All Together Dead

LOVED

2012-01-15T18:05:00.000-08:00

The costume and makeup of the blind witch from the translation of "Hansel & Gretel" on "Once Upon a Time" today... LOVED LOVED it....

Big Cats vs Pumpkins

2011-10-31T19:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T16:15:00.000-07:00

Wishing each and everyone of you the most amazing Dark Holiday to date

Treats

2011-10-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

Little Felt Skelley Bags I scored at Marc's yesterday for $.49 each and some great
Witch Marshie lollies for Elaina Mae's Class on Friday.

I put a cute little custom label inside each of the bags.

Birth

2011-10-27T06:05:00.001-07:00

A friend of mine just welcomed a new nephew to her family. she posted this photo on her facebook page, thought I would share. Great Gourd creativity.

All Together Dead Event 2011 Barn Decor continued

2011-10-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

More of the inside of the barn. Our "Creatures" hung from the loft and added that spooky atmosphere. Good thing I sent out "Creature Survival Kits" to our guests ahead of time. I loved the soft spider webs I found for $.69 each.. they made GREAT table centers for each table. Then I used mix and match candlesticks on each one. Actually, I used a lot of Party Lite Brass candle holders that didn't sell at our Barn sale this summer and spray painted them all with black paint... well.. I know... way expensive, but they were going to go to charity anyways and this way I found a way to re purpose.

another view of the "ghost" before the tables were in place.

The Ghoul Gift Tent right outside of the Barn.

The drive was lit by candles ... next year they will be swamp jars inspired by Pumpkinrot.

The small cemetery on the right of the drive as guests came in heading back to the barn.

Witches Closet

2011-10-24T12:28:00.000-07:00

When we transformed the house last year there was a slider door originally, instead of covering it over with sheet rock, I decided I wanted to turn the space into built in book cases, well a year later and that project still hasn't been finished, so we had a "dead" space to work with this year while decorating.

So what's a girl to do turn it into a Witch's Closet of course. I hung up a small collection of capes, dresses, a feather boa, hand bag, my favorite broom from my collection and more.

All Together Dead Event 2011 Barn Decor

2011-10-24T12:03:00.000-07:00

This is our first event at the new house. We have a new space (10 stall barn) that we were able to utilize into a party space. After lots of work it turned out pretty good. When you walked into the door to the left you were greeted by a coffin and a few shelves with some potion bottles on them. I love these shelves from our "Season of the Witch" event a couple of years ago.

Next to the Shelves was the "Dead Man's Chest" filled with all of the different beers.

And next to the chest was our makeshift bar area... previously known as one of my work shop shelves.

and our Beverage Reaper watched over our the water and soda area all night long.

The view down the center of the barn. We walled off the stalls (empty barn by the way, needs redone, no animals in here other than the barn owl normally).

24 feet of tables on the right reserved for food, round tables down the left for guests. The white fabric above is that 20 foot ghost I blogged about a while back, he is facing the rear of the barn to greet guests coming in from the fire pit out back...

and the ghost view from the rear

The view to the right as you came in were a few more tables, and our DJ tucked away in the corner next to the giant reaper scarecrow that hid our Voting "BOO"th.

Welcome SHOTS

2011-10-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

These were our "welcome shots"
also makes a great punch

Vampire Blood
2 QTs Cranberry Raspberry Juice
(you can use Cranberry, Cranberry Juice Cocktail etc, I prefer a little more on the sweeter side)
1 QT 7 up
Vodka
Float Grenadine for "blood effect"

If making a punch, you can always just place the vodka bottle on the side as those preferring a non alch version can still enjoy the beverage.

All Together Dead Event 2011

2011-10-22T23:34:00.001-07:00

Was awesome...
for now I am off to bed.... wiped out, beat, and happy.
Husband was Mayhem I was the Morton Salt Girl. More photos and details later...

Werewolf Urine, a custom order

2011-10-10T20:34:00.000-07:00

So, one of my team members was over a few weeks ago to swap out some Scentsy Wax & she LOVED walking through the house checking out the decorations. When she stumbled upon my "Werewolf Urine" bottle she squealed, apparently she has a co worker that is totally infatuated with them. She asked if I would make her a bottle for her friend. So, I obliged.

I even created a custom scroll that she can leave scrolled or frame titled "How to Identify a Werewolf" with tell tale signs of what to look for, missing large pets, horrendous odor, and of course purple urine....I can't wait to hear the reaction once she presents this item to her co-worker.

I want a set of double doors

2011-10-06T11:29:00.000-07:00

No, correction I NEED a set of double doors, very simple,
very clean decor but OH so AMAZING....

Kitchen Window

2011-10-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

wouldn't be complete without a few ravens, cauldron, menu sign, ghoul, creep cloth, vintage bottles and of course a heart and brain under glass....

And they are off......

2011-09-28T22:17:00.001-07:00

Our Invitations are printed, boxed and ready for delivery/to be mailed. I didn't think this day would ever come. Even today I was hunting through the house like a mad woman, I had misplaced the silver bullets....

The table before the assembly.
page 1

page 2 & 3 of the booklet page 4 & 5 of the booklet page 6 & 7 of the booklet

(page 8 not pictured is directions and address) The finished box and the booklet

Of course, Oliver Twist had to inspect the box of boxes to make sure they were suitable for our invitations for the Dark Holiday before we had gotten started.

"Honey I am going out to plant the mums"

2011-09-25T21:56:00.000-07:00

is what I heard....

What I found...

the beginnings of a graveyard....

Mums are still in the pots on the back deck

I love that man of mine!!!

Create a Scene BATS

2011-09-25T07:08:00.000-07:00

I purchased a set of these Create a Scene Wall art Bats at Target on Friday.
The whole set is only $10.

I put them up last night in one of the bathrooms that will be transformed into the "Bat Motel" by the end of the week after I get the rest of the items in there... photos to follow.

These were a FANTASTIC find and excellent price, I didn't expect there to be as many as there were on the sheet and really wasn't expecting the vast difference in size from about 2 inches all the way up to about 10. They went on super easy and were easy to remove and reposition, the only downfall they will be disposable so I see myself buying a couple of more sets to put away for other years.

"I think I can... I think....."

2011-09-23T04:10:00.000-07:00

I am still working on the inside, one surface at a time,
I feel like the"Little Engine That Could" from my childhood,
" I think I can, I think I can, I think...."
I am so far behind and at this rate I am never going to get done..
and I still have a 10 stall barn to finish decorating too....

The fairy series made it's way to this location this year along
with some eyeballs and a jar of Werewolf Urine....

Just tossed some creeepy cloth over the print on the wall, I don't have a big Halloween print to replace this one out, so I will print off something creepy to hide the palm tree, when I get a minute or two.

sidenote....
I did buy a new piece for the barn today at Target. $20.00. and he is 18 foot long..designed to hang from your downspouts on your house...
I am going to secure him inside the barn from the loft.....
Creepy good inexpensive find if the owls decide to attack.

Easy Hidden TP Pumpkin

2011-09-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

OK, so every year I find the "stuff"... What is the "stuff" you ask? Well the "stuff" is a handful of crafty supplies that Elaina Mae was given at her 1st grade Halloween Party. The mom in charge pre-cut everything and then the kids were shown how to put it together and make them to take home. Every year, I pull out the "stuff" as Elaina calls it, she puts it together, it sits until the Dark Holiday has passed, she unwraps it, folds it neatly, we put it away and then pull it out and start all over again the next year.

I must also say this is the ONLY level of decorating that she participates in, but for her, it is not just tradition it is a "routine".

Step one gather all the necessary "Stuff" :Fabric of your choice, a stick, pipe cleaner, piece of green felt cut into the shape of a leaf, single roll of TP, and one of the cutest little kiddos you can possibly find...

"The Stuff"

Next smooth out the fabric of your choice... notice the big cheesy "you are going to put this photo up on your blog right??" smile.

begin tucking in the loose edges into the top of the roll as you wrap it up.

after you get it all tucked in, put the pipe cleaner in the opening and the little felt leaf and use the stick to push it down in and hold everything in place... you might have to tug the little leaf out a bit to get the "look" you want and wind up the pipe cleaner a bit.. so easy a 10 year old can do it!

This year our TP pumpkin is in the powder room that is still not painted... remember when I picked out paint... still picked out, just haven't had time to paint ... it is on the list to be completed before the party on the 22nd of next month... I am convinced it will get done...

This year our little satin pumpkin gains a couple of friends "Sir Thomas" the mouse and "Wanda" the witch.

A Wall of "Un-Family" Portraits

2011-09-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

I wish I could find a way to make actual family portraits
into these types of photos but until then...
this will do.....

Can you see my boo boo???? I* will fix it as soon as I can find another one the same size.

Edible Vampire Slayer Kit

2011-09-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

Looking for something unique to hand out to the kiddies for Trick or Treat this year? How about an edible Vampire Slayer kit? Well maybe not to all of the kiddies but to a select few of choice... $20 a piece available at CRYPTOCURIUM blog or their new website that just launched earlier this month. Cryptocurium is a New Jersey based custom chocolate and candy maker producing "handmade edible art" focusing on the strange and macabre with a Lovecraftian bent. Husband wants me to order out some of the absinthe skulls for our event...

Black & White Halloween finds

2011-09-20T04:59:00.000-07:00

Adorable "Everyone has a skeleton in their closet!" 11x14 pillow embroidered. $24.99 local boutique here.

$19.99 black wooden curled bundles at Target.

matching black wooded curled wreath. $39.99 Target

Tall, Dark & Handsome VAMPIRES Welcome 11x14 pillow local $24.99

we interupt your Halloween decorating....

2011-09-20T04:40:00.000-07:00

One of my besties asked me to help her come up with a Birthday board for the September Birthday's at her son's grade school... She came up with the "A-Peeling" quote and I came up with the 3-D idea....I would have of course done it all in orange and black, but pumpkin's don't grow on trees or peel....

