Ele-Gaunt Party Theme

I love planning parties; but unfortunately, I often don't have the room in my budget to host one. And seeing as times are tough for everyone, now, I thought it might be useful to share some of my ideas on $100-budget parties for those spooky hosts who want to stretch each dime further!

The theme I play with the most in my head is the idea of dark elegance met with classic Halloween charm. To illustrate my ideas, I'll include photos found throughout the web with sources linked for convenience. Most of these links can also be found on my Halloween board! Here are a couple of photos to give you an idea of the over all feel I'm looking to find for this theme:

To reach a good, classy level of elegance, I chose my base color as black and then will accent it with my choice of spooky color! My natural choice in this theme will be purple/violet, as it's my favorite color. The theme above gives a sample of this idea with the accent color/s in various hues of orange.

Here's the spooky aspect! A Halloween party isn't complete without a few crows, skulls, and candy! I would keep these decor items at a minimum, embracing simplicity and following nature (kind of--who finds a crow actually posing next to a skull in real life?!).

While shopping for my party decor, I am most likely to head to the store with the lowest prices first. I've separated my $100 party budget 60/40: $60 will go to the food and $40 will go to decor. If you already have the decor you need, you can always move money where you prefer. With this theme, I'm assuming that most people won't have at least half of what they need, just to be safe in my assumptions with budgeting. Also, I would be more likely to dedicate more of the budget to food if this is a sit-down dinner. I like a party with more natural flow, so I'm choosing simple hors d'oeuvres that can be self-served onto small plates and walked around with.

The store with the cheapest prices around here (Utah, USA) is Dollar Tree, so I've gone to their website to get an understanding of what they sell in regards to disposable plates, cups, etc. I'm not going too fancy on the plates, since they're just going to get thrown away. This is why I want them to be black--even paper can seem classy in a cloak of black! Here is my shopping list for Dollar Tree:

Plates, Black, 18 ct., 2 packages, $2

Cups, 1 Purple & 2 Black, 12 ct., 3 packages, $3

Napkins, Purple, 24 ct., 2 packages, $2

Table cover, Black, $1

Dollar Tree Total: $8

I would then move on to Zurchers, which is a (fairly) local discount party outlet. Comparable prices may be found at your local party stores. I'm heading to Zurchers for the higher quality and/or specialized items on my list. They sell packages of clear, elegant cocktail forks that would be perfect for the food items that aren't quite meant for fingers. Also, while wandering and brainstorming throughout their site, I got the idea to use Krinkle Shred in purple and black as an interesting texture to sprinkle around plates of food and decorations. It's typically meant for gift wrapping, which is why it's found on that aisle in the store; but I love the fun little shapes the thin strips of crinkled paper makes. My Zurchers shopping list is as follows:

Mini Cocktail Forks, Clear, 20 ct., $3.77

Krinkle Shred, 1 Purple & 1 Black, 2 oz. ea., $3.54

Zurchers Total: $7.31

At this point, I'm set on food decor items at $15. 31, which means the remaining $24.69 will be dedicated to aesthetics! 

First, I'm focusing on the stuff that will create a backdrop for the more flashy decorations. I'll want creepy cloth and black spiderwebs to get some depth and a variety of texture. Creepy cloth is surprisingly pricey at most places (seriously? It's just a bunch of tangled up threads...oh well, I guess); however I did find a kind of cheap price for it through this link. I would also suggest making your own with old sheets, as well, as 5 feet of creepy cloth for $2 is a bit ridiculous in my opinion. Regardless, if I was feeling lazy that day, I would go out and buy it--about 3-5 packages (so, I'm spending $6-$10).

On that same site, I found equally cheap (and I say cheap, this time, because it's actually a great price for webbing) brown spiderweb. I know I initially mentioned that I would be going for black; but when I've found such a good price and I plan on the room being dark, anyway, it's a go for the brown! These are also $2 each, and I would grab 3 of them. So, I'm looking at spending between $12 and $16 on the straight-from-the-store stuff, which will leave my budget at around $8-$12--just enough for a fun, at-home project! 

When it comes to choosing the more flashy decor for creating ambience, I've found that hand making decor can be much more fun and efficient for Halloween parties because most store bought Halloween decor will need doctoring, anyway. I also like to have full control of the quality and design of my more eye-catching decorations. This gives me the opportunity to put my personality and the personalities of those attending the party into the decor, which is a neat touch to a party, I think.

