I canāt believe itās finally time to grab a bag of your favorite Halloween candy and put on a spooky movie.
School is in full swing, and I need something to look forward to.
I look forward to crisp, cool days after this heatwave -itās killing me. I mean, California changes temperatures; it never changes season, but this humid 90-degree weather needs to stop. I havenāt done much decorating yet, but trust that I will.
I wished I lived alone. I would love to decorate with candles and pumpkins all over. Not very frightening, I know, but Iāve never been a scary girl.
I want to romantize this fall and live a life I love.
my fall bucket list is basic and that means its do.
I say that every year, but I mean it this year. I already brought one of my Halloween costumes. Thatās right, multiple costumes, and I already have one. Iām not running around like a chicken with its head cut off for me this year. We have 40 days to go, and Iām ready.
I already have Halloween desserts I plan to share with you guys starting the first. Iām still finding fun activities for the kids, and Iāll share those, too.
I want to get into a spooky mood; the best way is to watch movies.
Hereās my list of 31 movies to watch this year based on movies my partner or I havenāt seen, donāt remember watching, or didnāt finish. Iām tired of watching the same film yearly, so letās mix it up.
1. Practical Magic ā How anyone has not seen this is beyond me, but he hasnāt.
2. Trick ār Treat ā Iāve never heard of this, but apparently, itās like a highly-rated movie. The little character looks cute, tho.
3. The Birds ā a classic that somehow my partner has missed. It was even filmed in California; I have visited the town it was filmed in twice.
4. Itās the great pumpkin, Charlie Brown. ā this one hurt my soul when he said he vaguely remembered it being on TV but has no memory of it.
5. Rosemaryās Baby ā I joked the new season of American Horror Story was just a Rosemaryās Baby missing the tannis root, and he looked at me like I spoke gibberish, so I added it to the list.
6. House on Haunted Hill -Vincent Price is the master of horror. I have a Vincent Price pin on my jacket, and all this time, my partner thought it was Edgar Allen Poe.
7. The Purge ā Iāve never seen any of this series
8. Sleepy Hallow ā this one we vaguely remember. I only remember Johnny Depp being hot.
9. Carrie (the original) ā I only remember the part with her dress and her mother yelling about it being red.
10. The Blackeningā Iām still mad we missed watching this in theaters
11. The Witches (90s version) ā Weāve seen this, but itās time to introduce my niece to this movie since she is reading the book.
12. Pet Sematary (the remake) ā I usually avoid watching remakes unless itās a Disney live-action, so I donāt know how we agreed to watch this.
13. The Thingā is yet another classic that I have never seen.
14. A Quiet Place ā I never finished this. I watched the first five minutes and then got distracted or disinterested.
15. Cujoā all I know about this movie is that it is about a dog.
16. Amityville horrorā Iāve only seen the remake of this, and it wasnāt horrible, but I heard the original is better.
17. Screamā technically this is like six movies, because I want to watch all of them finally.
18. Frankensteinā my partner never saw this. Not that I blame him. It is black and white and slow, but still fabulous.
19. The Bride of Frankenstein -This man is going to learn about my love for Frankenstein
I mean he knows I love Frankenstein, considering I have these pins
20. Young Frankensteinā the Puttinā on the Ritz scene is legendary.
21. Midsommarā I was told I wouldnāt like it when it was in theaters, so I never tried watching it, but Florence Pugh is in it, and I watched Dont Worry Darling, and Iām sure this is a better movie.
22. The Omen- this movie used to haunt me as a child, so Iāve never rewatched it
23. Silence of the Lambs- I saw Hannibal, but not the movie
24. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?- a classic, but I donāt know if this is a scary movie; it is a thriller for its time.
25. Split- the leading actor deserves all of the awards.
26. Only lovers left alive- itās been on our watchlist on Max forever. All I know is itās about Tom Hiddleston as a vampire.
27. Psycho- I watched Bates Motel, but Iāve never watched Psycho, which is so funny because I love anything by Hitchcock
These movies are in theaters or they will be coming out soon. I attached the trailer to all of them.
Halloween being on a Monday isnāt fair to the kiddos. We got only a handful of trick-or-treaters.
Iām sure most people celebrate during the weekend. I know I did. We had my nieceās Halloween party on Saturday. I made cupcakes, and guys, I made fake edible blood for the first time, and it came out so dark, but the kids didnāt even notice; they just saw sugar.
We made the whole event look super spooky, and I thought the kids would be scared, but nothing scares kids nowadays.
The theme was the living dead. We had our beautiful crispy toxic waste victim Scully (named after x-files), flying ghosties and other little skeletons scattered around. The kids loved it.
If you guys havenāt seen my Instagram, I was Velma from Scooby Doo, and I thought I looked super cute. But six different kids asked me what I was dressed as. So now I feel old. While weāre on the topic, a Velma show is coming out soon. I heard there wouldnāt be a Scooby Doo in the show. So I donāt think I want to watch it. Like itās called Scooby Doo. How do you make a show without the main character?
