Just Another Trick or Maybe a Treat

I am the one hiding under your bed

Teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red

Lex & Mad Dog carving

The final countdown until all the goules, witches and frights come out to enjoy the night. Time to finish up costumes, fight last minute parents and the lines at the Halloween store for misfit costumes what no one wanted. The kids will be dreaming of chocolate, gummies and treats, similar to those they dream about on Christmas Eve, tonight. 

I am the one hiding under yours stairs

Fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair

Loki's Pumpkin

We have carved pumpkins, roasted pumpkin seeds, decorated for the spooky time of year and we have even made Halloween treats. Along with all this we have been working on Lex and Loki's costume for several weeks on and off. Though we had wanted to make them several costumes we found that Halloween snuck up on us. This resulted in one costume each. With their current obsession with Toy Story we thought that Woody and Jesse would be perfect. Mad Dog has been working on Lex's Woody vest and I have been working on both kids shirts. At this point we're down to finishing touches. Mad Dog has to stick Loki's chaps on to her pants and I have her buttons to put on her shirt (would have been done, but I lost one of the pairs I purchased). I need or I should say want to make felt boot covers for their sneakers since we couldn't find any cowboy boots at the Salvation Army, but this moment my heart isn't in it. 

Lex's Pumpkin

I am the clown with the tear-away face

Here in a flash and gone without a trace

Lex's costume is made of a Yellow Hanes long sleeve t-shirt, which I drew red lines on with a fabric marker to make the checks of Woody's shirt.I added the additional red stitches at the shoulder for when Andy fixed Woody in Toy Story 2.  He will be wearing his blue jeans and a home made cowhide vest. We purchased the hat, which came with belt from the Disney Store. 

I am the "who" when you call, "Who's there?"

I am the wind blowing through your hair

Woody's shirt

Loki's costume was a little more involved. I purchased a similar white Hanes long sleeve t-shirt which I painted the cuffs with a yellow fabric paint (from Lex's Robin costume from last year). I then sewed red 1/4 inch embroidered ribbon and a white button on for detail. With the sleeves done, I moved on to the front of the shirt. I cut yellow felt in a scalloped shape and sewed it to the front of the shirt, using a yellow thread, and a dark bobbin thread with wide stitches to give a home stitched look. I then had stitched the same 1/4 embroidered ribbon on the front in the loopy design found on Jesse in the movie. The piece will be finished with the same big white buttons found on the cuffs. Her pants are stretch pants which look like jean fabric. We have added cowhide chaps to the front. Her costume will be finished off with a Jesse hat purchased at the Disney Store. 

Mad Dog working on Vest

I am the shadow on the moon at night

Filling your dreams to the brim with fright

With all the costume work I made some treats for tomorrow, along with the pumpkin soup and the breads Mad Dog made for our trip to my Mom's for a fall fest (you can read all about that at Cute Fan Girl Goes Local). After eating and Trick or Treating we'll come home for a little zombie fest with The Walking Dead on AMC. This will of course result in me watching something happy afterwards like Bring it On. Oh well, part of the fun of Halloween is the scare. 

This is Halloween, this is Halloween

Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!

Halloween! Halloween! 

Jesse's Sleeves

 Some advise before I go. Remember you can walk faster than a zombie (a real one!). Aim for the head. Real vampires don't glimmer or shimmer. There are monsters under your bed, so make sure you're feet are tucked in at night. Blonde children with blue eyes are evil and should not be trusted (thank God I got a mixed bag on that). Babysitting on Halloween is not the brightest thing to do, but if you do make sure to check the children several times and if the phone rings know it's someone in the house.

Jesse's Shirt

Also don't forget give a book this Halloween as apart of All Hallow's Read. If I didn't love Neil Gaiman before I love him even more now (and Mr. Stephen King for supporting the new tradition). Hmm...did I get everything now? I think so - Oh wait! There will be pictures of the kids completed costumes to follow. Otherwise have a Happy Haunted Halloween.
**Lyrics from This is Halloween by Danny Elfman

Oreo and Marshmallow Pops

Alien Oreos

 

Words Define a Summer

I am a firm believer if you have a summer house, you should have a summer or lending library there for your friends, family and visitors to take from. This is something that Stuart has even in the little cabin in Alfred. I think each of us has taken from it at one time or another, taking a book and leaving one behind for someone else to discover. I think books and words can define a summer. I know that I tend to remember summers by what I have read, or even times in my life by the same. 

Last year I borrowed The Green Mile by Stephen King, which Lex and Loki sadly destroyed once we were home in Worcester preventing me from finishing it. We had left behind a Brad Meltzer for someone else to find on the shelf when they were bored or finished their last book.

With Mad Dog (Under the Dome)and I ('Salem's Lot)both reading (or listening to) Stephen King, Gabrielle wanted to join our kick. I know she doesn't have an idea of what she is getting herself into with picking up one of his books. I can't say how old I was when I read my first King book, but I know it was young. Mad Dog remembers being her age and possibly reading Different Seasons, a collection of short works which include: The Body (Stand by Me), Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption (Shawshake Redemption), Apt Pupil (movie by the same name) , and The Breathing Method (the lesser known of the four). This request sent us to the library, only to find nothing left by Mister King (something I will have to correct). 

This request then prompted the question, what to give her of King's to read? Different Season went to the top of the list. Mad Dog added Carrie, Christine (which I haven't read) and Cujo. I though Misery. Which made Mad Dog flinch. I explained that my main concern was any (thought I don't recall a lot) sex scenes that should appear in his books, also some of the harsher language (Bag of Bones being the most recent King I have read - "Whore Master hows your whore"). 

We went back and forth naming books, stories and stopping the other with reasons why that wasn't a good idea. Talking about which ones we have read and ones we have wanted to read. For me, a person who has read a decent amount of King, I haven't read The Stand. I know completely shocking. If you even mention King the first thing another King reader will ask is "Have you read The Stand?" This is the reason why I haven't. The more people ask me that, the more I walk away from it. I'm sure I would love it, but the more people push it down my throat the more I fight it. Mad Dog is amazed by this and we now make it a joke when I say I need something to read. 

If you read this post and you are a King fan, post your favorite King Novel, short story, what have you. If you have a recommendation for a first King work to read (for anyone or for Gabrielle (age 10)) feel free to post it as well. 

As for my King reading (listening) in Maine, I am enjoying 'Salem's Lot. Falling asleep to it and having the kids make me jump when they wake me has had my heart racing a few times. As long as it keeps racing I'm good with it.