Merry Christmas all!

Wishing you and your loved ones peace, health, happiness and prosperity now and in the coming year.

The Aftermath...

Well, Halloween is over now. My kids were recovering from the flu and thankfully got well in time for them to do some trick-or-treating but they didn't want to stay out too long. That was fine by me as they really don't need all that junk food. Last year we had none so I decided to go out with the kids and their dad. People thought my youngest was adorable in her pink poodle dog costume, my other daughter was dressed as Hannah Montana and my son was a skeleton in a black robe. They did fairly well for candy...I think because all the places we went to the people told us not many came by so they would end up giving a fistful of candy to each of them. The weather was surprisinly wonderful...plus 2 degrees celcius and a little breeze. I was thankful the weather was so nice for the all the kids who went out last night.
Once home, I sorted their candy, letting them have a few then I put the rest away. Then I put on "The Nightmare Before Christmas" for them to watch till one by one they went to bed. Surprisingly we got 5 kids at the door (compared to none last year). I myself wasn't feeling well, nor in the Halloween Spirit to dress up this year. This morning I realized I am suffering from bronchitis *ugh* so I'm not sure when I will feel up to taking down all the Halloween decorations.
Its time now to get ready for Remembrance Day. Hope you all had a good Hallowen!

Happy Halloween!

I hope you all have a wonderful, safe and happy Halloween!

Three more days!

Wow! Hard to believe that Halloween is just about knocking on my door once again. It's been a rough month here but I have managed to get costumes for my kids ready but alas...despite my plans for making my costume...I was unable to get what I needed to create it. *sigh* Ah well! Perhaps I can spend the next year getting it ready. *fingers crossed*
But since I love dressing up I will have to think of something that I will be able to throw together between now and then. *scratches head and ponders*
The forecast has called for showers but not enough to discourage the trick-or-treaters this year. They say we should only get 1 mm of rain. If so then hopefully by the time the darkness has decended upon our fair city the skies will be clear.
My youngest is going as a pink poodle, my daughter will be Hannah Montana so I will have to get her hair ready the night before. Her hair is long and blonde so I don't have to get her a wig. :D My son is wearing a black robe with a skull mask and carrying a double-bladed axe.
For the first time, their school is allowing the kids to dress up and have a little party in the afternoon on Friday. Usually they only let the kindergardeners dress up. The condition is of course that they can't have any gore or weapons as part of their costumes...no violence so my son will have to keep his axe at home. But on Halloween night of course is a different story.
Friday or Saturday we will be carving our four pumpkins and roasting the seeds. Last year we tried roasting the seeds from the white pumpkin and they were terrible. So never again will I roast the seeds from a white pumpkin but we will still carve them. :D I also have several pages printed out of colouring pages and puzzles that the kids can do and we will be watching some Halloween DVD's that are appropriate for the young ones.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow crazy Cannucks! :D I hope you all have a wonderful holiday. We always have our dinner on Sunday instead of Monday so right now the turkey is in the oven and smelling wonderful, the deviled eggs are done and with the pumpkin pie are chilling. Soon I will be making the stuffing and peeling potatoes. My son keeps coming downstairs and he takes a big breath and sighs telling me how good the turkey smells. LOL! I love it when the whole house is filled with the aroma of the turkey cooking. Try not to stuff yourself too much! :D

Spice Bags for Warm Winter Drinks

With Autumn officially underway we find there are days that are warm and days that are cold and as the days pass there are more colder days than warmer. Here is something that might help keep your insides warm as well as your hands as you hold your mug and reminisce.


* 8 sticks cinnamon, broken into small pieces
* 2 whole nutmegs, crushed
* 1/3 cup whole cloves
* 1/3 cup minced dried orange peel (or 1/4 cup ground)
* 1/4 cup whole allspice berries
* optional: garnish with cinnamon sticks,
* slice of orange, lemon peel

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Tie in sachets of 1 tablespoon each in a double thickness of cheesecloth; transfer to an airtight container. One sachet of the mixture will flavor 1 quart of cider, tea or wine.

To use, simmer 1 quart of the chosen beverage with 1 sachet for 20 minutes; ladle into mugs. If desired, add a garnish or a sprinkling of additional spirits.

