OMGourd! The 2014 Great Pumpkin Carve at the Chadds Ford Historical Society

Orange Harmony: Yin | Yang Koi by Chuck Dobbs & Associates Oscar Enderica & Mark Reynolds

Oh My Gourd!  The 2014 Great Pumpkin Carve at Chadds Ford Historical Society!

The Great Pumpkin Carve at the Chadds Ford Historical Society was fantastic! 

Over 60 carvers, mostly amateur, began carving at 4:30 on Thursday, October 23, 2014. Not knowing what our pumpkin would look like, made this feel like a reality show challenge.  (Participants arrive at their stations at meet their pumpkins for the first time at 4:30)

In true "Chuck the Architect" style, he came with a study model. The piece was named Orange Harmony: Yin|Yang Koi.  Yin-Yang is an ancient Eastern philosophy that is based on the belief that that all things in the universe are interdependent. Opposites are necessary to achieve harmony. Orange is Chuck's favorite color.  That's how we started...

Study pumpkin, meet real pumpkin
[Relieved to get the study out of my refrigerator.  It is really huge, although hard to see next to the GIANT 175+ pounder]

Chuck and his architect buddies Oscar & Mark arrive on the scene, a little late.  To our left is an amazing sculptor who appears to be gently unwrapping a present, as she effortlessly releases the being within her pumpkin.  Fascinating to be in the company of such an artist!  She is a veteran at this event who shares tips with our our newbie team. {bring something to sit on & dollar store candles.) 

To our right is an another interesting take on how to carve a pumpkin.  This group is carving a lizard that appears to be hatching from the pumpkin.  

The highlight of the evening is being a part of a Chadds Ford tradition.  Hundreds, possibly thousands, of people pass by watching the carvers and holding their "people's choice" voting ticket.  They will have the impossible task of choosing the bucket that they will drop their ticket into.  I caught this sweet little guy walking towards our bucket, with his Mother's soft voice saying, "Do you want to vote for the fish?  Go ahead and drop your ticket."  My heart was melting as I snapped this picture.

Okay, I felt a little creepy taking this picture, so I introduced myself to the mom and asked if it would be okay to post this.  She agreed and I then took this picture of the two of them.  #TooCUTE

Music playing, folks taking pictures and cheering on the carvers... what a night!  Felt like a Rock Star publicist, when I was asked if these ladies could come behind the rope to take a picture with Orange Harmony.  {Turns out they are both Pisces}

At 8pm, everyone drops their tools.  The carve is officially over and the judges come by with clipboards in hand.  I run and get some memorial tee-shirts for my guys and snap this "victory" shot.

We decide to walk around and visit the other carvers.  I quickly realize that OMG really means "Oh My Gourd" at this popular annual event in Chadds Ford!!!  Crowds were thick, but I managed to take some pictures of my favorites to share.  

How''d they do this? I'll call this "Alone in the Patch"  

I'm not LION -- this was Gorgeous!

I call this "Monday Morning"  [Need to print and hang on my office door]

I call this "Don't Bug Me Lady"

Enjoyed chatting with this carver who shared her passion of glitter and paint in this "Day of the Dead" Beauty!

The judges post the award winners on the Chadds Ford Historical Society website the next day.  We see a few of our favorites on the list!  Congratulations to them, and the rest of our fellow carvers for putting on a truly spectacular show!  I am already looking forward to being a part of this creative community next year.  How lucky we are to live in the Beautiful  Brandywine Valley?  

To learn MORE about The Great Pumkin Carve, Co-Sponsored by the Chadds Ford Historical Society & the Concordville Chadds Ford Rotary, click here.

Check back to see MORE images/videos of the transformation of #21 Pumpkin into Orange Harmony: Yin | Yang Koi along with a picture of our Koi pond.  Enjoy!  ~Madeline

Final Favorite: Stunningly Simple yet Complex {YinYang}

Spooky Plants

Plants + Halloween = Spooky Plants!

