Sunday, October 31, 2010

13/13

Whoo hoo!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

In honor of the big day, I'm giving out more treats! And since I'll be away from my computer until Thursday, you have until I come back to enter!

Just leave a comment (with a way to reach you) to win one of my fabulous watercolor postcards! And if you want extra chances to win, leave additional comments with links to where you've shared this post: twitter, facebook, your blog...

Remember you have until the end of the day on Thursday, November 4th!

Saturday, October 30, 2010

13/12

'Tis the night before Halloween and we are on our way to Tennessee! When I was a little girl and went on trips with my grandparents, my grandmother would always buy me a new box of crayons and some coloring books. Nowadays, you can find lots of pretty coloring pages on the internet to print out, and I've done that for the girls - and myself - many times!

Today, I give you one of my own that you can print and color! I'd love to see your colored versions!


Click for Full Size!

Friday, October 29, 2010

13/11

Earlier this month, we had Halloween cupcakes with pretty little cupcake toppers, and I got the idea that they would look great on all different kinds of things, besides cupcakes! And I thought I'd like to make some of my own...

So today I have treat toppers! Cut these circles out, glue together with a toothpick or craft stick in between, and stick on top of cupcakes, brownies, cheese balls, or any other Halloween treats you might have this weekend...



Click for full size!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

13/10

We are getting down to the wire here folks! Just a few more days left! I am so excited! I've finished my costume yesterday, and today I made a CD with some fabulous Halloween party music. Picking great seasonal music was hard though... Here's a list of some of the songs I included:
  • Monster Mash by Bobby "Boris" Pickett
  • Purple People Eater by Sheb Wooley
  • Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr.
  • Dragula by Rob Zombie
  • Witchy Woman by the Eagles
  • Thriller by Michael Jackson
  • Candy Girl by Smile.dk
  • I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow
  • I've Got the Magic in Me by B.o.B.
  • Monster by Lady Gaga
  • She Wolf by Shakira
  • Teeth by Lady Gaga
  • Witch Doctor by David Seville (Ross Bagdasarian, Sr.)
  • Time Warp, Sweet Transvestite, and Science Fiction Double Feature
  • Voo Doo by Godsmack
  • Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon
  • Every Little Thing She Does is Magic by the Police
  • Living Dead Girl by Rob Zombie
  • Haunted by Evanescence
  • Addams Family theme
  • White Wedding by Billy Idol
  • Young Forever by Jay-Z
  • Underground by David Bowie (from the Labyrinth soundtrack)
  • This is Halloween and I Put a Spell on You by Marilyn Manson
What other songs would you play?

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

13/9

Did you know that Rocky Horror Picture Show has been around for 35 years? I couldn't believe it! Rocky Horror is one of my favorite kooky spooky movies; I was even lucky enough to get to see the Broadway show at the Circle in the Square Theatre back in the early 2000s!

I remember first going to see a midnight showing in the late 80s complete with props! How fun it was to hear everyone yelling and talking back; my favorite part of the show! One year, I even went to a midnight showing dressed in drag! Yes! Like a man dressed as a woman! It was SO MUCH FUN! If you've never seen it in a theater, even if props aren't allowed, check to see if there's a showing in your area! You won't regret it!

However, if you live in a backward town like we do, you can get the DVD, or if you're still not sure about it, this Halloween, Fox Movie Channel is going to be showing it round the clock from 6am! Even Glee did an episode in honor of RHPS which aired yesterday called The Rocky Horror Glee Show!


Tim Curry as Frankenfurter

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

13/8

Today we were lucky enough to get a break in the rain and decided to head to a cemetery for a spooky photoshoot... We got some great pictures!


Here's a list of places you might want to drag bring your family (or friends!) for a seasonal photoshoot, in or out of their costumes!
  • Cemetery
  • Pumpkin farm
  • Corn maze
  • Apple orchard
  • Old stone walls
  • Scenic park trails
  • Hayrides (haunted or not)
  • In faded fall gardens
  • Haunted houses
  • Near a bonfire
(Remember to be respectful, get permission before going on private property, and careful around fires!)

Psst...

If you're looking for the chance to win another great piece of art, head over to Darkling Woods Studio and enter her Halloween giveaway!

Monday, October 25, 2010

13/7

We're past the halfway mark, folks! And today ... well, we've been invaded!


These quirky little alien monsters didn't seem too scary with their purple grins, but those fangs...

I guess they weren't so hard to defeat after all! ^-^ Very tasty indeed!

To make your own, follow these directions:
  1. Make red velvet cupcakes from box following directions.
  2. Meanwhile combine 2 containers of vanilla frosting, setting aside about 1/4 cup. Add green food coloring until desired color is reached. (We used 1 tsp green and 1/2 tsp yellow paste food coloring.) Add purple food coloring to remaining 1/4 cup of frosting. (We used about 1/2 tsp purple paste food coloring.)
  3. When cupcakes are cooled, use a generous dollop of green, and frost to look like fur.
  4. Stick pretzel sticks into mini-marshmallows and dot with black decorator gel. Put two on each cupcake as shown. (You might want to do this right before serving to maintain the pretzels' freshness.)
  5. Scoop the purple frosting into a sandwich bag and snip the corner. Squeeze out the monster mouths.
  6. To make the fangs, flatten and cut mini-marshmallows in to fang shapes.
  7. Eat them before they eat you! ^-^
P.S. These were inspired this fabulous cupcake monster magnet, by fellow Queer Team member, SB Designs.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

13/6

The Thirteen Days of Halloween continues with one of my favorite topics... FOOD! One of my favorite foods this time of year is CANDY CORN. Ok, wait, let me rephrase... I always THINK that candy corn is one of my favorites, but it never lives up to the ideal in my head. But you must admit, it's visually appealing!


Click for details!

One thing I think we'll be making this upcoming week is Candy Corn Bark. There are lots of recipes out there on the web, but we'll probably be making this version:

Candy Corn Bark
15 Oreos, broken up (the Halloween ones look really cool in this)
1.5 cups pretzels, sticks or thin twists, broken up
1/3 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1.5 pounds of white chocolate (maybe I can talk Jacqueline into doing this half white-half dark)
2 cups candy corn
Halloween sprinkles
  1. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper and on it, spread the Oreos, pretzels, raisins, and about 1.5 cups of candy corn evenly.
  2. Melt chocolate in a double boiler, or in the microwave, stirring at 30 seconds intervals until melted. Remove from the heat while there are still a few chunks, and stir until smooth, because white chocolate burns easily.
  3. Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the cookie mixture until it is mostly covered and stuck together.
  4. Top with remaining candy corn and holiday sprinkles.
  5. Let cool until hardened.
  6. Break into smaller pieces and store in an air-tight container.

I can not wait to try this! (I'll try to get some pics before it's gone... ) For more candy corn goodies from Etsy, check out this treasury!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

13/5

Bet you almost thought I forgot! Well of course not! Just been very busy enjoying the crisp autumn weather! I made a pretty little skull for you to color all yourself!


Just click here to download & print!

Here's some examples we did here at home:


Clockwise from top left: by Esme, Lia, JoAnn, Antonio, and me in the middle! ^_^

Enjoy! And don't forget to stop by tomorrow for more fun!

Friday, October 22, 2010

13/4

Today for fun, I have a free pumpkin printable! Just add your own face!


Click for full size!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

13/3

Today I took a test run with my costume! I dunno if I'll be wearing those boots for long on Halloween, but the rest looked great I think! Here's hoping for warm weather in TN!


Many congratulations again to TreeGoddess for winning the Meowclops necklace yesterday!

Stop by tomorrow for a free pumpkin printable! ^-^

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

13/2

Today has been a busy day here at Faerie Gardens! I have been getting a lot of writing done, and a few of us spent some time working on Halloween costumes. Jacqueline made pumpkin cheesecake cupcakes, and later we're all going to watch a scary movie or two...

But why are you here? To find out who won, aren't you? Well I went over to the Fruit Machine at classtools.net and put in the names of every one who entered - twice if they left us a suggestion! And the winner is...

TREEGODDESS!

TreeGoddess, I am not sure how to reach you; so please leave me a note by 4pm tomorrow or I will have to draw someone else's name... If you prefer, you can reach me at bunnykissd (at) gmail.com. CONGRATULATIONS!

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for more fun & goodies! ^-^

FAE Exhibition: Moonlight Masquerade

Aquariann, with the help of Caren, has done it again!  They've gathered together some of the best of the FAE Team work, and created a lovely exhibition.  This month's theme is Moonlight Masquerade , and she even used one of my pieces in the banner!  ^-^


See my Bat on the Moon?  There! ^^^

Click the banner above to see the full exhibition, but here's a little sample:
Etsy
Buy Handmade
FAEteam

Wishcasting Wednesday

You can be a maker of magic and a tender of wishes. It’s easy. Answer the wish prompt on your blog and then add a direct link to your post in the box [at the link] below. Support wishes by visiting other participants, leaving a comment saying “As (insert name) wishes for her/himself, so I wish for her/him also.” It’s that simple. There is great power in wishing together.
~ Jamie Ridler

This week, Jamie was inspired by the Mary Oliver poem, Wild Geese, and particularly the line, “You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.”  She explains further here: http://jamieridlerstudios.ca/the-vulnerability-of-desire, but today's question is one I try not to think about. She even explains why I feel this way:
It’s scary to share what we really want if we feel we’ll be judged. I’m worried that if I say I love chandeliers, fashion and going to the spa, you’ll think I’m a snob. You’ll lose trust in me, thinking I must not be as down-to-earth as you thought I was.
And it's true.  If I answer this question, people might think of me differently, but I am still ME.  So...

