And the Winner Is…

 After a year off from the contest last year, we were all extra-excited to do the Baldwin pumpkin carving contest this year, with Kitty on board for the first time too!

And after a few tense days of voting, I can safely announce that the winner of this year’s contest is…

Pumpkin A!

Mahon is thrilled to share that this entry—and the absurdly, delightfully charming story that went along with it—was his work. Personally, I am ready to find Willow Hazelnut III and be her best friend. How about you?

Time to Vote in the 16th (Sort of) Annual Baldwin Pumpkin Carving Contest!

 Hello, friends! It’s been a while—but this year, we once again present you with a Baldwin Family Pumpkin Carving Contest. For the first time, this year has THREE entrants instead of the traditional two, and we’ve also added a new element: Storytelling! Because our theme this year was “Pumpkin Houses,” each of the carvers has created an original story to go along with their entry, explaining who the inhabitants of their house are and what kind of lives they lead. (Also note that each pumpkin house has its own tiny little Jack-o-Lantern as well!)

This year, there are no fully-dark pumpkin pics—because these really shine best (pun intended) as daylight or dim-light pumpkins. 

Voting will be open until the end of the day on Saturday, November 4th.

Rules:

1. One vote per person, but everyone in your household can vote!

2. There are 4 ways to vote: In the embedded poll below, in the comments (only those with verified Google accounts can comment, sorry), or on Facebook or Instagram only on the initial pumpkin carving contest post.

3. All photography is done by me. This year, each contestant did write their own story in lieu of the traditional description done by me.

Scroll down to see the pumpkins and read the stories!

Pumpkin A: Willow Hazelnut III

Special feature to note: A fully-functional,
and adorable, carved chimney

Willow Hazelnut III lived in a small pumpkin in a small forest on a small island. The smallness suited her, because she, too, was small, small enough that she could live in a pumpkin in any case. Small enough to live in a pumpkin is remarkable however you put it, but there was another remarkable thing about her—at least it will be to you and me—she was a witch.  
  
Willow Hazelnut III's only companion was a small, dear, deer mouse whom she called Mr. Squiggle. Mr. Squiggle was quite a good companion to Willow Hazelnut III, and she had trained him to roll over, bring her parsnips from the garden, and smell the way to delicious truffles.  
  
Living in a pumpkin suited Mr. Squiggle just fine, as he felt that any time he wished he could have a little snack. Willow Hazelnut III didn't approve of eating houses, especially her house, but Mr. Squiggle was quite sneaky and got away with his indulgences, but the house was quite large for a small mouse and a nibble here and there can go quite a way, but if you look closely, you can see little mouse nibbles here and there.  
  
One day, as Willow Hazelnut III was tending to her garden, she heard a noise. In the forest there are often noises, so this is not remarkable, but this was not a normal noise. It was the hoot of an owl. She knew at once that she and Mr. Squiggle must retreat into the refuge of their home at once. "Here, Mr. Squiggle!" She called.  
  
But it was too late. She turned just in time to see huge talons close around Mr. Squiggle. Willow Hazelnut III was terribly frightened, and the terrified squeak of Mr. Squiggle echoed in her ears. She was stunned and frozen in shock.  
  
When she finally came to herself, she was resolved to rescue Mr. Squiggle.  
  
"The first part of any adventure is to find a proper map!" Willow Hazelnut III exclaimed. And Willow Hazelnut III had the perfect map. She and Mr. Squiggle had tirelessly worked on it for a little bit every day for several months.  

She traced the path to the owl's nest. Past the crooked red maple, over the stream, and around the craggy mountains. Willow Hazelnut III hesitated for only a moment as she looked at the map. Then she folded it, and set out.  
  
She made it to the red maple in record time. It was in full bloom and looked like fire. She put her head down and continued on.  
  
The stream was going to be strenuous, since for a small witch even a stream can be quite hard to ford. She stood on the bank wondering how to proceed. Just as she was about to put her foot into the water, a large dog came by and lapped at the water.  
  
Now, Willow Hazelnut III was quite used to hiding from large ferocious creatures like dogs, but the dog's long shaggy hair gave Willow Hazelnut III an idea. She leapt to grab some of the dog's shag just as it continued across the stream. The gait of the dog was quite rough, and it's a wonder she held on as long as she did, but eventually her arms tired, and she fell to the side of the path.  
  
Willow Hazelnut III was glad of the dog's help, but as she glanced at the sun, she was sorely dismayed since the hour was getting late. She still had to go around the craggy mountains! "There simply isn't enough time!" she cried.  
  
