Dinner Party Pictures!

A couple of Halloweens ago, I decorated my apartment up and hosted a haunted dinner party. I took a bunch of pictures, but have never gotten to share them. So, I'm sharing them with you, now! Here they are.

So, the first few and the last one were just me showing off my new lanterns (I have a slight obsession with lanterns/cages). I'm thinking about making that last one some sort of topper for my blog...It depends on whether I'm smart enough for that.
The rest of them are from the dinner party, including wonderful top hats, crows, and cages. I was pretty proud of myself. The food was delicious, too, if I do say so myself. One problem I had and that I had to take note on for later times was the lack of food. I completely underestimated how much food I needed.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed these! STAY SPOOKY!

Castin' My Spell On You!

Hello! Happy Lammas to my pagan friends! I have a book that gives a bunch of recipes for each pagan holiday, and I've been looking through it today, deciding which ones I'd like to try after I've gone shopping. This, naturally, got me thinking of some of my favorite foods to eat during the Holidays. Why not have a fall food appreciation blog?!

I'm going to start with perhaps my favorite recipe ever: Witches' Brew. It's a delicious pea-infused-with-bacon soup. Here is a picture I took a couple years back while making this delicious concoction:

Mmmmmmm....Anyway, here are the ingredients you will need:

1-2 bags of frozen peas

1 carton of vegetable stock

1-2 cloves of garlic

1 onion

Salt/Pepper (to taste)

BACOOONNNNN!!!

Alright, you have to start with the stuff you need tender before making the soup. So, I saute the onion and garlic before adding about half of the peas and stirring them around to warm them up. In the past, I've cooked the bacon while sauteing the veggies so I can add the grease with the vegetable stock--this is for those who aren't afraid of FATNESS or potentially face-melting FLAVOR.

Once the peas are all warm and the onions are tender, add the vegetable stock, salt and pepper, and the rest of the peas. If you haven't added the bacon grease, now is the time to put at least one strip of bacon (cooked) in the pot to boil with the rest of the ingredients. Boil until everything is nice and fused together (always taste to tell).

At this point, you have another option: either blend it (the chowder option) or serve it as is (the soupy mcsoup-soup option). Either one you choose, it will be equally delectable and dream-worthy. Serve with the soup topped with bacon. Enjoy!

This recipe is pretty close to its originator: WITCHES' BREW. I'm not real big on measuring, but the website gives more specific measurements to work with. Here are a few more links to recipes I'm planning on trying this year:

APPLE TOFFEE COOKIES! I'm more of a cook than a baker, but these are worth the risk of burning down the kitchen.

GARLICKY PUMPKIN RISOTTO! Something to make if you're feeling particularly fancy - pantsy one night.

Ooooh, and STICKY POPCORN POTS! In case you're needing something completely delicious and comforting to snack on during movie night!

Please share any fun recipes you have stored up in your archives! I love trying new dishes, especially in the fall (if all year were fall, I would actually be somewhere in life). Thanks for reading. STAY SPOOOOKY!

Dead Man's Party

Every now and then, my subconscious taps into the inner hostess with the mostess that's tucked deep down beneath years of anti-domestication beliefs. Fortunately, this persona only comes out in regards to Halloween. Halloween doesn't only make me want to scare people; it also makes me want to party! I get a weird drive to decorate things, think of various spooky foods I could prepare, and create playlists kooky enough to dance with on a regular basis throughout the year. The ironic part of this is that I've never attended a Halloween party, let alone hosted one. Maybe hosting a Halloween party is my calling in life, and I just haven't gotten the opportunity to make it happen, yet. I don't know.

