Hallowen 2015

I realize it's November, but I have yet to talk about Halloween. This year's Halloween was full of fun from morning til night.

I woke up early on Halloween morning and headed down to Goodyear downtown as I had an oil change scheduled for 7:00 a.m. I stayed at the store while they changed the oil and balanced and rotated my tires. I clipped coupons, watched the news, played candy crush, and read the latest Southern Living while waiting for my vehicle to be serviced. Also while there, I got to see the folks running in the Sppoktacular 5K run by in their various Halloween costumes which was rather entertaining. I had anticipated the time at Goodyear to be about and hour, but it was more like an hour and a half.

I was supposed to meet my friend Lauren M. at the Botanical Garden at 9:00 a.m. and had planned on going to the grocery store before. However, since the time at Goodyear took longer than expected, there wasn't enough time for the grocery store. So, I ran by CVS and got some of their brand of Airborne (which is way cheaper and seems to work just as well) since I was almost out and then I went to the Garden.

Lauren M. was running late so I had a few minutes to spare before she arrived and I perused the gift shop. If y'all have never been to the gift shop at the Botanical Garden, I highly recommend it and if you are a member, you get 10% off. They seriously have so many cute things there. Lauren M. arrived and we walked around the garden for about an hour and checked out all the scarecrows on the scarecrow trail. It was the last day of the exhibit so they weren't as put together as they probably were on the first day, but still, it was fun.

After the garden, Lauren M. and I parted ways and I finally made it to the grocery store and got the things I needed to make taco soup and potato soup for Halloween night. My cousin Lauren L. was hosting her annual Halloween party that night and I was in charge of games and cooking the two pots of soup. I spent the afternoon making soups and then showered and got myself ready for the big party.

I had decided some time ago to dress up as Mary Poppins. Mary has always been one of my favorite characters and I've always loved the movie and since I already had most of the items to create the costume, that's what I settled on. I think it turned out quite nicely.

I went over to Lauren L.'s early to get the soups warmed up and help her with any last minute things and soon enough the other guests began to arrive. We had a fun night eating yummy foods, talking and hanging out with each other. Some of us enjoyed scaring trick-or-treaters half to death. It was all a lot of fun, except for the rain - it was the second straight year for loads of rain on Halloween.

Around 8:00 p.m. I decided to call it a night. After my dad of working in the yard and then being up all day without a nap on Saturday, I was ready for the bed. So, I gathered my belongings and was soon on my way home where I promptly set my clocks back an hour (thank you Lord for the extra hour of sleep) and called it a night.

Halloween 2015 was a fun-filled day and I'm already thinking about what I'll be for Halloween 2016!

Pictures and Parker Pumpkin Carving Night

While the garage sale managed to consume the majority of my weekend time, I did manage to get a few other things accomplished. I got home from the sale, jumped in the shower and got all gussied up because Pippa and I were having out Christmas card pictures made. I was supposed to meet my friend Kristen at the Green Mountain Nature Trail at 3:30 p.m. but ended up running a little late because I desperately needed gas in my car. Pippa and I finally managed to arrive and walked over to the covered bridge where we were supposed to meet Kristen. She patiently took a million photos and then we parted ways. I haven't seen any of the photos yet, but Kristen said there are some good ones and some funny ones. I look forward to seeing both. 

After pictures, we headed back home where I managed to watch the second half of the Alabama-Tennessee game before leaving again to go back over to my parents' house for dinner. My dad grilled filet mignon, made baked potatoes, steamed asparagus, salad, and rolls as well as a cake. All of it was delicious! By the time we were done with dinner, I was done for the day. I was so tired from working all morning and so I took my tired self home and went straight to bed. 

Sunday was Parker Pumpkin Carving Night at the home of my cousins, Benny and Jan. This has been a yearly tradition for some time, but this was only my second year to participate. I arrived a little before 6:00 p.m. with my tray of deviled eggs and my large pumpkin to carve. 

There was a crowd of maybe 20 or so people, maybe more, I lost count. It seems liked people were coming and going throughout the night. It was a fun group. I carved a basic jack-o-lantern again this year. I may carve another pumpkin on Friday or Saturday, but wanted to quickly get my carving done on Sunday so that I could get out of the way and let the kids have a go. We enjoyed a delicious dinner (as is always the case) and lots of good conversation and laughter. It was a great time, as always. 

