Pumpkin Carving for Beginners

And by beginners I mean this 26 year-old with a fear of knives. 

First, I learned from a seasoned vet that you're supposed to cut the top off by inserting the knife an an angle, not straight down into the pumpkin.  This will prevent the top from falling down into the pumpkin when you're done. 

Second, scoop out the seeds and pulp, also known as "pumpkin guts."  This part is easy, if messy.  No knives required. 



Third, come up with a design.  You can trace it onto the pumpkin with a washable marker if that helps.  Avoid lots of curved lines.  I quickly adapted my design from "moon and stars" to "just stars."  Stars are a super easy shape to do and give you an unconventional, but elegant design.



Fourth, add your candle (or flickering battery powered candle substitute) and display!

An Ode to Boston as the Red Sox Travel Home for Game 6

When I started this blog over two years ago I was just leaving New York and embarking on a new chapter in Boston.  I was overwhelmingly negative about my new city.  In fact, "Where are the bagels?" was really a catch-all phrase that meant, "Why aren't things here like they were in New York?"  I even had a post dedicated to comparing the two cities.  Spoiler alert: New York came out on top.

And while I'll never get over delivery fees and an arterial subway system, a little space in my heart has opened up for Boston.  And I can't deny how that little space grew after April 15, 2013. 

In New York I got off the subway right in the shadow of the new Freedom Tower.  I watched the shiny glass move farther up the building every week.  Even though I didn't live in New York in 2011 (I was 14), the history of 9/11 loomed above me - both figuratively and literally.  For millennials like me, it shaped the way we view the world.  When I moved to New York, the original impression the event had made became even more indelible.

The fear of terrorism, like subway rats, was something I thought I was leaving behind when I said goodbye to New York.  Now both the offices where I've worked are around the corner from sites of terrorism.  It was in fact, the great familiarity of the location that shocked me the most when viewing video of the marathon bombings on television.

Local businesses, closed in the aftermath of the bombings, shared their support

Burger King offered free coffee when it reopened its doors to the Copley Square community

Tragedy, and shared experience, have a way of bringing folks together (and sometimes, I know, tearing us apart).

The ubiquitous "Boston Strong" alternated with route information on city buses

It took me a while to process my new feelings after the event.  The word "bomb" itself felt so big and round as to be impossible to wrap my mouth or mind around.  The T passed through the Copley station like a moment of silence.  I finally walked down Boylston with an awkward balance of trepidation, respect, and normality.  But it was while riding the 1 bus from Harvard to the South End one night several weeks later that I looked out and realized, I love this city.  It doesn't diminish my love for New York, my first love, but I did and I do.

Sidewalks in Boston Common were covered with chalk messages

Now it's October and the Red Sox are in the World Series.  I've never cared so much about baseball in my life.  It feels fitting; like the city needs this.

Boston's famous Make Way for Ducklings donned uniforms and this season's signature beard

As a New England native, I've always been a Boston sports fan, not a New York one, but this year in particular I just want the Red Sox to win, so badly.  There's something about their persistent underdog status (yea, yea I've heard all about their payroll - I will not be convinced), about Boston's down to earth, hardworking, revolutionary heritage that has had me up late for the last two weeks watching a sport that, quite frankly, I find boring.  But when they make the movie, I'll watch it.  From my couch in Manhattan. 

Last Minute DIY Halloween Costumes

So it's Saturday and you have a Halloween party to go to tonight.  Or maybe you still have five days until you have to don a costume for actual Halloween.  What can you pull together in that amount of time and limited craft skills?  Plenty!

I'll leave out witch and pirate and other things that you can get ready made pieces for at a Halloween store.  A hat can be a whole costume if you're in a pinch, but let's assume you want to get at least a little bit more creative with it.  Oh and before you laugh too hard at my suggestions, I've been many of these things before. 

Autumn Tree
 
 
You can find leaf garlands at pretty much any craft store.  Wear a brown dress and tights or some brown pants and a brown or green shirt, wrap some of these around your torso, tuck a few extra leaves into your hair and you're golden!

Companion costume idea: flannel + beanie hat = lumberjack

Poison Ivy
 
And where there are fake leaves, you can usually find fake ivy too.  Pretty much the same deal as above, with bonus points for green eye shadow or makeup. 

Companion costume idea: bowler hat + paper question marks taped to a jacket = Riddler

Greek Goddess

 
The early appearance of Christmas decorations is your friend here.  Find a gold garland and turn it into a crown. Pin some bunches of fake grapes to a drapey dress and you'll be worship ready. 

Companion costume idea: sheet + same gold garland = Greek God

Princess Lolly


This one is probably the most involved.  The crown is made of lollipops hot glued to a plastic tiara.  The lollipop itself is a dowel stuck into an circular foam piece that is then wrapped in colorful cellophane.

Companion costume idea: Red plastic table cloth + Twizzlers = Lord Licorice (pictured center)

An Autumn Walk in Cambridge

The mornings are getting chillier and the days are getting shorter.  I think how you feel about fall says a lot about you.  Do you see it only as a sign of impending winter, or do you enjoy it for its colorful foliage and pumpkin spiced everything? 

I'm not always great at living in the moment, but the other day on my walk home from work I couldn't help but simply marvel at what a beautiful fall evening it was.  I stopped and took in the fading light, the golden topped trees, and a full rainbow. 

I hope you have a moment to enjoy fall, and that it's that much sweeter knowing there's nothing we can do to stop winter from coming. 

Floral and Leaves for All Hallow's Eve

Halloween is right around the corner! It doesn't have to all be dark and creepy - there's a beauty to crunchy leaves under your feet, pumpkins on front porches, or a bowl of apples on your kitchen table. Just remember, soon it will be winter and we'll look back fondly on these days - short on light, but long on color.

untitled 1 board by Sara. See more Minted photo holiday cards