Yes, I may be jumping into Halloween too fast, but when I see something fun and interesting, I have to post it so I won’t forget it. As the expression goes, a picture is worth a thousand words — so take a good look at this picture and get some inspiration of your own to make your own Halloween wreath.
I think witch wreaths are fun to make. There are the colorful leggings and the hightop shoes with the little curl at the tips. The hat is also a fun feature that can add some real character to your wreath. And, of course, there’s the broom! You can have quite a lot of fun when it comes to building your unique wreath for your door this fall.
Half of any project is thinking about it and allowing the idea to grow a bit within your imagination. By the time you’re ready to build your wreath, you’ll know exactly what to do.
As the days, weeks, months go by moving from one seasonal holiday to the next, I was ready for a rest when my friend Julie said it is time to prepare for the next big thing. Oh my, not rest . . . but it’s all about fun and making each celebration special and perhaps a bit different.
I found this image of The Queen of Hearts and immediately thought of Mother’s Day . . . all right, you got me . . . I thought of Halloween . . . then Mother’s Day. Goodness, you get this costume together for Mother’s Day and you’re all set for a grand Halloween costume as well. I like things to serve more than one purpose . . . I’m not embarrassed to wear the same costume again. If it was good enough to put together, it’s good enough to wear for appropriate occasions.
Now, I forgot one very important factor. The Queen of Hearts is a foul tempered monarch with her favorite expression being, “Off with their heads!.” This is not at all appropriate for Mother’s Day when Mom is queen for the day with all the love and adoration bestowed upon her. So this just won’t do for Mother’s Day, unless Mom wants to be the Queen of Hearts and play whatever role she chooses. We do have that cranky side that we usually don’t want emphasized.
The image didn’t come with a pattern or a link to where this costume could be purchased, so it was time for me to do some searching on my own.
Of course, my first stop was Amazon. No elaborate collar, but the dress and jumbo playing cards are available to purchase. Then there’s a royal sceptor, but no grand crown as in the picture.
So my search continued. And it ended with making your own costume. Now is the best time to get started working on your Halloween Costume. There are plenty of patterns in the books at your favorite fabric store. This would be the best solution for you to create an original beautiful costume.
You may want to plan a grand Alice In Wonderland Themed Party. Admit it, you do like to dress up. It’s great for the kids, too. You can read the book or view the DVD, then plan the costumes and what character each person wants to be. This does seem like a fun spring party. Won’t the neighbors be surprised when they see your guests arriving in costume. And the spring is the best time to hold this type of party and have an elegant tea party.
And, if sewing isn’t your thing, I got your costumes covered:
This should give you a good start on your Alice in Wonderland Themed celebration. I don’t know about you, but in my neighborhood on Halloween, I’ve noticed whole families dressing up in a themed costume selection. The adults want to have as much fun as the kids . . . and the kids do like it when Mom and Dad join in the fun. As a candy-hander-outter I enjoy seeing the great costumes . . . sometimes I dress up, too. I’ll need to figure out what my beautiful Yorkshire Terrier Diva wants to be . . . and we’ll coordinate our costumes.
Now, I know many of you are thinking it’s too soon to be planning Halloween costumes, but some people plan for Halloween all year round. They get their party refreshment recipes all set up and continue collecting more throughout the year. They are looking at costumes and accessories, getting the best possible costume way in advance. They don’t want to be disappointed by waiting too long once the season begins. And, as with the Alice in Wonderland themed party, they have themed dress up parties several times a year.
I’ve been thinking about something fun and entertaining to share with you this Halloween.
It isn’t easy coming up with something new . . . but I think this will do it.
JibJab is a great website that allows you to make personalized videos. With the help of some friends, I was able to do this Fun Video Rap for your Halloween entertainment.
Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!
This is definitely my favorite Halloween story of all time: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
This is the 1970 animated version for your enjoyment and that of your children.
No Halloween Evening is complete without reading this legend or watching the videos. I enjoy sitting in front of the fireplace after all the trick-or-treaters have gotten their treats and have stopped for the night. I may have a few pieces of candy left in my bowl of treats, but I prefer to have a nice hot cup of cocoa or tea. Then settle into this great adventure I visit once a year on Old Hollow’s Eve.
