Finishing Touches!

I'm so happy to be back blogging this morning! Some computer issues kept me away from blogging but not from reading all your great posts! I was so dismayed at not having a computer during my favorite time of year to blog! A power source issue left me DEAD however the part is on its way from Amazon and having a neighbor who is an electrical engineer helps especially when he knows "temporary fixes". So thankfully, even though the new power source part won't be here till early next week, I can still blog!
I've been busy getting things ready for the party; been planning my menu and crafting treats for them to take home besides their goody bags.

We are still finding the time to do fun Fall things! 

A cool farmer's market for some apple cider donuts!

great stores

Beautiful Fall

Caitlin getting some pioneer discipline

A covered wagon ride

A new friend!

We have some nice things planned this weekend and the weather is supposed to be nice! I have to finish up my witch's hat bags and some skeleton treat bags! Then to finalize the menu! Halloween party planning is a blast! Can't wait till Saturday the 26th! Lots to do and finish up!

Happy Friday!

Just Wait Until You See!

Just wait until you see what I got in the mail! My giveaway win from Kim K. at "Musings from Kim K" came yesterday! What a surprise to see the box on my porch; I never dreamed I would receive it so quickly considering how busy everyone is this time of year! Oh my! Everything was wrapped and packaged so nicely, at first I didn't want to open it!

So many goodies, I didn't know where to begin! When I finally did unwrap my treasures, I carefully saved every bit of everything! The tags, the ribbons, etc. beciuse I think I will repurpose them for decorations for my Halloween tree! Insprired by Kim to do a FULL size one for next year, I have 12 months to get ready for it and these added little touches will be a nice addition! As will this adorable vintage Bingo card all Halloweenified!

Wow! I just made that word up and I really like it! 

Next up was my absolute favorite:

I am so partial to black cats (cause of my Robin) that when I first saw him on the giveaway post, I fell in LOVE! The detail is outstanding!

And look at this amazing shadow box!

I believe Kim did one of these for Easter and I loved the idea of making a "scene" in a mini candy box!  Now it's time to do a Halloween one. I love the witch's broom across the top and the detail she added to the witch! I'm in orange & black HEAVEN! 

 This was wrapped so pretty! and when I unwrapped it:

How cool is that? Scrabble tile and the scrabble holder! If you aren't rushing over to her blog right now to see her creations, well you just don't know what you're missing!

This is what was wrapped up in the very first picture i showed. Imagine...a little vignette in an upside down plastic wine glass! Oh the possibilities under a wine glass! My mind is racing!

And still there was more! Candy and pencils and pumpkin honeycombs! Lovely soda fountain spoons with witch's hats! She must've known we love root beer floats in this house! Plus a really cool Halloween sack! 

Thank you so much Kim! 

 I spent the day cleaning and placing all my new stuff around the house, and I am finally, dare I say it, FINISHED decorating! Now I can sit back and enjoy it! Well, not really sit back... but you get the idea!

Here's what I added:

The big black and orange cat! He looks great!

And then I added my big SPELL book to the Hocus Pocus Homage in my foyer! 

Hocus Pocus is my favorite movie so we named these three ladies Winifred, Sarah and Mary like the movie.

The Hocus Pocus sign I bought at Maskers Farms apple picking one year! and the big SPELL book is actually a book that opens up to be a candy dish! It's from Hallmark years ago! It all goes nicely!I've already had Hocus Pocus on three times so far! Each time I go to Salem I visit all the spots where they filmed the movie! I'm nutty that way :)  

I also added a second witch to my haunted house. Look Below: She's on the right.

 I love her! She was actually a McDonalds Happy Meal toy one year

The haunted house is guarded by another witch! She also peeks at the witches in the foyerthrough the parlor's french doors. SPOOKY!

Don't be afraid~~my witches are friendly. They just want to share your candy!

