EverAfterLand

A Happy {Honduran} Halloween!

{Your eyes do not deceive you - this really is a post about Halloween!  And your calendar does not deceive you, either, I am just very, very, VERY late getting this one posted.  Enjoy!}

I don't think it's any big surprise that Honduras has their own set of holidays.  Or that they don't celebrate all the same holidays that we do in The States.  They are a whole separate country, after all.

But, being the true 'Mericans that we are, we insisted on finding a way to celebrate Halloween, even if the rest of the country was clueless as to what we were doing!

Essentially, there are three main components to Halloween:

1. Costumes
2. Trick-or-Treating
3. Pumpkin Carving

Checking off this list in a Central American country is not always easy, but we were not going to be deterred!

Pumpkins

The big Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins that are the mascot of Halloween just plain don't exist here.  In fact, I still don't know what the word for "pumpkin" actually is in Spanish.  Hondurans call them simply "calabaza."  Which means "squash."  Technically true - a pumpkin is a squash - but so are a lot of things.  Acorn, spaghetti, and butternut, are some of the others, to name a few.  The lack of a separate word was made woefully obvious today when the Lunch Menu in the Embassy cafeteria boasted a side dish of "Pumpkin and Vegetables," only to be dissappointed by a tray full of baked zucchini.

The few actual orangey pumpkins that can be found stocked at the beginning of October are imported. 

And Imported = Expensive.

Miss Priss, Lil' Miss Sunshine and I were at the local PriceSmart (the Latin American Costco) when they spied a display of pumpkins.  Giddy, they ran over and each picked one up.

"PUT THOSE DOWN RIGHT NOW!"  I ordered, as if they were tossing around Fabrege Eggs.  "Those pumpkins are $30 a piece, and I don't want to pay for it if you drop one!"

Gingerly, they placed the fruit back on top of the pile.

Nope, no pumpkins for us this year!

But that doesn't mean we can't improvise. 

After all, a squash is a squash is a squash, right?

I found these little beauties at The Mercado one morning.  They're cute, they're little, they're very, very green, but with a little paint, they are just perfect!

PUMPKINS......... check!

Costumes

There are a few stores here in Tegucigalpa that sell some Halloween things.  Most, of course, are leftovers from Halloweens Past, as in "the stuff that didn't sell in The States."  Want the latest Frozen or Ninja Turtle costume?  You're probably not going to find it here. 

No matter, because my little princesses didn't want to be either of those things! 

Instead, we had a Rainbow Butterfly....

And Toothless the Dragon from the movie How To Train Your Dragon.

Fortunately, I'm not afraid to break out the sewing machine, or take on the task of creating a costume from the few working brain cells I have left.

COSTUMES...... check!

Trick-or-Treating

Trick-or-Treating is much tougher to accomplish in a country like this.  Not only do most of the population have no idea what you are talking about (or even why you are wearing a costume), there's that whole walking-in-the-streets-at-night-is-probably-gonna-get-you-shot thing to contend with.

Fortunately, we are part of an outstanding U.S. Embassy who takes care of our Holiday Yearnings!

The CLO (or Community Liason Office) managed to put on, not just one, but TWO fabulous events to entertain the kiddies!

The first happens on a Saturday in October, and fulfills the need of a traditional Trick-or-Treat experience.  The Embassy uses one of the gated communities (they're almost all gated around here!) in the area.  First, there's a little party, akin to an elementary school's Fall Festival, with a bounce house, face painting and little crafts.  Plus a potluck of tasty desserts (gotta get the kids hopped up on sugar before they go find some more sugar!)

After a little Costume Parade,  the Trick-or-Treaters are let loose into the small neighborhood to fill up those candy bags - only to the houses that previously agreed to participate, of course. 

The whole event is about the closest you can come to a US-style Halloween in all of Honduras!

Our second event is held during the week, and is a Trick-or-Treat throughout the Embassy.  Each department decorates their section of the four-story building, and then the kids are escorted through to get their candy! 

The CLO holds a Decorating Contest, so some of these displays were pretty creepy!  Twice, Miss Priss refused to get her candy.  And, yes, Miss Priss is the older one!  One display in particular had a man dressed as Frankenstein's Monster.  An already tall guy, he taped styrofoam boxes to the bottoms of his shoes, to make himself even more intimidating.  He didn't use a mask, utilizing make-up for his green monster face.

