7 days until Halloween countdown –

As I described in my last blog post 9 days Until Halloween: The Reason We Celebrate Halloween , I explained how the names and practices of the holiday differ from culture to culture but the significance of Halloween shares a similar symbolic meaning, that is –  there are seemingly contrasting forces existing simultaneously and therefore, not everything we see is all that appears to be.

This is where the idea of costumes come into play. While the practices of these cultures vary, one of the most well-loved is playing dress-up and becoming anyone or anything you want for one night. Expanding on this idea of being veiled under a cloak of illusion while still existing beneath it and especially if we want to be original but are stumped for ideas – a great costume idea is to think of the things that you keep (or at least try) to keep behind your day to day cloak.

What are some of the things you keep hidden? What are some of thing others keep hidden about you? What are some of the things you rarely show others? What are some of the personalities or stereotypes that you think or feel you exemplify sometimes through thought, words and actions but don’t look like appearance wise on a regular basis? What are some of the personalities or stereotypes that others think or feel they exemplify sometimes through thought, words and actions but don’t look like appearance wise on a regular basis? To simplify things, you can even think of it as your “alter ego,” or one of the many hats you wear or one of the many roles you play.

For example, a friend of mine from college is a professional photographer with a degree in fine arts, she has been thriving in Brooklyn and Manhattan NYC since graduation, she is well spoken, well educated and dresses to the nines – important to note she is about 5’1 tall, has dark brown eyes and very thick and curly brown hair. However, when she gets a few drinks in her, the tone of her voice rises in pitch, the rhythm of her speech changes, she misplaces her keys and phone, she gets a lot more flirtatious and bubbly – what darker side costume did she chose?

Well, her costume consisted of a long and luscious blonde wig, a low cut shirt showing off her cleavage and a lot of heavy makeup but the touch that helped to reveal the deal- she wore beer goggle glasses – you the know the ones, you can get them from a party store for a bachelor party- the sunglasses with two beer mugs for lenses. The costume was easy and inexpensive to make, personalized, creative and shined a light on that which may be hidden and allowed others to come up with their interpretation. Just based on this description and the little I revealed about her, what would you say she went as, if you had to come up with a term?

Some could say she went as a “dumb blonde” or a “dumb bro” or a “Ditz” or a “Bimbo” or a “Drunk Girl” but when asked what she was “supposed to be” that night, she actually referred to herself as a “blonde bombshell” which when looking at the meaning behind the terms is an entirely different way of viewing herself,  my point is – same costume, different perspectives.

Be the side you want to portray that night, embrace stereotypes if only to reveal others truth,  dark does not always mean bad and bad doesn’t always mean evil, its fun to display a part of your character that is usually kept out of sight but don’t expect everyone to get it – its for you to know and for them to think about!

9 days until Halloween Countdown ~

There are many different ideas of where the very exciting and often spooky holiday that is halloween originated from. Growing up,  I didn’t really think of why Halloween existed, all I knew was I wanted to plan my costume a month in advance, find out what parties were happening and be prepared to stuff myself silly with candy that night.

Halloween has a richer meaning than I previously recognized. For one thing, Halloween goes by a few different names. Some call it “Samhain,” others call it “All Hallows Eve,” it can also be referred to as the “Festival of the Dead” and “All Souls Day” throughout differing cultures and traditions.

“Samhain” pronounced saw-win, in gaelic means “summers end” and is in observance of the sunset from october 31st until the morning of november 1st. This was an ancient celtic practice marking the halfway point between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. This was a celebration of and important glance into the darker side of things.

“All Hallows Eve,  “Halloween” or “All Saints Eve” is a part of the western christian observance of the feast of  All Hallows Day” which marked a 3 day time of remembrance of martyrs, saints and those departed.

“Festival of the Dead,” “All Souls Day,” and “Ghost Festival” is celebrated throughout many different cultures spanning South America and Asia. In Taoist and Buddhist traditions, the dates and times of this can fluctuate because it follows a different calendar. This was a time to honor and pay respect to ancestors.

It is said that during this period the veil between the two worlds, those of the living and those of the dead is at its thinnest. Thus , it is easier to observe, connect and make contact with spirits and ancestors.

Although they go by several different names and have slight variations in their reasons for the observance and festivities, a common theme strings throughout each of them.

There is a cycle to this journey. From sunset into sunrise, from summer into winter, from dark into light, from death into rebirth – these seemingly two opposing forces are happening simultaneously.

Meaning, whether we are dressing up to ward off evil spirits, feasting on sweet delicacies in joyous remembrance of those departed, lighting jack o lanterns to mimic the sun holding off the darkness for a little longer or simply realizing somethings aren’t always what they seem… we can gain a deeper insight behind the mysterious night of Halloween which is celebrated throughout our world.

12 days until Halloween countdown!

When I was a child my mom came up with such a cute concept for a combined halloween costume.

