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)

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!)

Haunting Halloween

A merry little ghost it is.
Ghost with Spider Pop available in ETSY.

Halloween Silliness

HALLOWEEN FACTS & TRIVIA
If you see a spider on Halloween,
it is the spirit of a loved on watching over you.