"...and so it is printed"

2011-09-19T11:18:00.001-07:00

A sneak peek at page one of our Dark Holiday invites this year... I am so tickled at the way these turned out. I am feeling a lot better about the move last year now, and canceling our event with these invites because I spent the last few weeks coming back and tweaking things a bit. This little 8 page booklet will compliment some other items nicely... an idea I borrowed from another blogger friend and then tweaked it to make it All Together Dead worthy....until next time all my little Skelly Friends....

One Space at a Time

2011-09-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

Concentrating hard on the inside this week....if I can manage to get it taken care of then I will find little relief as I begin to work on the bigger project on hand the outside and the barn......This display isn't as muted tones as I usually prefer but when I saw the wooden plank sign last week I couldn't resist and my wooden trio of "hoarder pumpkins" from the estate sale summer 2010 fit nicely here.

Wicked Wanda's Witch Shoppe

2011-09-15T07:25:00.000-07:00

Fine Spells & Potions. Formerly known as the "catch all"
counter top in my mud room coming in off of the back deck.

Modeled slightly after the Evil Queen in Snow White, complete with Magic Mirror and Poison Apple. Everyone needs a little poison apple in their apothecary cabinet right?

Poison Apple label reads:
"Poison Apples are a specialty item use to assassinate.
Apples will kill any non-essential body with just one bite,
no matter what even if the target is immune to poison.
Once eaten there is no way to resist, cure or dispel it. "

And a Shrinking Experiment, Baby Frog, Some Blow Flies, Devitalized Energy
and a bottle of Glittering Essence of course.

You will notice that Wanda prefers only premium potion ingredients. Especially those in her cabinet from the 13 Raven's Collection of Deadspider. (Some of the first ever selected and hence a leading authority on all things for a witch's kitchen. Secondary, Black Cat Magic Company, and of course the house specialties of All Together Dead.

Hand dipped candle in a vintage holder
(great little thrift store find a couple of summers ago....with the mirror which was only $3 itself, and a few other treasures )Betrayal, Mouse Moths, & Enchantment.

Elixir of Life, Cadaver Parasites, Snail Eggs & Pixie Dust.

These little glazed poseable ceramic skellies are actually candle holders.. so they will have little battery operated flicker candles in them for the big event....

There is even a very large glow in the dark spider web with yet another very over sized giant black spider keeping watch over the place while Wanda is off shopping for a new hat.

The China is Finished

2011-09-14T21:29:00.001-07:00

Well it only took 24 hours, but it is finished. Actually it looks finished but I am sure I will rearrange it several times, take out a piece, add a piece, move a piece or two several times before the big event.

Unpacking this year has been a little bitter sweet, fond memories, gentle suprises when I come across something I forgot about or something new bought after the season, and sad when I come across something that didn't move well or hold up well in the new attic storage space vs the basement at the old house...

This is an older cabinet, and it is not lit inside, so I am going to also work on figuring out a way to light it up on the inside the night of... maybe little led lights perhaps hidden between the bottles. Notice Aldwyn found a friend too, I came across the little black owl that was the center of attention on the kitchen chandelier at the old house 2 years ago, TOTALLY forgot about him. And I added a lovely fuzzy spider to compliment the plaque "... and along came a spider"....

A little Bucky has taken up shop on the top shelf.... next to the "Blood of the Undead".

Bottom Shelf close up center. Glitter Skulls were from Target last year, on clearance... must admit I don't even remember buying them. The little Wooden "Boo" matches the "Trick or Treat" on the top shelf, both new additions this year.

Meet Aldwyn

2011-09-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

Isn't he handsome... he has taken up residence on top of the china cabinet next to a Magic Book. A fine wise edition he is to my collection.

The entire shelf put together....

An absolutely adorable cute felt bat.

Trick or Treat anyone?

Publish Post

Pumpkin' Place

2011-09-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

Saw this over at Country Living website today, and while I cannot advocate the use of candles anymore now that I peddle Scentsy Wickless warmers (shameful plug) I must say this is a super cute idea for those of you not afraid to use them... For me it isn't such a good idea, can you see the headlines now... "Scentsy Director burn's house down with candle". BUT... on a side note, I could so see battery operated tea lights in foam punkies ... now to get my hubby to build me a fireplace before the 22nd of October.... what's another last minute project? Just sayin'

It's On......!

2011-09-12T11:58:00.000-07:00

I am so far behind but a visit to my favorite Dark Holiday store today jump started my enthusiasm, I came home with a trunk full of goodies and am ready to start diggin' in..... WEEEEEEEE

and my Birthday isn't even until February....

2011-09-08T13:51:00.000-07:00

So this week I have been ubber blessed by good friends. My dear friend and team mate Kourtney surprised me with two hand painted stems for my dark holiday collection on Sunday evening. The first is labeled "Witch's Brew" and has the daintiest of yellow polk a dots on the black stem. The second pumpkin themed glass is super cute, rimmed in yellow and says "Trick or Treat" along the foot of the glass.

Then, last night Nicole showed up last night with a box full of vintage bottles for my private potion collection. I have to say some of these are HUGE... some still have the original labels on them... (undecided if I will leave them on or switch them out) Notice the quarter for size comparision... Many of these were in her huband's family for decades... his grandmother recently passed and she gathered them up for me. Super excited and already have plans for several of them... I just need to hit the hobby store and stock up on some larger corks....

pressies for me and it isn't even my Birthday....

Silver Bullets & Tiny Potion Bottles

2011-08-23T06:29:00.001-07:00

Remember these little gems that I put together last year before we "fell" into our new house right dab smack in the middle of the dark holiday... well they have been silently waiting to be put to use.... and now.. they are resting in the box next to the itty bitty teeny weeny potion bottles and corks......

OH what could this mean? what could they be... and YES that is a dime in the photo so that you can get a pretty good idea on the side of those little gems......Now where did I put the matches......

Somehow I don't think

2011-07-21T06:12:00.001-07:00

The Frog Queen would approve of #3.
Found this lovely at Wet Seal yesterday...

It is almost upon us....

2011-07-17T12:34:00.000-07:00

walked into The Dollar Tree yesterday where all things are yes.. $1.. well not all things I think now they have some food items that are 2/$1 and some candy that is $.69 but for the most part, pull out your single and walk out with something not usually fabulous.. but then again.... you never know....

First end cap they have displayed the dismembered limbs and assorted body parts on foam trays...last year they didn't' have too many different things from the years past so I am hoping for something new to add to our haunt this year, or something "usable" to turn into something wonderful for our haunt.

Micheal's has some ribbon up and craft projects and I spotted a small display of what nots at another local venue too... I say hurry up and get the kiddies off to school clearance out the school supplies and BRING ON THE DARK HOLIDAY wares.....

Coffee Shop of Horrors Free Halloween Mug

2011-07-15T18:16:00.000-07:00

Want a FREE Halloween mug?

Coffee Shop of Horrors

is giving away a mug when you complete a little survey and subscribe to their free newsletter. Limit one (1) request per household. Offer good while supplies last. Offer void where prohibited or restricted. Coffee Shop of Horror reserves the right to terminate this offer at any time.

If Death had a Hand

2011-07-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

I would like to believe it would look something like this. I have absolutely no idea what this actually belongs to, if it is something real or a part of someone's imagination, but either way it totally rocks out on the cool factor.

I could so see this hand with talon-ed nails stringy hair and all in an upcoming future prop of some sort....enough to scare the bajeebies out of someone... namely ME...

So while I ponder and channel my creative inner self I leave you with some Vampira Lyrics

The Hand Of Death

Lost in a darkest wood, following the same shadow.
I count the drops in my hands.
The life is gone in my tears.
I feel again the hand of death, over a thousand broken dreams.
Come deadly wind, come embrace the night.
Now all the time it's only pain, another thorn in my heart.
I feel again the name of death.
The deadly wind sigh in my ears.
I count the drops in my hands.
The life is gone in my tears.
I feel again the hand of death, over a thousand broken dreams.
Lost in a darkest wood, following the same shadow.

Really?

2011-01-29T11:59:00.000-08:00

Me ... bursting through the door, not even taking my shoes or coat off... "Out of my way"

Husband.. ."where are you going"

Me .. " to our room"

Husband ... "SWEET"

Me.. "not for THAT" ripping my item out of my bag and tossing it on the bed

Husband "What is that"

Me.. "isn't it AWESOME"

Husband .. "um yeah, I guess... "

Me... " I LOVE IT"

Husband... "are you going to leave it up all year or just for Halloween"

Me glaring at him with discontent .... " I am not speaking to you the rest of the day"

Husband... "what what did I say?"

seriously doesn't EVERYONE have a black skull pillow for their bed??? I would have bought more if they would have had them...

Celtic Love Knot

2011-01-20T11:51:00.001-08:00

It has been several months since I put a plug in for my Scentsy Business, but with Valentine's & St. Patrick's coming up I couldn't resist. I am taking pre-orders for this little gem the CELTIC LOVE KNOT warmer. It will be $27 plus your local tax and shipping thr0ugh the end of February. Contact me to reserve yours today. Pre-orders now through January 30th. Beginning February 1st you can order directly
through my website.

The Celts of ancient Ireland created intricate knots with no beginning and no end to represent all things eternal: the seasons, love, hope. Bring this traditional art into your home to celebrate the promise of spring after a long winter—not to mention St. Patrick’s Day! The embossed and distressed Celtic knot pops on the emerald green background, accented by Irish cable details around the warmer dish. Celtic Love Knot makes an ideal gift for a special friend (Irish or not!) to let them know you will treasure them forever.

