October 30, 2014 by Born To Organize

A Fairy Garden Boo!

Do you remember me telling you about the tradition of ghosting or booing someone? You gather a few treats, secretly place them on your neighbor’s doorstep, ring the bell and run like mad. We’ve been taking part for years.

While we were away choosing pumpkins on Sunday, something magical happened. Our wonderful neighbor ‘booed’ the fairy garden! You can’t imagine the grin on my face when I saw it. Two tiny pumpkins and an inquisitive ghost planted firmly in the soil, with a tiny tree trunk sign saying ‘You’ve been booed.’

Fairy Garden Boo!

I can’t think of a sweeter treat to ring in Hallow’s Eve. Though I’m not supposed to know my secret giver, the girl next door tipped me off. That made me chuckle. She also voiced her disappointment that she hadn’t been booed, so I made quick work of a basket and the tradition carries on. I think I might be aging backwards.

Fairy Garden Haunting

Do you think the witch will head down the chimney?

Boo!

I added a few spooky touches to the fairy garden this afternoon. I caught a whisper in the wind about a midnight Halloween gathering. There are plenty of tombstones for hiding and one sinister looking tree, courtesy of my son. We did Halloween crafts together for years, but all those creative treasures are now cast offs. The tree was destined for the trash last year, before I spirited it away.

No-Candy Countdown:

Tomorrow is Halloween! Thank you for counting down with me this month. I’m feeling energized and more in control and happy to be candy-free. Just one more day and I’ll have met my goal.

Pumpkins on Parade:

I’m closing out the month with one of the miniature, late-season pumpkins. She’s busy brewing up a magic potion designed to keep squash bugs at bay. If it works, I’ll let you know. She’s looking confident and happy so I remain hopeful.

Witch’s Brew Pumpkin

Happy Halloween from the fairy garden

October 29, 2014 by Born To Organize

Gardener in Repose

Ms. Doppelganger

October isn’t over yet, but my skeletal doppelgänger is putting her feet up for a spell. That gnarly pumpkin is the perfect foot rest for her bone-weary feet. Check out that gorgeous gardening apron, beautifully hand-made and gifted via Gjeometry’s Pay it Forward last year. Her seamstress skills are legendary along with her famous cat.

The original skeleton’s head is long gone, so I improvised with a plush pumpkin. A guest brought it to our boys Halloween party one year. Isn’t it a dream?

Ms. Doppelganger is holding a carrot that is just a few weeks shy of its one year anniversary. Somehow it escaped harvest, continued to grow, bloomed and just now went to seed. I’m amazed by nature’s gifts every day.

Carrot Anniversary

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ve been reading about my (mostly) green thumb. Here is a never-before-seen picture of the green thumb at rest. Are you suitably impressed?

My Green Thumb

We’ve left the rocking chair available for drop-in guests. If you’re feeling weary, please stop by, pull up a pumpkin and sit a spell. I’ll press a cup of steaming hot tea in your hand and we can shoot the breeze.

Please put your feet up and sit a spell

No-Candy Countdown:

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

Candy is sweet

But my resolve is too.

October 29th, still candy-free.

Pumpkins on Parade:

I’ve never seen the iconic movie Napoleon Dynamite, but it was one of the suggestions for this month’s pumpkin dress up. I’ve done a frightful job creating this one. The darn wig refused to stay put. It was fun crafting a pair of glasses from a scrap of wire found in the garage. That said, I better stick to my day job.

Julia of Defeat Despair, thank you for the fun suggestion. I hope this makes you smile.

Napoleon Dynamite

October 28, 2014 by Born To Organize

Decorating the Garden for Halloween

It’s taken us longer than usual to decorate for Halloween this year, in part due to the weather. Early October was too darn hot. Now that the temps are dropping, we’ve put in a bit more effort. I call it sweater weather.

Pumpkin Pyramid

My family’s taste in decorating run the gamut. I’ve always enjoyed using pumpkins, fall leaves and the occasional prop outdoors. My husband is all about the lights and the carving. My youngest son is a huge fan of inflatable lawn decorations. He loved balloons as a little boy, and that love transferred to anything he can inflate.

The lawn inflatables are pretty over the top as decorations go, but they bring him such joy. He was happy to use his Christmas money over the years to buy them. He learned a lot about saving, price comparisons and finding things on sale, so lessons garnered along the way.

