24 Days Until Halloween: SPIDER MOVIES

This is the last time, I swear. After this, no more spider-centricity. I want to leave you with a few creepy-crawly films to watch if you're feeling spooky this weekend (*'d ones were instant-watchable on Netflix earlier this week). Spiders do not necessarily equal fantastic horror, but as I am genuinely scared of the things --- eww, eww, eww.

• Tarantula (1955)
• Earth vs. the Spider (1958)
• The Giant Spider Invasion (1975)
• Kingdom of the  Spiders (1977)
• Arachnophobia (1990)
• MST3K: Mystery of Spider Island (1999)*
• Spiders (2000)
• Spider 2: Breeding Ground (2001)*
• Arachnid (2001)*
• 8 Legged Freaks (2002)
• Arachnia (2003)
• In the Spider's Web (2007)*
• Ice Spiders (2007)
• The Mist (2007) - I don't know if outer-dimensional spiders count, but this movie gave me a lasting case of the icks.

That was all the research on Creature Features I could muster on spiders; after that I started feeling the twitch of, 'is something crawling on me?!' panic.

And keep in mind I said these were spider movies. I did not say they were all good spider movies.

25 Days Until Hallowen: SPIDER DECOR

Cobweb Candles

My own horror at spiders has been long-lived. Since childhood, I have been petrified of anything arachnid, though absolutely fascinated with anything Halloween.

In my smallish, southern town people were always split as to whether Halloween was a "Christian" thing to celebrate, and either as a result or because we all lived so far apart in the country there were very few yard haunters.

Except this one house: they had a massive spiderweb made of ropes that they kept up year round. I loved driving by there. Around Halloween more props would come out, and a massive spider would sometimes get added to the mix. I loved it, maybe in part because I was so scared of the things.

Centsational Girl's Mantel

We're almost at the close of spider-friendly posts (thank all that is good in the world), but to cap off what you might need to throw a really terrifying spider party, here are some great decor ideas for you!

• Centsational Girl's Mantel 
• Make your own Spider Picture Frame
• Insect Chandelier  - speaking of this, a little bit of fishing wire attached by hot glue to some black plast spiders would be smashing hanging down from a cobweb-covered light fixture!
• Martha Stewart Cobweb Candles
• Spider Tree Ornament
• Spider Porch from Martha Stewart 
• Spider Sentry - My personal favorite from that issue was the Spider Egg Sac. Yuck, yuck, yuck!!
• Spiderweb Tablecloth with PomPom spiders 
• Pumpkin-carved Spiders 
• Squash Carved Spiders 



Spider Egg Sac

• Musty Wreath with Spiders from Martha Stewart
• Pepper Design's Spider Webs: 6 Ways
• DIY Spider Web Plate
• Spider Cutout Garland (slide 4 of 18)
• Grandin Road Outdoor Spider with Flashing Eyes
• Foam Ball Spiders
• Spider Window Panels
• Spider Web Door Mat

26 Days Until Halloween: SPIDER DRINKS

To add to the spider menu of earlier this week:

• Make a licorice spider to garnish drinks; black rimming sugar makes it extra-creepy. Step-by-step how-to at the link. Thank you, Martha Stewart!
• Black Widow Cocktail
• A Different Black Widow CocktailSpider Punch***
• Spider Bite 
• Spider Brain Kids' Cocktail*** 
• SKYY Black WidowSpider Cider*** 
• White SpiderSpider's Kiss
• Kahlua Cobweb
• Spider's Web

No wait, this one is for real (FROG QUEEN DO NOT CLICK): Tarantula Cocktail. As in: a cocktail made with a tarantula. *shudder*


***Alcohol-free

 (more Halloween cocktails)

Halloween Gift Basketry

Gift Baskets for Halloween

Being a married adult now, I understand that the sending of gifts on occasion is somewhat requisite. It never occurred to me, though, that I could use the internet to gift Halloween baskets both near and far!

