Every year, I lose the judging for Best Potluck at the Halloween party to Stacey and Dan. So all year long, I’ve been collecting cool ideas for the food at the Halloween party this year. Starting with this:

• Halloween Martini – “Vampire Style” | Hostess with the Mostess®

The “blood rim” is made from the same kind of mixture as you’d use to make hard candy. It’s actually pretty easy, but you will need a candy thermometer (which you can find at most grocery stores).

Ingredients: 1 c. Sugar 1/2 c. Karo Syrup 1/2 c. Water Red Food Coloring Cinnamon (optional)

Directions: Combine sugar, syrup and water. Cook without stirring to hard crack stage – which is 300 degrees F. Add food coloring. (Optional: Cinnamon may be added for flavor.)

Turn off heat. While the mixture is still hot, dunk the top of the cocktail glass into the mixture to create the red rim. If you need to do several glasses, keep the mixture hot so it lasts longer (instead of turning heat off, just reduce slightly).You can go anywhere from just along the very tip of the rim to part way down the glass – whichever you prefer. Flip the glass right side up to cool. The thick consistency of the mixture will cause “drips” as it hardens on the glass!

My question is, if I use the plastic martini glasses, will they melt?

Via: Craftzine.com blog: HOW TO – Halloween Vampire Martini

For the last two years, I’ve made Halloween cupcakes for the party. I’ve gotten lots of votes for them, but I don’t end up winning. This book, Hello, Cupcake! has lots of ideas for cool cupcakes to bring to the party, but I don’t think I’m going that route this year.

Tofu and Cupcakes tried the werewolf recipe from this book last year:

• Tofu and Cupcakes » Blog Archive » Werewolf Cupcake from Hello, Cupcake!

The werewolf got rave reviews…but I can tell you that the ones from the book look 100% better than mine! I should have gone with a stiffer icing (like Swiss meringue buttercream), I used Hershey’s “Perfectly Dark” chocolate buttercream. The book detailed a method of the “fur technique” using a regular ziplock bag as a pastry bag. They even used two-toned frosting on theirs.

Her cupcakes look pretty good:

Considering how steep the competition is every year for the potluck award, maybe I should put a little more effort into my costume instead.

Via: Craftzine.com blog: Werewolf Cupcakes

Check out this video of one guy doing Thriller all by himself.

Last year, I was complaining that Halloween was stuck in the Victorian era, but I totally forgot about Thriller and the 1950’s horror movie genre. Kind of myopic of me…

Via: Thriller: One Guy, 64 Different Voices – Geekologie

I love these Halloween decorations made out of Lego minifigs. The Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories have a tutorial for you here:

• Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories – How to hack LEDs into Lego minifigures for Halloween

In what seems like a miraculous coincidence, a standard LED fits exactly into the head of a Lego minifigure. It’s that easy: grab an LED and a head, slip it in, and it fits perfectly.

I love those Halloween dioramas that they sell at Michaels Arts and Crafts, but a diorama made entirely of ghostly Lego minifigs is FAR more cool!

Via: In Time For Halloween: LED LEGO Minifigs – Geekologie

This craft project is truly awesome on so many levels that I am blushing at its greatness!

• Behind Barbie of the Undead | Paranaiv by Are Sundnes

If you want to make your own Barbie of the Undead, you’ll have to fine tune your Sculptey Skillz, but it’s totally worth it!

Via: Craft Time!: Make Your Own Zombie Barbie – Geekologie

When I’m putting the finishing touches on my costume this year, I have to remember this:

• Steampunk’d Star Wars Characters – Geekologie

The idea of steam punking Princess Leia is truly awesome. I don’t think I’ll make a costume like this, but it’s definitely something that I can use for ideas.

Update 11-28-09: Here are a couple of pictures of Steampunk’d Star Wars costumes from Outland Armour on Flickr:

You can see all the photos here:

Today, the third installment of The Dowager Moncur’s Spectacles has posted on Steampunk Stories.

• The Dowager Moncur’s Spectacles: Beyond Gretna Green (Part 1 of 5) – Steampunk Stories: In which Miss Isabella Davenforth travels to Moncur Castle and remembers the chiding of the current Lord Moncur about her situation.

