All garage sales are not created equal. Nor are all garage sale seasons. At this point last year, my garage sale acquisitions had leaned decidedly toward creepiness. I had acquired two weathered iron candle holders. I had acquired several dirty corked bottles, that just begged to be filled with wolfbane and tana leaves. I had acquired a few old outdoor light fixtures, a couple of which fit nicely into my haunt.
And this year . . .
This year my one acquisition so far has been this circle-of-bats pillar candle holder. Including the candle. For 50¢. The only item I've encountered at a garage sale this season that is even slightly reminiscent of Halloween.
I was so excited, I just couldn't resist. Even if those bats look way too cute and happy.
I have discovered the secret to smoky, delicious hummus: sesame oil instead of tahini. Mmm! It makes for a really fun flavor.
Garlicky Hummus Ingredients
1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans -- lightly drained 1 tbl sesame oil 1 tsp olive oil Garlic, 2 cloves Salt, .5 tsp (or to taste) Juice of 1/2 a lemon Ground cumin seed, 1 tsp A pinch of Paprika
Directions Place all ingredients in a food processor. Grind thoroughly until the texture is smooth. If it is too dry, add a little bit of water 1 tsp at a time until it reaches a nice consistency.
Sprinkle with paprika and serve.
No vampire is going to attack you with garlic breath.
We just added some super hot new Bloody Mary eye shadows to the Gothic Eye Shadow collection. These are great new shades, perfect for hot summer nights out! They are popular colors and they go on smooth with rich color! Available in over 15 shades, including: Night, Purple, Lavendar, Electric Neon Blue, Flame Red, Fucshia, Black and Silver Glimmer, Metallic Gold, Emerald Neon Green & more!
Sitting in the hallowed halls of Colleen's studio, making bird dolls with fellow artists, Carol, Eleanore and Natalie, sharing techniques, vintage finds, family stories and delicious food was like living in a dream. We worked our little fingers to the bone but oh what fun we had. Just look at what we got to make!
If you ever have the opportunity to attend one of Colleen's doll making workshops do so. She is an incredibly gifted and generous artist who is extremely organized and has the patience of a saint. Twice now I've had the good fortune of being a guest in Colleen's magical home and both times I've come away walking on air.
With the Victoria Day weekend upon us, my thoughts turn to vegetable planting. And more specifically, to pumpkin planting. Although I am tempted to try planting basil again if only to see how many consecutive times I can fail. But I digress. Pumpkin planting time is almost upon us. Last year, I had started some seeds indoors by now. But we know how well that turned out. So this year, they're going directly into the soil outdoors. Soon. I've discovered that the professional growers plant on June 1st. It can't hurt to follow their lead.
In an effort to learn from last year's pumpkin crop disaster, I intend to alter my strategy this season. The majority of last year's pumpkin plants were located behind the house. An area that receives significant sunshine. But obviously not enough. Or at least that's what I have chosen to identify as the problem. The front of my house, on the other hand, receives constant, non-stop, blistering sun from morning until evening. I think the pumpkins might be happier there.
So I was thinking aloud and contemplating where in the front yard I might plant some pumpkins when I encountered an obstacle. A 5' 10", 46 year-old obstacle. My husband is horrified at the thought of growing pumpkins in the front yard. Even just a few strategically placed pumpkin plants. Absolutely not, he says. It will look horrible, he says. Yes, definitely an obstacle. But not an insurmountable one.
If there's one thing I've noticed in over 20 years with this person, it's his short attention span. He objects. He complains. He obsesses. And then he moves on. He forgets. I am confident that by June 1st, he will have completely forgotten our conversation about the pumpkin plants. And then I can quietly slip a few seeds into the front yard garden beds.
I'm hopeful that by the time he realizes there are pumpkins growing in the front yard, he will be overcome with admiration for my burgeoning pumpkin crop. And if this year's crop, like last year's, is less-than-stellar, we can pull up the failed plants together and drive to the nearest pumpkin farm.
