Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Trick or Treat Lane

Good morning, all! I can hardly believe October is almost over, can you? I hope you're all enjoying your autumn and the colors and scents of the season. I sure wish it would last a bit longer, but it looks like old man winter will be arriving soon. And from the forecast, we're in for a worse winter than normal...


Not much stitching has been going on in my house, but I do have one fun new finish to share with you. May I present... "Trick or Treat Lane" by The Stitching Parlor Don't you love the ghosts carrying their little treat pails? And how about the scary looking cat? Adorable...Those must be very young "ghosts" carrying the treat buckets because any older trick-or-treater knows that buckets just don't hold enough candy! As my sons got older, they "graduated" to taking pillow cases to hold all their collected goodies as they haunted the neighborhood. I think I loved Halloween as much as they did--it was such fun to see their excitement as they arrived home, spread out their bounty on the floor, divided it into categories, and generously "shared" anything coconut related with their old mom.


I didn't have any of the suggested Crescent Colours so I substituted an assortment of overdyed threads and I'm very happy with the result. The fabric, 28 ct. stormy gray jobelan, drove me crazy, though. It was just so flopsy with no body to it at all. But, I do like the color of it; reminds me of a typical gray blustery Halloween. The house is one stitch too short, but, shhh...don't tell anyone; we're the only ones who have to know! After I discovered my error, I realized it wouldn't affect the outcome of the piece at all, so I just let it be. There were supposed to be pumpkin "buttons" in front of the houses, but I just stitched in some pumpkins and gourds instead. Although the stitching of this one took much longer than I expected (those daisy stitched leaves about did me in!), the end result really makes me smile.


We had a bit of a "trick" of our own played on us two weeks ago. My youngest son brought his girlfriend home for a few days so we decided to show off the city to her since she had never visited the area before. Now, Pittsburgh always surprises any first time visitor. Most people still have the idea that it is a dirty, industrial city, but over the 34 years that we've lived in its suburbs, the city has experienced a miraculous revitalization. It has won many, many awards over the past ten years including Forbes Magazine's Most Liveable City, one of the Top 10 Cities For Single Women, Top 10 Cities For Raising a Family, Economist Magazine's Best U.S. City In Which To Live, and just this week National Geographic Travel Magazine named it one of 20 Must-See Destinations In 2012! Surprised? Come visit--you'll be amazed!


Anyway, the four of us drove down to the city on a glorious fall day--perfectly blue sky, sunshine, crisp air. After parking the car, we began heading toward the center of the city when we passed a man sitting on a park bench who spoke an ominous warning: "Be careful, there are zombies ahead." "Ummm...okay" we replied as we dismissed his words. As we walked on, we came across a bride and groom dressed like zombies and thought that must be what he was referring to. A bit early for Halloween, but...whatever. We continued to walk past a few more scattered "zombies," but as we rounded the corner and entered Market Square, we were suddenly surrounded by a teeming sea of zombies. There were short zombies, tall zombies; thin zombies, fat zombies; old zombies and even baby zombies being strolled in their little zombified carriages by scary looking zombie parents. We had unknowingly placed ourselves smack-dab (I don't think I've ever written that word before!) in the middle of the Pittsburgh Zombie Fest 2011 .

Apparently, we weren't the only innocent bystanders to be caught unaware that zombies had taken over Pittsburgh... Do you recognize the family above? Why, it's actor Tom Cruise (in town to shoot his latest movie "One Shot"), Katie Holmes, and their daughter, Suri, who ended up with a zombie stalking them. Sweet little Suri looks totally unaware of exactly who is behind her. (Unfortunately, we didn't get to see the Cruise family in person, but the fan who shot this photo must have been very happy).

Anyway, at first it was entertaining, but it slowly began getting creepy--way too much fake blood puddled on the sidewalks or oozing out of zombies' mouths, creepy bulging zombie eyes, and torn, blood-covered clothing. After a tasty lunch in a non-zombie inhabited restaurant we made a hasty exit from Zombiefest 2011 to show our guest the "prettier" sides of Pittsburgh. But, yes, Pittsburgh can add yet another honor to its list--it is now the proud owner of the new Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of "zombies" in one place--there were over 4900 of the creatures there on that sunny Saturday! If you'd like to see some of the zombies who took over the city that day, you might enjoy (?) this Zombie video. It was all a bit much for me--I can't even be in the same room when a scary commercial is on television! I cover my eyes and start singing to cover the noise of the commercials--weird, aren't I? Are any of you scaredy-cats like me?


