More fun Halloween movies

We are decorating our office at work as the Devil's Bakery. You'll have to wait to see pics of it later but I was reminded of the Forbidden Zone by Richard Elfman (Danny Elfman's brother). It is sooo wacky but so great. My favorite scene is Danny Elfman playing the devil and singing and Minnie the Moocher. Love it!


Forbidden Zone (Minnie The Moocher)
Uploaded by Javi-Otomano. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

Terrible Treats Wednesday

I just came across this amazing terrible treat and had to share it with y'all before Halloween! Let's see if you have the guts to make this for your Halloween party. The photos are protected so there is no image to share but you Must, you MUST check out the MEAT HAND!!

I love the little spider web pumpkin pancake at the end too. So, so cute!!

Wicked Words Wednesday

Alison and I apologize for the lack of posts lately. We are prepping our office for our annual Halloween competition that happens at work. But be sure to stay tuned as our blog will soon be filled with tons of photos of our costumes and Halloween adventures!

Before Sookie and Bill, before Edward and Bella, there were many other great novels incorporating your now very friendly"Veggie" fanged friends. If you are tired of sappy vampire romance try some of these books.

I am Legend is actually one of the best novels I have ever read. It is a quick read and NOTHING like the awful Will Smith movie, which I refuse to go see. I actually always envisioned this story being made into a one-man play with Johnny Depp.

The Last Vampire. I was obsessed with Christopher Pike as a kid. OBSESSED! His Last Vampire series was one of the best and has a female vampire as the main character. If you haven't noticed, most of our wordly vamps are men. It is a young adult series but the story is still pretty good. Definitely worth checking out.

Let The Right One In. I haven't finished this book but I have to say that there is a lot more going on so far in the book than in the movie. I didn't enjoy the film. Not sure why.

Terrible Treats Tuesday- Evil Elixirs

No party is complete without some tasty beverages. Here are some of my favorite ideas. Enjoy.


This Shrunken Head Cider is amazing. I love apple cider and am so excited to be making this recipe for my party at work!!
Pumpkin Shake?!? Yes please!

Grape juice isn't the most appealing thing to drink, but spice it up a little and it will taste scrumptious!
Orange Hot Chocolate! Amazing!!
Click HERE for some Classic Midori recipes.
These Eyeballs are made out of radishes and olives. Genuis!

This is called the Dracula Drink. Not sure why, but I love candy corn. Wonder how it would taste with alcohol?

I'm a little hesitant about the whole weird stuff floating in your drinks, but these Creepy Bubble Drinks could be fun to make.

Here are a few punch bowl ideas. I love the fish bowl. I don't know about the trash can or whatever that container is at the bottom left. This website also has some other great punch recipes and wicked ideas. Check it out HERE.
Would someone please buy me this amazing punch bowl for my birthday? Pretty Please . . . .
And don't forget about the Black Vodka Martini we mentioned a few weeks ago.
Or the Butterbeer Brew. There is a non-alcoholic recipe for this beer as well. Just browse the website.

Top Ten Lists

I was hoping to come up with a top ten movie list today, but as you can imagine, it is really hard finalizing the best top ten movies you have ever seen! I was able to narrow it down to two lists.
Enjoy!!

Top Ten Fun Halloween Movies:


10.Earnest Scared Stupid. A great cheesy kids movie. Who wouldn't want to watch Earnest being attacked by a crazy troll? And this is one scary lookin' troll.



9. The Addam's Family. So many great actors in this film. The Sequel isn't too shabby either.



8. Sleepy Hollow. One of Johnny Depp's best roles. Love the costumes and the macabre feeling.



7. Shadow of the Vampire. Such a great film. So funny and clever. William Dafoe is amazing in this role.



6. Shaun of the Dead. Rent this tonight if you have not seen this yet.



5. Beetlejuice. I will never get sick of watching this movie.



4. Fido. Bill Connolly is brillant. Another must see.



3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The return of Paul Reubens . . . sort of.



2. Army of Darkness. I don't know why but this is my favorite movie out of the Evil Dead series. Might have something to do with the line, "This is my boomstick!"



1. Elvira. Who doesn't love the Mistress of the Dark?


Top Ten Creepy Movies to Watch in October:

10. Arachnophobia. If you have a serious problem with spiders don't watch this. But do watch this if you like John Goodman.



9. Devil's Backbone. Best ghost story ever.



8. Lost Boys. Santa Cruz hasn't changed much. ;)



7. Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I actually really enjoy Rob Zombie's version minus Jessica Biel.



6. 28 Days Later. I don't think there is anything scarier than a post-apocalyptic world and the sense of loneliness that comes along with it.



5. Suspira. We've already mentioned this movie. My favorite part has got to be the soundtrack by Ohgre.



4. Watcher in the Woods. This is a disney movie that used to scare the shit out of me as a kid. It still creeps me out.



3. Blair Witch Project. I was so excited when this movie came out.



2. The Shining. This was one of my favorite movies when I was kid. Is that wrong?



1. The Thing. John Carpenter's best movie. MUST MUST SEE.

The Witchiest Witch That Ever Was

I just came across this article about a recent art exhibition in San Francisco called "Toil & Trouble" at Space Gallery on Polk Street. The exhibition was put on in tribute to and in collaboration with a recent film titled, Story About a Witch. Among the various artistic portrayals of aspects of the film, the costume for the witch caught my eye. This amazing costume was a collaboration between two wonderful artists, a special effects expert named, Jared Guenther and a costume/clothing designer named Laura Grant. As stunning and realistic as this costume is it was the tip of the iceberg. The exhibition also featured the photography of Sungjib Kim, who took beautiful still shots from the set of the film.