I love making mummies and filling them with all kinds of good stuff. Meatballs seems to be a major winner right now for my family.
It’s finger food at it’s absolute best.
Here’s what you’ll need to do:
You can either make your own meatballs or find some already prepared. Your meatballs need to be cooked. You then wrap them up with pizza dough or your could use another bread-type dough from the wide selection of Pillsbury brand.
I roll my meatballs in some spaghetti sauce to stick them together on a flat piece of bread dough. I then cut some strips out of the remaining bread dough (about 1/4 inch wide) and wrap up this little mummy. I leave some room for edible eyes.
I guess I forgot to tell you to preheat your oven to 350 degrees and to put your wrapped up mummies on a cookie sheet. You can either spray it with nonstick cooking spray or cover it with aluminium foil or get fancy with parchment. Whatever works for you.
Then I pop them in the oven for about 20 plus minutes until brown.
Serve them warm out of the oven. Add a salad or just have them as a snack. You may have more warmed spaghetti sauce available for dipping. Be sure to make plenty. They’re a real crowd pleaser.
I decided to give myself a bit of a break. I’ve been trying out recipes and also doing some of the paper crafts I’ve put on the website.
I know how important it is to relax and enjoy the crafts you do regularly. I know my family enjoys crafts. It’s a quiet time. It’s also a time to unwind a bit and enjoy creating something out of paper or wood. Do some painting and just enjoying life at a quieter pace. It is just too easy to get into overload or focus on all of the wrong things. Or even try to do too much and accomplishing nothing.
I was talking with some friends who got into the creepy houses. They’ve made a whole village. I’ve been working since Friday on the Haunted House. I know I could put it together faster, but I’m enjoying doing it at a leisurely pace. Then I’ll add the grave yard. I know Halloween is getting closer, but I enjoy haunted houses and just spooky stuff all year round, so I’m in no hurry.
I mentioned recipes earlier. Yes, I’ve been going through some things and I’ve gotten a bit creeped out by some, so I think I’ll go for the fun. Gross just isn’t for me at this time. I do have some gross recipes on this website, but I prefer to think of things that would be a little different, yet would fit the season.
Banana Mummy Rolls Recipe
I like this recipe because it is a make ahead recipe for a great breakfast on the go and also wonderful for an after school or after work snack. Maybe even a mid afternoon pick-me-up.
Ingredients
1 package Pillsbury Crescent sheets
1 small container Nutella or Peanut Butter of your choice Smooth or Chunky
2-3 bananas
heaping 1/2 cup powdered sugar for the glaze
milk or water for glaze
Candy eyes or you can use some M & Ms or Skittles
Instructions
Roll out crescent sheet to about 10-11 x 6-8 inches.
Slice into 6 equal squares. Lightly score each square in 3 equal sections, vertically (without cutting through the dough).
Using a knife, cut horizontal strips about 1/4 inch wide down each side section.
Spoon a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter or nutella down the middles section, leaving about 1/2 inch on both the top and bottom and place a slice of banana on top.
Fold the right two cut sections over the head and then then alternate right and then left, leaving a small space for the eye section.
They’re now ready to pop into the oven.
Bake at 375 until golden brown, probably about 12-15 minutes.
Remove from pan and let cool to room temperature.
Mix powdered sugar with enough milk or water to form a glaze and then lightly drizzle it over the mummies.
Let dry to the touch before serving.
Makes 6.
This is a real crowd pleaser for the whole family — especially the kids. They get a mummy and the sweet banana favor along with a peanut butter/nutella flavor. It is a variation of the popular banana and peanut butter sandwich or putting peanut butter/nutella into a sliced banana.
As I said earlier it is great for breakfast and also as a healthy snack. Yes, you may want to serve these at your Halloween party. I think mummies could be fun all year round, so I’d keep this recipe handy for those times you just want something different.
I hope you enjoy this recipe and the crafts I spoke of earlier. You’ll find a wonderful selection in the archives of this website.