As a thank you for her visit, my son's girlfriend treated us to this sampler of miniature cupcakes from Baked By Melissa all the way from New York City. Just look at these darling creations--each is the size of a quarter and they came in the most unusual and delectable flavors--s'mores, peanut butter and jelly, even chocolate chip pancake...They were almost too cute to eat--almost!! It was so nice to have another female around the house--we all hope she comes to visit again soon...




I've been lucky enough to win a couple of giveaways lately. First of all, Kajsa, from "Kajsa's Stitching and More" blog, found herself with two of the 2011 Prairie Schooler Santas so she nicely offered to have a drawing for her extra copy. I was so happy to win it as I've collected most of the other years, but hadn't purchased the latest one yet. Thank you so much Kajsa--I know I'll love stitching him and his little red cardinal!





And just look at this array of goodies that I won from dear Jane over at "Buttons & Stitches" blog. I told Jane that everything she included in her package was something I would have picked myself: the ribbons, the charms, the ric-rak, the fabric, the thread, the cocoa mix--oh, I love it all. But, the highlight of the giveaway was the charming Margaret Sherry Pumpkin Pie kitty that she stitched. Jane's stitching and finishing are just perfect and I'm so proud to have a piece of her work on display in my home. Thank you so very, very much, Jane--your gifts made my day!


GIVEAWAY ALERT...
There is still time to enter my giveaway to celebrate my 500+ followers (on my last post only). Entries will be accepted through November 1st and I can't wait to find out which of you will win my little treats! Good luck to all...

Do you have any special plans for the weekend? I'm heading north to Erie, PA to stitch the days away with four blogging friends at a quiet Bed & Breakfast. It sounds like perfect stitching weather with nothing but rain and gray skies forecast.

Thank you, as always, for your wonderful comments and emails--I appreciate each and every one! I'll be back soon with the winner of the giveaway; until then, I hope you all enjoy a week doing whatever makes you happiest. Bye for now...

76 comments:

Chris said...

Hi Carol! I love the finish, the colors you chose are perfect.
Zombiefest looks like it was funny.
Your new stash and stitching from friends is lovely. I love Prairie Schooler and the fall stuff and chocolate yum! ooh the cupcakes too!
Have a great week!

Barbara said...

I'm so happy for you Carol for the giveaway you won and I love your finish. Such sweet little ghosts. I'm not sure if I could look at all that fake blood for too long either. Have a great day!
Blessings

natalysneedle said...

Love your stitching parlor finish. I am with you on halloween, I have just as much fun as the kids. From carving jack o lanterns to bobbing for apples and mulled cider, as well as all the yummy treats. You just can't beat it. You had a lovely win as well. Enjoy your new goodies.

Lesleyanne said...

A beautiful finish. Sounds like you had a lovely time with your son and his girlfriend. You won lovely gorgeous things in the giveaways.

CalamityJr said...

Trick or Treat Lane is so cute - definitely much better than anything to do with more than 4900 zombies! The cupcakes look awesome and I know you'll really enjoy your giveaway winnings. Have a great time stitching in Erie. I can't think of a better way to spend the weekend!

Margaret said...

I had to laugh about the Halloween buckets versus pillow cases. You're quite right -- those must be young trick or treaters. Mine learned early on to take pillow cases too. lol! Love the finish -- so cute! As for the Zombiefest! lol! I'd seen past ones in other cities. I guess every city tries for a world record and now Pittsburgh has it! I definitely wouldn't have wanted to be in the middle of it either! Nice that you got to visit with your son's girlfriend though. Nice prizes you won too -- lucky you!

Jan said...

Hi Carol, I am heading up north to see my granddaughters! The suv is loaded down in the backseat with lots of snacks, since that is their very favorite thing for their Nana to do, is bring them, when I visit!

I think your finish is just adorable, and just in the nick of time for Halloween, congratulations! Lots of wonderful goodies, you received as well!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Danielle said...

