Halloween Through the Years...

This is my ALL TIME FAVORITE photo of my boys... Buzz and 1 Dalmatian...The Pirate Family... The tough S.W.A.T. man and the constanly taking his costume off while trick o treating Barney...
Toothless Harry Potter and unhappy Bob the Builder...
Mysterious Ninja Warrior and happy Batman... Yes... 2 Zorros... uh oh... one lost his sword...

This year... only one wants to dress up for Halloween... soooo I will have one little ghost and a TEENAGER!

Happy Halloween! Remember to say "Trick o Treat!" (and thank you!)

In Search of Adventurous Bloggers...

Followers of my blog know that every weekend... usually Saturday... I like to take my readers on a VIRTUAL trip. We've been to the South of France, Paris, Tuscany, Morocco, Mexican Riviera, Greece, New York, San Diego. (Some of these trips have been turned into frameable notecards and are available in MY ETSY STORE.)

These VIRTUAL TRIPS began when fellow bloggers began requesting... "Fifi, take us here... takes us there... paint this movie set... paint that movie set!" And the requests continued... the trips continued... but I thought "HEY... it would be FUN to get the bloggers involved in the process. Soooooo... in September I asked fellow bloggers to be part of the adventure... and be the STAR for the day!

This has been a lot of FUN... we have made trips to Hawaii, Out of Africa, returned to Greece, Irondale, Alabama to have Fried Green Tomatoes, Brasil and Antigua. Other movies already visited... Breakfast at Tiffany's, Mamma Mia, Chocolat, Amelia, Under the Tuscan Sun, A Good Year and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. (I have not forgotten your other movie Cris... we will get to it.)

NOW... I'm in search of NEW ADVENTURES... I've run out of "blogger assisted" requests... and NOW... I need YOU to take us on a trip! FIRST LET ME SAY... THIS IS NOT A CONTEST... I AM TAKING EVERY APPROPRIATE IDEA... HERE is how it works... YOU will be the STAR in charge... We will do this on a first come basis... If you would like to participate leave me a comment... HOWEVER... be prepared to do a little work...

1. You will pick the location or movie set.

2. You will tells us YOUR reason for this choice and maybe a little story about this location or movie set... so we will get to know a little bit about YOU!

3. You will email me photos or links to this location or movie set... I will do the painting.

4. You will post a link on YOUR blog the week that YOUR location or movie set post is being featured.

OK... who's READY? And... who knows... you might even win an Oscar or at least a surprise!!! AGAIN... THIS IS NOT A CONTEST... I AM TAKING EVERY APPROPRIATE IDEA... SEND LINKS and/or PHOTOS... and YOU WILL BE THE STAR ON MY BLOG FOR A DAY!

In Search of the Great Pumpkin...

Painting inspired via "The Birthday Girl" Nikki of Blah Blah Blah Blog... Ooooh the good ol' days... making the trip to the pumpkin patch... posing on the tractor...

peeking out of the perambulator...

riding in the wagon...

carving the pumpkins...

These are the "HAPPY" pictures (photos from 1998 & 1999)... there were a lot of trying moments in those pumpkin patches... lots of tears... fighting... whining... but HEY... I wanted a GOOD pumpkin... so what, if I threw myself down on the dirt and kicked and screamed... I'm like Linus... LOOKING FOR THE GREAT PUMPKIN!

Funny thing is... we don't even have a pumpkin yet... if we are to have one... looks like it will be a trip to the market... hmmmm...

Do you pumpkin patch stories? Come on... you do... give it up... tell us!

A Little Artist Training...

Sorry... no time to paint a posting... I was editing son's history report... and solving his drawing dilemma... he needed to draw the Old State House in beautiful Boston... He said "I can't"... I said then trace it... and... voila...

Of course... he waited until the last minute... so I had NOTHING to post... so here I am at 1:46am using his work... THANK YOU, my darling son!
Can you relate? Help your kids with projects? Ever had your parents help you with projects?

Garden Painting...

Voila... my flowers to complete my BIG FLOWERS Collection Framable Notecards...

Flowers from Dolce Chic
Chair in the Garden... I'm sorry, but I cannot remember where I found the photograph... if someone know, please tell me.
Anemones from Aurea
Flowers via Room with Pretty Things
Romantic Balcony... I do not remember where this came from... but I believe I saw it while in Antigua on my VIRTUAL trip!

FRAMEABLE Notecards are AVAILABLE in MY ETSY STORE... All of the ORIGINAL PAINTINGS for these notecards are available via EMAIL except for the 3rd painting from the left in the first row. ALSO... the Balcony and Garden Chair paintings are AVAILABLE as well.

May your day be filled with beauty and flowers!

Fall Bloggy Giveaway Carnival

This week is the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival, and I'm joining in on the FUN! I will be giving away a GIFT CERTIFICATE for a FRAMED ORIGINAL FIFI FLOWERS PAINTING (value 150.00)... a 7" x 7" acrylic painting on archival paper in a frame. You can see more of my works of art in MY ETSY STORE or in my PAINTING DU JOUR GALLERY.