To say it was a busy weekend was an understatement. This coming weekend should be pretty busy too and then I'll have a break of a low key weekend and I'm really looking forward to that! 

A Halloween Recap

Hope you all had a Happy Halloween! I absolutely cannot believe that we have reached November. This year has flown by so quickly! I was able to celebrate Halloween two nights in a row this year and had a great time both nights! 

Thursday night, Erika hosted Candy and I for our Second Annual Downton Abbey Costume Party. Our friend (and Candy's sister) Kendra moved to Nashville a few weeks ago and so she was unable to make the party. We had also invited my friend Leah but she couldn't make it either; so, it was a small, quaint group but we still had fun! 

Erika and Candy both dressed as housemaids this year and I stuck with my Dowager Countess outfit, although next year I'm leaning towards Ms. Patmore. Erika cooked a delicious meal of potato soup and some hot ham roll-ups. She also made brownies which believe it or not we never even cut. She decorated the table so nicely with little vases of flowers that held our name cards. She also printed out some Downton games for us to play. We had one that determined your Downton name (mine was Lady Jo McKinley of Madison) and we also had a quiz which Candy won. The prize was a Starbucks Huntsville mug that was super cute. Last, but not least, Erika printed out Downton paper dolls for us which were hilarious and gave us quite a laugh. It was such a fun night visiting with these friends of mine. 

On Halloween night, I went over to my cousins' Lauren and Jon Mark's house for a Halloween soiree. This year most of us dressed up and the costumes were really amazing. We snacked on delicious food throughout the night and greeted trick-or-treaters as they came to the door. It was absolutely freezing outside and I was glad I wasn't out roaming the streets for candy. 

Halloween is also my cousin Cecelia's birthday, so, Lauren had a cake ordered to celebrate. Since Lauren is pregnant, the cake also served as a gender-reveal cake. When we cut into it, the icing in between the layers was blue - they are having a boy! Their three-year old was pulling for a baby sister, but I think he'll be pleased as punch to have a brother. 

I finally ventured back home around 9:00 p.m. and promptly changed into PJs and climbed under the covers. I believe I mentioned it was freezing out. I think it was the coldest Halloween of my life. I do not recall one being so cold. 

It was a fun night with family and friends and I'm already looking forward to next year's gathering!

14th Annual Parker Pumpkin Carving Party

Last Sunday night, I joined various cousins both young and old for a pumpkin carving party. We called it the 14th Annual Parker Pumpkin Carving Party, although it was my first year to attend. I, however, have no doubt it's been going strong for 14 years or more. The soiree was held at the home of my cousins Benny and Jan and in addition to the plethora of Parkers, we were also joined by friends old and new. 

Jan had made taco soup and ham and beans and pimento cheese among other delicious items and we basically feasted all night and did some pumpkin carving too. Some of us used patterns, others of us free-handed intricate designs and yet others of us (um, me) went with the traditional jack-o-lantern. The one thing I did learn on this night was that the pumpkin scoop works like a champ when you are clearing out the guts of a pumpkin and I have since bought one for myself. 

Anna carved a small pumpkin with a fancy "T" on it which is representative of her new last name. Chris carved a Tinkerbell for his sweet grand baby Indigo. Lauren didn't carve a pumpkin but instead she bedazzled a witch's hat. Jon Mark free-handed a batman which was awesome. Conner carved the Browning deer and Annie did a different version of Tinkerbell. I believe I already mentioned that I did a traditional jack-o-lantern.

I had such a fun time with family and friends. There was lots of laughter, good food and fellowship - it was the perfect ending to a long weekend. Big thanks to Anna for sharing her photos with me since I was absent minded and didn't take one!

