Halloween 2014

*Just a disclaimer here, that hat belongs to my father and he put it on my head. I take no ownership of that.

Back in Grad School

I remember this time in my past long ago, before we had kids when we thought we were busy. I reflect back on the Eric and Maria that existed pre-2009bpe (before parenthood era) and I laugh. We had so much time on our hands! I was just looking back through old photos looking for blog fodder as today was remarkably uneventful, and I stumbled upon this photo....



Do you know what is going on here? So, it all starts way back when we were in grad school. We had been invited to a Halloween party, costumes required. We had plenty of time to prep, but we were "too busy." So we did what students do best, we procrastinated. Sure we bandied about a few ideas, but we knew it had to be good. We wanted to go with an art theme as the party was a bunch of art history grad students (PARTY!).

Anyway, the day of the party arrived and we had not settled on a plan. We were just too busy; which means we were sitting around talking and maybe playing Ms. Pacman on the computer whilst listening to Queen....Afternoon rolled around and we finally decided to get serious. So we just jumped onto the idea that seemed easiest to achieve in a few hours time. We decided to go as artist couple Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Frida was easy enough: unibrow, earrings, braided black hair, dress. Eric's costume...well, Diego didn't have a unique style so much. He was just a portly man. So, when we realized that Eric would just look like an overweight man it was already way too late to go back...so we went with it. I found a black witch wig down the street which I braided in Frida's style and threw my look together in about 15 minutes. Eric just stuffed a suit. It was weird. When we arrived it made sense as long as we were together. When Eric wandered off on his own it just looked as though he were making fun of people with weight issues...um not his intention.

Anyway, after that we vowed to always have a cohesive plan in tact before we went forward with a costume. Now I cannot guarantee that our costumes are any less weird or off putting, but at least we are comfortable with the get-up now.

Halloween Review

Yesterday was the day that Cordelia has been waiting for ALL YEAR. For some reason the kid is totally bananas for Halloween.



We woke up bright and early, a bit before six because she was just too excited to sleep anymore. When she asked what we were having for breakfast I told her we were having cereal. She said, "Mo-om, that is not a very Halloween-y breakfast." So, to humor the girl, I made a quick change and we had this: skull toast, mummy head vegan sausage, fruit.



Cordelia had preschool and in a stroke of brilliance the school has decided no costumes, meaning no dealing with costumes, and they throw a pajama party instead. Cordelia had a blast was absolutely buzzing about it when we reunited.

Later we made our first stop of trick or treating at my parent's house. The girls both felt pretty fancy. Cordelia went as a monarch butterfly and Elise was a flower.









After a visit to the grandparent's  it was time to get down to serious business with the Wolfpack. They met up at our place and we did it up right. Sadie was a bride and Ari came dressed as a dinosaur! We toured our neighborhood. Sadie and Cordelia led the pack and the younger two kept up to the best of their ability.  Watching Cordelia and Sadie hold hands and march around is about the most heartrendingly adorable thing ever...until you look at Ari and Elise!















When we returned home I made the switch, replacing non-vegan candy with vegan options. A very successful adventure!

Project: Last Minute Mask

Happy Halloween! Are you in need of a last minute mask? I have the solution for you. Do you remember the Masquerade Ball last Friday (click here)? Eric and I Made our own masks. Well I may be overstating that, we decorated our masks.

I picked up this mask at the store.



I don't think you can tell from the photo, but it actually looked pretty terrible, there was frayed edging and glue everywhere. I peeled off all of the glue and frayed border. Next I grabbed some black paint and gave myself some cat eyes. I finished off the mask with some froufrou thing from a broken girls headband and adhered it to the side.

Eric just picked up a blank mask and spray painted his black for a chic and mysterious look.



Total time: 15 minutes

Halloween

 

I don't think I have ever really decorated for Halloween. It's just not my thing. This year Cordelia wanted to put up decorations and I decided that we could go ahead and do a little decorating. Mostly I just focused on seasonal things like gourds and pumpkins that can be decorative elements for the next month. I did choose a few pieces that we can stash away and bring out annually.



We also made a couple things during some crafternoon fun.





Do you decorate?

