Spooky!!

Here are the boys just before they went out trick or treating - they came back with a carrier bag each full of sweeties - enough to give them a sugar high for a month!!

Trick or Treat

This years pumpkins - not very elaborate but the boys were pleased with them.

Autumnwatch

This is essential viewing in our house for the next 2 weeks. I love Bill Oddie (am old enough to remember watching the Goodies and have just introduced the boys to that programme too!!) and just happen to be reading his biography at the moment.

We have been following the red squirrel assault course and Colin Buchanan (isn't he lovely!!) and his grey seal colony on the Farne Islands.

Pumpkins

Straight after school today the boys headed down to Tesco to select only the finest pumpkins they could find. We now have two - one is short and fat one is taller. Now all we have to do is agree on the design to be carved. There are some stunning designs to be found on the net but we will be going for the simple look as I haven't the time to faff around with them. I am voting for an alien pumpkin this year - last year we had the "puking" pumpkin which all the kids seemed to enjoy!! I have done the usual faces, a mouse, spider, haunted house and a ghost.

Might even have a go at making pumpkin soup out of the entrails!!

More cake?

Had a day at home today - furthest I ventures was to Tesco and Woolworth's (to pick up more free Lego!)

Got my Women's Institute cookbook out again and this time had a go at "Milky Fruit Cake" The addition of evaporated milk makes the cake really moist - it looks like Christmas cake, it smells like Christmas cake and it tastes like it too! Its easier to make than a traditional Christmas cake so I think this might be what I will do this year as I don't think I will have a lot of spare time between packing and cleaning!!

Windswept

Windswept was the only word to describe our walk along Lossie beach today - it really was blowing a hoolie. I prefer the beach in winter when it is almost deserted and Christmas Day wouldn't be complete without an obligatory walk along the sand!

Car Booty

Despite a dire weather forecast we pitched up at Moray College to try and sell some of our accumulated junk and hopefully put some more pennies into the house fund. The car boot sale was in aid of the performing arts group at the college so that they could buy some new equipment.

Apart from a short shower just after we set up the weather was blustery but OK - we seemed to do a brisk trade - especially in books with one chap buying almost 50 in one go - he must have been a trader or something. All in all we came home having almost made a profit of £90 and I will admit to having a good laugh with both the other stall holders and those who came looking for a bargain.

When I got home we divided up what was left and I took the books to the local Blytheswood charity bookshop (going back next week to investigate their book club) and some to Barnardo's and the rest to the tip. Have a few bits left which I will donate to the school Christmas fete in December.

And at long last Andy can see more than a square inch of his garage floor!!

Tomorrow

Its that day again - cameras at the ready!!

Spooky

Here are the lanterns from earlier - think they look quite good when they are lit up.

Quiet Afternoon

The boys have been out playing - I really must go down to the woods and see this den they are building as it seems to be taking up so much of their time!

So I decided to leave the ironing till later and start on a LO instead - inspiration came from one of Shimelles LOs over on the Banana Frog blog from last year. Am still on a mission to use up my old stash so this time I used some scraps of Scenic Route papers, Banana Frog, Sassafras Lass and 7 Gypsies stamps.

I know it looks as though Callum is constipated - but I think he was trying to concentrate on the ball!!

Quarrelwood

After our lantern making we went for a walk around the woods - I have only lived here 8 years and have never been before! All the leaves on the trees are turning gorgeous colours and even though the sun was shining brightly it was a bit chilly. We will go back when there aren't so many people around as there was this morning.

Lantern making

As usual every school holiday the Forestry Commission put on activities for the children to keep them busy - and out in the fresh air. Today we went up to Quarrelwood overlooking Elgin - each of us armed with an empty jam jar for a spot of halloween lantern decorating. We were supplied with templates and glass paints - with Rachel on hand as usual for help and advice. I think we all ended up with more paint on our hands than on the glass but never mind!! They even tied on string for handles and a tealight so we can carry them when we are out guising on the 31st.

Will try to remember to take a picture tonight with the candles lit.

So True

This arrived in an e mail today - thought it was funny - and so true!!

Christmas already??

After seeing a tutorial on You Tube for these cute little post it noteholders I thought I would make a few as gidts for the boys teachers for Christmas. All you need is a couple of beer mats, some scraps of paper and card and some post it notes. The stamp is from Stamping Up and I thought it was quite apt. One down - 4 to go.

Weekly Challenge

This weeks challenge was:

Use sketch 10 points

Use 10 of something 5 points - 10 leaves on my tree

Use and outdoor photo 10 points

Use autumn colours 5 points - browns!

Most of my photos are outdoors ones so the most difficult think was choosing one. Used up some more old Scrapagogo bits - this time using Scenic Route papers, Scrapapgogo stamps and a cute journalling spot from Etsy.

Off to clean up the mess I seem to have made all over the dining room table!!

Lazy Sunday

Not like me to spend a whole day at home - the furthest I have been is to Asda - can feel the onset of cabin fever!

But I have kept myself busy with the usual washing and ironing - its been a beautiful blowy day so everything dried quickly.

I made a pan of honeyed carrot soup - tastes OK to me - but no one else has tried it yet. And as there was a pile of "rusty" bananas (as Callum calls them!) I made a banana loaf and chucked in a few sultanas for good measure.

Played catch up with Sarah's Book of Me challenges over on Carolinez Craftz - so I am only 2 behind now.
Tea is nearly done then we can catch up with Merlin.

Windswept

As it was such a glorious autumn morning I dragged everyone down Lossie beach. It was windy so we were glad we wore warm coats and woolly hats - although we did meet a Liverpudlian couple who were in T shirts - what did they expect on a North Sea beach in October????

The boys had fun running up the sand dunes and jumping off the top - till Callum got sand in his eyes!!

But its never too cold for a Mieles ice cream - I had amaretto flavour and it was delicious.

More packing

Slowly but surely my home is becoming more and more minimalist.

Today it was the turn of the boys little works of ceramic art!! Over the past few years they have enjoyed visits to "Coffee and Bisque It" in Elgin which sadly is no longer. They always chose a little animal to decorate with glaze and then go back a few days later to collect once it had been fired. Not sure if they will have a place in the new house - but I cannot part with them.

Weekly challenge

This weeks challenge was:

4 of something-5points
Something blue -5 points
Time-5 points
Ribbon-5 points
Doodling-10 points

Think I managed everything and used up some old stash from my Scrapagogo kits into the bargain.

Camera Club - lesson 2

Tonight we learnt about ISO, aperture and shutter speed - and once again we got to try out our new knowledge on a series of inanimate objects.

The first set of photos demonstrate how shutter speed affects the photo - we were in quite a dark room in the Town Hall - so tries slowing down the shutter speed to let more light in. We also had a good laugh trying this out with human models moving about - got some strange effects like making us look as though we had no arms!!

Then we had a play around with the aperture settings so we could change the depth of field in the photos. Actually managed to do this as usually its just a lucky accident with me!!

Sarah our teacher is brilliant and she is trying to steer us away from the usual snapshots to something a bit more special.