Day 116 - Goobers

There's an old saying, "Never work with children or animals." What if your working with three grown children that act like animals? It took eight millions photos like this one here before I finally got one or two to work with! They laughed. They giggled. They poked and wiggled. Stuck their tongues out. Made noises I won't describe here. Talk about working with a big bunch of goobers! And yet, I still claim them as my guys...three generations that still love each other...and me.

Day 115 - They're All In On It!

Since the beginning, The Pumpkin Lady has been a family business...our son was the one who first begged for a carving kit that led us to where we are today! And after eleven years, we've managed to somehow drag everyone into it! Take our little pre-Thankgiving visit to see the in-laws. Upon discovering that our nephew, Jeremy, was back from college for the holiday, we threw him into a little impromptu photo shoot with his cousin. What a good sport! As you can see, they put their own little spin on things...we knew from the beginning that there was no way that we'd ever get a serious shot! But they had fun and that's what pumpkin carving is all about, isn't it?

Day 112 - Unconventional Items

When decorating your little mini pumpkins, forget the craft store and visit an office supply store! A million mulit-colored push pins become perfect pumpkin accessories. My little artist friend, Sam, created this mini pumpkin spaceship out of his favorite colored pins. It was quick, easy and, best of all, lots of fun!

Day 111 - Little People

Oddly enough, grown ups stress over carving pumpkins. Adults think, "It has to be perfect!" Our subconcious mind translating that statement into, "This will be my greatest masterpiece!" And they then proceed to freak out over the whole event, making everyone miserable because someone could possibly slightly ever so subtley crash and burn into a big carving mistake. Sad isn't it?

Kids, on the other hand, don't think about failure. About carving it "wrong." Don't worry that every line has to be perfect. Heck, they don't even have to carve the pumpkin to have fun! A stuffed animal- sized wig, chalk or markers, can turn little pumpkins into little people in the blink of a child's eye. Does my Godson look like he's stressing out here? Nope, and neither should you. Pumpkin carving is a perfect experience if you don't worry about carving perfectly. Have fun and, however things turn out, you'll have a perfectly great time that you'll never forget...for all of the RIGHT reasons.

Day 110 - Go for the Glory

When I carve a pumpkin, about 90% of the time I create and then apply a pattern onto it before I start carving. Granted, it may be the wimpy way out, but it works for me and I make a lot less mistakes! However, there are much braver souls out there than I. People that grab life by the carving saw and just go for it, carving without a pattern, with an idea they grab out of the stratosphere and then just carve for all they're worth. Today's photo is just that...a pumpkin carved by Emma, a dear family friend and a girl who has the guts to just go for it. Carving saw moving like lightening, she whipped out this pumpkin carving of the crest from Hogwarts (all you Harry Potter fans should know this image well!)...and she did a marvelous job!

I raise my glass to all you who throw caution to the wind and give it all you got when pumpkin carving! When I grow up, I hope to be just like you!

VA Living Museum

We had an amazing time carving pumpkins at the Virginia Living Museum tonight! Hundreds of families came out despite the cold and misty rain. Creepy crawlies, candy, and kids...what a combination! This was our eleventh year volunteering our carving skills for the event...which goes on tomorrow night from 6-9pm as well. Why do we drive four hours there and back for a three hour event? Because of the museum staff themselves! You couldn't find a nicer, more dedicated bunch! The museum is a beautiful place to visit with animals galore and they do so much to serve Virginia's children - creating a safe educational environment to teach them about the natural world around them. And the event is soooo much fun for families with small children. It's all Happy Halloween - all the candy and fun WITHOUT the fear factor. That's my kind of party! So for all those who missed it, hopefully we'll see you there later today!