Because these items are hand made, I can't suggest too heavily what to make and how to make it; but I can give you an idea of what I would make:

These candlesticks are pretty sweet and could potentially be a very cheap project. This is something that can easily be found at either garage sales or thrift stores. Any tall candle holder works as long as the surface texture allows for paint or at least sanding. I would also look for beat up-looking dining room chairs--use the legs for candle holders and find a clever use for the seat and back parts.

Instead of the orbs on top, I would like to add platforms so I can set decor and/or tea lights on them. I initially liked the idea of pillar candles atop these lovely stands; but after a bit of research, I learned that pillar candles are crazy expensive. So, I got creative and realized that tea lights (tea lights on sale and fancy tea lights) would create a better ambient lighting, anyway! Be sure to place anything flammable a good enough distance from the flames of the tea lights (we want terror at this party but not that much terror). Flammable items include but aren't limited to cobweb, creepy fabric, any banners, model crows, and your friend's afro wig.

By this time, I'd say my decor budget is pretty much spent! I'll be moving onto the food budget over the next couple of days, which I will be sharing once it's figured out! Stay tuned, dear friends; and we'll see where the conclusion of the Ele-Gaunt party theme will lead us!

Thanks for reading!

STAY SPOOKY

2014 Haul

Good afternoon! 

Today, I thought I'd do a fun haul post, seeing as I haven't had the chance to show off all the cool Halloween stuff I bought last year! Some of this stuff is still available at Zurcher's, if you have one of those in your region. That is where I purchased almost everything I'm about to share!

Alright, let's get this party started! This first image is just a general overview of all my purchases. I tried to limit the wearables I bought in order to balance my budget with the decor I wanted, as well. I have a problem with buying too many creepy clothes, really.

I bought the three purple lanterns at Dollar Tree. I was pretty surprised to see such gorgeous light fixtures on sale the day I walked in and just wanted some quick caffeine--and these are actual light fixtures! All I need to get my hands on are some AAA batteries, and these guys have an LED light that will glow through the foggiest of evenings. The purple on them is a lot more vibrant than is shown in the pictures (purple is my favorite color, so naturally I got the purple and not the white or black ones). These lovely lanterns have been hanging in my living room, classing the place up since we moved in back in October.

The one lantern I did not buy at Dollar Tree is this big guy, here! At this point in the season, I had already bought the purple lanterns and needed something to offset their pieciness; so I bought this black skeleton lantern while shopping at Zurcher's. While it doesn't have an attached light like the others, it makes up for it in the quality of the product and the size! I gave this guy his own little corner in my living room, across from the purple ones, naturally.

The rest of this post will be all items I got from Zurcher's (so you know where to get it later on). I'm really not sure why I felt the need to buy that little vampire cutout. Maybe it was the style of art or the choice of color...still dont' know; but I do enjoy having it sit on my bookshelf and glare over me as a sleep! Besides, it was only about $.60...so no big loss, there!

The skeleton leggings are the bottom half of my Halloween costume (keep scrolling to see the full costume and makeup in action). My costume was being sold by a brand called Black and Bones. Really cool line of clothes--yes, I view this as a line of clothing; these costumes are a sight to behold! Luckily, the Black and Bones collection is still on the floor at Zurcher's; so you can get your own selection any time of the year your please! One warning on these leggings, however, is that they are see-through. You will absolutely have to wear something underneath them in order to avoid public embarrassment. That's all.

Here is the "dress" part of my costume. The tutu is very fun to wear and play with. I wore this dress at work a couple of times during the season, and absolutely loved bouncing all over the store just to watch the tutu move with me (pretty sure my co-workers have decided that I am insane). The tank top part of the dress is form fitting but also leaves enough room for extra boobage, just in case that's a worry. It's very comfortable and breathes quite well. I very much intend on wearing this on hot summer days when I'm having one of my 'fuck pants' days.

Finally, one of the last purchases I made in the season was this awesome shawl! It was hidden in the 1920's section, coupled with a few different dresses on the pictures of the costumes. This sucker is super cheap in both the cost of purchase and the choice of materials. It's also much smaller than a typical shawl ought to be...but it's just so freaking cute! I couldn't help myself. I had to buy it. And, now, it's currently acting as decor in my room.

And, finally, here are a few photos of me in full costume and makeup on Halloween night...all made up with nowhere to go! We tried going to a party that night, but there was no parking. So, I ended up just coming back home and washing all this off within an hour of putting it on! You could consider that a summary of my entire season last year.

Anyway, makeup was done by me, of course; and photos were taken by my Trapper. Enjoy!

STAY SPOOKY!!!