Errands, Decorating, and the Return of Sinus Problems

It's Monday and I'm home from work because I haven't been feeling well. I started feeling bad Friday morning when I woke up with a scratchy throat and a lot of congestion and things just got worse from there. Thankfully, I had a refill on some antibiotics that were prescribed to not me, but Pippa. Yes, that's right folks, I'm taking my dog's medicine. The first time I got it filled the pharmacist told me the next time I wasn't feeling well I could have it filled and take it myself and that is exactly what I did. I picked it up on Saturday and began taking it that evening. While I'm feeling better than I was, I didn't sleep a wink Sunday night thanks to a late afternoon Clariton D. So, the combination of no sleep and not feeling 100% was enough for me to stay home and take it easy.

Does anyone else feel incredibly guilty when they take a sick day? I mean, we have sick days for times like this but I think our American work ethic makes us feel guilty when we use them. At least this is how it is for me and also my friend Meri. We've had this conversation numerous times. At any rate, I have done absolutely nothing today and am looking forward to feeling better so I can get back to work and also because I'm headed to Gatlinburg this weekend and I definitely want to feel better for that.

Friday after work, I ran some errands and got quite a bit accomplished before I made it home. The first stop was the eye doctor where I picked up both my glasses and contacts. I think these glasses are going to work this go around and hopefully I won't have to return to the doctor for the fifth week in a row. After that, I went out to Bridge Street to pick up my race packet for The Color Run. At this point in the day I wasn't even sure if I would make it to The Color Run because of how bad I was feeling.

I then went by Party City to buy some paper Halloween lanterns I had seen on their web site. They are super cute and I have them hanging in various places in the house. The next stop was Target where I picked up a Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks to soothe my aching throat as well as some cough drops and Gummy Airborne. It is here where I will say that I'm a firm believe in Airborne. Right now is the first time in six months I've had any sinus issues and I've been taking Airborne everyday. It could be psychological, but I really believe it has helped. After grabbing some dinner, I headed home for the night and basically bedded down and watched some TV.

Saturday morning was The Color Run which I think I'll write about in a separate post because I need something else to write about this week. For now, I'll say that despite my feeling bad, it was still fun. That afternoon I made a quick trip to Publix to pick up a few groceries and some prescriptions, including the aforementioned antibiotic.

Since I'm going to be out of town this coming weekend, I decided to go ahead and bring out the Halloween decorations. I had bought some pumpkins for the front porch on Friday morning before work so I had set those out when I got home that evening. The inside stuff I knocked out pretty quickly and it looks rather festive if I do say so myself.

Sunday morning, I visited my old church for Friend's Day. I was invited by my friend Pat and I never told her for sure that I was coming so she was surprised, It was really great to see all the familiar faces of people I have known and loved my whole life. We had a pot luck after class and that was also good. The Chase Park folks really know how to cook.

I came home after church and finished up the laundry and cleaning. I didn't go to evening service because I was just not feeling like leaving the house again and had a lot of congestion and didn't want to leave the comfort of the couch, which leads us to today and I think I've already described how that's going.

With any luck, the congestion and headache and general feeling of "ick" will be gone soon and I'll be back to normal. Here's to good health and a better rest of the week for me and you!

Downton Abbey Costume Party

Monday evening, the girls and I got together for our first ever costume party. Normally this time of year I attend the Ladies' Night Out costume party at the church I used to attend. This year, however, I had a change of plans as Kendra decided we should have our own costume party and it was a themed party as well. I actually think I may have mentioned it in a previous post. We decided to have a Downton Abbey costume party. The best part of all is that we all managed to keep our mouths shut and not tell the others what character we were going to be. Jackie and I knew who each other was playing because we hit the thrift stores together a while back, but as for everyone else, I had no clue until they arrived at the soiree on Monday.  

The party was at Erika's and it started at 6:00 p.m. I went as the Dowager Countess and my costume was awesome if I do say so myself. It gave me a large laugh and I was so excited about going to the party and showing it off. The dress came from the thrift store for $5. The hat was a find on eBay at $20 and the gloves were also procured from eBay for $6. So, for $31 I had the perfect outfit. The shawl I already had and I borrowed the walking stick from my supervisor at work. Candy thought for sure I would come as Mrs. Padmore or O'Brien, both of whom I love and could have easily pulled off (maybe next year?), but the Dowager Countess was the first choice for me and I did not look back!  
 