Autumn lifestyles in the beautiful Brandywine Valley often includes a trip to the pumpkin patch, corn maze or Fright Night hayride adventures.  Wait...there's MORE options to celebrate all-fall at many of our local public gardens.  Check out the AWESOME infographic below, then scroll down to find a local public garden. 

Courtesy of the Chicago Botanic Garden

Click here...but BEWARE...more Spooky Plants [Infographic]

If you DARE, watch a pumpkin turn into a ZOMBIE!

Courtesy of The New York Botanical Garden

 Video of Ray Villafane's Zombie Pumpkin 

America's Garden Capital of the World is right here in the beautiful Brandywine Valley and surrounding areas!

No need to hop a plane to Chicago, or drive to the Bronx, unless of course you want to! The Philadelphia area, "America's Garden Capital of the World" includes over 30 Gardens within 30 miles.  Yeah for us!  To find a garden near you, America's Garden Capital of the World.

Back to prepping for The Chadds Ford Great Pumpkin Carve... Wish us luck🎃

3PM Coffee Jam: The Latte Special

It's 3 o'clock in the beautiful Brandywine Valley of PA / DE.  Time for a Coffee-Jam Pick-Me-Up!

http://8tracks.com/unclaimedbaggagemusic/the-latte-special

Top 10 Fall Garden Tips to do Right Now!

Fall Garden Tips:  Top Ten things to do Right Now! 

DOG LOVERS should go straight to #5      GARLIC LOVERS # 6    

Sawyer Dobbs 10/29/2012

Listening to WHYY's You Bet Your Garden is a Saturday tradition, in the Beautiful Brandywine Valley.   I especially love the "to do" lists for each season.  Here is an abbreviated version from yesterday's show:

Top Ten Things to Do This Fall—and One Big Don't!  

( Retrieved from You Bet Your Garden Question of the Week © 2013 Mike McGrath)

1) Impatiens, 'annual begonias' and pepper plants can be long lived perennials if you protect them from frost. So if you live in a non-tropical clime, and want to give this trick a try pot them up and bring them inside before nighttime temperatures drop below 40 degrees.

2) Rinse off those pepper plants—and any returning houseplants—with sharpstreams of water before you bring them inside. Laser-like blasts of water are the best way to get rid of aphids and other hitchhiking pests before they can come inside and multiply

3) Don't feed indoor plants other than potted citrus over the winter. And water your indoor plants very lightly over the winter.

4) Hang suet feeders in your landscape; especially in fruit trees and trees (like ash) that are under attack by borers in many regions. Suet attracts meat-eating birds like chickadees, wrens and woodpeckers that prey on the overwintering eggs and larvae of some of our most destructive insect pests.

5) Protect edible (and tasty!) bulbs like tulips and crocus from Evil Squirrels! Be sure to completely clean up any wrappers and other 'bulb trash' that would otherwise lead Evil Squirrels to your underground treasures. Then either spray the bed with deer repellant or take the advice of bulb expert Sally Ferguson and brush your dog overtop of the bed and/or mulch the bed with collected dog hair. The smell of dogs is a great way to keep Evil Squirrels at bay. 💜

6) If you haven't planted garlic yet, do it soon!** {See this previous Q of the Week for details.} 💜

Garlic, Ajo Rojo {**Burpee.com is a great source to purchase garlic plants}

To view the entire list, visit  Top Ten Things to Do This Fall -- and One Big Don't!

#11: At our house, we cover the pond for a few weeks to prevent the leaves from over feeding it. {Practical, not pretty}

Mums the Word for Staging your House to Sell this Month!

Autumn is the perfect season for curb appeal  in the beautiful Brandywine Valley of DE &  PA! Curb appeal is your home's first impression. 

Selling your home? Preparing for an Open House this weekend?  Invest $50 and buy some Mums!  Plant in your landscape today!  Your house will stand out and invite buyers to look inside.  

