A Little Paranormal Activity

A little paranormal activity today.

Yes, my mom still makes my costumes, because I'm too OCD to sew. ; )

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{ Food for Thought } Halloween Pairing III

I love the thrill of the spooky. What was that noise? A sudden rustle. Creaking floors, moaning doors. A wind that whistles and an owl that asks "whoooooo". Paint an eerie canvas for your party guests with jet black, crimson red and a drop of Halloween orange against a gossamer grey. Don't forget scent (crackling fire wood) and sound (try my playlist after this post). Then eat, drink and be scary!

red & black candy apples
8-10 medium sized apples
8-10 wooden twigs, twimmed
3 c granulated sugar
1/2 c light corn syrup
1 c water
several drops of cinnamon flavored oil
1/4 tsp red food coloring
1/4 tsp black food coloring
1. Clean and dry the apples, removing as much of the wax as possible. Remove stems and leaves. Insert a twig into the end of each apple. (Sharpen the twig or use a candy stick to create the hole.) 
2. Heat and stir sugar, corn syrup and water in a saucepan until sugar dissolves. Boil until the syrup reaches 300F on a candy thermometer, careful not to go over 310. Remove from heat and stir in flavored oil and food coloring.
3. Dip one apple completely and swirl to coat in syrup. Drain excess over saucepan. Place apple, with the stick facing up, onto a baking sheet (greased or lined with a silpat). Repeat all process. If your syrup thickens or cools, briefly reheat. Cool apples completely before serving.
*For bright, glassy red apples, use lighter colored apples (Granny Smith, Golden Delicious)
*For dark black apples, use darker apples (Red Delicious), dip black or red apples a second time into black syrup


sunset cocktail
3 ounces tangerine juice
1 1/2 ounces white rum
3/4 ounce grenadine
Ice cubes
1. Combine juice and rum in a tall glass filled with ice. Top with grenadine and serve.
*It is beautifully two-toned when first poured; the ingredients then create an intense orange color.
(serves 1 so multiply for your party!)

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image by natalie @ calliope | spooky candy apple recipe & photo by Matt Armendariz | halloween sunset cocktail by MarthaStewart |

Halloween: Season of the Lantern

Some of these are completely insane. The witch from Sleeping Beauty? Crazy impressive. The cats in forest? You really have to have a surgeon's hand for such intricate work. The rest, however, are reasonable. The pumpkin flames idea is perfect for those with gas or non-functioning fireplaces - the vignette creates a great sense of warmth. The more I think about it, the more I like the black cats. It's such a simple idea: spray paint, carve the heads with a pair of eyes and add ears. Forget those mass-produced plastic glow-in-the-dark eyes; picture visiting a house after sunset and seeing only three sets of glowing, vacant cat eyes. That's awesome.

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jack-o-lantern Halloween pumpkins alice in wonderland silhouette papercuts via apartmenttherapy | black cats via Sunset bats via nobiggie | sleeping beauty unknown | fireplace via CountryLiving | cats unknown

Hello, Halloween!

You pretty much need not decorate a thing more if you dress up your door. Crepe paper and felt. Simple. Effective. What's inside? Let them speculate.

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Halloween door bat dècor via thehappyhome and black wreath by CountryLiving

{ Food for Thought } Halloween Pairing II

Leave the orange for Thanksgiving and go red this Halloween with a vampire theme. (True Blood, Twilight or Vampire Diaries... whatever inspires you.) Your guests are sophisticated, so steer clear of the obvious horror and keep them intrigued with more subtle, suggestively "bad things". See how we did it last year. 

Both of these bloody good treats were big hits at our parties. The Piña Ghoulada, quite delicious, is far superior to the pre-made mixes - natural and less sweet. We didn't want guests to deal with sticky fingers, so we made one change: instead of dipping the glasses in "blood", we used an eyedropper to drip the red ooze along the inside of the rim. Our cupcakes turned out rather splattered, not nearly as perfect as Retro Bakery's cupcakes below. Hmm, maybe the original designers will give us a few tips to share with you. 