Halloween Inflatables

This year one of the fans broke so he spent time sorting out an alternative way to inflate it. He tried two smaller fans, then hooked up a tube from a larger fan and improvised with items from his room. He found joy in the process. I was equally joyful seeing him set aside his iPhone while he problem-solved. Eventually he and his dad found a replacement fan on-line and the Halloween globe is back in business. Is it silly of me to say that I’m glad it broke, if only to get a glimpse at his unique creativity?

Eclectic Pumpkins

No-Candy Countdown:

It’s the week of Halloween, meaning the candy-pushers have stepped up their game. There was a bucket of candy on the optometrist’s counter yesterday, candy on the end-caps at Target and candy on my mind. One of the best things about tracking what you don’t eat is the awareness and clarity. Candy seems like a special reward or indulgence, but it also feels like an addiction. I don’t know if I can indulge casually or if I need to give it up for good. It’s food for thought.

Pumpkins on Parade:

Sweater Pumpkin

Getting back to sweater weather, today’s pumpkin is toasty warm in a Jack ‘o Lantern knit. They’re all the rage this year. Pumpkins are thick-skinned so itching isn’t a problem. One size fits most.

What’s on your agenda for Halloween week?

October 27, 2014 by Born To Organize

Party Season Kick-off: Under the Sea Costume Reveal

What a weekend!

Saturday night kicked off the first of three Halloween parties. Hosted at a salon, the under-the-sea theme of this first party inspired our costumes. Party goers dressed as mermaids and pirates and at least one turtle and a fish. My favorite costumes of the night: a pair of deep-sea divers with treasure chests strapped to their waists. Clever!

The dance music had us up and moving. As planned, we had a big salad for dinner with the goal of curbing extra-curricular eating. It mostly worked, though I dipped into a few crispy treats. Hopefully the dancing helped balance things out. Our host set up a photo taking area so I had fun posing for and taking lots of pictures.

Under the sea costumes

Aqualicious from my head to my toes (Petals made me say that)

My headdress stayed in place all night and the costume itself was quite comfortable. Mike was a bit hot after dancing with his rubberized pecs, but otherwise, he was comfortable as well. Watching several women trying to maneuver in a mermaid costume helped me appreciate the beauty of a pull-on dress.

Guardian of the Sea

Gardener of the Sea

No-Candy Countdown:

It’s easier to avoid eating candy when it’s not giving you that come-hither look. I faced temptation twice this weekend, once on Friday and again at the party.

My brother-in-law came to town bearing gifts: a pound of my favorite See’s Chocolates. Oh boy.

I thanked him for the gift, opened the box for sharing, and everyone sat around the table, including my boys, politely abstaining. The site and smell of chocolate had my mouth watering. Once he left, I told my boys it was theirs to share and they made quick work of most of it, consumed out of my sight.

Further temptation sat on a table at the party table: a freshly opened tub of red vines, a childhood favorite. The power of accountability kept me strong.

I’ve read that the more you resist temptation, the more you strengthen your resolve. This week really put me to the test.

So, October 27th, still candy-free

Red Vines on the party table

Pumpkins on Parade:

A certain someone I know is dressing up this year as Amy Farrah Fowler, the hilarious scientist girlfriend on The Big Bang Theory. She also suggested a nerdy pumpkin. My version below includes Amy’s signature hair barrette and glasses, and her traditional cardigan and printed blouse. Amy didn’t mind the squishy pumpkin. The three small ones from the garden are limping their way through this final week of October.

Amy Farrah Fowler Pumpkin from The Big Bang Theory

Spina Farms Pumpkin Patch

I put on my best pout but it was all for naught. I couldn’t entice the teenagers to join me at the patch. Mike is always a good sport, so we enjoyed the car time, but the patch was a zoo. I don’t know what I was expecting the Sunday before Halloween but found it a bit overwhelming. Virtually all of the typical carving pumpkins were gone. The ones remaining we’re extra-large in girth and thickness. We went around a second time and decided on three ‘warts and all’ pumpkins instead. They’re surprisingly light in weight, so it will be interesting to see them inside.

Resident carver picks his pumpkins

Mike really enjoys carving pumpkins each year, and when possible, he takes the day off of work. You can see some of his past masterpieces on my page Passionate About Pumpkins. He’s really good.

Dance Like No One is Watching:

Dressing up brings out my inner goofball. a sixteen-second clip of me dancing with a skeleton prop.

Here is the rest of that wonderful quote by William W. Purkey:

Dance like no one is watching,
Live like you’ll never be hurt
Sing like no one is listening
Live like it’s heaven on earth.

October 20, 2014 by Born To Organize

Under-the-sea Costumes: Home Stretch

We’re almost there. I’ve been working on our under-the-sea costumes for about three or four weeks now. Thursday was the first day that I had several hours of uninterrupted time. What a rare treat to have an afternoon dedicated to getting my creative juices flowing.

Things were humming along with my dress but then I hit a snag. The original plan wasn’t working, or more accurately, I didn’t like it. The overskirt looked bulky, not the smooth, draping look I was after. Furthermore, the layers of sequined panels, reused from part of a thrifted child’s dress, looked messy. What to do, what to do?

Overskirt, front panel, seaweed and gardening tools

I went to bed in a funk. It’s a bit of a let down working on something for so long, only to have it disappoint you. The next day I realized the problem: the outer skirt, removed from an extra-large dress, was simply too much fabric. With that sorted out, I removed the original waistband from the skirt and redistributed the fabric more judiciously. Rather than keeping the gathering uniform all the way around, I lined up the side seams of the dress with the over skirt and created a box pleat in the back. Now the skirt flows but without the bulk. In the front I stitched just a few inches of the overskirt to the waistband, then let the excess fabric fall in waves down the front. Much better.

Costume Details

Gardener of the Sea Dress

After removing the sequined fabric from the front of the dress, I replaced it with a panel of material I’m using for the cape. I had just enough left over to make the panel without compromising the flow of the cape. Serendipity! It’s all trick of the eye, as the panel is only 14 inches wide but it works.

With that sorted out, it was time to add some bling. I cut three narrow strips of the cape material, then stretched them to capacity. This created a curled edge and a distressed finish. The idea is to suggest seaweed. After sewing the strips to the front panel, I added a few green glass beads, some jewelry findings and tied a few knots in the ends.

One of my thrift store finds is an aqua eyeglass lanyard. I sewed that to the front panel as well, and attached my tiny spade key ring. I bought it at a clever shop in Victoria, Canada. I hope to add another gardening tool but that’s still working itself out in my head.

What’s Left:

My cape: It’s almost done, but I need a pair of buttons and a bit of elastic to attach it to my dress.

Headpiece. I’ve been gathering bits of material and some netting. I’m trying to make something that I can attach to a hair band.

Gloves. I’m still working out the details, but I have the material and a general idea of where I’m going with it.

Mike put the finishing touches on his helmet this weekend and it looks great. He glued bits of moss, some gold jewelry findings and just a hint of glitter. It looks a bit menacing to me with the full mask, but he likes it and that’s what counts.

Guardian of the Sea Mask

I finished his cape on Thursday, trimmed the tunic and added a few small touches. His costume is essentially done with one exception: I need to sew loops on the cape so it’s removable.

Guardian of the Sea Cape

Guardian of the Sea Tunic

We attend our first of three Halloween parties next Saturday, so with my busy week ahead, I need to carve out time for these last details.

No-Candy Countdown:

Candy-free Countdown

As my 31-day, no-candy countdown continues, I’m enjoying the feeling of being more in control of my food choices. I hope those of you joining me on the journey are feeling positive as well. Please let me know how you’re doing in the comments below.

Pumpkins on Parade:

Pincushion Pumpkin

Nothing reminds me of sewing more than a bright red pincushion. Today’s pumpkin should feel right at home.

Thank you for the additional suggestions for pumpkin dress up. I’ll be working on a few of them later this week.

October 16, 2014 by Born To Organize

Restoring Order and Some Time at the Machine

This I know for sure: creativity and order are not mutually exclusive.

Since I don’t have a craft room, I improvise in various rooms of the house. I set up my sewing machine in the living room and projects requiring glue, tape or paint happen in the kitchen. We’ve been doing our costume spray painting outside in my newspaper-lined wheelbarrow. Boy, the fumes are nasty. I don’t think I’ve spray-painted in ten years.