Talk Like A Pirate Day

Once a year, on this day is Talk Like A Pirate Day. And only a few days ago I found out they announced that they will be doing a Pirates of the Caribbean 4!
So to help us landlubbers or those with no sea legs ;) here are some words and/or saying of pirates to help you get into the mood. Perhaps you can even dress up as one today. :D

* Ahoy: Hello!
* Avast: Stop and give attention. It can be used in a sense of surprise, "Whoa! Get a load of that!" which today makes it more of a "Check it out" or "No way!" or "Get off!"
* Aye: Yes
* Aye aye! - "I'll get right on that sir, as soon as my break is over."
* Arrr! - This one is often confused with arrrgh, which is of course the sound you make when you sit on a belaying pin. "Arrr!" can mean, variously, "yes," "I agree," "I'm happy," "I'm enjoying this beer," "My team is going to win it all," "I saw that television show, it sucked!" and "That was a clever remark you or I just made." And those are just a few of the myriad possibilities of Arrr!
* Black spot: to be 'placin' the black spot' be markin' someone for death.
* Booty: treasure
* Buccanneer: a pirate who be answerin' to no man or blasted government.
* By the Powers!: an exclamation, uttered by Long John Silver in Treasure Island!
* Bilge rat – The bilge is the lowest level of the ship. It’s loaded with ballast and slimy, reeking water. A bilge rat, then, is a rat that lives in the worst place on the ship.
* Bung hole – Victuals on a ship were stored in wooden casks. The stopper in the barrel is called the bung, and the hole is called the bung hole. That’s all. It sounds a lot worse, doesn’t it?
* Davy Jones' Locker: the bottom o' the sea, where the souls of dead men lie
* Doubloons: pieces of gold...
* Gentlemen o' fortune: a slightly more positive term fer pirates!
* Grog – An alcoholic drink, usually rum diluted with water
* Jolly Roger: the skull and crossbones pirate flag
* Keelhaul: a truly vicious punishment where a scurvy dog be tied to a rope and dragged along the barnacle-encrusted bottom of a ship. They not be survivin' this.
* Landlubber: "Land-lover," someone not used to life onboard a ship.
* Lass: A woman.
* Lily-livered: faint o' heart
* Loaded to the Gunwales (pron. gunnels): drunk
* Matey: A shipmate or a friend.
* Me hearty: a friend or shipmate.
* Privateer: a pirate officially sanctioned by a national power
* Scallywag: A bad person. A scoundrel.
* Scurvy dog!: a fine insult!
* Shiver me timbers!: an exclamation of surprise, to be shouted most loud.
* Sprogs: raw, untrained recruits
* Swashbucklin': fightin' and carousin' on the high seas!
* Thar: The opposite of "here."
* Walk the plank: this one be bloody obvious.
* Wench: a lady, although ye gents not be wantin' to use this around a lady who be stronger than ye.

There is a site just for this and you can find it at http://www.talklikeapirate.com/
Have fun!

It's In The Stores!

Halloween stuff has finally begun to hit the stores! During a day when I had little money on me at the time, I decided to go to the dollar store just to browse. And what did I find? Lots of Halloween stuff on their shelves! I practically drooled over all the stuff. Alot I saw they had last year but there was also some new stuff that I can pick up later on. I went to the other dollar store across the road and they only had a few things out...same as Walmart. There were a couple hand towels with the Halloween theme on them for only a dollar. So I picked up a couple and a couple other things...only cost me about five bucks. :) So between now and Halloween I'll be scraping my extra coins and such together so I can begin adding to my Halloween decorations. It won't be long before I start putting them up around the house. Yes, I love Halloween! :D

I Found Another Blog Giveaway

There is another blog giveaway over at this blog...
http://pfatt.blogspot.com
There are some great stuff there to win and I believe the draw is on Sept. 8th so there is still a week to go so pop on by their blog and enter.

Skull Book Giveaway

The Giveaway is for one of his Skull Book Lights: What arcane tome is this? Perfect for a cluttered spell crafter’s desk or witches bookshelf, this ancient tome with a aged skull and battery operated flickering tea light candle is nice for anytime or your Halloween display. Each one is OOAK and may look slightly different than the pictures shown here. Each one is crafted with great attention to detail.
So of course I will throw my name in the hat as it were and try to win this. If you want a chance to win, pop on over to here...
http://www.grimvisions.com/giveaway/skull-book-giveaway
Contest Ends: Sept 13th 2009, 12 Midnight PST
Good luck to all who enter! :)

Happy 119th Birthday Mr. Lovecraft

Lovecraft was been born August 20th 1890 in Providence, Rhode Islands and died March 15th 1937. He liked the atmosphere of 18th century and thought that 19th century was kind of barbaric. Lovecraft has written 67 stories between 1905-1935. Lovecraft was an American sci-fi, horror, and fantasy author most famous for giving us Cthulhu. Cthulhu is a cosmic entity who first appeared in the short story "The Call of Cthulhu." He/She/It/Whatever is represented with an octopus head, dragon-like body and wings, and a human caricature.
Lovecraft has had a huge impact in our modern culture. Arkham Asylum in the Batman series is based off of a sanitorium in one of Lovecraft's stories. Not to mention, that 3 of Metallica's songs (The Call of Cthulhu, The Thing That Should Not Be, and All Nightmare Long) are based off of Lovecraft's literature.