Even without the intent to order online, these make some great inspiration for gift baskets you could make up inexpensively yourself:

Halloween Bucket Planters (ProPlants)

Mrs. Fields Pumpkin Tote

Halloween Dipped Strawberries?!
I must make some

Simple, yet effective

Wine Country

The last of all these borrowed pictures is particularly inspiring to me -- you could make a gourmet Halloween treat basket, themed after spooky spirits or vampires or whatever strikes your fancy. If you couldn't find a suitably spooky wine on your own, there are always printable labels:

• My Wedding Labels (re-worked from Martha's)*
• Clean and Proper labels (For the less spooky among you)*
• Love Manor (if you haven't visited this photostream yet, please know you'll love it. That's why I'm not taking you straight to the labels)

27 Days Until Halloween: SPIDER COSTUMES

I think the Frog Queen is totally ready for me to move off of spiders... I can't blame her. I'm not sure I can take it much longer myself! Did I mention spiders terrify me?

Since Halloween is about scary, there is nothing scarier to me than spiders. Except maybe animatronics. Or maybe animatronic spiders... Dear. Goodness. NO. That would set my Frankenstein Complex just over the edge.  (*searches the internet for less than a second and returns with this* -- oh good, my nightmares realized)

My vision for a Halloween spider costume does not involve becoming the spider. Hell no, it involves my worst nightmare of being covered head-to-toe in the things! Since I haven't actually had the guts to make one yet, I'll give you the breakdown of my some-Halloween-far-far-in-the-future plans:

• Buy little plastic spiders
• Make a wig out of chicken wire, wig base, black wig hair, and then cover it with cobwebbing. This could either be achieved with hot glue webbing or with the stuff you buy for your house, but it should look like spiders are nesting on your head. Gross. - oh sure, this part sounds easy -- but my vision of a spider-covered Marie Antoinette wig is a little grandiose to be sure)
• Glue spiders to the wig (this lady did a good job at spidering her hair - that's what I'd be going for)
• Glittery black dress or wispy white one, also covered in spiders 
• Cobweb shawl - made in black or white with cheesecloth, to contrast against the dress color choice
• Skin covered in spiders
• Dramatic makeup

But, since I'm not brave enough (nor do I have enough free time this year) to make that, here are some quick, fun spider costume ideas:

Spiderweb Mother and Spider Baby 

...Of course, you don't need a baby for the above. You could just as easily create an 8-"legged" black wrap to go around you, or wear a shirt with a spider motif.

Spider Dog

• Another Spider Costume Idea From Martha Stewart
• Spider Princess Costume
• Teal and Lime - Super Cute, fuzzy child's spider costume
• Spider web braids for a little girl
• Hahaha - spider bun hairstyle for a little girl (or for me -- I'm doing this, y'all, just as soon as I buy some googly eyes)
• Spider hat (this year target is selling spiders that would cling to your head, I'll wager -- just an fyi)
• If you are talented with drawing and liquid eyeliner - spider eye make up option 1 and option 2
• For the visionary with time to make cool things, this is great inspiration

28 Days Until Halloween: SPIDER FASHION

This is dorky and girly, but I can't help myself. I need to go shopping for new clothes in the worst of ways, so I'm going to devote at least one post per 'creature' this month on using scary to inspire the wardrobe.

For 'spiders,' I was thinking that lots of draped cobwebs and black-widow colors would fit the bill. Lots of crochet and lace.

Spiderwebbed by phantompoe

And of course, a cobwebby wrap:

Spider Shawl with How-to From Martha Stewart

• Spider Web Skirt*
• Webby Shirt*

I also found a lot of cobweb inspiration for fashion dating back to the Victorian era; but 'spooky' prints seem to have hit a fad even in the 50's. I have to re-find some of my research and bully it into a proper post sometime.

Happy Hauntings, y'all!

(Also: deep breaths -- we'll be out of the spider phase of my blog very soon!)

29 Days Until Halloween: SPIDER INSPIRED FOOD

Look, I can't talk about how much this even freaks me out as a concept. So look at all the pictures and click on the links if you are a braver soul than I, but this should give you some good ideas for starting  a spider-themed food display!

