FREE - HALLOWEEN CUPCAKE TOPPERS

CURRENT MOOD: Inspired to get creative!

While I was on another one of my travels on the interweb today, I came across these adorable cupcake toppers and I thought I would share the three ones I liked the most! They were made by some amazing artists so check out their sites too I will link them from the images.

I think I will be creating a special set of cup cake toppers just for you guys! I have got so much inspiration today from all the websites, magazines and television shows I've watched today I can barely keep up with all the things I want to do and create!

 



♥ HALLOWEEN WARS on the Food Network

CURRENT MOOD:  Indescribable...

 

I found out about this show from a friend of mine only this year and I have no idea how I missed it!

Halloween Wars is a show on the Food Network where five teams made up of a pumpkin carver, cake decorator, and a candy maker battle it out to create spooky Halloween focused displays and the winning team gets a prize of 50,000 dollars to share. This season began on October 7th 2012 and I just watched the final episode the other day and let me tell you these people are so talented, the ideas they come up with are amazing!

I have been so impressed with the pumpkin carvers and the faces they have created each episode... I am not surprised that team "Dead Man Walking" won the competition in the end they always seemed to come out on top in one way or another.

♦ COUPON - FRIGHT CATALOG - "TREAT"

CURRENT MOOD: I'm feeling a little Devilish...

Look what I found! Another treat for all you special people out there! FREE SHIPPING ON ANY ORDER OVER $100.00 AT FRIGHT CATALOG.COM! That's pretty sweet, I mean... we all know how expensive shipping can be!

♥ RANDOM INTERSTING FACTS

CURRENT MOOD: Feeling a little funny... Haha!

• HALLOWEEN HAS SEVERAL DIFFERENT NAMES!
  All Hallows Eve, Samhaim, Hallowtide, The Feast of the Dead, Hallowe'en, All Saints Even, El Dia De Los Muertos!
• HALLOWEEN CELEBRATIONS DATE BACK 2000 YEARS!
• THE TRADITION OF WEARING MASKS COMES FROM THE CELTIC AND WELSH!
  The masks are intended to keep spirits of the dead from recognizing the living on October 31st as tradition states this is when they visit!
• ALMOST 99% OF PUMPKINS ARE SOLD AS JACK O' LANTERNS FOR HALLOWEEN!
• HALLOWEEN IS THE SECOND MOST COMMERCIALLY SUCCESSFUL DAY!
• IN 2009, HALLOWEEN COSTUME SALES EXCEEDED 6 BILLION DOLLARS!
  62% of these were adult oriented costumes!
• IN 1964 Helen Pfeil of Greenlawn NY was arrested for handing out ARSENIC LACED TREATS!
• IN THE AMERICAS DURING THE 1800'S THE END OF THE HARVEST SEASON WAS CELEBRATED AT THE END OF OCTOBER BY WEARING COSTUMES, PLAYING PRACTICAL JOKES AND EATING TREATS!

• EACH PUMPKIN CONTAINS ABOUT 500 SEEDS!
  You could grow a lot of pumpkins with that!
• 90% OF PARENTS ADMIT TO SNEAKING GOODIES FROM THEIR KIDS TREAT BAGS!
• 30% OF CHILDREN SORT THEIR CANDY AFTER RETURNING HOME!
• MORE CANDY IS SOLD ON OCTOBER 28TH THAN ANY OTHER DAY OF THE YEAR!
• THE LARGEST PUMPKIN EVER WEIGHED WAS 2009 LBS!
  Grown by Ron Wallace, it even broke a world record!
• THE FIRST JACK O' LANTERNS WERE ORIGINALLY MADE FORM TURNIPS!
• 3,734,401 is the number of trick-or-treating aged kids in Canada, defined as those between five and 14 years old!
• $355.9 MILLION IS THE AMOUNT OF CANDY SOLD ACROSS CANADA LAST OCTOBER!
• 88,400 TONNES IS THE AMOUNT OF PUMPKINS GROWN IN CANADA LAST YEAR!

♠ THE SAFE GUIDE to Trick "OR" Treating!

CURRENT MOOD: Worried about your SAFETY!