Jackie went as Lady Mary. She found her dress, top, and shoes at the thrift store for a total of about $15 and she also bought her gloves off eBay for $6. So, her total amount spent was $21 and she totally looked the part. She tucked her hair in at the back and topped off her look with long pearls. She looked great! Erika pulled off the look of Lady Cora complete with some dazzling jewelry and long gloves and also high heeled boots which looked fabulous.
 

Candy also came as Lady Mary and wore a red dress with a jeweled choker in her hair as a headband. She carried with her a framed picture of her late husband, Matthew Crawley which made us all laugh. Kendra came as Lady Sybil and wore a picture of Branson around her neck. Everyone looked amazing! I guess we all wanted to dress up in fancy clothes because none of us came as maids or the men from the show for that matter. I think we all could have used a Branson because it's not easy driving oneself about while wearing fancy clothes!
 

Erika's neighbor was kind enough to come over and take some photos of us with our cameras and phones so that we could post pictures to Instagram so our friends at home could laugh along with us. We feasted on finger foods which were super delicious and just generally speaking had a great time. It was seriously one of the best ideas for a party and we had a fabulous time together as always. 
 

Trunk or Treat and Fun Fest 2013

Sunday was Mayfair's annual Trunk or Treat and Family Fun Fest and it was such a fun afternoon! Jackie and I had decided a few weeks ago that we would participate in the Trunk or Treat this year instead of helping out with the games. In years past, we have always hung out with her kids, but as they have gotten older, they have also gotten more independent, which I guess is the point in growing up.

The Activities were slated to begin at 3:00 p.m. and the trunk or treat people needed to be set up around 2:45 p.m.. I pulled into the parking lot about 2:30 p.m. as did Jackie and soon we were decorating the back of my car with all manner of banner and bowls of candy and other trinkets.  

We had bought around 700 pieces of candy to hand out and the children came out en masse to pluck candy from the hands of us adults. Troy and Ashlyn headed off for fun and games while Jackie and I passed out candy. We started wondering if we might run out. There were young children and old children alike with bags in hand. A lot of people brought their dogs, including me, who brought Pippa along for the fun and games.Pippa was a big hit. She wore a devil outfit that Jackie had bought for her a while back and she was petted and loved on by tons of children and adults too. She got a lot of compliments on how sweet and pretty she was. I think she enjoyed all the attention. 

Around 4:15 p.m, we were starting to get really low on candy. Some of the ladies from church were walking around making sure everyone still had enough to hand out and so we got some pieces from them to hold us over. Troy was handing out the candy at this point and also some of the local food trucks had arrived; so, Jackie and I left Troy to man the car and candy and we headed to the food trucks to get some dinner. I had chicken tacos from On-On and they were pretty good if I do say so myself.  

After eating, Pippa and I headed home. We were both worn out from such a fun-filled afternoon. She actually fell asleep on the way home and then slept most of the evening while I watched TV and all through the night. The next morning after I let her outside, she came back in and went right to the chair to lay down. She also slept while I showered Monday morning. In other words, she was tuckered out from all the petting and loving she received. 

It was such a fun afternoon and I am looking forward to doing it again next year. Although, if we have as many kids as we did this year, I'd better start stocking up on candy now!

I didn't get a good picture of The Pip in her costume. This is the best one I have.  

 A nerd and Percy Jackson!

Big crowds! 

Greer, my cousin Lauren's little boy, or cowboy I should say. 

The decorated car

 Troy passing out candy

The tuckered out Pippa

Good Neighbors and Stolen Pumpkins

​I​ had planned on mentioning this last week, but then the week got away from me and next thing I knew it was the week was over and I had not said a word about it. Last Monday (the 14th) I walked out my front door only to discover that the two large pumpkins on my front porch had been stolen. I was not happy. I have had pumpkins stolen before, but usually that happens on Halloween night, long after I've snuffed the candles out of the jack-o-lantern and forgotten to bring it inside. This was the first time that two whole and un-carved pumpkins had been swiped. 

Look, here's how I feel about the situation... if you want some pumpkins for your house and cannot afford the luxury, then just knock on my door and I will give you some cash for pumpkins or even the pumpkins off my porch; just don't steal them though. In reality, it was probably some kids  who stole the pumpkins and they stole my friend Amberly's pumpkins too (she lives about a block down the street). I kept looking in the streets for smashed pumpkins and finally saw one (or two) on Sunday on a road close by and Amberly saw some a few days before that so it seems that the pumpkin thief is up to mischievous ways.

