Pages, Pucks and Pantry

Day of the Dead

There are those that I know that acknowledge the date that a person passed away with sorrow. It's a day to visit graves or go to church.

Personally, I remember my loved ones all the time. And though the date that they left me might be present in my mind, it's the remembering them with fondness all the other days of the year that I'd rather focus on.

I enjoy The Day of The Dead, the (primarily) Mexican celebration/holiday which focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have passed on. Often included in remembering the dead are trips to cemeteries, celebrations, food and beverages, in addition to prayers and remembrances of the departed.

I like the idea of taking a day to remember and celebrate the lives of loved ones who are no longer with me. Maybe making a favorite meal of one of my Grandmothers or looking at my Japan scrapbook about a trip I took with my friend Shauna who I lost to breast cancer several years ago. Since many of my family members have been cremated and scattered at sea, maybe on this day, The Day of The Dead, I'll make a trip to the coast and play along the shore, celebrating the wonderful memories that live on in my heart of these great people I will cherish forever.

He who has gone, so we but cherish his memory, abides with us, more potent, nay, more present than the living man.  ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.  ~J.K. Rowling

Happy Halloween!!

I love this artists work. Must own it all!

http://rhodemontijo.blogspot.com/

Halloween - October 31, 2012

Now, mind you, I think I'm pretty good at what's cool in the monster world these days. Though I haven't seen but one of the Twilight movies (the horror!) and I haven't even read any of the Twilight books (double horror!) I at least know what it is and can let you know I'm team Jacob (glittering vampires just don't do it for me...I'll take Matthew Clairmont any day).

But Monster High? Completely broadsided me. I had no clue. Cool Ghouls? Are these the goths of the six year olds these days? Be prepared because I wouldn't be surprised if young girls showed up at your door this Halloween dressed as the ghouls from Monster High.

These fashion dolls came into existence a few years ago and I guess have developed into a passion among youngsters. The dolls are inspired by monster movies and horror fiction. The characters are depicted as being either related to or as offspring of famous monsters such as Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, the Mummy, Medusa, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Phantom of the Opera, and Zombies. 

Originally, this all started with webisodes online, but has morphed into TV specials on Nickelodeon and direct to DVD movies. There are also video games (lots of games and interaction on the website not to mention their own You Tube channel) and young adult novels.

Here is a description of one of the dolls...Draculaura, the daughter of Count Dracula "She was 1,599 years old and is now 1,600 years old as of Valentine's Day, and her pet is a bat named Count Fabulous. Although a vampire, she is a vegan and does not drink blood, and is scared to say the word "blood" and faints when she hears it. She has fangs and pale pink skin, and is very friendly. She likes to write stories about her friends and loves to take long walks under the sun (with an umbrella, of course). She is dating a werewolf named Clawd Wolf who is also Howleen and Clawdeen's big brother".

I will definitely be on the lookout for a trick or treater dressed up as one of the characters from Monster High. I might even have to check out that DVD movie. Where were cool dolls like this when I was a kid? (no offense to Barbie who really was cool to me back in the day. Along with Chatty Cathy. But Halloween coolness they were not.)

Halloween - October 30, 2012

Though I didn't have time to make this Along Came A Spider Lamp this year, I'm definitely making it next year. I love the fact that you can make this yourself instead of spending a fortune on buying it somewhere. The coolest thing about the lamp is that it looks like a black shade until you turn the light on. If you don't already have a lamp in your house to make this with, a quick trip to a local thrift place should find you an inexpensive one. I have a lamp shade that this will work perfect on (not going to repaint the base or anything, but the old lampshade currently on it, is a bit old and weary, and will be perfect for this transformation). You can find instructions for making the lamp here.

This idea comes from Alison and Megan from the Happy Looks Good On You blog. They give great instructions on how to make this lamp (and it's really simple!).  Check out their wonderful blog for some really awesome and creative do it yourself projects (Halloween Cup Lights and Halloween Silhouette Plates are on my to do list but they have great ideas for any holiday). Be sure to check out the Happy Looks Good On You blog here.

Photo used with permission from Happy Looks Good On You

Halloween - October 29, 2012

One of the fun parts about finding Halloween items, is coming across things that can be used at other times of the year. I absolutely love this punch bowl stand. It's not very scary or even very Halloweenish but I can see it as part of the serving items on a Halloween decorated table. I can also see it being used during non-Halloween events...just use a different punch bowl (the pumpkin punch bowl shown here is sold separately). You could use this for any owl themed party be it a baby shower or fall celebration. How about a Harry Potter party? Winnie The Pooh? Your monthly book club meeting? Lots of possibilities.

