Sunday, October 16, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
16 Days till Halloween
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Halloween II
By Jack Martin
Prologue
It was that time of year when the days are short and the shadows are long. When the earth tilts further on its axis and the seasons hang suspended between autumn and winter; when they very light seems to change and colors deepen mysteriously...
You know what it is like.
The morning sun arcs away across the sky, the afternoon rushes impatiently toward dusk, the cutting edge of darkness like the blade of a sundial pointed and turning under eaves and porches. A time of dampness and slow, flaking rust, of barking dogs that are never seen, of telephone lines that crackle as if underwater. Of distant traffic and the laughter of children fading behind you and in front of you all at once; of the broken moon drifting like a gauze-covered face. Of the dripping condensation in chattering drainpipes, of the clutching of wings in the roof of mouldering garages. Of frost on glass; of moist, endless coughs. Of mildewed gloves and too-think socks, of soft newspapers and food that is never hot, of litter dropped in the gutters melting into paste, of laundry wilting before it can be folded away, of labels buckling from jars in the musty cupboard and of your own white breathing, alone at midnight, glazing the window and then slipping out through the screen to meet the cold steam settling in the flowerbeds below...
It was the thirty-fist of October in Haddonfield, Illinois.
It was late. Very late.
Once again, it was Halloween.
Friday, October 14, 2011
17 Days till Halloween
Oops! A little late, but hey it happen! Now, cut me some slack, I'm tracking down my tombstones that blew away in the windstorm!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
18 Days till Halloween
Can't get your fill of Halloween? Check out the Halloween Forums to chat with fellow aficionados!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
19 Days till Halloween
Tell me this doesn't look awesome!
PSSST - If you're in the Muncie, Indiana, area, you can see it live at Ball State University in late October/Early November.
PSSST - If you're in the Muncie, Indiana, area, you can see it live at Ball State University in late October/Early November.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
21 Days till Halloween
*Le sigh* Midterms are not conducive to blogging. Anywho, I present to you one of my favorite 1960's horror films...if it were a little more raunchy:
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
23 Days till Halloween
It's been a busy day. So just sit back and enjoy this rap based on John Carpenter's Halloween theme.
Friday, October 7, 2011
24 Days till Halloween
Folklore has always played a big part in Halloween. In many cases, these folk tales have inspired other aspects of the Halloween tradition. Have you ever wondered how the Jack-O-Lantern came to be? Well, it's story time! Come along as we recount the tale of Stingy Jack.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
26 Days till Halloween
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Sisters, I believe this calls for a countdown! |
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
27 Days till Halloween
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In my house, we have affectionately dubbed these, "Derp Machines." If you know the meaning of the word "derp" you'll get it. They have awkward, jerky motions, and let out a bizarre sound when turned on, but that's just part of their charm. Although remembered from childhood, we didn't really own any. We did, however, have Gemmy's animated Rocking Chair Witch. My Aunt Terry had the original Dracula Motion-ette and she would display him in her front window on Halloween. This was great entertainment for a kid with ADHD, I could just sit and stare for hours.
Monday, October 3, 2011
28 Days till Halloween
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Sunday, October 2, 2011
29 Days till Halloween
Die Cuts
This Witch (1980s) is a personal favorite of mine. She and this reproduction 1930's cat will greet guests at my front door this Halloween. |
Saturday, October 1, 2011
30 Days till Halloween
Well, here it is the First of October. Better get to decorating! This one of my favorite aspects of Halloween. I decorate indoors and outdoors...and, Hell, I even customize my cellphone and computer backgrounds for the month. Check out some Halloween decorating ideas and tips after the jump!
Friday, September 30, 2011
31 Days till Halloween
And, thus, we begin! True, we are still a month away but stores are now fully stocked with Halloween goodies. Speaking of which, as most of you have probably noticed, each year the first reminder of the impending haunting season to appear is nothing else but the candy. Admit it, you can't help but pick up a bag of candy corn in the checkout of the grocery store in late September. That's what I thought. So, without further ado, let's jump right in:
The Top 10 Halloween Candies
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
A Countdown to Halloween
It's coming folks! Yes, yes, it's true. We are but a little over a month away from one of the best days of the year: HALLOWEEN! In anticipation of the ghoulish celebration, I will be presenting a countdown. Instead of simply counting down the days, I will also include a look back at the Halloweens of yesteryear and countdowns of some Halloween favorites. So check back every evening throughout the month of October. Oh, and, yes, I certainly welcome suggestions and comments!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The 30th Chesterton Wizard of Oz Festival
I would like to make a quick, shameless plug:
THE 30th CHESTERTON WIZARD OF OZ FESTIVAL
September 16-18
Come and celebrate the most beloved film of all time. Guests include original Munchkins, Oz historian John Fricke, Judy Garland dress collector Michael Siewert, Judy's stand-in Caren Marsh Doll, and more! Events run the gamut from costume contests to our world-famous parade to a birthday party for Dorothy!
