Happy Halloween

We were invited to my friend Ginny and Joe’s Halloween party last night.

We go every year.

The snow storm didn’t stop us either.

We don’t live that far so it’s wasn’t a big deal.

Anyways I had seen Martha Stewart on the Today Show making

these cupcakes.

I never got the actual recipe but it didn’t really need one.

Pretty simple I thought.

Chocolate cupcakes with caramelized sugar to look like glass with

red jelly or jam to look like blood.

Cool right?

Ok I cheated and used a box cake.

I rarely do that but to be even more lazy I made George go to the store and buy it : )

I did though make the marshmallow frosting

or 7 minute frosting …

which I’ve talked about before in a previous post but I’m too lazy to find the link.

But I will give you the recipe.

7 minute Frosting

Ingredients
2 egg whites
6 tablespoons cold water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a stainless steel bowl, combine the egg whites, cold water, sugar, and cream of tartar in the top of a double boiler. Whisk until smooth. Place over boiling water and whisk constantly or beat with a hand mixer until the frosting is stiff and holds peaks, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla. Let cool, whisking often.

SO SO EASY

You’ll be licking the bowl

and if you’re like me eating the leftovers for breakfast too.

George had to stop me.

“What is wrong with you?”

(Coming from the man who’s been making himself french toast every morning for a week)

Here they are with their little glass pieces on top.

I could lie to you and tell you this part was easy but it wasn’t.

They were supposed to come out clear and not opaque……

I tried 4 times at least.

The last time I thought I had finally gotten it right.

Transparent just like Martha’s but they were too soft and stuck to the wax paper.

We’ll just call mine dirt glass: )

Maybe I should have looked for Martha’s recipe.

Then the jelly or (blood)

That was easy except I used Jam that I had made myself.

Don’t worry I tested it a few days before so I wouldn’t KILL anyone.

See cute and not too scary!

Now here comes the scary part.

Ready???

We were trying to stick our heads out so you wouldn’t see our “chins”

that’s why I look like a bobble head doll.

I was a Zombie Pirate woman and Ginny a Voodoo Woman.

I have to tell you that Ginny is actually very pretty and so that she doesn’t kill me ….

this what she normally looks like.

This was taken at Christmas time during another party.

She was showing off her scarf that she bought at the dollar store.

So funny.

She was so happy with herself.

Ok so off to watch

American Horror Story tonight.

Think it might have already started but they rerun it.

Have you been watching it???

Happy Halloween!


Edit:
OK big ninny that I am had the wrong show!
It was The Walking Dead that was on last night.
For those of you that hate zombie movies
( me included)
this one is really different.
It's really well written and character driven. 
Hope you give it a chance. 

Memories

It had been about 25 years since my niece had been back in the US.

She was born here and her birth certificate will always say she's American,

which I believe she is very proud of.

There is no doubt she is very much French though.

Of course she is, they moved back to France when she was 4.

My sister, though fluent in 3 languages spoke

only French at home.

My niece speaks perfect English but with a cute French accent.

Speaks thoughtfully with  purpose,  unlike me that just

spouts off whatever happens to come through my head. I also speak fast, 

 though  I am more aware of

how fast I can talk so I (after all these years) have slowed it down.

Now don’t get me riled up 'cause I’ll give you an earful: )

yes I can talk.

(George rolling his eyes)

or what he might say to someone:

Did she take a breath? or did you get a word in?…..haha

anyways, enough about my foibles.

We only spend a couple of hours together in NYC. Vanessa was off to visit

with a friend in Brooklyn for a couple of days....

I went shopping and exploring.

I'll share that later. 

That was the last day we saw each other. 

On the first day here

we visited old houses that we had lived in.

This was the home that I grew up in from 2nd grade until 8th. It was a house built in the early 1900’s. It seemed so big when I was a child but the porch makes it look much larger. The house had the usual creaky noises that old homes have, but I learned to get used to it.

I think I even liked it.

The rooms downstairs ran into each other so my niece enjoyed running from one to the other in a circle.

You know how it is when kids learn to run.

Round and round and round she went,

many times head first into something in her path.

Would make my sister crazy.

This was our next home.  I remember I thought we had arrived when we moved here.

We had moved to a new development in town and all the cool kids lived here.

Now I look at this house and think

WHAT, you’re kidding right?

(I like the old house better now)

It is bigger then it looks since it has a basement walkout but it looks a little abandoned now.

It used to have pretty flowers in the front and a split rail fence.

Oh and it came with a new harvest gold Formica counter top. Well actually more pumpkin color.

Yeah!

This was the 70’s kids.

The house across the street had a pool.

( and my boyfriend of 3 yrs) yeah convenient.

....to his mothers chagrin. 

She didn't like her son with the little french girl:) 

Sorry I digress.....

My niece was part FISH and spent as much time at the pool as we would let her.

I remember her endlessly asking me to watch her as she dove from the diving board.

Tata regarde moi!!!!

I would of course….she was so cute and fearless.

