vase life. I use seed heads, herbs and even vegetables to create fun bouquets.

 4. How often do you dine out? Fast food, fine dining, or somewhere in between? Tell us about a less than stellar restaurant experience you've had recently (or not so recently if that's easier).  

We do not dine out very often.

Usually somewhere in between.

This past July we ate breakfast at one of our old time favorite cafes after we went strawberry picking. Sadly the service was poor and the breakfast was not up to the usual standards.   

 5. Do you celebrate Halloween? To what extent? Are there trick or treaters where you live? 

Yes, we celebrate Halloween. We have our light on for Trick or Treaters on Halloween night. We enjoy seeing what the favorite costumes are for the season. The last Trick or Treat for our boys they dressed up as Star Wars characters. 

We also host an annual Pumpkin Carving Party. We enjoyed our day with family this past Sunday. I will do a post soon showing off all our pumpkins.

6. Insert your own random thought here.   

A few of our past pumpkin creations.

 

Happy Autumn and It is the Hodgepodge!

 

Dahlia's are Autumn's showstopper flower!

Hello Friends,

It is Wednesday and that means it is time for the Hodgepodge. 

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 1. It's officially fall y'all. In the northern hemisphere anyway. Any signs of it where you are? What's your favorite thing about this time of year? 

Wisconsin likes to show off during the Autumn season. And as usual the pops of reds, yellows, oranges and burgundy colored leaves are all around us.

My favorite time about this time of year is you simply want to get cozy. Warm drinks, cozy blankets and the fireplace is glowing.

 

2. Have you visited any 'falls' in person? Tell us about one of your favorites? Of the following top ten famous falls (according to this site ) which would you most like to see in person-

Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe/Zambia), Igazu Falls (Argentina/Brazil), Niagara Falls (US/Canada), Angel Falls (Venezuela), Yosemite Falls (California), Dettifoss (Iceland) Kaieteur Falls (Guyana), Plitvice Waterfalls (Croatia), Gullfoss-Golden Falls (Iceland), or Sutherland Falls (New Zealand)

 Wisconsin has several beautiful waterfalls. And some are off the beaten road. Last summer our friends Deb and Bonita joined us to find one of these lost falls, Yarnell Creek Falls. It was a fun adventure and yes we found the falls.

I have not visited any of the top ten falls. My parents went to Niagara Falls for their honeymoon. I am going to pick Niagara Falls.  

 3. What's something you'll miss about summer? 

My garden. I love that I can just head outside and create a delicious fresh salad for lunch or dinner.  

 4. A favorite fall recipe?

It is tradition to roast pumpkin seeds after we carve pumpkins. Last year I roasted the seeds and shipped them to our son who was deployed at the time. He was so tickled that we shipped him pumpkin seeds.. they are one of his favorite treats of the Autumn season.

Recipe

Fresh pumpkin seeds

Olive oil

Cinnamon and Sugar

Preheat you oven to 300° 

Toss your pumpkin seeds 

your olive oil .. cinnamon and sugar all together.

Spread on to a cookie sheet.

Bake, stirring a few times, until crunchy and golden brown.

About 30 to 45 minutes.

Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

 

 5. Something you enjoy but lately have allowed it to 'fall by the wayside'? 

I have not been taking photos. My husband's hobby is photography, he is the picture taker. I too like to take photos, but this summer my picture taking  'fell by the wayside' in fact I did not take any photos of some of my flowers and hanging baskets. 

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

"In a world full of people who couldn't care less, be someone who cares more." 

Author unknown 

2022 Pumpkin Party

 

Hello Friends,

We hosted our annual pumpkin party October 23rd. It was a beautiful October day in Northwest Wisconsin. Our last few weeks of October and early November weather has been fantastic.

We enjoyed a menu of..

Homemade Creamy Potato Soup

A variety of Wisconsin cheese slices and homemade sourdough crackers.

Hot Apple Cider

Catie, Sam's girlfriend came with her little sister. Catie made a delicious Sweet Potato Pie and Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies.

We also enjoyed S'mores and Apple Hand-pies later in the day.

We set up pumpkin carving and pumpkin painting outside. 

My parents grew all of the pumpkins that we carved that day.

Eleanor is Catie's little sister. This was the first time meeting our family. She was not shy at all. She really enjoyed time with my mom.

 

Eleanor painted all of her pumpkins. She loved painting.

 We saved seed from all of the pumpkins. My parents are already looking forward to planting, growing and hauling a truck load of pumpkins for our 2023 Pumpkin Party.

 

 

Pumpkin Carving Party 2021

 

 

It is time to pick out a pumpkin. 

Guess what, my parents grew our pumpkins for the 2021 pumpkin carving party.

The hot cider is ready!

The chili is bubbling!

The bon fire is keeping us toasty warm.

Let us get started!

 

Cleaning our pumpkins out. We keep the seeds to roast. 

 

A few of our fun creations!

 

A Jack O Lantern sways fitfully in the wind ~ 

A flame dances wildly from within ~ 

It's there to BEWITCH! 

Beware; It's Dark! Run In!

SB 

 Listen! The wind is rising & the air is wild with leaves; 

we have had our summer evenings, now for October Eves!

 Humbert Wolf

Our son Atticus caught this squirrel checking out their pumpkins.

 Trick or Treat

 Happy Halloween to you.