By the way, I am the official Scarecrow; so if you are going to be there, come and say hello!
THE 30th CHESTERTON WIZARD OF OZ FESTIVAL
September 16-18
Come and celebrate the most beloved film of all time. Guests include original Munchkins, Oz historian John Fricke, Judy Garland dress collector Michael Siewert, Judy's stand-in Caren Marsh Doll, and more! Events run the gamut from costume contests to our world-famous parade to a birthday party for Dorothy!
By the way, I am the official Scarecrow; so if you are going to be there, come and say hello!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
The 2-Week Glinda Dress
Haley and the Pannier |
Kristen working on the wand. |
My next task was to run to Hobby Lobby to pick up some bedazzlement materials. After some bitch on an intercom reminded me the store was closing (well, I would have been out on time if I hadn't waited for 15 minutes at your cutting table for no one to show), I left the store with about 500 star-shaped sequins, 300 simulated diamonds, 300 pink rhinestones, and 100 rhinestone stars. Then I was off to good-old JoAnn's, where they know me by name (like Cheers...but without the boozes).
At JoAnn's I found myself shifting through all the tulle. They didn't have my color. Shit. Now, some of you may be saying, "they didn't have pink." Well, yes; they did. The issue is Glinda's outfit isn't pink, per se. It is actually "sorbet," a soft color that lies on the border between pink and peach. I went to ask the manager if she could look and see if any neighboring stores had the right color. Thank God I chose to do this. Turns out they had a bolt of 11 yards on their Red Tag rack. I quickly snatched it up and danced at the $1 price tag. I was even more happy when it rang up 50% off at the register.
The bodice as of 12:00 last night. |
Believe it or not, 11 yards is not enough. So the next morning found me, Haley, and Mom driving out to the Richmond store to purchase all of their 15 yards of sorbet tulle as well as an entire bolt of matching stretch satin. I spent a good 45 minutes or so in there making sure I had everything I needed. This was an ordeal in itself as the store is so out of date, it's not even funny. I like to say I had to go back to 1991 to get what I needed. Of course, this was suitable as our GPS attempted to take us directly into the Twilight Zone...long story short, we ended up in the middle of cornfields just over the Ohio border with the GPS saying "You have reached your destination!" Yeah, right.
Anywho, let's cut this short. After almost an all-nighter of sewing, the bodice of the dress is pretty much complete. I just have to whip in the zipper and attach the collar and then it's ready to go off to the "bedazzlement" department. The magic is happening, people!
Friday, September 2, 2011
LOOK! It's Glindaaaa...maybe...
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This got turned into... |
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This |
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It's just so PANK!!! |
Well, it's time to make magic happen, people. Say a prayer.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Wilkomen! Bienvenue! Welcome!
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Yep, this is me. |
So, you may ask, "why start a blog?" Why not? Well, actually, I've had one before, but it was more a journal than anything where I vented my angst and frustration. Ah, sophomore year. This time around I have a focus...kind of. See, I have ADHD and I have a lot of interests. I had briefly considered opening several blogs, each focusing on an interest. I quickly realized that would be almost completely unmanageable. Not to mention I have a blog for my digital literacies course and my costuming company (hey, you know if you click the little linky thing with my picture, you'll see what I'm talking about!). So, I have opted instead to create an all-purpose blog where I share a little of everything. For the most part my posts will relate to theatre (if you recognize the title of this post as lyrics from Cabaret you belong here) and my experiences there in. I will probably also talk about The Wizard of Oz, horror conventions, events I attend, etc. etc. Heck, my obscure interests like vintage Halloween decorations (love those Motion-ettes!), vintage Nativities (weird thing to collect, huh?), and the culinary arts may show up from time to time. I'm sure you'll find something you like if you stick around long enough.
And now, I believe it is time to cast off!
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