Scentsy Wickless warmers are safe enough to leave on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The low watt warmers melt a wax product to slowly release the scent from the wax. There are over 80 scents to choose from and over 100 different warmers in three different sizes. There is something for everyone.

The full size & Jack O Lantern Warmer is also still currently available -
but only through February 28th or as supplies last.

or the Mini Plug In Jack

Have you Seen My Ghost

2011-01-18T06:04:00.000-08:00

Already a fan of the BBC series "Being Human" UK version staring Aiden Turner, Russell Tovey, and Lenora Crichlow I have to say I was a torn a bit about the excitement created over the past few weeks for the Americanized version of "Being Human" that debuted last evening on the Scyfy channel here in the states.

I mean honestly, why do the powers that be in television and movies think that they need to constantly remake or repackage classic entertainment. But I have to say in this case, I was more than pleasantly surprised. While it will take me a while to get past the lack of British accents, Annie's mannerisms, Mitchell's stunningly good looks and put aside this series is going to play out like the book I have already read 100 times. I must admit, this series has been done with class, a unique style, and the difference in the level of special effects already can be clearly defined. This new cast consisting of Sam Witwer, Sam Huntington, and Meaghan Rath is instant chemistry.

Even the level of comedy hasn't been overlooked, just rethought to reflect the cultural mannerisms of the States. All in all, no longer on the fence, after one captivating hour I am hooked like a moth to a flame, or better off in my case a witch to a cauldron, you can guarantee you will find me first thing every Tuesday morning after my wee sproglet climbs aboard the school bus and is whisked away tucked under a nice comfy skeleton throw on the sofa with a nice cup of tea and the DVR remote enjoying the next chapter in one hell of a remastered entertainment piece.

I leave you with the video from Wintersleep's Have you Seen My Ghost featured in the first episode, I have already placed creating me a new section on my iPod for this band on the to do list for my super tech savy son to aquire for me later today. With tracks like Mausoleum, and Trace Decay how can I not fall madly in love with this band, and wonder HOW did I not find them before?

On a Sugar Roll

2011-01-17T07:40:00.000-08:00

Looking for a unique pinata for your next get together or Dark Holiday Party? I have found the place for you. Birchangel's Made to order Pinatas are perfect. You can choose from pre made designs like this beautiful Sugar Skull, or custom order. But plan ahead and order early most designs take 4-6 weeks for delivery and the shop will be closed down in March for some time.

If you are looking for the "not so ordinary" pinata fillings try some of these.

Orange & Black Rock Candy Sticks

GummyVampire Teeth

Gummy Earthworms

Insect Orange Lolly's

Freaky Fingers

Tour of Sour Candy Urine

Nector of the Gods

2011-01-15T09:01:00.000-08:00

Gather the players together....
can of sweet condensed milk
devils food or double fudge cake mix & ingredients to make
snickers bars 4 large or about 12 snack size
12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
two 8 oz containers of cool whip.
one jar of Smucker's Special Butterscotch Caramel Ice Cream topping.

The Creation:
Mix and bake cake mix accoding to directions.
Remove from oven and turn oven off.
Using a Straw poke holes in the entire top of the cake.

Pour on an entire jar of Smucker's Special Butterscotch Caramel Ice Cream Topping

I suggest buying two jars of this while you are at the Market BECAUSE it is THAT good. I think it would make a lovely additive to a hot apple cider drink...topped with a little buttershots & little fresh cream....(hint hint)

The top will be shinny when you remove it from the oven.

Pour an entire can of sweetened condensed milk over the top

Top with a 12 oz bag of Hershey's semi sweet chocolate chips allow to cool about 20 minutes on a wire rack, then top with two 8 oz containers of cool whip.

Crush 4 large or about 12 small snicker bars that have been frozen

Crush 4 large or about 12 small snicker bars that have been frozen

Sprinkle on top

Place in the fridge for at least 18 hours before you cut it
Serve slightly warmed to room temperature

This is more like sludge nector from the Gods vs a true cake.. ENJOY.

Just look at those layers of indulgence!

I fell in love again tonite.....

2011-01-13T20:51:00.001-08:00

with these ingredients. Especially the jar of Smucker's Special Butterscotch Caramel Ice Cream Topping....

Halloween Classifieds

2011-01-09T16:44:00.000-08:00

Ron Hanak had a dream, a dream many Home Haunters share... a Craigslist environment of all things Halloween... His vision is now a reality.

Halloween Overload

What exactly is Halloween Overload? A site for haunters wishing to buy, sell, or trade props, decor and creations needing to find a new home. Personally I know I need to sort and go through my things and decide exactly what I am going to part with sooner, than later, especially after the move, when I am turning my focus more towards outside vs. inside.

It will only take about a minute or so of your time to complete the registration. I found out after the fact that there is a monthly T-Shirt giveaway to everyone that registers during that month. So bounce on over there and get registered, get your chance to win that T-shirt and maybe list a few items or buy a few items.. but most of all.. SPREAD the word!

It is that time of year

2011-01-09T13:16:00.001-08:00

When I have to semi abandon my Halloween visions of grandeur and delusion and focus on the annual Birthday party for me wee lass who isn't so "wee" any longer... She has informed me that she will be "double digits" this year.. yes 10.. when did that happen? TEN?

Over the past 4 months is has been quite apparent as she has had one massive growth spurt from a size 6x to a 12... and has grown over 12 inches... I put her to bed one evening a shoe size 1 and she woke up a 3.. no kidding.. thank goodness I buy clothing in advance when I find it cute and irresistible in larger sizes or she would have gone to school in a Halloween Costume that day.

So I started perusing the web this am, in search of the perfect "theme" party ideas.. which I might add is slightly difficult when I have been given the bullet point list of everything that needs to be included as...

1. lime green
2. sonic the hedgehog
3. chocolate covered pretzels
4. Lemonade
5. dragonflies
6. tootsie rolls
7. Marshmallows
8. balloons
9. mint chocolate chip ice cream
10. a transforming eve

Not exactly what I had in mind when I asked her for a list of 10 things that would make her Birthday the best ever...I should have been more specific, after all, she isn't exactly 10 yet..
what was I thinking?

So on my relentless search to figure it all out I had a light bulb moment.. WAIT a minute...
MY birthday is so 2 weeks before hers.. why am I not focusing on the things that would make MY birthday rock out? So I have thought about it in my antibiotic altered mind..
and these are a few of my favorite things I would like on my wishlist....

1. A totally rocked out Desert table featuring these little

Tootsie Roll Steam punk cupcakes featured on Bakingdom

and a fabulous cake like one of these.

2. Someone else mixing the spirits all night long other than me and the list would include: A vodka martini with blue curacao pearls, Bleeding Heart Martini's and some kind of punch served in a really terrific punch bowl.

Recipe featured on Martha Stewart Serves 4

2 ounces dry vermouth
8 ounces premium gin
Ice cubes
4 Pickled Baby Beets Recipe

Directions

Chill 4 martini glasses in the freezer or fill with ice water and let sit until frosty, about 5 minutes (pour out water). Add the vermouth, dividing evenly; swirl to coat the glasses, then pour out. Add gin to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until chilled; divide among chilled glasses. Garnish each with a skewered pickled baby beet, and serve immediately.

3. A fun container of masks and mustaches provided for guest keepsakes and would be perfect for photo props during the evening.

4. of course this means I would have a Live Photo Booth because it is virtually impossible for anyone that I know to attend one of my parties and be able to remember to actually take photos of the event... including ME.

5. PERFECT weather so we could be inside and outside maybe even have a nice fire in the evening. Of course with a February 17th birthday living in North East Ohio the only way I am actually going to get that wish is if I transport my party out of state and somewhere south or out West. But oh what a lovely wish.

6. Decorations that would include Air Dimensional Designs
and preferably from the tentacle collection!

and last but not least, my guests leaving with a feeling of total party satisfaction.

Too Much Pink....

2011-01-06T14:16:00.001-08:00

How about it if was PinkOWeen?

Not that I myself enjoy the color pink either, but I felt inspired after my dear friend Chris aka the Frog Queen's comments about our pink candy buffet to come up with some delectable Halloween fan fare in yes.. the color pink of course...

Miss Courtney over at Pizzazzerie made excellent use of the color pink to help fight the cure and benefit the Susan G. Komen foundation for the cure. They fell short of their goal last October to raise $1000 maybe we can help them out a bit still... by clicking HERE. These are just a few photos of her excellent interpretation of our beloved holiday using traditional black and yes... my dear friends PINK...

I think I am going to "borrow" this large lolly and rock candy idea for my party favors this year. And i really like the popcorn container idea too,
but I think I would go with Monster Crunch.

MONSTER CRUNCH

1 box crispex or chex cereal
1 stick butter
1 cup peanut butter
2 oz chocolate chips
1 bag powdered sugar
orange powdered food coloring (optional)
nuts, raisins, mini pretzels, m&m's etc (all optional add ins of your choice)

color the powdered sugar with the food coloring.

In a saucepan melt the butter, peanut butter and chocolate chips stirring frequently over low heat to prevent burning.

Place cereal and any optional add ins of your choice in a large bowl. Pour Peanut butter mixture over and toss to coat.

Place into a large ziplock bag and add in powdered sugar and toss to coat evenly. Adding more sugar to coat evenly.

even the glitter is edible... NICE it's called disco glitter

Hoping I haven't thrown you all over the edge with the crazy amount of pink, sequins and glitter.

Images borrowed from Pizzazzerie

Twist

2011-01-05T16:52:00.000-08:00

Remember the Candy Buffet I had great hopes for last Halloween before we decided to completely pack up our entire lives into cardboard boxes and move? Well, while I was up in the attic today organizing my Halloween treasures that had just been stockpiled during the move I came across the box with all of the glass...

I thought with Valentine's day coming up I would put them to good use. So off to the market to find some yummy treats and some co-coordinating ribbon and Wala...

