Decorating pumpkins...take 1...

I don't like carving pumpkins.  Don't get me wrong, I love pulling out the gooey pumpkin guts as much as the next person.  It's my favorite part.  But the actual carving gets to me.  I am not skilled with a knife.  I get frustrated when it doesn't turn out on the pumpkin like it did in my head.  We never buy candles to light them up.  And then I just leave it to rot on the porch until around Thanksgiving (or later), when I finally throw it out. 

Instead, I started decorating pumpkins MY way, so that I can utilize my particular skill set.  Tell me what you think...which one is your favorite? 

Not pictured: the cute, curled up tail.  :)

A little elastic went a LONG way for shaping my cute little ghostie.

Close-up of the hat, which I am very proud of.  :)

Pippie.

Glow-in-the-dark skeleton.

Linkin' up HERE!

A few photos...

I've been crafting a ton today...and yesterday...so here's a look into what I did.  :)  Just because.

To help us budget our money a little better (especially keeping track of FUN expenditures, which we lose track of easily on a plastic card full of abstract numbers), I decorated these cute little Dollar Tree piggies to store actual cash and coins in after each paycheck.  Once the money's gone, we're outta luck 'til the next paycheck!  (I like how they're kissing.)  :)

Obviously, if you know how I am with fabrics, I didn't actually sew any of this...but I did iron the appliques onto the purse.  :)  This is my niece's 6th birthday present for next month...note the white canvas shoes in the background.

 And to go inside the adorable purse, I bought some gum (because she's ALWAYS asking for mine), a little fold-up mirror/hairbrush, and...

THIS!

Yeah, I'm in love with duct tape wallets.  Easy, cheap, and fun.  I want to make a million of them!  In lots of colors and with lots of designs.

These ADORABLE Halloween decorations were SO easy and fun to make...too bad my lights burned out almost right after I took this picture!  Now Franky doesn't light up. :(

 (You can go here to find the directions.)

Along those same lines...I'd painted and made this Halloween decoration last year, but each of those little critters is actually a wooden clip and I wasn't sure what to do with them.  So yesterday I made an Esperanza Rising-inspired yarn ghost to hang from one of them.  I kinda followed the directions HERE, except I braided the arms and didn't cinch anything at the waist.  If you have the book, there are directions for yarn dolls in the back of that, too.  :)  I'm thinking I need to make a couple buddies for him.  Or her.  :)

Linkin' up my Halloween stuff HERE!

My sister asked me to make a yellow flower arrangement for her home...so this is what I came up with!  I'm kind of in love with the simple, low, flat, round look right now.  Who knew mums and marigolds could look so interesting?  :)

 AND, for fun, I made these napkin rings to match.

And then, of course, I had to make some for US, too.  :)

If I had a million dollars, I'd pay off my debts.  But then I'd probably spend the rest on craft supplies.  I could literally do this all day.  Oh, wait...I did!  :P

Just some stuff...

With Paul in El Paso on business until the 23rd, I've had to find things to do to fill the time each day...not really difficult for me.  :)  Here's a bit of what I've been doing:

• Weekly dinners with family, and taking dinner to my BFF, Lindsey!
• Started going to volleyball on Tuesday nights with the relief society women from three different wards in town.
• Went to the Feast of the Hunter's Moon!

The food is the real reason to go.  :)

Caida, pretending to be sad.  :)  See my facebook page for more photos!

• Saw General Conference...yay, Indy temple!!!  Also, went to a relief society meeting and took a class about cooking for two.
• Visited my sister's family in Portage.  Saw my niece's soccer game and went to a pumpkin patch/kid farm.

Pretty windmills on the way to Portage.

Caida warming up...

Her scary mask.

Cerene, James, and Caida.

My sisters, mom, and niece.  :)

The sweet pumpkin patch...it's officially fall!

Riding back to the car.

The three little pigs...LOVE it!  :)

Kiddie maze.

• Went and saw my grandmother in Peru, IN, who just had her third stroke last week and isn't doing so well.  BUT, my adorable nephew made it much more endurable!

• Taking long walks with Obi, to the church or to a nearby park, etc.  I don't bring the fancy camera along for these, and the pictures on my phone are stuck there for the time being...
• Crafting!  This means many trips to Hobby Lobby and WalMart.  :)

• Planning Paul's birthday party!
• Practicing piano and flute...and just in time, since I am playing the flute with our ward choir for a Thanksgiving number.
• Cooking, cleaning, paying bills, blah blah blah...

Anywho, that's my mid-Paul's-trip update!  I'll post again when I have a computer and more to report.  Mostly I'm looking forward to having my husband back home as soon as possible!!!  Talking to him on the phone for a half-hour or so every day just isn't the same; even when his work schedule at home is a little crazy and I don't always get to see him much, at least we have our dinners together and can snuggle face-to-face.  Here's hoping the 23rd will come quickly!