This is a little different from my general blog break down but I had to do a safety guide for Trick "OR" Treating on Halloween because everyone should have a safe, FUN, and happy night tonight!

1. Try Trick "OR" Treating during daylight to dusk hours, otherwise keep a flashlight with you and make sure your children have glow sticks, blinkers, or reflective tape to make them more visible.
2. Try thinking of costume ideas that are bright and colourful that way you can easily see your child if they run ahead this also helps motorists see them as they are driving. 
3. If you choose to drive, move with extreme caution on roadways, children are very unpredictable so be prepared to make a quick stop if required.
4. Rethink costumes that will limit a child’s eyesight, hearing, or overall mobility - safety is key.
5. Only Trick "OR" Treat in a well lit areas. Remind your children to walk from house to house and to use designated sidewalks, and crosswalks when crossing the street.
6. Adults should accompany younger children and keep a close eye on them, particularly those under the age of 12. We all know older children can be a little put off by this so try to keep your distance to not put a damper on the evening...- Set up a route for them to follow with good neighbours and tag along a few houses behind this will keep you at ease knowing they are safe.- Otherwise try to set a strict time for your children to be home if they are going off alone, make sure they have planned their route out and give them a cell phone in case of emergency.
7. Do not allow your children to eat candy along the route, if you do bring a special bag from home that you *KNOW* is safe, that way you can fully inspect all the candy once you get home.

BE SAFE AND HAVE FUN THIS HALLOWEEN!

  

♦ COUPON - SPIRIT HALLOWEEN - "LastDays"

CURRENT MOOD: SHOCKED! About amazing savings! 

Last minute Halloween costume shopping? I've been there... this is a great coupon that can help you in your mad rush to find a great costume or even a last minute decoration for your haunted house! Check it out below! 

♠ HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM ALL HALLOWS' NIGHT

CURRENT MOOD: HAPPY... FOR HALLOWEEN!



Wow fast forward to the best day of the year, am I right?
Our countdown clock has finally reached zero!
So... HAPPY HALLOWEEN, to all the little ghosts and goblins out there!
Sorry for the lack of posts the last few day, it is currently university midterm time in Canada... and I've been living under a rock... Sheesh!

Though today I will be posting a few different things...
So prepare to be amazed at how fast my fingers can type!
Hahaha!

♥ Follow Me on Pinterest!

 CURRENT MOOD: Pleased with my Pinnnnnterest!



As I'm sure you have noticed by now... I am on Pinterest!!! 

I absolutely adore the infinite scroll of all the neat images on Pinterest!

I have created a Halloween board that I am constantly adding new images to and by constantly I mean multiple times  a day... no joke... I enjoy more spooky adult oriented Halloween  ideas... so  my Halloween board reflects that! Just click on the logo above and you'll be taken directly to the All Hallows' Night  Halloween board! Plus, when you are bored of that you can always check out the other things I'm interested in on the other boards!

RECIPE OF THE DAY - Spooky S'mores

CURRENT MOOD: Hungry for s'mores....



Over the last few years I have gathered quite a collection of tasty Halloween treats! Here is one of my favorites for the fall season, it is the perfect time of year for this warm gooey s'more! It is so easy to make and you don't need to light a fire to do it!

YOU NEED

•     Graham Crackers
•     Milk Chocolate Candy Bar
•     Marshmallows

OPTIONAL

•     String Licorice
•     Red Candies

DIRECTIONS

1.) Begin by setting your oven to broil, on a cookie sheet put down tinfoil or parchment paper, and line up the number of s'more you want to make. Break off a piece of your chocolate bar and place it on top of the graham cracker, and place one marshmallow on its side on top of the chocolate. (Add another marshmallow if you want it extra gooey.) Allow this to broil in the oven for a few seconds, keep a good eye on it and remove when you see the chocolate is getting soft, and the marshmallow has taken a nice golden brown color.

2.) After removing the pan from the oven safely, top your s'mores off with the second graham cracker, serve immediately for best results.