What are your Halloween culinary masterpieces?

piña ghoulada
20 oz organic pineapple juice
1 can (15 oz) cream of coconut
1/2 c organic heavy cream
1 c orange juice 10 oz high-quality rum
for the blood: 3 tbsp corn syrup, 1/4 tsp red food coloring

1. Pour the corn syrup in a shallow bowl. Dip a toothpick into the food coloring, and stir a very small amount into the syrup to combine. 

2. Messy: Hold a glass by the stem, dip rim into the syrup mixture, and turn glass, coating entire rim. Turn the glass upright, allowing mixture to drip down sides. Dip the remaining glasses. Tidy: use an eye dropper to line the inside of the rim of each glass.

3. Whisk together drink ingredients. Place 2.5 c ice in a blender and add 1 c drink mixture. Blend until smooth; add more pineapple juice if mixture is too thick. Repeat with remaining ice and mixture. Carefully pour into prepared glasses; serve.
(makes 12)
maxine fortenberry's red velvet cupcakes
2.5 c all-purpose flour
1.5 c sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cocoa powder
1.5 c vegetable oil
1 c buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tbsp red food coloring
1 tsp white distilled vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
for the frosting:
1 lb cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 c sifted confectioners' sugar

for the blood: use mixture above, darkening with blue/green food coloring and liquifying with cranberry/pom/blueberry juice

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld mixer. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well until smooth.

3. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins, about 2/3 filled. Bake 20-22 minutes, turning pans once half way through. Test with a toothpick. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

4. For frosting: In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth. On low, add the sugar until incorporated. Mix on high until very light and fluffy.

(makes 24 cupcakes)

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image by natalie @ calliope; true blood bottle image by Hannes Beer via oliphillips; bloody piña colada photo & recipe by marthastewart; bloody Twilight cupcake photo by Retro Bakery & recipe by Paula Deen

{ Food for Thought } Halloween Pairing I

It's no secret that Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. So is Stan's; he gets much applause for his outdoor décor and delights in giving pre-teen trick-or-treaters a nice little scare. (In fact, they return for more fright.) For us, it is simply an opportunity to be creative and recreate some of that light-hearted fun we had as kids trick-or-treating. We host Halloween parties every few years to give our friends that opportunity: to dress up, play and escape the everyday a little. 

For Halloween décor, we much prefer the suggestion of spook over gratuitous, stomach-churning horror. While we try to reuse our decorations from year to year, we do customize the overall design to our chosen theme. No one does spooky chic like Martha Stewart, often my source for Halloween inspiration; I've incorporated many of her indoor and outdoor projects and recipes. As a former event stylist, however, I create our own design for décor and menu. Last year, the theme was True Blood-inspired Supernatural. I dressed as a brunette Pam and designed the indoor décor with a touch of Pam's gothic-chic flair. We offer hors d'oeuvres, a signature cocktail, dessert, and make it interactive by asking our guests to bring their favorite autumn brew to share. The most popular dish is the Devilish Eggs (below).

What is your all-time favorite costume and most unforgettable Halloween experience?

devilish eggs
12 large eggs
3 jarred roasted red peppers, finely chopped
1 c mayonnaise
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp coarse salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp hot sauce, such as Tabasco (optional)
1 small red bell pepper, cut into small triangles, for garnish
2 scallions, dark-green parts only, cut into small triangles, for garnish
Fresh chives, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, for garnish
1. Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. 
2. Put eggs into a medium saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to ice-water bath.
3. When eggs are cool, peel, and cut in half lengthwise. Carefully remove yolks, keeping whites intact and transferring whites and yolks to separate bowls. Refrigerate whites.
4. Add roasted peppers, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, and hot sauce (if desired) to yolks. Mash with a fork until smooth. Cover, and refrigerate until stiff, about 30 minutes.
Mound yolk mixture in each egg-white half. Garnish with bell pepper, scallions, and chives to make devilish faces.

