October 26, 2009

Halloween Treat ~ a giftie for you!

Me & my papyrus card2

That’s right, last week I promised a Halloween treat. 

I have recently been talking to the fishies, a term of endearment for e-course students, about going into this world, especially this online world, thinking about how you can give to others. You know sometimes when you have a business and a blog related to such business, it can be a little bit heavy on the about me, me and ME {exhibit A:  photo above ;)} and then what can you do for me, me and ME ~ and while I know a blog is also meant to be about you and your creative expression, it’s also nice to thank your readers for taking the time to come by and visit. {exhibit B: photo below}

Any time I try to thank you, all the things I want to say just become an overwhelming lump of emotion and it comes out sounding like blog sap. Is there such a thing, "blog sap" = when one tries to convey emotion on a blog and it reads as helplessly sappy. Anyway. It’s late. I have a number of {exciting} projects that have all come due at the same time, but I didn’t want to let this week slip by without

saying thank YOU and happy halloween!

For you, one of my Papyrus Halloween Cards! Just say hello in the comments below if you’d like to enter the giveaway. If you feel inspired, tell me one of your favorite halloween traditions. I’ll get the ball rolling by telling you how much I love pumpkin carving with Sean accompanied by the playing of Halloween music, {haunted house ride @Disneyland meets every classic scary movie}, and THEN pumpkin seed roasting. My favorite, favorite, did I say favorite? snack during Halloween time. It only comes once a year.

Papyrus card 2

I’ll announce a winner Wednesday morning at 9 am PST. 

Yay! Shari Sherman is the winner of the card. Thanks everyone for sharing your Halloween traditions. I’m officially in the halloween spirit now ~

10:53 PM in holiday | Permalink | Comments (39)

Comments (39)

I love inviting family and friends over for homemade tortilla soup and caramel apples. Then we cruise our neighborhood with our token child (my little nephew) for some trick or treating fun.

Posted by: Karin Grow | 10/26/2009 11:13:15 PM

Hello. I'm announcing my very own etsy shop soon. You've been a huge help in inspiring me!
I am in Germany right now. Halloween isn't so much, so what I would crave if I were back in the US? candy corn. That's all.

Thanks.
Katie

Posted by: Katie @ Making This Home | 10/26/2009 11:22:12 PM

congrats! must feel great to see your work there! I definitely love pumpkin carving and painting...just decorating and creating something spooky and cool with the pumpkin is uber fun!

Posted by: linda | 10/27/2009 12:37:21 AM

How can I resist? The card is precious and I know my niece would just love one to get one! My favorite thing is dressing up and seeing everyone in their wonderful costumes. Halloween and Thanksgiving are the holidays I miss most living abroad. It's so nice to have a celebration to brighten the fall, and I love that neither of them involve gifts.

Posted by: Michele | 10/27/2009 02:39:00 AM

Your card is so cute! Halloween is celebrated in a huge way here in Park Slope, Brooklyn. We feed the kids pizza around 3pm, then head out trick or treating with masses of friends, then around 6pm we head down to the Halloween parade which we march in some years...and usually finish off the evening at a friend's house. Such fun! The excitement is building this week.

Posted by: Faith | 10/27/2009 04:14:34 AM

Hello! I love roasting pumpkin seeds also. Have you tried them with cinnamon and sugar? It takes a little experimenting to get them right, but so worth it! Happy Halloween!

Posted by: Shari Sherman | 10/27/2009 04:20:37 AM

Hi Marisa,
Sadly my neighborhood is very quiet on Halloween. However, my previous neighborhood organized a wonderful walk with all the parents and their children. The street was closed off and each child had their treat bags and the parents had their champagne glasses. Each home had both treats and a splash of champagne to give out. We still have the bottle of champagne every Halloween, but no tricksters.

Posted by: Lois0607 | 10/27/2009 04:59:37 AM

I love the Halloween card! Halloween is one of our favorite times too. Kessler checks out Halloween books from the library all year long in anticipation! This year we went on a haunted train ride; it was scary and fun! We even grew our own pumpkins out back and made jack-o-lanterns out of them! We didn't eat the pumpkin seeds though, I forgot about that! Happy Halloween to you and yours.

Posted by: Miachel | 10/27/2009 05:06:05 AM

Beautiful cards!
And thank-you.
I'll admit that I'm not much of a Halloween person, but I get excited when the kids start showing up for trick or treating. I get such a kick out of them. And once I finish the unicorn and leprechaun costumes for my kids things will be better.

