Last Minute Halloween Party Food Ideas

Hello, all you happy, little witches. mwhahahahahaha.  lol.  Well, surely, some of you must be having some Halloween parties.  Some will be for the kiddos and some for the parents.  In either event, you may be feeling a little short on munchies.  Here are a few  fairly easy and fairly ghoulish recipes.  Hope they can come in handy for you!

Wouldn't these add some pizazz to your spread?


Pickled Brains

Get the recipe here:
http://www.marthastewart.com/318853/pickled-brains

        

               
           You have got to like the idea of
           eating the wings off of those pesky,
           little bats.  Always flying
           around the house at night.


            Bat Wings


            Get the recipe here:
           
             
           http://www.marthastewart.com/341842/spicy-bat-wings

These are always a favorite, especially with the
guys, good ole worms in their dirt.



Get the recipe here:
http://www.marthastewart.com/315767/worms-in-dirt

         




            There are not many that can pass up these
            tasty little morsels.   They seem to be a
            favorite all year 'round!  Nothin' better
            than the long, lean, beautiful lady-
            fingers and the stubby, fat , men's-toes.

            Get the recipe here:

            http://www.marthastewart.com/316427/ladies-fingers-and-mens-toes

 Well, I hope this helps you out, I know you will love these recipes and how easy they are  to make.  And there are alot more where these came from.  Thanks again to our friend, Martha S., she is a life saver!

                                               **********************
Today's Tidbits:
Today's tidbit is fitting for today...
   My angel wings are in the shop, so today I'm riding the broomstick!


     
    

             

OHH, NOOO!!

             There are witches in my mailbox.

             What am I to do?

             I found them there this
             morning,            

             doing things they shouldn't do!!

             How the witches got there, 

             I haven't got a clue.

             But they won't be there much longer 

             because I'm sending them to 

               

             YOU!!

                                

              You've been Witch Kissed!

              Before the warts begin to spread, 

              pass the kisses on instead!

                   

                                                                                               
                            Passed on to me by my mother,   author unknown.                      

What a Way to Start the Day

Let me be the 1st to say, "Me re-posting this blog is not fair, it is not a way to be nice to my friends" .   Or, let me be the 1st to say, "What a way to start the day, especially since it is Monday".   To  not re-post this,  from *bespoke* zine, complete with photo, would almost be sinful.  I definitely want to thank them for this great way to start a Monday especially since I was always a Monday-hater back when I could work a 'real job'.  Take a look at this!!

Inside Out Caramel Apples

Apples and caramel are made for each other but so often the ratios are wrong.  Wouldn’t you rather have an inside out caramel apple?  After I saw this picture and recipe http://domesticfits.com/2011/10/12/inside-out-caramel-apples/ by Domestic Fits, I knew I wanted one!  Thankfully they’re super easy to make and you can chill them so that the caramel doesn’t run all over your clothes while you nibble this treat.  (Okay, dripping caramel would only be a problem if you eat sweet things slowly.  But who does that?)

                                                                         ************************

While we are thinking about *bespoke* zine,

Have you gotten your copy of *bespoke* Issue 4 yet? Full of Spring goodness and inspiration – and available in Print and Digital Download formats. And remember to Subscribe if you don’t want to miss an issue!    

      

*bespoke* is a quarterly Australian Zine (with both print and digital versions available) made by the handmade community, for the handmade community.
It is full of stories, interviews, features, tutorials, recipes, and much more! Topics covered include craft/handmade, vintage, art, photography, and all things creative.
                                                                           ***********************
Todays Tidbit:
Laughter provides the balance we need to get through the many hurdles of life.
When you develope your sense of humor, you become more productive, communicate better, and tend to be a better team player.

HAPPY MONDAY!!

It's Pumpkin Time, Oh Yeah!

Hi, friends!
It's that time of year again...cooler temps, brisk mornings and evenings, lovely fall colors, Halloween, and PUMPKIN CARVING!  Without telling you my age, hahaha, I remember when I was a kid and everybody carved their pumpkins pretty much like the one next door, and next to that, etc.  They were still fun beyond belief and pretty much required for Halloween.  Every porch had pumpkins (and every house gave out treats, but that's a different story).
Nowadays, what is cool or even funny,  for a little bit of nothing you can buy pumpkin carving kits with tools and templates.  Or you can do like me and check out my favorite stand-by... Martha Stewart.  She only had like 79 pumpkin ideas, but that's a good start. lol.  You just must check these out, even if you don't do pumpkins.  These are amazing!http://www.marthastewart.com/275573/pumpkin-carving-and-decorating-ideas.  Here are a couple of my favorites...

OK, you will have to look them up to see the rest, otherwise I am going to end up printing them all here.  Are they not the coolest ever?  Martha even gives you the templates and tells you everything you need to know to do these.
How about this weekend you head to the orchard or the veggie stand or even the grocery store and try your hand at pumpkin carving.  Make a block party out of it, or a family get-together compitition, or do it with your kids...just be sure to do it.  You may just be surpised at how much fun you have. 