A couple years ago, during my last semester of college, I planned three fantastic parties that were to happen within three weeks during October. By mid-September, I had all three planned completely--invites were designed and ready to be printed, lists of decor and food were ready to be bought and prepared, and decor was quite thoroughly planned, to the point that I wasn't going to need to improvise on anything. Everything was planned. They were my three children: the dinner party, the pumpkin carving party, and then the balls out epic Halloween party. And, with how my luck always goes, only one of them happened in a very half-hearted manner. Another could have happened, if I hadn't gotten so busy with mid-term tests. And then the grand finale was brought to a shuttering halt when the news came that my grandpa had passed away and there was a funeral to attend on the other side of the U.S.

Still, that flame burns in my heart. I'm bent on hosting a fantastic Halloween party--one that people I've never met will talk about for ages. They'll talk about how perfectly creepy the design of the decor was and how cleverly delicious the food was and how genius the playlist was and how they'll never come away from a party so perfectly satisfied with themselves and the world. I think I'm pretty damn good at planning a party, just saying.

Anyway, in a way, this was a pointless blog. I felt a need to share my slight fanaticism that comes with the idea of throwing a Halloween party. Maybe someone else out there feels that way? Or maybe someone out there wants help planning a party?

Stay Spooky!!

The Haunted Mill

I went to college in Rexburg, Idaho; and, I've got to say, Rexburg is one of my favorite places to be during the Halloween season. Local businesses have taken advantage of the fact that there are a lot of starving students looking for cheap entertainment, especially during the fall when everything gets colder and more spooky. There are things from carnivals to straw and corn mazes to, of course, haunted houses. Ugh, not to mention pumpkin patches, local places to get fresh cider, and miles on top of miles of fresh autumn air to consume from the comforts of your car.

Ah, yisss, Rexburg is a fantastic place for fall lovers.

One of my favorite places to go (I try to visit several times during the season) is The Haunted Mill. They're located a few miles north of Rexburg in a small town called Teton. It's out in the middle of nowhere, which makes a perfect setting for this broken down old mill (yes, it's an actual old mill):

This image can be found on their website, which is also where you can find directions to the place and information on all the different actual spirits who live there.

This is one of my favorite haunted houses of all time mostly because the creators of the haunt are so imaginative with the layout. Each year, it's completely different in there. And the small parts that do stay the same are the best parts--they never get old and never get unscary. I usually get scared just knowing a certain part is coming up, which is really what makes a great haunt.

I have great college memories at that mill, as well! My first year out at college is when I got acquainted with this wonderful place. A group of us kids went through the haunt and had a lot of fun going through. The most memorable moment of that night for me, though, was at the very end when one of the guys in the group decided it would be fun to hide until I came out...and then proceed to chase me down the bank (with me thinking it was still part of the haunt). I still giggle at the memory, even if it is half out of embarrassment.

So, if you're ever in Idaho during the holiday season (yes, for me Halloween IS the holiday season), hit me up on facebook and I'll give you some great places to go. But, for freaking sure, go to The Haunted Mill. You have no idea the amount of awesome you're in for until you actually pull up and look at the building you're about to enter. And trust me, it's worth the road trip!

Stay spooky!

The Laughter of Little...Clowns.

So, I have a strange obsession, and I am addressing it today. My topic is!

HAUNTED CARNIVALS!

I love haunted carnivals. If I could build a haunted house based solely on creepy carnival things, I would be vastly happy. There's something so fantastic about the maniacal laugh of a clown and the giggle of an unseen impish carny to the backdrop of broken down, out of beat old carnival music. I can't get enough of it.

It also makes me happy to find people who have done this style of haunt right! Because it's a style that's very easy to screw up--as in, over acting...too much makeup...cheesy, cliche props...or props that are too obviously homemade. So, for your viewing pleasure, here are a few people who have done it right!

Oh, and to add to the mood, here's some music.

Alright, the picture above came from this forum, on which was posted a great carnival and the carnies themselves! VIOLA!

This is a haunt called Carnival of Risk. It's so well done, it kind of makes me want to cry. I love the decor of the booths, not to mention the makeup and characters. In my opinion, this haunt is perfectly executed in this style. I need to travel there!

