Boo who?

Oh, boo who! Today is Halloween, a night for ghosts, goblins, candy and mischief, or at least it was when we were kids. The world was a different place back then, drugs weren't on every street corner, gangs didn't take up residence in the suburbs, and there were no national threat color coded warnings. I get that, but I went trick or treating the other day with my son. Yeah I know today is Halloween and you would think that tonight would be deemed beggars night, and you might even think that it would start at dusk. That was not the case in our community.

 

We trick or treated in broad daylight starting at 5:30 and it ended at 7:30. It was not on Halloween so only about 1/4 of the houses were even prepared for the horde of dressed up kids. I think it is silly not to trick or treat in the dark on Halloween.

 

The one nice thing that our community did was have cadets from the police academy on foot patrol. It looked like a scene from the hit 80's comedy Police Academy: Citizens on Patrol. All that they were missing was Tackleberry and Tubs. This was a nice gesture by the city, but I can think back to the days of my youth. When Halloween was really something.

 

Bobbi Jo and I would meet up at dark at our Nunny's house. Dress up in the sweetest costumes, not some store bought reproductions; I have nothing against the store bought costumes my son was a store bought Obi Wan and it was cute. After we would get our pictures taken we would embark on an epic journey that would span the entire neighborhood. We grew up in a small little town but we probably walked 3 miles in the course of an evening. Everybody had their porch lights on, dressed up to give out candy, or left a bowl of candy out on their porch for the kids. The weirdest thing from this by gone era was that we knew everybody in our community, by name.

 

This was a different world. Places could call Halloween parties just that, instead of coming up with dumb code names such as harvest parties to cover up the pagan roots of the holiday. We were not afraid of our neighbors, because we knew them, and we didn't live in a housing development, we lived in a community. It is for the kids, so have fun be mischievous leave the toilet paper at home and give out handfuls of candy.

Barry

Silent Saturday- A busy October

I thought I would share in pictures why I've been missing.  I hope you all are well, and you have a Spooktacular Weekend!  Love you all!  BJ

Halloween Mantels

 Over the years, I've always had a mantel, but have never really decorated it.  I found a few Halloween mantels on the Internet, and was inspired to do a little decorating of my own.   Here a just a couple

 Pretty simple, but soooo adorable!  Since this is my first year, I thought I would start small and add a little bit each year.  Plus I can go get  a few things when Halloween is over on clearance.

Here is mine

A couple vintage lights of my grandmas
My spider web bowl
Family of Pumpkins 
Haunted House tea light

Like I said, just a start, I can't wait for next year!!!

Have a Happy Humpday friends!!!
BJ

2 Halloween Treats

I found these 2 adorable finger foods that I will be making for my son's halloween party Friday.  They are too cute not to share with you all.  I love this website, they always have such cute and simple ideas! What will you be making?

Cheese-Finger Food

What you'll need

• Mozzarella string cheese
• Green bell pepper

• Cream cheese

Instructions

1. Wearing plastic gloves or sandwich bags over your hands to keep the cheese as smudge-free as possible, use a paring knife (parents only) to cut each string in half and then carve a shallow area for a fingernail just below the rounded end of each half.
2. Mark the joint right below the nail as well as the knuckle joint by carving out tiny horizontal wedges of cheese, as pictured.
3. For the fingernails, slice a green bell pepper into 3/8-inch-wide strips. Set the strips skin side down on your work surface and trim the pulp so that it's about half as thick. Then cut the strips into ragged-topped nail shapes and stick them in place at the ends of the fingers with dabs of cream cheese.

Forked Eyeballs

What you'll need

• 2 (11-ounce) bags white chocolate chips
• 12 doughnut holes
• Semisweet chocolate chips

• Tube of red decorator frosting
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions

1. To coat a dozen doughnut holes, melt the white chocolate chips with the oil over low heat (and keep the chocolate warm while you work). With a fork, spear each doughnut hole and submerge it in the melted chocolate to coat it, then gently tap off any excess.
2. Stick a semisweet chocolate chip with its point cut off onto each doughnut hole, cut end first. Place the forks (handle side down) in a mug and allow the chocolate coating to harden.
3. Use a tube of red decorator frosting to add squiggly veins radiating out from the pupils. 

Last Minute Halloween Sign Craft

Halloween is almost upon us and hopefully all of your decorations are out.  If not and you're looking for a quick, last minute idea, here is one for you.
Its a sign you can design anyway you want.  I will give you the basic layout plans, you do the rest.

Materials you will need:
2 pieces scrap plywood approx 5" x 18" (size is your choice though)
1 pole/post (I used a 1"x1" post from a deck rail)
4 screws
Paint

Start out by cutting the plywood to any size you want.  This is the sign portion.

Next, use two screws per board and attach to post.

You can put the boards straight or on an angle.  I decided on angling

them for the "spooky" look.

Use a flat black or whatever you have laying around and paint

everything black.

Finally, write something scary on the front.  Since we have three

little monsters, this fit perfectly.

Now we have a sign we can use year after year that will last.  Remember be creative and have fun with your own creation.

Steve

2 Halloween Drinks

I found these 2 drinks for the kiddos, and thought they were to cute not to share!

Rotten Apple Punch

Ingredients

• *Apple cider (adjust the amount for the number of people you plan to serve; we suggest at least 1 gallon)
• * Five 1/2-cup containers (we used * Pyrex glass dishes; other small containers or cups will also work)
• * Red and green food coloring
• * 10 to 15 gummy worms
• * Punch bowl

Instructions

1. Pour apple cider into all 5 small dishes, stopping about 1/2 inch from the top. Add 2 drops of red and 1 drop of green food coloring to each dish and stir until the colors have blended.
2. Hang 2 or 3 gummy worms around the edge of each dish and place the dishes in the freezer. If you use more than 3 worms, the rotten apples won't float as well. Freeze until the rotten apples are solid.
3. Just before serving, slip the frozen wormy apples out of the dishes by setting them briefly in a few inches of warm water in your sink.
4. Float the rotten apples in a large punch bowl filled with untinted cider. For added creepiness, drape the gummy worms over the edges of your serving bowl.

Tips:

Do steps 1 and 2 the day before serving the punch.

                                    Swamp Juice

Ingredients

• FOR 8 SERVINGS:
• 1/2 cup small tapioca pearls (found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores)
• Food coloring
• 4 tablespoons sugar

• 8 gummy fish
• Seltzer water
• Lemonade
• 8 gummy worms

Instructions

1. MAKE THE EGGS: Bring 6 cups of water to a boil and add the tapioca pearls. Reduce the heat slightly and boil the pearls, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes.
2. COLOR THE EGGS: Divide the pearls, with the remaining water, between two bowls. Add 4 drops of food coloring (we used 3 drops of yellow and 1 drop of green in one bowl, and 4 drops of blue in the other) and 2 tablespoons of sugar to each bowl. Stir the mixtures, then allow them to sit uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and rinse the pearls with cold water.
3. ASSEMBLE THE DRINK: Spoon 2 tablespoons of pearls into each glass and drop in a gummy fish. Fill the glasses with seltzer water, then add a splash of lemonade. Place a gummy worm around a spoon as shown.

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Bathroom Kids Art

I thought it would be nice to spread the love for Art while Bobbi is enjoying her new bundle of joy! This elephant piece is just too cute and so perfect for your little ones bathroom walls. Clean Your Face!!!!