Trick or Treat Lane turned out great!!! Love the birds above the house. Yummmm, cupcakes. Oh, I hope I win your giveaway! Love everything in it. And I am never usually the first commenter in a giveaway post, but I was this time! LOL.

Mavi. said...

Hi Carol:
Very interesting what the party tells us Zombie. Please note, being able to visit Pistburg it would be nice.
Beautiful embroidery and very good solution with the changes.
I hope you have a nice meeting with friends and bloggers embroidery.
Besos

Barbi said...

Oh Carol, your upcoming weekend sounds like it's going to be amazing!! Take lots of pictures! And hope you get lots of stitching done.
Love the finishes!

Jennifer said...

Loving your latest stitch Carol. With the reno going on I haven't put any Halloween decorations out as everything gets so dusty. Doing some Christmas stitching though .Congratulations on your stash wins . Beautiful prizes. I love Pittsburgh. We were there for a quick trip 2 yrs ago . It is fun. Have heard of a few restaurants I would like to try next visit. The cupcake pic was lovely . Everything looked so yummy . What a lovely gift.This weekend I am working and my daughter is in a special broadway tune concert . Her musical theatre group is performing a song from the new Addams family show. Next weekend I will be going on my first far away trip by myself to Sanibel Florida to visit a friend for 5 days. Looking forward to that .Have fun in Erie and can't wait to see the pics from that trip of fun stitching.

Annie said...

Your Halloween piece is so pretty. Love how worked in your own special touches. And the laisy daisies look perfect!

Who would have thought you would stumble onto a Zombie festival! Good unexpected fun.

Have a great time at your stitchy gathering!

Cathy said...

Love your little ghost finish! Your colors were perfect!
Cathy

Cindy's Stitching said...

The halloween piece is so cute. The zombie fest must have been a little freaky. The mini dounuts looks so good. Have a blessed week.

Deborah said...

Love the Halloween finish! So cute. The cupcakes look yummy.

butterfly said...

My dear Carol, Wow love your stitching once again its so beautiful. Love your header .And what a fun day you had. Those cakes look so yummy.

Have a great day with your stitching friends i will be thinking of you.

Great giveaways, so much fun.

trillium said...

Yes, when a newcomer to the Burgh gets out of the tunnel, they invariably let out a gasp! I've entered via Greyhound as well as private cars and the whole bus is in awe at the scenery spread out before them.

Please enter me for your giveaway. The Trick Or Treat Lane you stitched is really cute.

Syd said...

Have a wonderful time in Erie!

Thanks for sharing the pictures of Pittsburgh. I was there this summer to look at Pitt and recognized your first photo.

before-after said...

This is adorable! I love the primitive style!

Tricia T said...

What a precious giveaway that you won! I just love Margaret Sherry designs!! Trick or Treat Lane turned out very cute. I hadn't seen that one before!

Anonymous said...

Have a wonderful time this weekend in Erie. It sounds delightful.

Charlene ♥ NC said...

What a cute design! Can't wait to see how you'll finish it. Zombies are out and about all over; aren't they? Even the ones dressed like stars?? Hum... those aren't <> samples are they? Congrats on your recent wins! Continue to enjoy the fall -- won't be very long until snow time!

Nancy said...

Hi Carol! I can't believe it's the end of October either.

I love your Halloween finish, and I agree the ghosts are too cute carrying their trick or treat pails! Enjoy your wins - lots of nice things to enjoy!

YUMMY on the cupcakes!

Giovanna said...

Congrats on the great Halloween finish, and on winning the Santa!

The Inspired Stitcher said...

Love your Halloween finish! I bet it was fun to open your wins and check out all the goodies. This was a fun post.

BrendaS said...

Carol -
It's always a treat to visit your blog! LOVE your Trick or Treat Lane. Too cute:))

What a unexpected surprise to wind up at a Zombie Fest in downtown Pittsburgh! OMG -- it will make for some great stories in the future!

Have a great weekend stitching away. I'm sure it will be pure bliss. Hope you get lots done:))

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

What a newsy, wonderful read today Carol! :)
I certainly loved to see your gorgeous Trick or Treat Lane...perfect as usual!
And the Zombie Fest...ugh!
But those cupcakes YUM!!!

staci said...

What a cute finish Trick or Treat Lane is! And those cupcakes look divine :)

LoriU said...

