Search for the Great Pumpkin

Late. It's my claim to fame since taking on Museville. So, 4 days before Halloween, I take on the task of digging through the shed - the shed that is the temporary dumping ground for things that have no permanent place yet - to find all of my Halloween goodies.
Meet Edgar.



Isn't he fabulous? He smells like candy, too. I bought him online year before last, and I kept him up through Christmas because I loved him so much -- everyone though I was nuts, but I just couldn't put him away nor stop smelling him. The woman who made him doused him in a spray of candy scented fragrance, and I cannot tell you how unbelievably good he smelled - like a childhood candy shop!

Well, he put me in the Halloween mood - so I grabbed the dogs and royal sonshine and we headed out to Valley Center. Destination - Bates Nut Farm.




I always forget just how beautiful it is out in Valley Center. It's amazing - you can drive 30 minutes in any direction from where I live (well, not west, because after a few blocks from Museville you'll end up in the Pacific Ocean) and be in a completely other world.



Bates Nut Farm used to be a walnut farm long ago, but now it's a really cute farm with a general store full of old fashioned goodness. It's a seasonal must visit - with the pumpkin patches, the Christmas tree acreage where you can cut down your own tree, hay rides, petting zoo, hay mazes - the works. We've been coming here for trees, garland, pumpkins and goodies since royal sonshine was a toddler. It's a great time for the little ones.



They cut the pumpkins from the vines for easy transport - all you have to do is pick out your favorite...



Or favorites! They have squash, and corn stalks - everything you would think a farm would have. I'm so glad I made the trek. I needed to get away and just settle into the simple things - a gorgeous day, a gorgeous drive - and the biggest decision was what pumpkin to pick up. A nice change for the chaos.
Very nice.



Now I just have to decide what exactly I'm going to do with these 12 pumpkins. Yes, I said 12. Big, small, orange, white and some in between.

SO what did you do (or if you are a procrastinator like me this year, "going to do") with your pumpkins this year?



Here are a few inspirations I ran across... I absolutely love this:



...and this



This is right up my alley - simple and beautiful. I have these urns, too ... somewhere.



Mums look awfully good in a pumpkin - maybe I'll have time to do this quick and pretty planter...



How cute is Max?



Do you have big plans?



Show and tell.
xo Isa