Tag: Halloween

37 Days to Dragon*Con: Space Bonnet of Awesomeness (A Very Durham Night)

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Dragon*Con might only be once a year, but I try to get my weird kicks in whenever I can.  Halloween‘s an obvious choice, but Durham–being its fun, funky self–provides plenty of opportunities to nerd out a bit.  This past weekend my college friend Nora was visiting, and I did my best to show her all the quirks that Durham had to offer.  Luckily the Scrap Exchange, our local non-profit creative re-use center that provides aisle after aisle of stuff that you can turn into crafty fun, was having its annual Scrap a Go-Go benefit at Motorco, and the theme was 60s science fiction and space.  The night promised food trucks, bands, a make and take station, and a silent auction.  Also, costumes were encouraged.  I’m a huge fan of Scrap Exchange (sort of a crafter’s dream, really), and also space, and also food trucks, so to Scrap a Go-Go we went!

None of us really had any costumes, so I just threw on some green eyemakeup and green lipstick and a Star Trek pin and loaned some Star Trek earrings to Nora.  We figured we’d make some space accessories once we got to Motorco.

The Scrap Exchange had set up a number of tables and barrels with tin foil, plastic lab equipments, cut up pool noodles, scissors, tape and many other weird, “spacey” things with which one could make a space accessory.  Nora made a space bonnet of awesomeness, Jon made these rocket shoulder things that at one point ended up on his head.  I just made a head band because I am bad at crafting things like this and also I had green lip stick, so I felt like I was representing.  We spent an inordinate amount of time crafting, because making things is awesome.

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The Day After Halloween

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I always hated the day after Halloween.

No more costumes, no more pretending you were someone else, no more free delicious candies from strangers, it was such a bummer.

I’m glad we have kids in my neighborhood that trick-or-treat.  I get way too much joy from promoting childhood happiness via the distribution of high fructose corn syrup.  And the kids had some great costumes this year.

I think that’s why I am so pro-Halloween.  Halloween is gives us all permission to be kids.  You can be magical or funny or special or sexy or slutty or even slutty bacon.  People give you things for free.  You’re allowed to be silly and spooky and bizarre. And life’s not really any of those things.

Life is pretty mundane.  You go to work.  If you are lucky you like your work, but from what I understand most people don’t.  You go to the grocery store.  You go to the gym.  You come home.  Maybe you cook dinner.  Maybe you heat up a Lean Cuisine.  Sometimes you have to scoop your cat’s poop.  Sometimes there is laundry.  Sometimes tv happens.  Sometimes reading.  Sometimes not.  Costumes, and candy, and fun, and whimsy, these things don’t usually happen in reality.

Lean Cuisine - Roasted Garlic Chicken (more…)

Happy Halloween!

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Happy Halloween everyone!

I’ll be spending most of today at work (I imagine you will as well) but I’m hoping to get home in time for the trick-or-treaters.  Last year I got super sick on Halloween and it was terrible, I couldn’t even move from the couch.  I’m oping to be in fighting form this year so I can dose the little children with high fructose corn syrup.

Ghosts!

I wanted to wish everyone the happiest and spookiest and most fun Halloween ever!  Are y’all doing anything exciting tonight?  If so please let me know!  In the meantime, I’ll be settling back with some leftovers from my party, a big bowl of candy, and will be watching some Halloween-appropriate fare.  Oh and admiring my pumpkin-carving handiwork.

Kitty-bat!
Classic pumpkin!

A Happy Halloween to one and all!

The Day Before Halloween

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Hi guys!  No Pumpkin Sunday today because Halloween is tomorrow and I need to report about my party last night.  Most of my Halloween activities are finished, I’ll be handing out candy tomorrow but I am done preparing and I hope you are as well!

Last night we had a small group come over and hang out for a bit–it was pretty low-key and laid back, but we had plenty of food and plenty of booze.  Martha’s squash pasta dish was incredible, like a healthy macaroni and cheese but with minimal cheese.  I’ll totally make it again, but with whole wheat pasta in the future to make it even healthier.  Thanks Martha!

The Hipster approves of my party. I guess that makes it awesome.
Delicious Martha Stewart Pasta

Annah brought a red velvet cake that was delicious.  I did get marshmallows to make the little ghosts but I didn’t end up making the ghosts, alas–I got a little too busy setting things up for the party.  These things do happen.

Everyone came in excellent costumes!  Audrey Hepburn, Sexy Bacon, Medusa, Hipster, Cyclops (X-Men, not Greek), cheesy Hallmark employees, it was pretty great.  Yay for having creative friends!

Hipster and Medusa

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Freaky Fridays: Some Last Minute Costume Ideas

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Since I was out late last night seeing the North Carolina Theater’s production of Evita (good, although I didn’t love the Eva, which is a problem) this is really going to be short and sweet.  I mean, Halloween is on MONDAY guys, and all the Halloween parties are probably this weekend, shouldn’t you, like, have your costumes ready by now?

Poster for the Broadway production of Evita wi...
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I mean, I guess you could always go as Evita, am I right?

(Speaking of musicals, did y’all see Wednesday’s South Park?  It was incredible, Trey Parker and Matt Stone co-wrote it with their Book of Mormon co-writer, Robert Lopez.   It was about musicals and Tim Tebow but mostly musicals and also blow jobs and you can and should watch it right here.  You and three of your friends could also be South Park characters for Halloween).

Okay but if you are really looking for something last minute and easy but unique, check out this list io9 created this list of 20 zero-effort, high-concept Halloween costumes that are guaranteed to alienate your friends.  My favorite is the monolith from 2001, and also the disguised Mystique.  Clever girl.

This is also unrelated to Halloween and it is also like, three weeks ago, but I just heard Beyonce’s song “Countdown” on the radio and I remembered how incredible I thought the song and the music video were.  So I give this to you, my dear friends:

Actually this video has lots of great ideas!  You can do the classic Audrey Hepburn like Beyonce does.  You can wear one of those crazy colored body suits with that awesome hat.  You could totally go as Beyonce’s mysterious baby bump that no one has actually seen since the VMAs or whatever it was.  So many options guys!

Also, if this song is not played at your Halloween party it will be a not fun party.  I plan on sneaking this number in several times, because it is incredible.

What will you all be wearing to your parties this weekend?  I’ll be revising my Blind Mag, but that’s just because between all the cooking and prepping and starting a new job there just isn’t time to prep a new costume…and also I paid quite a bit for my Blind Mag look so I might as well wear it as much as I can!  I’m definitely excited to hear what y’all are wearing though.  I hope you have a super fun weekend!