I just realized itās midnight. Happy Day of the dead.
We have 11 days to Halloween, and I havenāt been my usual Hallowqueen self this year.
I started this month off so strong by watching Hocus Pocus 2 and making spooky crafts. But I havenāt done much since. Itās almost time to see the little cuties dressed as princess and Jedis or whatever the latest trends are.
But it made me realize that my nieceās Halloween party is next weekend, and I forgot to get a costume. I didnāt buy a costume last year since I had to work. And I guess this year, with going to Vegas and visiting my family and everything else; I spaced out.
Now getting a costume isnāt hard. I have Amazon prime- gotta love two-day shipping. But the price of an outfit is ridiculous.
Fifty bucks for a cheaply made costume I couldnāt even wear again next year? You canāt be serious! Donāt even get me started on the fact that I have to pay extra since Iām buying a plus sized costume.
Instead of buying a costume, Iām going to make my own. In a lazy, last-minute type of way. I already had to talk myself out of trying to sew things together. I just decided to use what I had in my closet. I donāt even know if it will be cute. If you couldnāt tell from the title, Iām going as Velma from Scooby Doo.
For the fit. The closest skirt I could find to the one I have currently is on Amazon. Iām just wearing a regular orange t-shirt but I kinda want to get this shirt cuz itās like a mock turtleneck and Velma is known for her turtlenecks.
I would also recommend using thigh or knee high socks but my thunder thighs do not work well keeping socks up. So I wear tights. I think I got mine from target or Walmart but Amazon has some good ones. Iāve used these before and they offer them in orange.
Base Layers: Remove all stickers before doing the base layers. Spray paint was used for the base. I like an even coat so we did two layers with the stray paint. Once the base layers were applied spray with a matte mod podge.
Detailing: this is the easy part. It all depends on what you want your house to look like. I recommend you hunt around and see what you can find that might suit your haunted house. I think twigs, spiders, and pumpkins can be fun.
As a basic witch who loves getting spooky, Iāve been busy.
Every Halloween my friend has a party for her daughter and her friends and other little kiddos who live in the neighborhood. Itās always super cute and fun and we go all out decorating.
The theme this year is a kid-friendly hell house. Weāre going spooky but not too spooky.
I donāt know where my friend gets her ideas from but I love them.
We got a little bit of a headstart on some of the decors since weāre making most of them ourselves.
These milk carton skulls came out amazing. Now they are a little tricky to make.
What youāll need
ā¢ 1 skull made of cement or resin (whatever wonāt melt)
heavy dutyglove
heat gun
ice water
sponge
scissors
electric hot knife
masking tape
glue gun with glue
Steps
Step 1: Set up your guide skull in a safe place to use a heat gun and hot glue so you donāt accidentally set something on fire or melt something you didnāt mean to.
Step 2: Cut the handle off the jug and position the jug over the Guide skull with the long part over the face.
Step 3: Wear gloves. To begin shaping the jug, set the heat gun on HIGH and begin to sculpt but holding the jug about 3 inches from the plastic until it turns clear. Once clear, you should be able to manipulate and shape it. Using your gloved hands, shape the plastic against the Guide skull and tuck at the cheekbones.
Step 4: Now begin to heat the rest of the plastic again until clear. Then grab your sponge and dip it in ice water. This will cause the jug to mold to the skullās details. Press it gently into the nose and eyes to deepen them, but be careful not to rip the plastic. The harder you push, the more detailed it will be, but watch out for tears.
Step 5: Trim the excess plastic under the mouth and tuck the remaining plastic to finish the jaw.
Step 6: Now you can cut the back of the skull to get it off the Guide skull. The easiest way to get it off is to draw a line going up the back of the skull, then a wide V on top. This will create the guide for the Y-incision you will have to cut to get the jug off the skull. Heat your hot knife then cut on the Y-incision guide. A box cutter will also work.
Step 7: Pull the mold forward off the skull. Tape the incision from the outside. Use your hot glue gun to seal the incision closed from the inside. Let dry.
You can fill them with LED lights for a cool nighttime look
If only California had sweater weather. Iām ready to cuddle up with a book and warm tea and enjoy the peace. Instead, Iāll cuddle up with an iced coffee and read.
I Fear My Pain Interests You by Stephanie LaCava is a short novel that follows Margot, the daughter of a famous mother and father. Margot is an aspiring actress but feels the pressure of living in her parentās footsteps build up, so she leaves her hometown and stays at her friendās secluded house in a small village. The book focuses on the characters and Margotās complicated relationships with the people in her life.
I read all my murder mystery books these last two months I needed some drama.
I go into a lot of books blind but I think it allows me to make predictions about the story and analysis the book as Iām reading. These predictions have become helpful when Iām watching a movie or tv because I can infer whatās going to happen in scary movies and makes me less afraid.
My predictions for I Fear My Pain Interest You.
At least one Suicide attempt from the main character.