Especially this one below! hahaha 

I actually got her for free. I was at a flea market in upstate New York one day and I went to a booth selling Halloween. I didn't know she was broken...I inquired about her price when he told me she wasn't for sale cause her hat had snapped off. I could have her for free! Thank you! and thank you whoever invented a  product called WOOD GLUE! She's as good as new! and lives to haunt another day!

 Last but not least is this this  special witch... my parents bought me her many years ago on a trip to Salem they went on! Our whole family is a Salem loving family!

Her face is paper mache. Fragile!

I hope everyone has a super great weekend! Tonight, we are watching Abbot & Costello's movie "Hold That Ghost" for our Friday night movie night. This is one of my husband's favorites! I made a chocolate cream pie to enjoy while we watch! 

I Won a Giveaway! And more from Hicks Halloween Nursery!

I just found out I won my first giveaway! At my sidebar you will see "Musings from Kim K"; she was hosting a super Halloween giveaway featuring some of her creations and I won! Thank you so much Kim! You must check out her blog and see all the amazing things she makes. I promise you:  YOU WILL FALL IN LOVE WITH HER CRAFTS! and she will teach you how to make them too!

Yesterday when we went to Hicks for our Halloween visit, I saw these adorable bird houses in their birding section:

Aren't they magnificent? At first I thought Hicks was selling dollhouses! I would have loved to buy one...only they were $349.00 for the top one and $279.00 for this one above......not in the budget :(
Some very lucky birds will love living there somewhere!

 They had tons of Thanksgiving stuff that I just loved!

 

and lots of ribbons and fixins'

 

 

So many things to see and wish for!

The colors of this season are so beautiful! Don't you agree?

Garage Sale Finds & Halloween at Hicks Nursery

Happy wet Sunday! Well, it's wet here, anyway! I hope the sun was shining by you today! After being away from Friday into Saturday, it's amazing what can happen to one's house.....it's mostly my fault though cause on Friday before I left for the camping trip I had gone to two GREAT garage sales and I kind of  stacked everything in the parlor and put a bunch of things here and more there...you get the picture! So this morning after Church it was time to straighten it all out! Then we planned to go to Hicks Nursery to see the Halloween displays and our buddy, Hick's very own resident ghost, Otto!

So here are some of the treasures I purchased:

Two lovely turkey candle holders-- I might just let them be "turkeys" and not put in the tapers, not sure yet. I just loved them! 

Another turkey (hurray!) and a lovely canister from a waffle mix. 

Rooster candle lamp shade from Yankee

metal haunted house that holds a votive candle. I thought it was adorable!

Beautiful wooden swan! it is heavy! Gonna go in the newly painted basement family room . It will match nicely  with the "lodge" theme we have down there.

Kind of a shabby chic swan. I couldn't leave her behind.  She is very nicely painted . Maybe for my upstairs bathroom? 

Small metal rack. I never pass these up if the price is right!

The find of the day for me priced at only $1!!!!!  I thought she made a mistake but she wanted rid of this beautiful sled! The red blades are still vivid. It was her husband's sled in the late 1940's she told me. 

In excellent shape. This will go on my porch for the holiday season with a pretty wreath attached to the front! 

Ceramic ghost votive holder. I LOVE HIM!!!!!! 

If that wasn't enough to make me thrilled for Friday, my son came home with this AWESOME vintage turkey platter! He passed a sale on his way home from the bus stop and since he knows what Mama likes, came home and presented it to me! So Friday was quite a lucky day for me! 

Here's a little preview of our visit to Hicks Nursery, which incidentally, has been in business 160 years! You may have noticed from other blog posts of mine that we visit Hicks quite often. They always host lots of fun things and we all look forward to them. I have visited Hicks for Halloween for more years than I can count. They have a friendly ghost named Otto and he is always the centerpiece of their Halloween and Christmas "walk through diorama story." It is so sweet.

We did our walk through and this year Otto was on a haunted pirate ship....

Then after we finished the story and learned that Otto was safe and sound on dry land (!) we went looking and shopping!

So much to see and buy! I think my favorite was this wooden sign:

I hope that gave you a smile! Have a spooky evening!