Posted by: Cheryl Arkison | 10/27/2009 05:15:25 AM

I love helping coordinate a large group of Star Wars fans in costume for our annual Woburn, MA Halloween parade (sponsored by the local Lions Club chapter, to raise funds for their programs to assist the visually impaired). This year we had 60 people in costume, 2 floats with some amazing props (costumes and props all handmade), and were able to bring many smiles to the crowd of around 80,000! We have done this event for almost 10 years now, and it is the main way I celebrate Halloween with family and friends <a href="http://501neg.com/">http://501neg.com/</a> .

Posted by: Jodi Anderson | 10/27/2009 05:30:30 AM

Congratulations on your debut with Papyrus!!! Halloween is not really a big deal for me any more as my son is 17 and we live in an area where no one comes trick or treating-no young children in the area. There is one thing I must absolutely do each year though. I must watch the Great Pumpkin on tv. Linus in the pumpkin patch at the end is my favorite part.

Posted by: Rita Vindedzis | 10/27/2009 06:09:48 AM

Yipeee and hooray!! Those cards are soooo pulling my heart strings. lol Let's see, the only chance i get to celebrate Halloween was when i went to school in states. One of my back then halloween rituals would be pumpkin carving and buying lots and lots of cute halloween candies and wait for those cute little ones to knock on my apt door. :)

Thank you so much for this lovely giveaway and thank you so much for bring so much inspiration to my life. Lots of love to you!

Posted by: Jacqueline | 10/27/2009 06:31:28 AM

a halloween tradition for me has been watching a play or dance production. i will begin this tradition to with my son as well.

Posted by: ludid | 10/27/2009 06:40:32 AM

Happy halloween and congrats on SUCH an adorable card!!! My favorite new tradition is glitter pumpkins! Lots of love!

Posted by: Molly Kate | 10/27/2009 07:33:15 AM

Now that I'm at the age I'd look silly going door-to-door for candy, I enjoy making a nice dinner at home with the hubby...in between feeding the trick-or-treaters.

Posted by: C.E.R. | 10/27/2009 08:00:53 AM

I love blog sap! And you can enjoy THAT all year round. ;)

Posted by: Swirly | 10/27/2009 08:10:49 AM

Nice cards and thank you~ We usually decorate all spooky, play spooky music and pass out candy. Our daughter loves to do this prior to trick or treating. Then we put the rest of the candy out on the porch for the kids to take while we are making the rounds.When we return from trick or treating we pass out the rest to the late crowd. Our favorite treat is caramel apples!

Posted by: Theresa | 10/27/2009 09:03:35 AM

Blog sap is a good thing, sometimes. :) This Halloween we're breaking with tradition and staying to to watch Scooby Doo and The Munsters marathons and make pumpkin soup and pumpkin cheesecake.

Posted by: Phoe | 10/27/2009 09:43:59 AM

I used to make treats to give out, like homemade rocky road, caramel, etc. Nowadays nobody would eat homemade treats picked up while trick-or-treating. But it's still fun to see everyone's costumes and this year will be the first year my own kids are old enough to go! We're very excited!

Posted by: elizabeth | 10/27/2009 10:30:06 AM

This is my 1st Halloween as a mom. We took our liitle guy to a pumpkin patch this weekend and I can tell its going to become a favorite yearly tradition!

Posted by: Lucy | 10/27/2009 11:45:46 AM

your cards are so cute!
i would love to have one to frame and display on my fireplace mantle.
congratulations and have a great halloween!

Posted by: Heather | 10/27/2009 11:50:27 AM

Congrats on making it in Papyrus! What an adorable costume lineup. When I lived in California, there would be several Halloween parties I'd be invited to, plus the big West Hollywood parade I'd leave work early to attend, but I did always like the simple pleasures of staying home and seeing who would ring our doorbell. Since Halloween is quiet these days, I would try to give out more candies so I don't end up eating them. It's so cute when the kids' eyes light up when I give them 2 or 3 mini chocolate bars instead of just 1.

Posted by: Dihtri | 10/27/2009 12:21:46 PM

I love making cards, but also making my own costumes.This year I will be a chocolate donut made out of cardboard with chocolate bars taped on it.Happy Halloween!

Posted by: Pippin Schupbach | 10/27/2009 12:24:04 PM

The favorite part of Halloween is harvesting our own homegrown pumpkins from the compost heap - always different sizes - always enough for me and the boys to carve. Then letting our imaginations fly and creating horrible/gorgeous/scary/beautiful patterns to light the dark! Can't wait for saturday :)

Posted by: Mousy Brown | 10/27/2009 02:07:21 PM

hi Marisa!!

our favorite halloween tradition is definitely carving pumpkins then setting them outside with lighted candles..and of course roasting the pumpkin seeds!

