Stamping & Scrapbooking

Do you remember when you were a kid and you got to pick out a costume every Halloween?

Even if it wasn't a new costume, the fun of putting something together with some dress-up clothes and Mom's makeup was so much fun (I'm sure I'm not the only one who put on every necklace my Mom would let me get my hands on and try for the early Madonna look).

We've all gotten updated pictures of family and friends at Christmas time, but why not for Halloween?

My sister plans ahead and takes a picture of my nephew every year and sends copies out with her Halloween cards. It really means alot to us because she lives a couple hundred miles away, and we miss seeing him in his costume.

A few items to consider when taking your Halloween photos:

• If you don't have your child's costume ready yet, just go to a pumpkin stand and set up a cute photo with hay, corn stalks and pumpkins (and this idea doesn't cost you a dime)
• Better yet, take a family photo (costumes optional) in the middle of a pumpkin patch
• If your taking pictures of a pet in costume, have a treat ready and your finger ready to snap the picture. I usually pour a glass of wine before I do this with the dog, because it always turns into a 45-minute episode of me chasing the dog around the house.
• If you aren't taking pictures ahead of time to send, take some time a few days before Halloween to have a dress-rehearsal and get some shots for your scrapbook or photo albums. You might miss the opportunity to take some good photos of your children if they are excited and rushing out the door on Halloween night.
• If you decorate the exterior of your house, take some pictures of that as well. That is one of the things that I remember from my childhood, and I wish I had some pictures of it.