This year we brought out all the old pumpkin pails. Collected from thrift shops and other random locations. Most priced at .50 cents. We already had cup hooks in place from previous holidays. Added a few sets of orange string lights and Presto!
How to create an Out of this World experience for your Halloween guests? I made the bathroom other worldly. Using blue grocery bags I (and my minions helpers Alton, Andrea, and Jessie) blew up a few hundred blue bags and hung them to the walls. The powder room was instantly transformed into a surreal blue installation. And just to remind viewers it was Halloween I added the spider on the toilet lid.
Over the years I have hosted many Halloween Parties, so my guests are on the look out for tricks cleverly placed around the house. This year I decided to place a large plastic tarantula spider inside the lid of the toilet seat. Knowing my guests would suspect something in the powder room I tried to distract the guest by placing a vampire portrait above the toilet. I had glued a second large spider to the mirror which attracted their attention as they did something mundane as lifting the toilet seat. So each time a new guest entered the restroom I waited to hear a scream. No screams came, instead it was muffled cursing. One guest came out and said, I suspected something, but I was too busy looking around when I lifted the seat, “Damn, that startled me”.
Here is a crystal ball with custom stand and lighting effects. I found this how-to here. I love the look. I believe I have all the needed items to build one myself.
Inspired by the movie, Marie Antoinette with Kirsten Dunst. I created an 18th Century Pouf hairstyle on my daughter. Yes, that is her real hair, not a wig. I began with about 5 plastic grocery bags. I placed 4 of the bags inside one bag. I then shaped it into a pillow on top of her head. Her hair reaches about 2" lower than her shoulders. Here is a tutorial I found using a wig. Wig Tutorial. I just created a soft armature (plastic bag pouf) and designed it on her head instead.
This took about 45mins of just pulling up her hair around the plastic bags. I used about 80 bobby pins. So have plenty on hand. I also used hairspray on each strand. I decorated the finished hair with flowers and bugs for Halloween.
#TheGastonHouse.com #GastonsGhoulishGoodies
This morning to my amazement someone left a gift on our
doorstep. Noticing the festive black and
orange color, I anticipate the ghoulish delights that must be inside. My heart
skipped a beat….Halloween would soon be here.
I picked up my gift and took it inside to read the sweet
note that accompanied the package. To my surprise there was no handwritten note
in a familiar script written by anyone I knew.
Instead, a photocopied paper stating I had been BOOed and I needed to BOO
two more individuals after I place the “I have been BOOed” Notice in my window,
to stop future repeat BOOing.
I looked in the bag, it was filled with treats galore,
perhaps someone I knew must have given this, considering the perfect selection
of all my favorite candies, Cherry Air Heads, Cherry Jolly Ranchers, Gummy Life Savers, Frankenstein LIPS…..and
Purple Lips too. What is this??? A new
candy for Halloween?? Mike & Ike
Mummy Mix? Oh…it is too much to resist!!!!!
But wait!!! Who sent this ghastly ghoulish gourmet
concoction to The Gastons? To eat one piece without knowing where it came
from would be the same as taking Candy
from a Stranger. To my horror….I
realized I could not eat a single piece.
What kind of TRICK was this???? An
Evil trick, straight from Lucifer himself!
What could I do? The dilemma? Knowing that just last week someone had left
a candy on the desk of one of my students who immediately asked, “Whose is
this?” No answer from the room of
teenagers. As part of an unthinking
automated response to the SUSPECT candy,
he picked it up and walked straight over to the trash can and threw it out.
That was the end of that. He was not
going to eat any potential pre-licked candy.
So now back to my fiendish goody bag. I guess I will allow it to rest upon my table
until I figure out who my mysterious gift giver may be. But Wait, it also said I must continue with
the horrific tradition and do this to 2 more (previously un- BOOed persons) AND
have BAD KARMA? I cannot be the stranger
who gives candy. Nor can I condoned (as
a mother and educator) eating suspect candy without paternity testing. So those of you that know me ask, why don’t
you just check those cameras you have all over your property???? I ran to my computer immediately with my bag
of treats….waiting to catch the naughty neighbor while devouring my booty. But my heart stopped as I logged in. What?
4,954 images waiting to be viewed?
Let’s say I could go through 500 images per hour that would still be just
under 10 hours to find this perpetrator.
So…writing this message would take considerably less time.
Back to the message I have carefully danced around. Would it not be in the best interest of our kids
to do as we say, “Don’t eat candy from strangers”. And in the spirit of a safe Halloween, either
follow up with your name or leave a note. But until then my candy will remain
uneaten. Eventually it may end up in my
compost pile, because I would not want to have it end up in a landfill.
Jeanine Gaston
Eery looking photo to hang this Halloween. Setting the scene for our party this year.
Haunted Mansion Halloween Party: From Kara's Party Ideas.
And my next party feature goes to this spooky HAUNTED MANSION HALLOWEEN PARTY submitted by Danielle Arcese of Cutie Putti Paperie. Danielle threw this party for a 10th birthday- Halloween style! I bet all the guests had a blast! I just love all the food with the appropriate halloween themed labels. So much detail went into this celebration!
Danielle is offering 15% off ANYTHING in her shop to all my followers this month! Hurry and take advantage of the discount because October is almost over! Use coupon code KARA15 at checkout!
Here is what Danielle said about the party- "I created a spooktackular Haunted Mansion printable party collection this year for Halloween, that is now available in my Etsy shop. I had a friend when I was growing up who had her birthday around Halloween, and she always had a halloween themed party. She hated it, but I thought it was amazing! What could be better them a costume party birthday, and even more fun to set the scene by transforming your home into the infamous Haunted Mansion!