"That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die"
- H. P. Lovecraft

Decided on a Costume

As you see in the picture here...this will be the costume I'm going to try and put together. (Instead of buying online.) So between now and Halloween I'll be scouring the thrift stores, dollar stores to find the bits I need to complete this costume. I already have the stocking but they are purple and black stripes. The makeup is easy, thankfully. I don't like using masks because it is too hot and I find a little hard to breathe in and I also don't like slathering alot of makeup on my face. (Especially when I have little ones who like to give me hugs and kisses alot. LOL!)
During this time I will also be on the lookout for things I need to put together costumes for my older 2 kids. Haven't decided on the youngest yet.

Give-away at...

http://kingofmicestudios.blogspot.com/2009/08/little-blog-love-back-atcha.html

Here she has a lovely little box to give away (pictured here). Just comment on what makes you smile. You can get an extra two entries...just follow her directions and you can get a total of three. You still have time to put your name in the hat as it were before the draw! Good luck all!

DAG Treasure Hunt

I'm usually not lucky enough to win anything and when I do it is very rare. Well this is one of those times! I entered the DAG Treasure Hunt. Many blogs were in on it with each one giving away a great prize of their own creation. The pic you see here is the one I won! Yay! So because I won I'm going to give a little plug for her blog.

http://www.wendysbrainchild.blogspot.com/ is her blog. You can also view her artwork at www.artbywendy.net
Thanks so much Wendy and I look forward to receiving the prize! It will be a great addition to my Halloween collection. :D

Monsters?

Appropriate for Halloween is the fact that there are monsters of all kinds and we often see them on the faces of kids on Halloween. But the kind of monsters I am talking about are those found in lakes and such. One such famous one is the Lochness Monster. But here in Canada, we too apparently have our own.
* In British Columbia in Lake Okanagan is one such monster called N'ha-a-itk, also called Naitaka. It was said to be a long loop-backed lake serpent with a horse-shaped head, bright eyes and, according to some, pointy horns and fins. The First Nations people had feared Naitaka and wouldn't fish near it's home without first offering it a living sacrifice. Often it was a dog, chicken or duck. By WWI, Naitaka had come to be known as Ogopogo.
* Grate Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories they say holds a fast-moving, quick-diving dragon-like creature that has been recently been dubbed Ol' Slavey.
* Lake Champlain that runs south from Quebec into the U.S.A. has a resident monster named after Samuel de Champlain nicknamed Champ.
* In Manitoba's interconnected waters of Lake Manitoba, Lake Winnipeg and Lake Winnipegosis is a greenish-black beast named Manipogo.
* In Ontario, a creature in Lake Simcoe's Kempenfelt Bay have one named Igopogo, named after it's British Columbia "cousin" but many think it might just be a really big freshwater seal.
* Then there is one in Quebec's Lake Memphremegog named Memphre has been sighted more than 200 times since the early 1800's.

*pic is of Champ in Lake Champlain

Tim Burton

Love his work! Check out the Official Tim Burton Gallery open at TimBurton.com

Poe Coincidence

In the 19th century, the famous horror writer, Egdar Allan Poe, wrote a book called ‘The narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym’. It was about four survivors of a shipwreck who were in an open boat for many days before they decided to kill and eat the cabin boy whose name was Richard Parker. Some years later, in 1884, the yawl, Mignonette, foundered, with only four survivors, who were in an open boat for many days. Eventully the three senior members of the crew, killed and ate the cabin boy. The name of the cabin boy was Richard Parker.

Halloween Drinks for Adults

Since June only has 30 days my GPD will be today. :) I managed to finally get some ink for my printer and was able to print off some things for my binder. I think with both my Halloween binder and my Christmas binder I'm going to have to get bigger binders for them as they are getting quite full.
Today I will post drinks for adults with the Halloween theme.

