Cat says "Meow" . . . But what does the fox say?

 

Each year, my mom and I get together and carve pumpkins. This year we went with an animal theme -- she carved out a cat (Did you know that tomorrow is actually National Cat Day? Did you know that there even IS a National Cat Day??) and I made a fox.

Despite having had this tradition for decades now, I just realized that you can cut the BOTTOM off the pumpkin instead of the TOP. Why? Well, several why-didn't-I-think-of-that reasons I came to find out.

1. It makes for an even base instead of a round one, so no balancing act on the pumpkin's part.
2. You can place a candle on the ground -- flat surface, no tipping risk.
3. You can light that candle FIRST, and then place your pumpkin over top of it. No burning fingers. ((mind blown))

After you cut out the bottom and scoop out the insides (once I get better at this blogging thing I'll remember to take pictures of each step), it's time to carve. Personally, I like to sketch out my idea on paper and black out the areas I'm cutting out. Then, I draw directly on to the pumpkin with a washable marker. It comes right off when it's wet! Although my hands did markered up, that didn't really bother me since we have soap and water at my parents' house and I can wash my hands . . .  Then, I got to work sawing away. Another big pumpkin carving tip: buy those kits. Totally worth the four bucks -- even if you break a tool mid-way like I did (pro tip: go slow).

I always like to test out the pumpkin with a candle to see the effect before I declare it complete and demand an audience. And I do demand an audience. I called Jeremy and my dad back in to the kitchen (several times) to see the pumpkins in their full glory with lights off, candles glowing.

Next stop: front porch!