What does the “soft animal of your body” wish for?

The soft animal of my body wishes for mountains of soft cuddly bedding, frilly dresses and floofy skirts, hair that flows in thick curls to my waist, silky petticoats and camisoles, warm fluffy sweaters, hot cocoa with home-made marshmallows, warm sunshiny days with warm lakes to swim in and warm rocks to dry off on, ruffled panties and fluffy socks, cheese-drenched crunchies and mouthfuls of dark chocolate, flaky pastries and rainbow-sprinkled cupcakes.


mosaic created with flickr toys

PURPLE DAY

Today is Purple Day. People all over are wearing purple to raise awareness of bullying today, in support of LGBT kids who need to know it gets better, and in memory of those who didn't hear that message in time.

PURPLE represents Spirit on the LGBTQ flag and that’s exactly what we’d like all children to have: spirit. To know that times will get better and that they will meet people who will love them and respect them for who they are, no matter their sexuality.

So please wear purple today!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

13/1

There are 13 days til Halloween, and our family is in full Halloween mode here.  Spooky movies (sometimes it's just the acting) and Halloween festivities are daily events!  I thought it would be nice to bring some of our merry & mischief making to the blog-o-sphere and share our excitement!  So the first thing we'll do is have a contest!

And the prize will be this necklace:

Inspired by the Neopets petpet, this spooky kitty grins at you with one eye shining, fangs ready for playful nips...
Hanging from a 23" ribbon, the pendant measures less than 1" in diameter and about 1/2" thick.

How do you win?  Well, just leave a comment on this post by 4pm on Wednesday the 20th - for an extra entry leave a Halloween idea for us to try! - and I'll draw a name from the commenters tomorrow to win the necklace!

But before you comment, perhaps you'd like to know what we've already been doing!

We got out all our pumpkins and bats and decorated the house for Halloween, including making our own silhouettes for the windows and strewing the front with fake spider webs.  We went to Oswego Pumpkin Fest, prayed at our pet cemetery, and bobbed for apples!  We had a special fall feast one night, and have had Lil Debbie Pumpkin cakes, chocolate covered candy corn, hot apple cider, and pumpkin Pop-tarts (YUM)!  We've worn Halloween themed candy necklaces, spider rings, and glow in the dark fingernail polish.  We colored Halloween pictures, gave the kids Halloween pencils, and played games of chance with Halloween candy prizes.  The best thing so far was sneaking outside after dark to scare the girls in their bedroom, by tapping on their window. 

WHEE!  So, leave a comment to get a chance to win the Meowclops necklace, and suggest something else halloweeny for us to do - or even a movie! - and get a second chance!  GOOD LUCK!

PS: Don't forget to head over to Faerie Garden Fancies for all kinds of new Halloween goodies!

Monday, October 18, 2010

It Begins Tomorrow!

The 13 Days of Halloween...

...begin on Tuesday the 19th!

Be sure to stay tuned! Fun, games, and giveaways are coming your way!

Friday, October 15, 2010

COMING SOON!

The Thirteen Days of Halloween!


Stay Tuned!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

BlogCarnival: Horror Movies

MysticWynd asks us: Tell us about your top 3 favorite horror movies. What is it about them that scares you?

The girls and I have a Halloween tradition of watching all kinds of old horror movies and horrible B movies all month long.  We have so many favorites and try to rotate the ones we rent each year.  We started with the classics, like Cat People, Frankenstein, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon, which the girls found more funny than scary; then we added some more recent films (that are SUPPOSED to be laughed: Beetlejuice and Young Frankenstein.  Recently we've added some *really* scary movies that make us clutch each other close and scream out loud; last night's Paranormal Activity left us scared to go to the bathroom alone!

But *my* top three horror movies...  I have to say my absolute favorite of all time is The Creature from the Black Lagoon.  I don't know why for sure.  Maybe because he really is just in love with the girl.  Maybe because of the underwater scenes.  Maybe because I saw it with my mom in 3D when I was just a kid.  Who know!  But it has a very special place in my heart.

