A Fall Weekend

We spent a couple of nights at a bed-and-breakfast in The Berkshires, western Massachusetts, last weekend, just a couple of hours drive north. Monday was Columbus Day which meant no work and no school for some and therefore a long weekend for us.

 

I have always wanted to do a trip such as this to enjoy the stunning colors of the fall foliage when they are at their peak.

 

As it turned out, it was a little early for that but we enjoyed some "leaf peeping" and breathtaking scenery.

 

 

 

 We hiked through woods,...

 

and visited this spectacular waterfall.

 

 

 We spent a day and a half enjoying the countryside and were lucky with the weather, for the most part.

 

 

Apple-picking was on our list of activities for this trip. Although the farm we visited had lost 50% of its crop due to frost we were able to pick the apples from these large crates. These are the jonagold variety which we opted for...there were several others.

 

The farm had other items for sale. 

Garden plants, potted plants and some garden decor like this,..

 

 



 

many, many pumpkins, of course..

 

 

..and this little guy.

 

 

 

We also enjoyed some delicious warm apple cider; definitely a must on a trip like this.

 

On the way back home, we had to drop off our 14-year-old daughter at a birthday party and my 11-year-old and I were invited to join the guests on their visit to Horseman's Hollow at Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow, NY. This is one of the Hudson Valley's scary Halloween events and part of the tale of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

 

 

 

 

I screamed at every frightening encounter. It was fun!

 

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I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

 

My Fall Book Pumpkin

A few nights before Halloween I decided to attempt to make my own book paper pumpkin. I do not think it is too late to share this, although some of us are already thinking about December, we are still in Fall.

There have been many versions of this pumpkin but I first came across these on EAK! a House! and Craftberry Bush. This was too cute a project to pass up. I used a reasonably old (but not antique) book. I found this image online and decided to use it to carve out the outline on a piece of cardboard for a template.

I used part of a box headed for recyling to cut out the template of just one half of the pumpkin.

I removed the cover and spine and placed the template on the first page of the book ....and proceeded to cut into the book taking a few pages at a time.

I must have been tired that evening as I did not realize until I was halfway into the book that it had 480 pages! I could have picked something smaller but it was too late to quit.

I used a pair of scissors. An exacto knife is another option. Once I reached the end I proceeded to cut along the bottom to get a better shape. This is not a "perfect" pumpkin and it was not intended to be.

I used a brewed teabag to antique the pages a little..I could not do all 480 pages but attempted some!

I had a branch of an indoor plant that was dying and so I cut it to use as the stalk. I placed it within the spine and then proceeded to hot-glue it and used a baggie clip - these are always so handy - to hold it in place while the glue dried. I let it sit all night to allow it to adhere to the book.

The next morning I decided to cover the stalk with some hemp I had on hand to make it look more substantial.

I started at the top of the stalk....

...then realized I had left an offshoot to cover too.

 So I undid it and started hot-glueing the smaller branch first. In order to cover the tip I glued a piece upward (see arrow) and at the tip proceeded to wrap around while glueing and working down the branch.

I held the twine in place with a baggie clip while the glue dried.

Then I started at the top of the main branch again and worked my way down in the same way.

I covered the pumpkin where the stalk meets the pages in order to add some character to the piece and show where the stalk "grows out". I went around in circles a few times and glued as I went along.

Yes, there is a gap, but that is ok.

Lastly, I decided to add a piece to the base and formed a circle with some hemp and hot-glued that to the base. (You might see a glimpse of strings of glue here and there but I removed them once the glue had dried).

Here is the final piece. I am not sure if the stalk is too large...my experience with pumpkins is limited (I did not grow up being familiar with them..different countries, etc).

I looked at other pics online and found this..

via

and this..

via Google images

So I think I am ok with this one - my rough-around-the-edges book pumpkin.

What do you think? Do you think I should make the stalk shorter? This is easily remedied. For next year I might add some more tea to the pages for a little more color variation. This is such a fun project but I would recommend using a book with fewer pages. I think mine will suffice for this Fall season.

I am linking this mini project up to Home Stories A to Z

   

and Someday Crafts

If you require any help with Interior Decorating please click on the tab at the top of my page marked 'Services' or click here for further details.

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

Lisa

The Great Jack O' Lantern Blaze

We are fortunate to have the phenomenal Jack O'Lantern Blaze, a night-time walk-through experience showcasing over 4,000 intricately carved lit pumpkins located in the Hudson Valley on the grounds of Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson, NY. A couple of years ago I took the kids and one of my sisters to the show. These tickets are sold out very quickly and hundreds were turned away last year.

The first four pictures are from the Hudson Valley website. With music and sound effects setting the scene, thousands of people enjoy this unparalleled experience. The range of designs carved into these pumpkins is quite astounding - dinosaurs, abstract designs, skeletons, birds, an aquarium, pirates, a cemetery and so on can be seen in themed areas such as Egypt, Greece, Jurassic Park, Undersea Aquarium and Pirates Cove.

  

The following pics are from my iphone taken so they are not of a good quality but they certainly give you an idea of the skill level and creativity of those responsible for putting together this show. The pumpkins are scooped, carved and lit by more than 1,000 volunteers. 

Some of the pumpkins are real and some are "art pumpkins" but they are each individually carved and can weigh anywhere from 5 to 50 pounds! Carving of the art pumpkins begins in the month of June and the real ones need to be replaced several times during the run of the show which is on for about 5 weeks. It takes 15 to 20 volunteers to light the pumkins each night of the show starting about 3 hours before it opens.

The lighting, the music, the crowds, all contribute to a highly charged halloween experience which is not to be missed. If you are ever visiting the NYC or even the tri-state area in the month of October area The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze is a must but tickets should be purchased in advance to avoid disappointment. A jaw-dropping experience which, although now part considered a fall festival, truly does "pay tribute to Halloween and Sleepy Hollow Country"!

For pumpkin recipes, a downloadable template and tips on carving, go here.

Is this something you would enjoy? Do you  have a similar experience where you live? I would love to hear about it.

If you require any help with Interior Decorating please click on the tab at the top of my page marked 'Services' or click here for further details.

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

Lisa