The choice she had been dreading, seemed to be her only option. She couldn't go around the craggy mountains at all, she had to pass through the dark tunnel that passed beneath them. Nothing in this world invoked more fear than the tunnel under the craggy mountains. While making their map, she and Mr. Squiggle had faced some of their worst nightmares in that tunnel—spiders and snakes!  
  
She stared at the entrance to the tunnel—and then took a step.  
  
"SURPRISE!"  
  
What a shock! Out jumped the owl, Mr. Squiggle, and many other forest friends had gathered for a Halloween celebration. The owl, Mr. Squiggles disappearing, everything had been a trick to get Willow Hazelnut III to join a Halloween party.
  
They had sweets, popped corn, and pumpkin pie (not made from her house). It was a grand party.  
  
After returning home Willow Hazelnut III snuggled with Mr. Squiggle in her pumpkin home, she sighed, "This was the best Halloween ever." As Mr. Squiggle nestled closer, he squeaked in return.

Pumpkin B: The Pumpkin on Skullcrusher’s Lane

Special features to note: A beautiful bark doorway 
and two sets of shutters carefully crafted from sticks
(the set on the left is closed, the set on the right is open;
unfortunately one of the open ones fell off by the time pics were taken)

It was a dark, stormy night. Rain pounded down in a torrential downpour that did not cease for days. Whether it was a pouring, pouring sky or the lightest drizzle, it did not stop. There was lightning that caused fires that were quickly put out by the rain, and there was thunder that shook the earth like a Taylor Swift concert or an earthquake of approximately 3 on the Richter scale.

A certain colony of miniature cats was looking for a place to shelter. They looked like little balls of puff, and were about the size of a mouse, but much fiercer, and with much less of a taste for grain. But apart from that, they looked exactly like cats, and they still had the same colors as normal-sized cats. All of the humans that they had killed had all rotted, so they made very poor nesting places. They searched and searched for days. 

Until they finally found a little pumpkin, and they stayed there for a month, until the storm ceased. They clawed out little windows and a little door, and added sticks, and they hollowed out the inside completely (they had a lot of experience with skulls), and they added some nice flowers for decoration. They made shutters that could open and close, like they sensibly do, unlike all those human houses that have shutters that are just for show (seriously, what is with those?). And they made a circular door out of tree bark. 

They carved the inside walls into shelves and made a bunch of tiny books and put them on the shelves. They used a few bones to make a nice little loft, and flattened it and stabilized it with a few large scraps of tree bark, and padded it with cotton and sheep’s wool and squirrel tails and feathers and moss. 

It turned into a cozy little library/bookstore/murder training course, and they all lived happily ever after in their little pumpkin. It was never eaten by anything like mice, because everyone knows that cats would be excellent housekeepers, especially if that house was made of pumpkin—as, if rats or mice chomped or nibbled or came even close, the cats would rip their hearts out, and make easy work of it. And then, hey, free dinner! 

Pumpkin C: Mouse Hollow

Details to note: Lavender wreath, acorns above the top window
(can only be seen in the 2nd pic since apparently they'd
fallen off by the daylight pic... oops! Glueing things to pumpkins
is hard, as it turns out.)

Once upon a time, in a world in which pumpkin houses were only ever inhabited by gentle, cozy creatures and never murder cats intent on mayhem, lived a small family of mice. They were nothing like the dirty, squabbling mice that live in the walls of human houses. These were highly civilized field mice, who wore tiny aprons when sweeping out their pumpkin house and never allowed guests to wear their shoes* indoors and washed their childrens' mouths with soap if ever they used profane language. (Common mouse profanities include such phrases as "Oh pinecones!" and "Fox droppings!")

The Mouse Family were, in addition to being civilized, highly industrious. As soon as the first crocuses began peeking above the soil in the spring, they spent their days foraging—filling the pantry with seeds threshed from nearby grasses, wild onions dug from the banks of the creek, and sun-dried blackberries. 

These mice weren't only foragers, either. They were also gardeners, growing a small but beautiful garden right outside their pumpkin home. All of the flowers they grew in their garden were edible, as well. "Food tastes twice as good if it is beautiful also," as Mama Mouse always said.

And every autumn, after they had finished gathering in their harvest, the Mouse Family held a harvest festival. For all of October, they celebrated with bonfires, harvest songs, and storytelling. Every October 31st, they crowned their front door with a special wreath woven from the choicest plants they'd foraged, and hung acorns from the roof, in preparation for the Harvest Mouse to come in the night and fill their shoes with sweet seeds.

*Obviously, your average field mouse does not wear shoes, but again—the Mouse Family of Mouse Hollow is highly civilized.

And now: To the voting booth!

