Goodbye to October and a Special 'Thank You' to You

October truly is my favorite month of the year.  And even though I live in Texas, where it doesn't get cold and stay cold until the very last days of October, I try to cram in as much "fall-ness" into every moment I possibly can.  It seems like October passes by faster and faster each year, this year being no exception.  Honestly, this makes me a tad sad now that I really think about it.

Via Kenboo  Cutest kid ever!

However, there is some good news!  I will be going out of town this weekend to celebrate Halloween with the most amazing group of International students.  We will be partying down in New Orleans!  I've always wanted to spend Halloween here, in one of the most haunted cities in America.  I'm so excited to see all the history and mystery that surrounds this southern gem.

I plan to keep you all abreast of my comings and goings over the weekend, complete with silly videos and  tons of photos.  With that said, this is my ...dare I say it?....official post of October.  (sad face)

I want to thank all my readers that have stopped by this month!  The LPD blog have seen tremendous growth over the month of October and I attribute that all to yall coming out to witness/participate/frown upon my madness!

On to my next piece of business:  Does anyone know of any good linky parties going on during the month of November?  If so, please leave a comment below!  

LPD will be having a linky party as well!  Since Christmas now officially begins on November first (According to Macy's...and Starbucks....and...well you get the idea....is it just me or does this get earlier and earlier every year?!), we will be kicking off the month of November with a Christmas preparation linky party.  How do you prepare for Christmas?  Do you have something unique or interesting you can share with others?  What Christmas traditions do you have?  I will be providing more details to this at the beginning of next week, so come back and join in the fun!

Thank you again everyone and goodbye October.  I miss you already!

Possibly Pinteresting Wednesdays: Worm Ice and Mummy Cookie Pops

This Wednesday I've attempted 2 projects that I've seen on Pinterest. One easy and one that was a bit challenging. Let's be honest, making ice is pretty hard for anyone to screw up! The first project is one of Martha's and you can find it here.  This one only has 3 steps!

1. fill ice tray with water
2. place gummie worms in water
3. place in freezer and freeze!

Project 2 was a bit more complex and I think I was a bit out of my league on this one folks!   You can find the original here.  I'm not very good in the kitchen and this proves it!  But I had a lot of fun!

1. Perform Oreo surgery.

2.  Use melted chocolate to secure your sucker sticks inside.

3. Cover your cookies in white chocolate.

4. Draw on eyes and bandages using icing.

5. Fin.

I LOVE chocolate and Oreos and I can't believe I'm about to say this but, this little guys were way too sweet for me.  It was like eating pure sugar.  I'm sure kids will love them and they look awesome but you're a hoss if you can eat more than 2 of these bad boys.  I applaud you!

Check out a video of the whole experience below.  I cannot guarantee an outstanding or even articulate tutorial..but you may laugh...and laughing burns off the calories you just consumed from eating all those cookie pops!

Next week I will be attempting single serving breakfast muffin/sandwiches in a muffin pan. Technically they aren't 'sandwiches' because there is no bread involved...but you get the idea.  See you next week!

What a Pretty Spider...

This is one of my favorite movies of all time and a Halloween classic!  I thought i'd share something silly with yall today while you're getting ready for Halloween!  Enjoy!



Come back tomorrow for Possibly Pinteresting Wednesday.  I'm going to attempt to make some cookie pops...that's if there are any cookies left....

Trick-or-Treating Tips and Tricks

                                               

1.  Trick or Treat Pail via Polka Dot Pair
2. Trick or Treat Pail via Polka Dot Pair
3. Felt Trick or Treat Bag via Kelly's Needle
4. Trick or Treat Tote via Burpie Bundles 
5. Trick or Treat Paint Bucket via Carrie's Cute Creations

Always have 1 or 2 adults present.  Don't have time to take your kids to every single house in the neighborhood?  Why not organize a relay system for adult chaperons.  Have each parent or team of parents take the group to 3 or 4 houses then trade off with another team who continues the trick-or-treating for another few houses, then trading off once more.  This allows parents to enjoy trick-or-treating with their children while also giving other parents a break to have "adult time" or prep of their own Halloween activities.  Its the best of both worlds" quality time and free babysitting!