A toxic relationship with a male. āsaviorā character. āI just want the best for you.ā
A friend will either die or abandon the main character due to the drug abuse and parting
I donāt think the main character will grow as a person. For some reason, the book gives me Breakfast of Tiffanyās vibes
I didnāt get a costume because I assumed I would be working today. Iāll make do with a rainbow unicorn headband and rainbow makeup.
Iām going to my friendās house for a Halloween party. Itās for my niece and her friends, and Iām just going as an extra chaperon.
The setup looks Fang-tastic.
We decided to make the game the floor is lava to a whole new level. All it takes is a couple of cans of expanding foam, orange, and black spray paint, string lights, and a random piece of cardboard or plywood you donāt care to get ruined. We got everything from Walmart.
Put down our cardboard, bunched up the string lights, and just started spraying the foam on top, waited for it to dry for about 20 minutes, and poured some paint on it. we got inspiration from this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w6Tft040jU
We did this as a way to keep the kiddos away from the side of the house. You always have that one kid who wants to wanter, and the last thing we need is a kid to wander out the side gate on their own.
So on top of having three giant bags of candy we have to give to the kids, we have two dozen cupcakes, a bunch of Halloween cookies we found at Albertson, chips, and weāre ordering pizza. The party starts at 2. wish us luck.
If youāre out partying tonight, trick or treating, or just staying home, I have a delightfully spooky and safe Halloween!
Itās time to dust off those skeletons in the closets and put them in the front yard if you havenāt already. Halloween is Scary close.
Since the weather wants to be unbe-leaf-able, Iāve decided to force a vibe. Can California pick a season? Somedays itās super hot and sunny and others weāre getting nice windy days.
I just want to get a taste of fall. And since today is the perfect day to stay bundled up Iāve decided to make a fall favorite. Itās nothing too fancy, but I love the autumn feel that butternut squash and sweet potatoes give off.
I originally made this meal when my boyfriend met my grandmother for the first time. So whenever I make it now, I think of her. I miss her, and Iām still sad sheās gone, but she is in a better place now.
Roasted Vegetables
1 cup fingerling potatoes cubed
1 cup baby carrotsĀ
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 cup broccoliĀ
1 cup Brussel sprouts, halved
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
*For a keto diet, replace fingerling potatoes with turnips
Preheat oven to 400Ā°. Generously coat a sheet pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.
Spread the vegetables out on the sheet pan in a single layer.
Mix together the olive oil, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a small bowl.Ā
Drizzle the olive oil mixture over the top; use your hands to toss the vegetables around to evenly coat.
Roast for 20 minutes before using a large spatula to flip the vegetables.
Resume roasting for another 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and starting to caramelize. Then serve.
Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts
6 chicken breasts (thin, boneless, and skinless)
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon onion powder
3 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
3 tablespoons olive oil
Combine flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning in a large bowl. Stir well to blend.Ā
Coat the chicken breasts in the flour mixture and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.Ā
Once the skillet is hot, place flour-coated chicken breasts in the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown on both sides. Turning once between cooking, about 8-10 minutes.Ā
Remove chicken from pan and serveĀ
The best side for this meal is a Halloween playlist my friend made.
Goblins and ghoulies from last Halloween, awaken the spirits with your tambourine.
Does anyone know where this quote is from?
Ā I cant wait to celebrate Halloween. I usually plan months ahead of time, but this year everything Halloween-related was planned last-minute.Ā
Does anyone else realize how fast this month has gone? October is almost oct-over. Talk about disappointment. Now I know what my parents must have felt when they finally read my blog.
Iāve been trying to force a vibe for the past two weeks, and while my family was hesitant at first, Iām proud to announce that my family has caught onto my festive mood. The biggest shock of the season was my brother, and he came up with his own fall checklist, which pumpkin-spiced things up. This guy has it all, from leaf art to trying a pumpkin spice latte for the first time.Ā
I recommend everyone creates a fall checklist. Try going to a local harvest festival, having a bonfire with sā mores, going on a hay-ride, and baking fall cookies. My favorite place to go to for a spicetacular time is Moapa Valley Corn Maze in Nevada. I settled for Tanaka Farms in Irvine this year.
I will say that there is nothing better than being surrounded by fresh pumpkin, except going home and making something with those pumpkins?
Now I know some of you arenāt as Spooktactualar as I am, so I decided to share with you mere mortals my ultimate fall cookie recipe. Give āEm Pumpkin to Talk About cookies.
For those who have never been introduced, hereās the basic gist. A light, moist, refreshing dessert with pumpkin as a bonus! These are probably the softest, fluffiest cookies, like little pumpkin pillows that melt in your mouth.
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 cup pure pumpkin
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
1 tablespoons milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350Ā° F. Grease baking sheets.
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl.Ā
Beat sugar and 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter in a large mixer bowl until well blended.Ā
Beat in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla extract, and milk until smooth.
Gradually beat in flour mixture and chocolate chips.
Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until the edges are firm.Ā
Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
Please let me know how it turned out for you.
Feel free to send in cute pictures of your spooky decorations, costumes, and any fall recipes you are willing to part with.