After weeks of setting up Halloween, dressing up pumpkins, making cards, sewing our costumes, I could take the chaos no longer. I sorted, cleaned, straightened and did the family laundry while I was at it. When I found one of the buttons to Mike’s costume at the bottom of the washing machine, a barely flinched. How it got there is anyone’s guess. I’m just glad I found it.

With order restored, I felt the calm descend. I threaded the machine, pinned some fabric into place, and I sewed. Yippee! Life is good.

No-Candy Countdown:

Thanks for cheering me on with my no-candy countdown. Marlene, Diane and a few others are doing the same. Support and accountability help me stay strong. I’m sleeping better, not so driven by my cravings and the scale moved south, just a bit. With three Halloween parties to attend, I’m planning a good dinner ahead of time to limit my junk-food intake once there.

Under-the-sea Costume Update:

I completed all the machine sewing on Mike’s tunic today. The medallion is sewn in place along with the buttons to support the cape. I plan to add ‘seaweed’ to his tunic and some sparkle to give it a sense of movement. Additionally, I cut the fabric for his cape, but need him to try it on before I finish the shoulder details. It’s fun seeing it come together.

Under the sea costume progress

Pumpkins on Parade:

Introducing the ghost of the mystery pumpkin patch.

Ghost pumpkin

One of my boys insisted on dressing up as a ghost one Halloween, though quickly realized how difficult it was to see. Lessons learned. I’ve kept the ‘costume’ all these years, and use it in a variety of ways. This year it’s draped over the wicker chair on the front deck. Other years I’ve used it as a part of a group of layered table cloths for our Halloween party. The year that our magic cauldron leaked, the ghost soaked up the water along with orange and purple dye from something on the table. After a wash, it still had just a trace of those colors. Our ghost continues to improve with age.

Please keep sharing your ideas for pumpkin dress up. I’ll be catching up on comments and your posts over the next few days, but I’ll be back here at Gardening Nirvana on Monday. I hope to see you then.

October 15, 2014 by Born To Organize

Resurrecting Frank and Shelley

Shelley’s Makeover

Last August I wrote a series of posts that brought out the giggles in all of us. Pauline recently reminisced about the demise of poor Frank (I dropped him!) and his cohort, Shelley and what fun we had.

In case you missed the silliness last year, here you go:

Pauline, at The Contented Crafter suggested earlier this week that “Frank [the pumpkin] may feel a little left out” after seeing Shelley’s fashion makeover. She opined “Could you not knit him a scarf or maybe come up with a hat for your cooler nights?”

I knew Frank wasn’t long for this world, being a split pumpkin full of staples and all, so I did the next best thing: I put him on a pedestal (always good for improving ones sense of stature) and floated a festive Hydrangea for stylish panache.

Frank spews seeds

Then poor Frank ‘tossed his cookies’ while cousin Shelley looked on in horror.

∏ – ∏ – ∏

Today it was every critter for themselves: houseflies, pincer bugs, squash bugs, you name it. Opportunists came and went, including something with very sharp teeth. I’m glad I missed that transaction. Soon I will don some gloves and rescue a few seeds so that Frank’s legacy lives on.

Frank’s Tale

What do you suppose is beyond the dark abyss?

Frankenstein is a novel written by English author Mary Shelley about eccentric scientist Victor Frankenstein, who creates a grotesque creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty. The first edition was published anonymously in London in 1818. Shelley’s name appears on the second edition, published in France in 1823. Source: Wikipedia

We miss you Frank.

No-Candy Countdown:

Another day, another happy face stamp. Candy Cravings, gone.

Under-the-sea Costume Update:

We picked up a few baubles at the craft store this week and set about creating a crest for Mike’s costume. We’ve got the concept down, but the Crazy Glue refuses to stick to the rubbery chest plate. I’ve considered sewing it in place, but I’ll try my hot glue gun first. If you have any experience marrying rubber and glass, please let me know.

Working out the details of the crest

Pumpkins on Parade:

If I could visit a time in fashion, it would be the roaring twenties. I love the silhouettes, the bright red lips, and the dancing. My fair pumpkin below insisted on soft-focus photography for that fresh, dewy look. I was happy to oblige. Thanks for the ‘eyelashes’ Boomdee. 😉

1920’s Glamor Pumpkin

October 14, 2014 by Born To Organize

Halloween Traditions: You’ve Been Boo-ed!

Have you been ‘Boo-ed?”