Here's another fun one! It's called Psycho Circus, which is a name that definitely promises a good time. I'm pretty sure a lot of it is homemade, which is really impressive because the props aren't bad! The video is a bit long, but it's fun to watch.

Here are a few cool props: the tightrope bike, Scare Factory clowns, and a whole page of neat...stuff!

So, I guess that'll be all for now. I hope I've piqued your interest, at least! Have a very scary day!

Makeup practice!

As promised, there isn't as much of a gap between posts this time! This past season, I met some people--one in particular--who set up a haunt around a residence; and payment was put to charity. During the year, we've been having regular meetings to discuss and decide things for the coming season. I'm in heaven, let me just say.

Through this haunt, though, I've made some fantastic friends. I recently got together with one of those friends and practiced some makeup (seeing as that friend and I are planning on doing this season's makeup). These pictures are from my first attempt at a detailed skeleton. I was looking off of this picture. This artist has incredible horror makeup, by the way. I strongly advise giving her a look! Here are the pics!

The materials I used are strangely simple: eyeliner pencil (both black and white) and some black eye shadow (for the shading).

This was a huge learning experience! I learned that I need to get something that works better for fine details, like liquid eye liner or something. I also learned that I need to learn how to draw and shade teeth better. I probably also ought to make it a habit to set powder on the finished fill-ins (like the black of the eye and nose). It started running quite quickly after I was finished, and I'll need that makeup to last a good 5 hours.

A pointer for beginners--definitely practice a new type of monster on a person, first, so you know exactly what you need to learn to get better!

Stay scary, friends!

Crows vs Ravens

Alright, so I'm horrible with this blog. It's been months. MONTHS. To anyone whose interest I've piqued, I'm sorry for disappointing. I promise to do better in the future!

For today's topic, I chose to research the difference between ravens and crows. I really love these birds. Any lover of Halloween loves these birds, really. It's because they're spooky looking and tend to be associated with death. At least, that's why I love them so much. Anyway, allow me to get started.

Ravens and crows belong to the same genus (for those of you who don't understand what a genus is..just like I didn't...here is the dictionary definition): corvus. They also (obviously) share the same family: corvidae. Other corvidae include magpies and jays.

Ravens

The first difference one would notice between a crow and a raven is that the raven is much larger. A raven is about the size of a hawk, with a typical 4' wingspan. Ravens have bigger, heavier-looking beaks and have tufts around their throats. Their tails also come to a point at the end. In the sun, they'll have either a purple or blue tint to their black wings.

A raven's call is quite deep and raspy; however, they are able to imitate the sounds of other birds and creatures. Here is a place you can find the different calls.

Ravens like to hunt in solitude, so they typically live in isolated places. They will occasionally live near cities; and when they do, they're quick to find the more nature-y places in town.

Crows

Crows are smaller--about the size of a dove or a pigeon--with a wingspan of 3', typically. Their beaks are more petite, and their tails create a nice rounded fan shape. Their feathers will either have a green or blue tint under the sun. Crows are much more sleek looking.

A crow's call is high pitched (or at least higher than the raven's) and more clear. The link above provides sound bites of both birds.

Crows aren't picky about where they live. They can be found anywhere, really. The fact that they are most frequently seen in cities proves that they're more tolerant to the constant commotion and competition of life around different creatures. A crow can live up to 8 years (whereas a raven can live up to 30 years).

Here are a couple more links I couldn't tactfully sneak in:
Info on the birds
A YouTube video showing the difference in sizes (I want a pet raven so badly! Jealous!)

Upon researching all this, I came to the conclusion that the bird I'm really in love with is the raven. The raven is pretty awesome. I mean, the crow is cool; but the raven takes the cake. It's like the crow is Ron Weasley--he tries real hard, but isn't that exemplary--and then here comes the raven, Bill and/or Charlie Weasley, crapping all over Ron's party because of their awesomeness. Ok, I'm done.

I hope you enjoyed my little research party. And as before mentioned, I will start blogging here more frequently! Have a spooky Saturday!