Halloween ideas: Minion painted pumpkins inspired by 'Despicable Me'

Courtesy David Williams/WilliamsNursery.com

Painted pumpkins become Minions for Halloween with Mason jar lids for their large round eyes in a fun project from Williams Nursery in Westfiled. 

Cute pumpkin ideas are always in order for those whose trick-or-treat displays are geared toward younger Halloween visitors.  Best of all, these don't require carving or templates.

To make them, the pumpkins get a yellow coat of glossy spray paint. The details can be brushed on with high gloss paint in blue and black, or use tape and paper to cover the areas that will stay yellow and then use spray paint for the detailing, too.

The large, round eyes of Mason jar lids are really what make the minions, and the WilliamsNursery.com project guide uses roofing nails to attach them. Simply hammer a pilot hole into the center of the flat removable part of the lid. Push the assembly into the  pumpkin with the labeling of the Mason jar lids turned to the inside.

Jab a few black pipe cleaners into the pumpkin top near the stem and the minion pumpkin is ready for outdoor display on the porch or inside on a table or stand. 

See instruction shots by David Williams, along with his gorgeous flower photography on the regularly updated nursery blog. Minion pumpkins in various sizes are also on sale for $10 to $25 each at Williams Nursery, 524 Springfield Ave., Westfield. Starter kits with the Mason jar lid eyes and pipe cleaners also are available.

On Monday, the nursery is offering hayrides, pony rides and more fun. The rides and activities also are scheduled for weekends through Oct. 26. There's a costume contest on Oct. 25. For more information, call (908) 232-4076.

Hungry kids to clean up grounds at Reeves-Reed Arboretum

Goats will be arriving at Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit later this month to eat away unwanted vegetation.It's time to get the landscape ready for winter, and if you're feeling exhausted at the mere thought of pulling weeds and removing spent plants from your garden beds, you might wish for a back-saving alternative.

Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit is bringing in hungry kids to do the dirty work.

Don't go calling the authorities about child labor violations, these youngsters are the four-legged type. 

For about two weeks starting on Oct. 20, a herd of goats will descend on the arboretum's historic Daffodil Bowl to eat through vegetation in steep terrain, munching away a year’s worth of wildflower growth, invasive vines and weeds.

The grazing goats are are expected to be an added draw along with the spooky trail walk, pumpkin carving, costume parade and crafts fair at the arboretum's upcoming Celebrate Fall Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 26. While enjoying the non-stop buffet, the goats will be demonstrating an environmentally friendly approach to vegetation control. Goats have chewed down unwanted vegetation on hillsides and rocky slopes in California and Washington, and munched away invasive along highways in Maryland. In addition to cutting down on human toil, the use of grazing goats is an alternative to herbicides.  The arboretum has hired Green Goats, a Rhinebeck, NY company that oversees working goats in "clearing hard to manage areas that might otherwise be hazardous to human volunteers."

To clear the Daffodill Bowl, arboretum staff and volunteers have sometimes needed to work through the fall and "after the winter snows have melted," according to a written statement about the goat program. While the herd headed to Summit will take on the weeding and clearing, volunteers will still be needed to restore the area and plant bulbs for the anticipated Daffodil Day in spring.

Arboretum visitors can help support the new “green goat initiative” by sponsoring a goat. Click on the “green goats” link at Reeves-Reed.org, and send a “kid” to the arboretum with a tax-deductible $25 donation.

The arboretum's environmental education department can provide personalized group programs that will speak to issues of sustainable land management for home gardens, farms and public green spaces. School groups, scouts, gardeners and members of the general public are invited. For more information, visit Reeves-ReedArboretum.org or call (908) 273-8787, ext. 1010.

Reeves-Reed Arboretum is at 165 Hobart Ave. in Summit.  The grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk. Admission is free.

Fall decorations: Scarecrows always draw crowds to Cranford

Selfiecrow was among the favorites at last year's Scarecrow Stroll in CranfordCranford is gearing up for its 7th annual Scarecrow Stroll.

From Oct. 23 through 31, residents and visitors will see fun and creative scarecrows decorating street lamps and many other areas downtown.  Families, school groups and business owners will all be competing this year to have their scarecrow voted a favorite.

There will be several special activities at this year’s event, according to organizers at the Cranford Downtown Business & Economic Development Office. Mommies 24/7, a women's group with members from Cranford, Westfield and other nearby towns, will run a Scarecrow Scavenger Hunt.  Trick or Treat Day downtown will be held Friday, Oct. 31.