The act of ‘Booing’ also known as ‘Ghosting’ is popular in our neighborhood and it goes something like this: Someone rings your doorbell after dark. (This already sounds ominous, right?) You look out the window and no-one is there. (Scary, still). Your kids get a bit nervous, but when you finally check outside, a Halloween surprise awaits you. Over the years our boys received small toys, candy treats, light-up wands and even Halloween liquid soap.

Along with the kids loot are instructions to ‘Boo’ two more neighbors within two nights, and the tradition carries on. Our boys loved receiving the surprise at the door year after year, and they were equally delighted to ring and run when it was our turn.

As our neighborhood ages and small ones become teenagers we see fewer and fewer little ones on our street. Rather than abandon the tradition, someone in the hood added a new twist. A friend posted a photo on Facebook of a plate of home-made cupcakes and a bottle of wine along with the ‘You’ve been Boo-ed’ sign. I guess you can’t keep a fun tradition down.

I’ve created my own small tradition revolving around fairy gardens. A few times a year, at Halloween and at Christmas, I put together a small bag of fairy garden treasures for two little girls across the way. Only their mom knows its me. She graciously shares photos so I get a little window into their joy. This weekend I made a couple of pumpkin cards using tag board. I added ink and vintage pages from a small book about a Faerie Queen. I stamped a pumpkin on a couple of cotton treat bags, added beads, and filled them with origami paper, foam pumpkins, erasers and other small items to use in their garden. I hope it continues to bring them the joy that it brings me.

Fairy Garden Halloween Treasures

Traditions might be fun but they can also be taxing. I know that more than one mom on our street dreaded the idea of ‘one more thing to do’ this time of year. I read something similar in an article as well.

I think it’s fun making up your own traditions, removing all expectations with an established goal of having fun. Do you have family traditions that are uniquely your own?

No-Candy Countdown:

Yes, folks, the gardener remains candy-free.

Candy-free Countdown

Under-the-sea Costume Update:

Mike bought a helmet to go with his guardian of the sea costume. The crescent on the top is reminiscent of a wave. I regret not taking ‘before’ photos, but we’re having fun modifying it from its original state.

I save and re-purpose my wall calendars every year, but this is the first time I’ve used one on a costume. I took a page from last year’s sailing calendar, and tore the edges to suggest waves.

Guardian of the Sea Helmet

It’s a photograph of a sailboat in dark seas. I tore a few layers, glued them to the helmet crest, then sanded the paper for a textured look. I added a bit of dark green ink, and in a happy accident, realized the glue dots, once sanded, looked like bolts. We’ve more to add in the way of seashells and a bit of glitter shimmer. It is under the sea after all.

Pumpkins on Parade:

Aloha! Today’s pumpkin is ready for a tall, cool drink under a palm tree. Her grass skirt is nearby when the music begins. She’s kicked off her sandals for a walk in the cool grass.

Aloha Pumpkin

Please hold my calls

She’ll be back tomorrow, refreshed and contemplating the latest wardrobe change. We hope to see you then.

October 13, 2014 by Born To Organize

Sentimental Thrifting: Kicking Shame to the Curb

Thrift store shopping is all the rage. Clothing and household goods get a second life, proceeds from purchases usually benefit a non-profit, and for those who can’t afford new clothes for themselves or their family, they’re a boon.They’re also an excellent place to shop for Halloween.

In the year leading up to my father’s death, most of our purchases came from a thrift store. After Dad died and Mom had three young girls to raise, our clothes and shoes came from the local St. Vincent de Paul. We enjoyed going there and the kind treatment by the woman who volunteered for the store.

We didn’t own a car, and within a few weeks of our dad dying, mom loaded us girls with arms of his clothing, and we walked to the store to donate them. I’ll never forget the pain of that day. When we walked in the door, she asked us how our dad was. I couldn’t possibly say ‘he died’ so instead I said “he’s fine” and fled to the back of the store as the tears welled up yet again. I turned ten a few months later.

In my early teens, I was more aware of the scarcity around us. That’s when the shame set in. We lived in affluent Millbrae, but on the ‘wrong’ side of the tracks. Girls would ask if my dress was new and I never knew how to respond. It wasn’t new of course, just new to me. I felt trapped between telling the truth and my personal shame. The last time I shopped at that local thrift, I went in to find a pair of overalls. They were all the rage in the day, so I hoped to find a pair of my own.

