Vampire Pumpkin

Martha Stewart made this look so easy.

Martha Stewart is a liar.

Here's how it really went down:

Get a pumpkin, some needles with the little balls on the end (they probably have an official name -not gonna look it up) and some vampire teeth.  Oh, and some toothpicks and a hot glue gun and glue sticks.  And something to cut the pumpkin (knife) and dig out the guts (spoon).

(Martha has a template for cutting the hole for teeth but I decided I wasn't going to waste time with printing and cutting paper.)

Mark the width of the teeth by setting them on the pumpkin and making a slit on both sides.

Guesstimate the height.

Start cutting.  You'll have to clear out some of the insides but I didn't by any means get all the guts out.

I'm sure Martha's way was fool proof but I had to cut and recut to get the fit I wanted.  Leaving the teeth open is cuter.

I used a bit of hot glue and a couple of toothpicks to help them sit just right.

*Note:  hot glue does not stick to pumpkins.  But, it does help to make them fit a bit better.

There you have it.  The Ghetto Guide to a Vampire Pumpkin!

Happy Halloween!!

Maggie & Evelyn

Maggie and Evelyn are my great aunts.  They lived together during the latter part of their lives as they never married.  Despite their singleness, they were fantastic homemakers as well as collectors, and travelers.  Family lore says they fought somewhat and threw vases at each other.

My family and I have their treasured belongings scattered throughout our houses.  They saved EVERYTHING and I thank them for that. Evelyn was a Home Ec Teacher and a wonderful painter.  We have tea cups and saucers and plates and bowls and light plates that she gracefully and delicately painted with great expertise.  From what I hear, Maggie took care of "Ma" and "Pa" which to me is just as honorable as any high-paying-fancy-pants job.  

I believe that's Blanche 2nd from the left, then Evelyn, and Maggie.

There were many other brothers and sisters in the Boone family, but Maggie & Evelyn were just a special part of our lives.

Yarn Wrapped Wreath

Hello, all! I decided to take on a small project this afternoon (instead of doing laundry) and wanted to share the results. I've seen so many adorable yarn-wrapped wreaths on Pinterest lately I couldn't help but try my hand at it. One found wreath and a baggy of salvaged yarn from Savers later and voila!

I pinned the yarn into my wreath (made of hay) with a bobby pin and used some packing tape (taped on upside down) to help position the yarn but I doubt this would be necessary next time. Wrapping is easy. Just keep an even layer and feel free to back track to fill in holes. And don't forget, imperfection is what makes it unique! 

Once the entire wreath was wrapped, I pinned it once again with a bobby pin to secure it. The yarn balls were also pinned with hair pins (not bobbie pins but the old school kind of pin). I used the same kind of pins to make a hanger too. I twisted the pin and pushed it down into the wreath (hay and all) and then bent it upwards. 

I'm really pleased with how this turned out. I dare say I may make another one or a try yarn (or twine) wrapped letter.  

What's your favorite yarn craft?