I did buy a new (even larger) pumpkin over the weekend and placed it close to the door so that perhaps it would not get stolen. So far so good.

Totally unrelated, but also not because this too involves Amberly...

Last Saturday after napping because I was worn out from puppy training class, I woke up and checked my email and saw that Amberly was having some people over for the Alabama game and our friend Nevin was going to be cooking up some sliders. Since I had no idea what I was going to make myself for dinner, I sent her a text and told her I was going to come on down. 

At this point in the day, my foot was hurting so badly that I could hardly put pressure on it at all, but I managed to hobble down the street and I'm glad I did. Amberly had made Buffalo Chicken Dip and some delightful spinach dip and also brownies and fruit punch and Nevin started working on those sliders soon after I arrived. The food was delicious and really hit the spot. Midway through the second quarter, I decided to head back home. I really just wanted to spend the evening laying on the couch and being lazy because I had a big day ahead of me on Sunday as well. So, I told everyone goodbye, thanked them for the food and hobbled back home.  

I was so thankful for the invitation and yummy dinner from Amberly. I'm thankful she is right down the street and so glad we have gotten to know each other and have become friends. It's really nice to have neighbors who are also great friends!

The Costume Has Been Found

Please allow me to apologize in advance for how sparse the blogging will be this week, and really has been in general for that matter. Things at work have been so busy that I hardly even have time for a bathroom break and I don't have a computer at home that will hook up to the internet at the moment (long story) so that rules out trying to post anything from home. So, I will try my best to post a little something here and there when I might have a whole minute to myself.

 

This past weekend was rather low-key and also rather unproductive as I got little to nothing done around the house, but that's how it goes sometimes I suppose. Pippa did not have a training class as the trainer was on vacation and so that left the afternoon open. Jackie and the kids came by around 11:15 a.m. and we made a trip to The Way Thrift Store on University Drive. For those of you who live in the area, they are now in the building that was once occupied by LifeWay and the store is very clean and organized. I had some items I wanted to drop off (and probably have a ton more that need to be) and Jackie and I also wanted to shop for our Downton Abbey Halloween costumes. The kids also perused the shelves for various and sundry items. 

 

As luck would have it, both Jackie and I found great outfits to wear for our party. I would tell you who we are going as, but the other participants read this blog and I think it is supposed to be a surprise because I have no idea who everyone else is going as. Rest assured, however, that come the night of the party, I will be taking photos of everyone and posting them on the blog. It's sure to be a fun night! I had a few accessories to buy to accompany the bargain from the thrift store and found those items on eBay so I'm all set with the exception of one item which I hope to borrow from a member of Jackie's family. Jackie found almost her whole outfit at the store and is in need of just a couple of items and I think she was going to look on eBay for those as well. I really am so excited about this party and cannot wait to tell you all about it! 

 

After our adventure at the thrift store, we stopped downtown for some lunch at Sam and Greg's. Troy wasn't keen on pizza and so he got a burger from Three Skillets which he did not enjoy. I've heard good things about Three Skillets so I was surprised his burger wasn't good. It was a nice sunny afternoon with a slight breeze blowing and we enjoyed our lunch outside while watching people pass through the streets of downtown. 

 

Once we were done with lunch, we headed back to my house where the kids played with Pippa for a while before heading home. I spent some of the afternoon doing laundry, but most of the time was spent napping. Saturdays has apparently become the day I try to catch up on all my lost sleep from the week. 

 

That evening I went over to my Aunt Linda's house to watch the Alabama game with her and my cousin Chris. It was just the three of us and it was a relaxed evening and was a good time for us to catch up on this, that and the other. We had Moe's Bar-B-Que for dinner and Nothing Bundt Cake for dessert and it was just a really enjoyable time with two of my favorite people. I left a little before the game was over so I could get home and let Pippa out to run around for a while before bedtime. 

 

So, it was a fun and low-key sort of Saturday spent with friends and family. Hope your weekend was good as well!