Oh my gosh Zombiefest is pretty funny!! I had no idea you were in the Pittsburgh area! I am in the Cleveland area so we are basically neighbors! Erie is about 1 hour from my house!

Congrats on the winnings! The pumpkin pie kitty is adorable!

Love your stitching...I am very impressed with how neat your ghosts are stitched! I can never get whitish colors to lay nicely!

Have fun at the B&B!!

Dona said...

Carol, what a cute Halloween piece! I love the little ghost trick or treaters. I had to laugh about the coconut candy; we gave mom all of the Almond Joys and anything else with coconut in it.

What nice mail you received, too!

Enjoy your stitching retreat!

Melissa said...

Oh Carol, what a lovely post! I don't know what to comment on first!

Trick & Treat Lane is so cute - perfect. I love your new header on your blog too.

The cupcakes look so yummy and you're so lucky to win that lovely giveaway!

passionfruitprincess said...

Crazy zombies! Your Halloween finish is adorable. And those cupcakes...
You are so lucky to win such great giveaways. Very sweet!
Have fun on your stitching trip!
Ana Paula.

Patty C. said...

Congratulations on your wins - You deserve the best ;)

Nice finish - And the cupcakes look yummy ;)

Julianne said...

Carol,

Trick or treat lane is so cute! Youbdo find the cutesy things to stitch and your colors are perfect.

Congratulations on your needlework prizes. Enjoy them.

Sweet Sue said...

Great spooky finish, zombies look like *moi* crawling out of bed each morning:) Have a fun filled stitchy weekend!

Charity C. said...

I just love your your Halloween finish. I know I will have to do that one now! I think your little changes made it all the more beautiful! I am glad you have a good time with your son's girlfriend! Sorry you had to see all those zombies! LOL! The cupcakes do look very cute! And the giveaways you won are just great! Glad you won them! Take care Carol!

Hazel said...

Lovely finishes! Funny picture of the Cruises. Hehe. The cupcakes look delish. Great winnings too. Lovely post!!! xx

Nancy said...

Love the finish! Sounds like you and your son and friend had a fun time touring the city! Those cupcakes look sooooo gooood! Lovely wins you have had!

cucki said...

a very sweet finish..sound like you had a lovely time with your son and friend..
you won lovely goodies. xxx

Bekca said...

Carol, I'm so similar to you, I dislike anything remotely scary, don't know how I would have coped with a street full of zombies!
Your stitching looks beautiful, and congrats on winning such lovely prizes.
This weekend, I'm visiting home and my mum is making a big meal for us all to enjoy, I'm very much looking forward to it.
Best wishes.

Ali said...

I love you halloween stitching (loving the cobweb!!) Great pictures hmm I think I would have steered clear of the zombies although my sons would have loved them lol xxx

BeckySC said...

Oh, I must find this pattern!! TOO cute-I just love it and your stitching is gorgeous!!
hugs to you :)

Ranae said...

You know I just adore that spooky design, lol
ZombieFest how fun to stumble across it without even knowing
Your son's girlfriend can come stay with me anytime, looks look so good and right before dinner, lol
Great fun giveway wins
Have fun this weekend!!!!

Melanie said...

Hahaha! What a crazy festival. It's like the show The Walking Dead. I can only imagine how disorienting it would be to come across that sort of thing unawares. At least it was still daytime when it was going on because can you imagine going out for dinner at night and coming across that scene? I'd probably run screaming from the city and never come back! lol

Great little finish! I love the colors you chose. It's perfectly darling. :)

Myra said...

Trick or Treat Lane is just the cutest piece! You did a wonderful job with it. I am LOL'ing again at your being smack dab in the middle of zombie fest. (I use smack dab in sentences all the time). I am glad you enjoyed the time with the girlfriend. Congratulations on your wins - lovely goodies for a lovely lady. :o)

Julie said...

An adorable finish, the little ghosties are so cute.
I'm glad we don't have zombiefest here, I would have locked myself in home lol.
Congrats on your recent wins, beautiful goodies.

Annette said...

What a beautifull piece you stitched Carol. great job on the pumpkins... I really looks like they need to hear there the pumpkins.

And how is your 'daughter in law to be'???
You took here on a great trip.