She dressed up as a witch and I was her little spider. She made a little web attached to her dress so she could keep me close while trick or treating. Not only was this idea adorable but it served as a smart way to keep us together while we went from door to door.  Years later I saw pictures and I thought I’d share a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing!

source: bored panda

Big and Little Pumpkin – Pumpkin vines to keep us close

Parents can dress up in a pumpkin costume, whether they make it themselves or buy from a halloween store. They can also just wear an orange shirt or a nice sweater. Pumpkin costumes can be a little unflattering for adults. However, for kids, pumpkin costumes are absolutely adorable!

They can dress their little one up in a mini pumpkin costume. Go to your local craft store and pick up a long and thick piece of green fabric and some faux green foliage or artificial vines.

Artificial vines and foliage usually have pliable stems, you can bend and wrap the stems around the green fabric and secure it using a hot glue gun or fabric glue. Then attach one end of the fabric to your costume or to your wrist and the other to your child’s to prevent your little squash from straying to far away from the patch!

Dinosaur Park Ranger / Dinosaur Tamer and Baby Dinosaurs – Who needs a string when they know who is in charge and who is protecting them?

If you have children whom may be too old to have their costumes attached to yours but you still want a fun combination costume and most importantly to be sure they stay safe during the night, the dinosaur tamer and baby dinos is an ultra cute halloween costume idea.

Parents can purchase or make their own safari park ranger costume. A beige shirt and shorts with a brown belt, safari hat and thick white socks with brown work boots will do the trick. Cut a name tag into a shield shape and place it on one of your shirt sleeves with the words “Dino Tamer” or “Dino Park Ranger” written on it.

Then grab your child a dinosaur costume, the dinosaur of their choosing of course! If you have a particularly rambunctious lizard, don’t be afraid to step into your dino tamer role for the night and remind them who wears the beige shorts in the family!

These are just a few ideas of creative family combination halloween costumes that incorporate fun and safety – a winning pair for both parent and child on halloween night!

14 Days Until Halloween!

Booze Apple Bobbing is a classic game with a fun adult twist to the mix! If you are throwing a halloween party this one is fun to make and there is a good chance more guests will want to participate in the festivities.

The classic game consists of a large bucket filled with water with about a dozen apples, sometimes more, sometimes less, floating around. The idea is each person takes a turn only using their mouths to grab as many apples with their teeth and pull it from the bucket. They are usually given a set amount of time and whoever gets the most apples wins a prize.

Booze Apple Cider bobbing follows the same set of rules only with one variation – the apples were soaking in a hard alcohol for a week or so ahead of time. The concept is similar to rum and vodka soaked gummy bears.

Grab a 1 – 2 dozen whole apples. Combine apple cider, apple juice, white or brown sugar and cinnamon sticks in a large pot and bring to a boil. Allow to cool. Add a 190 proof moonshine or grain alcohol to the mix.

Then add your apples and tightly seal. If you don’t want to get too fancy with it, you can grab a caramel vodka and combine your apples with that.

A week or more is ideal. You can use a giant mason jar or even a large cooler to keep your concoction until ready for use.

Use the apple moonshine the apples were soaking in as a beverage to serve at the party.

The bonus of this version – you probably won’t need any prizes since the apples spread enough cheer to go around!

I will be doing 3 blogs a week leading up to the king of spooky holidays – Halloween! Each blog will incorporate some spooky recipe, fun party idea or halloween centered theme! Halloween is one of my favorite holidays from the costumes and candy to the haunted houses and spooky hayrides –  it is fun, festive and gives everyone a chance to show another side!

Today is Day 16~ Let the countdown begin!

If you are thinking of throwing a halloween bash this year or if you want to bring a fun and creepy dish to someone else’s halloween party, here is one of my all-time favorite halloween party treat ideas that is sure to thrill your guests!

Decapitated Barbie (and Ken) Body Part Jello – Barbies can be a little creepy in general, proportionally speaking that is, especially those new Brat Dollz i’ve seen over the last couple of years – this unique dish will definitely have guests rethinking one of their favorite childhood toys.

The easiest barbies to use are the ones from the dollar store that have hollow body parts. The rubber dolls can be expensive and are difficult to slice up.

Grab a few of those depending on the amount of guests you’ll be serving. I like to use both male and female dolls to keep things neutral!

Slice up your barbies into parts, don’t make the parts too small because you want your guests to be able to see them when eating so they don’t accidentally eat the part! I would not recommend serving this dish to children under the age of 12 or without adult supervision. Be sure to let guests know the body parts are not edible. 

I like to chop the hair up on the dolls heads, this gives it a scarier look and this is also to avoid any long stray hairs floating around in your jello mold.

Next you’ll want to make your jello. Follow the instructions on the package.

You’ll want the jello liquid to solidify a little bit before sticking the body parts in it otherwise the body parts will just float together.

Place the jello in the fridge for a little while – checking periodically to see its consistency. The consistency should be firm enough to keep your creepy parts from floating around aimlessly but soft enough to be able to place them in it.

Another trick is to make individual cups of jello and place one or two body parts in each. This prevents the body parts from floating around and mixing altogether.

Plant your body parts throughout the mold, you can make it look like a bloody massacre especially if you use red jello, meaning the jello mold can look all mashed up or you can choose to gently press down, using a wooden chopstick to push them deep down into the mold.

Decapitated Barbie Body Part Jello – a particularly frightening party treat for your halloween spectacular!