Tag Archives: Halloween

Scardey Dog

30 Wednesday Oct 2013

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pizap.com13831847803531I love Halloween.  It is by far one of my favorite holidays.  At one time I’d say it was my absolute favorite.  I love getting dressed up in costumes and all the wacky fun that goes along with.  I’m a hard-core “make your own” costume type gal and always want to go all out.  When I first got Riggins I was SO excited to have another person to dress up.  At the time my boyfriend was already forced into couple costumes a dog just rounded out the theme.  Our first Halloween with Riggins we were living in West Hollywood.  THE WEST HOLLYWOOD with THE WEST HOLLYWOOD Halloween Parade (which isn’t happening this year I hear).  The city closes off Santa Monica Blvd. and it becomes a parade of fabulous wacky fun!  I had never had a chance to go but this seemed like the perfect opportunity.  I put together not 1, not 2 but 3 (insert count laugh here) vampire costumes.  One for my boyfriend at the time, one for me AND one for Riggins.  He was so friggin’ cute.  We proceeded down to Santa Monica Blvd and it didn’t take too long before puppy Riggins was overwhelmed and I had to pick him up so he wouldn’t be stepped or stumbled upon by fellow partakers in Hollywood Halloween madness.  Luckily Riggins was still small because I carried him for MILES that night.  Bringing him was not the best of ideas.  I think it traumatized him for life.

Halloween contains three of Riggins biggest fears/hates:

  1. Children
  2. Crazy people in odd attire
  3. People coming up to the house
  4. People screaming

It is his own personal Hell.  I’ve tried to keep him in the back room during trick or treating hours and that went badly.  I tried to keep him on a leash and that went badly.  I tried to just push him out-of-the-way and that went badly.  Only the bravest of children will dare walk up my driveway and whisper in a shaky voice, “trick or treat” above the menacing barking of a giant black dog.  It isn’t uncommon for a child to stand on the sidewalk looking up at my house and think, “Screw that.  I don’t want that mini candy bar that bad” and just move on.

pizap.com13831850521331I’ve learned my lesson and no longer force Riggins into a costume he doesn’t want to wear (see list below) nor do I even open my door for Trick or Treaters.  It’s easier just to have Riggins bark at them with his hatred from behind a closed-door.  I put out a bowl of candy with a note to take a piece or two.  It is the honor system at my house.  I have faith in humanity and believe one nasty kid won’t come dump the entire bowl in his plastic jack o’ lantern and just call it a night.  The REALLY smart kid would just take the entire bowl.  That is if they dare to come to the porch of the evil barking dog house!

We all make sacrifices for our children.  I sacrificed Halloween for Riggins.  Tomorrow night we will be huddled together in the living room during the small child invasion, and I’ll give him treats and love to try and keep him from ripping down the door with his claws and teeth!

Riggins past costumes:

  • Dracula Dog
  • Broom to my witch
  • Champion wrestler (the year he had a small piece of his ear taken off — that piece is HUGE now due to a dog attack so he could really rock this costume).
  • I was a cat once and he was … a dog

Happy Halloween to all and beware of any black dogs crossing your path!

Boo-tiful Dinner Party Table

28 Monday Oct 2013

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photo 1My Halloween table runner has been sitting under my TV since I sewed it.  I’m in that room everyday (watching TV) so it is a good place to put it to let me get the most enjoyment out of it.  A couple of days (weeks) ago I was having a few friends over for a casual dinner and I thought it would be the perfect time to use the runner.  Then I thought it was a great time to use the beer bottles I’d be saving (and as an extra bonus get rid).  That is how the most boo-tiful of all dinner party tables came to be!

Runner – Here is how you can make this 10 minute runner.

Buddha Beer (actually called Lucky Beer) – I found this great beer on sale at Vons.  I’m not a big beer drinker and never purchase beer unless it is for a party but how could I pass these up?  The bottles are shaped like the Buddha!  That’s brilliant!  I love them so much and figured they would make perfect flower vases.  Then I came up on the problem … what photo 2do you do with 6 tiny flower vases shaped like Buddha?  You add them to your dinner table and hand them to each guest as they leave.  How does it taste?  I don’t know … like beer.  It’s a light beer that real beer drinkers wouldn’t be that impressed by but I like it.  The beer is made in Mexico so I suppose it is kinda like Corona Light-ish.

Spooky Wine – I was getting flower for the Buddha Beer vases at Trader Joe’s when I saw this wine.  The wine dude asked if I needed any help pairing wine with my dinner.  Who does that?  I’m pairing the label to my table theme!  Honestly the wine wasn’t great but it was only six bucks (probably why it wasn’t that great) and looked perfect.  It’s also screw top which is my favorite.  I plan to start a petition that demands all wine is screw top vs. cork.  If you want a bigger selection of Halloween themed wine/beer/etc. I suggest going to Cost Plus World Market.  I was there recently to get a friend a birthday present and I spent a long time wandering up and down the Halloween themed aisles just wishing I had a reason to purchase everything.

Candles – I used individual candles because I couldn’t find any suitable big candle holders.  There were fun and are currently upside down in my freezer so I can pop out the dead candle goop.

There you go!  Happy Halloween week to you!