Beginning Plans of 2014

The Halloween season of 2014 has hit with a few catches for me. I've had to step down from acting at Fear Factory, which was a sad decision to make. However, it did open up my schedule for a few fun haunted activities to participate in that I normally wouldn't find the time or energy for. So, because this Halloween season in completely my own, I've decided to research and make a list of fun things I'd like to do before the season's up!

First and foremost, I intend on visiting the Fear family in our dusty old home to see all the new levels of terror they've conjured up during the off season. I've had a bit of an edge over the typical customer, as I've already heard of a lot of the changes that have occurred and look forward to seeing them in action. The only challenge I believe I'll have in going through the haunt will be to dress as incognito as possible so that they scare me instead of hug me!
Ticket and location information for Fear Factory can be found on their website. If you're looking for a truly scary, Halloweenie experience, visit Fear Factory and enjoy the ride!

There are a few other haunts I've been meaning to visit for the past couple of years, as well, mostly due to fantastic reviews, reputation, and the people I've met who work at these haunts. The first is Nightmare on 13th. I walked through this haunt about 5 or 6 years ago and enjoyed every moment; however, during the off season of this year, I've had the pleasure of meeting a few of the haunters who work there--very kind, sweet, awesome people. I can tell that they absolutely love what they do, which will make the show even better for me. I really look forward to walking through again and seeing what they've changed since I've last been there and how awesome the scares are sure to be. I intend on writing reviews (without giving away too much of the magic, of course) on this blog whenever I visit each haunted attraction this year, so keep tuned!

Another haunt I've been really interested in ever since I first heard about it (I even considered acting there when I still had a car with which to get down there) is The Haunted Forest. I deeply regret not finding a chance to go down there and enjoy this haunt before this season, as I hear they put on a fantastic show. Even so, the fact that I've been looking forward to it for so long will only fuel my excitement even further when I finally get the chance to check them out and see what they're all about! Again, this is something I will be reviewing after I visit.

Now, I'm not sure if I've voiced how much I love straw mazes previously on this blog; but I absolutely adore them. To me, it's not really Fall until I've gotten to tread the tall, fragrant halls of a straw maze, shivering all the while in the cool Autumn breeze. I visited one particular straw maze every year while I lived and studied in Rexburg, ID; but it's been strangely hard to find a maze that's *specifically* straw down here in Utah (lots and lots of corn mazes, but straw...not so much). I have, after looking around in Google, found a straw maze in Kayesville that is currently in business. So, it is officially my goal to get up to Kayesville this season to enjoy this straw maze in all of its itchy and slightly creepy grandeur.

Beyond the attractions, I do wish to enjoy the little things that this season brings with it: the cool air, the smell of freshly opened pumpkins, homemade apple cider, lots and lots of candy corn, and, of course, parties! You may be surprised to find out that I (the freakin Halloween Queen) have never been invited to a Halloween party! I've hosted one and planned several; but I haven't ever actually been to one that didn't involve my persistent planning beforehand (which I do enjoy thoroughly, by the way, as before mentioned). So, hopefully, this year will be the year of my first Halloween party!

This is my tentative plan for enjoying this season to the best of my abilities. Of course, I'm sure there will be many, many other things that I attend and enjoy throughout the season; but I don't want to overbook and let the smaller, fun things slip through the cracks. If you know me personally and would like to join me on some of these escapades, feel free to let me know. The more the merrier! And, as always, STAY SPOOKY!

Caverns of Blood

Feeling Halloweenie? Want something new (or old) to help with that urge? Anytime I need to be soaked in the warm blood of Halloween spirit, I always find myself wandering around the old Caverns of Blood website. I thought I would do a little shout out to them on my blog, since Caverns of Blood was what kept me sane back in high school when I wanted Halloween and there was no other creepy thing to look at or enjoy.

Caverns of Blood has just the right amount of Halloween cheesiness that's expected for a site dedicated solely to horror flicks, weird jokes, and demented mini games. One of my favorite places to visit in the labyrinth of Caverns of Blood is the Dreams and Nightmares section. It's cool to read what other people have dreamed and feared. It's even more awesome that they felt they had to share those experiences.

The only way to fully appreciate Caverns of Blood is to go there yourself and wander the endless corridors of doom that they have to offer. You won't be disappointed!

Stay Spooky!

To Those Who Insatiably Thirst

Greetings, fellow spooks! Tonight, I thought I'd share my Pinterest collection of spooky, scary Halloween-themed drinks! Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to try any of them, yet; but hopefully it's helpful to those who have a hankering for some Halloween deliciousness:

First, I have a combo of classics: Candy Corn Vodka!

Source is linked to the picture.