OW NO OW NO OW NO..... As a teeager I loved dawson creek... And Katie Holmes played it it.. later on I saw a movie with Tom Cruise and felt in love... you will not believe me but a one point i hoped that they gt togheter that would be easier for because I was such a fan of both... lol... my dream come true..

All of my colleague hate me when I say I love Tom Cruise... but he is so HOT.... ever seen TOP GUN.... you need to...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......hihihihi

I saw 20 sec od the video to much for me too... lol..they look a full..

If see bring that yummy every time see comes... lol.. you have a problem =)))

You won some awesome give-away;s... I really love what you got from Jane..

Have a great weekend!!

valerie said...

Trick or Treat Lane is darling! I love it! And I much prefer the stitched pumpkins and gourds over the buttons. Great job Carol! So glad you had a fun time playing tourist with the gf. Pittsburgh sounds like a fun town. I could do without the zombies too.

Congrats on your win...so many great things there!

Ellen said...

Beautiful stitching, love your Trick or Treat Lane. Halloween is not widely celebrated in Singapore, so I don't get any treats!!!

Love those cupcakes, yummy...

Hugs,

♥ Nia said...

We are having really bad weather here and it doesn't look like it's going to change for the next few days =/ Oh well.. it's winter.. we have to take it and enjoy some rainbows on the way ;)

So pretty! I love your "Trick or Treat Lane" :) Pretty and cute :)
And it looks perfect! :D

Glad to know you enjoyed the weekend with your DS's girlfriend visit :) ooooohhhh that photo looks delicious!! :p

Great gifts! Congrats! :)
I'm crossing my fingers for some luck on your giveaway!! :D hehehe

Hugs&smiles to you my friend =)

Shelley said...

I love your finish!! It is so adorable.

Love all the pics and zombiefest...who woulda thunk!

The giveaways you won look fantastic. I'm off to join in yours.

Claudine said...

Que toutes ces grilles sont bellesq ! Bisous et bonne journée

Shari said...

wonderful update, as usual....you have such a way with words..
so happy to hear the visit went well....sounds like you had a great time..

Mindi said...

I love your finish! The fabric might have been difficult to work with, but it was well worth the effort, its perfect for the design. It looks like you received some wonderful things.

Catherine said...

Oh Carol! Trick or Treat Lane is positively adorable!! Love it! I'm glad the visit went well, despite the zombies! Those treats look scrumptious!! Congrats on your giveaway wins - lovely goodies - enjoy! Have fun this weekend - safe travels, good friends, good food, lots of laughs and stitching!

Solstitches said...

Oh what a cute finish! I have not seen this design before. Those little ghosties are adorable.
What a lovely giveaway goodies you won. Enjoy!

Margaret

Gabriele said...

Hi Carol, nice stitching. I love it, the little ghosts are really cute.
Hugs from Germany, Gabi

Lois said...

What a cute finish and what a great blog post! I so enjoyed reading all about the zombies, loved the pics and those cupcakes look delicious! Enjoy those lovely giveaway wins and have a wonderful weekend away.

Kajsa said...

I'm happy that you enjoyed the santa! Your Halloween finish is so cute. My girlfriend spent a year in Pittsburgh and always said it was the nicest place she lived in in North America.

Lynn said...

Would you believe it? I have had this design kitted up since it was first released! I don't know why I haven't got started on it since it's always been a favourite of mine. Your stitching is just wonderful!
Fantastic giveaway wins! You are one lucky lady.
I love hearing about your run-in with the zombie walk! There is one in Toronto every year and my youngest son always attends. I don't think he's participated yet but I could be wrong on that. He's the same son I gifted with a zombie portrait.
Pittsburgh looks like a lovely city to visit.

Sally said...

Congratulations on your giveaway wins Carol:)

Love your Halloween finish! Love those little ghosts!

Those cupcakes look yummy!

Carolyn NC said...

Great finish and wonderful pics of your trip around town! Congrats on the giveaway wins, too!

Nancy M said...

Love your Halloween finish. There are just soooo many cute Halloween pieces out there! I know exactly where your took your photo of downtown! Such a lovely city! 4900 Zombies would be a bit much for me too!Have a great stitchy weekend. I heard PA is supposed to be getting the "s" word this weekend!