Okay, I'm already changing my mind about a Halloween costume. In a stroke on inspiration and show brand loyalty... I think I really want to be Marceline the Vampire Queen.
It seems not so long ago that I was arranging play dates for my wee ones. And then in a blink of an eye they miraculously grew up and became every mother's dream of being self sufficient... (big, beaming smile)
So being on the eternal quest for finding balance, fairness and all that is good and right with the world, I decided to schedule a play date of my very own. And who better to play with than the sweet and gregarious master dollmaker herself, the one and only Colleen Moody.
Colleen is hosting a "workshop" slash play date in her lovely home studio on Saturday with a handful of lucky ladies (that would be me). She will be walking us through the steps and techniques for creating her sweet signature bird doll. I am positively giddy with bats in my belly! I felt like a kid in a candy store as I shopped for my fabrics and trimmings pictured above. Oh the possibilities...
Every time I glance at this rack of magazines, Hautedoll catches my eye. Except that I misread it as "Haunted Doll" and do a double-take. Not once. Not twice. More times than I care to admit.
I have a cupboard in my kitchen that, when my children were younger, was called "The Art Cupboard". Therein lived colouring books and crayons and paints and construction paper. It was a happy place. As time passed and they grew older, however, the art cupboard became the cupboard of rejects. Sure, it still housed some art supplies. Paint and brushes and glue mostly. But it also became the home of the forgotten and the incomplete. Unfinished Halloween projects, materials for ideas that never materialized and other random failures.
So my goal is to probe the depths of this cupboard and its counterpart, the backyard shed of rejects, and use whatever I can in the construction of this year's Halloween props. I am determined to purchase no new materials until the possibilities of the cupboard of rejects have been fully exhausted. In keeping with my Haunted Garden theme, this might mean flowers with foil petals, bats with felt wings, and butterflies with styrofoam eyes. So be it. Whatever it takes, the cupboard of rejects will be purged.
It was a lovely wedding. The bride and groom are both such sweet, smiling, gracious people. My husband and I could not be happier for them ; we're both glad we got to go, wish them well, and dance our wee little toes off!
There were tons of great moments and personal touches, but the greatest part EVER?! ... Natalie totally followed up on a suggestion I made for his groom's cake:
You'd never guess it to look at him, but James is one of the biggest Star Wars lovers I have ever met. Given my friend base, that's really saying something! Does he have an amazing wife, or what?
CONGRATULATIONS NATALIE AND JAMES! We can't wait to have you over for an "old married couples'" dinner. ;)
Yes, meeting Doctor Doom at Free Comic Book Day was a thrilling experience. But it also delivered a much-needed wake-up call. I need to get back to my costume-making plans, which have been on the back burner recently. My local scifi/comic con, not to mention Halloween, is creeping ever closer. Doom, you have been an inspiration.
This is so simple it's almost silly; all you need is a solid skirt (preferably black or white) and a contrasting, thick thread.
The long strands are pinned at the top of the skirt, and then each layer of the 'webbing' is pinned to the skirt to let it fall in a scalloped pattern.
I think the idea is that now I have to answer questions:
1.Have you ever been skydiving? Emphatically NO; I have a childish fear of heights.
2.What's the worst excuse you have ever made to get out of work? "[Boss's name], I'm going home. I have a headache and more importantly I just don't want to be here today."
Although my father did write me a good excuse for school once -- it went as follows: "Please excuse Carrie's absence from school yesterday. She was abducted by aliens. We found her returned under a pile of laundry in her room."
3.Skyclad or Clothed?
Dressed, please. :)
4.How many pairs of shoes do you own?
11, including my rain boots and skulls with santa hats tennis shoes. Over half of them are shoes my mom bought me so I'd look more "professional."
5.What's your favourite drink?
At the moment: Texas Margarita, on the rocks no salt.
6.Name the title of the book nearest to you.
Fool by Christopher Moore
7.What was your favourite toy as a child?
My teddy bear
8.Would you ever ride a mechanical bull?
Sure! But I'd probably not last long.