Another one of Lara Grant's costume designs for the movie.

Crazy and magical.


More photos of the Exhibition, Toil & Trouble can be found HERE at James Sime's photostream on Flickr.

Freaky Fashion Friday: More vintage costumes

I know I have already shared a number of old vintage costumes but I came across the most amazing Halloween book the other night. Dressed for Thrills: 100 Years of Halloween Costumes & Masquerade by Phyllis Galembo is a great visual catalog of a variety of vintage costumes, some dating all the way back to the 1800's. Here are a few excerpts from the book:


I want this mask. It reminds me of a B-52's skeleton.
What a great Big Bad Wolf costume. The mask is painted buckram.

This beatnik costume is right up there in weirdness with the Hippie mask I found a couple weeks ago.

I love how simple this bat mask is.

This is more of a masquerade gown. My favorite part are the hearts hanging from ribbon.

Who would want to be this?

Freaky Fashion Friday

For those living in the Bay Area, the San Francisco Opera House is opening its door and having a gigantic costume shop sale this weekend (October 24th &25th). Prices range from $1-$750. You are sure to find that one of a kind item here. All sales benefit the SF Opera House. Press Release HERE

I love the royal purple gown. Must have looked amazing onstage.
Check out the back of the blue dress. The detail is amazing.
Grecian Goddess or Empress

On a similiar note, the New York Opera has allowed artist E.V. Day to scrounge through their collection and transform some of their most amazing gowns into sculptural displays in the Lincoln Center lobby. The way the dresses are displayed give off such an eerie feeling that it reminds the viewer of how theater is a sort of means of raising the dead. I have to say this is one of the best art shows I have heard about in a long time. Read the NYTimes article HERE and check out the full slideshow HERE.

Die schwarzen Katzen von Deutschland

When looking for vintage Halloween decorations I have come across many vintage die-cut creations from Germany.

Halloween isn’t traditionally celebrated in Germany, so all of the paper products and other decorative Halloween items made in Germany were actually manufactured solely for export to the American market. Halloween manufacturing was a small cottage industry and the majority of German Halloween memorabilia were made by home craft workers or by small craft companies. Virtually all of the items were hand decorated, and it really shows in all of these unique designs.



A common theme I found, was of the black cat. Black cats are known for giving good luck, the history of this came from Britain due to their Pagan roots. However in far Western history, black cats have often been looked upon as a symbol of evil omens, specifically being suspected of being the familiars of witches. The black cat in folklore has been thought to shape shift in to humans in order to spy and bring information to witches as well as fetch ingredients for their witches to use in spells.

Paper Cemetary

This is just amazing. And it has my last name in there. Hard to beat.
On sale at Etsy HERE

Thrilling Trims: Papier Mache

We all have our own memories from childhood of papier-mache creations and activities. The easy, do-it-yourself nature of papier mache as a medium lends itself to all crafting traditions and works as a simple, yet beautiful way to make any holiday need, from costumes to decorations to functional items such as bowls and dinnerware.


Papier Mache is the art of making objects with paper, reinforced with rags and stuck together using a liquid wet paste such as glue, starch or wall paper adhesive. The name Papier-Mache is French for "chewed paper" and is thought to have received its name from French workers in London Papier-Mache shops who were said to have actually chewed the paper. The manufacturers may have put this idea into circulation in order to hide their true methods and recipes.

The history of papier mache dates back to the 2nd century AD in China where paper was created. The art did not reach Europe until the 17th century. Large imports of papier-mache goods flooded European markets which led France to start making its own wares. England started to do the same in the 1670s, however it only became very fashionable in Britain in the late 1700s and into the 1800s. It was used for primarily for mask making and festival activities.

Papier mache made its first appearance in the United States in 1850, when William Allgood, an English Quaker, established the Litchfield Manufacturing Company in Connecticut. The company was successful, producing such items as fans and card cases. When it was introduced at the 1854 World's Fair, papier mache art was given a favorable reception.

From it's start in the Chinese Court, papier mache has been used by common people to create objects for all forms of celebrations, ranging from religious ornaments for All Souls Day and the Day of the Dead to objects of revelry like Mardi Gras floats and has developed as a fun way for children to create their own artistic masterpieces. Professional and fine artists have also picked up the medium. Below are a few folk artists that I love.

The artist, Johanna Parker, makes simply amazing versions of these vintage German-inspired Halloween folk art creations. These whimsical decorations are sweet and stunning and will make any house glow with a unique look during this haunting season. Her designs are available for purchase on her website HERE







Kalamazoo Artist, Scott Smith, is in the middle of preparing for an major Halloween exhibition in Detroit that will include his one-of-a-kind papier mache creations. Mlive has the full story.



Here is a selection of vintage German inspired papier mache treat bowls for your Halloween table. blackbirdfolkart makes these wonderful designs for very reasonable prices at Etsy.