I used gothic style text on an antiqued paper background for all of the paper goods. Spooky bats, skulls, and spiders adorn the items as well.
For the table I was able to find great items in my local Home Goods and Michael's craft stores to set the mood.
Food Items:
Tombstone Brownies- I found a super cute skeleton parts chocolate mold at Michaels. Bake and cut brownies into squares, chocolate frosted the tops and added brownie crumble to look like dirt. Lastly I bought white chocolate melts to make the skeletons and added them to the top.
Chocolate Coffins-
Again I found a chocolate coffin mold at Michaels, and used dark chocolate melts to make them. The molds are super easy to use. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and pour into mold. After 15min in the fridge they are ready, and they pop out of the mold easily. I added a collection of white chocolate skeleton bones to each one, and lined them up in a rectangular vintage mirrored glass dish lined with crumbled brownies to look like dirt.
Bat Juice- Green Powerade with a little added green food coloring to darken the juice.
Wax Vampire fangs- were found at my local grocery store displayed on metal skeleton arms serving spoons (Homegoods)
Skeleton Fingers- This mold was also found at Michaels. The mold is specifically made for pretzel rods. Fill mold with white chocolate and insert pretzel rods before cooling in the fridge.
The cracked mirror pedestals I used for the cupcakes were candle holders found at Michaels.
I snagged a super cool scary hologram portrait at Home Goods. At one angle its a creepy old man face, and from another it transforms to a skeleton. Great for setting the mood, looks like it came right off the walls of a true haunted mansion.
For the final touches I created POISON chocolate bar wrappers, for goulish girls and boys to take home with them. The back reads "You survived the Haunted Mansion" with a warning that reads "May contain bat parts".
The thank you cards read "Thank you! Beware of hitchhiking ghosts that may have followed you home!!" One of my favorite tag lines from the original Haunted Mansion ride at Disney.
The whole collection is available in my Etsy shop here!"
Credits-
Paper Goods- Cutie Putti Paperie
Chocolate molds, cupcake pedestals, tombstone centerpiece bases, table cloth, cupcake liners-Michaels
Hologram picture, Skeleton hands serving spoons, vintage rectangular glass dish- Home Goods
Paper Straws- Hey Yo Yo Etsy
And my next party feature goes to this spooky HAUNTED MANSION HALLOWEEN PARTY submitted by Danielle Arcese of Cutie Putti Paperie. Danielle threw this party for a 10th birthday- Halloween style! I bet all the guests had a blast! I just love all the food with the appropriate halloween themed labels. So much detail went into this celebration!
Here is what Danielle said about the party- "I created a spooktackular Haunted Mansion printable party collection this year for Halloween, that is now available in my Etsy shop. I had a friend when I was growing up who had her birthday around Halloween, and she always had a halloween themed party. She hated it, but I thought it was amazing! What could be better them a costume party birthday, and even more fun to set the scene by transforming your home into the infamous Haunted Mansion!
I used gothic style text on an antiqued paper background for all of the paper goods. Spooky bats, skulls, and spiders adorn the items as well.
For the table I was able to find great items in my local Home Goods and Michael's craft stores to set the mood.
Food Items:
Tombstone Brownies- I found a super cute skeleton parts chocolate mold at Michaels. Bake and cut brownies into squares, chocolate frosted the tops and added brownie crumble to look like dirt. Lastly I bought white chocolate melts to make the skeletons and added them to the top.
Chocolate Coffins-
Again I found a chocolate coffin mold at Michaels, and used dark chocolate melts to make them. The molds are super easy to use. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and pour into mold. After 15min in the fridge they are ready, and they pop out of the mold easily. I added a collection of white chocolate skeleton bones to each one, and lined them up in a rectangular vintage mirrored glass dish lined with crumbled brownies to look like dirt.
Bat Juice- Green Powerade with a little added green food coloring to darken the juice.
Wax Vampire fangs- were found at my local grocery store displayed on metal skeleton arms serving spoons (Homegoods)
Skeleton Fingers- This mold was also found at Michaels. The mold is specifically made for pretzel rods. Fill mold with white chocolate and insert pretzel rods before cooling in the fridge.
The cracked mirror pedestals I used for the cupcakes were candle holders found at Michaels.
I snagged a super cool scary hologram portrait at Home Goods. At one angle its a creepy old man face, and from another it transforms to a skeleton. Great for setting the mood, looks like it came right off the walls of a true haunted mansion.
For the final touches I created POISON chocolate bar wrappers, for goulish girls and boys to take home with them. The back reads "You survived the Haunted Mansion" with a warning that reads "May contain bat parts".
The thank you cards read "Thank you! Beware of hitchhiking ghosts that may have followed you home!!" One of my favorite tag lines from the original Haunted Mansion ride at Disney.
The whole collection is available in my Etsy shop here!"
Credits-
Paper Goods- Cutie Putti Paperie
Chocolate molds, cupcake pedestals, tombstone centerpiece bases, table cloth, cupcake liners-Michaels
Hologram picture, Skeleton hands serving spoons, vintage rectangular glass dish- Home Goods
Paper Straws- Hey Yo Yo Etsy
Narrated by Vincent Price.
I came across this How To video. Simple & safe way to light up your Jack-O-Lantern.
Drea, Halloween 2009. Here she enjoys he portrayal of Wednesday Addams.
This is a video of our front door by night. It has a much different look when it is dark. Please turn on the sound so you can hear the door bell. My wonderful neighbor, Dr. G (aka The Mad Scientist) fixed up my very ordinary door bell into an extraordinarly spooky bell.
