Halloween Cross Stitch - Part 4

So another week down, and again I haven't quite finished this section.  It will be done though before the weekend is over with.

Although there is only 3 colours in this pattern its very effective.

This week's quarter features a giant pumpkin and an owl.  

This will not be finished for Halloween, but that was never the goal.

Update:  

I took the photos above mid afternoon on Friday.  By 7:30pm on Friday night I had finished the third quarter of the pattern:

Halloween Cross Stitch - Part 3

I didn't get as well this week again, just busy with daily life, but progress was made, so that's good.  It's mainly just the border to finish off.

This coming week it's all about Bats and Cats..........

Halloween Cross Stitch - Part 2

Sorry it's a day late, but I had yesterday's post already set up and figured I would just leave it.

I did manage to finish the first part on Friday night, which was more luck than management, as with everyone, sometimes life gets in the way and I had a couple of days last week, where no stitching got done at all.  It's Thanksgiving weekend this weekend, so hoping to get a good start on part two.

So far so good though and I am pleased with how it is looking.  That border is a bit more complicated than it looks.

Next part is all about ghosts............

The greyed out part on the left is what has been stitched on part one.

Halloween cross stitch - part one

I mentioned last month I was going to take part in Durene Jones Halloween sew along cross stitch.  I have never done a Halloween themed project before, and I do like her designs.

The first week's pattern was released yesterday; which turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I had just finished another puzzle.  So this was the perfect time to jump into another project.

Here is what the first part of the pattern looks like:

Please excuse how creased it is, I didn't pop it into a hoop.  I was being lazy!!

I am loving the pattern so far, as there is only three colours, and it's just full stitches.  Does anyone know what that "plant" is supposed to be to the left of the cat?

The pattern is free and here is a link to Durene's Facebook page.

Autumn/Halloween.........

I was in Home Sense the other day and was greeted by all the Autumn and Halloween decorations.  I do enjoy the whole Autumn/Fall decorating theme, though do not do it in our house........but maybe I should?

I of course was drawn to all the glass pumpkins!

Only two more weeks and the kids will be back at school, where has the summer gone too?

All done............

 with actually a couple of days to spare.......

It was a mystery one that daughter and grand daughter picked up for me.  It's not really my cup of tea, but I did enjoy doing it.  I will hang it up for Halloween.........now to start on the next project, which I think will be the Christmas cross stitch sew along.  Plus I have some good books to read and review.......

The rising price of Halloween candy.........

I was reading this article and amongst the things it was saying, was that due to the rising cost of cocoa worldwide that giving out chips/crisps might be cheaper for you!

So when we were in Walmart over the weekend we had a look at various Halloween candy and did agree that maybe the chips route was the way to go.

So we picked up these:

I figure that I will give each child a bag of chips and a bag of candy.  I have enough there was 135 kids.  Now I have the girls sleeping over the week before, so at a minimum we will still be able to accommodate 125 kids.  After that I will close the door and turn the light off.  A lot depends on the weather.  If it's nice and warm, and dry I can see us getting 125 kids.  If it's cold and wet, who knows how few.

I do know my husband can't remember how to use the washer or dryer, but does remember where the guy gives out full sized chocolate bars, as he mentioned it when we were buying the Halloween stuff!!  Just saying 🙄

My surrogate daughter makes up over 200 bags, and lasts her around an hour.  Whether she will make up more, I'm not sure.

Do you open your doors for the trick or treaters?  How many do you buy for?

Seems as though Nana doesn't know it all!

The boys were visiting the other day and we got talking about Halloween.  They go trick and treating in our subdivision; it's a tradition it turns out.  We don't mind.  I stay in handing out candy and Grandad, parents and boys go around the neighbourhood.

Asked the 4 year old what he wanted to be and he announced Baby Shark.  Which puzzled everyone as he is mad about Spidey.  I would guess he'll be Spidey as that outfit is easier to find.

Asked the 7 year old what he wanted to be and he announced a CHICKEN JOCKEY......I'm sorry....what?  After much back and forward and his mother looking up on google to show me, it's a Minecraft "thing."  When I saw what it was, I told his mother to get crafting that!!  She doesn't do crafts, so I told the 7 year old he needed a back up plan and he said a skeleton.  So I told him there was a better chance of him being a skeleton, than a chicken jockey...LOL

Now I know you are all dying to see what a chicken jockey looks like!!  Here you go:

And how have I never known about this!

I wasn't impressed........

 in fact honestly I was a little scared when I saw these in Home Depot the other day.....

That scarecrow is 15 feet tall.........

Those dogs eyes were creepy

All those things moved........

That scarecrow is $498, which is crazy

I know some people are into Halloween, but some of those things will terrify small children, oh and me!!