The Owl Tree Punch Bowl Stand with Ladle can be found at Pottery Barn for $79. 17" wide x 12" deep x 14.5" high it's made of aluminum with a bronze finish. The ladle is a stainless steel spoon. The pumpkin punch bowl is sold separately for $49.

There is also a matching condiment set ($59) and condiment spreaders ($32.50).

Halloween - October 28, 2012

I realize I'm posting this on the 29th...but give me some slack, I was busy with something called the World Series yesterday (CONGRATS GIANTS!). Sooo dang cool. Though this year Mr. L and I didn't go all baseball food crazy we do plan on opening a bottle of bubbly tonight and celebrating with my Mom.

I want to do this to my house. I currently live in a three story place, so having these guys climbing up the side would look very cool. Of course even thinking of this gives me nightmares (too many zombies in the world) so maybe not my house, maybe on my neighbors house. Oh I have an idea, sneak them up on the outside of their place while they are out trick or treating with the kids so they freak when they get back home! Yeah, my mind works like that...

You can find the instructions on how to do these Halloween Climbing Skeletons here. I guess I need to go find a cheap place to buy lots of skeletons!!

Halloween - October 27, 2012

Currently I'm getting about five hours of sleep a night. Unfortunately not consecutively. So my friend right now is caffeine. Starbucks. 7-11. Packets of instant Tasters Choice. Free coffee being given away by my local grocery store. I'm not picky when it comes to how I get my coffee mojo every day. If I have a few minutes outside, I'm usually making a quick run to pick up a cup of joe.

I need this coffee grinder. Alas, like so many wonderful ideas I find on the interwebs, this isn't real. It's photoshopped. Sigh. Please someone make this!

Image by azrainman.com

Halloween - October 26, 2012

Do you remember the days when having a plastic pink flamingo was a sign that you were white trash? And then they became "cool" and "retro" and having pink flamingos on your lawn was a sign you were "hip"?

I have no idea what having a plastic pink flamingo on your lawn says about you these days*. I do know that having these Skel-A-Mingos on your lawn for Halloween, says you are a cool Halloween decorator.

You can buy these in bulk at $7.95 a pair plus shipping. Or you can get the special package which includes two bone colored Skel-A-Mingos, a R.I.P coffin, a package of Flamingo Sizzle Sticks (4 bone, 4 pink and 4 black), metal stakes and a parchment testimonial page for $12. The flamingos also come in a red devil version, DevilMingo, for $18.95 a pair. You can find them at Pink, Inc (A One Leg Up company) here.

*I do not have a lawn, so no, I do not own pink flamingos. Plastic ones anyway. I do have a wonderful iron pink flamingo that my Mom gave me years ago that sits on my deck. So there.

 

Halloween - October 25, 2012

I think it was on an episode last week of America's Funniest Home Videos where they showed someone opening a toilet and finding a rat swimming. That (or a snake) would probably be scary for me.

Scary toilet paper? Unless it starts disintegrating into ants or cockroaches (oh, a new product idea!), it's probably not going to be scary.

Having only one bathroom in the house and having your loved one sitting on the potty for hours reading toilet paper while you're trying to "hold it". Yeah, that could be pretty scary too.

If you are having a party, having lots of rolls of toilet paper, in clear view and easily reachable, is a good thing, so I think these rolls would be cool displayed for your party goers. The “world’s scariest toilet paper,” which will sell overseas, features a horror story in English written by Koji Suzuki. Not available yet, these will sell for $2.72 a roll. You can read about them here.

The more I think about it, not letting me in to the bathroom while you're reading the toilet paper would probably result in an axe murder. Just sayin'.

 

Halloween - October 24, 2012

One of this seasons fashion "trends" is the smoking slipper. Really. Like I can wear a slipper to work.  A $675 slipper in fact (though that is the low end, there are much more expensive ones).

But these! These are HALLOWEEN smoking slippers! That makes all the difference in the world.

This Charlotte Olympia slipper can be found at Neiman Marcus. Velvet with a metallic embroidered spider, this made in Italy slipper also comes in red.

And yes, these slippers really do cost $675. And no, I am not buying them.