Visitors can expect to find wild and crazy creations on every street and in store windows, according to  organizers. First, second and third place prizes will be awarded in the following categories: 12 and under, 13 and over, and business owner.

“We look forward to seeing what people come up with, and every year we are impressed,” Downtown Director Kathleen Miller Prunty said in a written statement about the event. “Of course, the best part is seeing people walking throughout the downtown enjoying the scarecrows and voting for their favorites. Every year, we count thousands of votes.”

Need ideas for your own fall decorating at home? See some of the Cranford scarecrows from previous years on the Scarecrow Stroll Facebook page.  

 Cranford residents and business owners can register by Oct. 4 and get entry guidelines at Cranford.com.

 

Punkin' Treat Pouch template from "Felt-o-Ween"

HOW TO USE THE PUMPKIN TEMPLATE

Punkin' Pumpkin Treat Pouches from the Halloween crafts book "Felt-o-Ween"

1. Make a digital copy of the template below (Right click on the image and select "Save Image As..." from the pull-down menu).

2. Using saved file, make a paper copy of the template at your desired size. You can print it at 100 percent, or enlarge as desired for larger pouches.

3. Cut out pumpkins, decorate and stitch according to project instructions.

'Real Housewives of New Jersey' star Teresa Giudice promotes Fabellini, meets fans in Westfield at Gallery U Boutique

Teresa Giudice with Gallery U Boutique owner Lisa Lasso and Robert Grecco, direcor of programming for Universal Institute (Photos by Kimberly L. Jackson)“Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Teresa Giudice was in Westfield yesterday evening, chatting and posing for photos with about 100 fans who lined up at Gallery U Boutique awaiting the appearance of the table-turning TV mom from Montville.

Giudace stepped out of a White Mercedes SUV a little more than 30 minutes after the event's scheduled 6 p.m. start. And in an ultimate feat of womanliness, Giudace stood for about an hour and a half in platform stilleto sandals that were high enough to give her a bit of trouble crossing the street to the boutique from a nearby parking area. 

Wearing a breezy ruffled jumpsuit in a subtle gray and black snakeskin print, a trim Giudice sat only to sign the occasional autograph, including one in a copy of one of her four cookbooks. But Giudice was on her feet to sign bottles of her Fabellini prosecco, among the imported foods, desserts and hair products under her imprint.

The Fabellini infused peach and raspberry flavors flowed into polycarbonate champagne flutes through the night, and Giudice, who was promoting the sparkling wine, held a bottle most of the evening, managing to get it into every photo.

What wasn't as obvious to guests is that Giudice's appearance helped celebrate the one-year anniversary of a boutique that helps raise funding to provide support, therapy and jobs for people with traumatic brain injuries.

Gallery U Boutique is a fully functioning art gallery and studio space, offering the work of artists from New Jersey and around the country. Some of the pieces – assemblage sculptures, photographs, paintings and more – are the work of those receiving art therapy through the gallery's endeavors. Gallery U Boutique holds monthly group art exhibits and receptions as well as performances of music and poetry. The boutique also draws shoppers with collections by Alexis Bittar, Stephanie Johnson, Pomeroy Collection, Shiraleah, Roost and many others.

Owner Lisa Lasso, who was on hand for gallery's anniversary event, said she brought Giudice in to help draw attention to the gallery's mission.

A display at Gallery U Boutique in Westfield features an elaborately embellished angel and a sparkling bust created through a related art therapy program for people with traumatic brain injury.

Gallery U Boutique is an extension of Universal Institute, a Livingston-based rehabilitation facility that serves adults with a serious brain injury that may have resulted from accidents such as car crashes or falls, or medical emergencies such as strokes. Representatives from the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey also were on hand to help raise awareness and accept donations.

The boutique, at 439 South Ave., is steps from the Westfield train station, but organizers noted another reality-TV-connected draw to the town when directing visitors from outside the area to the event. Carlo's Bakery, one in a growing chain owned by fellow New Jersey reality TV star “Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro is a short walk away on Broad Street. A spread of miniature cannolis, tiramisu, cookies and other Italian-style treats was not from Carlo's Bakery or from Giudice's dessert line, however.

As guests dropped $20 bills for the Brain Injury Alliance into a large transparent cube, the evening presented an opportunity for Giudice to do a small act of public good, even if the affair was promoted through social media as “a Fabellini event.” Giudice and her husband, Giuseppe 'Joe' Giudice, admitted in March that they fraudulently obtained millions in loans to help fund their lavish lifestyle. They are expected to be sentenced Sept. 23.

Learn more about Gallery U Boutique at gallery-u.blogspot.com.