The Beginning

An arm. 

With an eye post sticking out of the shoulder (that's to attach it to the body...when there is a body).  I tried to weasel my way out of making my sister a ami for her sis in law's new baby.  But, what did my sister go and do...Tell her that her beloved sister who this sis in law has actually met, was making her an extra special something...right then.  Begin to crochet.  I cannot let this woman down.  I mean, I have met her.  I have babysat her actual  young and now she has expectations of me....I will make her latest addition a sweet something. 

I may have tried to convince my sister to let me just give her one of my darling daughters' pigs...you know, the ones that don't have appendages...she wasn't going for it.  Fine!

In case you weren't aware...Halloween is coming.  I love Halloween.  I love October, I love the spooky decor, I love making costumes and dressing my darlings up, I love decorating my house...not to the extreme, but just to the level of fun! 

These spooky candy hands are my favorite!  I always save my decorations from the year before...even if they are made with candy.  I just warn people, like my brother in law who tried to eat from one of my Christmas displays one year that the candy in the (most likely) lead-lined bowl was about 6 years old and it was probably best he not nibble it.

Be warned though...be careful in hanging these.  So, apparently I must have used industrial strength tape last year, because this year I dropped 4 hands  I think.

This is the result of that.  Luckily I kept the gloves that I use in my Halloween Decor box.  Handy.  So, here's the deal.  Do not be like me and in fact buy medical latex gloves.  They are not clear.  They are not what you want.  You in fact want food handlers clear plastic gloves.  I made the mistake of buying some gloves from Costco for this purpose.  Yes Costco.  So that means I had on hand approximately 10,000 yellowish latex gloves.  Right. 

Just start filling with your candy of choice.  Side note.  I in fact think Candy Corn are the most disgusting creation on the planet.  This does in fact include all candies that are made of whatever candy corn is made of.  You know, the nasty pumpkins .  Blech.  I do though think they are terribly cute.  So I like to decorate with them.  It's kind of like John Mayer.  I know he's a sleaze, but I kind of like his music and some of his antics.  So, it's a dilemma.  But, I suck it up and I decorate using candy corn and upon occasion I read John Mayer's blog.  Confession over.

It is important to make sure the candies fill the fingers.  They like to get stuck up in the palm of the glove. Just ease them down.

Tie with a knot as close to the candy as you can get.  Tying these gloves when they are so full can be tricky.  I've found that twisting the top as tight as I can and then tying the knot works best.

Tie a length of ribbon underneath the knot in the glove (make sure to secure it well, otherwise you will drop them and I guarantee the glove with rip).  And hang from your door or wherever you see fit.

The hutch in my front room.  I long to find some bugs or spiders that I can cover my roses with.  As of now the little buckets are just filled with white roses, but when I find them they will be crawling with spooky spiders!

As I have not completed my Ghastly wall hanging, I will use this cutie.  I love this little quilt except for one thing.  I used ultra heavy wonder under.  Bad choice.  The poor image is so stiff.  I long to re-make it.  Someday when I have loads of time.

You gotta love her sassy bustiers and brassieres and stylish shoes.

My pillow covers that just slip right around my red pillows.  For now it works for me.  Someday I will make actual proper pillow covers for Halloween.

Table Runner.  The funny thing about some of these things is, they are quite old.  And I made them before I had any skill really.  So, again, if I had the pattern still I might try and remake this and take my care in fussy cutting the images.  At the time I was only interested in getting something done FAST so I could see it.  Live and learn.

Paper plate skeleton.  Yes, even this I saved from last year.

Ghosts made from balloons and garbage bags.  This is my Youngest's.  She doesn't believe in anything spooky or ugly.  All she wants is beautiful princess ghosts.  So, this is what I came up with.

And finally covering every window with home-drawn Halloween images. 

I guess that pretty much covers how I am decorating this year for Halloween.  This weekend I'll add some pumpkins, but I didn't want to get them while they weather was still really warm.

So, having made this blog post, I've really discovered that my Halloween style is definitely homemade.  I obviously don't go for pre-manufactured items.  I either want to make them or I want my kids to make them.  I know having hand-drawn and colored pictures on your windows may not be the classiest, but it's sure the most fun!

Heather