OPTIONAL: Cut your stringed licorice into small sections about an inch in length, for each s'more add 4 licorice pieces along two opposite sides to represent the legs of a spider. Finally add two red candies of your choice to one of the unused sides to represent eyes, and there you have it! Spider S'mores!

RECIPE OF THE DAY - BLOODY BROKEN GLASS

CURRENT MOOD: ... ... ... that is all. 



I love this idea for a spooky more grown up Halloween Party, this will really bring the scary to your snack table! This is the most straight forward, simple, and uncomplicated version I could find!

WHAT YOU NEED

• 1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
• 3/4 Cup Water
• Red Food Coloring
  

DIRECTIONS

Step 1.) In a sauce pan bring granulated sugar and water to a boil stirring regularly, until sugar completely dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-high, and cook until mixture just begins to turn pale gold around the edges. 

Step 2.) Remove from heat, and immediately pour caramel mixture onto a rimmed cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Step 3.) Working quickly, tilt the pan to spread caramel to edges making a thin layer. While the caramel is still tacky begin splashing red food coloring over it this will give the  appearance of blood spatters.

Step 4.) Let cool to harden. Twist the pan to release the caramel. Break into pieces in order for it to resemble broken glass. Keep it on the cookie tray or transfer it to a serving platter!

DO IT YOURSELF - PUMPKIN CARVING BASICS

CURRENT MOOD: Relaxing, after a long night of pumpkin carving.

 

STEP 1.) CARVING TOOLS 

Begin by picking a pumpkin that will fit the pattern you want to carve. You will need a carving kit or at least a set of tools to get the job done. You can buy them at the store fairly inexpensively or use things around your house. Some things that will double as great pumpkin carving tools are steak knives, metal spoons, and push pins.

STEP 2.) PATTERNS

There are tons of options for pumpkin patterns; you can find them online, in books, in carving kits, or you can even free hand them! After choosing the perfect pumpkin pattern, use push pins to secure it; just make sure the pattern sits flat on the pumpkin. Then using a push pin poke holes along the lines of the pattern. Remove the pattern and put it aside for reference.

STEP 3.) GUTTING

Start by creating a lid in the top of the pumpkin with a knife making sure to cut at an angle so your lid won't fall inside. Remove the pumpkin seeds and strings with your hands. (Save them for snacks, planting, or toss them out!) Then use a scoop tool or metal spoon to scrape the walls down and clean up the interior of the pumpkin. Give it a good rinse out and begin carving!
 

STEP 4.) CARVING

Using a carving saw tool or knife,  push it straight into the pumpkin along one of the lines you transferred, begin sawing in a straight in and out motion following your lines. When you are done carving, poke the pieces out gently, if you did not keep a perfect straight line you may have to poke some pieces out from the inside. Most pumpkin patterns show the areas to be removed in gray, make sure you follow the pattern to get the best results.

STEP 5.) COMPLETION

Once you are done carving your pumpkin give it a rinse, this will help to give it moisture as well as clean out any extra bits that you may have missed. Store your pumpkin in a cool place to aid in preservation and to keep it from drying out and shriveling up. Illuminating your pumpkin can be done several ways some examples are candles, lighters, corded lights, and battery powered LED candles.


Personally I prefer using the battery powered LED candles as they do not tend to dry out the pumpkin as quickly, will not burn or blow out, and are much safer than the other options.

You can use toothpicks to stick pieces back onto the pumpkin in case they had fallen off when you were removing the excess. I had to to do this in my example but I bet you cannot tell which piece it is!

♥ HALLOWEEN CLASSICS

CURRENT MOOD: Excited! For new Halloween Movies!

Okay by now you all know I love Halloween but I also love animated movies, in lieu of Halloween I wanted to do a post about the Halloween movies from my childhood that always help to get me into the HALLOWEEN SPIRIT! On a side note though... 

I can't wait to see Frankenweenie and Hotel Transylvania! 

THE HALLOWEENTOWN SERIES

• Halloweentown
• Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge
• Hallloweentown High
• Return to Halloweentown

I literally have watched this series every year since I was a kid... Basically the movies follow the Cromwell children as they develop their powers with the help of their mother and grandmother. I wont go into any more detail than that so I don't spoil it for anyone, but it is for sure a family oriented movie! 