Plan a route ahead of time and give kids a map to follow.  Make it a game; they can check off or color in the houses they have been to.  This way kids feel like they have some control over the fun and where they get to go.  Play Halloween bingo; you're squares can have things like 'a blue house,' a green pumpkin,' a jack o'lantern with round eyes,' etc.

Carry a flashlight, or even better, glow sticks.  Kids LOVE glow sticks and flashing lights.  You can easily incorporate this into their costume.  'Light sabers', 'magical glowing bracelets', and 'glowing wands' are just a few examples of how to accomplish this.  Try to stick to sidewalks!  However, some towns either do not have sidewalks, or the sidewalks themselves are not safe (ie. unstable concrete, overgrown foliage, dark corners)  If your path takes you down roads instead of sidewalks, you can sew reflective tape into their costumes to create better visibility for drivers.

Play the counting game when leaving each house.  Give each child a number and let them count off.  This works best for younger children.  As an alternative for older children, let each child create a silly word or name starting with each letter of the alphabet.  This will help you keep track of each child without creating a panic.

Wear comfortable shoes and carry a backpack with essentials.  This list is just a jumping off point to get you started:

• first aid kit
• extra shoes/socks
• baby wipes for sticky/dirty hands
• accident/emergency pants (small kids may be more focused on getting candy than letting you know they need the potty!)
• a current photo of each child (God forbid you ever need to use this, but it comes in handy when a child wonders off)
• cell phone/walkie talkie to call for reinforcements if needed
• extra candy bags (reusable grocery bags are perfect for this)

Talk to your kids about safety and obeying the law before you leave the house.  Also come up with an agreed upon candy system.  Remind your kids that you will be checking their candy before they are allowed to eat it.  Decide on an amount that you see fit for them to consume that night.  Use the rest through the week/month for rewards or a special treat for doing well in school or helping out around the house.

Do you have any helpful suggestions?  Share your ideas and help make this Halloween a safe one!

A Halloween Party

I'm parting at A Faciful Twist tonight!  You should join us!

Halloween Goodies From LPD

Take a look at some of the Halloween goodies we are offering before they are long gone!

Halloween Scrap Pack

Rest your Bones Halloween hang tags or drink markers 

Silly Shivers Mini Cards

Mixed Batch of Mini Halloween Cards

Fright-tastic cards or invitations

Poisonous Flat Cards

Scaredy Cat Flat Cards

These are just a few of the many frighteningly fun items you can find in the LPD shop!

Trick-or-Treating Sans Kiddos

For those of us without kids, its hard to muster up a good excuse to go trick-or-treating without appearing creepy.  So where can adults go for some Halloween fun this year?

1. New York

Join the Village Halloween Parade on October 31 from 6:30 pm-8:30 pm.  This event is completely free but you must be in costume to enjoy the festivities, which include live bands, artists, and puppets.  This truly trick-or-treating for adults at its best.

For more information visit the NYC Halloween page.

2. Las Vegas

The Fetish and Fantasy Halloween Ball is perfect for you naughty trick or treaters.  For more information on dress code and rules pertaining to this event check out the website here.

3. Salem

Salem's Festival of the Dead covers a wide range of activities for trick-or-treaters of all ages.  This event  includes performances from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Crucible, Month-long haunted tours, a psychic fair and witchcraft expo, ghost hunting, and a week long list of parties leading up to Halloween.

For more information, visit The Festival of the Dead website.

4. Hollywood

The West Hollywood Halloween Costume Carnival braves that its the largest Halloween street party in the world.  Party goers can expect a massive costume contest complete with grown-up prizes, pumpkin carving contest, live music and food.  Admission is free and festivities run from 6pm to 11pm.

Click here for more info about the party and parking.

5. New Orleans

The New Orleans Voodoo Festival is the largest festival in Louisiana.  This event's main feature is the Voodoo Music Fest featuring over 100 artists and bands.  Given New Orleans' haunted past, you can be sure to find many guided ghost tours, and historical walking tours available around this time of year. Along with theses popular attractions, there are plentiful family-friendly events, as well as, adult activities to keep you entertained.  Pumpkin-Palooza, Barktober, the Monster Mash Fall Family Festival, and the Vampire Ball just to name a few.