Vinniey said...

Beautiful scenery picture of your hometown and it sounds like a wonderful place to visit! I have pen down on my "places to visit before I die" list. :) Glad to know that you have a wonderful time with family and your son's girlfriend. So sweet of her for the cute cupcakes treat.

What a cute Halloween design! Very nice colors! That two little ghosts are too cute and I love the scary black cat. Smart changes on the buttons' area and it's turned out great! Beautiful wons you've received! Beautiful pillow finished, gorgeous fabric and threads and I love that cute little wooden red bird! Enjoy your new stash and have a wonderful stitchy time with friends in Erie.

I wish you and your family have a fun Halloween weekend.

Poussy Stitches My Love said...

Beautiful pictures


marylin from France

Veronica said...

I'd not have known you've made that many changes to Trick or Threat Lane had you not mentioned it. It looks perfect.

LOL! Zombie Fest... That must have been quite the entertainment. Hopefully those scrumptious cupcakes made up for the scare you had?

Lovely winnings. Congratulations! That Margaret Sherry kitty is absolutely adorable.

Hugs,
Veronica.

Anonymous said...

Can I ask the details about your November banner at the top? He's really cute. I'd like to add him to my list! Thanks. Sherry

Brigitte said...

Oh Carol, what a lovely finish you show here. Such a sweet little design. Enjoy all ther goodies you've received at the give-aways, they are all great.
And now I have to go and find something to eat. The view of these delicious-looking miniature cupcaked just made me hungry. Well, not really hungry, but I need something sweet now ... lol.

Elizabeth MacGregor-Kirkcaldy said...

Oh, I do so love Trick or Treat Lane, Carol ~ and yours is adorable ~ it's on my list to stitch soon and seeing yours I wish I had gotten to it by this Halloween! Zombiefest sounds like a grand adventure ~ and what yummy looking cupcakes! And Congratulations on your wonderful gifts ~ love the PS Santa and what Beautiful gifties from Jane ~~~ Loved your Halloween header for your blog and I do so love your sweet PS Turkey in your header now ~ I have been intending to stitch this ~ love the colours ~~~ I do so love visiting your blog ~ Blessings always in stitches...

Davant del Riu said...

Haces unos trabajos preciosos. FELICIDADES

Dani - tkdchick said...

What an entertaining post! I love the little black cat, reminds me of Hunter!

How lucky you've been with your wins lately!

Pumpkin said...

Oh, that is one cute finish Carol! I LOVE the little ghosts :o) You did a fantastic job with all the changes you made. I don't think I'd want to stitch the original pattern after seeing yours! LOL!

Zombie Fest? Hmmmmm.... Never heard of such a thing but apparently they are the 'in' thing now ;o) Wow! Maybe the Cruise family are secret Zombies. LOL!

How dare you show a pregnant woman those cupcakes!!!! Shame on you ;o)

Congrats on your wins! I saw that kitty pumpkin on Jane's Blog. He was on my to-do list but might have to wait until next year.

Kay said...

Your finish is beautiful, I love it! Will have to stitch this some day. Thanks for sharing all the fun photos! Congrats on your wins!

Siobhán said...

Here I was thinking that it was odd that you hadn't updated your blog in awhile and then I realize--it's because I am sooo behind in blog reading that I missed it! It was nice to catch up. :) LOVE the finish! It is adorable! I had to laugh about zombie fest--my family would love something like that. ;) I bet it was fun but creepy. Lovely giveaway wins!

Anonymous said...

Hi Carol!
I just love all your Halloween/Fall stitching you have posted recently! I think my favorite is the J for Jack-O-Lantern, though. That turned out too cute! I had to hunt down The Spooks Are Out! because I liked it so much. And, I just purchased Trick Or Treat by PS on eBay. I'm still in the mood for Halloween stitching ;)
I could kick myself for missing your giveaway. I went out of town for awhile. My uncle passed away, so I went home to Southern WV for awhile. Then, all this past week I've been catching up on housework, so not much computer time. Oh, well.
Hope you had a nice weekend,
Donna in WV
catsandbeetles@hughes.net

Meari said...

Your Halloween piece is soooo adorable!! I love the little ghosties. Zombiefest? I'm sure that's quite a site. Congrats on your wins.