A PRETTY VAMPIRE

Well today was our Girl Scout Halloween party.  Trinity surprised us all by not showing up as a Zombie like she did for the School Festival. 

She was now a beautiful Vampire.

She looked lovely in her black and red dress.  Though the long black nails didn't stay on long at all.  She found them to get in the way to much so she took them off about 10 minutes after getting here.

She looks so grown up to me.  Almost to grown up!

But, Halloween is all about dressing and playing make believe, so I guess it's ok. 

Just don't grow up to fast Trinity.  I want you to stay my little girl awhile longer.

GETTING READY FOR A HALLOWEEN PARTY

Welcome to the home of Mildred.  Some say she was a lovely old lady that loved everyone who crossed her path.

Others say she was a witch with a dark side.

She used to live here.  Though for the past 65 years she has not been seen. 

As you look at her photo, what do you see?  A sweet old lady? 

As you take a closer look, you may have a change of heart!

They say this stuffed owl is really her late husband that she had turned into a wild owl when he upset her. 

This poor little mouse was once the house keeper who cleaned away all the cobwebs that were meant to be left behind.

This handsome fella, John, was said to be her beau from when she was a young beauty.  He tried to leave her once he found out the true story behind her life behind doors.

He was never seen or heard from again.  They say, the truth behind his disappearance can be found in her books.

Though I don't think I really want to find out.

Halloween was a favorite time for Mildred.  She loved to hand out little boxes of candy to the children.

Hmm, there may be something wrong here.  Are those candy boxes or coffins that I see?

Well, you will have to come back to see what else is in store as we get closer to Halloween and the Girl Scouts come over for what they believe is a fun party. 

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PRETTY AND SWEET COSTUMES???

This is my great niece, Trinity.  She moved to CA when she was four years old. 

I remember her first Halloween here, she was a sweet little girl dressed up as Tinkerbell.  She was darling!

Then she was Dorthy from the Wizard of OZ.   I couldn't get over how cute she was with her hair in pigtails and holding a basket with Toto in it.

She was also Cinderella one year.  Again, sweet and cute.

But then, it started.  She was growing up and wanted scary costumes.  No more cute costumes for her.

She was a witch and then a vampire.  Scary!!!

This year she wanted to be a bride.  Oh how lovely.  She wanted to be something pretty again...or so I thought!

Nope, not her.  This year she had a friend who is a professional monster make up artist turn her into a ZOMBIE Bride!!!  One of her classmates dressed up as the groom.

Believe me, even though she looks scary in these photos, in person she was really creepy looking. 

She loved it.  The kids at her school loved it and all her friends loved it too.  To be honest, I loved it too.  She looked great!

I wonder what next year will bring?

KEEPING YOUR PET SAFE ON HALLOWEEN

OK, listen to me!  I'm a wise ol' gal with some good tips for you to keep your little fur babies safe this Halloween.

I'm going to have a few of my good friends help me out here.  I've been strolling the streets for hours now (my owner is a shopaholic)  and I'm a little bit tired. 

Sure, you may think I look cute dressed up looking like a pumpkin but be careful with the real pumpkins. 

Us furry kids like to snoop around and some of us could get burned by the candle inside.  So, keep them up and out of our reach.

Lots of kids like to carry glow sticks with them or wear them around their necks on Halloween.  Yes, they look nice and yes they do help cars to see kids as they are crossing the street.

But, did you know we like to chew on them.  They are pretty to us too and we think they are new toys.  If we get hold of them, we may keep chewing them until they crack open.  Then, we will get sick all over the place and you will end up spending a lot of money taking us to the vet. 

So, be careful where you put those things when we are around.

People are really going all out these days for Halloween and there are more and more electrical items being use now. 

Sure, we may not always being the brightest but sometimes those cords look like fun things to chew on.  We could end up starting a fire or worse, killing ourselves. 

Please be careful and keep them out of our sight.

We love to protect you and yes we think we are super dogs!  So, sometimes when strangers ring the door bell and I see strange looking monsters and sometimes even cute little princesses, I get scared and may bite them. 

I'm not being bad.  I'm just doing what my job is and protecting you and our house.  Don't get mad at me or punish me for barking.  Just keep me in another room or keep me on a leash so I don't hurt anyone.

Everyone should know that candy and pets don't mix.  So, if you don't want me to turn you into a frog, don't tempt me with chocolate and other sugar goodies where I can get to them.

Oh ya, also, there are some creepy people out there who like to do mean things to animals on Halloween.  Mainly us black cats, so keep us inside where we are safe please.

Really folks, there is NO PLACE LIKE HOME.  So, make sure we all have ID tags on because sometimes we may run out when the door is open and with all those scary looking people out there we can get scared and run pretty far away. 

We want to always be able to come home to you and the ID tags helps make sure we do.

