IMAGES FROM MY BOOK: An Altered Existence
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Tag Archives: Halloween
Happy Halloween from Melody & Cypress!
Happy Halloween!
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I made a silly little witch hat for my bunny, Cypress, and thought I’d take some pictures to share with you on Halloween Day. I made the hat from black card stock, a scrap of ribbon, and a vintage button.
I left the hat open in the back so her ears would go through easily, so it’s not a full and enclosed cone on the top. Doesn’t she look festive and funny? Cypress was a pretty good sport about being photographed. What a “treat” from my bun bun. :]
I’m dressing up as artist/painter Frida Kahlo for our Halloween celebration at work today. I originally wore this costume back in 2006, but since I’m now in a new office/at a new company, I thought I’d reprise the costume because I love it so much. Are you dressing up today? What are you dressing up as?
Again, Happy Halloween! I hope you all have a safe and fun holiday.
Warm regards,
Melody
Posted in holidays, life in general, pets
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My New Halloween Wreath
You know that crocheted doily wreath that I first created last winter, and have then altered for different holidays and seasons since? Well, it’s been changed up again. This time the crocheted doily part is minimal – is really just the white base – but I love what’s been added to it.
Rabbits Aren’t Just for Easter Anymore
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As you may know, hubby and I have two pet rabbits. Our cute little fur kids inspired me to go outside of the usual “Halloween animal” sphere when decking out this wreath. I used my Big Shot machine and a Tim Holtz Easter Elements die to cut out bunnies and bows in black and orange. When combined with some rhinestone strands, a black netting bow, and a sparkly button, this wreath has a fun and festive feel.
Have you done any crafting or decorating for Halloween yet? Do tell!
Warm regards,
Melody
Posted in crafts, DIY, holidays, vintage
Also tagged Halloween wreath, Tim Holtz, Tim Holtz Easter Elements die
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Letting My Inner Child Out to Play: A Visit To the Pumpkin Patch
Fall is probably my favorite season, and I love Halloween. I guess I’m still a kid at heart! The company I work for allows employees to dress up, and in the past five years I’ve dressed up as Frida Kahlo, a butterfly, a beatnik, a cat, and a beauty queen. This year? I’m still undecided, but will likely indulge my inner child with some sort of costume. I’m a big believer in having fun and breaking up the monotony of the daily grind, and dressing up for Halloween is a great way to do that.
While Halloween can be great fun for adults, it’s a particularly great holiday for kids. Candy AND costumes? What’s not to like?! My favorite Halloween smell is still the smell of all the different types of Halloween candy combined, which you can enjoy when you stick your nose in a full trick-or-treat bag. Yum! When I was a child a favorite post trick-or-treating activity was dumping out all my candy, separating it according to type, and taking stock of my loot. It was then that I’d trade candy with my older brother – swapping any licorice I’d gotten for something more palatable.
Another fun part of fall is going to the pumpkin patch. We don’t have much of a change of season where I live, so I’m happy to embrace one of fall’s brightly colored symbols – pumpkins. Hubby and I recently visited a local pumpkin patch, and had a great time tromping around. We selected three small pumpkins, picked some veggies (including carrots for our bunnies!), and had fun being big kids. I snapped some photos to share with you (hubby took the photo of me and my scarecrow friend), and hope you enjoy this peek at our Southern California autumn.
Do you still dress up for Halloween? Do you decorate your home? What is your favorite kind of Halloween candy? Please leave a comment and fill me in.
Warm regards,
Melody
p.s. Here’s a link to a Pumpkin Bars recipe from last October, in case you missed it the first time!
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Posted in holidays, inner child, life in general, nature, photography
Also tagged fall, pumpkin, pumpkin patch
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Popcorn Ball Recipe
Nothing says “nostalgic childhood dessert” like popcorn balls! I used to love eating them as a kid, and still love them as a “big kid” of thirty something. They remind me of autumn, as they seemed to surface most often around Halloween, but they’re delicious any day of the year.
I found this recipe for popcorn balls online a few years ago, and was happy to discover that it’s a great one. They’re easy to make, and the recipe produces soft and delicious popcorn balls – not rock-hard, tooth-chipping ones!
Though the recipe doesn’t “require” coloration, you can add color to your popcorn balls by using food coloring. Orange for Halloween, red or green for Christmas, pastels for Easter? I chose to leave my batch colorless and added a pop of color in the packaging. (Cellophane, ribbon, tag, etc.)
Popcorn Ball Recipe
Yield: 20 popcorn balls
Ingredients:
¾ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup butter or margarine
2 teaspoons cold water
2 5/8 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 cup marshmallows
5 quarts popped popcorn
Directions:
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the corn syrup, butter, cold water, confectioner’s sugar and marshmallows. (Add food coloring now, if you opt to add color to your popcorn balls) Heat and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Carefully combine the hot mixture with the popcorn, coating each kernel. Grease hands with margarine or cooking spray and quickly shape the coated popcorn into balls before it cools. Once cool, wrap with cellophane or plastic wrap and store at room temperature.
Helpful Hints:
3 bags of microwave popcorn = roughly 5 quarts.
Pop the popcorn and remove all un-popped kernels of popcorn before coating with the sugary mixture.
Use a greased measuring cup (1 cup) to scoop up the coated popcorn and to ensure uniform portions – finish by rounding the portion into a ball by hand.
I hope you enjoy this fun, festive, and yummy recipe!
Warm regards,
Melody
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Posted in baking, cooking, holidays, life in general, recipes
Also tagged popcorn ball recipe, popcorn balls
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