I don't know when I fell in love with the idea of Halloween decorating but I really do love it. It ranks right up there with Christmas decorations...maybe even a teensy bit higher.
Maybe it's because it feels edgy which isn't a word that people normally associate with me and I do so love to shock people every once in a while.
I've had the same set of decorations for a few years now and I was itching to get a few new ones but tombstones are expensive...until I discovered the dollar store in town! 4 new tombstones and 2 new signs joined my regular roundup of scary, creepy things. We even pulled out the fog machines which seemed to be a big hit with the kids and their parents.
Now if only we'd gotten more than 15 trick or treaters. Oh well, there's always next year!
I really love this time of year, especially when it's time for the annual birthday parade in Carmel which is held on the Saturday closest to Halloween. This year it actually was on the big day itself. Carmel incorporated on October 31, 1916 which made this the 99th birthday.
My favorite part of the parade is that anybody can join in so every year we drag bring our dog to walk alongside us. Jasper got off easy every year, all he had to do was walk but each little dog has had to wear a costume. (insert evil laugh here)
This was Charlie's parade debut so she had to have a special outfit. Luckily a wonderful friend is an amazing sewer and she offered to make something for my princess. It was so much fun picking out the pattern (Steampunk Princess) and all the material when my friend visited (from Maryland) in early October.
My sewing skills are pretty non-existent (although I really would like to learn) so I am so grateful for her offer.
We joined the big group of walkers - adults, children, and dogs - and walked past the cheering, laughing crowds. I saw several people point their cameras right at Charlie and heard a lot of "how adorable" comments from the onlookers. Charlie seemed to love all the attention and walked right along with enthusiasm.
Her hat was a little less enthusiastic; it kept slipping under her chin. We'll have to fix that for next year.
After the parade we stopped at Nielsen's for lunch. This grocery store has been in Carmel since the '30s and they are the best lunch value in Carmel. If you're ever in town, try their 3.99 burger. You won't be sorry.
While we were at lunch, a couple of people asked if they could take Charlie's picture. She and I loved all the attention.
I can't wait to do it again next year!