• The Dowager Moncur’s Spectacles: Berenice and Mystery (Part 2 of 5) – Steampunk Stories: In which our heroine, Isabella Davenforth, is introduced to the Dowager Moncur and is asked to pass a test of fortitude.

• The Dowager Moncur’s Spectacles: A Hard Day in America (Part 3 of 5) – Steampunk Stories: In which the Dowager Moncur reveals her true madness to Miss Isabella Davenforth.

This story will continue to post every Wednesday until right before the Halloween Party.

Threadbanger has a detailed tutorial about how to make steampunk clothes.

Indy Mogul has a cool steampunk goggles tutorial here:

More ideas for my steampunk costume.

• How to make a Steampunk Outfit, Threadbanger | ThreadBanger

I found this old commercial for Count Chocula and Fraken Berry cereals:

When I was a kid, my dad would never let me get these cereals, so every year when they become available, I buy a box.

Of course, my tastes have changed and I can’t stomach Count Chocula anymore. I usually have one bowl for dessert one evening and the rest is eaten by Kristen when she visits. The last third of the box is usually thrown away some time in April when I realize that it’s too stale to eat.

Here’s to buying another box of Count Chocula again this year!

Jeff Scott filmed himself while he applied his makeup for his character, Skitzo, and then sped it up to make the two hour process last five minutes.

If you watch this video closely, you can see Jeff scrunch up his face into a scowl. He does that to find the natural wrinkle lines and draw them in. Then he doesn’t have to scowl all night. His makeup does it for him.

If you are thinking of being some sort of scary creature or vampire this Halloween, this video will help you learn how to do your makeup.

These makeup kits from the company called Imagineering, were really popular when I was a kid. They were first released in 1979, but they were in stores for a LONG time. I remember something very similar just last Halloween, actually. It’s surprising to remember that at one time, these things were NEW. They were makeup kits that came with a thin plastic face that glued on and then you put makeup on it and your real face to blend it in.

When it comes to a Halloween party, it’s best to go rather simply with the makeup and special effects. Eating food and drinking drinks can make the best makeup jobs looks silly. Whenever I choose a costume, I always make sure that I don’t have too much on my face. I want to be able to see, talk and eat.

You’d think that it would limit my costume choices, but it hasn’t yet.

Photo via: Plaid Stallions : Rambling and Reflections on 70’s pop culture: Imagineering Introduces the Face

• Too funny!! RT @mapgoblin: noticing a lack of bird feeder consumption after installing a seasonal decorative scare crow next to it. #
• RT @reddit: I work near a call centre. They have been asked to dress their pods up for Halloween. Photos here: http://reddit.com/9sxhl #
• Please bring Paranormal Activity to SLC, UT before Halloween! I want to be scared! #

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I love this LOLCat from I Can Has Cheezburger?:

I’ve never seen a cat get caught in Halloween cobwebs, so this made me laugh!

• RT @makeandtakes: Five Halloween Craft Ideas on Local TV http://bit.ly/39WAI8 #

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I love this filler art done by Randy K. Milholland based on Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven.

• something positive: Nevermurr!

Back in April, he had attended RavenCon, so he did some art in honor of that, but it’s a great picture for Halloween as well!

I’ve talked about The Raven before here:

• Pick Me! » Nevermore

Back then, I said that I had never seen a raven. Since then, I have and I was right. They just look like HUGE crows. I kind of expected them to be smarter than crows, but the ones I saw acted just like them.

Randy also drew this art for other Poe stories:

• something positive: The Tell-Tale Jerk

• something positive: Hello New Victim!

Today, the fourth installment of The Dowager Moncur’s Spectacles has posted on Steampunk Stories.

• The Dowager Moncur’s Spectacles: Beyond Gretna Green (Part 1 of 5) – Steampunk Stories: In which Miss Isabella Davenforth travels to Moncur Castle and remembers the chiding of the current Lord Moncur about her situation.

• The Dowager Moncur’s Spectacles: Berenice and Mystery (Part 2 of 5) – Steampunk Stories: In which our heroine, Isabella Davenforth, is introduced to the Dowager Moncur and is asked to pass a test of fortitude.

• The Dowager Moncur’s Spectacles: A Hard Day in America (Part 3 of 5) – Steampunk Stories: In which the Dowager Moncur reveals her true madness to Miss Isabella Davenforth.

