Last Chance To Be A Halloweener

Joe's Cub Scout Pumpkin

I had every intention of breaking out of my Halloween blah this year! Really, I had it all planned out...31 days of recipes, crafts, and tributes to Halloween. I was even going to dress up this year...well, sort of, if you call a Jessie Steele retro-chic vintage-inspired apron, great jeans, and stiletto boots a costume...Oh, you don't get it...a 21st Century Stepford Wife...that's about as costumey as I get (and a great excuse to buy the apron!).

But alas, it is October 30, and I have tons of pumpkins...I {heart} pumpkins, even if I don't {heart} Halloween. To top it off I have been way behind in wifely, motherly, authorly duties and then the flu done kicked our behinds the last few days. So, here I am...October 30...time to kick it in gear...last chance to be a Halloweener.

Today, I tried very hard to get a little festive, not sure I got it quite right, but I tried. Most of the projects were totally tweaked to be done in a day or hours...here's a peek.

This wasn't really a project, but our Cub Scout den "volunteered" to help out for the annual Pack Pumpkin Carving Meeting. What does this mean - me rounding up 50 pumpkins and gutting them...so the kids can carve them later that evening. I got sick the night before, but the gutting continued thanks to the other ladies of the pack (go girls!). I do LOVE how my porch looked with all these pumpkin though...Think I could convince me hubby to spend a couple hundred dollars on pumpkins next year? Hmmmm...not likely.

30 of the 50 Cub Scout pumpkins

Joe's creation is the top picture.

I was going tot make these super cute candy corn cake pops that I found online at The Genco Journal. I made about 20 before illness and time constraints caught up to me. I abandoned the idea..next year though...they are super cute! I'll just share the few I made with the kids I know.

Candy Corn Cake Pops

Instead, I made popcorn balls with a recipe from allrecipes. They are yummy, yummy, yummy! My biggest problem is that I don't always read the directions...I am a blonde genius ya know!  Let's just say I didn't let the candy mixture cool down enough before I dove in, and now I can probably embark on a life of crime because I have no fingerprints left. Ouch! See what happens when you cook and craft late at night!

Popcorn balls with a chocolate drizzle

My cute little banner was going to have frills...not this year....some triangles out of cardstock, chip board letters, glue dots and yarn/ribbon that not quite made it to knitting night and voila! It is still cute.

Easy-Peasy Banner

I have been wanting to try these little ghosts for a long time...mainly because I get to use stuff called Stiffy and when I think about the name I imagine Martha saying Stiffy a hundred times in one of her demonstrations and trying to keep a straight face (I actually don't watch Martha...too much time and $$$ wasted on crazy projects).

These are my little ghosts. I am hanging them with a glow stick inside, but they would also look tres cute with a battery operated tea light in them along the walk way. You need 1 bottle of Stiffy, cheesecloth, a mold of sorts (I used a mason jar) and some string or a hook. Easy, peasy!

This ghosts rocked with the glow stick inside...
unfortunately the photo doesn't do it justice.

So, what hip gal doens't have 30 black feather boas in her garage? Add one wire wreath frame and instant glam-spooky Halloween wreath (it only took 2 boas!). I just used short lengths of floral wire and secured the boa to the wire frame. Then add this sparkly sign I bought for about $2. I {heart} it! My hubby doesn't...he loses this time.

Glam-Spooky Boa Wreath

My pumpkin totem pole...not quite my original vision, but the base is made and I will paint a design or faces on it later. Next year, it will be 6 feet and made of multiple types of pumpkins.

It's amazing what you can do with a hammer, a wooden stake,

and determination! Too cute!

I love candles (really, who doesn't!). Some jars, vases, and other containers filled with beans in Halloween colors, and there ya go...super cute little accent pieces.

Black beans, an orange candle and a trifle bowl

So, the final product a festive Halloween porch that doesn't look too bad considering it happened overnight!

As for Halloween night, chili and cornbread are on the menu, along with some wine!.

So that is how I threw Halloween together in 24 hours give or take. Phew...I need a cocktail!

Happy Halloween!

Holly