Pumpkin Carving...the Susan Boyle Effect

Last night we carved pumpkins with some of our friends for a pumpkin contest...well Steve and I carved our pumpkins.  Ross was a little too into eating the cookies, and it got too late.  He'll get to have his own carving session.  That kid has had late nights the last two nights!  I let him sleep in...and now as I write - he's STILL awake even after I put him down for his nap an hour later than normal.  
Soo...I had gotten a warty pumpkin - the proper name being a "knuckle head" pumpkin, and I was at a complete loss as to what to do with it.  Witch of course was the first thing to pop into the head, but I couldn't visualize what I should really do with it. I think I sat there just visiting and avoiding any carving for about 45 minutes due to my lack of creative thinking.  Steve was even nice enough to cut the top out and scoop out all the guts while I was in my stupor.  (Again - Steve the master pumpkin farmer is also a master pumpkin carver.)
I decided to take pictures of people carving their pumpkins to delay my own...

Love the Steve face. :)  Our friend Nate and Amy carving too.  Notice how my warty one is still barren.

Shawn and Bethany mapping out their plan.

Ross wanting more cookies - yes that fuzzy thing is my prego belly in the way.

Anyway - I finally decided to just go with the witch profile.  I tried to utilize the "warts" all around.  When I was done and showed it to Steve.  He just asked me what it was supposed to be - real encouraging right?  Like when you were a kid and showed your teacher your drawing and she would just ask "And what is it?"  I figured I was out of the championship of carving and settled back playing with Ross and waiting for everyone to finish.  

Ross trying to help fix my warty witch.

Can you guess who this is?  Right!!  Harry Pumpkin!  Scar, glasses and all!  Steve did an awesome job...I really love the glasses and scar. :)

A very artistic cat in the moon.

Who would have thought Pac Man and an Owl? LOVE it.

When they got their masterpieces done - they put candles in each of the pumpkins and turned out the lights.  I looked at my pumpkin and viola!!!  It had transformed into a pretty awesome witch silhouette!  The green warty parts even contributed in the dark.  I won't lie - we were all a bit wowed.  I felt like I hadn't failed my pumpkin this Halloween anymore.  

We awaited the judges decision.  It took quite a while.  I think he even had to take a cookie break to decide...that and we were all friends with high hopes who all vowed we would break the friendship if he didn't choose ours.  Just kidding. 

Tell me this witch doesn't look a million times better in the dark!  That's how witches are anyway - right?  Totally did that on purpose. ;) Still loving the lightning scar on Harry Pumpkin.

A close up of the cat in the moon - and a star!

Pac Man is going to eat that owl I think.

Finally the decision was made...I won!!  I was amazed!!  He told me it was the complete "Susan Boyle" effect.  In the light the pumpkin just looked drabby and sort of an okay witch profile...but put it in the spotlight...or put a candle in it - and it was a pretty amazing job!  I would like to attribute it all to dumb luck...I would love to say I was strategic in my carving...but that wouldn't be true.  I guess that pumpkin was just meant for stardom regardless of who was carving it. :)  

I would like to thank Baby Boo #2 for the inspiration for "Susan Boyle".  We're 28 weeks along here by the way. :)  Wahoo for the third trimester!

I won a pound of See's Candies - lets add some more to that baby bump!  And yes - Ross is EXTREMELY exhausted.  This was moments before he stuck his hand in my pumpkin and burned his finger...hopefully he won't have to learn that lesson again.

We of course finished the night off with Ross reaching in and burning his finger on the candle in the pumpkin of course.  You can't leave a party without a crying kid right?  He was fine - no real burns - and we really did have a great time.  Happy Halloween!