Banshee
1/2 oz Creme De Banana Liqueur
1/2 oz Creme De Cacao Liqueur
2 1/2 oz Milk or Cream
Shake with ice and strain into a Cocktail Glass.

Black Martini
1/4 oz Dry Vermouth
1/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
2 oz Blavod (Black Vodka)
Combine the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and the strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Frankenstein Cocktail
1/2 oz Green Melon Liqueur
1/2 oz Blue Curaçao
1/2 oz Peach Schnapps
1/2 oz Jägermeister
Splash of Orange Juice
Pineapple Juice
Fill a Collins glass with ice. Add the Melon liqueur, Blue Curaçao, Peach Schnapps and the splash of orange juice. Fill to top with pineapple juice. Stir to mix. Lastly, float the Jägermeister on top.

Jack-O'-Tini
2 oz of Premium Vodka
1/2 oz of Pumpkin puree
1 Tsp. Lemon Juice
2 oz of Orange Juice
1/2 Tsp. of Honey
Combine all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a thin orange skin curl.
Cool Drink Note: A great autumn/Halloween variation on the classic martini.

The Great Pumpkin Punch Recipe
1 Part Apple Cider
2 parts Ginger Ale
1 Part Rum
Pour the ingredients into a hollowed out pumpkin with floating pumpkin chunks.

ABSOLUT RASPBERRI Red Eye
1 part ABSOLUT RASPBERRI
2 dashes raspberry liqueur
Pour frozen ABSOLUT RASPBERRI into a shooter glass. Pour the raspberry liqueur onto a bar spoon and carefully add to the center of vodka to form an eye.
Notes: If you go to a bar and ask for a "Red Eye" you'll get a bottle of beer with a side of tomato juice.

Vampire Cocktail
1 1/4 oz Vodka
3/4 oz Chambord Liqueur
Splash of Cranberry Juice
Measure and pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a rocks glass.

Zombie
1 oz Light Rum
1 oz Dark Rum
2 oz Orange Juice
2 oz Lemon Juice
Dash of Grenadine
1/4 oz Cherry Brandy
Pour over ice in that order into a Sling Glass or a Zombie Glass and garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.
Drink Notes: Some people like to shake their Zombies; some don't -- some prefer to layer and then give the drink a quick stir with a couple of straws. There are quite a few variations of the Zombie; many recipes call for Apricot Brandy instead of Cherry.

source unknown

Halloween Drinks

Here are some great drinks to try for Halloween time for kids of all ages.

*Bloody Bug Juice

24 ounces frozen strawberries thawed
6 ounces lemonade, frozen concentrate
1 quart ginger ale
1 cup raisins
1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen

Place the strawberries in a bowl and mash with a fork.
In a large pitcher, mix the strawberry mash, lemonade
And ginger ale. Place handfuls of raisins and
Blueberries (bugs) into tall glasses. Pour the liquid
Over the bugs, then sit back and watch the bugs and
Scum rise to the top of each glass. To quench a
Creepy crowd's thirst, double or triple this recipe
And serve in a punch bowl. Drape some gummy worms
Over the rim of your bowl for a particularly
Swampy-looking effect!

*Halloween Drink
Mix something yellow with something blue; orange juice and mountain dew are good for the yellow. Great blue drink - kool-aid is good for the blue. You'll end up with a radioactive shade of green. If you're using a punch bowl try this: get some latex gloves, fill them with water or juice, freeze. Unmold carefully and float "disembodied" hands in a punch bowl. Dry ice and black lighting is a good effect, too.

*Ghoul-Ade
1 pkg. Grape unsweetened kool-ade
1 pkg. Orange unsweetened kool-ade
2 cups sugar
3 quarts cold water
1 quart chilled gingerale.

This will be as black as midnight, but delicious.

*Goblin Goo Drink

1 pkg. (8-serving size) JELL-O Brand Grape or Orange Flavor Gelatin Dessert
4 cups (1 qt.) cold prepared KOOL-AID Grape or Orange Flavor Soft Drink Mix

PREPARE gelatin as directed on package.
REFRIGERATE 4 hours or until firm.
BREAK gelatin into small flakes with fork. Spoon about 1/2 cup gelatin into each of 8tall glasses. Pour 1/2 cup cold soft drink over gelatin in each glass. Serve immediately with a straw to sip gelatin pieces and soft drink.
VARIATIONS: Two Color Goo: Prepare grape and orange flavor gelatin as directed on package. Refrigerate and break into flakes as directed. Layer 1/4 cup orange gelatin flakes, 1/4 cup grape gelatin flakes and additional 1/4 cup orange gelatin flakes in each glass. Pour orange cold soft drink. Over gelatin in each glass.
FIZZY Goblin Goo: Just before serving, prepare KOOL-AID as directed, substituting cold seltzer for water.