For the infused vodka, you need:

1/2 c Candy Corn

1 1/2 c Vodka

Combine the two ingredients in an airtight container, then let it sit for at least 3 hours. Once you're ready to drink it, strain it, then combine the rest of the ingredients:

For the added cordial, you will need:

2 oz Orange Liqueur

1/2 Lemon, juiced

1 Egg White

Add 4 ounces of the candy corn vodka, along with these ingredients, into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake it out for about 30 seconds, then strain it into a martini glass or two. Use a few spare candy corn to garnish the drink. Enjoy!

Next on the list is: Witches Brew!

Source is linked to the picture.

What you'll need:

2 1/4 oz Caliche Rum

2 1/4 oz Dark Rum

1 1/4 oz Bacardi 151

2 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice

3/4 oz Lime Juice

3/4 oz Simple Syrup

1 1/4 oz Grenadine

Combine all ingredients in a large goblet (see above) and stir it up until it's that orange-pinkish hue. For garnish, add lots of gummy worms! You know the drill!

Continuing this awesomeness: Liquified Ghost!

Source is linked to the picture.

What you will need:

1 oz Vodka

1 oz Vanilla Simple Syrup

1 oz Cream

1 oz Sprite or 7-Up

Combine these ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and strain into a martini glass or two. Sip and be spooky responsibly!

The next one is two drinks for one picture: Bloody Scary and Bloody Tooth

Source is linked to the picture.

Bloody Scary

What you'll need:

4 oz Prosecco

1 oz Blood Orange, squeezed

1/2 oz Campari

1/2 oz Simple Syrup

1 oz Blavod Black Vodka, chilled

In a champagne flute, combine Prosecco, Blood Orange, Campari, and Simple Syrup. Pour Blavod Black Vodka in over a spoon to create the black layer on top.

Bloody Tooth

What you'll need: 

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey

1 1/2 oz Pomegranate Juice

1 oz Simple Syrup

1/2 oz Lemon Juice, squeezed

Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously before straining the concoction into a rocks glass. Garnish it with pomegranate seeds and a lemon twist!

For those who don't drink alcohol: Sparkling Apple Cider Slushies!

Source is linked to the picture.

What you'll need:

1 bottle (24.5 oz) Sparkling Cider, chilled

1 gal Apple Cider

Pour the Apple Cider in a gallon-sized zip-lock bag and freeze it until it's slushy. Pour the slush into a party bowl (this one's for a party, by the way) and pour the Sparkling Cider over it. If you want to have alcohol in this, just replace the Sparkling Cider with Champagne of your choice!

And, now, a couple of recipe pictures found on Tumblr (my tumblr address is thewidowersway.tumblr.com. Follow me!). I'm not sure of the sources.

Stay Spooky and Drink Responsibly!

Fear

My biggest fear--as far as irrational fears go--is spirits or ghosts. It's embarrassing; but, for some reason, any paranormal activity that occurs around me sends thrills of fear through my body. I think a lot of people share this fear with me, mainly because it couples with the great and terrible fear of the unknown. See, I'm not scared of people, which is what a spirit is--just a person who has passed on. The thing that scares me about spirits is the fact that I have no real way of knowing whether the person who is in the room with me has good or bad intentions (at least with the living, I can read body signals).

This fear has made working Fear Factory particularly difficult, or at least challenging, for me due to the high amount of activity going on nightly. My area, in particular, is known to have at least a couple of spirits who like to play with people. Through one of these spirits, though, I've begun to get over my fear. It's strange, I know; but any contact I've had with George has been fairly positive.

The first time I found proof of George's presence was about halfway through the season, and he was apparently feeling restless. He decided to mess with one of my fellow actresses between customers: pulling at her cloak, touching her, hitting her. I actually saw her clothing move during George's little teasing session. At the time, I was still white knuckled about ghosts, so I was plastered to the spot upon seeing this proof. You know that fight or flight sensation you get when you're truly frightened? Yeah, that sucker was wailing through me the entire rest of the night.

About a week or so later, though, I had the opportunity to be the queen of the Strigoi; so I worked in the throne room with the king, who is someone that I'm pretty sure fears nothing. After I mentioned that George kept showing himself to me, the king said that George showed himself frequently in that room and that I shouldn't be afraid of seeing him. Obviously, I needed more convincing. I had no idea what George had planned for me and my king, so I voiced that little bit of anxiety. The king assured me that George is friendly and means no harm to anyone: he's a gentle giant (have you seen him?! he's huge!).

