Happy Halloween from the Melvin household! Can't wait for tomorrow night. I really do love Halloween. Carving jack-o-lanterns, dressing up, haunted houses and lots of candy (especially chocolate!)!! What could be better? Speaking of haunted houses, check out this incredible show of spookiness from our neighbors the Price's. This is from 2 years ago, and every year he adds more, believe it or not! Pretty cool! 
Crop and Stick now carries Provo Craft Cricut Cartridges and other supplies! Check it out here. Isn't this Hello Kitty set adorable? It should be here any day now!! I got one of the Cricut machines for Mother's Day last year....so much fun! My daughter in law, Kelli has even cut her own vinyl lettering on it! How cool is that?
Card group time again. This time we went to the new Olive Garden in town...yum! I had the Ravioli de Portabella which was FANTASTIC. Can you tell, I'm all about the food? Oh, yeah. The cards were FANTASTIC too! Such talent and creativity. It's so fun to see how someone else puts something together. My card uses the new scallop square punch from Stampin' Up and the stamp set that is made to go with it, can't remember what it's called. I picked a ribbon and based my card off of those colors....voila!
Last evening we were at Albertson's doing a little grocery shopping, when my cell phone rang. It was my friend, Gina, calling with a message from a neighbor who had just driven by my house and seen "tremendous amounts of smoke pouring out of my house".
This is what I'm picturing. (This picture is not of my house, by the way!! Just in case you were worried!)
My dh, Todd, overheard me and immediately picked up his cell phone to dial 911. We left our grocery cart where it stood and RAN for the car, both of us on cell phones, dragging kids as we went. I called a neighbor across the street. Her teenage son answered. I asked him to look out his window to confirm "smoke" pouring from my home. Not that he could see. Hmmm....would you please go to our back yard and see if you see anything. He obliged me, but again, nothing that he could see. I (only slightly panicking) gave him my garage code and asked him to enter my home to see if he could see or SMELL anything unusual. Again, same answer. We are still racing towards home.
We pull up (emergency vehicles preceeding us! They are FAST!). No smoke. We enter the home. Can't smell anything. Hubby goes to the basement and I head upstairs. Nothing. We go to the backyard. No evidence of anything out of the ordinary. The fire chief is following us around curiously. None of us can find "tremendous amounts of smoke pouring out" of the house or any evidence that it was at any point. By this time, curious neighbors and passers-by are stopping to see what is going on.
We get word from a neighbor that a block south of us they were having a barbecue and the grill caught on fire. I guess that might be described as "tremendous amounts of smoke pouring out". Just not out of my yard, and certainly not my house. But, I guess, better safe than sorry. Never did get my groceries though!
Yesterday, was the beginning of UEA vacation for all the kids in Utah. It was also the first day of an annual event that we have at Thanksgiving Point called the Scarecrow Festival. It is a fundraiser for a non-profit organization called the West Ridge Academy. We had a great time in the Junior Haunted House (my 5 year old waited outside for us as it was "too scary"), and playing on a wide array of inflatable slides. Then we decorated and launched paper rockets. They really FLEW and Katie (7 year old) was convinced that her's flew the highest of everybody's. We rode in a "train", played all kinds of kiddie games, won prizes and candy, and even got to see some Irish Dancing from a local performing dance group. There was a Country Craft Store and pumpkin stand (where we picked out a couple of pumpkins to take home). It runs through Monday, Oct. 20 and if you are interested in more information visit West Ridge Academy.
My one and only son, Matt and his sweetie Kelli have been house hunting for a little while now. I went with them the other night and talk about fun! I LOVE looking at houses, but it almost made me want to move....ok, maybe not....but at least remodel or something. It's great to have kids so you can live vicariously through them and not have to experience things AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN......Did I mention that I hate moving! I just love new houses! Well, not necessarily NEW houses, but houses that are new to me! It's so fun to see decorating ideas and color combos.
So, get this! It's 8:45 pm, we are at the last house for the evening. We pull up and there is no porch light on, just a light in a room upstairs that we can only assume is the bedroom. The home belongs to a single guy, and the realtor (my good friend and partner, Gina) informs us that she doesn't have a set appointment time, she had just told them we would come that evening. We ring the bell. No answer. We knock loudly. No answer. She starts looking around for a lockbox. Using the cell phone for a flashlight, she opens the door. She calls "HELLO! WE ARE HERE TO LOOK AT YOUR HOUSE!" Still no answer. I am a little panicked at this point, thinking he is up there in bed asleep or in the shower! Still, we proceed to look around the main floor and Gina decides to go up to the bedroom to find out once and for all if someone is actually home. She knocks (loudly) on the bedroom door, "Hello...."
Cooler weather makes me want to bake. We had these yummy pull apart cinnamon buns last Sunday morning....I can't get enough of them-and they are soooo easy!! Enjoy.