I do have to say though I much preferred the original main character of Marnie Cromwell, played by Kimberly J. Brown as opposed to Sara Paxton in the final movie of the series. I hate when the main characters change! Sheesh!

BEETLEJUICE 

• Beetlejuice
  

Okay... so I will always love the movie Beetlejuice, it isn't necessarily a Halloween movie but it still has many spooky aspects!  It is creepier than the other movies so I would probably stick to slightly older children. The premise of the film is that a couple of newly weds who are recently deceased contract the services of a "bio-exorcist" in order to remove the obnoxious new owners of their home.

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS 

• The Nightmare Before Christmas

I love Tim Burton's writing style, probably because it seems to always be on the spooky side of things... but every movie he writes it becomes one of my favorites and this one is no exception! I could have done an entire post about Tim Burton but who would really want to read that! Haha! The concept of the movie is that the main character Jack Skellington, king of Halloweentown, discovers Christmas Town, but doesn't quite understand what it is! It is a very spooky animated movie! Seriously love it!

THE ADDAM'S FAMILY

• The Addams Family

So the Addam's  Family is a classic film from the 90's and while I'm sure everyone knows them too by now the basic premise of this movie is that con artists plan to fleece the eccentric family using an accomplice who claims to be their long lost Uncle Fester. The family soon realizes that the person is not actually the real Uncle Fester!

THE HARRY POTTER SERIES

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2

Classic right? A Halloween Spirit movie post mentioning Harry Potter... I actually really did enjoy the Harry Potter series and while again it isn't a Halloween based film it does deal with aspects of Halloween... witches and wizards... by now I'm sure most people know what the film is about so I won't go into it, but on the plus side it will keep you entertained for HOURS!

TWITCHES SERIES

• Twitches 
• Twitches Two

This one is a good family oriented Halloween movie series as well, it focuses on two twin witches separated at birth who come back into each others lives in the human world. Again this is a family movie with nothing very scary involved, it is a pretty simple premise but a cute movie all together.

♦ COUPON - Spirit Halloween "SCREAMING SAVINGS"

CURRENT MOOD: Sicky, sick, sick...



I am feeling a little under the weather today so this is going to be a short post but I just had to share this deal. I'm going to try to do this anytime I come across a coupon for a Halloween store. Be sure to check back for more offers as I find them, only 20 days until Halloween so this is the time when they really start posting deals.

So the deal this week I found is $5.00 off any purchase of $15.00 or more at Spirit Halloween, this includes both their box stores and online. It is a limited time offer going from today October 11th  to October 14th 2012, so you do not have much time to take advantage of it.

I checked out their pop up store in town last week and while they hadn't completely put up all the displays, it did seem like they had a lot more this year than years past. The details of the coupon and the online code are below if you want to check them out.

RECIPE OF THE DAY - Wilton Spooky Pops

CURRENT MOOD: Feeling a little batty... Maybe it is bed time...



Okay so this is not really a recipe but a neat kit you can pick up, it makes 10 cookie pops, but you get a lot of extra supplies in the kit which will last a while if you have other things to decorate for Halloween.

I would suggest not adding as much milk and butter as it says on the icing packages as mine came out a little runny which made for a messier looking finished product, and I would also suggest not using their icing tip in one of the icing bags provided as for the black icing you need more accuracy than what it provides.

It comes with little plastic bags for each Spooky Cookie Pop to get wrapped up in and a sticker to wrap around the plastic bag to close it up. The whole kit was $10.00 at Micheal's Craft Supply store and it took me about 1 hour to do all of them.

I imagine this would be a fun activity for families to do together, its quick and easy and fairly easy clean up. Over all it is a good product and would suggest it if you want a easy kit to try out!

♥ Neat Halloween Bottle Labels

CURRENT MOOD: Grumpy - I don't want to wake up early tomorrow. *SIGH*


I love the idea of decorating your wine or pop bottles with Halloween or party themed labels, so while I was at Micheal's Crafts Supply store today I came across these self adhesive ones. I know you can get cheaper versions from dollar stores or you can even make them yourself for free which I have done in the past.