9.What was your favourite subject in senior/high school?
English Literature
10.Have you ever gone to the store in your pajamas?
The better question would be: do you ever go to the store not in your pajamas?
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I shall pass on the love and award the award sometime soon. But tonight, my brain is mush and I'm fresh out of questions. :)
Does this really work? I'm dying to try it. The fancy wall elements you see in the picture are actually photocopies decoupaged onto the wall with wallpaper glue. It sounds like they photo copies were made, and the designer then hand-painted any extra depth or color.
It sparkles. It drips with shiny things. It's covered in blood red roses. I LOVE IT (!).
If gold and glittery isn't your thing, try imagining it with strings of shiny black beads and silver branches. Or a high-gloss black branch with silk purple flowers. The possibilities are elegantly endless.
I've been on a nostalgic Jem kick for the last few days. Yes, Jem and the Holograms is the show of my childhood (that and Batman) -- it was their Halloween episode that always stood out the most:
Part 1 - Trick or Techrat
I'm starting my Halloween costume planning NOW; I had a lot of fun and success the one other time I tried to be a known character for Halloween (Bellatrix), so maybe this year I'll forgo my beloved creeps and ghouls and go for something "truly outrageous."
Dress - Jem wears a pink faux-wrap dress with 3/4 length sleeves.
Burda has a decent pattern here (you'll have to sign up, but the pattern is a free printable -- it's a one-size only. I'm not saying it's the best or only option out there, just that's it's free and a great start!). One more note: Jem's skirt is short and asymmetrical (it's longer on her right side than her left).
You'd need to find a shiny pink fabric for the dress; something sparkly would be nice -- take note that the pattern is intended for a knit fabric.
Jem's Hair - Buy a long, blond wig (or pink, if you can find one). If it already has a lot of volume and rock-star layers, great! If not, you'll need to carefully cut it so it has long bangs and chunky layers. You'll want it to be (light) pink -- you can 'dye' a synthetic wig by coloring it with sharpie markers, though it takes time. You may want to just color chunky little streaks to save yourself time but still get the right feel (see the Make-up video for a reference -- this can look really great!).
Make-up - Jem's Make-up is pretty straight-forward. You need pinks for your lips and eyes, maybe a soft brown for your eyebrows. If you're more daring and complex with your make-up, try the video tutorial below:
Belt - she wears several colors, all the same style. White or Silver are the best options. If you're not much of a sewer (because heave knows there is no pattern floating about for this that I can find), tie a triangle of fabric around your waist with the long end on your left hip. Cut the back edge to give it fringe.
Earrings - the Jem Star earrings are definitely the most important piece to the costume. Jem can literally not be Jem without them. Sparkly, large, red stars:
Shoes - heels! pink to match the dress, or white. If you can't find pink shoes to match your dress, may I suggest decoupaging some old ones with pink paper or leftover fabric? We've talked about this before, but pink glitter is also an option.
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And there you go. My starting point for turning into Jem on the 31st of October.
The Halloween artists of EHAG have set aside their vibrant color palettes and challenged themselves to a create a spooky piece of Black and White themed art. You will find these one-of-a-kind BLACK & WHITE FRIGHT pieces on ebay, etsy and various blog sites. Have fun haunting! • • • • • SPOOKY SQUEEZEBOX SERENADE Email me for purchasing information. • • • • • SPRINGTIME GIVEAWAY The very talented PFATT artists are at it again! Stop by the PFATT blog for a chance to win one-of-a-kind Spring inspired art.
At this time of year, I traditionally become obsessed with my garden. Raking and weeding. Moving plants and dividing perennials. Fertilizing and mulching. Frequenting plant sales and garden centres in search of new additions. Not that I have room for many new additions; I have a small yard, and each year a little more lawn is sacrificed to the cause. Some plants grow more successfully than others. Shrubs love me; vegetables, not so much.
