These are a few of my favourite things!

Went to do our usual fortnightly shop at Costco today and what did I find? For $8.67???? This Heidi Swapp Kit. Unfortunately I squirrled it all away into my little storage containers before I thought to take a photo, but here's what it contained. Chels, I'm feeling bad that I didn't get you one. Maybe I'm still on Aussie dollars, but that seems INCREDIBLY cheep to me. So now I have lots of chipboard letters and cool photo corners and lovely clear flowers etc to play with. Only 2 more days 'till Dad leaves and then I'm going to lock myself in my craft room and PLAY!!! It's OK, Dad knows and understands...doesn't take it personally.

And today we also got some tulip bulbs to plant for spring and a pumpkin for carving. I am probably the world's slackest gardener, but I love the thought of minimal effort now for huge amount of pleasure in Spring. The Autumn before we left NY I planted tulips and daffodils....never to see them bloom as we left a few weeks before spring. So I'm looking forward to having my spring garden next year!

And as for pumpking carving...that's something I LOVE! We just got a practice pumpkin today....I saw some gorgeous ones (on a banner in Sleepy Hollow) with Celtic knots carved into them. Stunning! But I imagine the kids will want the more traditional faces. I think next year I'll have a pumpkin patch so that we have an unlimited supply to with as we please. Being able to carve pumpkins is one of the major pluses for me for living in the US. I think I paid $25 for one pumpkin to carve in Sydney and it was rotten within a few days. The kids have two 4 day weeks of school and I think we'll use some of that extra weekend time to do some Halloween decorations!