Want MORE Staging tips for the fall?  Contact me and we can create a holistic marketing strategy to attract more buyers and get you the maximum price for your property.  

Nothing like Fall in the Beautiful Brandywine Valley!  

- Madeline Dobbs, Realtor, Keller Williams Realty

(302) 489-9766 | (302) 299-1100

1521 Concord Pike, Suite 102

Wilmington, DE 19803

I just asked Sherwin-Williams!

"What's the most popular color to paint your house to sell? {in the beautiful Brandywine Valley DE/PA?}

That's the question I asked Mike at Sherwin-Williams in North Wilmington. Without hesitation, he went straight for this card ....

Ready?... For three years in row... The #1 Choice is...

Kilim Beige <<<<-------------👯👯👯👯👯👯

My autocorrect insists it Kilimanjaro, but it isn't!!-- Take that iPhone!  

Before you go buying paint, call me and let's discuss a holistic marketing strategy to get your house SOLD!  Don't you want MORE? 

Here's a sneak peek at the Sherwin-Williams 2015 Color Forecast: http://www.sherwin-williams.com/wcm/idc/groups/public/@swpublic/@sherwin-williams/@content/documents/webcontent/mdaw/mdqx/~edisp/sw-pdf-clrmix2015.pdf

Easy Like Sunday Morning!

As a Realtor in the beautiful Brandywine Valley of DE/PA, my research includes touring homes to provide first-hand knowledge about properities and neighborhoods.  When I came across this home at a recent Broker's Open House, I was captivated by the 2 acre property with breathtaking views of mature trees and rolling hills. Imagine enjoying your Sunday morning cup of coffee outside on this patio{pictured above} or inside the bright sunroom {view from inside pictured below} on a chilly fall morning like today.  Easy...Right?  Where is your "go to" location for your Sunday morning coffee?  

21 Days until Chuck's debut at The Great Pumpkin Carve!

21 Days 'til The Great Pumpkin Carve @TheChaddsFordHistoricalSociety ... Oh my!  

Just received the postcard that Chuck will be carving this year.  Lucky #21!  So only 21 days to decide what to carve....  any requests?  [ Chuck Dobbs is a talented ARCHITECT & ARTIST here in the Beautiful Brandywine Valley. ] This will be his 1st Giant Pumpkin Carve.  Told that the pumpkins weigh 200lbs on average.  Share your ideas with us... SOON:-)

The Great Pumpkin Carve 2013 Video

Plan to visit us and watch the carve on Thursday, October 23, 2014, 5 to 9 pm

How to Grow African Violets! [Mystery Solved]

Purple is the New Black in the Beautiful Brandywine Valley!

While taking a preview tour of an Open House last week, I came across this dazzling display of vibrant African Violets.  I've never had much luck in the past, but may be ready to try again!

The owner said the trick was in the pot, which allows her to water from the bottom.  Read more about this and a few others click here,   Tips to Grow Perfect African Violets!

Real Estate Staging Tip:  Fresh Flowers and Plants are a better choice than silk, dried or plastic. In a pinch, you can create a boutique with seasonal leaves and grasses, especially in the fall.

Amazing Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe!

Life in the Beautiful Brandywine Valley of PA/DE has its perks, especially when it's summer garden harvest time.  Remember: When life gives you too many Zukes, make Chocolate Zucchini Bread!

Adapted from a recipe by Thianda Manzara, PhD  

From Yucky to Yummy: Learning to Love Veggies A Collection of Vegetable Recipes from Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids 

Let's assume you made zucchini linguini, zucchini boats, zucchini tomato frittata, and your family has started grabbing dinner on the way home for fear of Z4DA!  (Pronounced zee-for-da; aka Zucchini for Dinner Again.) [And your neighbors pull down their blinds when they see you walking towards their house with another basket of baseball bat sized zucchini.]

What's next? Why not finish your harvest by making chocolate zucchini bread and freeze it for a rainy day?  