Happy Halloween Monster Blog

OK I am going to lay it out straight for you....I took a lot of photos this weekend. We have had a wonderful Halloween weekend and I promise to show you no more than 10% of the photos I have taken. Regardless, this is still a MONSTER BLOG (please read this dramatically, even in your head...perhaps a booming voice with an echo), and so very fitting considering that it is in fact Halloween! So, loosen your belt because you are about to be served a heaping dish of MONSTER BLOG!

Saturday we got ready for two Halloween parties. A big step up from last year's events of nothing and nothing else. We prepped our costumes, planning to go as a family theme, but when Cordelia requested her pirate dress (again) we relented and let her do her own thing.

Here is a hint....



We went as mimes. The costumes were a cinch, but who knew that white make-up would be such a hassle. We finally figured it out and piled into the car for our parties. I mentioned to Eric that it sounded like the beginning of a bad joke, two mimes and a pirate get into a compact car...


Family miming


Trapped in a box and pull the rope were the only moves in my mime bag.


Eric had a few special mime moves too.


Mimes and pirates living together in harmony

We went to our two parties. Cordelia was frightened by most of the night...she was not a fan of strangers in costume, but she recovered quickly and we spent the rest of our evening miming and playing with gourds (don't ask).

Sunday Cordelia and I attended a hayride. We had a marvelous time! I can't wait for next year.



We drove out of town a bit to a family farm. The day was surprisingly warm, about 60F. There was hay, there were lovely people, there were a few animals (hopefully companion animals...the vegan in me is hopeful).




Cordelia with her Grandpa


Cordelia with her Grandma

The hay ride was wonderful...though we did go through a strangely bright green field, everything else was the natural brown of the season.






While we were forcing Cordelia to pose on hay bales (because we are apparently incapable of just letting a hay bale pass us by) we heard the few cows mooing. She got really excited and thought that they were calling her. She took off running toward them. When she finally arrived she exclaimed, "Hey cows. I made it!" Then she proceeded to moo at them.


I love cows. I really do.


I mean look at those sweet feet (hooves).

Sunday night we were finally able to carve (wink) out time in our schedule to carve (you get it) pumpkins!




Today I am super excited to pass out vegan candy as I am sure that this will be the first year EVER that we have more than a couple of trick-or treaters!!!

Incidentally it also happens to be my 4 year blog anniversary!

Crunch Time. I Need Your Help

Do you remember your Halloween costume from last year? I remember mine, it was awesome (and weird), need a reminder? Here is what we did last Halloween....yes, we were in fact Star Trek Vampires! Last year it was just us. We had no party and one trick-or-treater and we did it up righteously (sorry I just had the word in my head).


Spooky photo by E.K. ....seemed to fit the Halloween theme...

This year we actually have stuff to do. Two parties to attend and we are falling short. No ideas. We need your help. Please help us come up with a family theme costume, weird is good. Here are our parameters:

• Nothing that would frighten Cordelia.
• Nothing generic.
• Nothing too cute.
• Weird is good, but identifiably weird.
• Need to be able to make or assemble with speed.

OK, ideas? Please help us!!!

Project: Dia De Los Muertos Shadow Box

For some reason I was bitten by the shadow box bug this week. I felt compelled to make a shadow box and once I have my creative mind set to something I just have to see it through, usually I end up with a dozen new ideas by the end of one project and that was the case with my shadow box.



Compelled by the season I decided on a bit of a day of the dead (dia de los muertos) theme instead of straight up Halloween.

Here is a little run down of what I did:

• I took a wooden box we had laying around, painted the interior. I wrapped the outside in paper from an old encyclopedia set.

• I found a branch that fit into the box and wrapped it with yarn.
• Next I cut out some curlicues from the same book and adhered them to the back of the box.

• I cut out some images of birds, adhered them to paperboard (for sturdiness), trimmed the paperboard, and attached the birds to the branches.

• I inserted a store bought nest.

• I made a skull and flowers out of clay.

• I added the clay elements and called it good.
  

I haven't decided if I am going to add something to the back so I can hang the box or if it is something that will sit on a shelf...

Have you got any cool ideas or themes for shadow boxes?