Happy Halloween! I like Halloween but I LOVE fall. There's nothing better than the sun shining brightly with a brisk chill in the air. Fall is the BEST. I'm actually really sad that today is the last day of October!
I didn't dress up for Halloween this year (will I ever be able to top last year? Probably not!) because I assisted a wedding planner on Saturday, when most of the parties were. Tonight, we're going to hang out with family to be with Ollie on his first Halloween. :)
I wanted to get the most out of October that I could and I think we did a pretty good job. We went to Oktoberfest and to the farmer's market to get a pumpkin and mums, we went to the Smoky Mountains, I went to Glendale, and we had some friends over to carve pumpkins, watch football, and eat chili this weekend.
I carved a little pumpkin along with my friends Emily and her new fiance Spencer! (Congrats! Still so over-the-moon excited for you guys)! Emily and Spencer are both really artistic and their pumpkins reflect that! I was cold and impatient and my pumpkin reflects THAT. :)
First: Emily and Spencer's:
They both totally free-handed those. Impressive, huh???
Our porch is not the best - ignore the fact that it is too small and needs to be re-painted.... but here is my happy little fall scene along with my dinky little jack-o-lantern. :)
I tried to make a scary pumpkin but the eyes looked more flirty than frightening, so I decided to just carve a cute girl pumpkin!
The wooden box on the porch holds my hens & chicks! My mom made the planter for me and planted hens and chicks that came from my great-aunt's house. The plants originated in my great-grandmother's garden in Louisville but when her daughter moved to Michigan, she took some with her and over the decades, they grew and grew. My cousin Marybeth dug some up for us so we could use them in our wedding last year, which meant the world to me.
When my great-aunt passed away last fall, her family made sure to dig up the hens and chicks before selling her house. They passed them out to the rest of the family. I love having them and I'm constantly scared something is going to happen to them. They survived Michigan winters (Marybeth had to wait for the SNOW to melt in March so she could dig them up!) so I'm praying they survive our mild winters.
I love them! They make me so happy and make me feel connected to my dear Michigan family.
Wherever you are, I hope you have a safe and happy Halloween.
If you're new to Owl Really, welcome! Please check out my favorite posts and consider subscribing! :)
great post! I enjoyed reading every word. Happy Halloweeeen (in eddie's voice!)
ReplyDeletei have some hens and chicks by my backdoor that i am STRUGGLING not to over nurture and kill! they are from travis' grandma's house and she didn't touch them for 50 years in missouri so i'm sure they will survive this winter. it is hard for me to just leave them be!
ReplyDeleteI too have hens and chicks whose origin was at my grandparents house. They lived in Michigan and so do I! These babies are vertually indestructible, given sandy, poor soil. I have a "family" of these growing around an enormous tree base with soccer ball sized rocks. Tey weather the winter snow and cold and the hot, hot sun. They grow between the rocks and the tree trunk and have done so for 21 years!!!!! I also have Lily Of the Valley I got from my mom who got them from my aunt in Canada 60 years ago, Rose Campion and orange poppies from my husband's aunt in New York State! They all remind me of family and I will not want to leave them if and when we move!
ReplyDeleteHeirloom plants are so sweet, it's amazing to think about those plants starting with your great grandmother and from her home to your home all these years later! My friend Kelsey's mother has a strange terrarium type thing in a huge bell jar that was *her* great grandmother's...the plants inside are still kickin! And to think I can't keep a plant alive long enough to name it! Happy (day after) Halloween! :)
ReplyDelete