20 Costumes That Will Earn You a Halloween Beating. I dunno; I kinda think the “Bacon and Eggs” one is amusing.

Twenty-dollar Pumpkins
Last night I was in Harris Farm picking up some more stuff for the Halloween party when I noticed that they were still flogging their $20 orange pumpkins. I took a quick photo, shrugged, and continued my shopping. Later in the queue, I noticed a guy standing next to me juggling three of them.

Me: Pssst! If you can get over to Paddy’s this week, I found them there for fifteen!
Him: Fifteen! That’s pretty good! Did they have many?
Me: Actually, not really. And they were priced by weight, $4/kilo.
Him: That’s okay. I’ll stick with these.

The poor guy paid SIXTY DOLLARS for three pumpkins! That’s some dedication right there. And judging by the accent he was an Aussie, not some nostalgic Yank. Obviously my campaign to bring this holiday to the Antipodeans is gaining momentum. As he was leaving, we wished each other a “Happy Halloween!”

Here’s a little Halloween teaser for those you coming to the party next weekend…

Some of you will probably guess what’s in the jar. And yes, I did manage to dye my fingertips red while making it.

How to make Star Wars Halloween costumes for dogs. BRILLIANT! The Pomeranian-as-Ewok is my favorite.

Thanks to the amazing Fiona and her mad sewing skillz, my Halloween costume is now completely finished! The Snook’s is finished as well. The invitations have been sent out, and I’m chasing people up for RSVPs. Now we’re just finalizing the menu. OH! AND I GOT A PUMPKIN! A real orange one. I had a brainwave and went to Paddy’s Market this morning to check the veggie stalls. Tucked away in the very last corner, I found a single big round orange pumpkin. The stall holder told me they were $4/kilo, and it worked out to $15.50. DONE! She said they’d had several that morning, but this was the very last one. HOORAY! I’ll be carvin’ a pumpkin this week…

I stopped in at the David Jones Food Hall this morning to see if they had any Halloween supplies. And there they were! Actual orange pumpkins! I knew they had to be available somewhere, but I’ve never seen them for sale before. I enquired at the greengrocer area. “Are the orange pumpkins for sale, or are they just for decoration?” “They’re for sale!” the helpful attendant told me. And the price? Twenty-eight dollars. I nearly choked. That’s seven times what my Mom paid for one in Indiana this past week. *sigh* I guess my Obama-lantern will have to be green instead of orange.

Edited to add: I just saw them at Harris Farm at Broadway for $20. I must be going insane, because I’m actually considering it.

Awesome Halloween ideas from Martha Stewart: Creepy Snakes, Candy Wreath, Rotten Eggs and Centipedes, Devilish Eggs, Squash Leaf Canapes.

Yum. Grown-up Root Beer Float. We might need to try that one for Halloween.