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And The Winner Is…

I’m getting this post in later than expected thanks to a fun family stargazing excursion tonight, but… here’s the news you’ve all been waiting for!

After another tense week of voting, I sat down to tally the results, and… found myself running into technical difficulties. As a result, I (frustratingly enough) can’t give the exact final vote count, but I CAN still pronounce a winner—and say that, as far as I could tell, the margin of victory was EXTREMELY narrow. (In fact, if I counted only the votes off social media and not the blog, it was literally 1 point different!)

The winner of this year’s pumpkin carving contest is…

Pumpkin B!

It was a fierce battle, but ultimately the beast from the watery depths gained the upper hand over the creatures of flame.

And along with that knowledge, I can share: I carved this one! I’m pretty thrilled with how it turned out, honestly. It was a tough one, and I really thought the kraken would fall out several times during carving (those tentacles are DELICATE!)—but ultimately, it all worked out beautifully.

Until next year, friends!

Time To Vote In The 15th Annual Baldwin Pumpkin Carving Contest!

 The days are getting shorter, the weather’s turning colder, and the streets are lined with ghosts and ghoulies—which means it’s officially time for…

The 15th annual Baldwin Pumpkin Carving Contest!

A tradition that predates our marriage, the contest began in October 2007, when Mahon and I were “just friends” and all our unexpressed need for flirtation came out as extreme competitiveness. For fifteen Halloweens, we’ve kept this tradition alive despite equipment malfunctions, bitter defeats, and the fact that honestly, neither of us really loves carving pumpkins. 😂 Every year we talk about maybe skipping it, but we can never bear to let all ten of our very ardent fans down!

This year the stakes are higher than ever, as both of us have brought new tools to the table. Folks, this is a pumpkin carving contest like you’ve never seen it before! A few quick ground rules before we get to the voting:

1. Sadly, 8 year old Kitty is barred from the contest again this year. She’s not quite yet to the point of carving without help—plus, we all know for sure that if Kitty’s pumpkin can easily be identified she’ll sweep the contest without question, since everyone loves her best. 😂 Soon , though, we think she’ll be ready to enter!

2. Only one vote per person. You can cast a vote through or embedded poll, vote via the comments on this post, or vote on one of the official social media voting posts (there will be one each on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter). If you cast an anonymous vote in the comments please sign it, as we won’t count unsigned anonymous votes.

3. All photography and descriptions are by me. Because I did all the photography, Mahon took charge of all the special effects (fire and water). So while you can see his arm in one pumpkin’s photos, that doesn’t mean it’s his pumpkin. 😉 (He’s in the background controlling the water of the other competitor.)

4. If you know—or have a guess—who carved which pumpkin, DON’T TELL! The secret is part of the fun.

I’ll close voting on Saturday the 30th by 9pm Pacific Time.

Without further ado—the pumpkins, my dear witches and werewolves!

Our theme this year was “mythical creatures.”

Important note: Both of these contenders are shown to their best advantage via video. However, I've been having trouble correctly embedding videos this year, particularly on mobile view. If you don't see a video pop up below the pictures for each entry, there will be a direct link to Youtube where you can view the videos.

First up, Pumpkin A, titled “Fighting Fire With Fire”

(If you can't see a video above, click here.)

This year’s Pumpkin A is a scene of fire, fury, and ferociousness, as two creatures of flame—a dragon and a phoenix—fight it out for Halloween supremacy. With intricate carving and a truly out-of-the-gourd vision, Carver A has created a landscape that cannot help but ignite the imagination. The scene shows a scorching showdown between Fawkes the Phoenix, sent by the forces of good to steal a precious artifact from an evil dragon, and the dragon herself, determined to protect her hoard. Candles alone were not enough for Carver A this year—instead, they’ve incorporated multiple forms of fire to create a truly explosive vista. Particularly noteworthy are the incredible details the carver has included, such as the delicate feathers on the phoenix’s outstretched wings, the flames carved into the pumpkin base… and, of course, the blowtorch-created jet of flame streaming from the dragon’s mouth. Who will win this blazing battle? Only time—and your vote—can tell.

Next we have Pumpkin B, titled—what else? “Release The Kraken!”

(If you can't see the two videos above, follow these links:

Video 1, nighttime

Video 2, daylight)

Throughout mythology, few cryptids loom quite so large in our imaginations as the kraken. This monstrous denizen of the deep has haunted the nightmares of sailors for hundreds of years, stalked across the pages of our books and the frames of our television screens—and now, it is unleashed in all its glory on this year’s Pumpkin B. The carver of Pumpkin B has used two gourds to achieve their vision—the sea beast, glorious and grim, lifting its tentacles to pull down the unwary pirate ship into the depths of the abyss. To truly represent the kraken’s might and power, Carver B has harnessed the powers of both fire and water—observe the fountain in the background. Zoom in on the photo and you’ll even see that the kraken has tiny suckers on the undersides of its tentacles! Truly, this fell creature has set its sights not only on the doomed pirates above… but also on your vote.

Time to cast your vote!

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Voting closes in the evening on Saturday, October 30th.

And, of course, while 8-year-old Kitty isn’t eligible for the contest this year, we wanted to be sure to show off her pumpkin. (For those asking when she’ll be allowed to enter: She has to get to the point where a) she’s carving them herself instead of having Daddy carve the pumpkins she’s designed, and b) her designs aren’t so easily distinguished from ours. Right now if we let her enter everyone would be able to identify her pumpkin and she’d sweep the contest because everyone likes her best!) 

Titled “Creatures In The Moonlight,” its haunting vista shows a phoenix, a pegasus, and a dragon, all suspended under a glowing orange harvest moon. Because her parents both incorporated elements into their designs, Kitty decided that her element was going to be "Earth," represented by the artistic dusting of dirt on the lower rim of the pumpkin. Her creation is topped off by the cutest little miniature pumpkin you ever did see, adding an extra dollop of artistic flare. 

And The Winner Is...

 WHEW! That was quite the pumpkin show-down, folks. We had some of the highest voting we've ever recorded this year. Y'all really know how to get the vote out! (...and hopefully not just for pumpkins.)

Now, every year before we start carving, I predict the winner based purely on concept. I'm almost NEVER correct—so much so that it's become a running joke in our family. But this year, I was 100% on the money, because I just knew that the idea of 2020 represented as a literally flaming dumpster fire was going to be something that resonated deep down in peoples' souls. 

That's right—the landslide winner of the 14th Annual Baldwin Pumpkin Carving Contest, capturing a 87-51 victory, is... 

Pumpkin B, the 2020 Dumpster Fire!

And even though it means that the LITERAL HOURS I spent agonizing over the layering on my own pumpkin did not net me the victory, I'm genuinely pleased to say that the brilliant mind (and hands) behind Pumpkin B is the man himself, Mahon Baldwin. Those of you who've followed our contest for a long time will probably remember that Mahon has almost NEVER won, despite carving some true masterpieces. When he told me the idea he had for the dumpster fire pumpkin earlier this month, I immediately said, "Oh, that's definitely going to win." I admit, my Zoom-o-Lantern turned out so much better than I'd imagined that I thought it might give Mahon's creation more of a run for its money... but in the end, the visceral pleasure at seeing 2020 represented with flaming trash spoke to the most people, and I can hardly fault anyone for that!

Thanks, everyone, for voting. As always, you've helped make this one of the best weeks in the Baldwin family calendar! See you next year! (And I can even say that without wanting to die inside, because oh man. The professional grade tools we got this year? THOSE. THINGS. ARE MAGIC.)

Cast Your Votes In The 14th Annual Baldwin Pumpkin Carving

(Nope, you can't vote for the cute middle pumpkin, no matter how much you may want to.)

2020 has been quite the year, amirite? I don't know about you, but over the last few weeks, I've felt the intensity of these last ten months building toward a stressful climax, a vote that will determine my family's happiness for the coming days...

The 14th Annual Baldwin Pumpkin Carving Contest! 

This is the oldest tradition in the Baldwin family, begun back before Mahon and I were even dating, on the fateful night that he invited me to meet his family and promised me he could carve a better pumpkin than I could (as if!), the very night I fell the first little bit in love with him. And while every year after carving pumpkins I think NEVER AGAIN, I somehow always come around to it by the next October. In fact, this year I'm even excited already for next year, because this year we FINALLY, finally got a set of REAL, PROFESSIONAL GRADE carving tools, and boy oh boy. Those things are MAGIC. (Way, way better than the year we tried a Dremel, which is something we still don't talk about. It was so bad, y'all.)

This year, our theme was obvious: no less a theme than "Year 2020." How, exactly, could we encapsulate the unbelievability of 2020? You'll have to read on to see!

As always, all descriptions are written by me, and all photos are a joint effort between us both. Because of the nature of the pumpkins presented, the depictions aren't completely equal—you'll notice that Pumpkin A has a video in addition to photos, because it quite literally shines best when you can see it in action.



This years rules, as in previous years, are:

1. Just ONE vote per person... no cheating! You can vote via the poll at the bottom of the post, or in the traditional way, through comments. Because the poll only allows a person to vote once, if you'd like to submit multiple votes for multiple family members, I recommend either doing them all in the comments or else doing one via the poll and the rest via comments. If you don't have a Google or OpenID account and so you're voting anonymously, make sure to sign your vote. Unsigned anonymous votes may be deleted. 

You can also cast a vote on Instagram or Facebook, as long as you keep it to the official pumpkin carving contest thread on those platforms (it gets too hard chasing votes across multiple threads).

2. DO NOT reveal who carved which pumpkin! If you suspect that you may know which pumpkin was carved by whom, DO NOT share that information in the comments. Any comment that tries to spill the carver's identities will be quickly deleted. (Also, we really DON'T recommend attempting to guess whose pumpkin is whose. In the past, guessers have tried to swing the vote for one person or another, and guessed wrong, with disastrous [but hilarious] results. So really, just vote for which pumpkin you actually like better and leave it at that, okay???)

3. Get all your friends and family to cast their votes too! Share on social media! Bug your co-workers!


First up! Pumpkin A:

There have been a number of changes that have come to typify the year 2020... but what has become more iconic than the now-ubiquitous Zoom chat? In the last six months, we've carried out conferences, happy hours, church meetings, play dates, weddings, and even babysitting via video conference software. Zoom has become part of our cultural context, our punchlines... and now, our pumpkins. With this design, Carver A has chosen to depict 2020 as a cheery chat between gregarious G. Ourd and his bff, tea aficionado Jackie Lantern. While G. and Jackie may be unable to meet up in person due to their diligent social distancing, they're grateful for the chance for a little Zoom-o-Lantern time to keep their spirits up and their hearts full. Carver A spent untold hours perfecting the shading in this pumpkin—a true labor of love.

Next up, Pumpkin B:

Double, double, toil and trouble, dumpster burn, pandemic bubble! Shakespeare's witches have nothing on this hook-nosed hag crafted by Carver B; she cackles merrily while stirring the literal dumpster fire that is the year 2020. While Carver B has also used careful shading techniques to attire their witch, they have ventured this year into far more flamboyant realms of artistry as well, creating a genuine kerosene flame in their gourdian dumpster. (Note, also, the careful safety preparations made for this exhibit, including a fire extinguisher held at the ready.) After all, there can truly be no image that more fully sums up this year than that of a raging, crackling pile of burning refuse, egged on by a creature whose heart is blacker than the gown she wears. (Make sure to watch the attached video to see the true splendor of Pumpkin B in action.)

And now, without further ado, cast your vote!

survey service

Voting will close around 9pm Pacific Time on Saturday, October 31st.

But we're not done yet! Seven-year-old Kitty joined her parents in this year's carving, and while she is not eligible to participate in the contest yet and any votes for her pumpkin will be ignored, we couldn't help but show you the fantastic pumpkin she designed and carved (mostly by herself)! We love it. A fierce kitty designed by a fierce Kitty; what could be more fitting?

And The Winner Is...

All I have to say about the pumpkin-carving contest voting this year is: WOW! Y'all really turned out to vote this year. We ended up with 210 votes, more than a hundred votes higher than any of our previous contests! The polls certainly seemed to be an easier way to vote than our old comment system, although I did miss some of the banter and the chance to see more of the decision-making process happen as people voted. If you voted this year and have also voted in prior years, I'd love to know what you thought of the new system vs. the old!

Even with so many votes, the response was very decisive. Unfortunately for the losing pumpkin, it garnered far fewer votes this year than the winner; from the beginning, there was a clear favorite. With a final tally of 180-30, the winner of this year's contest is.......................

Pumpkin B!

A few months ago when Mahon and I were tossing around theme ideas for this year's contest, he suggested space as a theme. It took me a little while of pondering, but I soon landed on the design I wanted: a lyrical, emotional moon scene that honored the connection between Earth and space. I can honestly say I've never been so happy with any pumpkin I've ever carved as I am with this year's Pumpkin B. I'm so proud of how well I was able to complete my vision!

Of course, Mahon's Pumpkin A is also spectacular, and I am absolutely gobsmacked by his creativity and ingenuity. Perhaps next year he'll take the trophy again!

Thanks so much for voting—we'll see y'all next year! (And next year we'll be armed with our preferred tools again. Hmph.)

Cast Your Vote In The Thirteenth Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest!

If you've followed me long at all, you're probably familiar with the oldest tradition in the Baldwin household: the annual Halloween pumpkin-carving contest. Back when my husband, Mahon, and I were baby-faced college students with fewer worries but more debt, we bonded over a shared spirit of competition when he invited me to his family's yearly pumpkin-carving bash. He boasted that he was sure he could carve a better pumpkin than me, and since we couldn't be content with only our own opinions or even those of the family members there that day, I uploaded the photos to my very-new-back-then blog and let the world be our judge.

Since then, every year we've repeated the tradition—slaving over contest themes, choosing pumpkins with the utmost of care, trying out dozens of different tools (WE HATED THE DREMEL, OKAY?), and always sharing the pictures with the world so that YOU get to decide who, after all, is the best pumpkin carver in the Baldwin household.

This year, as the world celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the moon landing and the U.S. turns its gaze once again into the cosmos, we thought that there could be no better theme for our contest than space itself. The final frontier of pumpkin carving, as it were! If I do say so myself, these are some of the very best pumpkins we've ever produced, which is especially impressive considering that there was a last-minute drama involving lost carving tools and we had to go back to using kitchen knives and x-acto cutters, something I swore we would never do again. But hey, we survived, and these pumpkins are pretty epically space-tacular!

As always, all descriptions are written by me, and all photos are a joint effort between us both. This year Pumpkin A has more photos only because it is 3D enough to need to be seen from several angles to be appreciated; Pumpkin B, which is a more traditionally unilateral carving, shines (pun intended) through with fewer photos.

This years rules, as in previous years, are:

1. Just ONE vote per person... no cheating! If you don't have a Google or OpenID account and so you're voting anonymously, make sure to sign your vote. Unsigned anonymous votes may be deleted. You can also cast a vote on Instagram or Facebook, as long as you keep it to the official pumpkin carving contest thread on those platforms (it gets too hard chasing votes across multiple threads).

2. DO NOT reveal who carved which pumpkin! If you suspect that you may know which pumpkin was carved by whom, DO NOT share that information in the comments. Any comment that tries to spill the carver's identities will be quickly deleted. (Also, we really DON'T recommend attempting to guess whose pumpkin is whose. In the past, guessers have tried to swing the vote for one person or another, and guessed wrong, with disastrous [but hilarious] results. So really, just vote for which pumpkin you actually like better and leave it at that, okay???)

3. Get all your friends and family to cast their votes too! Share on social media! Bug your co-workers!


First up! Pumpkin A:

This year's carver of Pumpkin A has truly gone above and beyond to present a mind-bendingly original piece of gourdian art. Not only have they used three distinct pumpkins to create the planet Saturn, its rings floating free around it—they've even gone so far as to meticulously paint their creation with UV paint, lending it a fancifully eerie glow. Perched atop the planet are an intrepid astronaut explorer and their newfound companion, a friendly Saturnian. In a moment where NASA prepares to launch itself into future missions to far-flung planets, this still-life of the first interaction between a human and an extraterrestrial seems especially appropos.

You'll notice the wealth of incredible details with this pumpkin, including the fact that the Saturnian glows in the dark but the astronaut doesn't, indicating that the magical phosphorescence of the planet lends itself to fauna as well as flora. In the second picture, you can also see that the rings are actually suspended around the planet, not resting on the ground—a true feat of engineering!

Next we have Pumpkin B:

Just a week and a half ago, NASA conducted its first all-female space walk, as Christina Koch and Jessica Meir stepped outside the International Space Station together in a groundbreaking act of space-age feminism. This historic moment seems to be very much on the mind of the young girl featured in Pumpkin B, as she stands against a star-dappled sky, wistfully gazing up at the full moon. Perhaps she, like Koch and Meir once did, dreams of someday swimming among the stars—or even stepping foot on the moon itself, taking something more than just a small step for womankind. 

Notice the detail and lyricism present in Pumpkin B: the careful carving of the figure of the girl with her uplifted hand; the faint light of the Earth where she stands; and the crater-pocked surface of the moon, majestic and proud, in the sky above her.

We're trying something new this year! This year, I'm going to try to use polls to manage some of our voting. If the polls don't work for you, or if you're entering votes for multiple people, you can of course still cast votes in the comments just like normal. You can vote in the poll below, in the comment section, in the comments on Facebook or Instagram, or on my Twitter poll (@beingCindy). But please, only vote once!

panel management

Voting will close around 9pm Pacific Time on Saturday, November 2nd. 

Postscript: This is actually the first year that Kate has expressed a wish to be in the contest. Alas, you can't actually vote for this pumpkin (I told her she has to get to the point where her pumpkin could pass for one of ours so she doesn't get votes purely by default!), but we wanted to share it anyway. The design is a witch riding a broom with her trusty feline friend in front of her, their flight path directly toward a crescent moon. Design by Kate, carving by Mahon under Kate's instruction.

And the Winner Is....

So, remember how I said results would definitely be posted by 9pm PST tonight? Well, I looked at the calendar while scheduling that and thought, "hmm, we have parent-teacher conference that night AND that's laundry-folding night... Hopefully I won't be too busy!"

Reader, I was VERY busy.

But now here I am, belatedly! And I'm pleased to announce that the winner of this year's pumpkin carving contest, by a total of 57-36..............

Pumpkin B!

If you've followed our contest long, you'll know that Mahon has only won a handful of times in our 12 years of doing this. In fact, a couple of years ago he was feeling so dejected about it that there was real talk about ending the contest for good. But I think he's feeling pretty good about things right now, since he is, in fact, the carver of Pumpkin B, making this his second victory in a row after last year's masterful Te Ka pumpkin.

And I can't fault him for the win—this curcubit creation is pretty incredible, and probably one of me favorite pumpkins ever to emerge from the contest. It's pretty cool, seeing my Della reading in her playhouse!

Congrats to this year's winter, and thanks so much for voting! We'll see y'all next year.

Cast Your Vote in the Twelfth Annual Pumpkin—Um, Curcubit—Carving Contest!

It's everyone's favorite time of year—you know, when we're all spending our time poring over candidates, trying to figure out which option best typifies our values, and heading to the polls.

That's right: It's pumpkin carving contest time!

For the first time ever, this year's pumpkins ended up getting rescheduled until after Halloween, thanks to a combo of complicating factors. But better late than never, and here we are, with this year's candidates!

This year's theme is one we've had in mind for more than a year. In honor of Where the Watermelons Grow being released this summer, our pumpkin carvings are everything Della Kelly (and friends). This time, in honor of our theme, we even have an extra-special addition to one carver's entry. We actually REALLY tried to find full-sized watermelons for us both to carve, but alas: there are no regular watermelons to be had for love or money in November, so pumpkins it (mostly) is.

As always, all descriptions are written by me, and all photos are a joint effort between us both. This years rules, as in previous years, are:

1. Just ONE vote per person... no cheating! If you don't have a Google or OpenID account and so you're voting anonymously, make sure to sign your vote. Unsigned anonymous votes may be deleted. You can also cast a vote on Instagram or Facebook, as long as you keep it to the official pumpkin carving contest thread on those platforms (it gets too hard chasing votes across multiple threads).

2. DO NOT reveal who carved which pumpkin! If you suspect that you may know which pumpkin was carved by whom, DO NOT share that information in the comments. Any comment that tries to spill the carver's identities will be quickly deleted. (Also, we really DON'T recommend attempting to guess whose pumpkin is whose. In the past, guessers have tried to swing the vote for one person or another, and guessed wrong, with disastrous [but hilarious] results. So really, just vote for which pumpkin you actually like better and leave it at that, okay???)

3. Get all your friends and family to cast their votes too! Share on social media! Bug your co-workers!

First up! Pumpkin A:

...through the window to the backyard I could see Miss Tabitha. A cloud of bees swirled around her, so many bees that the ends of her blond hair lifted in the wind they made. She wasn’t wearing one of those white space suits beekeepers are supposed to put on to protect themselves from stings—but she didn’t look afraid, not one bit. She looked... at home there, in that storm of bees...

(Where the Watermelons Grow, page 200)

Central to Della's story in Where the Watermelons Grow is the famous Quigley honey, responsible for mending the wounds and woes of Maryville for generations. Whether it's healing a baby with pneumonia, fixing a broken heart, or mending a family feud, the Quigley honey has the ability to bring out strengths inside you that you never realized were there. In their pumpkin, Carver A has used careful shading and exquisite detail to evoke the mystical, magical nature of the Quigley honey threaded throughout the book—reminding the viewer that magic is always so much closer than you think.

Pumpkin Curcubit(s) B:

We’d built it last summer, right by where the curve of Hummingbird Bay met the edge of the Hawthorne farm, and both our daddies hated it because we’d made it ourselves out of old plywood we scavenged from the supplies my daddy used to build our chicken coop last year. Before that we’d spent years playing in an old tobacco shed, but the playhouse was better, because it was made with our own hands.

(Where the Watermelons Grow, page 56)

In a true stroke of genius, Carver B has chosen to incorporate an actual mini watermelon into their design. This carver has used the watermelon to depict Della's beloved playhouse, where Della sits, lost in a book—quite possibly the very Emily Dickinson poems that teach her how to hope when she feels all hope is lost. The watermelon is set into a pumpkin, into which a window is carved with curling watermelon vines below and swaying tree branches above. Of special note is the color contrast provided by the interior of the watermelon against the pumpkin—definitely an effect we've never seen before!

Voting will close by 9pm PST on 11/7. You can destress from the actual election by watching these results roll in just one day later.