These Martha Stewart ones I found just so happened to be on sale for five dollars for the pack, and I think they will look awesome on a wine bottle. When I made them my own Halloween Labels, I simply printed out the ones I liked which I found online, cut them out with scissors carefully, and  used clear packing tape to stick them onto my drink bottles. Pretty simple process and the packing tape makes the paper labels water resistant which is a bonus! Maybe I will look into making some for my next round of free images, but until then these are a great option to try.

I love these ones they are well made and look very realistic in comparison to the cheap ones you find else where. Adults will be impressed, children on the other hand likely will not care one way or the other!

♥ HALLOWEEN AVATARS BY "~deleket" ON deviantART

CURRENT MOOD: So thankful!



I have had many people ask where I found my Halloween Avatar set that I use as my "CURRENT MOOD" at the top of my blog posts. ... I was scrolling on deviantART and came across them and found out they were free for personal use from the AMAZING artist Jojo Mendoza! (~deleket) I left the link so you can easily find the page but their direct website is www.deleket.com! There are 42 adorable Halloween avatars, the image below gives a great sample of what you can download at their main deviantART page!

RECIPE OF THE DAY - ADULTS ONLY - JELLO SHOTS

CURRENT MOOD: Wishing she had some Jell-O Shots...



My friends and family *LOVE* Jell-O Shots and I have perfected my Jell-O Shot recipe and will pass it along to you to! With this recipe, you can barely tell that they are made with any alcohol but believe me... there is, and you will feel it in no time! I personally like to switch out the 1/2 of cold water for some fruit juice or energy drink depending on the party! Just make sure you stick with the correct amounts according to below or the box you are using, otherwise it may not turn out. Let's get started!

WHAT YOU NEED

1 -  3oz Box of  Jell-O Mix
1 Cup  - Boiling Water
1/2 Cup - Vodka
1/2 Cup - Cold Water

1 Large Glass Pyrex Measuring Cup
1 Mixing Spoon 
1 Metal Cookie Tray
30 PLASTIC Shot Glasses
Kettle

DIRECTIONS

Step 1.) Begin by boiling 1 cup of water in the kettle, once it comes to a full boil pour the water into your large Pyrex measuring cup and add the Jell-O powder, mix for 1 minute or until all the powder has fully merged with the water; there should not be any crystals left.

Step 2.) Pour in the 1/2 cup of Vodka and 1/2 cup of cold water into the Pyrex measuring cup, mix thoroughly for about 1 minute. The Jell-O Shot mix should now be ready to pour.

Step 3.) On your metal cookie tray begin lining up your shot glasses once all of the glasses are on the tray begin pouring your Jell-O Shot mix into them - leaving a small gap at the top. Refrigerate according to the directions on the box, this normally takes 2 - 3 hours, and enjoy!

HELPFUL HINTS

• Sometimes Jell-O can be hard to get out of shot glasses so I personally will mist a little cooking spray over all the glasses before I pour the mix.
• Put plastic wrap over top of the entire cookie sheet and filled shot glasses and lightly run your hand over top, this will create a seal on the shot glasses and make them more steady as your transport them! (Plus keep out any odors from your fridge! No one wants a Jell-O Shot that tastes like an onion! EW!)
• Once they have set completely in the fridge try transferring them to a serving platter, that goes with your party theme! Perfect Halloween Party Jell-O flavors are Grape, Lime, and Orange!
• Shake the plastic cup back and fourth to help release the Jell-O from the sides and make it easily fall out!  
• AVOID using paper or wax lined cups for Jell-O Shots; for some reason the mixture will soak through even the wax lined ones and will make for a very big mess!

FREE IMAGES - Danger Sign Set

CURRENT MOOD: Indescribable... 22 DAYS UNTIL HALLOWEEN!



Just as I promised, here are more FREE Halloween oriented signs you can use at your next extravaganza! Again, as I come up with new ideas for scary or funny Halloween signs I will be sure to post them! Enjoy! If you need the full quality PDF images just let me know in the comment section below or copy and paste should work just fine!