Next time I will post some drinks for the adults. ;)

Bat Lore

Guardian of the night, cleaner

Latin Name - various
Folkname - Fledermaus
Planet - Moon
Polarity - Feminine
Deities - Persephone, Camazotz, Fu Hsing

Weather Lore
The indigenous Americans regard the bat as a bringer of rain.

Folklore
In a Chinese folk-tale, the bat did not go to the phoenix's (Feng-huang) birthday party because it claimed to be a quadruped; later on it did not go to the unicorn's(Ky-lin) birthday party, claiming to be a bird. Both the unicorn and the phoenix had to admire it's cunning. Western belief has always linked the bat to vampires - undead spirits which prey on the blood of the living. In the Middle Ages in Europe, people thought bats sucked blood from sleeping children. A vampire bat has four razor sharp canine teeth with which it collects the blood of other animals, usually horses, and shares it with other bats. Bats starve very quickly, so this food sharing saves their lives.
If a bat should fly near you it was thought that someone would betray you, or even worse affect your daily life with either a curse or enchantment. A bat flying around the outside of a house or into a room was thought to indicate that a period of misfortune would befall someone known by the family. Bats on the wing were seen to have different meanings. If many were seen before twilight then fair weather would ensue, and for perhaps obvious reasons, to see one actually hit a building whilst on the wing was a sure sign of rain.
Some beliefs also originate in Africa, Australia and many are universally known. Often thought of as an extremely lucky animal, many would traditionally carry a bat bone to provide protection and encourage prosperity. In fact, although often associated with the darker aspects of what some may call witchcraft, the opportunity to become invisible at will was thought possible by carrying a right eye in the pocket. To kill one would shorten the life of a man according to folklore in Africa and Australia as the life of a bat was seen to parallel that of man, and if you ever found one entangled in your hair, be careful not to hurt the animal but get ready for a change of hairstyle as it was thought to encourage bad luck to head your way if the bat was not released by cutting the hair.

Mythology
The bat is an attribute of Persephone as Queen of the Underworld; it is a symbol of Fu Hsing, the Chinese god of happiness; and among the Quiche tribe of Guatemala the bat is a god, Camazotz (the equivalent of the Mayan deity Zotzilaha Chimalman). In the mythos of the Kulin and Wotjobaluk tribes of S.E. Australia, Balayang the Bat discovers the two ancestors of women, Kunnawara (Black Swan) and Kururuk (Native Companion) in the river and takes them to the creator god Bunjil, who gives them life, and says ' Man is not complete without you, nor will you be complete without him.' The bat is also the totem animal of the men of the Wotjobaluk tribe.

Symbolism

In Africa, the bat is ambivalent, symbolising perspicacity as well as darkness and obscurity. To the alchemists, it represented the androgyne, as being of dual nature (both bird and mouse). In Buddhism, it signifies a darkened understanding. In Chinese symbolism, the bat is yin because it is nocturnal. The word for bat, 'fu', is a homophone of the word for happiness, implying good luck, wealth, longevity and peace. Two bats indicate good wishes and are an emblem of Shou-hsing, god of longevity. Five bats symbolise the Five Blessings (health, wealth, long life, peace, happiness). A white bat symbolises longevity, referring to a story of a 1000-year-old bat hanging head downwards from a bough. A red bat symbolises good fortune (red being the Chinese lucky colour). In Christianity the bat is 'the bird of the Devil', and incarnation of the prince of darkness (Satan is depicted with bat's wings) As a supposed hybrid of a bird and rat, it is a symbol of duplicity and hypocrisy; as haunting ruins and lonely places, it symbolises melancholy. In European folklore the bat represents black magic, witchcraft, cunning, wisdom and revenge.

To the Hebrews, the bat denoted impurity and idolatry. In Japanese symbolism, it is unhappy restlessness, a chaotic state. As bats lived in caves, which were seen as entrances to the next world, they were thought to be immortal and so became symbols of immortality. In parts of Africa, Australia, Bosnia, Tonga, and England, the bat was sacred because it was believed to represent the soul of the dead. Some people even believed that if you touched a bat, your soul would be able to travel at night. Bat symbolizes Rebirth. Shaman initiates undergo a ritual death in which they face their fears and are reborn without their old identities. Bat medicine teaches us to release fear and any pattern which no longer fits in with our pattern of growth.