Red sugar coated Jelly Hearts.. MY FAVORITE

Heart Shaped Strawberry flavored marshies

Peanut Butter hearts, Wonka Pomegranate chews, apple bites, Twizzlers

Mini Charm Lollies, Raspberry Dark Chocolate Truffles, and HELLO Jumbo Conversation Hearts!

There are also dark chocolate peppermint bites, Milk chocolate hearts, and Hot Tamales on the menu too.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

2011-01-02T13:11:00.001-08:00

So husband let me sleep late yesterday, which put me at a running start when I finally woke in the afternoon, yes... AFTERNOON.. I haven't slept until noon for at least a decade...I rarely sleep as it is with him working 3rd shift and needing to get up before the sun during the week to get Peanut off on the bus by 6:30 am for her 1.5 hr commute.
I figure I can sleep when I am dead right?

So now that the New Year's festivities are over, all of the trees and deco is down and put away (with the exception of the mud room tree.. it stays up until after the 16th of this month as a tribute to my sweet Gabi Beth who will be celebrating her 12th Birthday in Heaven this year) I can now begin to attempt to focus on what really matters.. Yes... I can hear you all say it with me now.. in unison... 1... 2... 3..... HALLOWEEN!

I have been compiling a new list of potential recipes that I have been wanting to use my family for guinea pigs on. Since it is always easier to get them involved with sweets I decided to start there. I knew I wanted to get a cheesecake in the oven and had some leftover solid pack pumpkin from making pumpkin rolls last week that I wanted to use, so a little of this and a little of that... and wala... a VERY nice version of a pumpkin Cheesecake al la Alltogetherdead version. I think I will make some little chocolate accents to top the edges off for our actual party.

I have to say, please forgive me for not having step by step crust photos, I totally forget that the blogging world wants those and get so carried away with my projects and then realize... OOOPSIE especially on days when I take on multiple cooking projects, today was the Pumpkin Cheesecake, home made chicken noodle soup,
herbed bread, and an accidental pumpkin ice cream topping.

I wanted a light fluffy pumpkin cheesecake this recipe is super easy and almost no fail and if you are allergic to eggs or simply do not care too much for cheesecake, you can cut the recipe steps and have a wonderful dip that you can use for gingersnaps or grahams.

Alltogetherdead Pumpkin Cheesecake

Preheat oven to 350 butter the sides of a spring form pan and line with parchment

Crust:
1.5 sleeves of Ritz Crackers crushed finely
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine

mix together and press tightly into the bottom of a spring form pan.

Filling:
Three 8 oz pkgs of cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup solid pack pumpkin NOT pumpkin pie just PLAIN PUMPKIN
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp Cinnamon (optional- I like a strong cinnamon and pumpkin flavor)
2 TB flour
1 tsp real vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Fresh whipped topping for garnish

Directions

Blend cream cheese & vanilla until fluffy do not over beat will cause cracking during baking.

mix in the pumpkin

In a small bowl mix flour, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. It is easier to mix these fine spices when they have a little substance so they do not clump up when added to the wet mixture.
set aside.

If you like a stronger flavor, feel free to dump in a little more cinnamon

Blend in the sweetened condensed milk and flour mixture, mix until just blended.

at this point you can stop if you do not want to make the cheesecake and this is a yummy yummy spread for gingersnaps or grahams. Or, you can keep going...

Add in eggs one at a time. Keep in mind again, as you mix each step not to over beat, once it looks mixed.. stop and move on to the next step.

Pour mixture into prepared pan.

Place in oven on center rack and bake 60-70 minutes until set and the top has slightly darkened, no need for a water bath or bowl of water, just put it in there.

Turn oven off, and set door adjar, allow to cool until you can remove pan without any potholders.

Place on rack and allow to cool to room temperature.

Carefully remove the parchment, cover with foil and this is the hardest step.....
Place in the fridge and allow to cool 24 hours. Yes, DO NOT TOUCH IT.. leave it alone...
not even a peek...

The next day, remove the outer ring from the pan, slice and serve with fresh whipped cream.

Obscura Antiques

2011-01-01T18:43:00.000-08:00

My wonderful DH discovered this fantastic television show called "Oddities" on the Science Channel for me. It is a quaint little shop in New York called Obsura Antiques & Oddities that specializes in.. well.. just that things of a peculiar nature. with episodes titled "Mummified Hand" and "Teeth on a Stick" I was instantly hooked without even viewing an episode.

Owners Mike Zohn & Evan Michelson boast on the intro of the show that "this isn't your grandmothers typical antique shop" and boy they were not kidding.

15 minutes into the first episode I was watching I was screaming at my television "I want that I want that... as a vintage embalmers table was being sold..... for the bargain price of only $250 and a dress....a little while longer a vintage medical bag complete with a still sharp bone saw that would be perfect for any Halloween display, especially mine for this years creature survival theme.

So is it wrong that I find myself trying to convince my husband that we need to spend Valentines Day in New York this year? Will I be able to talk him out of the Ocean, tanning lotion & coconut drinks for Snow, skulls & perhaps the find of a lifetime?

Learn more about Obscura Antiques & Oddities on their blog or find them on facebook at Obscura Antiques or visit them directly if you are close enough and then tell me all about it so I can be insanely jealous.

Obscura Antiques & Oddities
280 East 10th Street
(Between 1st Avenue & Avenue A)
New York City
Open 7 days 12 noon-8:00 pm
open earlier on weekends.
Ph: 212 505-9251

Images borrowed from Obscura Antiques & Oddities blog

Choclate Marshmallow Cupcakes

2010-12-31T15:50:00.000-08:00

Start with a regular Devils Food Cake Mix and a Milk Chocolate pre made frosting jar.. I know I know... not from scratch, but trust me will be worth it.

You will also need 7 oz of marshmallow Cream (Fluff) 3/4 cup of powdered confectioners sugar, 1/4 cup of vegetable shortening, 1/2 tsp vanilla & 1/2 tsp salt.

Mix & bake cupcakes as directed on box.
When finished baking, allow to cool 5 minutes.

While cooling mix the marshmallow cream, powdered sugar, shortening, vanilla and salt. Then spoon into a pastry bag fitted with a large open tip.

Mix the chocolate frosting and also spoon into a pastry bag fitted
with a large open tip.

Using a wooden spoon, puncture the center of each cupcake to make a hole.

Fill with the marshmallow frosting.

Creatively decorate the tops with the marshmallow and chocolate frosting in a pattern of your choice. I chose spirals.

I also piped some white chocolate letters for to nite and placed them on top.

Serve leftovers loosely covered.

Happy New Year all, no matter what you do, be safe.

Congrats to My Ghoul Friday

2010-12-30T06:36:00.001-08:00

not only is she a very talented artisian, but her work has been showcased on page 14 of the January/February issue of Rue Morgue Magazine in their Needful Things section. You can visit Ghoul Friday on her blog or browse her items for sale in her Etsy Shop... But act fast if you see something in her shop that belongs in your own personal needful things collection get it now before she is bombarded with orders.

Congrats again.. wickedly excited for you!

Image borrowed from My Ghoul Friday

Formation

2010-12-26T10:14:00.000-08:00

even without a sleigh my version of reindeer hold their positions.. even in sleep.

Meet the boxer trio in our family.

Voodoo

Lola

Dempsy

The smell of Christmas Morning

2010-12-25T12:14:00.000-08:00

in our house is almost always a Sausage Braid. My family requests this recipe every year, and usually I pair it with a nice crab quiche, or peach stuffed baked french toast, but this year Elaina got to choose the sidekick... see below...

SAUSAGE BRAID RECIPE

2- 8 oz cans of crescent rolls pressed together to form a pastry sheet on a parchment lined baking pan.
2 rolls bulk sausage
1/2 cup diced green pepper (can also mix it up using orange, red and yellow if you like)
1/2 cup diced celery
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup sweet onion diced.
6 oz cubed cream cheese
1 beaten egg
handful of shredded cheddar cheese.

Preheat oven to 375

line pan with parchment

unroll and press crescent rolls to form pastry sheet

using a sharp knife cut slits along the long sides of the sheet towards the middle about 2 inches long to create the "braid" pieces

meanwhile in a large skillet cook the sausage, peppers, onion, celery and garlic until meat no longer pink

drain well

mix in the cream cheese and stir until melted.

spoon down center of pastry

bring "braid" slits up and over the top

brush with egg and sprinkle with cheddar
(you will notice mine went on the inside this year... I had a 9 yr old helper)

bake 20-25 minutes or until top browned.

Use a Pizza Slicer to slice, Serve warm

This Elaina Mae requested Mrs. Claus's Blueberry Muffins.

Ok so I wimped out. But I must say they were not all that bad. I would make a couple of changes to the recipe such as add the milk a little at a time, we used Fresh blue's this am, and the batter was a bit too runny for my liking so the muffins didn't hold their puffy form when removed from the oven they sunk back down into their cups as they cooled.

Merry Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T20:41:00.000-08:00

the first photo with Santa with both of my children since Elaina was born... PRICELESS

Christmas Eve confections.

Lemon Cheesecake with Fresh Raspberries and a Vanilla Custard Topping.

Butter Peacan cuppy's with Apricot Filling

Triple Stuffed Pumpkin Roll

Ambrosia Cheese Ball with Vanilla Nips.

It's official

2010-12-19T14:36:00.000-08:00

Dempsey has outgrown his bed....

No not really, this is NOT Dempsey's bed.. It is the Kitty Kup...
Apparently Dempsey thought he needed to warm it up for master Oliver first.
Or else he just has a "little dog trapped in a big dog body" issue going on...

either way, I thought it would give you a giggle...

All of the Usual Suspects

2010-12-14T14:29:00.000-08:00

Were rounded up today for this time of the year....