Halloween 2012

Today is Halloween, although most of you will probably read this on Thursday, thus the title of the post. I carved my pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern on Tuesday night and once again, instead of using one of the pasterns that I have always loved, I just free handed it. I think it turned out really cute.

This week at work we began our two-week United Way campaign and we held a costume contest on Halloween. I was once again the organizer of the contest and was really surprised at the low turn out. We only have six contestants. Well, really nine, but there was a group of two that competed as one and a group of three that competed as one. The winner was a girl who dressed as a jelly fish. She wore all white and had a clear umbrella with "tentacles" taped to it made of clear bubble wrap. she looked really cute. She was also one of the winners last year when she dressed up as Flo from the Progressive Insurance commercials. Another winner was a lady who works in the cafeteria who said she was Oprah undercover. Her hair looked exactly like Oprah's from a few years ago. Wonder if Oprah's Andre came down and did it for her?

After work, I stopped by Goga and then came home to hand out some treats to the neighborhood ghost and goblins. No, for those of you wondering, I did not go to church. If there's one trait I inherited from my mom, it was stay home on Halloween. I had a total of 10 trick-or-treaters this year - nine kids and one adult. Yes, you read that correctly, one adult in an Auburn swetshirt and her face was painted like a tiger. It was very...odd. I have a lot of candy left over; hopefully my co-workers will quickly gobble it up.

In conjunction with Halloween, this past Sunday was the Family Fun Fest at Mayfair. I have been the past couple of years with Jackie and the kids and it is always a fun time. The Fun Fest was from 3:00 - 5:00 and I arrived around 4:15 because I was watching a movie and too lazy to get off the sofa. I met them all at the trunk-or-treat area as they were wrapping up. We stood by Jackie's parents' truck and watched all the little ones come by. One of my favorite costumes was a homemade recycle truck. It was adorable!

Troy

Ashlyn and her friends

The front of the recycle truck

The back of the recycle truck

My 2012 Jack-O-Lantern

Fall Festival and More Fun!

This should be the last post regarding Halloween related activities. When you cram everything into a day or so, you end up with a lot of posts, or at least a handful.

On Sunday afternoon, I met up with Jackie and the kids for the annual Fall Festival at Mayfair. The kids were dressed in their costumes and there were all sorts of games and fun activities for the kids to participate in. There was a large crowd on hand as well, which was really great not only for the Mayfair family, but also for the people in the community.

Ashlyn was dressed as a bumble bee complete with a stinger on her backside, and Troy went as Doby from Harry Potter and it was quite a wonderful costume constructed by none other than his own dear mother, my bestie, Jackie. Way to go girl!

After we had been there a little while, Maria and her kids showed up. Regan was dressed as a lady bug and Jacob was dressed as an old ninja. You may recall Jacob’s outfit from last year which was an old man. Apparently he’s all about being something old for Halloween. Jordan’s costume this year was Freddy Kruger, but thankfully, Maria was wise beyond her young years and told him he couldn’t wear it around the little kids for fear or frightening them (or me for that matter).

Some of the kids’ other friends came too and fun was had by all. I left around 4:15 in order to get back to Chase Park for our fifth Sunday singing and after church was our annual trunk or treat; but this year I decided not to participate. Last year there was a ton of folks from the community that came, which is a really great thing, but I wasn’t in much of a mood for a large crowd of strange children mooching candy off of me so I decided not to stick around although I now have a ton of candy leftover from low trick-or-treater turnout and I wish I had unloaded some of it on Sunday night. I did manage to snap a few photos before I left.

It was a fun day as it always is when spent with friends. I love this time of year and all the activities are so much fun and remind me of being a kid. I’m grateful to Jackie for letting me experience these times with her kids because Lord only knows if I’ll ever have any of my own. I certainly hope your Halloween and fall festivities have been just as magical and as fun as mine have been. Here’s to many more!

Doby and The Bumble Bee

Fishing for a prize

Spinning the Wheel of Fortune!

Painting a Pumpkin

The Old Ninja and The Lady Bug

Jordan - doing the cake walk

Grayson at Trunk or Treat - Nice Costume!

The Lamica Kids - Buzz Lightyear, Woody and Jessie from Toy Story

The Lamica Parents - Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head