Postscript: You can't vote for this one (any attempts to vote for it will be rejected!), but we figured we'd share, anyway! Kate's design this year is a "cheetah underneath a rainbow."

And the winner is....

If you've been following our contest for long, you probably know the sad truth that I almost always win, even though Mahon's technical skills are often (though not always) better than mine. Every year, I say I'm sure he's going to win... and almost every year, I'm proved wrong. In our ten years of contests, he's only one twice.

Until now.

Yes, my friends, Mahon is the carver of the fantastically awesome Te Ka Pumpkin B! And with a final tally of 56-13, he takes it in a LANDSLIDE. (...Lavaslide?)

Guys, I can't even be a tiny bit resentful. Even if his pumpkin hadn't been clearly better than mine this year (my vision definitely did not translate as well as I'd hoped), the poor man seriously deserves a victory.

Happy Halloween!

Cast Your Vote In The Eleventh Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest!

Picture this, my friends: The year is 2007. Our heroine, a young college sophomore, has been invited to dinner and pumpkin carving with the family of the boy that she's definitely not dating. And, because the awkwardness of their deeply ambiguous relationship is best masked by rivalry, he issues the invitation thusly:

"I bet I can carve a better pumpkin than you."

Little do our young definitely-not-lovers know, but this will be the start not just of an annual pumpkin carving contest tradition—but of a relationship that will produce one marriage certificate, a string of moves across the American West, and one outsized-personality daughter.

In fact, the night of this very first pumpkin carving contest, as it happens, will be the very first night that our heroine will turn and look at our hero and think: Maybe I could fall in love with him.

The rest, as they say, is history.

.   .   .   .   .

Ten years later, we still celebrate Halloween with a carving contest; these days, we have a theme that we both have to carve to. And each year, we allow all and sundry to cast their votes via my blog. (Previous years can be found under this label, and at my old blog, here!)

This year's theme? Well, we let Kate pick, and it really shouldn't shock you that she immediately shouted "MOANA!" 

So Moana it is.

As always, all descriptions are written by me, and all photos are a joint effort between us both. (And actually, uh, this year I conceptualized both pumpkins, too, though Mahon came up with the design for his entirely.) This years rules, as in previous years, are:

1. Just ONE vote per person... no cheating! If you don't have a Google or OpenID account and so you're voting anonymously, make sure to sign your vote. Unsigned anonymous votes may be deleted. I'll tally votes here, on Facebook, and on Instagram, but please only vote in one place!

2. DO NOT reveal who carved which pumpkin! If you suspect that you may know which pumpkin was carved by whom, DO NOT share that information in the comments. Any comment that tries to spill the carver's identities will be quickly deleted. (Also, we really DON'T recommend attempting to guess whose pumpkin is whose. In the past, guessers have tried to swing the vote for one person or another, and guessed wrong, with disastrous [but hilarious] results. So really, just vote for which pumpkin you actually like better and leave it at that, okay???)

3. Get all your friends and family to cast their votes too! Share on social media! Bug your co-workers!

And now, for the pumpkins.

There's a line where the sky meets the sea, and it calls you—right to Pumpkin A! This year's Carver A decided to depict the quintessential scene: Moana herself, fearlessly wayfinding through the wildest of seas, never deterred from her quest to restore peace to her island. Her hair (which, can we just say, #hairgoals!) blows in the wind as she navigates her craft with its distinctive sail, not for one second scared by the looming wave curling over her boat's bow. Note Carver A's playful attention to textures, as well as the swirling symbol adorning the sail—which, Carver A is not ashamed to say, nearly broke his or her brain in two.

Unfortunately for our young princess—sorry, "daughter of the chief"—on the other side of her horizon awaits this fearsome demon of fire and rock, this year's Pumpkin B. Ever defeat a lava monster? Yeah, me neither. With careful wielding of tools and laborious time and effort, this year's Carver B has brought the fearsome Te Ka to pyroclastic life, complete with both her fiery aura and her desperately angry demeanor. Make special note of Carver B's exquisite attention to detail, particularly in the depiction of Te Ka's charcoal-esque stone skin, through which you can see her molten rage threatening to break free at any moment. Here, our fell foe prepares any second to launch a flaming lava ball towards Moana's boat... and none may know who will triumph!

And only you, my friends, may know who will triumph in this year's pumpkin carving contest! 

Voting will close by 9pm PDT on Halloween night.

You're a long ways past the reef—might as well go vote!

Postscript: On no account may you cast a vote for this pumpkin (all votes for this one will be rejected, so don't even try it!), but we figured we'd show you the cuteness anyway. (Face carved by Daddy, design thought up and spots painted by Kate.)