HAPPY HALLOWEEN - and I've been Boo'd!!!

Just a short post to say HAPPY HALLOWEEN, and to remind you to be prepared, because on Halloween...

...you could see things that are scary!!!!



... and you could see things you never, never, ever expected to see!!!



... and you might even see some downright creepy things!!!!


(Of course those are actually my lovely daughters wearing the creepiest masks ever back in October 2002, our primitive decor days!)

And last, but not least, I've been Boo'd by a few wonderful bloggers!!! Thank you to LisaJanelle of Warm Heart, Cozy Home; Jeanne at Backyard Neighbor; and Rechelle at WalnutHaven Cottage ... And now I'm "Booing" all of you!!!!!

Happy Halloween!

Donna

(P.S. My thanks to SuzeeeZ's Home Sweet Home & Tranquil Garden, which is where I came across the Dancing with the Stars 'photo' for this blog post)

A walk on the dark side...

... through the yard, that is...

Oh dear.... my sweet little "welcome" bunnies look somewhat sinister during this late night stroll...


The front yard lantern will light the way for all the little witches and goblins that descend upon us this Halloween eve....


The garden gate, decked out in autumn leaves, doesn't look too scary...

But in front of the gate, the little ghost that flits and flutters in the slightest breeze might cause some shivers and goosebumps...

Whooooooo goes there.....

The spanish moss adds an eerie look to the mums and pumpkins....

A most unflattering camera angle.... but then again, I don't think she actually has a 'good side.'

Wish you all a frightfully good Halloween!!!

Donna

Peeping Toms in the Neighborhood...

(click on any photos to enlarge)

It was a dark and stormy day here in New England, full of wind and rain....

I'd just settled down on the sofa after rearranging the family room when, suddenly, I felt as though I was being watched....


My hair stood on end ... I was covered with goosebumps... And that's when I spotted him, peering at me through the open slider doors... (if you look closely at the photo above, you'll see him, too!)


And he wasn't alone... While he crept closer to the door, his friend kept a lookout from the top of the chair... He came closer, and closer, until he was right at the door, and that's when he whispered...

"Oh Mrs. Peanut Lady!! It's only us, your beautiful blue feathered friends!" "Well why didn't you say so, Mr. Blue Jay! Of course I have peanuts for you!!!"

As I headed back to the sofa, that uncomfortable feeling of being watched came rushing back...

Closer and closer he came, until he was literally peering through the door at me!

"Did you forget me?" he asked. "Oh, Sammy, thank goodness it's only you! Of course I didn't! Here are some peanuts for you, too!!!"

Peanuts ... such a small price to pay to be visited by such special friends as these!!

Donna

I'm a little Dutch girl dressed in blue...

Since several people mentioned these Dutch girl costumes from a previous post, I thought Blue Monday would be a good day to post about them.

(My little Dutch Girls at the Pumpkin Patch - circa 1990)

These are my favorite costumes from Halloweens past, and they were pretty inexpensive and simple to make (a necessity for this bumbling sewer)...

They almost became sailor girl outfits after Mom & Dad bought sailor caps for the girls during a trip to Florida. (Here are the girls during an early skirt fitting.)

But in the end, the Little Dutch Girls won out (seen here with Nana & Grampa before I'd had a chance to stencil windmills onto their aprons, which were actually clearance priced cafe curtains with ribbons through the rod pocket to tie them around their waists).

That's better, now they're stenciled... And the skirts were easy enough to make with clearance calico from Wal Mart, simple sewed in elastic waistbands, and iron-on hems. Making the hats was the tricky part. I sewed heavy duty florist wire into the side flaps so I could curl up the ends.

The girls already had cable knit tights and cardigans (after all, this is New England!)... I remember they were sooo excited to be sitting on top of a real live pony!

This photo was taken at a local apple orchard's Halloween Fair. That day, several people asked if we were of Dutch heritage, which we're not. But I have such warm childhood memories of my mom reading us fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen and of hearing stories like Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates or the Little Dutch Boy, that it just seemed like a great choice for costumes!

These are some of our favorite Hans Christian Andersen books... (I know, I have a serious problem/love affair with beautifully illustrated children's books!!!)

Don't forget to stop by Smiling Sally's to see all the other Blue Monday posts!!

I'm a little Dutch girl dressed in blue,

Here are the things I like to do...

Salute the Captain, bow to the queen,

Turn my back to the submarine!

Donna (who remembers jumping rope to that!)

There's one in every crowd...

Everyone's getting into the Halloween spirit at our little cottage!


Living Room Floor Lamp asked if she could please borrow Witchy Woman's hat...


Paired with this little mask, she now feels like the Belle of the Ball!


(Note: This is a seldom-used lamp in our living room... I don't recommend "dressing up" lamps that are actually used!!)

Happy Halloween!!

Donna

Autumn Nesting...

Pink Saturday style...

This little feathered friend has decided to do some autumn nesting at our cottage...


And who can blame her? She looks so cozy nesting in this vintage 50's birdcage...


And just look at all the pretty pink roses on this beautiful pumpkin from Cherry Blossom Cottage!

Happy Pink Saturday, everyone!! Now be sure to visit all the other pink-loving blogs participating at How Sweet The Sound ... Thanks, Beverly!!!

Donna

An October's eve stroll through the cemetery...

“A cemetery is a history of people – a perpetual record of yesterday and sanctuary of peace and quiet today. A cemetery exists because every life is worth loving and remembering – always.” (William Gladstone 1809-1897)

Cemeteries, especially at this time of year, are often portrayed as very spooky places (which, of course, they are not)… I actually love walking through cemeteries and I took my camera along this last time in case you wanted to join me... Most of these photos were taken as the sun set and the moon rose above the trees...

You'll always find a wide variety of religious statues and artwork while strolling through a cemetery...

And you'll find yourself surrounded by angels of all shapes and sizes...

Many stones, especially older ones, are chiseled or cut to form crosses, some very simple and some quite intricate...

But what tugs at my heartstrings most are the everyday garden statues, most likely a personalized token of love from a family member or friend...




Well, the sun has now set, after painting the sky with beautiful peaches and pinks, and the moon is now out, so I suppose we should be going. (Even though cemeteries aren't spooky places, I don't think I want to be here in the dark!!) But thank you for joining me on this early evening stroll...

Donna