ATC by Alice Hyde

This darling ATC was created and sent to me by my friend Alice Hyde. Thank you so much Alice, I love it! - Kris

The Wolfman: immortalized in cookie dough

Undeterred by my difficulties with the skeleton cookies (I blame the icing) , I attempted another cookie project using the same recipe.

This one looked significantly easier. And it was something of an homage to my favourite classic monster. How could I refuse?

No complex shapes. No struggles with uncooperative icing. Apart from a few cracked, seedy-looking eyes, they turned out well. Maybe it was a rough night for poor Larry.

Yet another reason to love the Wolfman.

Sunday Postcard Art - Halloween

http://sundaypostcardart.wordpress.com/ to see all the wickedly wonderful submissions this week...

Group ATC Swap at Yahoo!

From top left:
Kris Dickinson, Laura Carson, Julia Ziemann;
Gina Atkins, Heather Bloom, Alice Hyde;
Heather Robinson, Phyllis Terrell, Connie Camp.

What a wonderful collection! Thanks so much.

the end of the journey

Universal brewed up the tana leaves one last time to revive the mummy, Kharis. I think it's significant that both this final mummy film of the era, The Mummy's Curse, and its predecessor, The Mummy's Ghost, were both released in 1944. Almost as if Universal decided, "Let's get this over with and put him to rest."

The Mummy's Curse, however, is not a bad movie. Certainly a step above, or perhaps several steps above, the two previous mummy films. This improvement in quality isn't entirely obvious at the beginning of the film, which resembles a rollicking musical comedy. But soon, the music stops and the horror begins. Sort of.

Decades have passed. Kharis and Princess Ananka are still buried in the swamp, where they have remained for the past 25 years. But you can't stop progress. And now developers are planning to drain the swamp to build . . . something.

Coincidentally, archaeologists from the Smithsonian have also arrived to search for Kharis and Ananka. Accompanying them is a quiet, unassuming scientist from Egypt. Or perhaps not so unassuming. Not surprisingly, he turns out to be another in the long line of Egyptian priests sworn to protect Kharis through the centuries. Start brewing the tana leaves.

The locals are agitated. They've heard the legend. But they aren't taken seriously until someone discovers one of those rotting pieces of mummy wrapping that Kharis keeps dropping. But by then, the bodies have started to pile up.

Kharis is determined to track down Ananka. No matter who gets in his way. I started to feel sorry for poor Kharis. He's so plodding. And Ananka. She seemed a little confused and unsure. Must be the side-effects of that soul transfer.

Everyone came together at the abandoned monastery on the hill which no one had really noticed throughout the film. There . . . it all ended rather quickly. There was no real sense of closure. But can there ever be closure for someone who's been alive for centuries? And with that thought, so ends my Universal classic horror viewing for another season.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Coffin Table

We all know we'd just DIE to have a nice coffee coffin table in our living rooms, but it really doesn't have to be that extreme - with a little skill and a tutorial or two, you can actually be around to enjoy that lovely piece of decor!

:) I'm a little silly today. Sorry. Where was I?

Oh yes, tutorials! Like this one on Martha Stewart; although I like the eHow article a bit better -- it's much more step-by-step.

The Martha one looks fantastic draped in black fabric, and the wreath is a very dramatic addition. You could make a wreath out of inexpensive white flowers, or some you pick up in the silk flower section of your local craft store - up to you. A wide black ribbon tied in a bow at the base gives it a gothic feel that I'm quite fond of.

You might want to put a plate under any candles if you think they might drip on your lid.

deprivation

I've pretty much given up looking for special Halloween products in the grocery aisles. I've accepted the fact that my local grocery stores do not stock special Halloween cereals. Or Halloween pop. Or Halloween cookies. It's been difficult. But I've learned to live with it.

But just when I think I'm over it, something happens to lure me back and give me renewed hope. And so it was when I spotted this advertisement on the back of a magazine. For Chapman's seasonal ice cream. Santa's Milk & Cookies. Holiday Twist. And . . . new this year . . . Praline Pumpkin Pie. My heart skipped a beat. This could be it. The turning point in my quest. My grocery store carries Chapman's ice cream. I've seen Christmas varieties in past years. It seemed only logical that they would carry the Halloween flavour as well. I grabbed the car keys and rushed out the door.

But I should have known better. There was plenty of Chapman's ice cream. I think they may have even been preparing an area for the Christmas flavours. But Praline Pumpkin Pie? Of course not. When will I learn?