Like everyone else I've been very busy this year but one of the things I miss the most is the time to decorate for the holidays. Here we are a week before Halloween and the only thing I've managed to drag out of the basement is a fall wreath.

We have 2 pumpkins moldering in the garage and no one has had the inclination to move them on to the porch. It also looks like this year will be the second in a row where we haven't carved those moldering pumpkins. But since I've never been the carver in the family maybe I should stop feeling guilty for that one.

But mostly I think the reason I've failed to put out any Halloween decorations is that my children are now 12, 14 and 22. They no longer look forward to any holiday with the unadulterated joy of childhood. We are all warned that some day this will happen and in the craziness that is raising children we sometimes think this well be a welcome relief.

Well, it's not. Sure, I no longer have the pressure to find the right Halloween costume or run all over town looking for a Darth Vader mask. And I will be sitting home on All Hallows Eve waiting for all the goblins and ghouls to come to my home instead of making the rounds with my own. And reflecting on that makes me a little sad.

But as I sit here writing it occurs to me that we have a whole neighborhood full of little ones who will be coming to our house expecting my fake rats and ravens. So although I won't be decorating for my children this year I plan on pillaging the basement tomorrow morning for those illuminated bats and tombstones. After all, even though my kids won't be thrilled; someone elses' will.

I want to share another great site that I've found this week. Her blog is Karen at Winding Threads and she makes the most adorable bags that you can purchase at her store Kreated By Karen's. I urge you to visit her store and look through all her great bags. I'm sure you'll find something for yourself or a friend.

Kangaroos In October

Hard to believe we're half way through October. Looking at my calendar it can be down right frightening how quickly Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas creep up. My oldest son and his wife visited us for the day. They got married in May and bought a house in August. It seems like just yesterday he went off to college. Now he's married with a mortgage.

They drove up from Purdue University to get the last of our "old" furniture. They think it's like Christmas which just goes to prove that one man's trash is another man's treasure. We drove down there a few weeks ago to see their new home and I was very impressed with what they've done on a limited budget. It seems like everyone is on a limited budget these days which is why I've put new sale books on my site MyIdeaCenter. One of my favorite new books is called Transfers To Paint and has hundreds of great transfers you can paint or embroider on to shirts, vests, pants, totes and anything else you can imagine. For anyone who's making gifts this Christmas I think it's an invaluable resource.

If you're looking for great gift ideas but aren't sure you want to make them you should check out Annette Piper. She lives "Down-Under" and makes distinctive and unique jewelry at a great price. Her blog is always interesting and this week she talks about her family vacation where they'll be going to the beach and kangaroos play in their front yard. If you've never been to Australia and what to get a feel for life on the opposite side of the globe, make sure you read her posts.

I hope you have a safe and fun week.

Nancy