Pumpkin Carving Ideas...

It's time to crave our Pumpkin! Here are some of my favorite designs found on Pinterest:

 

At Williams-Sonoma I found a great carving set with heavy duty tools made especially for the job.  I have small hands and finding tools that are comfortable to use but not made for kids is a challenge. Should have known that WS would have just what I need.

Well, I'm off to the pumpkin patch.

Cheers!

Autumn Arrives.....

 I love Autumn. Many of the great changes in my life, have arrived in the fall. I moved away from home and went to college, I went to Europe and discovered my love of history, I joined a church and made life time friends, and I married the love of my life in the fall.  It is my favorite time of year, the weather turns crisp and I come to life. I love rosy cheeks and brisk weather. I love walking in the woods and carving jack-o-lanterns. The sound of leaves on the wind scurrying across the driveway is music to my ears. And last but not least, Halloween, my favorite Holiday, is just a round the corner.

Today is the first day of Autumn; to celebrate I'm posting some of my favorite pictures of fall here in Georgia. Enjoy!

 

She's on her broomstick again.....

Witches and black cats have become the standard symbols of Halloween.

But where did these traditions come from?

Legend tells of witches arriving on broomsticks and gathering each year on Halloween to celebrate at a party hosted by the devil. The superstitious claimed that witches cast spells on unsuspecting people, could change themselves into different forms, and caused other magical mischief. One superstition said if you wanted to meet a witch, you had to put your clothes on inside out and walk backwards on Halloween night, at midnight a witch would appear. When European settlers arrived in America they brought many superstitions with them, including their belief in witches and the mischief they take pleasure in on Halloween.


Original Art Available on Etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/82093506/halloween-wicked-witch-original-art
http://www.etsy.com/listing/72329769/halloween-owl-picture-horned-owl-photo
http://www.etsy.com/listing/58542704/scrabble-tile-pendant-are-you-afraid-of

The black cat has often been associated with a witch. One old tale said that a witch could shape shift into a cat. Other tales said black cats were the spirits of the dead. The most common superstition, "if a black cat crosses your path you will have bad luck" still causes people to go in the opposite direction to avoid a stretch of bad luck.

Original Art on Etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/79927363/mean-kitty-bites-jack-o-lantern-necklace
http://www.etsy.com/listing/75052838/halloween-gift-tags-scary-witch-be
http://www.etsy.com/listing/54386345/love-under-the-moonlight-original


 There are many other superstitions associated with Halloween.

For example, the Welsh believed that when you sneezed you blew the soul out of the body. this is where “God bless you” originated. If someone sneezed on Halloween, it was especially dangerous because the devil could capture their soul.

Other cultures believed that owls swooped down to eat the souls of the dying. If an owl was heard hooting, the superstitious would get scared and believed that turning pockets inside out would keep them safe from Owls.

While eating dinner on Halloween, Africans brought to America as slaves would eat in complete silence to encourage spirits to come to the table.

There is also a lot to be said about babies born on Halloween. It once was thought children born on this day could see and talk to ghosts and spirits, it was called the gift of second sight. Additionally, Halloween babies are supposed to enjoy lifelong protection against evil spirits.

 

Halloween is one of the oldest and the second most popular holiday (only to Christmas) in America. Today it is portrayed as time for fun, friends and family. Some still see it's superstitious nature or ties to the deceased. Some religions even view it as an unholy holiday. But whatever your view, you can't deny the fascinating nature of Halloween.

Break out the sewing machine....

Have you been working on Halloween costumes this week?

Have you ever wondered what brought about this Halloween tradition?

Halloween has long been thought of as the day when the dead can return to the earth. Even though the superstitions and customs surrounding Halloween have evolved over the years, wearing costumes on October 31 is still a tradition. Below you'll find a little history of Halloween costumes and fabulous costumes ready to ship today (just in case the sewing machine needle is mysteriously broken). Spooky!



http://www.etsy.com/listing/80570607/haloween-costume-for-child-or-baby-ghost
http://www.etsy.com/listing/82944115/ready2ship-wickedly-sweet-witch-tutu
http://www.etsy.com/listing/68721023/superman-superhero-cape-or-custom

The ancient Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is the present day United Kingdom, Ireland and northern France, celebrated Samhain (sow-in) on November 1. It marked the end of the autumn harvest and the beginning of the cold, dark, winter.