I'm terrified at spiders. That might be why I thought they'd make a decent Halloween theme--truly freaking scary. Looking at these gives me the heebie-jeebies.

Coming Soon: DRINKS 


Breakfasty Foods
Spider Egg Display

Spiders instead of centipedes (picture right), and coupled with spider eggs.

Spider Eggs










Desserts
Spider Cupcakes

Spider Spun Candy *
Candy Spiders
Spider Cakes
Bat and Cobweb Cookies
No Bake Spider Cheese Cake
Red Velvet Spider Cupcakes

Party foods/Snacks/Appetizers
Spider toothpicks - While not 'food' in the strictest sense, if you insert these toothpicks in mozzarella balls you could totally bill them as spider egg sacs! How evil is that?Caramel Cobwebs and Licorice Spiders - severed with delicious chocolate and caramel or pumpkin cake, or on top of the cupcake of your choice. Delicious!

Spider Pizza Spread

Black Widow Cheese Log











Dinner/Meals
Creamy Tomato Soup with Spider Web Topping
Fajita Spider Pizza 
Spider Roll


More Spider Recipes from Kraft

Hungry for Halloween

Just had a fantastic, non-spooky breakfast. Much to my chagrin.

from Southern Living

Last week, however, I did make Pumpkin Sticky Bun Muffins (from this month's Southern Living). They were delightfully fall! I cut the sugar in almost half, but they were still delicious.

Mr. Breakfast has some decent Halloween ideas you could try out this month. He also has a page devoted to the 23 Halloween Themed Breakfast Cereals.

And the skull-and-bones breakfast is a must for those of you who like bacon and eggs.

Chicago Tribune suggested a really fascinating, unique breakfast menu (waaaaay back in 1993). It includes an adult drink, Cider Diablo (ingredients below and recipe at the link), that sounds uh-may-zing! I found the menu listed over at the Halloween Forums and the names of the recipes sounded so fun I just had to track them down (so I did).

• 1/2 cup sugar 
•  1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
•  1/4 teapoon ground cloves 
•  4 cups unfiltered apple cider, heated to a boil 
•  2 long strips lemon rind 
•  1/2 cup brandy, optional 
•  2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

There is a thread suggesting Vegetarian-friendly brunch options over at Chowhound; some inspiration to be found there, but no recipes.

Sweet Potato Donuts sound tasty. Gnocchi Tater Tots don't sound very Halloweeny, but they are kind of orange and might be nommy. And with that, I know I'm diverging from the topic at hand and just getting hungry again...

Later, ghoulies!

[more at Recipe Source: Halloween]

Halloween 2011: The (un)Living Room

Halloween 2011: The Dining Room

 Damn, those spiders are BAD this year. They've covered everything in webbies!

Oh well, at least Uncle Irvin's potrait looks happy ... in the reflection (don't you just love those cheesy lenticulars? this one plays sounds. Goodness help me if my husband realizes this and starts pushing the button).

Halloween 2011: The Entry Table

Just setting out the odds and ends at this point. This is my entry table -- full of crafts and gifts from years past.

Like the long-nosed Venetian mask; it's not wearable, but it looks appropriate creepy just sitting about as part of the decor. I still want to host a Halloween Masked Ball some year -- if I do, I'll make one that doesn't need to be tied on. And in the background you'll also see a wine-bottle candle holder; the label is from Love Manor's collection, I think. I really thought about using these as part of my wedding centerpieces, but in the end abandoned the idea for fear they wouldn't be steady and would catch my guests on fire (my friends drink).

The right side of the table just has a few pieces of wedding-memorabilia: a little tree that was, I think, on the treat table. One of the "Eek" signs that spotted around the house, and a glass candleabra that one of my bridesmaids gifted me. 

And goth-darn-it, I don't think I ever posted about my adventure in re-finishing some lampshades. Or if I did, I can't find the post. At any rate, I made them all dark and lacy. And added what might be the most subtle faux-spider-webbing that I have ever managed.