How Western Kansas Celebrates Halloween

I love Halloween. It’s always been one of my favorite holidays. I think the time of year definitely has something to do with it. It’s no secret that I love fall. Like, X’s and O’s, doodling “I heart fall” on my notebook, day-dreaming about pumpkins and gourds kind of love. And so, I thought that this decoration that I spotted while in Kinsley, Kansas deserved a post on the ol’ bloggity-blog. It really put me in the spirit of all things Halloweeny.

First of all, yes. This?

This is real.

Second of all, I made my training partner drive by this house no less than three times because I could.not.stop.laughing. And I proceeded to giggle every time I looked at the pic on my phone for the entire 40 minute drive home…each of the three days we drove back to Dodge City. (My trainer friend was not as amused as me. Boys.)

I would just like to point out that

A.) this has to be reconstructed roadkill from several different animals (those legs! They look way too big for whatever bird that was. Also, the buzzard-y beak thing kept making me think of a pterodactyl.)

B.) these people added feather-boa wings to said reconstructed roadkill (if they had added a bowtie, I would have knocked on their door and asked to shake their hand, because that is just too much. Toooo much.)

and

C.) they took the time to climb up on their roof to proudly display what I can only hope is décor for the Halloween season (and not a permanent fixture on their roof), right in front of their redneck weathervane-slash-cable antenna.

Ohh, Kinsley. Thanks for putting me in the Halloween spirit and adding a little laughter to our trip. (PS—the training went well! I felt much more confident and one of the pharmacy techs told me she couldn’t believe that this was only my second training. She said she would have thought I had done it for years. Next up—Sweet Home, Oregon. Wish me luck!)

Little Letters

Dear Crystal,

Thank you for making such a delicious dinner! You inspire me to cook more. Loved the food, the conversation, and love you. (Yes, she made all that from scratch! Fresh tomatoes from her garden, pesto, feta, parm and arugula, drizzled with a balsamic reduction, over pasta. And yes, I ate three bowls.)

 

Dear Fall,

Thank you for coming this week. I needed your brisk breeze, your rain followed by sunshine, and your cooler temps. Just in time for the Plaza Art Fair this weekend. Well done, Fall. Well done.

 

Hey Royals & Chiefs,

Keep it up. You're actually making KC look good.

 

Dear Nova,

Congratulations big girl! Steps!!!! You’re almost completely mobile. Drew and Heather, can’t wait to see how the new house looks when that happens. Ha!

 

Dear Kitty Cats,

I'm sorry I doubted you. I should have known Bill had it under control. Kick some Texas ass tomorrow!

 

To all my fam and friends,

Thank you, thank you for all of your support for the past few months. I know some of you probably think I was nuts to leave a perfectly good job that paid my bills, but I appreciate you keeping that to yourself and always encouraging me. Because...

 

Dear ScriptPro,

Hey new best friend. You are kind of awesome. Thanks for offering me a JOB!

 

(Duh, I promptly accepted. More to come next week… Happy weekend!!!)

Happy (Early) Turkey Day



{Thankful}

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Happy (early) Thanksgiving! I'm so thankful for all of my dear family and loving friends. Hope everyone has a wonderful time with loved ones this Thursday!



Before All the Leaves Have Fallen…

I’ve been meaning to post about a fabulous day trip I took with my mom about a month ago to the Red Barn Farm in Weston, Missouri. The weather on that autumn Saturday was crisp and ideal, and after lunching at an adorable restored home that had been turned into a little bistro in the charming downtown Weston area, we headed out to the Red Barn Farm in search of juicy red apples and cheerful orange pumpkins. The scenic farm was not only rustic and beautifully landscaped, but it also was brimming with yummy fall refreshments (not gonna lie—we indulged in both sweet caramel apples and sticky caramel corn). As I look out the window at the gloomy grey sky today, I’m so glad we had the chance to take advantage of the gorgeous weather this past fall and enjoy our visit to the “punkin patch.”