Now the following photos are more me, when it comes to Halloween. Saw these in Homesense:

However, I think I will just stick with my one plug in plastic pumpkin!!

Fall, Halloween and Christmas in July.........

It's not often I go to the mall, but I went to two last week and the one thing I noticed was how along with the back to school stuff being in the stores; there was also Fall, Halloween and Christmas stuff in the stores.

In Homesense all the Fall things were in the windows.  I do love Fall it's my favourite time of year.  I also am a big fan of glass and mushrooms, so they caught my eye, but I didn't buy!

Hallmark of course had all their Christmas ornaments out.........

along with the Fall pumpkins and various Halloween things.

Nothing like covering all your bases, right?

I will say I have made a really good start on my Christmas present shopping and have been picking up things since the beginning of the year.

Have you made a start on your Christmas shopping?

Way too long.........

It's been way too long since I last posted.  I mean honestly, you'd think I have a busy life or something...LOL

It just seems like yesterday it was the beginning of summer.  We woke up to this on October 30th:

Way too soon for snow.  Mind you, it had more or less all melted by the late afternoon.  Summer went by in a flash.  Was busy with the gardening, visitors and we went away to Tennessee at the beginning of November.  I know I said we were booked to go to Charleston, but we changed our minds and ended up at Pigeon Forge.  Had a super time but it was way too hot for me.

My mother has joined a book club in the UK; so I have decided to unofficially join it as well!  The first book we are reading is this one:

"Room," by Emma Donoghue.  If you click on the prior sentence it will take you to Amazon, and you can read a preview there.  I am going to start on it this week.  I have just posted a book review on the latest book I have read, "The Trail," here, that was a good book.

My health could be better, I'll explain in another post.  The grandkids are all growing like weeds.  I have to share a photo of N & P all dressed up for Halloween.

Chucky and a Zombie Bride I think they were?  Dd did a super job on the makeup.

Anyhow, that's it for the moment.  I will prepare some more posts and lets see how long I manage to keep posting this time round!!

Pretty cute.....

I see this caravan on my walking route.  It sleeps two, but can sleep three.  One thing though in this photo and the following one makes me shake my head.  Can you guess what?

People are decorating for Halloween and a number of people put these fake spider webs on their houses and bushes.  Yes it looks nice, but how on earth are they going to get it off those bushes after Halloween?  Unfortunately a number of people won't bother removing them and then I think it looks tacky.

Halloween

Are you finding that there seems to be more and more novelties available for Halloween?  We went to Lowes the other day and I was astonished at what was available.

I love the colours of Fall.

I fell in love with the owl, but at $99, it stayed on the shelf!

I can see this archway being popular.

There was also merchandising staff working on all the Christmas items, can you believe that?

So Christmas is just around the corner I guess!

It's Halloween today...........

What are we doing...........................NOTHING!!

How about you?

Seriously???

Had to go to Michael's on the weekend to pick up a photo frame and saw this:

Everything you need to make your Christmas Wreath's?  I mean who is thinking about this?  It was hovering around the 40 oC mark this past weekend.  Halloween things were in the store along with the Fall decorations, which is bad enough, but Christmas things, way, way too soon for me!

Meet the Halloween Quints.......

So here they are all done, with their name tags on.

 The kids are going to be amazed, as each one was born on the recipient's birth date!!

Below on the left is Witchy-Way who is for Nora.  On the left is Goblin who is for Paige.

 To the left is Spell who is for Nitara, in the middle is Boo for Samvith, and to the right is Bones who is for Jeina.

 All were made with material I had laying around the house.

Went to the dollar store and picked up some books and other things for Halloween for them, and not a chocolate or candy in sight, so the parents should be happy!

Had a quiet but busy weekend.

It was Thanksgiving here in Canada this past weekend.  Not that we generally do much for Thanksgiving and this one was no different as the kids rented a "cottage" for the weekend and they all went there.  No, we were not invited, but as neither dh or I are 100% well, we were not overly bothered.

One thing I did do this weekend was catch up with some sewing.  I finally got Paige's quilt top finished, the one that uses all the fabrics from her first year photos.

It is hard to see and the light was shining behind the quilt, so you see the seams.  I have a call into a lady to see about her doing the quilting for me.  It's around a double bed size of 60 inches wide and 77 inches long.  Paige is climbing out of her crib now, so she will be moving into a big bed soon.  She will be 16 months old on the 15th of this month.  The fabric for her birthday shot will be the binding on the outside of the quilt.

I am not a huge fan of Halloween and I do know the mother's of the grands are not that fussy about the children getting a lot of chocolate.  So I decided to make a dog called George all dressed up for Halloween.  These two are for Jeina and Paige.  The material is what I had laying around the house.

Three more to go and then to pick up a Halloween book for each of them!  Not a speck of chocolate in sight from us!