ghost in the graveyard
2 oz black vodka
2 oz creme de cacao or coffee-flavored liqueur
1 scoop vanilla ice cream
finely grated nutmeg, for garnish
1. In a glass, combine vodka and creme de cacao, and set aside. 
2. Place ice cream in a highball glass, and slowly pour vodka mixture over ice cream. Garnish with nutmeg; serve immediately.

screwed-up screwdriver
1/4 c ice
1/2 c freshly squeezed tangerine juice
1 1/2 oz black vodka
1 black licorice twist, for serving
1. Place ice in a tall glass. Pour juice into glass. 
2. Pour vodka over the back of a cocktail spoon into glass so it sits on top of juice and creates a layer of black. 
3. Slice 1/4 inch off each end of licorice, and use as a straw. Serve immediately.

berry scary martini
1 c ice
1 oz black vodka
2 oz cherry juice
fresh raspberries and blueberries, for garnish
1. Combine ice, vodka, and cherry juice in a cocktail shaker; shake vigorously. Pour into a martini glass. 
2. Thread raspberries and blueberries onto a cocktail skewer, and place in drink. Serve immediately.

(eggs serve a party of 8, cocktails each serve 1)

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image by natalie @ calliope; typography by Kelly Thorn; photos & recipes of deviled eggs & Halloween cocktails by Martha Stewart

Halloween Revelry

On Halloween, we took a walk around the neighborhood and discovered this fun scene:

We also hosted a Supernatural/True Blood-inspired party. Here are a few highlights:

1. Black with crimson accents with a nod to the Victorian, inspired by Pam:red-ribboned black satin swag, candles floating in black liquid-filled tulip-shaped goblets, black fauna, blood-red carnation posies, black-silhouette screen. 2. blood-red roses & carnations on shimmery black spider-web cloth. 3. Costumes on ladies are not store-bought; pieces were sourced individually. On left: inspired by a wild Pam ensemble (below). On right: glittery evening gown, phoenix necklace  inspired by Twilight's Volturi. 4. Gothic paper curtain pays homage to Pam's Victorian background. Red "veiny" Twizzlers, "blood-dripped" Maxine Fortenberry's red velvet cupcakes, pumpkin cheesecake balls coated in crimson and black sanding sugar, Vampire wine and a pack of True Blood O-positive (blood orange soda).

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event decor, costume design, other photos (house, skeleton in closet, dining room, red centerpiece) by natalie @ calliope
giant spider by stan @ calliope; steps, fireplace, candles by ditheviolinist; 2nd image by HBO

Favorite Halloween Ideas: Indoors

Jack-o-Lantern Candles
*tip: These slipcovers for pillar candle holders look great flickering along a mantle or staring out of windows. Crafting these spooky faces is time consuming, but you can reuse them for future Halloweens if you handle them carefully.



Levitating Trick-or-Treat Table
What a fabulous way to make an impression on your trick-or-treaters!

Bat Silhouettes & Unidentified Shadow

*tip: For maximum "bat cave" effect, use these silhouettes in a foyer or other tighter quarters. Use poster-board for reusability.











Gothic Curtains
*tip: We used these spooky curtains on a pass-through/transom type "window" framing the view into the next room. Best made with poster-board.





Paper Mice
*Although these mice silhouettes look extra creepy-crawly on a staircase, we had the shadow silhouette (above) on our stairs so we used the mice along our living room baseboards and over a few wall frames. You need a lot of mice, which makes this project time-consuming, so plan to get it done at your own "pre-Halloween" craft party. Best with poster-board.

Critters of Hallow's Eve

What I enjoyed most about trick-or-treating was dressing up. Sure, getting mini chocolate bars - the treats - was cool, but the magic was in transforming into a different character every year. The hard part was choosing among so many exciting options...wonderwoman, pirate girl, jellyfish, ballot box. It wasn't just about throwing on a generic costume. It was Costuming - coming up with the concept, having my mom sew the costume (I can't sew!), planning the makeup and accessories. As a kid, which was your favorite costume?