Bat's Wisdom Includes:

Shamanic death and rebirth
Pollination of new ideas
Transition
Initiation
Viewing past lives
Understanding grief
The use of vibrational sound
Camouflage
Invisibility
Ability to observe unseen

Some Frugal Halloween Ideas

The average family in North America spends over $100 per year on Halloween goodies. As your kids drag you through aisles full of ghosts and goblins, the scariest thing about Halloween is threatening to leave bite marks in your pocketbook. It can be much less expensive and a lot more fun to devise your own chilling creations. Here are a few tips that you can use to help save a little spending money and still make some great stuff for Halloween.

Face Paint
1 tsp. corn starch
1/2 tsp. water
1/2 tsp. cold cream
food coloring

Mix all ingredients together in an old muffin pan and you are ready to paint. This amount makes one color.

Fake Wound
1 Tbsp Vaseline
tissue
cocoa powder
2-3 drops red food coloring

Place Vaseline in a bowl. Add food coloring. Blend with a toothpick. Stir in a pinch of cocoa to make a darker blood color. Separate tissue. Using 1 layer, tear a 2x3 inch piece and place at wound site. Cover with petroleum jelly and mold into the shape of a wound. The center should be lower than the sides. Fill the center with the red petroleum jelly mixture. Sprinkle center with some cocoa. Sprinkle a little around the edges of the wound to make darker.

Fake Blood - Mix 2/3 cup white corn syrup, 1 tsp. red food coloring, 2-3 drops blue food coloring to darken and 1 squirt dish soap (helps blood to run well).

Abrasions - Dab brown, red and black eye shadow on area. Apply blood over area with cotton balls. Use comb to gently scratch area in one direction. Apply cocoa or dirt over wound with cotton balls.

Black Eye - Apply red and blue eye shadow to depressions around eyes.

Bruises - Rub red and blue shadow over bony area to simulate recent bruises. Blue and yellow eye shadow to create older bruises.

Look Old - Cover face with baby powder. Draw dark lines on your skin for wrinkles. Smooth edges to blend. Cover again with baby powder. Add baby powder to your hair to create gray hair.

Deviled Eyeballs - Make deviled eggs. Add a green olive with pimento in the center for an "eyeball".

Radioactive Juice - Mix equal parts Mountain Dew and blue Kool-Aid.

Toxic Juice - Add some green food coloring to lemonade for a spooky color!

Bloody Eyeballs - Boil cherry tomatoes 30 seconds. Allow to cool; then peel skin.

Goblin Hand - Freeze green Kool-Aid in a rubber or latex glove, float in punch. (Make sure it's not a medical type of glove as they usually have a type of powder inside to help people put them on easier so it wouldn't be good to use those kinds. Don't want any of the powder in your punch!)

Spider Webs - Use the tape from old cassettes or black yarn to make spider webs. Use cotton balls stretched out for small spider webs.

Glass Jack-o-Lantern - Outline a pumpkin face on a spaghetti or pickle jar with black paint. The paint around the outside of it with orange paint. Place a candle inside for a jack-o-lantern.

Halloween Guess It Game

In this game, you challenge the participants to reach into mystery boxes filled with creepy things and try to guess what each item is. The person with the most correct answers wins the game. An example is if you want them to guess "grapes", you might try to confuse them by saying, "I think it's eyeballs..."

Cut a hole in the top of a shoe box or laundry box for each item to be used. Cover the box with black spray paint. Decorate each box with pumpkins or spiders for a more festive flavor.

Place the following items inside, one per box. Be sure to place enough of each item so the guests can adequately "feel" the guts.

Eyeballs - grapes or peeled cherry tomatoes
Intestines - cooked spaghetti
Skin - oil a piece of plastic bag
Brains - scrambled eggs
Hair - an old clown wig
Bones - thoroughly washed chicken bones placed in some sand
Vomit - chunky salsa
Fingers - hot dogs cut into finger sized pieces
Teeth - corn nuts, pine nuts or popcorn

Have a Pumpkin Hunt - Hide mini pumpkins like you would Easter Eggs. Let the kids find and decorate them. For small children use glue sticks with construction paper cut-outs for decorations.

Edible Slime - Pour lime gelatin into a glass bowl. After it is partially set, add gummy worms. Chill until lightly set. Then serve slopped all over the plate.