The eggs were not happy they had to be so close to the cocoa powder,
and the brown and powdered sugars were in constant disagreement as to which one was more popular...

at the end, everyone's personalities blended well-
even Peanut got into the brawl and we had a very productive snow day.

A Cheep Date

2010-12-10T19:01:00.001-08:00

Under $10 this Merlot was a little bitey at first, but after a little air and the companionshiop of my witch stocking spider web stems... it panned out just nicely...Found it at the Big Bird... aka Giant Eagle for any of you wondering where to pick up a bottle or two or three...VOGA Italian Wine.

Dedication

2010-12-07T11:10:00.000-08:00

Vendell has not abandoned his post.

Even with the 8 plus inches of snow, he stands vigil guarding my 9 year old's froggie pond.

Only in the mind of...

2010-12-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

my child...

I downloaded photos today from the craft fair that I worked yesterday for my Scentsy Business. In the middle of the photos.. I found this one.. a single photo.. of party of my daughters breakfast... When I asked her about it, her response was.. "these were some of the prettiest blueberries I have ever eaten, I wanted to remember them forever" I heart her.

I think I am on...

2010-12-02T20:17:00.000-08:00

some kind of crazy energy boost. Call it a fire lit underneath my broom or an internal panic that if I don't get it done another holiday is going to be gone before I know it. I managed to get a second tree up in the mud room last night.

If you look closely you will notice that all of the stemware hanging all have signature Halloween tags on them... And my prized possessions my hand painted web and witch stocking glasses. They stay out all year. And yes, I use them all year too!

This one, to appease the sprog-lets and my co-maker of the sprog-lets is much more "traditional". In color, style and decoration choice. I wasn't going for a theme other than ice blue and white, but I realized after it was done, it in fact has a wee bit of a theme.

Yes I am sadly aware that the bottom of the wine cabinet is empty. I am all out of reds at the moment. Hold on let me rephrase, I am all out of reds that I am willing to have on display to share at the moment...( I know that is very stingy of me)
Nothing my trip to my favorite winery in the area will not cure over the weekend.

A not so flattering night shot. I really couldn't get a good shot as my current "it must have more lights than the Times Square ball that drops on New Year's Eve" syndrome.

Stars, Sticks & Sparkle adorn the top of this little treasure.

Here is the heart of this tree. Not tucked in the middle, not on the right side, but none the less she is the focus. Her gown is made from thick paper that has been folded, wrinkled, pressed, and repeated over and over again to give the feel of fabric. Nestled in her grasp our my first daughters Tiny 20 weeker footprints.
Miss Gabrielle Elizabeth is celebrating her 12th Christmas in Heaven this year.
Angel wings for a tiny Angel Baby.

A partridge without her pear tree.

There are a lot of "wings" in this tree. Hummingbirds, Doves, Angel Wings, Dragonflies, and this lovely Feathered Swan. Very graceful and dainty.. Every year I pull her out of her resting box I am delightfully tickled that she has weathered another year.

No tree would be complete without a hooter or two. This little guy is only about 2 inches tall and perched with a watchful set of eyes. Might I just add too that I LOVED owls long before the Potter series elevated their appeal. I guess I could convince myself this is a Halloween decoration on a Christmas Tree. Even if him is snow white and not pitch black with red eyes.

A sprinkling of Blown glass Dragonfly's dance playfully through the tree. I have always had a fascination with them, and they have a new special meaning now that my daughter attends Dragonfly Academy.

Not sure what project I will get into next. I really really wanted to paint the powder room now that I have finally picked out a set of colors, only to find out that colors I selected are no longer stock colors and would need to be computer matched to mix... Apparently someone in the paint department had no clue that it was going to take me 2 months to decide on two shades of gray.

Reluctantly

2010-12-01T16:41:00.000-08:00

I finally managed to put away the few Halloween decorations that I had scattered around the new house this year making way for the erection of "the tree". Everything about it seems totally wrong. I know I need to just suck it up and move on, but my internal clock is all catywompus. I think I am in mourning. There was just total unfinished this year for me. I am grieving the loss of Halloween.

Now don't get me wrong I lived vicariously through my Halloween Blog guru's Bean, Rot & Chris just to name a few. I oooe'd and awwww'd over the vast updated blogs, and posts by friends old and new. I squealed with delight as the projects came to completion all the while working on my visions of grandeur. But then to pack it all up and move it without using it, has crushed me.

My business has kept me semi occupied, but it is days like today choosing not to venture out in the first "real snow" when I have downtime that it hits the most. Wrapping up the wooden pumpkins and placing them in their crypts for the next 200 or so days was very difficult but needed to be done.. after all it is December already.

So I was half tempted to decorate the tree with all Halloween decor.. but I lost the vote 3:1. I realized that while I share an amazing love for Halloween with my spouse and my children, that somewhere I went terribly wrong on the path that they have chosen anything other than Halloween to decorate their Christmas tree.

However, I lost the war but not the battle. I might not have gotten Halloween decor, but I got Halloween color! Thats right! I went with an exotic theme to match the family room. Tones of copper and Black. It isn't quite finished, but it is a good start.

While scouring blogs looking for

2010-11-17T10:56:00.000-08:00

a quick pick me up fall recipe I came across a new blog Katie Grace Designs. Back in September she threw a wonderful Pumpkin themed get together..

I LOVE the attention to detail, the simple touches that make such a bold impact... I hope she shares the recipe for her Pumpkin Trifle !!!

and I am now off to cut out little tiny pumpkin shaped pie crusts out of my Pillsbury pre- made crust in the fridge and whip up a no bake pumpkin mouse to fill them with...

Thank you for the inspiration Miss Katie!

Picking out Paint

2010-11-05T05:38:00.000-07:00

Is one of my least favorite things... but none the less... it has to be done....I think I am spending way too much time in the Powder Room right now... However, notice the scroll in the corner? It is one of those adheasive decoration kits. This one is a 46" Skeleton from Target, Clearance price $3.48 yesterday regular $14.99
RUN to Target... RUN.

As far as the paint goes I know I want a light smokey gray on the top and a charcoal to black on the bottom... the problem, do I want earth tones, navy tones, or no tones in the coloring? Not fun picking out the paint but fun names like "Black Magic" , "Essence", "Tombstone". Names on the short list, color... not so much... looks like Mark Twain Historic colors are the front runners... WHAT a shame....

those would be the 3 tier swatches closest to the toilet.... The top one on the back sheet and the top one on the front sheet.... I don't know... What do you think?

Back to the Powder Room to Ponder....At least I will have company in there with "Bones" to talk to... maybe I will get lucky and he will choose the color.

Eternal Embrace

2010-11-04T06:17:00.000-07:00

Thinking about this print for the new house powder room that will be AllTogetherDead all year long.

image from Tumblr

More than Just Halloween

2010-10-29T04:29:00.000-07:00

October 31st that is.

For most of us the best thing about October 31st is Halloween of course but the day is also significant to other events too for instance:

475 Romulus Augustus is proclaimed Western Roman Emperor
1517 Martin Luther posts his 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg.
1864 Nevada becomes the 36th State
1940 The United Kingdom prevents a German invasion in the Battle of Britain during WWII.
1941 Drilling is completed on Mount Rushmore after 14 years in the works.
1959 Lee Harvey Oswald attempts to renounce his American citizenship at the U.S. embassy in Moscow
1961 Josef Stalin's body is removed from Lenin's tomb in the Soviet Union.
1984 India Prime Minister Indira Gahndi is assassinated by security guards, setting off a chain of riots that lead to the deaths of nearly 10,000 Sikhs.
2002 Former Enron CFO Andrew Fastow is indicted by federal grand jury on 78 counts, including wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy, related to the collapse of his former company.
2010 For the first time in almost 2 decades the All Together Dead house is not hosting a Halloween get together, there is no yard haunt, and while the family has a brand new house, things just seem too array.....

If you are looking for

2010-10-07T07:14:00.000-07:00

some creative graphics Might I suggest The Graphics Fairy with over 1400 images to choose from I am sure you will find the right "something" for your projects. I have about 8 images right now that I am working on matting and framing now.

Images from The Graphics Fairy Website.

We interrupt this Halloween Season

2010-10-07T07:04:00.000-07:00

For a completely brand new kitchen, attached to a completely brand new house...

WHAT was I thinking and in OCTOBER TOO?????

My head is splitting... the stress and anxiety is getting the best of me...
I am so far behind on EVERYTHING.... almost ready to waive my pirate flag in the air climb on my broom and run away.....yes crackling all the way

My new favorite Halloween bite

2010-10-06T04:47:00.001-07:00

Thank you to Kevin and Gillian for posting this quick little recipe for my new favorite Halloween Pick Me Up treat for the kiddies... Of all ages of course. When you just couldn't think of anything better than chocolate covered pretzels... WALA.... as suggested I substituted some fall colored M&M's and even broke open a bag of Reese Pieces to top some of them so I had a little assortment of wonder... I cannot however show you an original photo because my family descended upon the tiny treasures of tooth decay like vultures... I was lucky, I got 2 of them.

You can find the RECIPE HERE
Image original from Kevin & Gillian Site

At last....

2010-10-05T20:48:00.000-07:00

I have finally scored a single box of Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts.. yes just a single box was all I could find at my Target. The spot on the shelf labeled was empty, but I was fortunate to find my box mixed in with the Capri Suns.... lucky for me I was in the market for those too for the 9 year olds lunch... Notice by the photo I didn't wait to get home, I popped a package open on the drive home... YUMMY.

Can't wait until morning to try the warm too.....

You can never have to many.....

2010-09-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

Silver Bullets this time of year

First Gather your supplies. I used a Brite touch basic primer and purchased a $2 can of Metallic silver spray paint from the Dollar General Store.

