happy halloween!

Happy Halloween!  I tried to get this posted earlier today but we were scrambling to finish Mr. Bagubian's garbage truck costume--it turned out awesome!!  (I posted a photo on Instagram--@thurston_post) We're on the cusp of midnight here and by the time most of you read this, Halloween will be over, but here are my little treat bags anyhow...

I made these goodie bags using the Gossamer Blue Themed Add-On, which featured some really cute embellishments from My Mind's Eye's Frightful collection.  I added a few things from Gramercy Road, also, like enamel dots and the chartreuse paper and stickers.

I got crazy and spritzed some black color mist onto the kraft bags!  It didn't exactly turn out the way I intended--which is why I don't usually do a lot of color misting--but I suppose it looks all right.  I guess if I did it more often, I'd probably be much better at it by now.

This masked guy here is my favorite!  I just punched 2 medallions out of paper and adhered them behind the eyes of the mask.  Then I added the glitter mustache.  Pretty villainous, no?

I filled these with some yummy treats and mailed them to some of my favorite kids on the East Coast whom I don't get to see nearly enough.

Well, I'd really like to hit "publish" before it's no longer October 31st so I'll wrap this up.

As a personal side note...my mother passed away a year ago on November 1st.  Tomorrow is the anniversary and it seems unbelievable that it has already been a year.  Halloween will always be bittersweet for us.  I remember how much fun we had last year--having no idea what the next day would bring.  I will have a post about it this weekend--I promise not to be depressing but it's something I must do.

She passed away unexpectedly on November 1st.  On November 2nd the mail came.  Before I saw it, I had the sad realization that there would be no more mail from my mom.  I love getting mail from her--notes, handmade cards, little surprises--and I almost dreaded going through it that day.  And then I saw her unmistakable hand-writing.  There were 2 envelopes in the mail for the kids from her.  It was eerie almost, and seeing them brought on instant tears.  She had mailed Halloween cards for the kids on October 30th and they arrived the day after she died.  She made them, with my dad's help.  She had pretty bad arthritis in her hands and he said that she needed his help punching out the scallop circles.  But she still managed to make 5 cards for each one of her grandchildren because that's the kind of grandma she was.  She has been missed.

I just wanted to share a small piece of her with you...Hope you had a happy Halloween!