Bloody Popcorn - Add red food color to melted butter and pour over popcorn.

Freeze gummy worms in ice cubes and add them to drinks. Cut gummy worms in half if needed.

Source: unknown

Halloween tips 2

* Fog machines are now very inexpensive and readily available during the Halloween buying season, adding one to your haunt or party makes a big impact on your Halloween celebration and will add that extra effect to thrill and scare your trick or treaters.
* Add some spider web to your party decorations and haunt, you can find it at most stores selling Halloween products. Just attach to something and pull it out all over!
* Use apples for taper candle holders. Choose small, round apples that will sit stable on a flat surface and remove the stems. Cut a small round hole in the top of each apple - deep and wide enough to securely hold a taper candle. Make sure the apples are shaped so that they have a flat bottom, so they won't tip over.
* Great party idea, start a circle ghost story! Sit in a circle and start a scary ghost story. Each guest adds on to the story until it reaches a scary ending!
* Videotape your Halloween memories! Interview some of your trick-or-treaters, your yard haunt, carved jack-o-lanterns. You'll be glad you did when you sit down to watch it later!
* You can find candy companies on line that will add a personalized wrapper to your candy bars! They are relatively inexpensive and make a great treat to hand out at your yard haunt!
*Having a party for little ghouls? Let them make their instruments out of oat meal cans, tin cans, add a inexpensive plastic flute, noise makers, kazoos and start a musical Halloween parade through your neighborhood! The kids love it and the neighbors will, too!
* An alternative to bobbing for apples is to hang them by their stems with thread from the ceiling and let party goers try to bite them!
* Hang long strands of white thread on your porch to simulate spider webs. Make them long enough so that little kids will be able to feel them, too. Spray them with water to add an extra creepy factor.
* Have a pumpkin carving contest for your kids and their friends. Buy a few smaller pumpkins and give prizes for the most creative. You can also use paints as an alternative.

Great Cakes!

I was browsing the net and found a blog with great ideas about wedding cakes. They are pretty amazing! :D The picture you see on the left here is from the site. I don't know who made the cake or took the pic but I love it!
http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2009/03/sunday-sweets-undead-wed.html

The Horror Survival Guide

Don't you just shake your head sometimes at people in the horror movies...a friend had posted this and I remember thinking of some of these while watching some of the flicks...good rules to go by IMHO.

*When it appears that you have killed the monster, *never* check to see if it's really dead.
*If you find that your house is built upon or near a cemetary, was once a church used for black masses, had previous inhabitants who went mad or committed suicide or died in some horrible fashion, or had inhabitants who performed satanic practices in your house, move away immediately.
*Never read a book of demon summoning aloud, even as a joke.
*Do not search the basement, especially if the power has gone out.
*If your children speak to you in Latin or any other language which they should not know, or if they speak to you using a voice which is other than their own, shoot them immediately. It will save you a lot of grief in the long run. NOTE: It will probably take several rounds to kill them, so be prepared.
*When you have the benefit of numbers, *never* pair off and go it alone.
*As a general rule, don't solve puzzles that open portals to Hell.
*Never stand in, on, above, below, beside, or anywhere near a grave, tomb, crypt, mausoleum, or other house of the dead.
*If you're searching for something which caused a noise and find out that it's just the cat, leave the room immediately if you value your life.
*If appliances start operating by themselves, move out.
*Do not take *anything* from the dead.
*If you find a town which looks deserted, it's probably for a reason. Take the hint and stay away.
*Don't fool with recombinant DNA technology unless you're sure you know what you're doing.
*If you're running from the monster, expect to trip or fall down at least twice, more if you are of the female persuasion. Also note that, despite the fact that you are running and the monster is merely shambling along, it's still moving fast enough to catch up with you.
*If your companions suddenly begin to exhibit uncharacteristic behavior such as hissing, fascination for blood, glowing eyes, increasing hairiness, and so on, get away from them as fast as possible.
*Stay away from certain geographical locations, some of which are listed here: Amityville, Elm Street, Transylvania, Nilbog (you're in trouble if you recognize this one), the Bermuda Triangle, or any small town in Maine.
*If your car runs out of gas at night, do not go to the nearby deserted-looking house to phone for help.

Source Unknown

Frankenstein nearly came true!

In 1803, Italian physicist Giovanni Aldini ran electric current through the newly dead body of murderer George Forster.

The prison record states that "on the first application of the process to the face, the jaws of the deceased criminal began to quiver, and the adjoining muscles were horribly contorted, and one eye was actually opened. In the subsequent part of the process the right hand was raised and clenched, and the legs and thighs were set in motion."