Check out a Haunted New Orleans here.


For my fellow Houstonians, here is a list of ways to stir up some trouble and have fun on Halloween:

• The Montrose Pub Crawl
• DesirousParty as The Ritz
• Spirits and Skeletons at the Houston Museum of Natural Science
• Go and see The Wolfman at Miller Outdoor Theater
• Cheesy horror movies at Alamo Drafthouse
• Scare yourself as ScreamWorld or Phobia haunted houses

For more information click here, and here

Possibly Pinteresting Wednesdays

Pin It


How many of you have a Pinterest account?  If you don't have one yet you have got to get one!  This is a place where you can store all those great ideas you see on the web when you're surfing at work.  Yep....we know who you are!

The great thing about Pinterest is that you can store things no matter which computer you are on.  Its like a traveling bookmarks/favorites list.  And even better than a bookmarks list, it shows a visual representation of your pin or bookmark.  No more searching through links with strange names or forever-trailing web addresses.

Now this next question is for those of you that have Pinterest accounts already.  How many of you try or complete those DIY projects you see, hmmm?  I thought so.  Well I can't judge too much because I am one of you.

For this reason, I've decided to make a weekly post on Wednesdays about a project I've seen on Pinterest. I'm going to attempt and hopefully (cross your fingers) succeed.  And lucky you, you get to share in my triumphs/hilarious defeats.

Most of my Pinterest boards are covered in sewing and cooking tutorials.  Mostly because I'm horrible at both cooking and sewing.  See....you're already thinking about how funny this will be aren't you?!  My go to tools are paper and glue...and sometimes scissors and paint.  But I'm gonna do my best to get out there and try something new.

Since its the month of October, my first few projects will be Halloween related.  Next week you'll get to see my worm ice project (above) via MarthaStewart.com .  And these cute little cookie pops from Howdoesshe.com

Follow me here:  

Halloween Edible treats

As someone who never cooks because I'm afraid of the kitchen, I have to say that I'm ready to overcome my fear even if its only to make some of these awesome treats!

Drowning in the punch bowl

No-Cut Halloween Cookies @ Lila Loa

Spooky Cocktail Bar

Forked Eyeballs

Spooky Muffin Tin

Fur Ball Cupcakes

Dead as a Doornail Cupcakes

Spider Krispies

S'more Apples

Halloween Treats @ Poppies at Play

Edible Brooms @ Mega Spooky

Tasty Treats @ Kids Stuff World

Pumpkin Mousse 

Friday Carving

Today I decided to do a little pumpkin carving.  These are some small pumpkins I bought about a week ago.  They've been sitting on the coffee staring at me.  

I've never done skin carving before so I thought I'd try that.  They came out a bit bumpy but over all...not too bad.  Now I just have to gut them!  If you ever plan to do some skin carving, use a linoleum cutter.  You can find a set of affordable ones at dickblick.com.

Jacko'lantern Hygiene

Beauty isn't just on the outside.

Pick a pumpkin without blemishes or bruising.  Mold around the stem is a sign of rot and should be avoided at all costs.  Your pumpkin will not last as long once its carved and will smell awful!  Never hold a pumpkin by its stem.  Its not polite!  And....it can cause rips in the pumpkin's skin.  If you're not a fan of all the mess and chaos that comes along with carving a pumpkin (what is wrong with you?!) then there are also artificial pumpkins available.  You carve them once and they last years.  The best part is, no stringy goo or seeds to deal with.

Exfoliating and Excavation (*see carving)

Start by cutting a hole in the bottom, not top of your pumpkin.  Carve this opening at an angle so the bottom can be replaced later, or leave it open and simply set your pumpkin on top of a candle later.  Now scrap the inside of that thing till your arm feels like its going to fall off.  If you don't have a great scraping tool, or yours breaks, (This happens to me every year.  I have been told that I am an enthusiastic scrapper) a CLEAN empty tuna can is great for scraping the inside of a pumpkin.

Primer, Base, and Concealer

Place your carving pattern over the outside of your pumpkin and use straight pins to hold your pattern in place while you transfer it.  Poke small holes (think connect the dots) into the pumpkin along the lines of your pattern.  Once you have transferred your pattern, dust some flour over the design.  This should help your design stand out and make it easier to carve the rest of your pumpkin.