(I never dove off the board....too chicken)

While in the area we decided to check out the high school that I attended.

Ok , again maybe more of a memory for me but watching a couple of minutes of American football would be one thing

on the list of things to check off. 

I thought of explaining it to her but I only know the basics.

4 plays to get 10 yards ……right?

Animals don’t need translation,

they always understand a kind touch.

Being by the water is something she loves and something that gives her much inner peace so

I tried to oblige her as much as I could.

Plus I like it too.

One day we got a light take out lunch and sat by the docks.

It was a windy day but we didn’t mind. The sun was shining and time seemed to stand still.

Spending time with Vanessa was eye opening for me.

I realized that we had spent too many years apart and that I want/need to make up for all that lost time.

I know like with any relationship it needs to be nurtured

and I hope we will have many years ahead in each others lives...


.....and making more memories.

I'll share more of our visit soon,

Carole 

What’s going on

Wanted to do a quick post just to let you know what I’ve been up to.

Let’s just say I may be

getting a Better Homes and Garden Housekeeping award!

maybe a Housekeeping Merit Badge or two.

just kidding!

but did I ever tell you when I was a young girl that I was obsessed with getting my hands of every girl scout merit badge

(I must have been more competitive back then)

anyways

I have cleaned every darn part of this house….and I’ll be honest I NEVER do that.

I’m a fair weather housekeeper.

A little here,  little there.,,

seems to get us thru most of the time.

I think I may have started to breed a whole new breed of spiders.

kidding again

I try not to suck them up in the vacuum cleaner.    

I take the time to pick them up and throw them outside.

Now the ones that make it hard on me and hide under the furniture.

Well, sorry you get sucked up!

gosh I feel guilty tell you that

....and yes I know it's just a spider!

I have even been without computer for a few days …..

In pursuit of the perfectly clean home.

Now that’s dedication I tell ya!!!!

I’ve missed you all!

Once I could see above the boxes of plastic bins and cardboard boxes it wasn’t that bad.

 and yes I think there were times I was channeling my

inner Suzan and Donna.

Your organizing tips sure kept going thru my head the whole time.

A big THANK YOU!

Some major things had to get accomplished!

like jacking up our mudroom so it wouldn’t fall off the footings( I guess that's important)

and installing new flooring in the downstairs bath.

None of which I did,   but I had to wait to clean and paint in some cases.

thank you George

The garden has been cleaned up, cut back and mulched,

and even though we still want to redo the whole garden next yr it’s looking better then it has in a long time.

In this case less is more.

Now you maybe wondering what all this has to do with the photos I’m showing?

It has nothing to do with it :) 

Just realized I never showed you some of the little things I bought at Brimfield back in September.

I have more just didn’t photograph it all.

Now, I am so excited to welcome my niece to our home who will be visiting us from Switzerland.

It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other.  I know the week will go by too fast, but we

plan of spending every precious moment together getting reacquainted.

I have been waiting for this time to come for so many months (as some of you know)

and it’s finally going to happen tomorrow!!! 

YIPPY

Oktoberfest at the Vixen’s house

Here’s one of the Vixens….Debra.

Her daughter Nicole is the other vixen….

They are the dynamic duo of Maison St Germain online shop.

I was lucky to have been invited to her annual Oktoberfest as well as the one last year.

It’s wonderful the friendships you make through blogging.

Here Debra is wearing her new apron that Dee from French Bleu Vintage gave her.

It went perfectly with what she was wearing, she wore it for the rest of the day.

Her granddaughter Maci

So sweet looking like a Autumn angel.

Debra and Nicole made Fall head wreaths for all the kids to wear.

Lisa of Serendipity Chic  and her daughter Sami

which I enjoyed getting to know better. She has a booth at the Elephant Trunk in New Milford that

unfortunately I haven’t gotten to go to much this year.

The party was going strong with great food and plenty of

beer to test out.

All made by their friends  by the way,

but my attentions were distracted by

Debra’s charming property and home.

She just recently put up this small greenhouse that overlooks her slope.

This time of year she has it filled mostly with garden tool and supplies.

I’m sure in the early Spring she is hardening off her tender plants and seedlings.

I can see it would be a great place to run into during a rain shower.

Maybe spending some time sitting down with a cup of tea in the afternoon….

and maybe something sweet.

No watering needed much these days……it’s been raining a fair share here.

Inside Debra’s and Don’s home is equally charming.

Her taste leans toward Victorian with a little Bohemian mixed in.

There isn’t a corner where you don’t see a chandelier.

Don is an electrician by trade….so handy to have one of those in the house: )

Debra loves her plants!

and her collection of FROGS.

Wonderful the way she’s put them all together in one cabinet.

One thing that I hadn’t noticed the last time was her salt and pepper collection all housed

in an old restaurant display case on her island.

With a few sprinkles thrown in for good measure!

Wish I had taken more photos for you…..but you know

it was a party!!!!

thanks for stopping by!

and for the lovely comments in the last couple of weeks.

They made my days brighter!