Sweet Halloween

This is my idea of a Halloween display.  I love kids; I love candy.  But somewhere after that my interest in Halloween drops like a rock.  In order to be "me" this time of year, I let my world revolve around pretty gourds, yummy pumpkin recipes and leave the spooky stuff to everyone else.

Remember my white pumpkin display on the front table last year? So pretty!

This year I chose a "Galeux d'Eysines."  When I looked it up on a Pumpkin Identification chart, I thought it was fitting that I had inadvertently selected a French heirloom variety, as I have been spending every waking moment writing/editing/adoring my next book, "Paris: Delight in the City of Light."  My mind is all Paris all the time these days and it is spilling into the rest of my life.  Magnifique!

I found the scalloped paper mat at a scrapbook store (!) and it is called "Kitchen Spice Jasmine Die Cut" by Bo Bunny.  Could anything look more perfect under my little mushroom still life?

I found the work of artist Krys Kirkpatrick within the Earth Angels booth at the Country Living magazine's Country Fair last month.  When I saw this soft sculpture mushroom on a Japanese-paper wrapped platform, I was mesmerized.  I truly couldn't stop looking at it.  There is even a multi-layer pale green paper moth resting on the moss at the base.  I brought it home and have been loving it ever since.  This is art.