• The Dowager Moncur’s Spectacles: American Notes (Part 4 of 5) – Steampunk Stories: In which Isabella Davenforth brings forth two volumes of stories to the Dowager Moncur.

This story will continue to post every Wednesday until right before the Halloween Party.

I’ve been reading Edmund Finney’s Quest to Find the Meaning of Life for a while now. When the comic first started, however, Edmund found himself in a place called Fearville, where every day is Halloween.

• Edmund Finney’s Quest to Find the Meaning of Life » Archive » Meeting Edmund

The thought of Halloween every day is so tiring to me. I do so much for Halloween that celebrating it every day would be impossible. I would have to tone things down and do a little costuming each day. It would be exhausting and I would soon be VERY sick of it. It reminds me of a quote from Shakespeare.

If all the year were playing holidays; To sport would be as tedious as to work.
– William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616), ‘The First Part of King Henry the IV’

I think I’m happy to live in a world where Halloween only comes one day a year. It would be nice if I could somehow find a society where Christmas is only one day a year instead of THREE months.

Since this year’s Halloween party theme is Steam Punk, I thought this photo was appropriate:

Photo via: Silhouette Masterpiece Theatre

Here is a playlist showing Disney’s Halloween Treat. It was a TV special that first aired in 1982.

I love to watch things like this during the Halloween season. I don’t know if television still makes specials like this for the holidays. Maybe I should check the TV listings to see if there is anything like this for the kids of today.

Via: Halloween video | EQComics

Every year, San Diego’s Comic-Con has a huge costume and presentation contest. Here is a video of some of the best and what the judges look for:

Video via: Watch Singing Skeletor, Jawa Pimp, and Disney Cheerleaders – Cosplay – io9

If you are looking for something to make for a costume, you can’t beat this cool helmet. You can download the .rar file here:

• Kaizo Papercraft: Magus Keffiyeh

I like to do papercraft and if there is a cool way to easily add to your costume without using a lot of money, papercraft is the way to go. You don’t have to be into Final Fantasy to enjoy the cool awesomeness of this, so here is a great way to do a costume on the cheap.

Via: Final Fantasy Papercraft: Magus Keffiyeh | Papercraft Paradise | PaperCrafts | Paper Models | Card Models

I saw this old advertisement and I became SO jealous of kids from the fifties.

Can you imagine getting an ENTIRE box of Crackerjack at a house for Halloween?! That seems like WAY more than my fantasies of what Halloween was like.

Ad via: vintage_ads: 1955 Cracker Jack

Today, the final installment of The Dowager Moncur’s Spectacles has posted on Steampunk Stories.

• The Dowager Moncur’s Spectacles: Beyond Gretna Green (Part 1 of 5) – Steampunk Stories: In which Miss Isabella Davenforth travels to Moncur Castle and remembers the chiding of the current Lord Moncur about her situation.

• The Dowager Moncur’s Spectacles: Berenice and Mystery (Part 2 of 5) – Steampunk Stories: In which our heroine, Isabella Davenforth, is introduced to the Dowager Moncur and is asked to pass a test of fortitude.

• The Dowager Moncur’s Spectacles: A Hard Day in America (Part 3 of 5) – Steampunk Stories: In which the Dowager Moncur reveals her true madness to Miss Isabella Davenforth.

• The Dowager Moncur’s Spectacles: American Notes (Part 4 of 5) – Steampunk Stories: In which Isabella Davenforth brings forth two volumes of stories to the Dowager Moncur.

• The Dowager Moncur’s Spectacles: What the Dowager Moncur Told Isabella (Part 5 of 5) – Steampunk Stories: In which the Dowager Moncur finally reveals to our brave heroine about her curious spectacles.

Since I wrote an entire story about my Halloween costume, you can imagine how excited I am for the party this Saturday! I hope it goes well!

I love this video for a spider walker:

When I think of steampunk and the marriage of machines and Victorian sensibilities, this steampunk spider walker fits right in!

Margaret Oomen over at resurrection fern visited the Musee des Miniatures in December last year and took photos of these creepy papercuts.

You can see the rest of her photos here:

• resurrection fern: For Elsita ( and anyone else who loves papercuts)

Apparently, they are VERY small works of art:

You have to see them in person to believe just how tiny they are. Some are no larger than postage stamps or small coins.

