Its 14 Days 'Til Valentine's Day! Do You Know Where or What Your Present Is?

Here's a great idea for a Valentine's Day present:

Something that both of you can enjoy. . .

A Cupid Cutie Costume!



We have a number of different costumes available that fit the Valentine's Day theme! Check out al the Valentine's Day costumes available at AnniesCostumes.com!

Check out Cheryl & Co for some fresh baked Valentine gifts!

Fabulous 40's Style Dress

I find Craftster horrific to navigate - but it's filled with so many fantastically talented people showing off such amazing creations that I just can't pull myself away.

Take this 40's Style Dress, for instance, by thelovecats.

She drafted it from a pattern detail on VintageSewing.info - I'm sure it was a painstaking process, but the result is enviable. It is one of the sexiest dresses I have ever seen.

Really makes me wish I was better at sewing. But learning is what the internet is all about:

• Sewing Book: Free Online Lessons
• About.com: Free Sewing Lessons
• PatternsThatFitYou.com Free Instructions
  

Some Random Thoughts, and one Cool Picture

I wish I had the talent to draw something like this - really, it's beautiful. I wish I remembered where I found this picture, so I could give credit where it is deserved (if you know, please tell me - I feel bad stealing but I really want to share the image):

That's what most people really look like on the inside; a tangle of dark, groping, tentacle bits. We come from the water (just like the Toadies said), we are made up mostly of hyrdrogen and oxygen bonds, and when we die we will be dust. All things considered, we are a messy bunch.

Don't let the bread sop you up and finish you off before you dry out naturally. It's a new day and a new chance to cause a ruckus. That's what I keep telling myself: live for today. There's no guarantees in 'tomorrow.' You might not make it that far, and even if you do - it probably won't be what you expect.

Gargoyles of Notre Dame

That's me, left, on my yearly October pilgrimage to DisneyWorld. If I look my worst it's because I was tired and hot and sweaty and the French section's waiting area did not have enough benches for everyone's butts.

But they did have a reproduction of one of the Gargoyles of Notre Dame. Or more appropriately, maybe this one is a chimera (...side note: do you pronounce the "ch" in this word as a hard "K" or as a soft "SH"? ...I ask because in school we used "Chimeras," and my professor always always always pronounced it opposite of the greek - gah! Damn you Chimera and your Perfect Lighting).

Which looks an amusing lot like one of the gargoyles I see each night while walking my dog (right).

How cute is that? My neighborhood features several gargoyles for no discernible reason. I love it.

favourite ghost stories: the citadel well

When planning a trip to an unfamiliar city, one of the first things I do is find a local ghost walk. I enjoy listening to "true" ghost stories and legends, especially when I can stand at or near the place where the story originated. Walk in the footsteps of the ghosts (when ghosts are kind enough to leave footprints).


Fortunately, one of my favourite places to hear ghost stories is conveniently close to home. Within the stone walls of an old military fort on a hill that rises up out of the centre of Halifax. Bleak, damp, windowless rooms; narrow, crumbling tunnels; high stone walls; a long and harsh, often cruel, military history. The Citadel is a haven for restless spirits. And a lantern-lit walk inside its walls on a dark and cold October evening has become a Halloween tradition.


One of my favourite stories dates back to the mid-1800's when the Citadel was home to the British regiment, the 78th Highlanders. The story goes that a fire broke out in one of the fort's barracks and soldiers hurried to the wells for water to extinguish it. In the aftermath, a roll-call was conducted and one soldier was discovered to be missing. Not surprising. It was believed that he had used the chaos of the fire to his advantage and deserted. He was probably stowing away aboard a ship in the harbour at that moment. Time passed. Soon there were suggestions that the well, from which the fort obtained its drinking water, should be inspected and perhaps, cleaned. Apparently, the water tasted a little . . . odd. And it was then that the body of the missing soldier was found. What remained of him was pulled from the well, recognizable only by the remnants of his uniform. Did he accidentally fall in during the rush to put out the fire? Or was he deliberately pushed? He wasn't talking. But through the years since, Citadel guards have witnessed the lonely figure of a soldier in the uniform of the 78th Highlanders. He walks quietly back and forth . . . back and forth . . . along the ramparts above Casement 18. The location of the long-abandoned well.

