Spooktackular Halloween Cereals

Okay, confession time. 

Before today I had never tasted Franken Berry or Boo Berry cereals! It's crazy, right?

Well, in the midst of my quest to appreciate all the tiny everyday miracles in life, and celebrate everything, a Halloween breakfast party was born.

When we saw Count Chocula, Boo Berry and Franken Berry cereals there amongst all the Halloween goodies at Aldi at a frightfully low price, the little kid in me reached out and grabbed them and slipped them into the cart when the adult me was not looking.

I am so glad my inner child was a little miss grabby hands this time.
Even the boxes make me smile. They are so Boo-tiful.

This is one very easy way to make a new family tradition and give little ones great Halloween memories just by making a VERY easy breakfast party any time in October.

As for me, I am still learning how to use my camera, so I took pictures of all of the spooky breakfast treats in their natural habitat (our kitchen table).

Is this a phone call from a ghost?

The audio of this clip has not been edited or manipulated in any way.

We received this message on our answering machine on a blustery day in October. We have no idea what it is or who it is from, but it is definitely the creepiest message we have ever gotten -- ever.

Though there is likely a perfectly reasonable and logical explanation for this message that does not involve ghosts, goblins, Heffalumps or Woozles, it's October -- let's get our spooky on!

Do you know what (if anything) is being said in this recording?

Happy Halloween!!

A Murder of Crows, Unkindness of Ravens

Nevermore!

One of my favorite natural Autumn occurrences is when flocks of black birds flying south for the winter make a stop at our house. It's always just a little bit scary, but exciting! While they are visiting,  the trees are alive with movement. The chatter of the hundreds of birds is like no other sound I have ever heard - it surrounds you.

They often swoop down in large numbers - in perfect  synchronization and cover the ground as they peck at the grass, covering it like a black carpet - swooping up and down from the trees in unison. 

But the most dramatic moment, by far is when somehow at the exact same moment every single bird decides to fly away.


The loud chattering suddenly goes silent and still and the there is a whooshing sound as they all take flight. Hundreds of them in a perfectly choreographed exit - it's breath taking.

Somehow I always manage to be outside to see this show at least once a year and I feel very fortunate that I get front row seats to this spectacle of Autumn splendor.

This annual event definitely inspired this years Halloween decorating.

Dollar Tree sells little black birds every year for Halloween and this year I finally picked up a few. 

I could not be happier with the results. Every time I walk into the dining room and see them I am reminded of my favorite Autumn experience. 

It's also slightly unnerving every time I rediscover their eerie presence in the house! 

Just a few of them with "creepy cloth" (a loose weave mesh cloth sold at Halloween) and the look is complete. It's a huge impact for very little cost or effort!

The color palette  brought down to just black and burgundy with a few orange pops of color really heightens the drama and amps up the creepy factor.
Fun Facts:
A group of Crows is referred to as a 'Murder' of Crows.
A group of Ravens is referred to as an 'Unkindness' of Ravens

I'm not sure what kind of birds are inhabiting our dining room,  but the names alone make the birds a creepy addition to the Halloween decor and seeing them in the house is delightfully unsettling for this spooky time of year!

Halloween Studio - Sneak peek!

 Some ghoulishly good times coming soon....