Trick or Treat!

Happy Halloween, everyone!

 

We're getting treat bags ready for the spooky little revellers that will be coming knocking tonight...

 

I spent years going with the Trick-or-Treaters...

 

All my children were so far apart in age

 

 that someone was always young enough to want to go out Trick-or-Treating...

 

and it was always late when we got home... too late to hand out treats ourselves ~

 

 so this is still fairly novel for us!

 

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I want to share this yummy recipe with you...

 

After all the sugary sweets, this tangy snack just hits the spot!

 

Dilly-Ranch Crackers

 

I large bag Oyster Crackers

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. Lemon Pepper

1/2 tsp. Garlic Salt

1 Heaping tbs. Dill Weed (the dried green plant, not the seeds)

1 pkg. dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

 

Mix all the ingredients and pour over the oyster crackers, stirring well. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 350, stirring a couple of times.

 

So easy!

 

So good!!

 

♥

 

Here's something fitting for All Hallow's Eve, I think ~

from Blackmore's Night...



(Video at bottom)

Are you familiar with them?

Ritchie Blackmore, the group's leader, was lead guitarist for Deep Purple, "back in the day"

...

(I am dating myself here!)

Lovely Celtic music from his wife and him, now.

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See the little antique chocolate-mold Pierrot in the photo with the crackers?



A birthday gift from my dear friend Wendy...



(Check out Wendy's blog here ~)



...and click the name for her beautiful website, Victorian Chocolate Molds ~



Isn't he marvelous??



Oh, and I have to share this!



I LOVE Henri...(probably because he reminds me so much of one of my Angel Kitties, Artie...



ennui, and all!)



(The facial markings are even similar!...I miss Artie ~ he was my boy!)



♥



Anyway, Henri's newest video is "L'Haunting"...



You can see Henri's other videos here...



and you'll understand about the "tribute to lost (spider) friends...:)



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I had so many lovely birthday wishes and surprises!



I just found out that my sweet friend Elaine made



the wonderful witch and cat in my previous post...



I had no idea! They are so elegant!



Thank you, everyone.



That's all for now...have a safe and fun Halloween!!



♥

One more thing! 

The winner of my little okra-pod Vulture is...



Carol, of Our Sears Kit Home!



Carol, please send me your address so Mr. Vulture can wing himself your way!

 

 

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Halloween Party ♥ 2012

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Spooky Greetings, my friends!



(I just edited my post title so it would be easier to search for in the future.)



I finally finished the watercolor/Prismacolor painting



of my three kitties, Tallulah, Cyrus, and Leo, in their costumes (above)...



As much as I want to dress them up in actual costumes (yes, I really do),



I just don't think they would appreciate it...;^)

 

I'm so glad you dropped by to celebrate with us...Leo and I have been patiently waiting!

 

The other kitties decided to watch from the couch...

 

They'll come over to investigate after all the excitement is over, I'm sure... (Party Poopers!)

 

First, we want to thank Vanessa at A Fanciful Twist for hosting this Halloween-y blog party ~ :^)

 

Step into our parlor if you please, and we'll have goodies...

 

A feast for the tummy and the eyes, we hope!

 

♥

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Miss Griselda is holding court at the treat table...

She can barely see the guests over her armload of marigolds, though!

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Here she is a little closer, in all her ruffled finery!

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How about beginning with a mug of hot cocoa with whipped cream and just a sprinkle of cinnamon?

 

And maybe just a couple of Jack O' Lantern sugar cookies? They are calorie-free, honest!

 

Just the thing for our just-turned-chilly day!

 

You can see that Mr. Frog is wondering if that's true about the calorie-free cookies...

 

He's looking at them with some concern...

 

(and longing, I think...)

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Oh, buttercream!

Need I say more?

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This cool brass spider (guarding some yummy pumpkin-spice almonds)

 

is from artist Dave Dardis of Makanda, Illinois...

 

a souvenir from Vulture Fest last weekend...

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A couple of cute little ghosts that have been with me for years are guarding the cupcakes...:^)

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Getting top billing here is my sweet little pumpkin that my Grandma Collier gave me

 

 on my second Halloween, in 1959...(I was born two minutes before Midnight, October 30th...



not quite Halloween, but still in the "Witching Hour"!)

 

 I thought that after 53 years, he deserved a place of honor under a pretty bell jar!

 

I'm thrilled I still have him ~ ♥



The lovely platter in the background is by Carolee Clark of King of Mice Studios .