One World One Heart Giveaway

One World - One Heart. It's the brainchild of Lisa Swifka of

A Whimsical Bohemian. The idea behind this event is for bloggers
to connect with artists from around the world sharing stories,
creations and giveaways. For a chance to win this Mini Valentine
Crow simply leave me a comment below before midnight
on Feb. 11. I will announce the winning name on February 12th.
Click on the FOLLOW THIS BLOG link just to the left
of this post to receive further event notices and updates.

Cupcake Vertigo: Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes

These are probably the best cupcakes I have ever made. People really seem to like the icing, which is fascinating since I f'd it up royally. Between the swirly decoration and the sugar buzz people are getting off of them, I'm calling them "Vertigo Cupcakes."

Here's the order I followed when making them:

1. START THE ICING FIRST - it has to cool. We'll get into this in further down the page.
2. Chocolate decorations - Sure, you could make them while waiting on your cakes to bake, thus feeling like you saved time -- but did I mention that the icing has to cool completely?
   
3. Make the Cake

BLACK MAGIC CUPCAKE RECIPE
I did not alter this recipe in any way other than bake times for the smaller cakes: Black Magic Cake.

It made a perfect 24 cupcakes. I baked at the recommended 350^oF, and they were done withing 14-15 minutes for me (as usual, they are done with a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs).

SALTED CARAMEL ICING RECIPE
The original recipe can be found here. I made several adjustments, and had issues, so I'm going to walk you through it.

• 1 pound light brown sugar
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• added: 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
• added: 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• added: 1/2 tsp sea salt
  

1. In a medium, heavy saucepan, bring the sugar, cream, and vanilla to a rolling boil. Boil one minute.
2. Add soda, and boil one more minute.
3. Remove from heat. Add butter, but do not stir yet. Let the mixture cool. NOTE: Many commenters on this recipe had issues with the icing never taking shape -- I had this issue myself. I think this is the critical point where the problem arises - LET THIS STUFF COOL COMPLETELY. I hypothesize that letting it refrigerate overnight and possibly adding softened butter after this full cooling may help solve the problem. Haven't tried that, though.
4. Toss in the sea salt and beat well. If this mixture doesn't thicken, add in the confectioners' sugar a little bit at a time until it is a firmer consistency. Allowing it to cool completely will strengthen the icing, so don't feel the need to overdo it. Stir in pecans if desired.

People at my office loved the icing. Some loved it so much, in fact, that I may continue to make it the failure way - not letting it cool completely, adding the butter in while the caramel is still warm, putting a whole ton of extra sugar in, etc.

CHOCOLATE SWIRL DECORATION

• Prepare a cookie sheet with a sheet of wax paper
  
• Place chocolate chips in a little plastic bag
• Microwave for 30 sec - 1 minute, stir, then continue at 10 second intervals until fully melted
• Cut a little corner off the bag and squeeze chocolate spirals onto your wax paper - do this a little thick; they will be fragile regardless, but if they are thicker you have a better chance of them not breaking
• Refrigerate - once fully cooled and hardened (this takes minutes), use a thin metal spatula to gentle lift them off the plastic
• Garnish your cupcakes
  

Birth Mark Cover Up - As Seen on the Rachael Ray Show!

I am a huge fan of Rachael Ray and I actually DVR her day time talk show every day and watch it whenever I can. She cheers me up and always has such great guests and information. I was catching up on an episode from two weeks ago, which featured a recurring segment she has called "I Can't Stand My. . . " This episode, it was "I Can't Stand My Legs". One of her viewers has a wine colored birth mark on the back of her calf, and it has bothered her all her life and prevented her from wearing shorts and dresses. Rachael's buddy and cosmetics genius, Greta covered the birth mark with DermaBlend makeup, which completely covered the birthmark. Watch the video!

We here through our makeup site, StageandTheaterMakeup.com sell a very similar product: Kryolan Derma Color makeup. It is a fabulous product, covers birthmarks, covers tattoos, covers veins, covers blemishes and covers skin flaws of any kind.

