Of Paintings, Pumpkins, and Baking Galore...

The past few weeks have been very eventful indeed! Where to begin, where to begin? Oh how excited I am to share these events with you! I believe we shall start with an unexpected gift that I found waiting on our kitchen counter when I arrived home from a volleyball game...a wonderful new TYPEWRITER!

I have been longing for a typewriter for a very long time, and, after thrifting one day with my dad, I discovered an older version of this typewriter, but decided to wait to buy it. Now I'm so glad I did! We need to replace the ribbon in this little beauty, but after that, we'll be able to type in it! How did we score such a wonderful, free gift, you ask?

Well, my mom's friend had it lying around, and she asked my mom, "What am I going to do with this?" My mom, knowing that I had been longing for a typewriter for a very long time, readily volunteered to take it off her hands :)

Which meant...new present for me!

This typewriter inspired me so much. To bake, mostly. I looked spied some chocolate chips just lying in the pantry, and I thought to myself...now, what can I do with those? Cue my mischievous grin! In moments, the computer was up and running and I had printed out a recipe for English Royalty Chocolate Chip scones before you can say "tea party". (If this sounds appealing to you, the recipe can be found here.)

The dough was really dry and crumbly for me...I think the reason it didn't work out too well was because there wasn't enough liquid, or that my butter wasn't cold enough, or I over mixed the butter into my dough. Just a suggestion: add a few extra teaspoons of orange juice if you wish for your scones to be extra moist. 

Messy messy! I get a little carried away when I bake....:)

This is the dough when it was flattened out and ready to be sliced/cut out.

Even though the dough was crumbly, it still tasted great fresh from the oven :)

One inspiration led to another, and, with the help of A Fanciful Twist's urging (teehee) I decided that I needed some golden stars and sparkles in my life, especially to help get into the mood of Halloween and decorate for the upcoming party.

Hey are so sparkly! I coated them in sparkling paint and also glitter. It was a lot of fun and a great way to just relax. I cut the stars out of a cereal box and used glittery gold paint to paint over them. It cost me nothing at all! What a fun, easy, and inexpensive craft! If you don't have golden paint, you can always use glue and glitter, or even gluing on fun paper or tissue paper is a fun idea.

Also, I decided to make another one of Vanessa's crafts, which can be found here...little ghosties!

A teeny ghost family! How cute, and just in time for Halloween! (By the way....I am soooo excited for Halloween! It's going to be an amazing holiday this year!)

And speaking of Halloween...

I am also happy to announce that the artwork I created last weekend is finally hanging up on the walls! Mrs. Cackles down there is veeeeery pleased to finally be hanging up! She flies through the night sky, laughing as she goes, Batty the bat at her side, the full moon, obscured by hazy midnight clouds, hanging overhead. A perfect Halloween night.

I was really surprised that I had the nerve to just go for this, without copying anything, without referring to anything. I just took a deep breath, decided to trust my gut, dipped my brush in the black, irreversible paint, and went for it. It turned out okay, don't you think? :) I also covered it in sparkles to add an extra Halloweeny  effect :)

And speaking of artwork....

You see that teapot painting in the background?

The teapot and the butterfly painting was given to me as an unbirthday gift from my wonderful friend, whose code-name is Aqua. I gave her a book, and she gave me a priceless painting. What a great unbirthday present!!!! 

Not only did she give me this, but also....these!

Aren't they adorable??? I love ittie bittie pumpkins! And, in the card attached to the back of the painting, was pixie dust, which I sprinkled on top of the three little pumpkins.

And, do you remember the packages I told you that I ordered from China a few posts ago? Well, they finally arrived! And in little black bags!

I opened them to reveal....

A beautiful, ornate key, White Rabbit ring, and a golden snitch pocket-watch! 

The ring is featured below, seated on top of a teensy ghost pumpkin :)

 I think Madam Hazel was jealous...she wished she had such beautiful jewelry! (which I found here). 

Isn't it a pretty necklace? And the pumpkin is adorable too! Thanks Aqua!

 

Anyway, getting back to the artwork....

The painting below is one I painted last weekend along with Mrs. Cackles after a spending splurge at Michaels. I hung it on the wall above the one that Aqua gifted me. 

:) ;)

Ah, what is this? A love potion? Just in time for Halloween! But one must be careful around such a dangerous concoction... even if it does come in a pretty bottle :)

Tea and scones, just what I need along with my perfect day! This china will be perfect with the scones I baked :) teehee

Also, I know this is off-topic, but I just had to share some pictures of my fluffy wittle baby with you! Pogo...

He isn't very shy...haha he wanted me to pet him when I was taking these pictures, and he kept squirming.

But I just had to get some snapshots!

Oh look! A confrontation! Pogo vs. Smudge! (Smudgy is the gray kitty peeking through the door :)

 

There's the little pudge now! He's addicted to his kitty treats....he eats too many of those :) But that's okay, because kitties need treats just like humans do. 

 Okay, everyone, I'll check in later to discuss more Halloween amazingness :)

Hugs and hexes :)

xoxoxo Jessica