Jack-o-Lanterns in Waiting

Carved pumpkins lose their appeal pretty quickly.  I’ve tried putting petroleum jelly on the cut edges, and even put one in the fridge overnight, but they always end up the same way – shriveled and not nearly the right kind of scary looking.  So, we always wait until the Halloween to carve them, since the day before is dedicated to a certain child’s birthday.

Until then, the pumpkins we have out look cute enough, but kind of naked, and this year we have more than ever, since every child wants a couple to themselves for hacking away at.

I’ve been eagerly awaiting a new Christmas idea book, Holiday with Matthew Mead, which is supposed to be more doable than Martha-type ideas, which I lovelovelove to look at, yet usually am too intimidated by the scale, time needed, and/or likely cost to really try.  I look… and I sigh…  I’m determined I will find at least a couple of new ways to spruce up the old homestead for the holidays while also not completely neglecting my kids, taking over the entire table for days to try to complete some monstrously complex project, etc.  As a companion to the book, there is a blog, and I spied this adorable photo today.

See what I mean?  I love this.  And it is tangibly doable.  I might even have socks like this—don’t you judge!  hee hee—even if I lack the cool chair.

I spent a few moments with a piece of black construction paper and scissors, et voila.

Sure, it’s not as masterful as the inspiration, but it looks awful darn cute, and I did it in about 30 seconds.  Imagine what I could do with 5 whole minutes!  ;)

Carter was so tickled by the bandit pumpkin that we had to dress up a couple of others.

One of Paul’s old tees that suffered from hole in lip while drinking coffee-itis (a terrible malady) served to mummify this one.

Our plan with the white pumpkin is to carve a ghost, but in the meantime…

I think the one that a confused squirrel attacked might have to dress up as Frankenpumpkin for a couple of days if I can find the right paper to make hair… you can make out some of the bite marks behind Ghosty up there, but the real craziness is on the backside, where I turned it away from street view.  Tooth marks and all!