Many years ago, my Father was transferred to California for work. He took with him his wife and three daughters who were 6, 3 & 1. We moved from our home in the Home Counties of England to just south-east of San Francisco. There were many cultural differences between the USA and the UK, not least the celebration of Halloween.

To go to school in one’s Halloween costume was not something that I had ever encountered in England. In fact, costumes were more for school discos or parties rather than school events. I had not even *heard* of trick or treating, let alone experienced it. And as for school Principals who dressed up as Big Bird and then led a school costume parade around the football field, well, let’s just say I was a little surprised.

Fast forward over 20 years, for it is, I realised 21 years since we moved to California {and 20 since the earthquake I was able to write about first hand in a school Geography lesson a decade later back in England} and Halloween is far more widely celebrated in England than ever before. Traditionally, UK autumnal celebrations centre around Bonfire Night/5th November/Guy Fawkes night {which I will tell you all about next week} but in recent years we have celebrated Halloween ourselves as well.

So, on Saturday afternoon I carved our pumpkin (turning the fleshy part into puree which I froze to use as part of the food for our bonfire night party) and hung the decorations I made last year up with some fairy lights in our kitchen window. Turns out paper pumpkins, witches hats and bats illuminated in the window at about 6.30pm declares that you “are open” for trick or treaters. Who knew?!

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Last week, my close friend from college and recently-moved-in neighbor K, threw a pumpkin painting party*. She invited spouses from her husband’s squadron and extended an invitation to some of the wives from my husband’s group. I was thrilled at the prospect of crafting with a group of women and possibly making some new friends.

But I hadn’t painted or carved a pumpkin in years. To be honest, I can’t remember the last time I did either. Which is terrible because I pride myself on being the Martha Stewart of Air Force Spouses. (Haha, just kidding! I will never reach such great heights!)

After some sleuthing, I found some great ideas for decorating pumpkins without carving. 1. Plaid and striped painted pumpkins. 2. Graphic, almost folksy free-handed designs. 3. Patchwork white-on-white. 4. Doily as stencil. My favorite is the white-on-white patchwork. It looks like a Denyse Schmidt quilt, but in pumpkin form! All of these came from the Better Homes and Gardens’ Quick and Easy Painted Pumpkins for Halloween photo gallery.

Photos from Better Homes and Gardens.

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