When I walked out of the store, a school bus drove by and I imagined everyone on that bus looking at me with judgment. I jumped back into the shop, my heart pounding and waited for the bus to pass.

I was in college before I mustered the courage to enter a thrift store again. I found several treasures for a few dollars, and brought them home to decorate my room. The problem, though, was that smell. It’s a mix of stale fabrics, moth balls and the collective journey of donated items. It’s also the smell of loss and shame and grief.

It’s wonderful to have worked through so much of those feelings as I continue a path of healing. I’m able to embrace the thrift store experience once again. Not only is it trendy to recycle fashion, it’s practical, economical and green. Items get a second life.

So, with that in mind, I’ve been haunting local thrift stores in search of the perfect find. Once I get past the smell, those thrift stores no longer haunt me.

No-Candy Countdown:

Throughout October, I’m keeping track of the candy I **don’t** eat.I’m feeling great, losing weight and enjoying the sense of control I’ve gained over my extra-curricular eating.I’m rewarding myself with a happy face stamp. It’s fun and a way to stay self-aware.

Under-the-sea Costume Update:

I had all kinds of fun last Friday, and again over the weekend. I planned out the rest of the details for my costume, draping and pinning as I went along. I ran out of safety pins, so had a few ‘tender’ moments getting the dress on and off. I picked up a bag of pins on Sunday.

Thrift store finds: Purple dress, two sections of fabric and a pair of unique earrings

I cut the smaller of the two pieces of fabric in half, then draped it over the shoulder of the dress to create a short-sleeved top. I’m using the longer length of fabric for a cape. I found a unique pair of earrings for two dollars. I removed the earring and used the rest as faux fasteners for the cape.

Mike’s getting into the spirit of dressing up this year and he’s having fun. We went back to Savers and bought a pant suit, soon to be converted into his cape. The dark green and swirly pattern are perfect. The thrift store pricing fit the bill too. Don’t worry, it will be manly when I’m done with it, with zero trace of this suit.

Thrift store finds: Green and Gold chiffon pantsuit

Pumpkins on Parade:

Will of Marking Our Territory had the following to say about this year’s crop:

Halloween beats out all but two holiday for parties? I’m seriously impressed. (Side note: the 3/4 pumpkin in the lower left corner is my favorite – it’s got character)

Will has wonderful character so he should know.

3/4 Pumpkin

Please keep sharing your ideas for pumpkin dress up.

October 9, 2014 by Born To Organize

Mystery Plant Shows its True Colors

The ‘mystery plant that ate the vegetable box‘ continues to grow. Our temperatures remain warm, night and day, so the plant is spreading happily over the edges of the box, and pumping out fruit like nobodies business. I can’t get over it.

It’s a Pumpkin After All

I thought it was a late season pumpkin, but could not fathom why it was growing in a box without water. I’m still perplexed. Someone suggested that it might be a round zucchini instead. The fruit grew quickly to the size of a small cantaloupe or a very large apple, but remained dark green and hard. Whenever I looked under the prickly leaves I saw new growth. Whatever it is, I love the plant’s tenacity.

Dark, Green and Healthy

Today I took another look and saw orange. Squeeeee!!!

I think I’ll have a couple of small pumpkins out back after all. No signs of squash bugs either. This month keeps getting better and better.

Shades of Orange

No-Candy Countdown:

Throughout October, I’m keeping track of the candy I **don’t** eat. Who thought that not eating something could be this fun? Today I rewarded myself with smiling face stamps on my countdown calendar. It’s the little things, isn’t it?

Candy-Free Halloween Countdown

Under-the-sea Costume Update:

No time today. Hopefully this weekend.

Pumpkins on Parade:

The lovely Cathy, who blogs at Words and Herbs suggested the following:

Love the pumpkin outfit again today! Those sunglasses reminded me of Elvis… wonder if that might be a possible one? 😉

This pumpkin’s for you, Cathy. I’ve added a video clip of one of my personal Elvis favorites, In The Ghetto to go with it.

Pumpkin Elvis

Please keep sharing your ideas for pumpkin dress up. I’ll be catching up on comments and your posts over the next few days, but I’ll be back here at Gardening Nirvana on Monday. Time permitting, I’ll be further along on my costume by next week. I hope to see you then.