Happy Halloween!

I hope everyone had as wonderful a Halloween as we did!  The grandparents were here to pass out candy and we went trick or treating with all the kids.  Jemma was a trooper this year and hit a lot of the neighborhood.  She was our beautiful Renaissance princess.  I found this costume at Cracker Barrel!  I love it and I adore her in it.  She felt like a princess!  Her best buddy Zoe had the same style gown.  Our phrase of the evening for Halloween 2010 was, "Girls,  pick up your dresses!!!"  Lots of fun and lots of candy!

Jemma with her Nonno and Nonna

Her BFF

Raking it in!

Yes... this man lives in our neighborhood.  I didn't even take a picture of his yard.  It is gruesome.  Halloween is his thing, but it freaks the little ones out.  I think the only reason the kids didn't run was because it was daylight and he showed them his face.  Great.  The kids will never look at Santa the same way.  I am so glad we don't live near him or Jemma would sleep with us for the month of October!

Back home!

 I hope you had a "spook"tacular Halloween!

My Halloween Mantel

Hello everyone!  I can't thank you enough for all your wonderful comments on my Haunted House!  I love doing it and am so excited that I inspired so many people!  I just wanted to show you  my Halloween mantel.  It is just a collection of the things that I love.  The trick or treat plate was from my favorite little accessory store in Michigan.  The spooky houses were purchased at Kroger!!  I love how the windows glow with the candles in them!  The little ghost with the Boo sign was from HomeGoods this year.  The black candle holders on the ends were cream and green ivy candle holders that we got as a wedding gift!  I couldn't let them go so I did what any good blogger does... I spray painted them!  I love how they turned out and they were perfect for my fall mantel!

My Haunted House

Happy Halloween everyone!  I love this time of year when the air gets crisp and the leaves begin to change to glorious colors and drift gracefully down to the ground.  Sadly, it doesn't happen like that here, but I can pretend and make my house as "fall-ish" as I can!  It is still in the high 80's!!!  Oh well, I love it all anyway and I especially love my haunted house!  Last year,  I wanted to be clever and do something different.  I had seen some on RMS do something like it and I thought I could do it.  Here is what I came up with!

It all started with Jemma wanting a witch!  She told me she wanted a witch flying on a broom so I sketched one out just to see if I could!  I was quite proud of myself!  I went to the local teacher store and bought a big roll of fadeless black paper.  I cut it to fit each window I was doing and then sketched the picture on the back, cut it out, and hung it up!  Here are some closeups!

This is Jemma's witch.  I love her pointy nose and chin!  Jemma's room is painted green and I love how it has the green glow!

Our bathroom is the cat and bats!  I am going to add some hanging bats to the closet window that is above the peak of the house.  

Downstairs a ghost has taken over the dining room.  I am not to sure about him.  I think he needs some tweaking.  People have a hard time seeing the ghost!  I may add another one to the left corner!  

Dracula has been hanging out in our office!  Hanging out... get it!  Ha!  I love him and how he fits in the bay!

I am adding pumpkins and mums to the porch so I will be doing an update soon, but I just wanted to share my very own haunted house!

I think it is pretty "spook-tacular" if I do say so myself!!!

Thanks so much for all your kind words!  I am linking up with
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Stories of A2Z for Halloween Mantel Party
and
Inspiration Friday Party at Southern in my Heart
I just linked up to Between Naps on the Porch for her Halloween/Fall Metamorphosis Monday!

Thanks for hosting ladies!

Fair Time!

I know this post is late in coming, but I just had to share it!  My hometown fair is a big deal.  It was always one of my favorite times of year!  I still get giddy when I think about rounding the curve in the old highway and seeing the double ferris wheel for the first time!  Giddy, I tell you!!!  Since we moved to Germany in 2000, I have not been to our fair.  It has always begun on Labor Day weekend with the rides opening on that Monday night.  It was also the night of the pageants!!  I have always wanted to take Jemma, but schools in Michigan started on Tuesday after Labor Day so there was no way to go and do it.  This was our year though and we took off to the fair!

The fair is totally new and ran by another company.  The actual pictures of the fair rides and booths were taken by a very talented photographer named Denise Wherley from my hometown.  Since someone forgot to take the camera that night... (how do I even call myself a blogger when I forget the camera at the house?!?)  she generously shared her pictures with me!   There was no ferris wheel to greet me as we rounded the curve, but I did see some lights.  I hate to say it, but I needed that double ferris wheel!!!  We actually had to wear jackets!  It was nice and crisp outside so perfect fair weather.  We sat down at one of the local booths for  a burger and ran into a dear friend that I cheered with in high school who had her two little ones with her.  Her son is 6 and daughter is 4 so we buddied up and had the best time!  There wasn't a lot of people there so we bought the kids the "all you want to ride" bracelet and ride they did!  They would get off one ride and just walk around and get on it again.  The little girls hit it off and it was perfect!!!

Jennifer and me at our 20 year reunion

Our girls one year later!  Jemma is only two months older than Ellie!  I think Jem is going to get her height from her dad!

  

The next day, I got to reunite with three of my dearest friends.  Chris, who I ran the 5k with, and I have always known each other.  Our grandmothers were best friends.  Dreama was our other best friend in high school and I hadn't seen her in 7 or 8 years.  I can't even tell you all the scraps we got ourselves into!  Love them!!!

Me, Dreama and Chris

Then came Julie!!!  Julie and I lived behind each other growing up in Nashville.  All that separated our yards was a creek.  We went to the same private school, but didn't really get to be friends until 6th grade.  Then we were inseparable.  It was funny because we ran with different groups at our school, but after school we were always together!  She came to Tennessee Tech for a semester and we roomed together.  I must add that was one of the best semesters EVER!!!!   We  got ourselves into so much trouble had so much fun!!  I haven't seen Julie in 10 years and she came up with her 10 year old daughter  and 8 year old son.

Julie's sweet babies!

We all ate met up and the kids were going to ride rides, but Jemma was just tired and hot.  She was going to ride the bumper cars with Sydney, but the man wouldn't let her on without an adult.  I couldn't see any of this and the next thing I know there is a squalling child by me.  She was beside herself.  I think she completely got her feelings hurt and she was done.  We went to a picnic table under some shade and she fell asleep while I called Daddy for backup.

We then ate at a booth, saw my Fairest of the Fair picture in a big display case, and rode rides!  I was so happy to have all these dear people with me and couldn't have asked for more!

Here I am in all my Fair queen glory!!  The BHW always starts humming "Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen when my pageant or cheering days come up!!! 

This is too funny!  I was only 14 in this picture!  This is actually my Fairest Princess picture in the Queen display case.  My parents thought this was the right one and sent it in.  I am now searching for the Queen picture so it can be displayed!!!
Just imagine bigger hair and same color dress covered in sequins!!!  

See the fish I won for Jemma?  Oh yeah, I can still shoot a squirt gun!!!

It was the perfect weekend!  If I never go to my hometown fair again, I am okay because it couldn't have been a better time!