Kryolan Derma Color has been around for years, its hypoallergenic and finally a solution for any skin flaws. Dermacolor will give your skin a flawless, beautiful, and vibrant appearance. This covers up anything and cannot be seen in person, up close or on TV and stage. Its very easy to apply with a sponge or your fingers and we recommend the setting powder to blend over shiny-ness and make the product smudge proof.

homemade memories

One Christmas season past, I found myself with time to spare and a shortage of ornaments for my tree. Since I was also experiencing a shortage of cash, I resolved to make some ornaments myself. I turned to my bookshelf, flipped through a recipe/craft/Christmas book, and found what I was looking for: instructions for baked dough ornaments. I mixed, kneaded, cut, baked, and painted. When I had finished, feeling creative and productive, I proudly hung my new ornaments on the tree.

And was promptly met with derisive laughter.

My homemade Christmas ornaments have been a running joke in my family ever since. Admittedly, they are . . . mediocre. No matter. I hang them on the tree faithfully every Christmas, while patiently explaining that my love for them has little to do with the ornaments themselves. Instead, I love them for the happiness and memories they evoke.

And so it is that this Halloween, I'll anticipate a new round of commentary. Because I've created a first collection of Halloween tree ornaments using the same tried and true method of years past. And come October, I'll patiently explain that it's not the ornaments themselves that I adore. It's the love of Halloween that is a part of each one of them. And if they continue laughing, I'll replace the miniature chocolate bars in their treat bags with raisins.

Creepy Cupcakes' 200th Post

This is the Creepy Cupcakes blog's 200^th published post. In honor of the occasion, I am taking a moment to explain this blog and its purpose.

Essentially, there isn't one.

It's been noted before that there aren't many "cupcakes" on the Creepy Cupcakes blog. The title actually refers to a concept I have always found amusing - the idea that something as cute, little, and sweet as a cupcake could ever be creepy. No matter how many tombstone cookies you add to it, a cupcake is still delightful.
Creepy Cupcakes is about that - the morbid Martha Stewart in me. It's all quite pleasant, even if I give it a dark twist. I bake, I decorate, I entertain friends and family, I plan my wedding; just like any stereotypical girl does. But I find it frighteningly impossible to do it the way the average girl would because I'm the type that thinks cupcakes are sweeter with skulls on top.

I am a cheery little weird flake, and my blog was established to indulge that fact. The things that make me shudder (like spiders) also make me smile. I giggle my head off in horror movies. When faced with spooky stuff my reflexive response is almost always 'oh how cute!' I am happiest surrounded by macabre humor.

I love that this forum allows me to make friends who find the Halloweeny side of life the most comfortable. Sharing chilling pictures or terror-ific ideas, building a community of diversely twisted minds--blogging is better than I imagined it could be.

(we found the picture this weekend looking through old family photos; it's my husband-to-be's cousin. color corrected a bit; original here)

Megan Fox: The New Wonder Woman?

There has been so much speculation over who will don the Wonder Woman costume in the new Wonder Woman movie. This movie has been so long in the "works" some of the initial front runners are already likely too old to play the role and some new Hollywood talent has emerged. The photo-shop genius over at Wonder-Who.com came up with this amazing Wonder Woman poster with Megan Fox as IMO the perfect Wonder Woman! You can also see a step by step slide show of how they did it!



In the mean time, we all wait with bated breath for the real details. Hopefully they actually consult these guys for the costume design, because that is hot!

Hurry Up, DC! We are not all immortal you know, we can't really wait forever!

GI Joe: New Movie, New Costumes!

The new GI Joe movie has been long awaited by so many. It is definitely one of the most anticipated movies of 2009. While the only official GI Joe movie trailer out thus far does not have any actual scenes, it still is pretty exciting. Get to know who's who, the actors and the GI Joe characters:


If you were anticipating green army fatigues and non- anatomically correct action figures, you've got another thing coming! The costumes - errr, hmm hmm - uniforms in this film are slick, sexy and sure to be coveted this Halloween!