Speaking of accessories, we think these definitely help make kids' costumes not just memorable but award-winning! Which is your fav?

STAND-OUT HELMET COVERS
So. Much. Fun. There is no way kids will go unnoticed in these way too cute helmet covers. They don't have wait until Halloween to dress up; they can be all sorts of critters everyday before and after H day. We have pets, woodland critters, bugs, ocean life, zoo animals and fairytale characters. Grown-ups need not envy; we have some for you too!

GLOW IN THE DARK PEEPER SHOES
Vampires have returned with a vengeance, thanks to the Twilight phenomenon, True Blood and Vampire Diaries. These, however, are not so foreboding and neither are their co-conspirators (pumpkin, bat, ladybug, spider). The eyeballs glow in the dark! Talk about staying in character from head to toe!

TRICK-OR-TREAT BAGS IN DISGUISE
These cute bags moonlight on Halloween as candy-collecting bags that almost seem to talk, dance and run - bags with feet, tails, fins and beaks. Are you a farm animal this Halloween? Use the duckie or cow bag for trick-or-treating. Ocean animal? Go for dolphin or whale. Are you a Harry Potter character this year? Try the wizard or unicorn bag. The best part is that these plush, cuddly bags are reusable. After Halloween, they have an entirely different life as an overnight, sleepover bag. An eco-conscious, great buy.

GOLDEN EGG IS A NEST EGG
A prop with bling, this egg is a nice touch for fairytale, medieval and Harry Potter themes. Think dragon egg! After Halloween, use it as a coin bank.

Favorite Halloween Ideas: Outdoors

I can't get enough of the inventive ideas posted by creative people. I'm like a kid in a candy store when I'm online. Two of my favorite sites for crafty ideas - yes, these are classics - are MarthaStewart.com and BHG.com, especially for Halloween. My husband and I have attempted (successfully, too) to recreate many of the Halloween craft and recipe ideas on these sites. These are my favorite ideas for whimsical-gothic outdoor decor:
Blackened Jack O Lanterns
*tip: squirrel-proof if you paint faux, foam-pumpkins!








Luminary Warning
*tip: use battery-operated lights for fire safety








Witch's Curtain
*tip: don't discard - you can reuse for future Halloweens








Witch Window Silhouette
*tip: reusable - just use posterboard









Witch's Broom
*tip: use lots of dried grass, glue 2" below top tips to bottom of branch and tie with cord

Favorite Halloween Ideas I

I love holidays, because they give us an easy excuse to celebrate, to imagine, to play. After Christmas, my favorite holiday is Halloween because we get to play and be crafty (in a good way). Every year, we decorate the house inside and out, to the amusement of neighbors and trick-or-treaters alike.

Halloween has many styles: gory, gothic, cute, whimsical. Ours is more of a whimsical gothic or spooky whimsical style. We are not interested in staging murderous scenes, so there is no blood and gore in our decor. (Cheesey rhyme, I know.) There is not a single homage to axe murderers or evil spirits. Instead, we like to create a little mystery, a hint of an other-worldly something in the air, in itself an experience a little magical. We use suggestion - an approach more subtle and deliciously goose bump raising - through scent, sight and sound. Fog rolling across the lawn. A light flickering behind a window. Something filmy staring out into the night. Trees grimacing at the sights. Spooky music escaping from the house. The scent of roasting pumpkin seeds dancing in the air. Creepies and crawlies, silhouettes and dazzling pumpkins frolicking inside.

This month, I will share some of my favorite Halloween ideas from the web, starting with a glimpse of those we used at home.

graves: leaf piles, black-painted faux pumpkins with flickering battery-powered votives

dancing ghosts: shower-curtain liners pinned to half-circle styrofoam heads on wooden rods; light at center covered with orange cellophane (check heat safety first)

poster-board silhouette

poster-board silhouettes on painted canvas