Always saw/carve at a 90 degree angle and leave your cut pieces in place till the very end.  These pieces prevent your pumpkin from caving in while you are carving out other ares and add stability.

http://zombiepumpkins.com/patterns.php  has great patterns that you can use.

A Natural Glow

If you are using a candle, make a vent in the top of your pumpkin for the heat to escape.  This heat can dry out your pumpkin and cause premature aging.  Sprinkling spices like cinnamon, pumpkin spice, or nutmeg on the inside of your pumpkin will keep your pumpkin smelling great when lit and gives a festive feel.  A safer alternative to using a candle is to use a store bought LED light or even get your christmas lights out of storage and use them to illuminate your pumpkin.

Here is a great idea courtesy of Martha.

Anti-Aging

Use a spray bottle and spritz your entire pumpkin to keep it hydrated.  For all of your carved edges, use a cotton swab to apply petroleum jelly.  If after a day or so, your pumpkin becomes shriveled, immerse the entire pumpkin in a cold water bath with just a tad of bleach.  Leave it there for a few hours and when you take it out to put it on display, your pumpkin will be rejuvenated and sanitized.  The bleach keeps mold and mildew at bay, as well as any creepy crawlers that may be looking to make a snack out of your jack o'lantern.

There are also special sprays and pumpkin baths available on the market designed to keep your pumpkin looking fresh.

When your pumpkin is not on display, make sure to store it in a cool place, wrapped in a plastic trash bag.  This will keep your pumpkin moisturized and expand the life of your pumpkin 2-3 days.  The absolute best place to store it is in the refridgerator.   If you don't have room, the basement or even a downstairs closet will do.

Owl'll Bet You've Never Seen This Before

This is another one of those "Why didn't I think of that?" moments.  I love decorating for Halloween but I know that Halloween isn't everyone's 'thing.'  On the other hand, this cute owl is a perfect way to decorate for Halloween without' decorating'!  Owls are so popular right now, plus its environmentally friendly, and would look great with any decor I think.  I find that the problem with a lot of trash to craft projects is that they turn out cheesy or even....tacky (the dreaded T word).  But I simply love this idea!  Its actually really creative...did I mention that I'm kicking myself for not thinking of this first?!

Originally Found on Pinterest.  Available for purchase at Etsy

Head on over to Altered Perception on Etsy and pick one up for yourself!

Crazy Weekend Followed by a Crazy Week Followed by a Crazy Weekend...

Well you get the idea.

I was tempted to let today be another one of those crazy days, but the guy that lives above me has inspired me to at least check in a post a photo of one of the things I've been working on, and he doesn't even know it.  He is banging on his piano and singing at the top of his lungs.  I applaud you crazy neighbor dude!

So here is a photo of the baby food jack o'lanterns I painted this weekend.  The ghost lanterns are clearly much better than the others.  However, this was my first attempt and I'm pretty proud...mostly that I didn't set the house of fire.

What do you think?!  Possibly I should have painted another coat of the base color and maybe gone over the faces with black paint instead of just the sharpie.  Any ideas?

For the inspiration for this project click on over to Crafts by Amanda.

I Can Sleep When I'm Dead....or After This Weekend

It has been a CRAZY weekend and I thought i'd share a few pictures with you guys just for laughs.

Friday....

It started like this:

Bus Butt

And from there I moved onto this:

Paintball Ninja!

It ended like this:

Homemade Cheddar Broccoli Soup.  It was GOOOOOOD! 

Saturday....

Began like this:

Students working on their books in my bookbinding class 

Bookbinding class

Bookbinding class

Then I did this:

tulle used for my Halloween Costume

And helped my mom do this:

Sewing....

And more sewing....

And it turned into this:

Me and my mom.  And THE SKIRT ....you can't see  it very well but soon I will post more pics of the back with the bustle and everything.

Sunday......

Started off with some:

Breakfast

And ended like this:

Nap....a REALLY long nap

And something fun from the previous weekend!  Wrapped Birthday present for a good friend.

Wrapped 5x5 book for a friend's birthday

Shrinky Dink Charm

For a tutorial on how to make the shrinky dink charm seen here...click on over here.