My springtime gardening obsession, however, typically loses momentum by midsummer. When I become more interested in sitting on the deck than digging in the dirt. By then, my enthusiasm has dwindled. I no longer care that bugs are devouring my roses. Or that the leaves of my lilac bushes are turning brown. Or that my "fail-proof" basil crop has failed for yet another year. I want to care. But in the heat of August and in the anticipation of autumn, I don't.
But this year, I have decided to make this late-season apathy my friend.
So rather than struggling to summon the interest and energy required for the autumn tasks of pruning, mulching, and general tidying up, I have decided to do absolutely nothing. Instead, I have decided to allow the decrepit appearance of my garden in October to create a natural backdrop for a haunted garden theme this Halloween. This is a theme that creates itself. Perennials will be withered and dried and listing weakly over patches of bare earth. Shrubs will have become shriveled shells of their former selves. Mulch will have broken down or blown away, exposing clods of weed-infested soil. Limp vegetable plants will provide a long-dead memory of what might have been. I expect it will be ideal. The best part, of course, is that I will feel no nagging guilt. No little voice in my head telling me to get out there and make the yard at least semi-presentable. No, it'll all be part of the plan.
I'll create my own additions to the garden, of course. The trees should fit in nicely. I may be able to cobble those old science fair backboards into something resembling a garden shed. And I'm currently working on turning an old papier mache mask experiment into some lovely Halloween flowers.
This could work. I'm feeling less apathetic already.
Darker Red Nail Polish (you could mix red and black, as is done in the tutorial)
Black Nail Polish
Clear Nail Polish
A make-up sponge
This would make a beautiful manicure for a vampire bride. Or for your next Zombie Pub Crawl costume, ladies and gentlemen.
If wanting this to look glamorous, I would suggest finding a really thick-drying top coat. Or doing several layers of the clear coat, letting it dry completely between takes. The reds will be very textured, and this will help smooth out the look.
One of my favorite people in the world -- in fact, the lovely lady who made my wedding dress -- has an exciting new job. She works for Fabric.com!!
Let's bring that thought full-circle in terms of the blog: the fabric for said dress also came from Fabric.com, and it was a perfectly nice online purchasing experience for me. This was before she worked there. It's a job that totally suits her.
Anyway, this post is just to gush about the fabulous friend who makes dresses and her amazing new job.
Because she works there, I've been taking a slow stroll through their site. Majorly liking it. They have a blog and a YouTube channel showing off their deals, giving tips, and suggesting projects. There are a few free patterns, and I'm hopeful that her cool influence brings some interesting (if not spooky) projects to the forefront.
Did I mention this is the friend whose living room is painted purple and black with Haunted Mansion and Nightmare Before Christmas accents?
Anyway, have fun finding fabrics from the lazy comfort of your computer chair:
-- how sweet! They are a free download from Celeste Rockwood-Jones.
Tutorial on how to what to do to put together your own custom-labeled box of chocolates after printing out these templates is found above.
They are a lovely and sweet way to customize the little mini candy bars you can buy so many of around Halloween. Time consuming, but possibly worth it if you want to make a really personalized gift.
Except... I don't like pink unless it comes padded with lots of black. So I remade them with my own touch. Download some black and orange versions Hershey's mini wrappers below:
When you see this chic black chandelier, do you swoon? Yes? Me too.
I need a black chandelier with lots of dangly bits and bothers. It would be perfect in my... I don't even know what room to put it in. I already picked new light fixtures before seeing this project, and I don't think my Husband is going to let me spray paint any of them a shiny black.
And adding mardi gras beads? Out of the question.
But let's just say I found a crazy old chandelier in a second hand shop of some kind, or that someone was throwing out when remodeling... well, we could probably find a place for it. right?
I'm sorry, friends. I don't care for Twilight. At all.
Still, this is an amazing wedding (found at the Hostess Blog - don't miss Part 1 , nor Part 2). It so green and earthy; the combination of rustic and elegant is overwhelmingly romantic.
An outdoor wedding using greenery and a few exquisite candelabras would make me swoon.
Or maybe just a nice dinner party with this setup? Perfect for an intimate evening.