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There I am, and there he is, in the little photo...

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Caramel apple, anyone?

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Here is another sweet thing that I feel so fortunate to still have;

 

my little October Angel...

 

Grandma Collier got her for me, too.

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Even the little silver creamer holding some marigolds has a spidery surprise!

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An Etude music magazine from October 1944 is framed and sits amid pumpkins

 

on my hall table...

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More marigolds and a sweet vintage Halloween greeting...

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If we eat a healthy snack like this crisp Gala apple, it will counteract anything

 

sugary that we have consumed, isn't that correct?

 

Even with the caramel sauce for dipping?

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Uh, oh....Leo finds it necessary to check out these strange new items...

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"Mom, why are there marigolds in the chandelier?"

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"These fellows have wide open mouths, but I don't hear 'em saying anything...

how curious!"

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"All this stuff is just so intriguing...

 

Cyrus and Tallulah don't know what amazing new smells they're missing!
"

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I have been blessed with armloads of marigolds this year!

 

Leo tells me they aren't one of his favorite new fragrances...

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Still fascinated with my "overhead" decor!

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These sweeties were in a birthday~box of goodies
I just received from my dear friend Elaine!



I love them!

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Before you go, a nice cup of orange-spice tea would be just the thing...

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I almost forgot!



I sold out of my little okra-pod Vultures last weekend, but when my daughter



Mandy told me she wished she'd asked me to save one for her, I made three more ~



one for Mandy, one for daughter Katie, and one to give away here...



A thank you for stopping by my little Halloween "Party in Pictures"...



Just leave me a comment and I will draw a name!



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Don't forget to hop on by the other parties!



(You can get the whole list at A Fanciful Twist...(oooh, that rhymes!) ~ ;^)



Have a wonderful weekend!... Leo, Cyrus, Tallulah and I wish you



a purrrfectly spooktacular Halloween!!



P.S....Because I know it takes some time to visit all the parties (at least I know it will take a while for me) I will wait until Tuesday evening to draw a name for the Vulture...:^)

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Vulture Fest!

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Vulture Fest!

 What an interesting little place Makanda is! Population, 450.

And probably at least that many dogs...

We didn't see one single kitty, but maybe (hopefully) they were all indoors...

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That's our little pop-up gazebo on the left...

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Here's the "Boardwalk"...

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I love willow furniture, but I've never seen anything like this...

it looked like a little throne!

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This is my face-painting sign!

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And here are my little okra-pod vultures...

I sold out!

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Check out the license plate...
I couldn't resist taking a picture!

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Great-niece Jaylen having her hair braided by my sister-in-law, her "Grandma Berby"...

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This man's studio was the cornerstone of the boardwalk shops...

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A sign from the first festival, years ago...

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Inside Dave's studio...he works in glass and metal...

I could see me painting in here, though!

Photos don't do it justice...

There was art, and stuff, and more stuff....everywhere!

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This was way overhead...I don't even know what to call it ~

It looked like part of a stage coach...or a pirate ship...

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In a glass case...I think this arrangement has been there since the 70s...;^)

And oh, my...look at the okra-pod hair!

(The wheels are turning!)

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Dave did lots and lots and LOTS of these little brass figures... (Love the two carrying the leaf!)  ~ They are about an inch tall...another large floor piece (that I didn't get a photo of, unfortunately ~ too crowded in his studio to get a shot) had literally hundreds of figures climbing a big piece of driftwood...

(Isn't the face carved in this piece wonderful?...)

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What is really interesting though, is the "garden" out back...

There is a stage for performers...

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And art...like this pottery vulture...

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And this HUGE brass insect (about 4 feet long)...

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...and mazes, mazes, everywhere, through the ivy...

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Little bridges and boardwalks...

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At the very top of this photo, you can see the stage...

there was a magician performing for a handful of people
while I was taking pictures...

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I could have spent the afternoon here with a book...;^) ~ ♥

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Little twisty paths everywhere....

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...And everything is covered in English ivy...goodness, if we had had something like this when I was little, I would have never come indoors... never!...:^)

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Along about dusk, a few vultures started coming closer...

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A few minutes later, there were dozens...

Then they dwindled down to just a few in the air, then none.

They had settled down to roost for the night.

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And that is Vulture Fest! We didn't really know what to expect, but we definitely want to go back...

They have another festival in May, and we hope to attend!

♥

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