Next get everyone standing at attention on top of some cardboard (if you want you can even dab a drop of hot glue to hold them in place if you have a lightweight).
First

Give them all a quick coat of primer. Then let them dry for about 30 minutes.

Then give them a good coat all the way around with your metallic spray.

Now Bring on the Werewolves

Teeny Tiny Nail Dremmel at the Dollar Tree

2010-09-29T07:10:00.000-07:00

Found this wee treasure last night at the Dollar Tree.. yes that is right $1

I haven't had a chance to really work with it yet, it is not the strongest little tool in the box, as it runs off of just one AA battery but I think for smaller foam projects or fine detailing tombstone art it will work just nicely for $1.

I may just go back and get a few more, knowing my luck I will get used to using it for certain projects and then it will poop out on me and I will be devastated because I will not find another one because I in fact found it originally for only $1 at yes, of course.. the Dollar Tree.

It is really supposed to be for your finger nails...so I guess you could actually use it for something other than Halloween too if you like... but seriously? who does that sort of thing this time of year?

Today I am working on....

2010-09-26T07:18:00.001-07:00

the final project for my Halloween Invitations....

but if I tell you what exactly that is it is Oliver might have to rub you out...

shhhh it's still a secret.

Oliver wanted me to let you know.

2010-09-26T07:12:00.000-07:00

That in fact he is the true Blog Administrator not myself.

He is in fact the final say, the big Meow. Mr. Official All Together Dead... in case you were wondering. He sees all, knows all, approves all.

He just added you can just refer to him as "Kitty Halloween" if all else fails.

Test Run on the Candy Buffet

2010-09-17T18:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this is just a miniature version. Yes I know, it is very plain, but I just couldn't stand all of these little jars that I have begun to acquire sitting on the bar starring at me empty any longer. So I caved and ran out and bought a handful of candy to "test run" a small sample of what I am wanting to put together for the big event. A kiosk of an idea if you will. I even plan to decorate the majority of the jars with accents, ribbon and maybe even hand paint one or two of them if I can manage to find the time before the party.

Now I don't know what is worse the feeling I got walking by the empty jars over the past few weeks, or the urge not to devour every ounce of pure sugar delight that is screaming my name every time I walk past....

I need to make some creative labels for these too... can not have an unlabeled potion or candy jar in this witches house. It would be a sin. Stay tuned.

It is Official

2010-09-15T04:50:00.000-07:00

You can now order your holiday Scentsy Wickless Candle Warmers. Click here to order Fright Night. When turned on this low watt electric warmer has a wickedly haunting full moon glow!

FRIGHT NIGHT

Or for those that prefer more traditional and whimsical we have Jack.
Or his little seed JACK PLUG IN size counterpart

Or lastly for those of you with a very traditional decorating style, we have PLYMOUTH.

Combination packs are also available with coordinating holiday wax scents such as Pumpkin Roll, Autumn Sunset, Toasted Caramel Sugar, Sentimental Cider, Welcome Home & More. For more information or to shop online visit Scentsy.

Potential

2010-09-10T11:46:00.001-07:00

As soon as I started selling Scentsy products I swore I would never burn another candle again. While this may be true, I couldn't pass up this black elegant candelabra today. Covered in wax, a sign that it served its former owner well, this treasure was sitting on an upper shelf collecting dusts at one of my favorite thrift store haunts... All for the price of $2.00, it will make a lovely addition to the All Together Dead house... now to decide what color tappers to put in it.

The End of the Hoarder Sale finds

2010-09-09T13:18:00.000-07:00

A set of 3 painted wooden pumpkins were new in the box. The beaded wreath still has the tag attached. Not sure what I am going to do with them yet, but they look nice on the end of the bar right now...

Cute little vintage Bar lamp, has a couple of boo-boo's but I think I can fix them up when I get some spare time. It makes a nice night light on the opposite end of the bar.

One large tote and one large box filled to the rim with trinket kid items, I will pull about 200 pieces out for trick or treat night and then donate the rest to Peanut's school to use for trinket prizes for the kids.

A basket full of hair accessories for the wee miss and a box of floral acorns for a fall wreath.

An entire case (12) of these great Tuscan candle holders. The bottom opens up for a tealight. I think I am going to "age" these and hang them from the back tree.

An entire box of red maple silk leaves. You can never have too many fake leaves around right?

Ok So that is it, that is my entire Hoarder sale pay load... and for the grand finale... how much did I spend????? Drum roll please.... $40 . It was a good day.

I also found

2010-09-08T20:51:00.001-07:00

some fantastic serving pieces for my food and candy buffets.
All of the silver and copper pieces are brand new and were still in their boxes.

This is a close up of a set of 7 black glass bowls that I found. I plan on using them on the candy buffet table. They have a really neat pattern to them, reminded me of straw. The little lady bug is perched on top of silver tarnished mirror top cake stand that is 15" in diameter. Miss bug will become part of My nieces bow on her Birthday gift next month.. her nic name is Ladybug. There is also a small glass candy jar behind Miss bug.. hard to see.

This is a beautiful copper 2 qt. serving piece. Inside there is a glass pyrex dish.
Very ornate attention to detail.

I picked up two of these 3 qt. Serving stands. Like the oval they also have glass pyrex dishes inside of them. They are taller, silver plated. Notice the two crystals hanging. Both came with complete sets to dangle all the way around them. I am not sure If I will use them or not this year. The cake stand matches the design on these, sadly the crystals were missing for it.

Lastly in this set I found this really great ceramic pitcher. It is filled with floral foam so I can only imagine at some point it was filled with plastic flowers like you would find at your grandmothers house. I do plan on cleaning it up, giving it a new coat of paint and putting my own decrepit floral arrangement in it. I might even put my signature skull logo on the center of the front...

In the top photo this pitcher is sitting in the last of the silver serving pieces. It is a 1 qt. baker with sliver stand. It was missing the top cover, but I couldn't leave it all alone.

You can also see the silver platter in the top photo. All in all a good group of items. And yes, there is still more to tell you about... muhahhaahhahhah

Hoarder Estate Sale

2010-09-08T20:14:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon an estate sale that was worthy of the show featured on A&E called Hoarders. The only difference is that there wasn't the filth, trash, and what not. It was just a simple case of a shop-a-holic hoarder.

I kid you not, she must have purchased at least 10 of everything. Tons of items stacked up in unopened boxes ordered from QVC in multiples. Piles in every room that were taller than me in some cases. Bags upon bags of items that were purchased and never taken out of the bags. There was so much it was impossible to go through everything. Some of the treasures I found....

A Trio of witches

I think I will call this one Stella

An entire table full of Halloween Loot

including:

One witch cookie cutter
2 chocolate candy molds
5 packages of mini pumpkin lights
12 strands of fall colored beaded stems for a wreath
2 packages of glow in the dark ants
a package of glow in the dark spiders
a tree votive candle holder glass
a witch votive candle holder glass
A large and A small spider/web metal decoration
4 metal wire pumpkin decorations

6 packages of silk fall colored leaves & 3 packages of ceramic tapper candle accents...

And this is just the beginning...

Custome Witch Potion Labels

2010-09-08T17:58:00.000-07:00

Are available for your Halloween decorating.
Check out ebay seller auctions*by*amy

or my All Together Dead Etsy Shop

and I thoguht I was a true Munster Fan....

2010-09-07T09:22:00.000-07:00

Above photo is from 1964 a shot of the Munster House. I remember sprawling out on the living room floor with my uncle who was just a few years older than me at my grandmother's house glued to the TV everytime the show was on. Craig and I would bet on things we thought we would see in the upcoming episode. How many times would they show Spot the Dragon was one of our favorite.

In the days before video taping, DVD's and pausing live television we used to run and fight over the bathroom during commercial breaks so we wouldn't miss an ounce of entertainment. I remember being so angry once because my older brother had a band competition we attended and I missed an episode. I was furious. I didn't speak to my parents for 3 days. Unlike today where we can record and watch later, or even have repeat episodes at almost any given time of the night. Such trivial things that my children will never have to worry about.

I thought Eddie Munster (played by Butch Patrick) was dreamy. I was most certainly sure I was going to grow up marry him and together we would care for Spot. Overall I thought I was a pretty loyal fan... until today... today I came across a Youtube video today of a full replica Munster Mansion that Sandra McKee and her husband have built and maintain in Texas.

Down to the detail an electric chair in the living room, Grandpa's dungeon, the haunted tree in the front yard, the kitchen and Eddie's room with a secret door. I LOVE IT. Wish I lived closer, I would camp out in line to tour it when they open it around Halloween Night.

Restored today Munster House at Universal Studios

It's so close I can smell it.

2010-09-03T04:53:00.000-07:00

The Scentsy 2010 Holiday Line is available for preview and pre-order. I am taking orders now through September 14th. The first order will go in on the 15th. Payment needs to be made at the time you place your order either by Cash, Check, or CC. I don't know about you but I can hardly wait to get my Haunted Tree warmer!

Some favorite fall scents are Pumpkin Roll, Autumn Sunset, Cinnamon Cider, Just Peachy Ginger, Welcome Home, Toasted Caramel Sugar, Cinnamon Vanilla and more...with over 80 scents to choose from there is something for everyone and the warmers carry a lifetime warranty on the mechanics.

You can comment this post with your order and I will contact you to make payment arrangements or you can message me through the website.

Thrift Store Treasures

2010-09-02T13:44:00.001-07:00

While perusing my favorite thrift store today I came across a few handy treasures....today was green and blue tag half off day... so for me a DOUBLE SCORE! I found 3 items in particular, the first a sterling stand I originally thought I would give this little guy an instant black coat of paint when I spotted him down the isle, but after picking it up and seeing the ornate pattern on the top I think I will just leave it alone. I can see a nice black glittery skull atop him in no time. And yes, you are correct the price on the bottom says $.60 but since it was half off day that little stand cost me a mere $.30 today.