                                          ***************************

Today's Tidbit:
God wants you to know that you will feel better if you notice the sweetness of life.  Notice the smiles of children, the songs of the birds, the caress of the suns' warmth.  This sweetness is for you.  Allow it to soothe your soul and bring a smile to your face.

                                           ****************************

New TuTus

Hi, all

BTW, I especially want to say a BIG "hello" to the new followers that we have gained recently.  Thank you for joining us and send your friends, if you think they might enjoy it.

I thought I should show off my newest TuTus.  They can be found in my Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Specialhandmadegifts  .   I had so much fun with these!!

Double Dose

Hi!  I got so wrapped up in that last post that I totally forgot my "Today's Tidbit".  So, today, you get no posting but you do get a BIG, healthy Tidbit....

There comes a time in life when you have to let go of all the pointless drama and the people who create it and surround yourself with people who make you laugh so hard that you forget the bad and focus solely on the good.  After all, life is too short to be anything but happy.
After all of this is over, all that will have really mattered is how we treated each other.
Remember, good things come to those who wait, but better things come to those who work for it.
I hope everyone has a happy and prosperous day!  ♥

Eltsamp - another new fave on Etsy!

Hi, I have run across another shop on Etsy that I have to say,  "I love".   This wonderful shop is a little different from some because of the way it came to be.  

I will refer to the owner of this shop as A Pink Dreamer because I don't know her by any other name.  lol.  She started painting, art journaling, and mixed media art 2 years ago during a very difficult and devastating time in her life.  With the strength of her husband and 2 sons beside her, she started journaling and started a blog that soon turned on her mixed media art talent, as well.  Her blog is :  http://www.apinkdreamer.blogspot.com/   .  She took numerous on-line mixed-media art courses which totally began to change her life.  She has realized and is thankful that fear can be turned into something good.   It certainly did for her and she gives fear the credit for her becoming an artist. 

Eventually, she opened her shop in order to share  the happiness, inspiration, and encouragement that manifests in her art.  Her Etsy shop is :   www.etsy.com/shop/eltsamp  .   It is a beautiful shop full of journals, jewelry, mixed media art and paintings, "fairy wooden boxes" and other "fairywitch creations".  Here are just a few of my favorite things from this shop!

                            

Good mornin'

Hi, all.  How is everybody doing today?  Knock on wood, I am feeling super.  However, my 3 year old granddaughter has what I have always dubbed as the 'crud'.  This is an ailment that can be a combo of a bunch of stuff and starts when school or nursery school start.  We have all witnessed it - runny nose, sore throat, puffy eyes, watery eyes, cough, maybe a fever-maybe not, cuddly, whiny, etc.  You feel so bad for them because you can't do a whole lot for them.  Sometimes an antibiotic, maybe something OTC (over the counter), mainly fluids and rest.   It usually doesn't fail that someone else in the household gets tagged with it as well.  So, now you have a couple of miserable feeling people. 
Then, we have a few in the family, that have allergies and hay fever so bad that we know that 'they must have it worse than anyone in  the world'.  So, we live in the Allergy Capital  of the US., to boot!
My daughter-in-law is now down with her annual brochitis, laryngitis, always- turns- to- pnuemonia bug.  Nothing like having no voice and 2 kiddos that are doing their best to make you want to holler. 
You know what is really sad about the whole shabang is that we are actually a very healthy family.  Really!  Pity the people who can't fight any little sick bug off!  Like I said at the beginning of this post,"I am feeling super!"
My other granddaughter, 5 year old kindergartener, is on fall break right now.  So, we were so glad to get to have her come stay for 3 days.  She loves to spend the night.  She started spending the night longer ago than she remembers, I am sure.  We have so much fun now that she is getting older.  The first day that she was here, we had to make a trip to Hobby Lobby, of course.  We planned out our crafts before we went to the store so that we would know what we were going after.  I had already told her that I would make her a tutu, those supplies are at home.  Then she decided to take a big coffee can and decorate it to be a bank.  It turned out very cute !  We also made a bracelet out of those square beads, with initials on them, spelling out her name and further embellished it with those dangling 'diamonds'.  We used royal blue diamonds on hers.  We got hair clips and feathers, but didn't get to them yet.  We also want to do the balloons that you wrap with string, twine, raffia, etc. that have been dragged through glue.  After the string, or whatever you chose to use, has dried on the balloon, you pop the balloon, get rid of all the balloon pieces, and now have string balls that can be all sizes, shapes, and colors and put in bowls or baskets, etc.  We will have to do those on the next trip.  We are so blessed to have my kids and their families near by.
Today is going to be grandma's day.  I am always making more stuff for the shop and have about 5 adorable tutus to post.  I have quit making just the basic tutu and try to snaz all of them up in some way.  I am also starting on some embroidery items that I am very excited about.  I need to get re-stocked on my burp cloths and blankets, too.  I forget, how many hours are in a day?  The same as your day, that is why you feel what I am saying.
                                        
                                            ***************************
Today's Tidbit:
     Tonight you can turn your worries to God and have a good nights sleep.  You've been worrying too much about the future lately.  So tonight, go ahead, put your faith in God, and have a  peaceful evening and a restful sleep.