The Celts believed that on the night before Samhain (October 31) the boundary between the living and the dead was unclear. Ghosts of the dead were believed to return to earth causing trouble and damaging the community’s food supply. To protect themselves, Celts would light bonfires and wear costumes, typically of animal skins and heads, to fend off the wandering ghosts. When the celebration was over, the Celts lit their hearth fires from the community bonfire to protect them during the coming months.



http://www.etsy.com/listing/83225301/roxy-fox-custom-handmade-adult-or-child
http://www.etsy.com/listing/83183560/lion-halloween-costume-for-boys-or-girls
http://www.etsy.com/listing/58570112/mix-and-match-cats

 As European immigrants came to America, they brought their Halloween costumes with them. The early settlers had many superstitions and continued to believe they could avoid being recognized by the ghosts that came out on the night of Samhain by wearing masks. They would also place bowls of food outside their homes to satisfy the ghosts and prevent them from entering the home, which could be how trick-or-treating originated.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82343644/hocus-pocus-adult-witch-halloween
http://www.etsy.com/listing/82859350/fairy-costume-the-secret-garden-faerie
http://www.etsy.com/listing/81253012/bride-of-frankenstein-halloween-costume

Today Halloween is one of the oldest and the second most popular celebrations (only to Christmas). Millions celebrate the holiday each year without knowing its origins. Some view Halloween as a time for fun, friends and family. Others still believe in the superstitious of the past or ties to the deceased. Some religions even view it as an unholy holiday. But whatever your view, you cannot deny the fascinating nature of Halloween.

Jack O’Lantern: The Story of Stingy Jack



Will you be carving a pumpkin this year? Carving Jack-o-lanterns is a tradition that came from the Celts -- only they used turnips instead of pumpkins. When the Irish came to America, they found pumpkins to be a lot more plentiful making the pumpkin the official Jack-o-lantern.



The legend of the Jack-o-lantern starts with a man named Stingy Jack, he was a notorious drunk and practical joker. Jack was said to have tricked the devil into climbing into a tree. Jack then carved an image of a cross into the tree’s trunk, trapping the devil in the tree. Jack made a deal with the devil that said he would let the devil down if he did not bother Jack for 10 years, and should Jack die, the devil would not claim his soul.

Legend says shortly after Jack died, he was denied entrance into the gates of Heaven because of his evil ways. Jack was also denied entrance into hell because of his deal with the devil. Instead, the devil gave him a single ember to light his way through the cold, dark winter. Jack placed the light into a hollowed-out turnip to keep it lit longer. In the end, it was the Devil who had the last laugh. Jack was doomed to roam the earth for all eternity. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O'Lantern."

The tradition of carving scary faces into pumpkins stemmed from those not wanting to be visited by Stingy Jack and other ghosts. They hoped that the ghastly carved faces would frighten ghosts away.  So, this Halloween don’t forget to light up your Jack O’ Lantern and place it near your door or window. If you don't, you’ll be getting a late night visit from your trusty pal Stingy Jack!

I'd love to see your pumpkin carvings, please comment and let me know where to view your pumpkins...

I Love Halloween!

Note: All the images in this blog post are creations from Master Pumpkin Carver Ray Villafane.  I think his work is amazing and I appreciate the skill needed to achieve these three-dimensional carvings.



Fun Halloween Treasury....

My Halloween Spider Earrings are included in this great Treasury curated by "Creations By Alice" on Etsy. 

Yippee! Take a Peek.....

BOO Y'ALL!

I love Halloween! I’ve always thought of it as my day to escape my “real Life”. While growing up, other holidays were stressful and sometimes unpleasant. Family feuds, divorced parents, and a host of other disappointing situations made traditional Holidays a bit disjointed in our family. But not Halloween!

Fall Front Door Decor

Halloween provided me a free pass one night a year to escape and become part of the world of fantasy and adventure. It was my chance to become something different, something exciting, something beautiful, or even someone who could fly. I could leave behind the pressure of family challenges and just enjoy my favorite day.

Vintage Halloween Costume Patterns

Even as a very young girl, I spent days working on my costume; as a teenager I learned to sew just so I could create fabulous outfits. Being extremely tall for my age, (I still am), I could never wear the commercial costumes available at the local Woolworth's, so I had to sew my own.

Today, I still enjoy everything Halloween and decorate the house for the holiday. I’ve made a few items for my Etsy Shop for my favorite day. No pressure, no guilt, just pure enjoyment…cheers!



Halloween items in my Etsy shop.