The second item is a little 1970's 6 jar spice rack. This item will in fact get a nice coat of black paint on the wood and lids, and a nice set of witch labels added to the jars. And some nifty items inside. Price tag $1.50, half price $.75 today!

Lastly this brilliant Silver ornate cross with a faux amythest stone in the center... I might try to pluck that stone off and clean it up a bit then again I might leave it alone. It will make a nice addition to either my costume or one of my displays. I can almost vison it inside of a "Creature Survival Kit" .... hint... hint.... This item was $5.00 WELL worth it.

So there you have it for $6.05 my deals of the day... I couldn't be more pleased.

And the winner is.....

2010-09-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

For those of you just sitting on the edge of your seat with Anticipation... the winner of the Scentsy Plug in Warmer is Barb Juhasz. A faithful facebook follower and contest entrant... Her name was selected by none other than Miss Peanut out of only 24 entrants... Congrats to Miss Barb... and her warmer of choice Rustic Star.

2010 Emmy Awards gift swag bag.

2010-08-31T04:06:00.001-07:00

NOTE: If you are a Scentsy Consultant please do not leave a comment asking my readers to purchase from you as it is against Scentsy P&P especially since the owner of this particular blog is a Scentsy Consultant.

The Scentsy Buddy was found in the gift swag bag given out at the 2010 Emmy Awards party which was held in the Tic Tac Luxury Gift Lounge at the SLS Hotel. The Scentsy Buddy is a new product from wickless candle maker Scentsy. Emmy award winners, Emmy nominees, stars and celebrities had first glimpse of the Scentsy Buddy even before it is available through local sales consultants beginning September 1, 2010.

Scentsy Buddies will be available area through local Scentsy sales consultant Amy Satina-Morrison beginning September 1, 2010. We will soon find out which Emmy Award winners, Emmy Award Nominees, stars and celebrities picked up their very own Scentsy Buddy from the Tic Tac Luxury Gift Lounge at the SLS Hotel.

The Scentsy Buddy is a safe, non toxic and easy way to bring home fragrance into the play areas and bedrooms of small children ages three and up. The Scentsy Buddy will be a small, stuffed animal that can hold any one of Scentsy's scent paks, which contain food grade scent beads, and fill the room with a fragrant scent. Each buddy is a little under 18 inches from top to bottom and is made with a tear free fabric.

Children and adults alike will love the sweet scents that Scentsy Buddies will offer such as Berry Blush, Havana Cabana, Satin Sheets, Black Raspberry, Vanilla Hemingway, Sunkissed Citrus, Camu Camu, Mochadoodle, Sweet Pea and Vanilla, Cucumber Lime, Perfectly Pomegranate, Vanilla Cream, French Lavender, Pima Cotton and Vanilla Suede. Now that Scentsy Buddies will be getting noticed by Celebrities, it should be interesting to watch the popularity of the brand grow. Which celebrity children will have a Scentsy Buddy in his or her playroom?

Only 2 more days until somebody WINS.

2010-08-29T07:23:00.000-07:00

To enter my first Give-A-Way of the year...I can hardly believe the lack of interest in a FREE item... but then again... going to make it VERY VERY easy for someone to win....

For details find the contest HERE.

Look what I found today.....

2010-08-28T07:26:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already tried this product RUN to your local Dollar Tree and buy a box.. yes, that is right I said the Dollar Tree... only a buck for a box of 5... sometimes you can find the boxes of 10 in your local grocery store too. I was perusing yesterday to see what new Halloween goodies they will be stocking this year and when I rounded the corner there they were... Alpine Spiced Apple Cider drink mixes.

I bought a ton of these last year and made up a large beverage pot of it and kept it warm by candlelight. You just simply add one mix to 1 cup of hot water. I used the recipe on the back of the box to make the Warm Carmel Apple Drink and had bottles of Caramel Sundae Topping, Whipped Cream and Butterscotch Schnapps to add to the drink. I also had large cinnamon sticks to use for stirring. YUMMO.

Making PVC Candles

2010-08-25T07:38:00.000-07:00

While browsing through the local post this am I came across a Lowe's store advert. Something on the front cover caught my eye. Instantly I thought to myself... I bet I could make that for Halloween for less than half the retail cost... so I quickly reverted to my office to start rummaging through my saved tutorials until I found this one. Quite a gem from JimmyZDC also known as Phantom Hollow over at a Halloween Forum I haunt. It is for making faux candles from PVC. Keep in mind this doesn't cover the making of the actual base and or support to hang it and for those of you with less enthusiasm that I.. you can always just go to Lowe's and buy a finished product!

According to JimmyZDC You will need the following:

Parts List:

~ 1 1/2" PVC Pipe - Full length 8-10 ft pipes
~ Great Stuff Insulation Filler - Link
~ LED Tea Lights - Pic
~ Hot Glue
~ Hot Glue Gun - Pic
~ 1 1/2" Forstner Drill Bit (or whats the size of your tea lights are) - Link - Pic
~ Rustoleum Painters Touch Spray Paint (Heirloom White - Satin) - Link

Steps:

1. Cut your long PVC pipe to your desired lengths. I used a chop saw (Pic) but if you don't have that then you can use a hacksaw. I went in 2 inch increments (12", 10", 8"...etc.). I also tried to cut them a little taller or shorter than each one of the those increments so each candle looked to be a unique size.

2. Place the pipes upright on a hard surface. Make sure you cover the surface with some type of material since the foam insulation will come in contact with it. I just put down some painter's paper on my garage floor and set the pipe on top of that.

3. Fill the pipes with Great Stuff Insulation Foam. I usually filled mine about 1/2" from the top since it expands.

4. Let the foam dry completely. I filled mine up at night and then worked on them the next day.

5. Cut off the foam so it is even with the pipe. I came back with chop saw to trim it off or I found you can just slice it off with a hacksaw as well.

6. Use you forstner bit to trim down the foam inside the pipe to the desired height you want the tealight to sit. I found that putting the drill in high speed mode rather than high torque works best. Drill slowly so the bit cleanly slices away the foam. If you go to fast the bit just rips out chunks.

7. Once you have the pipes drilled out it's time to apply the hot glue. I found that using a high temp hot glue gun works the best. Since the gun is high temp the glue becomes very runny and creates nice drips. Just work around the pipe and going in multiple layers seems to give a nice effect. Another thing I found out through the whole process is try to make a nice long drip right over the printing on the pipe. When you paint it it will help in covering up the printing.

8. After the glue is dry you are ready for paint. If the printing on the pipe is showing you can try to remove it by sanding it off or using nail polish remover to take it off. Spray the candles in nice smooth strokes making sure you get all the nooks and crannies around the drips. It took me 2-3 coats to get the printing on the pipe to not show through.

While searching for inspiration

2010-08-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

I came across several very unique ideas for invitations to our Haunt. One of the front runners was the severed finger/toe. If you too are looking for a unique invitation style, perhaps this will help. You can download the template for this adorable little coffin box at Free Digital Scrapbooking using this Coffin Template. It suggests printing on white cardstock, but personally I think that I would print it on black cardstock like the photo shown here. I really like the detail that Kerrie Gurney used and the attention to detail with her severed fingers. I did creatively borrow the "crushed leaves" idea for my invites this year.

Bring on the Vampires

2010-08-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

Say what you want to say I am squealing with excitement over the new Rolling Stone cover shot showing the very bloody and sexy naked and might I add YUMMY Alexaander Skarsgard alongside Anna Paquin, & Stephen Moyer the stars from the HBO series True Blood.

Crazy that this cover has drawn so much controversy from disgust to delight and even refusal to stock the magazine in some locations.

Love it or hate it, one has to agree that it has sparked a huge moral debate. Bottom line it is entertainment. With all entertainment you have the choice to participate or turn your channel. Personally I am all for the romance and primal portrayal of Vampires over the years, but I am really glad they have evolved on this series. I sit on the edge of my seat with anticipation, start watching 15 minutes in so I can fast forward the commercials, and curse the screen when the final moments of the episode air for that week.... very angry that I have to wait 7 more days for the next episode to air.

The series has very much expanded it's poetic liscense and has stretched the reality of the actual books by Charlaine Harris -Sookie Stackhouse series of books. But I am not complaining.

I am doing a Giveaway.....

2010-08-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

over on my facebook page. It has been running since the 16th of August. I thought I would open it up to my blog followers and then some. Simply add me to your list of friends on facebook and then follow the rules of the contest listed below....

For those following ALLTOGETHERDEAD you can earn an extra chance or two if you blog about this contest on your page and then leave a comment here with the link to your blog post. (Can you tell I would really like someone from here to win?) GASP did I actually just type that?

Good luck and if you are like me you are just DYING to see who will win this one!

It's a Amy SCENTSY Giveaway!

up for grabs a FREE SCENTSY PLUG IN warmer of your choice.

Contest now through 8/31/10
Winning Plug In will be ordered on September 1st, 2010

Rules:

1. Copy and Paste this contest on your facebook page.
2. Post a photo comment under the plug in of your choice under my PLUG IN Album on my facebook page.
3. Invite your facebook circle to add me and join in the contest. (make sure they mention you referred them)

Trying my luck again....

2010-08-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

Over at Octoberfarm this week. She has had a series of Spellbook Giveaways over the past few weeks. I haven't been lucky enough to win one of them yet, but a girl can wish can't she.

If you haven't already introduced yourself to her... you should jet on over and do so. She has the most amazing thrift store finds (even better when she transforms many of them into wonderful giveaways, or priceless treasures). Today she posted about a double find... a Crystal Ball and a Broom all in the same day... I couldn't imagine being so lucky in one of our local thrift stores, I think I would pass out on the spot....

photo credit Octoberfarm.