10 Minute Table Runner – Hot Tips

14 Monday Oct 2013

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photo (20)I wrote about the 10 minute table runners before.  In fact before sitting down at the sewing machine this weekend I re-read the blog post to make sure I remembered what I was doing!  The 10 minute table runner really is an easy and fun thing to make.  You can find the how-to here.  After making four of these I feel like I’ve become an expert and can share some important tips with you.

  • Fabric choice is key.  Avoid anything with straight lines or straight patterns.  Why make it harder on yourself.  Random patterns mean you don’t have to worry as much that you cut and sew at a perfect angle!
  • The brighter the better.  Bright colors will distract viewers from looking too close at your sew line and any holes from sew lines that didn’t make it and had to be ripped out with a seam ripper.
  • Have your mom cut your fabric for you with her quilting equipment.  Cutting something so it is perfect is a pain in the butt.  I suggest you don’t do it if you don’t have to.
  • 10 minutes is a big fat lie.  I’d say closer to 30 minutes and that doesn’t count getting the sewing machine out, threading the machine, getting the fabric cut correctly, etc.
  • Pins and the iron are your friend.  This is definitely a project where prep helps you out in the long run.
  • You’ll notice the instructions suggest use of a button while the one I made this weekend has tassels (made by my talented mother as if we were full Amish and don’t buy into silly store-bought niceties).  The button can cover up mistakes with lining up the two sides of your runner while the tassels are easier to sew on (just stick them in, tassel side inward, and sew at the same time you are sewing the sides together).  Pick your poison.
  • photo (19)Cursing usually helps any and all negative sewing situations you may find yourself in.
  • Longer stitches are easier to take out if you make a mistake.  It isn’t like you are sewing the crotch of some pants that need to be sturdy.  It’s a table runner.  It just has to sit on a table and look pretty.
  • It doesn’t matter how long you take trying to make the sides of the runner perfectly even.  They never will be.  Don’t sweat too much over it.  This is the step which usually takes me the longest and I have yet to get those stupid sides as perfect as I want them.

With these hot tips the 10 Minute Table Runner is pretty fun to make.  What are you waiting for?  Head on down to the fabric store and pick out some fancy material!

(Note – My mom found and purchased this fancy fabric for me.  Isn’t it brilliant?!?)

The Most Delicious of all the Corns

02 Wednesday Oct 2013

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I love corn.  It’s simply delicious.  On the cob, topping my salad, popped, anyway you want to make it and give it to me, I’m all in.  I seriously considered going to the movies today JUST so I could get some movie popcorn.  Remember a year or so ago when some scientist health freak type people got on the internet and started bad mouthing my precious corn?  Something about it being a “bad” vegetable.  Too much starch or something.  Lumping it in with the also delicious potato?  I refused to listen.  Leave my corn alone!  LEAVE IT ALONE!  It still goes in the “fruit and vegetable” section of the food pyramid right?  Then zip your pie hole internet.

photo 1 (1)Of all the corn deliciousness there is one that stands out … candy corn.  Ok.  Technically it is not corn at all but it is good enough to proudly carry the “corn” name so it gets to be part of the club.  There are few things more exciting than knowing that October is here and candy corn will be gracing the isles of every grocery store in the US (technically it is always there year round but now it’s in your face … where it belongs).  Saturday I wasn’t feeling well so to pep myself up I bought a bag of yumminess.  I haven’t purchased a bag in years.  You know why?  I eat it.  That’s why.  And I did.  Wow was it delicious.  Today I finished off the last 16 oz. all by myself.  When I say today I mean this morning for breakfast.  The bag of open candy corn sat on my counter for the past few days and I’d happily take a few pieces every time I walked by.  For 5 glorious days I’ve been riding a sugar high that has been amazing.  My taste buds are dulled to any other taste beyond “sugar,” my eyes water a little, slight gagging in the back of my throat, slight eye twitch.  All signs of sugar overdose that causes you to grab more and stuff it in your face (or in the case of candy corn carefully eat off each color starting with white and ending with yellow).  I gotta have it man.  The bag is like a magnet to my soul and just draws me in.

In this world there are two types of people.  Those who worship at the candy corn gods and those who dismiss them with a shake of the head.  I just don’t understand the “no thanks” people.  What is wrong with you?  It’s a delicious sugar treat shaped somewhat like a giant corn kernel with festive fall coloring.  How horrible was your childhood that you can’t see the goodness in a piece of candy corn?

Granted I can’t give candy corn a pass and say it’s healthy.  Although it is fat-free so that has to count for something ,…. right?  Right????  A serving size (24 pieces although they should just measure by the handful it would make it a lot easier) has 150 calories, sodium, carbs, and sugar.  All other “nutrition” is 0%.  Exactly what you want from a piece of photo 2 (2)sugary goodness.  So the words “glaze” and “wax” are included in the ingredient list.  So what?  What are you doing looking at the back of a candy corn package in the first place.  Stop being such a square and eat it already.  Enjoy the sugar high with me!

(Gotta catch you up on the dogs that have visited over the past few days.  Dragon was here for an extended weekend and Asscher has been here during the days this week.  New faces, Odo a lab mix, stayed for the long weekend too and Chief, a lab, spent Sunday with us.  I’ve included some pictures so you can see how adorable they are.)