October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and, this year, our pumpkins are all dressed up in dashing tuxedos just in to for Pinktober celebrations. Black and white convey a timeless elegance. A dusting of pink glitter is a sparkly hat-tip to all the breast cancer warriors around the world. My original thought was to bake something (big surprise). But, a trip to the pumpkin patch quickly changed my mind.
Early Sunday morning, we headed toward a small family farm with our neighbour-friends who have a son about Daisy’s age. She insisted on riding in their car so she could spend more time with him. They really are two peas in a pod. We got to the farm in time to beat the heat and the crowds. It was lovely up there. A small, rustic farm with loads of pumpkins in every shape, size and colour, many with beautiful twisty stems. The kids had a blast helping us mommies find the best ones, while the hubbies waited patiently under a big, old olive tree. There were lots of things to do, too. We took a little train ride through the sunflower field to see all the silly scarecrows the family had made. There was a corn maze, a haystack pyramid and a petting zoo. After lunch, we headed home, hoping the kids would crash in the car. Daisy was so excited that by the time we got home, she really had no intention to nap. So, I got the acrylic paint out and we got right to work. Daisy took her time, patiently painting a nice pattern. Hers is the prettiest one and stands out against the rest of the pumpkins. It looks like the Earth as seen from space on a black/white 1960s TV, right?
The original plan was to paint black/white stripes onto the pumpkins, but after my first try, I realized I had neither the steady hand of a surgeon nor the patience to make it work. Acrylic paint is very forgiving. So I painted right over my mistakes. Because I always have sweets on my mind, I decided to see how they would look with contrasting colours dripped over the stems. These pumpkins almost look like cake or ice cream sundaes with the hot fudge dripping along the sides. The sparkly glitter on top adds just a touch of pink whimsy. Black and white look great in any room. Ours have already gotten a tour of most of the house. They sat on the front porch for a while and looked fabulous with our old letterbox, black cafe set against the pink exterior of our house. Our house is pink, but not by choice. That is how it was when we bought it. I do like the colour pink, maybe a little more than Shawn does. But, when we found our house, the colour was not a deciding factor. Originally, most of the interior walls were also pink. Even the old kitchen sink was pink and the walls are still covered in pinky wallpaper. The first thing Shawn did before we moved in was hire someone to help paint the main rooms. When the fellow arrived, he first thing he said was: “Who lived here? Barbie?!”
Let’s get PINK!
Pinktober Tuxedo Pumpkins
What to Get
Pumpkins, gourds and squashes of various shapes/sizes, faux/fresh
Black acrylic paint
White acrylic paint
2 paper or plastic plates
Fine pink glitter
Paintbrushes
Newspaper
A cute li’l partner-in-crime
What to Do
Cover your work surface with several layers of newspaper to protect it against paint drips.
Squeeze some black paint onto one paint, white onto the other.
Paint some pumpkins white, others black.
Allow them to dry completely (30 minutes).
Use an alternating colour to drip over the top of the stem, allowing it to travel down the sides.
Before the drip paint dries, sprinkle some pink glitter on top.
Allow the pumpkins to dry thoroughly (45 minutes) before displaying.
In honor of Pinktober, lots of ideas were dancing around in my head. Painting these beautiful tuxedo pumpkins with my little sweetheart was a very messy, but wonderful way to end a beautiful Autumn day. They turned out so nicely that we also painted all the little fake gourds and squashes we had around the house. While pink is not my favourite colour (I love red), it has taken on very special meaning for me in recent years. I am grateful for the support of my loving family and friends. I am also fortunate to have received excellent medical care. Life has its ups and downs. As we get older, there will be more and more pebbles in our path. Pinktober is a reminder to celebrate every day, because life is the worth the fight. For more kid-friendly fun ideas, check out Bedazzling Pumpkins and Piggy Celebration Cake…
These are so adorable! I love it!
How can you make such beautiful creations? How? 🙂
We're recording an episode of The Table Set tomorrow and the theme is pumpkin. You've given food for fodder. GREG
These are adorable Coco, so creative!
These are so cute, but I think Daisy rode with her friend so that you and Shawn could have a date! 🙂
Our house was all pink inside, too! The dining area was raspberry, the kitchen a lavender-pink and the wall-to-wall carpeting was bubblegum pink! Needless to say that is no longer true! (Although I do make the entire staff of the Honors College wear pink on Wednesdays, just like in Mean Girls!!)
You are so creative and clever. This reminds me of projects I used to do with my kids when they were young. Thanks for the memories. p.s. My new granddaughter is named Coco.
What a creative project, this is halloween with a makeover 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Very creative pumpkins. Adorable.
These are super cute! Love them.
Hi! Stopping by from Mom Bloggers Club. Great blog!
Have a nice day!