Via: Craftzine.com blog: Paper Cuts from Musee des Miniatures

We have the incredible Boxborough bakers, Babycakes, to thank for the inspiration for this beautiful Steampunk Cake.

Every year, I obsess about the potluck competition of the Halloween party, but this cake is FAR out of my league. I might be able to hire a bakery to replicate this for me, but there is no way I could achieve this on my own.

Via: Steampunk Cake! | The Steampunk Workshop

Update 10-27-09: Here is a link to another steampunk cake, which is even better than this one: Steampunk Cakes! « westerblog

More photos after the break: (Continue Reading…)

The truly excellent ‍Meggrs created this awesome steampunk iPhone case for her steampunk costume.

You can see it in action here:

Here is her description of how she made it:

It’s basically a balsa wood keepsake box from a craft store which I then cut a hole in the front (with a Dremel) for the screen, sanded, stained with oil-based stain, varnished and attached brass hinges and corners from the craft store with screws and glue. The buttons and speaker cover are brass washers from Home Depot.

I’m tempted to try this hack for my own costume because it’s THAT awesome! I especially love the loop for hanging on a belt clip.

I can’t believe how much I love this Recyclobot Costume from Mother Rising.

• Mother Rising: Recyclobot

He took his Recyclobot for a spin at a Halloween party at our local community center and he made quite a scene. Children circled around him trying to get a closer look, and parents were taking photos. I could hear him inside saying, “I’m not a real robot…I’m just pretending”.

Not pictured, she also had dryer tubing for his arms. It was even better in real life because she used some LEDs under the bottle cap eyes to make them glow.

The tiny LED lights can be found in the wedding section at Michaels and are often used to illuminate balloons.

If you can’t find them at Michael’s, then you can buy them here for 18 bucks a bag.

• White LED Dec-O-Lite Decoration and Economy Balloon Light from Windy City Novelties

They have three settings: constant on, slow blink and fast blink. They last for approximately 8 hours on a button battery, so that’s plenty of time to last for a Halloween party.

I had never heard of balloon lights before I read this entry, so I’m excited about all the things you could do with them. High tech costuming just got a WHOLE lot easier! Imagine being able to make yourself a positronic brain just like Data in Star Trek.

When I first looked at this costume, it just looked like a normal kid’s robot costume, but when I heard about those balloon lights, my whole life shifted just a little.

Via: ikea hacker: Kiddy hacks

I absolutely love the steampunk stilts made by Improbcat from the Pi Convention last August. It almost makes me want to take a trip to Pioneer Valley, Massachusetts just to see all the costumes!

The benefit of being so much taller than everyone else is really appealing to me because I’m pretty short, even for a girl, but the thought of balancing on stilts for an entire convention or even the Halloween party sounds like a nightmare.

Look how much taller he is than his friends:

Honestly, the entire group looks awesome!

Great work on costuming, people! Keep it up!

When Mike and I were putting up the decorations for the Halloween party, Elvis became obsessed with the Flying Bat:

In the end, we had to hide the bat in the pantry until the night of the party because Elvis spent all his time meowing at it.

A special thank you to collector, Steve Martin, for uploading his vintage Halloween photo collection. One old and creepy photograph each day in the month of October. This one is my favorite:

Such a diabolical look for a child. You can see a slideshow of the photos here:

Via: Go Retro!: Ghosts of Halloween Past

The Halloween Party was a blast! Everyone did such a good job on their costumes. Mike and I were totally blown away. This year’s theme was steampunk and more people followed the theme than ever before! Stacey did an excellent job and this photo of her was the best!

I’m always panicked before the Halloween party, worried that no one will show up. Every guest that arrives makes me happier and happier until I get to a strangely giddy state of intoxication that has NOTHING to do with alcohol. It was a great party this year and I’m so glad we were all able to enjoy it together.

Here are the winners:

Funniest Costume: Jason Alderman as War of the Worlds Alien

Scariest Costume: Charlie as a vampire

Sexiest Costume: Lisa as a steampunk show girl

Best Potluck: Stacey and Dan’s Pumpkin Sloppy Joes (they also made four different kinds of homemade ice cream, but nothing beats sloppy joes in a pumpkin!)

Beast of Show: Jennifer and Clint for the best steampunk couple

You can see all the Halloween Party photos here: