Cheater earthly, LoL Nancy - I wanted to tell you soooooooooo bad who your pal was because you loved your box so much. That is Maryannes signature. When my mom passed last year, she sent me a wonderful box with the "theme" of spiritual serentiy. She included a CD, 2 mini rose bushes, a pamplet, lots of things that was very soothing and calming. Kids are getting ready to go out. Caleb, of all things, is going as a "gothic barbie", Lain is going as a "Viking football player!!!", and James is going as "Spiderman" (only because his girlfriends dad is making him wear the costume, LoL). Caleb was wanting to g as a "dead hooker", whatever THAT would be, LoL. I told her that I was just going strap a matress to her back, and put a rope around her neck and call it good, HA! OK, time to get the ready for the ghosts and goblins, whahahahahahahahahahahaha Happy Halloween Everyone! Have a safe evening! Tina

Thanks ladies! EJ, there are other pics just not forum friendly! LOL Karen, you are right, we are not that far away from each other. Yes, Justin has lost his baby fat and buffed up some. Gina and Ellen, Southern CA is sounding real good to me now. Cathy, the fountain was fun but not sure I would do it again. For a bunch of younger kids yes, even though the adults liked it too. I think a fondue would be better and you would not have to use so much chocolate. I used 14 cups of chips and 1 3/4 cups of oil. I tossed a bunch of chocolate the next day. The machine ran fine for about 4-5 hours and then it made some funny noise and started choking so to speak. We shut it down for awhile and then it ran fine for another hour or so. I think something may have got stuck in the auger??? I will say it wasn't as messy as I thought it might be. Yes, some drips on the counter but the floor and my rugs made it without a drop. Actually, the whole house survived very well. One small stain in the dining room but it cleaned up great. It's made by Rival and she said she picked it up at Big Lots. Thanks again everyone!! David

I didn't get the chance to take any pre-party photos since I had several family members helping me set up and felt rather silly taking photos of the setup. However, the flowers are holding up great in the mason jars 5-days later--SIL thinks it may be due to the citrus in the water. I sent DS to choose flowers and he did a great job, keeping it simple. Here is one of the mason jars (5-days post party): DH has my camera with memory stick at the moment so when he gets back home I will look and see if there are any more pics there I can share.

Kordes Flower Carpet survived my zone 5a winter better than Knock-out. Zero diseases for the past 16 years. Didn't fertilize nor water it for over a decade. Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden in NY rated the top 115 no-spray & disease-resistant roses by score. Quietness came 3nd place, after Belinda's Dream at 8.6. Quietness got the second best score of 8.55, higher than single-Knock-out at 8. Julia Child gets a score of 8.3. Austin Heritage gets a score of 8.8. Alkaline clay folks complained that Heritage is stingy, due less acid-phosphatase. Roots secrete acid to utilize phosphorus in soil for blooming. Too much of that ends up with fungal diseases. http://www.nybg.org/gardens/rose-garden-top-performers-2010.php If you click on the link above, it ranked the most disease & no-spray roses by a score. Knock-out scores at 8, while many Kordes roses are at 8.3 and above. Kordes roses have vigorous root system, mean better winter-survival and perfect foliage. HybridizerVariety (Sorted Alphabetically)Overall ScoreAlexander Hill GrayAlister Stella Gray7.75LimAll the Rage8.15KordesAmadeus®7.90MeillandApricot Drift®8.10BayseBelinda's Dream8.60PriorBetty Prior8.15UnknownBlush Noisette8.00RadlerBlushing Knock Out®8.10MeillandBolero™ 20048.50MeillandBonica™®8.00ClarkBorderer7.75LensBouquet Parfait®7.91BedardCape Diamond®7.85KordesCaramella®7.85AustinCarding Mill®8.50BuckCarefree Beauty™8.25MeillandCarefree Delight™7.75RadlerCarefree Spirit™7.95LimCentennial7.85MeillandCherry Parfait™8.50KordesCinderella Fairy Tale8.50MeillandColette™8.00MeillandCoral Drift™8.40KordesCream Veranda8.75FoundDarlow's Enigma9.00LimDaydream7.90KordesDesmond Tutu8.25RadlerDouble Knock Out®9.10DucherDucher8.25BernèdeDuchesse de Brabant8.25MeillandEaster Basket™9.25HarknessEasy Does It™7.85KordesEiffel Tower8.25KordesEliza®8.00KordesEscimo™8.00MeillandEternal Flame™8.40ShoupF.J. Lindheimer8.40KordesFelicitas8.00KordesFloral Fairy Tale8.00LesterFrancis E. Lester8.00KordesGardening Joy8.25KordesGebrϋder Grimm® (Brothers Grimm)8.50KordesGolden Fairy Tale™8.00AustinHeritage®8.80CarruthHome Run™8.10KordesJasmina®8.35WilliamsJoe Grey™8.10CarruthJulia Child™8.35KordesKarl Ploberger7.85RadlerKnock Out®8.00KordesKordes Golden Gate™8.00KordesKordes Moonlight®8.75KordesKosmos9.00BarbierLa Marne8.15KordesLa Perla8.00NoackLady Elsie May™8.00ShoupLady Pamela Carol8.00KordesLaguna®8.30KordesLarissa8.50ZuzekLena7.90KordesLions-Rose®7.60KordesLupo®8.00LimMacy's Pride8.95DesprezMarchesa Boccella8.25SportMarie Daly7.85AlégatièreMarie Pavié7.85KordesMarie-Luise Marjan®8.40CarruthMemorial Day™8.25DelbardMichel Bras8.25MeillandMother of Pearl™8.70UnknownMutabilis8.25LimMy Girl7.85PissardNastarana7.85ShoupOld Baylor8.45ZuzekOle7.85MeillandOso Easy Cherry Pie8.50WarnerOso Easy Fragrant Spreader8.00MeillandPeach Drift®9.00FoundPeggy Martin 'Survivor'8.75RadlerPink Double Knock Out®9.00MeillandPink Drift®8.75CarruthPink Home Run®7.15RadlerPink Knock Out®8.10MeillandPink Traviata™8.40KordesPlanten un Blomen8.40KordesPomponella™8.00LensPorcelaine de Chine8.00PembertonProsperity7.50KordesPurple Rain8.65BuckQuietness8.55RadlerRainbow Knock Out®8.00ShoupRepublic of Texas8.00KordesRosanna®7.85KordesRosarium Uetersen®8.05UnknownRose de Rescht7.25KordesRoxy™8.50HolmesSally Holmes®8.45BarniSans Souci7.85AustinScepter'd Isle7.80KordesSolero™7.80AustinSophy's Rose8.75AustinSpirit of Freedom8.75LeeStanwell Perpetual7.85BarniStile '800®8.20KordesSummer Memories™8.00KordesSummerSun8.00RadlerSunny Knock Out®8.50MeillandSweet Drift®8.00MeillandTequila™7.90DemitsThe Gift7.95BugnetThérèse Bugnet8.15MeillandTraviata™8.65RadlerWhite Out®8.65RadlerWinner's Circle™7.90KordesZadie8.10 Below is my Kordes FlowerCarpet, pic. taken late August. I didn't fertilizer nor water it for over a decade .. actually did better that way: