BIG IDEAS + LACK OF TIME = PANIC!!!

Hello all, yes, it's my turn. How are all you lovely peoples?

I'm in that panic mode at the moment. Halloween is just 2 weeks and 3 days away and I'm sort of organised......not! Well I say I'm not, I have lists, lots of lists, I've researched online for some ideas and at least I know the theme. But actually getting anywhere with it, hmmmmm, that's a different matter.

Not to give too much away, oh all right then I will (no kids peaking please!), I'm having a MacBeth themed party. Well, why not, there are witches, a ghost, murder and blood....sounds pretty gory to me. I'm decorating the front room as a forest where the witches will be...haven't made the tree sillouettes yet though or bought the witches. However, I do have a dress I could use to be the third witch, but I haven't tried it on for a few years, so it might not fit. Better sort that then. I also need a large cauldron, tissue paper flames, twigs and some spiders.

The dining room will be an old castle with a banquetting table. Have got a mansion scene setter, some camoflague plastic netting to cover up the computer, etc and we already have exposed patches of brickwork so that'll work, but no idea how to cover up the cupboard or decorate the table. I do have a list of medieval foods which look quite simple; meats, cheeses, breads, fruit, but must go over the top with a black and gothic table setting. Talking of food I still have the cupcakes to make, some will be used on the party, but the rest are for trick or treaters. Do know what ones I'm doing though thanks to A Zombie Ate My Cupcake...just need to make them (60 cupcakes at least, 20 of each kind).

But games, hmmmm, games? Am reading MacBeth through again and picking out main points of story and trying to configure some games around those scenes. Some are easier than others, but I don't want to repeat too many games from the past, so am having to give it a lot of thought, hope it all works and the kids enjoy them.

On top of this, I'm still knitting a jumper for my daughter for Christmas. Still got half the back to do, both sleeves and the collar. Hopefully will get it finished.

I'm also preserving like a mad thing. So far we have had Spiced Plum Chutney, Cherry Plum Jam, Nectarine Chutney, Damson Jam, Green Plum Tomato Chutney, Apple Wine, Plum Wine and Sloe Gin. Still got Green Tomato and Orange Jam, Quince Cheese, Apple Chutney and Damson Vodka to do.

Then there is the garden: Still got to rip up last of the tomatoes (which will give me more green tomatoes!), sunflowers need removing and deseeding....some for the birds and some hulled and roasted for us to eat, weeds need digging over, plastic bags need laying where the paths are to be put in, 5 trees need planting and I haven't done the bulbs yet.

And Home Ed! Yep I haven't forgotten that one. Must admit with all the preserving, gardening, arts and crafts and baking going on, I'm sure if I can get him included we'll cover quite a bit.

Oh and I've still got some crafts to finish, luckily deadline has been extended to 1st February next year. Phew!!!

I do LOVE this time of year as I love all the festivities and the excitement and the darker nights and crisper mornings and I know it will all get done on time (may not be within budget though), but sometimes sitting down and looking around at all that I want to do*, I do begin to panic...hence the lists. At least if I have a list, I get the pleasure of ticking things off.

Tomorrow we'll be up in the attic getting all the Halloween stuff down (and I've got loads) and going through what I can reuse and what I need to get. Did catalogue it all last year, but forgot to print it off and then my computer died. Grrrr!! So Saturday evening guess what I'll be doing.

Well there you are, if no one sees me or I disappear off of Facebook, then you know what I'm doing..one of the above.

Cya

*NOTE: I said want to do, not have to do. That's my problem. Big ideas and not enough time (leaving things to last minute more like) and I get PANIC!!

HALLOWEEN IS COMING!!!

Ok, I've got to get this out of my system:

I LOVE HALLOWEEN!!!

There, I've said it! Yay!!

I don't quite know what it is about Halloween, but I've always loved it. Might have something to do with the fact that I've always been fascinated with the macarbe and I used to love ghost stories when I was a kid. And, as some of you may remember from a previous post, I do believe in ghosts and have one of my own (well several actually, but I've already written about that).

I come from a very religious family, so maybe it originates as a bit of a rebellion towards that as well, but I'm not entirely sure on that one.

I am also interested in herbal medicine and pagan beliefs, although I wouldn't actual class myself as one as I'm not disciplined enough. I've been called a witch quite a lot in my life too, but I don't think that's because they think I can do magic - haha.

I do know that Halloween or All Hallows Eve is the beginning of the Celtic New Year in the Old Religion. You could also say that there is a link to Harvest Festival as it's a time when crops were brought in, animals were also brought back from the fields and perishable foods were eaten before the long winter months ahead. It's also said to be a time to remember the past year and to remember those that have passed on, hence the storytelling.

I know that nowadays it's very commercialised (as are most festivals to be honest) and very Americanised too and most people seem to think that it's an American festival, but it isn't, it's been around for centuries.

I love it because it gives me a chance to indulge myself in silliness and be a bit creative. This year I'm doing pumpkins and skeletons as my theme. The aim is to have a church/funeral parlour front room (I'm going to dress up as a Victorian Funeral Director and Callum is going to be the Grim Reaper) which leads into the 'graveyard' which will be the dining room. I'm currently doing the decorations for the living room which will include a 'stained glass' window (tissue paper and card), a tapestry 'alter cloth' and lots of pumpkin candle holders, which I had to make as the candle holders I already had were ghosts! Nothing that a few old jam jars and some glass paint won't fix! Plus of course the pumpkins themselves (see above). Obviously they need to be carved, but that's a last minute job. Grew those ourselves by the way.

The dining room will be covered in black bin liners and I'm making a grey card mausoleum to cover my large unit. The table will be, hopefully, a grave with the chairs being tombstones and, of course, all the food will have a ghastly twist.

I've probably set myself a too huge a task, but this is the first year in this house that I can truely go over the top. The first year here, we'd only just moved in, so had nothing. I hated it! Only had sweets to give out and it was awful. You see I don't do sweets for trick or treaters; I do cupcakes! Usually something pretty gross looking like witches fingers (apple wedges sticking out with flaked almonds painted red for fingernails) or dead fly cakes (green cakes with green icing and sultana and flaked almond flies on top). However, this year I managed to get a gruesome cupcake book in the sale and am trying some of those out instead. Usually end up making about 48+ cakes and they normally all go! The second year here, last year, I was still hobbling around after breaking my leg, so again didn't really get much done. Although did manage the cakes and had a small party for Callum with a couple of his friends. But this year I'm going for it! Got two years to make up for, so kids had better watch out - haha!

I know Halloween isn't for everyone's tastes and I do know that there are people out there who don't like people knocking on their doors and that's fine. There are also kids out there who basically use it as a good excuse to cause havoc, which isn't so nice and what gives it it's bad reputation, but I love it and I'm going to enjoy it until someone tells me I can't!

Oh well, it's now past midnight (it's the witching hour - hehe) and I'm off to bed.

Cya