Spooky Gathering

Pumpkin shortage or not, Spike and I had our annual jack o' lantern carving event last night. We invited over a couple of friends, set the lighting to spooky, put in the campfire DVD and went to work.

It was the perfect autumn evening. Sometimes in L.A. I forget that "winter" is fast approaching because of the impeccable weather but a pot of wassil bubbling on the stove and pumpkin carving with friends remedies all. Spike and I usually overdo it on the guest list but this time we had a small enough group that civil conversation was possible as well as great conversations about past Halloweens. One discussion topic was legendary Halloween costumes of past years. Our friend Matt told about when he was in elementary school in Utah and his mother ordered him a spiffy costume out of a catalogue. She thought it was a great looking wizard robe and Matt was excited to wear his sharp new costume out trick or treating. It wasn't until later that his poor mother was informed that she had unknowingly ordered him the Grand Wizard costume from the KKK. That was one Halloween costume that didn't end up in the dress up box.

I wanted everyone to stay for a slumber party but all good things come to an end. Luckily, the pumpkins turned out great! Here's a showcase of the talent:

Matt made a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle homage pumpkin

Tori made a modern pirate

Jake created an asymmetrical beauty of garish proportions

I tried to make one resembling a grinning skull (no, I still haven't grown up enough not to mug for photos)

Spike made the "Martha Stewart" pumpkin with lots of tiny leaves cut out all over

Trent and Lorie Wallin made a great ghosty pumpkin with guts coming out of it's mouth (sorry Lorie, my camera didn't have this photo on it for some reason!)


They made for quite a fun photo all together. Thank goodness for Halloween :)

For anyone interested, here's the complete photo album of the evening