Happy Halloween. I had this spooky Halloween dessert all planned and spent some of last week and most of Saturday in search of a specific baking pan which I used to see everywhere but didn’t have any reason to purchase. Now, of course, it’s disappeared from shops completely. Oh well, I found tiny kiwis, purple cauliflower and white pumpkins while we were out.

You might already know that I love Clare Crespo and everything she does. So I was super thrilled to see that the no baking required (it’s made of snack cakes and cookies) haunted house in the October 2005 Budget Living magaine was designed by her!

I love this, Lotta Jansdotter is offering mini bolts of her textiles. You could make your own little tote or pillow. via the October 2005 Domino magazine.

Right now I am loving my American Apparel sheer jersey scarf. It’s super long, it doesn’t scratch or tickle, and it provides just enough warmth for these inbetween seasons. I have a light gray one (called silver?) and it’s turned out to be a surprisingly good neutral. I’m going to get more for winter.

Big congratulations to all the people in PDX Super Crafty on the release of their book Super Crafty!

The Urban Craft Uprising is “your one stop Indie Holiday Shopping Experience! Our goal is to gather the most innovative, artistic and crafty vendors from the Pacific Northwest to give our visitors a shopping experience like no other.” It’s Sunday, November 6th from noon to 6 p.m. at Artists’ Gallery of Seattle. And, yay, it’s sponsored by Bust.

how to grow your own pumpkins and more, someday I will grow pumpkins of my very own

I like these felted pumpkins at Knitty, by the very talented Jordana Paige.

I have become obsessed by pumpkin shaped cake pans. I want one, but I know I won’t use it enough to be worth storing. But I want one. Williams-Sonoma has this nicely plump number, the great pumpkin cake pan (view the resulting cake). The Baker’s Catalogue has a cast aluminum pumpkin cake pan one which has a bit more rustic style to it (see the cake). I suspect this is the same one the Martha Stewart site had a few years back. And they mention a kicker for me – “bake a big loaf of bread, perfect for hollowing and filling with dip.” I wonder if I could do pumpkin shaped pumpernickle? There is always the two-bundt-cakes trick, and the Kraft Foods website has this nicely decorated number which is cutely squat and uses a regular bundt pan.

The Baker’s Catalogue also has the Twinkies like snack cake pan, which I note because the current issue of Chow Magazine has a recipes for making your own snack cakes and they use a similar pan which they mention they found at Williams-Sonoma but which I know is not there any longer.

One more baking thing – I recently purchased one of those tapered French rolling pins and Scott noted that the manufacturer, Vic Firth, started out making drumsticks.

I have put up a new thing to make – a pointy little hat using hand painted Inca Cotton yarn called Cotton Candy from Woodstock Wool Company. Oooh, yummy colorful cotton yarn.

Pumpkins are appearing outside of the grocery stores and my mind turns to thoughts of Extreme Pumpkins. Along with the crazy carved pumpkins the site has instructions on carving, cleaning, stenciling, lighting and preserving your pumpkin, as well as a recipe for pumpkin seeds. Also check out the page on candy traps.

I knew some people didn’t use a top sheet if they had a duvet cover, but I didn’t realize it was somewhat of a cultural thing. Me? I’m a sheets and duvet cover person.

I’m having one of my I Wish I Lived In New York moments, Rena Tom has opened up a retail shop in South Park Slope, Brooklyn — Rare Device. Congratulations Rena!

Where to find upholstery leather, from Apartment Therapy.

L.L. Bean Ice Cream Ball, when you just have to have freshly made ice cream while camping. You can do the same thing using two different sized coffee cans, also see how to make ice cream in a bag.