Day 161 - Sunny

Gorgeous. Happy. Sunny. That's Spring at the moment. As much as I've enjoyed the snow we've had this winter....more than the last ten winters combined!...I'm utterly gleeful over the ability to bask again in warm sun! And yet, with bluebirds on the fenceposts and azaleas bursting forth, I still have pumpkins on the brain. Today, I was at the grocery store, perusing strawberries and cucumbers, when these amazing eggplants caught my eye. One was the usual aubergine...a deep Halloween purple that almost glowed in its intensity...ahhhhhhh but the other! The other! White! Pure glossy ghostly shimmery glistening White! Paper white. Scared stiff white. Sheets hanging on the clothesline white. Amazing. And all I wanted to do was toss aside my cart and begin carving something....anything!!!!! Who said you have to wait until October to carve something! Let the games begin!

Day 159 - B is for Bobber

B is for Bobber, black cat, and my beautiful boy. In just two more months he will be 18 years old! I've had black cats all of my life...even before becoming a Halloween enthusiast. And I don't plan on ever going a day without at least one black cat in my life (there's three at the moment, not counting the rest of our herd!). They say that black cats bring bad luck...but I think the day we rescued him and his brother, Spinner, was one of my luckiest days ever (and for them, too, since it was their last day!)!

Bravo for black cats and those who love them!

Day 156 Too Much Coffee!

Admittedly, I'm looking way too much like this picture. Coffee and me have become best buds. Inseparable. Granted, I may look bug-eyed but at least I'm awake! very, Very, VERY AWAKE!!!

Day 155 - Turtle Turtle

Once warm weather hits my thoughts immediately turn to the beach...okay...so, maybe just being awake is enough to make me think about the beach and....um...actually....breathing is enough to make me dream about the beach! So, I've created a whole line of beachy patterns that will debut in just a few more weeks on www.pumpkinlady.com. Now, you might not have a pumpkin to carve, but watermelons are perfect for carving and would look fabulous with this little sea turtle or one of my other beachy themed patterns....look for them soon!

Day 151 - Look Both Ways...

How many times has your mother told you to look both ways before crossing the street?

This is why!

Day 149 - Off With His Head!

It's amazing how creepy just a little pumpkin head can look all by itself....don't you think? Especially if it's screaming!

Day 147 - Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all both near and far, may your wishes come true wherever you are!

Day 145 - Catching Snowflakes

Just as snow starts to lightly fall, I love running outside and trying to catch snowflakes on my tongue. Even at ninety I'll probably still wheel myself outside to do it! I think this picture sums up how we all feel about catching those first few flakes of the season!

Day 144 - The Crash

Okay, so maybe sledding without opposable thumbs wasn't such a good idea!

Day 143 - Sledding!

Today woke up bright and clear...blue skies above, crisp fallen snow below...the perfect day for sledding! Just because pumpkins don't have opposable thumbs doesn't mean they don't like a turn steering the sled!

Day 142 - Buried Alive

Today we were buried...in snow! Living in an area that hardly ever if ever never rarely gets snow, it was a wonderful surprise to get a foot dumped on us...and not lose power! True, I can't get my car out of the yard and it might be days before doing so...but that's okay! The best part? My mind is working overtime creating. Images of pumpkins are dancing in my head...and the snow! Tomorrow is going to be a busy day!

Day 137 - Fruity Pumpkins

Here's an easy pumpkin project for the kids, especially if you don't have a pumpkin to carve! Grab an orange or a smaller clementine, and with your fingers you can carve out a little face on each. Make a whole army of them for your breakfast table! This is one time your kids won't mind eating something healthy!

Day 134 - Christmas Pumpkin

A friend gave me this beautiful pumpkin. It's amazing! The skin is marbleized in shades of red and green....it's the perfect Christmas pumpkin! It's so pretty I don't have the heart to carve it!

Day 133 - Pumpkin Head

You want to know the best thing about Halloween? Having friends to enjoy it with...friends who will do anything for you...even grow a big ole giant pumpkin head just for you!

Day 126 - Pumpkin Patterns

Pumpkin patterns don't just refer to pumpkin carving. There are dozens and dozens and dozens of pumpkin varieties, and some have the most beautiful varigated patterns! This gourd has gourdgeous (sorry, I couldn't resist!) greens mottling its skin. Others have spots and stripes of red, gold, and amber. Next Halloween, don't forget that the leaves aren't the only things filled with Autumn's colors!

Day 123 - Indian Summer

Today's little pumpkin was created by Emma, a school friend of my son. It's so simple to do...a little splash of paint, beads, and a few feathers creates the perfect litttle pumpkin for Indian Summer, that last return to warm days before winter sets in...generally with a vengance. Which it did. Today. Waking up to thirty one degrees and frost so heavy it looked like snow! But with this little pumpkin we can hold on to warm thoughts and Fall's color just a little bit longer before embracing this season's red and green.

Anyone seen my coat?

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 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 109 - Out With It!

A few weeks ago, I spent the weekend with a few wonderful families, taking photos for future reference. One of my subjects was my most adorable three year old God son. He is one of the most beautiful children to photograph...BUT he is still three. And you never know what a three year old is going to do! He fussed. He fumed. He grumped. Until the sun shone upon us and for one magical moment the most beautiful grin appeared on his face...triumphantly victorious in pulling OUT the stem on the little artificial pumpkin he was holding! Beauty in the face of destruction! NOTHING made him smile....until he pulled apart the pumpkin. Too funny.

And yes, I am totally going to photoshop something else in that little guy's hands...after all, it would be a shame to waste that smile!