One witness reportedly died of fright, but there was really no cause for alarm. If Forster had returned to life, the prison planned to re-execute him — after all, he'd been sentenced to "hang until he be dead."

Halloween tips

Once a week I will post some Halloween tips you might want to consider when preparing for Halloween...

* Spookify your computer with a scary screensaver!
* Old tree trunks or cut sections of thick limbs make great stands for your Jack O' Lanterns, witches cauldrons and other props. You can sometimes find these at nurseries. You can also check with local firewood providers.
* Hollow out mini pumpkins and use as votive candle holders. They are inexpensive and look really great, you can even carve or paint faces in them!
* Ask your Halloween party guests to bring a carved pumpkin to the party. Set up a special table to display them all on (this will also enhance your party décor!)
* Serve fresh veggies using a hollowed out pumpkin as a bowl. Cut of the top and clean out, leaving the top in a jagged edge design! Use mini pumpkins to hold dips!
* Add the effect of lightning to your haunted house, yard haunt or Halloween party with a Lightning Machine. This unit realistically simulates the effects of both thunder and lightning!
* Use clear food handlers plastic gloves to freeze ice hands to throw in the punch bowl. It will keep it cold and look great!
* For an eerie effect, hang glow-in-the-dark bats, skeletons and spiders from the ceilings and trees! Write scary Halloween messages or body outlines on your front walk using colored chalk or washable fluorescent paint. Use a black lights to enhance the effect.
* Treating your kids to a spooky Halloween dinner will make them less likely to eat the candy they collect before you have a chance to check it for them.
* Create creepy autumn centerpieces by filling vases with dried flowers, brown leaves, and empty branches. Tie a black ribbon bow around each centerpiece.

American Ghost Hunter

Those who know me well know how much I enjoy ghost stories. Not only will I read them in books but watch shows on tv (if they aren't too cheezy if you know what I mean) One show is Paranormal State.
This is the official trailer for the feature film, "American Ghost Hunter". Produced by those who bring us Paranormal State which I try to watch every Monday night. :) I love the show so I'm really looking forward to watching this movie when it comes out! :D

April GPD

For April's GPD I began to look over the net for ideas for costumes. I haven't decided what I want to dress up as. Last year I wanted to dress up as a ghost but couldn't find what I needed to put it together.
My son has decided he wants to be a bat. So I looked online to get some ideas I can use to put it together. It's a fairly easy costume to do so that won't be a problem. I just have him wear all black, attach black wings to his arms and give him bat ears with some vampire teeth to finish the costume off.
My older daughter hasn't figured it out yet. She probably won't decide till the end of September when we go to the store to check out the costumes and our youngest is only 3 so we will probably find something when my other daughter chooses.

March GPD

I forgot to write about March's GPD. So I'll write about it now. I have a large book I got in the mail about Canadian Ghost stories that I've been slowing digesting as it were. ;) I find ghost stories so fascinating. :) This GPD I also was able to browse on the net and found a bunch of great ideas. Some were labels for bottles and jars and others were ideas to put into the jars. I haven't thought of a costume yet. It's too bad my friend doesn't live closer to me...she is a fantastic seamstress and would be great in helping me to make my costume for me. But she is so busy making tunics and other period clothes that I'm amazed she finds the time to do anything else. So I'll just have to come up with something on my own. Perhaps for the April GPD I can browse the net for costume ideas.

February GPD

Last month since February doesn't go all the way to the 31st I had it on the last day of the month. Wearing my Halloween socks and wearing black, I spent some time reading one of my ghost story books that my man gave to me for Christmas. I had also looked on the internet and other places for ideas for what I will dress up for Halloween this year. My older daughter of course wants to be another kind of princess. So far she has been Snow White, and Cinderella. I think she said she wanted to be the Little Mermaid this time but she might change her mind so I won't bother have it down as a definite. Usually with my son when he makes up his mind he doesn't change it. But he said he wasn't sure yet. The youngest I'm sure we will find something. She is still not that old enough to choose for herself.
This month for GPD I'll be starting to get ready for Easter but will manage to spend some time on Halloween. :)

Missed GPD!

Usually the first two months after Christmas I tend to feel more tired...so that means I don't get much done...plus I have two of my kids birthdays...on in Jan. and the other in Feb. so my mind tends to be more focused on that. Hopefully this month I will be able to get my mind in gear for this months GPD.