I have added a few tufts of twig....

2010-08-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

to the broom and am heading over to Haunt Jaunts Halloween Blog Party. I have to agree with the Frog Queen that virtual adult beverages and party fare food just are not the same, but from what I can tell by the limited teaser that Courtney has put out about the event... the party favors are going to be TO DIE FOR!

The scent of fall......

2010-08-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

is in the house today.... Warmer Montpelier- a soft interpretation of falling autumn leaves and scent Warm Maple Butter arrived about an hour ago. The wax is l \ightly sweetened Vermont maple syrup swirled with whipped butter, earthy pumpkin and warm, autumnal spices. I know this scent is going to be a favorite it many homes across the country.

Montpelier and Maple Butter will be available for purchase beginning September 1, 2010 at a 10% discount. Which helps to offset the cost of shipping and that dreaded thing called tax that the government forces upon us so that they can enjoy your products just as much as you will.

Montpelier Scentsy Warmer $30 $27

Maple Butter Scentsy Bar $5 $4.50

Maple Butter Hanging Freshener $3 $2.70

Maple Butter Room Spray $8 $7.20

Maple Butter Scentsy Brick $20 $18

Scentsy products are a safe alternative to traditional candles. They can be left on 24 hours a day. The wax melts at a safe just above body temperature heat melted from a low watt bulb. If you haven't tried us yet you are really missing out.

I have finally....

2010-08-14T17:25:00.000-07:00

found my inspiration for this years Halloween Invitation. No, it is not the absolutely beautiful display of initial pumpkins shown above it is instead from one of the least likely sources... too early to share with you just now but I will tell you it involves a mirror, matches and a whole lot of time... now doesn't that just spark your curiosity?

The venue is still up in the air this year. Prospects on the table are a lovely Tudor Century home, a park like picturesque setting in the Valley, or an old abandoned warehouse....

With a possible move during the Hollow month, it just isn't practical to have a shindig here... or at the new location... which has taken us in a different direction from the Mad Hatter event... little smaller scale with some intricate attention to detail.

stay tuned...

Did you miss me?

2010-08-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this particular gal has been missing in action for quite a while. My apologies to my friends, followers, lurkers and minons. As usual the Morrison household just can't sit still long enough for me to devote the time and energy to provide a quality update....So.. here, now, today in the midst of 84 and sunny with a huge blanket of humidity I find myself hiding out in the office trying to catch up on as much as possible and I have finally made it down the "to do" list to cross off UPDATE YOUR BLOG NUMPTY!

OK, OK... I hear you all... the boring details of my life are not the reason you have scurried your busy little fingers over to my page, admit it, the photo above has you CAPTIVATED.....Trust me, meeeeee tooooo.... What is this little treasure you ask? It is the new HAUNTED TREE flameless scent warmer that is available for pre-orders now but will not be available to ship until after September 15th... just in time for your haunted bliss. There are over 80 different scents of food grade wax to choose from and the warmers run off of low watt bulbs melting at just above body temperature making them safe for small sproglets and pets. You can leave these little treasures on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the scent will eventually dissipate out of the wax, but it remains in the burner until you change it out.

Yes, for those of you scouring over the photo there is a pumpkin one in the background as well, JACK... a nice little carved punkin'head....and there will be a mini pumpkin plug in too.....Yes I said plug in, AKA nightlight, only bigger.... The best bonus your home will smell absolutely wondeful without adding heat to your home.

for more information on the current line you can visit my SCENTSY website... keep in mind you won't find the little holiday treasures on there yet...

Crystal Head Vodka

2010-03-09T15:25:00.001-08:00

This past weekend we had Peanut's Birthday party at a locally restored Bowling Alley "Ghost Alley & Scooter's Club". The place is known to be home to at least two spirits one Charles who was crushed to death in 1948 at the lanes at the tender age of 25, and another of a woman. Of course we were not lucky enough to encounter any "spirits" while we were there, but the guests sure did have a lot of fun.

Sue & Gary Williams owners of Ghost Alley

Even with the beer and wine only sales on Sunday rule, the club side was opened up as well for adult guests that just needed a moment to sneak in and find a little distraction from the squeals of 30 chocolate induced excited 7-9 year olds. I popped in to check on them and I happened to spot clear right away a gorgeous little glass skull bottle nestled in the middle of their vodka shelf... I LOVE IT... Crystal Head Vodka I need a whole collection of these little treasures... while I could not sample it at the party due to the no sales on Sunday rule, I have managed to research and find a local market about 30 minutes away that distribute. I plan on making a trip over later in the week. I love the story behind the manufacturing of the vodka. almost as much as I love the history of the Bowling Alley.

Thank you to the Williams family for helping to make Peanut's 9th Birthday a huge success!

Time keeps on ticking....

2010-03-03T19:38:00.000-08:00

The past few weeks have come and gone so quickly that I can hardly believe that my wee lass will be embarking upon our last "single" digit year in just a few days... even harder to believe her older brother will be graduating from High School in just under 3 months... where has the time gone? I feel like I have been catapulted from Halloween into straight Chaos.From Christmas, New Years, School fundraisers, a complete school change for Elaina (into a much better Autistic program I might add), to planning her birthday, a baby shower, wedding, bridal shower, Easter and graduation all within the next 9 weeks... urgh

As I have shared before sweet Peanut has chosen a discontinued birthday theme Disney/Pixar's "Wall-E". So, aside from the internet we had to get a little creative this year with the lack of available trinkets in the store. The party will take place at a local bowling alley this year. They will dim the lights, turn on the black lights and the kids will have a "cosmic" event. It is actually one of the oldest bowling lanes in our area. Instead of the balls popping back up from under the floor, you can watch as they come speeding back down towards you. Personally I am a little biased to the name "Ghost Alley" where else would a Halloween Fanatic like myself book a 9 yer old's birthday party???

So the party favor boxes are complete. Two different sets, one for the little girls (white box) and one for the little boys (blue box). All of the boxes have the same items in them all inspired from the movie itself. We have a Wall-E puzzle that I completely fell into by accident to a local visit to the Dollar Store in my area, a bottle of bubbles that have been renamed "Elaina's Galactic Bubble Liquid- for out of this world fun", a magic cube, flower pot with seeds, a Twinkie with fake Hank roach, ring pop ( to simulate the diamond ring Wall-E tosses over his shoulder in the movie), Wall-E pencil, a couple of silly straws (because the humans drink out of straws on the Axiom) and a mini pinwheel, a copy of the movie soundtrack with a custom CD label thanking party guest for coming, and a custom bookmark. Each box has a mask, EVE for the girls, Wall-E glasses for the boys, and the girls also get a little custom made bracelet.

I had intended on tucking all of the party loot into those little disposable white Styrofoam bait coolers, but I just couldn't find them reasonably priced in my area yet. It would have been a play on the little red and white igloo style cooler Wall-E carries around on his back. Instead we ended up with plastic over sized oriental carryout containers, not a bad second choice since I am quite sure there are literally millions of them in landfills across the world.

Lastly, a photo or two of the wee Birthday Lass herself. We had a professional photo shoot last weekend to mark her Birthday... Thank you to Jessica's Magical Memories
and PlayPatch
for the fantastic custom outfits for the event.

Spiderweb Eggs

2010-02-23T10:37:00.000-08:00

With Easter coming this little "trick or treat" version of a colored egg is sure to turn fancy to any Halloween enthusiast. Frozen blueberries added to the eggs while they cook helps to "spin" the webs and magically will not leave a blueberry taste behind.

THANK YOU Miss Martha for the idea.

Ingredients

1 dozen large eggs
8 cups water
2 cups frozen blueberries
Gray sea salt, for serving
Freshly ground black pepper, for serving

Directions

Place eggs in single layer in a large saucepan, and cover with water and blueberries. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand 10 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove eggs one at a time, and place on a folded kitchen towel. Lightly crack shell on side with the handle of a whisk or a wooden spoon. Transfer egg to medium bowl; cover with cooking water. Repeat with remaining eggs. Let eggs cool completely in water in refrigerator.
Carefully peel shells from eggs. Serve with salt and pepper.

Searching for inspiration....

2010-02-23T10:17:00.000-08:00

For my Halloween Mad Hatters Tea Party I came across this lovely vintage photo over at
The Sacred Sandwich I think I shall somehow incorporate the image into my permanent Halloween display I can see it framed nicely.

A little more "crafty"

2010-02-11T13:57:00.000-08:00

so I spent most of the afternoon with Peanut today, she is home "in between" schools right now. I am really excited that she is going to become a little Dragonfly very soon at a school for Autistic children I can't wait to see the new transformation she will become. In the meantime we are still trying to attend her current school as we can depending on mood/health/etc. and next week will be the class Valentine's day party since there is no school this Friday or Monday of next week. She wanted a "mailbox" theme, and she took the reigns on the project for the most part, I think she did a fantastic job... I was mainly responsible for the hot glue gun and placing some of the foamy stickers/flowers on the sides of the box....not bad for an almost 9 year old and her mum.

We interrupt your Halloween Party planning....

2010-02-10T18:07:00.000-08:00

To announce the upcoming birthday festivities in our home... My sweet Elaina Mae, aka "Peanut" will be 9 in just a few weeks, and once again she has chosen a discontinued party theme Disney's Wall-e. I spent last weekend trolling the web for ideas and finally settled on a scrapbook type design. about 6 hours later, the invites are done... step one down... now to work on party favors.

Invites are a 4 layer cardstock consisting of a heavy burlap look, black glitter, yellow polk a dot, and white shiny, stuck together in the corner with brads... (after making 40 of these invites can I say I NEVER want to see another brad as long as I live). An accent of star garland, some washers and a 3 dimensional Wall-e sticker or two and they are complete. Postage $2.11 each.... sigh... what can I say I heart this little girl.