After that reassurance, a flip switched in my head. I've been trying to interact with George more, now--encouraging him to play with the lights more or telling him whenever I'm able to see him. I've even gotten brave enough to hold my hands out in invitation for George to touch me. He hasn't, yet, but I hope he does by the end of the season.

I feel crazy saying this, but I'm going to miss George a bit once the season's over. I feel like I've gotten to know him and grown accustomed to him so much that it'll be weird not having him around every once in a while. Of course, facing my fear with George was kind of like breaking the most gentle horse ever born. He was never anything to fear, just someone who happened to die horribly on the property, which is unfortunate for someone so nice. I guess my next challenge is to go down there alone, or maybe I should meet the other ghosts of Fear Factory and see what their personalities are like. Now that I've opened this door for myself, I'm completely enthralled by what I can learn.

So, this has been the most gentle ghost story you've ever read. I hope you've enjoyed it and maybe even inspired you to get to know your neighborhood ghosts a little more. Stay spooky!

Victorian Era Funerals

Lately, I've been on a weird kick about old customs: how people used to act and live their lives in the past. These things pique my curiosity mainly because I like the idea that there is still a piece of the old 'ladies and gentlemen' mentality lingering in the backs of our easily-distracted, heavily-technologized brains (yes, I just made a word up). What was it like to live in a world where manners and etiquette ruled everything? What would it be like if it was suddenly impolite once more for women to wear anything but a full dress and for men to wear something as informal as jeans? Sure, I wouldn't want to go back to that time: women didn't have any rights and were completely viewed as property to either their fathers or husbands; and if they didn't find a husband after a certain time in their life, they were viewed as useless. No, I like being able to run the show and wear my impossibly tight jeans. It would be cool if we had those manners back, though.

Anyway, why I'm writing this on The Widower's Way is because I've been specifically intrigued by the way they sent their dead off into the next life. What were their funeral services like? So, I've started a search: What were funerals like in the 1800s? Let me share with you what I've found.

My first bit of information comes from this link. Funerals used to be very public, as opposed to the invitation-only mentality of today. The family put the body on display in their parlors so that everyone who wanted to could come around and say any last words. While the deceased was in the house, the family put up material called crepe that covered all windows, mirrors, picture frames, and mantels. They did this so that the spirit couldn't get trapped in any reflections or call upon somebody else to die with them. Clocks were stopped at the time of death in order to avoid bad luck of those still in the living realm.

According to this blog, wakes were invented in order to ensure that the person was absolutely dead. For 4 days, at least one pair of eyes was always watching the body in order to make sure that they didn't wake up. This is also why they attached bells to strings that lead down into the coffins. As a result of all of these precautions, people were very afraid of being buried alive.

During that time (the Victorian Era), they took mourning pretty seriously. This was because Queen Victoria got hit pretty hard when her husband died and over-exaggerated all of the already typical mourning traditions. Women were expected to don mourning garb for at least two years after the death of their loved one; and if they didn't have any black dresses at the time of the death, they were to hurry and dye some of their clothes black in order to be ready for mourning.

I found some good information on funeral etiquette here. Upon the death, the immediate family is to be interviewed briefly in order to provide the information that everyone will be asking. The interview will be done by the first appropriate person outside of the immediate family: an aunt, uncle, cousin, or clergy member. The family is given time before the wake begins in order to say their goodbyes to the deceased in order to avoid confusion or congestion around the coffin during the wake. The women of the family are not expected to acknowledge anyone's presence during the wake. The men have the option of doing so, depending on their degree of mourning.

While taking the coffin out of the home, the deceased is taken feet first so that they can't look back into the house and invite a family member to pass with them. There were six pall-bearers who carried the coffin out. Their heads had to be uncovered and they had to be around the same age, worth, and intelligence of the deceased, if possible. The funeral procession was quite similar to how we still have it today: the hearse headed the procession, and then the immediate family followed before all extended family and friends came. If the doctor who had tended to the deceased is in attendance, that person would follow after the immediate family.

The funeral itself was small: one last prayer was said over the grave before they put the coffin in and covered it up. Once that prayer was said, guests were free to go.


A couple of those links had much more information than I could fit in one blog (namely, the last one), so if this piques your interest as much as it does mine, go ahead and click forward. I find this fascinating--the solemnity around death and the massive amount of respect that was required for those the deceased had left behind. I kind of wish we could bring carriages back just for funerals. They're slower and don't have radios that can be used as a distraction.

Anyway, I hope you all liked this one. I may have to keep digging into history for stuff like this. I have a few more ideas that I've heard about and that I'd like to share, so stay tuned. Stay spooky :)