The painting will be of one of YOUR FAVORITE photographs! Simply leave me a comment... no photograph links yet. Once the giveaway is closed and the winner is revealed... I will send an email to the WINNER asking for a link or attachment of your favorite photograph. Once the painting is completed... this should take two weeks or less... I will ship YOUR ORIGINAL FIFI FLOWERS painting to you at my cost!

For your chance to win, leave any comment below (be sure you provide a valid e-mail address)... I welcome comments from all over the world... until October 31 - 10:00AM PDT... and then I will draw a random winner! Winner will be announced November 1st!

This is a FUN week of giveaways... there are many participants... so pop over to the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival ... who knows you just might win a FABULOUS prize from moi or someone else! Hurry up... leave a comment... and Good Luck!!!

Here are what some of the past winners requested I paint...

What will you have me paint?

- DON'T FORGET -
Fifi Flowers 50% OFF ART SALE... This is the reason for the BIG SALE... The paintings are STACKING UP!!!

Aaaaaah Antigua...

Yesterday my home was full of wild and weird creatures... I had to escape... I grabbed a virtual flight late last night to beautiful Antigua...Hope you like white sand, turquoise blue water, spectacular views and lots of palm trees...Grab a welcome beverage and come along...I've booked some rooms for everyone to stay here at the Jolly Beach Resort...You can lay by the pool and relax... or sit under an umbrella on the beach... you don't want to get too much sun!Maybe you could find some shells on the beach to take home and put on display like the ones in this bowl...As for Moi... I think I am going to visit my friend Marie Louise of Cottage Industries at her sweet Coral Bay beach cottage ... you may come along... WOW... she's not home, but there is a note on the door... she's up the hill at a small gathering...

This is definitely a nice spot for a gathering... glad Marie Louise asked us along... we wouldn't want to miss that view! Marie Louise, should we plop down on a lounge chair and relax for the rest of the day or are you interested in joining us for some shopping?Marie Louise suggests we can take one of these boats to the shopping port...VERY colourful building... soooo FUN... I see a Cruise ship has pulled into the port as well... HEY... it's Mary of Ivy Lane...

Mary... you've been here a few times... tells us your favorite places to shop and what do you like to buy?

"Antigua has a very colorful down town…lots of duty free shopping…my favorite store is called Lipstick… it has the most beautiful fragrances and cosmetics from around the world… my favorite fragrance is Eau de Gingembre by Roger & Gallet Paris… LOVE it and can’t find it anywhere in the states…I always stock up… The tourists always buy jewelry and watches and lots of linens in the Caribbean.. I have many treasures…I think so anyway!

"I love to shop in the local street markets and find little handmade treasures and what I think to be beautiful art. The oil paintings are usually painted on fabric, old material…anything the artist can find to “stretch” over the rustic wood frames they make… The frames are often slightly out of kilter, but that makes it so charming to me.. I feel like I am giving back."

Oh Mary... we're getting hungry... after all that shopping... what is the food like here on the island?

"The food is basically locally grown vegetables and fruits… the fried plantains (sweet potato type veggie) are usually a treat at the local bars in town... served with a spicy dipping sauce… We are told that beef is hard to come by… there are wild chickens roaming about (funny to hear the roosters crowing in midday!) and goats everywhere! Lots of rice, soups and stews... oh... and FISH, calamari, etc from the sea!!!"

Sounds good to me... the view from this restaurant looks lovely... let's give it a try!

Hope everyone enjoyed their lunch... let's head back to the resort to relax and be entertained... Mary, do you have to go back to your ship yet... or would you like to join us for some more FUN... I know I don't have to ask Marie Louise... she's always up for a good time..."One of my favorite things is the sound of the steel drums playing!" says Mary. Then it's settled, off we go... poolside... libations and music!
Hope you ENJOYED your day on Antigua... I'm exhausted... and in need of MORE relaxation... Sooooo... I'm thinking of spending Monday here... I'm sure I could upload my GIVEAWAY post from this FABULOUS spot... aah... what a DREAM to post from that hammock!

Thank you Marie Louise and Mary for making this trip PERFECT with your wonderful photos and information! (Paintings by Fifi Flowers... ALL are for sale... just email me!)

Halloween Party Weekend...

Hellooooooo... welcome to my home... come in for a little... ha ha ha... FUN!Let us give you a hand with your cape... ooooh how lovely... the old woman with a big wart left a red rosy apple... feel free to take a bite if you dare... ha ha haI haven't been able to dust in awhile... seems... these beautiful creatures don't seem to mind...Name your poison... Edward our butler is dying to serve you a beverage...While Gypsy tells you your ghostly fortune...I here a bell... Count Dracula... is dinner served?... "Yesssss... mum... the cauldron is bloody well steaming with delights"It appears our witchy woman has stirred up a lovely pot of food...

"Yea, you can see by looking at me, what a wonderful cook she is".... DON'T listen to him... he's an old bag of bones! ha ha ha

Let's enjoy some dinner music provide by The Black Crowes...

Thanks for stopping by... we hope you had a hauntingly ghoul time... BYE!
Halloween Haven products via Grandin Road

Halloween Party Organized by Living Locurto... click on the picture link to visit other Halloween Parties! All this partying... I'm dead tired... ha ha ha... I think I will need to lay on a beach TOMORROW... if you are in need of relaxtion... make sure to join me!