Halloween 2014 : I Hate Pumpkins

It’s true. I hate pumpkins. I realize that at this time of year, that’s sacrilege, and there’s probably some sort of ritualistic sacrifice that I’ll have to undergo for this type of heresy.

I don’t like pumpkin pie. Or pumpkin spice. Or pumpkin bread. Or really, even the smell of pumpkin.

I like the color orange. That’s about all I can give. (That’s not true. I can also say I like roasted pumpkin seeds, especially if they are doused in cinnamon and sugar. Fine.)

But I really, REALLY hate carving pumpkins. Like, REALLY. It’s just a lot of mess and effort for something that’s going to collapse and mold in a couple of days.

Every year for as long as I can remember, our friend Lori has hosted a pumpkin carving party. It really is a blast, and we have a lot of fun. The first few years, I tried so hard to fit in. I pretended to like carving pumpkins and got messy and sticky and gross. So, one year I said to Doug, “What would happen if I just sat there and watched everyone else carve? What would happen?” He said “I really don’t think anyone cares.”

And they didn’t. So I went a few years just being a spectator. And really, some of the designs get quite intricate. It’s fun to watch! This year, however, I loaded up a bag with paints and brushes and crafting things. I decided I wanted to just paint and do something different. So, I did. And I had lots of fun. I plopped myself off to the side and started being crafty. (And Edgar took some great pictures, and I stole some of them for this post!)

This was Pumpkin #1. I stole some ideas from online, or from my imagination. This was a little white pumpkin that I used a light coat of silver paint on. I silver-leafed the stem, and then used 3 types of upholstery tacks down the side. I decided this would be a great centerpiece!

Meanwhile, in messy Pumpkinland, Veronica, Edgar, and Lori were all making masterpieces. Really, they do such a great job!

Pumpkin #2 took on a vibe of “The Raven.” (Sidenote – when I was in 6th grade, we all had to memorize a poem. I chose “The Raven.” My teacher tried desperately to get me to only memorize a few stanzas since it was so long. WHATEVER. I did the whole thing. Like a champ.)

This guy was painted, and then I used florist moss for the nest, and a crow form the dollar store for the top.

One of the ladies at the party said, “These are like everything I pin on Pinterest that I’m never actually going to do.” I’ll take that compliment!

SO MUCH CARVING AND FUN!

Pumpkin #3. Black and Silver spray paint, with a sequined fly on top. No clue why I made this. But it’s sparkly and fantastic.

Doug started work on his Grim Reaper pumpkin!

And everyone finished carving their pumpkins. And they were AMAZING. I mean, really. So great.

I liked mine. They are a fun little triptych.

Where’s Doug’s pumpkin? He’s, you know, still working on it. Alone. After everyone else has finished. EVERY. YEAR. So detail-oriented, that one. And slow. Our friend Scott is usually the slowest. But he wasn’t there this evening.