   

Here's what you'll need:
3/4 C sugar
1 C unsweetened applesauce
3 Tbs canola oil
2 Lg eggs                                                              

2 C flour
2 Tbs cocoa 
1 tsp cinnamon
1/14 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups finely shredded zucchini (approx. 1 regular or 1/2 lg)
2/3 C semi sweet chocolate chips
 *wet ingredients *dry ingredients *final additions
1.  Preheat oven 350'F (300'F convection)
2.  Use a little canola oil or spray to grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan.
3.  Mix sugar, canola oil, and eggs in a large bowl.  Stir in applesauce.
4.  In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients and mix well.
5.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients just until dry ingredients are incorporated.
6.  Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips.  
7.  Pour into pan and bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.  
8.  After cooling completely, bread may frozen to reheat later this fall!   Makes 12 servings.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread    

Curious about how to convert conventional to convection oven temperature and baking time? Check out this conversion calculator by clicking here.  

Still want MORE zucchini recipes? Try here.  

8 Things I can't get enough of from Whole Foods! {Birthday cake and other secrets revealed}

I was at a meeting last week when the subject of Whole Foods came up.  Turns out that most of my lunchmates had never shopped there, or maybe once.  They felt unsure about what to expect.  So, much like the masked magician, I decided to share my secrets in this blog.  Here are the 8 items that you may not be able to get enough of either:

1.  ORCHIDS : My "go-to" gift for every occasion.  Why buy cut flowers when orchids last for a couple months?  Only $19.99 or $14.99 on sale. 

2.   VEGAN VEGGIE RAVIOLI:  Trust me!  Sometimes I mix with other ravioli, sometimes NOT!  A family favorite and my secret weapon for impromptu dinner parties.  Serve with a sprinkle of cheese.  I learned to stock up at $5.99 a dozen, since they have been sold out a few times.

3.  HARVEST BREAD:  Slathered with hummus or PB&J :-) 

4.  ALMOND BUTTER:   My husband ONLY eats the fresh grind nut butters from Whole Foods.  He is a #nutterbuttersnob.  Can’t beat the price…really we tried!  Plus it's fun to DIY.

5:  PIZZA:  They are running what I call the "his & hers deal" 2 Lg Pies for $20.  Hers: Mediterranean vegan with mushrooms instead of sundried tomatoes; His: Regular with hot peppers & onions.  The ingredients are so high quality that it’s easy to forgive the wimpy crust.  I freeze the leftovers for a mood-lifting lunch.

6:  BIRTHDAY CAKE:  [AKA: fancy dessert]  I used to bake, but now I spend my time crafting cocktails and playlists thanks to the incredibly sumptuous bakery options.  ***** reviews on the  pistachio chocolate torte, organic carrot cake and mini cheesecakes (Buy 5 @$1.99 get 1 free.)  They are all so beautiful!  Did you know that they personalize for free?  If they cannot write on the cake itself, then they add a white chocolate banner.  Write something clever like “#That’swhatshesaid!? xo 

7:  SHAMPOO: They had me at “free samples” when I was passing through the aisle.  Now I only buy my shampoo | conditioner here, and usually purchase soaps, lotions and potions, too.  At Christmas time, they had candy cane sugar scrub.  I scooped a little into small deli containers and gave them out to my friends with a giant piece of peppermint bark (from the bakery section) as gifts.  Fun gift for about six bucks! 

8:  EXOTIC BEANS:  Truth- my kitchen is more like a lab, then a snack shack.  I like to experiment with recipes and new ingredients.  I find inspiration in the WF's bulk section.  Care for some Christmas limas or black chick peas? *Tip: buy a small amount to test, before you go bulk-wild.  

 8:  OLIVES: [Okay, I decided 8 was not enough.]  The olive selection is CrAzY:-)  See for yourself, if you decide to take my suggestion to try Whole Foods.  Have a beer while your there (oops... that's #9!)