Unrequited Love

In this time of chubby cherubs brandishing quivers of arrows,
Hallmark stores overflowing with all things red and pink,
and Chocolatiers and Florists feverishly working overtime,
let us not forget those poor, unfortunate souls suffering from
unrequited love. For centuries it has been the fodder
for Poets, Writers and Musicians. Unrequited love was the
Achilleas heel of Cyrano, Phantom, and Hunchback.
The portrayal of the stoic willingness to accept suffering of
such pitiful characters keeps the art industry alive.

"A mighty pain to love it is,
And 'tis a pain that pain to miss;
But of all pains, the greatest pain
It is to love, but love in vain."
ANACREON

Heart on a Chain (Follow-up)

Ages and ages ago (okay, maybe like a month or two back) I posted a heart necklace how to.

Then I promised someone a printable, but I knew I would have to redraw it or do some photoshop work to make that happen. And I was slow and lazy and didn't feel like sketching.

So, I didn't redraw it but I did use a photoshop brush that looks remarkably a lot like my illustration to call up a COLORED PRINT OUT. With all that red, it might make a very dense heart when it shrinks. I'm worried that it won't look good, but I can't try it myself for another week or two. SO PRINT AT YOUR OWN RISK.

As you'll see in the previous post, you can buy printable shrinky-dink paper and print this directly to it. Or you could print it to normal paper and trace it yourself onto the shrinky-dink plastic.

This printable should make a slightly-smaller-than-heart-sized heart.

ghosts on the water

You know it's really, really cold outside when you wake up to "sea smoke".

It would be wonderfully atmospheric to have this effect at Halloween, but not the temperatures that accompany it. It can be cold in late October, but not that cold. Thankfully.

Have a Heart

A Ghostly Valentine

salem art

While walking through the Bizarre Bazaar in Salem last fall, somewhere between the souvenir T-shirts booth and the fried dough stand, a display of Halloween-themed art caught my eye.

Much of Maryanne Piro's whimsical Halloween art involves witches, with the occasional jack-o-lantern making an appearance. I was able to spend some time meeting and talking with the artist herself. And of course, I bought a few favourite prints, which I finally got around to framing this week.

Proof of Too Much

I dreamed last night that I was killing innocent people to keep them from becoming zombies.

That's got to be proof that the 4+ hours yesterday spent playing with the Husband-to-Be was too much Dead Space.

On the up side, I mostly watched him and got lots of tatting done. Also, we beat the game and got the bad ass military ("level 6") suit.

Rock. On.

Hootie Hoo

Whooo loves you baby?
Hootie Hoo now available in Etsy.

Win A Date With Wolverine!

Spice up this Valentine's Day by bidding on the chance to win a date with the X-man himself, Hugh Jackman. 

Hugh Jackman is offering a chance for one winner and a friend to join him for a meal on the set of his new movie.  The auction is to benefit the New York Restoration Project in an effort to restore New York City's parks, community gardens and open spaces. 

The auction is open until February 12th and the bids start at $5,000 on CharityBuzz.

Reliquary Bust

Reliquary Bust of St. Antigius
Northern Italian (Brescia), ca. 1505-1510
Copper, silver, and gilded

This hollow bust originally would have held the the head of St. Antigius. Bust reliquaries were especially popular and helped lend p[???] to the saint's cult. When such busts were displayed to crowds of the faithful on the saint's feast day, worshippers (sic) would pray for the saint's protection or aid. They might be allowed to kiss the reliquary but could not touch the relics themselves. That rare privilege was reserved for high-ranking and wealthy individuals.



I thought this was rather neat; I took the picture at the High Museum on my birthday. I tried to type out the descriptive plaque as it appears, but at least one word was lost to me due to blur.

Not exactly Halloween related, and definitely not wedding related -- but I was interested in these so I'm sharing with you.
More history of this particular bust can be found here, at the V&A Museums' website. It talks about restoration of the item for traveling exhibition, as well as how the head and neck were intended to come out to allow easy access to the relics inside: in this case, quite possibly the saint's head.

More on Reliquaries.

Pictures of Head and Bust Reliquaries.

so many ornaments . . .

Okay, so having completed my Halloween tree, my mind turned naturally to ornaments for said tree. Invigorated by my tree-building success, I was eager to get started. But I had only nebulous ideas of what I wanted. Something creepy. But not too creepy. Something orange and black and white. But not too bright and cheery. And above all, something relatively easy to make. In other words, something that even I could do.