Oh and one last thing, while costumes may look cute on us, we really don't like to wear them.  If you must put us in one, keep an eye on us as they can get caught on things or we could try to get out of them and end up choking on them.

HALLOWEEN TOPIARIES

A wicked witch (or is she a good witch?) greeting Trick or Treaters would be darling at your front door.

Several flying bats hanging from different heights would be fun.

A scary cat leading the way up to the door where the candy is handed out is always a fun find.

I think it would be fun to have several topiaries outside.  The only problem is you would have to start early enough to get them to fill in. 

I can see making a whole graveyard out of ghostly topiaries.  You could put lights on them so you can still see them at night. 

These could be made out of chicken wire, moss and plants.  Or, you could do it the easy way and buy one already made up.

I saw these at Rogers Gardens.  I'm sure they can be found at other nurseries near you too.

STEPPING BACK TO THE 1960's

I love meeting new bloggers!  I love anything to do with the '60s.  So, when I got an invitation to go to OC BLOGGER BASH I was thrilled!

This was one wild and crazy party!  There was live music playing music from the Good Old Days.

Let me tell you, this band was so good, I even over heard some people saying they thought records were being played before the saw it was a live band.

There were old cars set up to look like they were at a Drive In Movie.  Remember those fun times? 

I used to love to pack up the car and make a night of it on those warm summer nights.

Remember those speakers?  They would crack and there would be static.  Sometimes you even had to move to another spot because they wouldn't work at all. 

Yet, it didn't really matter.  You were there to have fun and it was more about being outside with lots of other people and having a great time then it was about the actual movie.

We had Pepsi in the bottles with straws just like they used to have.  No diet Pepsi though.  There wasn't any Diet Pepsi in the 60s.

But, there were Martinis and lots of them!  OK so mine was really just for show and the glass only held water and an olive.  But, there was a full bar and you were able to enjoy whatever your taste buds wanted.

I think one of my favorite things was the fashion show they had.  The women were beautiful in their dress and the men looked so dapper in their outfits.

I adored how they used the escalator as the runway.

As I looked around, I felt like I had stepped onto the set of Mad Men or Pan AM.

There was a fun Photo Booth set up with lots of silly hats, feather bows and glasses to use as props.

What would a party be without dancing?  We were not let down there either.  Some of these people could really cut a rug.

They had lots raffle drawings and even SNOOPY came to give away tickets to Knott's Berry Farm.

People huddled around cocktail tables eating and drinking and having a great time.  Everyone had name tags on so you could read what Blog they had.  It was a great way to meet new people and find out about different blogs.

They had some thrilling contests too.  These women were voted as having the dresses of the evening. 

I'm not sure but it seemed like they had so many raffle prizes that almost everyone ended up winning something. 

I do know that everyone had a blast.  I had a wonderful time, met lots of nice people and really enjoyed being able to step back in time.

This was a wonderful gathering and I'm so happy I got to attend. 

As we left for the evening, we were each give a little goody bag or I should say lunch pale.  What a clever idea.

Just one more of the little details that made this evening one that won't be forgotten!

I was not paid to post this.  I am doing so because I had a wonderful time and wanted to share with anyone who may be invited to a big bash with other bloggers that they should go.

BE KIND ~ ANIMALS HAVE FEELINGS TOO

Sure, animals don't laugh out loud like we do, but they sure do show emotions when they are happy!

So, please be kind to all animals.  They have feelings too.

They get scared and sad just like we do too.  They often don't understand what is going on.

Don't be mean or hurtful to any animals.  They won't hurt you unless they are in fear of their life, starving and looking for food or protecting their family.

Always take care of your pets.  They may not always do or act like you want them to but remember, you are all they have.  They wait at home for you get there.  You provide them with their food and water.  They love you. 

So, if you feel like they are in your way or bothering you, stop and take a second to pet them and let them know you love them too. 

MOVE OVER CUPCAKES and CAKE POPS ~ THERE IS A NEW SWEET IN TOWN

It seems like every so often there comes a new trend that seems to flood the market.

Right now that trend is French Macaroons.  If you have not yet tried these, you must rush out and give your taste buds a treat.

They are delightful little cookies that has a light crunch on the outside and a creamy flavorful inside.

The colors range from white to pastels to bright deep hues.

We have a new French cafe that opened up down the street from me.  It's owned by a French man who has earned top awards in both pastries and chocolate while living in Paris. 

When I saw he had several flavors in his case full of wonderful treats, I had to try them.

I can't really say if I'm thrilled I did or sorry I did.  You see, now that I have tried them, I want them every day!

They have the best flavors.  They have just about any fruit flavor you can think of.  Nut flavors and even some french flower flavors!

So tell me, have you had any of these wonderful little treats yourself?  If so, what was your favorite flavor?  So far, I think mine is the lemon or the raspberry ones.