Posted by: kathryn | 10/27/2009 02:35:27 PM

This is so sweet Marisa! Love pumpkin seeds as well.

Posted by: Dana Barbieri | 10/27/2009 06:40:20 PM

congrats!!!!!

Posted by: Audrey Hamrah | 10/27/2009 06:43:17 PM

Lighted pumpkins :) and halloween snacks! Congrats on your card!

Posted by: Spadazzle | 10/27/2009 07:06:11 PM

Blog sap is fabulous. I have been looking for this card. I have not found it but have not given up yet. Cheers to you.

Our favorite tradition is going to a local apple farm and getting cider and donuts then going to the pumpkin farm around the corner and picking our pumpkins and some fall veggies.

Posted by: Sunshine and happiness | 10/27/2009 07:13:56 PM

my favorite tradition is sipping hot apple cider with my son as we watch "Hocus Pocus". It's something we do every year, several nights. it's a beautiful time, one that i know i'll cherish when he's left the nest ;o)

love + luck + bliss,
missysue xox

Posted by: MissySue | 10/27/2009 07:20:39 PM

I love dressing up even as a big kid, my kids think I am crazy :) What a lovely giveaway.

Posted by: jackie | 10/27/2009 07:42:49 PM

Ohhh what a happy photo ~ That must feel awesome! I love the card!
I dont have any halloween traditions, although I love the holiday. But pumpkin seed roasting- I do love that so I will count it as my tradition. I learned it from my grandmother who is in her 90's now and I dont think she eats them anymore. Going to call her and find out! :)

Posted by: Annie | 10/27/2009 08:20:39 PM

As a Pagan, I celebrate Samhain (pronounced "Sawain".) So this Saturday we're inviting over a few friends for a a Samhain feast. We'll be using seasonal ingredients - chestnut soup, then a butternut squash and kabocha squash tagine, and my friend will cook dessert (yum!) Samhain is the time when the veil between the worlds is thinnest, so it's an ideal time to remember and celebrate the dead. I'll be lighting loads of candles, eating well, celebrating good friends, my life, and the lives of all those gone before me. Lovely!

Posted by: Kate | 10/28/2009 04:06:15 AM

That card is simply adorable Marisa! I love Halloween and we do our best to go "all out" and make our house really exciting for the kids...spooky music and decorations on the porch....and, of course, BIG chocolate bars! I also have a tradition of taking a photo of the kids each year all dressed up and add that single image to an album. With each turn of the page, I can literally see them grow up! It's a treasure!

Posted by: donna k | 10/28/2009 04:40:03 AM

mmm pumpkin seeds.

HELLO!

Posted by: Sarah | 10/28/2009 07:15:17 AM

Hi Marisa - You must be over the moon seeing your cards in a store - congratulations! Other than carving pumpkins and handing out candy, we don't really do much anymore. When I was little my grandmother went all out every year. Decorating the inside of her foyer - making it completely dark with black plastic bags cut up and hung like wallpaper, cobwebs & other decorations, creepy music, black lights, dressing up in a scary monster costume. You had to come all way to the door and reach into the candy bowl (if you dared) to get the candy. One year she even rigged a ghost to come swooping down from the 2nd floor window when trick or treaters were on their way up to the door. Needless to say, she usually ended up with more candy in her front lawn from kids getting scared and their bags flying into the air from fright than she managed to hand out, lol. Happy Halloween! Lori

Posted by: Lori | 10/28/2009 10:15:50 AM

Thank you Marisa! I am so stoked to win the giftie card! I'm going to frame it and it'll be part of our Halloween decor for many years to come. Mahalo, girl. You rock!

Posted by: Shari Sherman | 10/29/2009 06:14:26 AM

Ohhh! I get so jealous when I visit American Blogettes. You all get so into the spirit of Halloween. I'm not sure why it's not such a big deal here in the UK. But it looks such fun over there- costumes and carved pumpkins galore. I have to spend a Halloween in the US (and a xmas in NYC!)The cards are cute- we don't do the card thing either lol

Posted by: Nats@Hina's Apprentice | 10/29/2009 07:33:10 AM

My favorite part of Halloween is watching my children waddle around in their costumes. They look so darned endearing all dressed up. Oh, and I kind of like stealing a bit of their Halloween candy after bedtime, too. (SO BAD)!

Posted by: cathy | 10/31/2009 09:31:30 AM