In search of inspiration, I turned to the magic of the internet. Link after link. Site after site. Image after image. And I found Halloween ornaments. An overwhelming array of Halloween ornaments. But . . .

----------

Some were too cute . . .

Some were too big . . .

Some were . . . just not quite what I had in mind . . .

Some were clearly beyond the scope of my creative talents . . .

And some just might work . . .

Thanks to fellow blogger Ghoul Friday for sending some ornament ideas my way. Her cookie cutter ornaments reminded me of Christmas ornaments I made once upon a time. Similar idea, different recipe. But they would be perfect. Time to get out the flour and salt.

Celebrating Hope and Freedom with a FREE Shipping Sale - This Week Only!

Picture from www.captainobama.com.
Home of the Captain Obama Superhero Toy!

We are celebrating and supporting our new president, Barack Obama!

The family here at Extreme Halloween support our country's new president and look forward with optimism. Help us celebrate hope, the future, and the freedom in America with our FREE Ground Shipping sale this week! This is a blog special and for this week only! Use coupon code FREEDOM during your online checkout to receive ground shipping for FREE. Minimum order to use the coupon is only $30.00 and this will expire next Tuesday, January 27, 2008.

The new year has also rung in at Extreme Halloween with new, low, LOW costume prices at AnniesCostumes.com. We are having a blowout after Christmas sale at www.SantaSuits.com.

Not ready for Halloween yet? That's ok, we are here for you for all holidays and seasons in between!

Upcoming costume holidays and events:

Valentine's Day is February 14th and why not dress up in something real sweet for the holiday?

Mardi Gras is Feb 24, 2009! MardiGrasCostumes.com features costumes, beads, masks and novelty items!

Purim is March 10, 2009!Purim is a Jewish holiday celebrated by dressing in costumes.

St. Patrick's Day is another hot holiday for us, promote costumes, beads, hats, and more! St. Patrick's Day is March 17, 2009!

EasterBunnyCostumes.com features over 30 bunny mascots. Easter is April 12, 2009!

Also look out for a Renaissance Fair near you and be prepared to attend in full Renaissance garb!

the halloween tree

When my children were very young, they loved the idea of having Christmas trees in their bedrooms. A small tree for each of them to decorate with lights and with their own favourite ornaments. Why not? So off we went to the nearest Christmas tree retailer and returned with two miniature trees.

The trees were promptly erected and decorated and for years they stood proudly in their respective rooms, shining brightly throughout the holiday season, serving as night lights for their owners during the long dark weeks of December. New ornaments were added each year. Snowmen. Rudolph. Star Wars M&M's. The little trees seemed well on their way to becoming a lasting tradition.

But then, one year . . . the trees languished in their boxes a little longer than usual and when they did emerge, were not decorated with the usual fervour. New ornaments remained unopened, and some nights the lights were simply left dark. Finally, this past December, despite the best of intentions, it became clear that the little trees were no longer wanted. They had been relegated to the world of Christmas Past. But the story doesn't end there. No. In fact, that is only the beginning.

Faced with the task of disposing of the rejected trees, I took the only logical course of action. I turned them into a Halloween tree. For a couple of years now, a Halloween tree has appealed to me, but any time I encounter one for sale, it has a horrifying price tag hanging from it. So why not create my own. But how? Should I just leave them as they were and paint them black? And did I want really want two small trees or . . .

A brief attempt was made at joining the trees vertically to create one larger tree, but soon the realization set in that, despite bendable branches, I was on the road to disaster. And then I had another idea. I reached for my wire cutters. At this point, a voice in my head said, "Stop! Maybe you should plan first." Indeed, many projects have fallen victim to my 'cut first, think later' approach. So I drew a quick sketch of the sort of tree I had in mind. Then I picked up my wire cutters. Sadly, one of the trees was required to sacrifice itself for the enhancement of the other, but now they are united as one taller, stronger specimen. A little cutting here. A little twisting there. A little black paint everywhere. And Santa himself wouldn't recognize them.