Then I'd have to say Night of the Lepus.  Dr. McCoy, from Star Trek is in it.  And giant bunnies.  Giant blood-thirsty bunnies.  No seriously!  It's really not funny at all.  It's really quite scary...  Or maybe it's all in my head how scary it is... I dunno, but I'll find out soon.  The DVD just arrived from NetFlix today...

Finally, I'm going to have to add the movie from last night.  Paranormal Activity.  (Sorry, no link, too scary for me to find a good one right now. Hehehe.  Go here and look for yourself... (omg they have a PA2 coming out!  >.<))  It was kinda dragging at the beginning.  Not a lot going on through most of the movie either.  But near the end it gets freaky, and the girls and I were yelling at the screen, and when the end happened, we screamed and held each other.  Not only were we scared to go into the dark bathroom alone afterward, but I know I had trouble getting to sleep!

How about you?  What Halloween movies do you like to watch again & again?  Scary or not, let me know!

ETA: Here's the link to the Paranormal Activity trailer. *shiver* And Paranormal Activity 2 looks just as scary...

Etsy Blogger of the Month: Margaret of SplendidLittleStars

Say hello to October's Blogger of the Month...


Click the link above to check out Margaret's blog, where she shares the things she loves: photography, art, making things, nature, gardening, and food.  She's got two Etsy shops; one called Splendid Little Stars with wonderfully hand-dyed clothing for children, and some things for me!


Sumptuous Silk Velvet Scrunchie, hand dyed, soft for hair

And the other shop is called Sparkly Park (funfunfun!) and carries lovely beaded earrings.  These are my fave:


Lavender fantasy earrings, copper tipped glass and sterling silver

Don't forget to check out her shops and blog, and see what's there that might be calling to you...

Monday, October 04, 2010

Product Review: Flavored Almonds

A long while ago, Emerald came out with cocoa roast almonds, and I loved them.  Great chocolatey flavor and low carb.  Well recently I discovered Blue Diamond Butter Toffee almonds, and they've also got a Dark Chocolate version too!  There are a bunch of other flavors and brands that have come out recently too...  So of course, I decided to do a taste test!

(Note: A serving size for all of these is 1oz/28g, which is 20-24 nuts.)

Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds, Dark Chocolate flavor:
Calories per oz:  150
Total Carbs:  6g
These have an excellent chocolate flavor without being dipped in chocolate; I don't know how they get the flavor on, but it's nice & dark just the way I like it.  The calories can be adjusted by having less, and just a few really are a nice sweet treat after lunch or for a snack.

I give it...

Two Ears Up!

Blue Diamond Natural, Oven Roasted Almonds, Dark Chocolate flavor:
Calories per oz:  160
Total Carbs: 9g
Not as good as the Emerald brand.  More of a hot cocoa flavor than a dark chocolate flavor.  Still yummy and good for me.

I give it...

One Ear Up

Blue Diamond Natural, Oven Roasted Almonds, Butter Toffee flavor:
Calories per oz:  160
Total Carbs:  9g
Again, I don't know how they get the flavor on the nuts without using a melted sugar or fat, but these are so good!  Buttery and rich, and just a few make a good dessert, especially mix & matched with the Emerald Cocoa Roast...

I give it...

Two Ears Up!

Blue Diamond Almonds BOLD, Blazin' Buffalo Wing:
Calories per oz:  170
Total Carbs:  5g
These are a yummy snack, but a little hotter than I like.  They do have a nice Buffalo hot sauce flavor, and are low carb, and easily calorie controlled with portion size.

I give it...

One Ear Up

Blue Diamond Almonds BOLD, Habanero BBQ:
Calories per oz:  170
Total Carbs:  5g
Again, an excellent flavor, spicy with a nice sweet BBQ, and like the others, low carb & calories can be easily adjusted with portion size.

I give it...

Two Ears Up!


Both Emerald and Blue Diamond, and several other companies, have many other flavors out there to try.  I've seen ranch and wasabi and other more traditional flavor too, but haven't wanted to try them.  If you have, and think I should, leave me comment!

Sunday, October 03, 2010

Mermaid for Ripples

Well I am a little sad. Ripple has closed without ever posting the ATC I made back in June for them. But they did a tremendous job! They had over 900 art donations and raised over $11,090! And while many artists contributed, both unknown and well-known alike, there really was only one person running the Ripple blog, the person who got the whole things started, Kelly Light. She did an amazing job!

I still would like to offer my little bit of art to someone who donates. So I will send this off to the first person who donates to the National Wildlife Federation’s Gulf Oil Spill Restoration Fund and sends me the email confirmation of the donation. (Just fwd the email to bunnykissd [at] gmail.com.) If you're not interested, please pass the message on to others who might be! Thanks!


Click for larger view...