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{The historic downtown area in Weston, MO}

{The darling city park, nestled back behind the main drag}

{Unique storefronts line Main Street}

{Love the brightly striped awning and cheery flowerboxes}



{The Weston Red Barn Farm}



{So many different colors and shapes to choose from! I was particuarly fond of the white ghost pumpkins.}

{Tiers and tiers of the vividly orange pumpkins}

Happy Halloween!

{The spooky little guy, perched on a few of my favorite reads in my classroom}

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October has been a ridiculously busy month. It seems that every spare minute of mine has been spent at school, getting papers graded; at high school football games with my cheerleaders (mostly watching the boys lose); or fixing things up around the homefront (ah, the joys of an old house). While I still have some pics to post from our fabulous trip to the Weston Red Barn Apple Orchard, those may have to wait until next month (pumpkins still work in November, right?). I thought in honor of the upcoming holiday (my most favorite of the year: Halloweenie!), I would post my favorite find from Nell Hill’s this summer. This sleek and spooky raven is all jazzed up in his glittery witch hat in bright Halloween colors. I brought him to school to perch on my desk, and of all my cheesy pumpkin decorations in my classroom, the kids (and I!) have definitely enjoyed him most.

Happy October!

{Love-love-loving this gorgeous fall wreath!}

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My favorite month has finally arrived, and I'm so glad the weather has been cooperating—bright, sunny days and chilly nights are the epitome of fall for me. It’s time to pull out the autumn accents and fall-ify my home. I visited an apple orchard and pumpkin patch a few weeks ago (more on that trip later), and found some perfect pieces to welcome the season. I’m still currently searching for the perfect wreath to hang on the front door (aren’t these two great? I adore the top look with the rustic ribbon added) and haven’t yet found just the right pumpkin for my porch (kinda digging the white “ghost” pumpkins…they spice up the traditional orange approach!), but I plan on taking advantage of these idyllic days this weekend and adding the finishing fall touches to my home.

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{Another pretty mix of berries and flowers}

{Love the white gourd and watering can}

{Ghostly little guy}

Finally...Fall!

{Gorgeous fall leaves}

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After a long hot summer, this past week has been bliss. The winds have changed, the humidity is gone, and I even saw a few red leaves among the endless green trees that line the highway on my way home from work. Fall is no doubt my favorite time of year, and I hope these crisp, cool days will stick around for a while. I love the firey oranges and reds that top the branches, chilly Saturday afternoon football games (Go State!), and picking out the perfect orange pumpkin to sit on my porch. I don’t even mind raking the leaves that fall in my yard. And don’t even get me started on Halloween…the spooky holiday has always been one of my fav times of the year. While I embrace the ghosts and ghouls (and candy!) that come haunting ‘round my door near the end of October, there is one eerie autumn visitor I’m not looking forward to. Spiders. Ick! I had my first one-on-one battle of the season with a huuuuuge arachnid this afternoon on my front porch, and after much squeamish hesitation (and a desperate call to my mom, begging for guidance), I managed to take him out with a continuous stream of ant and roach killer, followed by a beat-down with my broom. Now, I know that spiders are helpful and kill the bad bugs, blah blah blah…but this was not an instance where I could accept and be at one with the Great Outdoors. This sucker was brown and about the size of a half-dollar. Plus, I swear I saw little fangs sticking out. It was a shame he was so creepy-looking, because his web that he had woven from the top of my porch to the middle of the pillar was actually kind of pretty. It looked especially distinctive as the late afternoon sun shone down through the trees, the beads of poisonous spray highlighting the web’s delicate design. I wish I had taken a picture, but the overwhelming urgency to destroy this little bugger overtook my sense of finding the beauty in nature. Now, I’m constantly on the lookout for creepy crawlies lurking in the corners of my home and under my bed, since my mom made sure to tell me that this was “that time of year.” Aside from the shuddering fear that spiders will be crawling all over me as I sleep, I have to say that I am utterly delighted that fall has finally arrived.