So the two little trees, now joined as one, stand proudly once again, awaiting appropriate adornment. Which means my next project will obviously have to be tree ornaments. Star Wars M&M's and snowmen just don't seem suitable.

the Looney Tunes years

One of my (many) works-in-progress, and one that is finally nearing completion, is the digitization of my albums of old photographs. As time permits, I've been gradually scanning these years of memories and adding them to my folders of more recent digital photographs.

And eventually, I arrived at some old Halloween photographs . . .

So where am I in this photograph? Am I the brightly attired, deceptively cheerful, evil clown? No. Perhaps then I am one of the menacing trio in black? Nope. No, I am none other than Sylvester the cat, standing incongruously in the midst of this sinister-looking Halloween group.

I can't help but marvel at my choice of costume back then, particularly since I usually lean toward the creepier, more traditional costume choices. Witches. Vampires. Monsters. Sylvester? The choice of costume originated with a room-mate of mine that year who had some ability with a sewing machine and who was creating a Minnie Mouse costume for herself. It looked impressive, and when she offered to sew a costume for me, I was intrigued. There were patterns for other costumes (albeit smiley happy ones) and I picked one. And Sylvester the Halloween cat was born.

The costume had its advantages. It was certainly warm, at a time of year that can be frigid and blustery. And it was popular, widely admired and occasionally borrowed. And it didn't disappear after just one Halloween. No, Sylvester was a fixture at Halloween parties and events for several years, fitting in nicely with these clearly un-creepy groups of revellers. Perhaps it was their influence that kept Sylvester coming back.

Eventually, I returned to my traditional Halloween costume choices, where I have remained ever since. But the Sylvester costume will always have a special place in my heart. A reminder of a time I look back upon as the Looney Tunes years.

The Happiest Day of my Wedding Planning Life

It's so beautiful; I might cry. Thank you, Obscure Hollow, for sharing the knowledge of the lovely picture (screen right).

I have been angrily mulling over the unfairness that specialty stamps are issued, they live a short life, and they are gone -- thus keeping me from the Monster Movie stamps I so coveted for my wedding invitations.

But I did not curse the heavens for my woes, and yea they have provided me with something even more fitting.

The most morbidly romantic man on earth is 200-years-old as of Monday, and his reward for a troubled life is a legacy of enviable work and his portrait on a specialty stamp. A stamp that I want to grace the invitations to my wedding.

Oh please, please, please fate: let me convince the husband-to-be and the mother-of-the-bride that this is a worthy and necessary purchase before something terrible happens and they are no longer available.

Now Playing: My Bloody Valentine 3-D

This Valentine's Day, take your sweetie to see My Bloody 

Valentine 3-D! 

While you're in the V-Day mood, browse our selection of 

Valentine's Day costumes. 

February 14th is just around the corner, celebrate in style 

with Annie's Costumes!

Incongruent Feather Mask

A quick review of the Creepy Cupcakes blog will reveal that Carrie Mae has a love affair with masks. All kinds of masks.

Using the second of several blank mask forms I made for myself ages ago, this one with a 'winged' shape, I covered it in feathers using hot glue, and for no explainable reason stuck a spider in the middle:


I really think hot glue spider webbing is in order now. Just covered in webbiness.

Background, for those of you who are new and the others of you who (understandably) dont memorize my every post:

Awhile back I made about five blank mask templates out of paper mache. More information about where I found the blank and what I did is here, but the essential 'how to' is that I used a paper cut-out duplicated several times on newsprint, took advice from Stolloween's site on what kind of mache paste ingredients he uses and made my own recipe, layered the newsprint masks on top of one another covered in mache paste, and let them dry on top of a styrofoam dummy head so they'd have a nice mask shape. Simple and cheap, right?

The first result of that night's efforts was the Long-Nosed, Faux-Venetian mask. This is the second mask. Less involved, but really light and comfortable to wear.

The feathered mask is tied on with black ribbon. It tickles my nose when I breath in, but it's so delightfully soft!

Another of these same mask templates is in process of becoming a stick mask with a witch's face. This is my first experiment with making my own paper mache clay. Hope it ends well! So far, so fun.