                                            ****************************

My, My, My...

It's a beautiful, sunny, fall day out so I thought this would be a great day to get out, do some errands, get some sun, and get some fresh air.  Sounds like a great idea, right?  I figure that I will start at this new mall in town, then after I pick up everything I am after I will go get some carry-out and take it to the park to eat and enjoy the wonderful temps.

So, to the mall I go.  I have heard that it is a little different but hadn't really heard anything bad about it.  I mean really, you've seen one mall...you've seen them all.  Or so I thought.  This mall is called EWW Mall, Etsy's Wild and Wacky Mall.  Let me show you a few of my favorite things that I found today.
First, I wanted something new to add to my fall decorations.  Couldn't pass this up...

Isn't she gorgeous?  I love her!  I found her at Jennifer Jones' shop called 'Buttuglee'.  She has a wonderful variety of other creatures with looks that 'only a mother could love'.  No, seriously, her shop is great, her work is impeccable, and her creativity is out of this world.  Check her shop out, its guaranteed to lighten your mood.









Secondly, I needed some art for the dining room now that we are through redoing it.  I wanted something pretty, not a landscape, or a floral.  Here is what I think I need...

What do you think?  Aren't the colors just perfect?  And ALL Kentuckians are into horses!  Something about it just grabs my heart!  This is in the shop 'Crudeart'.  Lana Guerra has done a beautiful job of filling her shop with tons of great artwork.  Stop by, I know you will find something that you will have to have!









OK, next, moms birthday is coming up.  I love her so much and I think that this year I would like to get her a gift to remember.  That's right - jewelry!!  And I found it, I have to go back and get it, a brooch...

Isn't it great?  Wouldn't you love to get it?  I know that she would absolutely LOVE it and probably wear it everyday!  I found this at a shop owned by Susan B. called 'JewelReMotion'.  She has alot of cool brooches and  other fun, whimsical stuff.  It's a must see, add it to your list of places to go.










Lastly, I need to get a gift for my granddaughters' kindergarten teacher.  This is her first year of teaching these little, wild things.  She spends a little too much energy fearing something is going to happen to one of the little monsters in her class.  So, I found her the perfect gift...

That's right...a Worry Wart made by Gesine Kratzner.  Her shop is called 'Blobhouse'.  She has quite the shop and an amazing gallery that is listed in her Etsy profile.








Well, I know that I have you  reared up and ready to go shopping.  But guess what, of course, all of these shops are on Etsy and they all have a large selection of items to choose through.  Take a while and check them out, you can even shop in your PJ's.  What more could you ask for?  I hope you have as much fun with these shops as I did! 

Well, shopping is done, sun is still shining, I am going to eat in the park!  Ciao!!
                                                 
                                                ***********************

Tidbit for Today...
Never underestimate the power of a hissy-fit!

Happy Fall

Hi, again to my old friends, long time no see.  Once again, I am vowing to blog on a regular basis.  So, here we go!
It is fair to say that fall is definitely here, by calendar and by temperatures.  Now that October is here, Halloween is in the air.  I just can't pass up a tutorial, by Martha Stewart, on how to make wings for costumes or playtime.  Think about it, they are for butterflies, fairies, dragonflies, bats, the list goes on and on.  They can be used for both boys and girls.  I never knew that they could be this simple. 

How-To

Wings for any costume

                               

                                                                     

The Martha Stewart Show, October 2006

Once you have a basic pair of wings, you can embellish them to create many different costumes.

Tools and Materials
Kraft paper
18-gauge steel wire
Black tape
Butterfly wings template
Duct tape
Panty hose
Colored Halloween hair spray
Plastic gems
Glue gun
Clear elastic (1 foot)
Black headband
Black pipe cleaners

Butterfly Costume How-To 1. Download and enlarge butterfly wings template; trace onto craft paper.

2. Wrap 18-gauge steel wire with black tape.

3. Form traced shape with wire by bending with hands. First form the top shape, then the bottom with another length of wire.

4. Join the top and bottom shapes with a piece of duct tape.

5. Cut a leg off panty hose. Slide over the bottom of one wing. Pull taut and tie a knot in the back of wire structure.

6. Repeat for the bottom of the other wing, then the tops of wings.

7. Using colored Halloween hair spray, spray one wing orange and one wing black.

8. Glue on plastic gems to the back and front of the wings.

9. To make the harness, sew the ends of 1 foot of clear elastic to the front of the knot in the middle of the wings, one by one.

10. To make antennae, wrap a black headband with black pipe cleaners.

                         

                                            ***************************

Well, I hope that someone gives this a try.  You can click on the template link to get a pattern for a few different shaped wings.  Send me a picture of your wings, I would love to see them and also show our readers. 

                                        ***************************

Tidbit for Today:

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say --- I used everything that you gave me.