Miss Priss made fun of the packing tape on his shoes.

And then refused go near him.

Not even for C-A-N-D-Y!!

After we were safely home, plopped on the couch, sifting through candy buckets, I asked Miss Priss if she knew who the Frankenstein was.

She thought for a while, made a few guesses, and then cried, "Just tell me who it is!"

"It was your best friend's dad!!  I can't believe you didn't recognize him!"

TRICK-OR-TREATING....... check!

There was a lot of fun to be had this past Halloween!  Still, I'll be glad when we are back in The States, where this holiday can be done properly.  I mean, what kind of decent Trick-or-Treat bag DOESN'T contain one single Snickers???

 

The Ever {Cr}After: DIY Egg Crate Spiders For Spooky Halloween Decorating!

(This post contains affiliate links, which means I will receive a few cents from any purchase made when you click through the link.  You literally have the opportunity to give me your "two cents!"  Thank you for your support!)

Halloween is coming up fast (OK, so maybe it just passed, but you can pin this one to Pinterest for next year!), and if you're looking for a little something to add that special touch of creeptastic horror to your decor (or maybe just something to keep the kids busy) then The Ever {Cr}After has a project for you!

Watch out, because here come the Egg Crate Spiders!

Don't let the cuteness fool you - these little critters are malicious!

These are such fun to make, and super easy, too.  Ready to get started?  Here we go!

SUPPLY LIST

• Paper Egg Crate
• Utility Knife or Old Parring Knife
• Scissors
• Fuzzy Pipe Cleaners
• Paints (we used acrylics for quick, bright color, but temperas will work, too)
• Small (7mm) Googly Eyes (+ glue, if they are not self-stick)
• Metallic Silver Fine-Tipped Permanent Marker

 

CONSTRUCTION

Carefully cut apart your empty egg crate.  (Hopefully, you've already safely stored those eggs - that would be a different sort of Halloween nightmare!)  Use a box cutter or an old knife to perform this task.  Unless you want weirdly mangled-looking spiders, then the scissors will do just fine!

After the separation, you will have a bunch of these little ditties. 

Now you can grab those scissors and use them to make four small cuts around a bottom arch.  Place these cuts on one side, then on the side directly opposite.  These will house the spider's legs.

Get that newspaper out and paint those lil' buggers!  Make sure that paintbrush is dried off well with a paper towel between water dousings, otherwise your spiders will take forever to dry!

Originally, we painted the spiders first, then cut out the leg slots.  I think you would be fine to cut the slots first and then paint, especially if you are prepping these for a class party or something.

Line up four pipe cleaners side-by-side and put a couple of twists in the center.  Then spread the legs apart.

For this example, I used full-length pipe cleaners, making for a giant, Daddy Long Legs sort of spider.  When we had made our original painted spiders, I cut the pipe cleaners down, which allows them to fit on household decor better.  So feel free to make these legs as long or as short as you want, depending on how you plan to use them!

Next up, take those spindly spider legs and shove each leg into a leg slot.  When you are done, it'll look like this from below.

And like this from above!

Bend the legs up and then down until you get something that looks like.....

....THIS!!  AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Whew!  Were you scared, too?  I told you they are spooooky!!!

Anyway, as you can see, I did not paint this example spider, so I took a permanent marker and drew a little face on.  Miss Priss informs me that it needs eyelashes.  I just can't do anything right!

These spiders are so fun, and you do not have to paint them.  Because egg crate paper is so porous, you could just as easily give the kids some washable markers and have them color the cups before adding those legs!

Whichever coloring method you use, you now want to add the googly eyes, and then use that metallic permanent marker to add a mouth, nose or whatever other facial features your little critter desires.

And when you are done, you'll have a whole ARMY of.....

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

To find more DIY and crafting ideas, head over to The Ever {Cr}After page!

The Ever {Cr}After: Turn A Paper Lunch Sack Into An Easy Halloween Treat Bag!

(This post contains affiliate links, which means I will receive a few cents from any purchase made when you click through the link.  You literally have the opportunity to give me your "two cents!"  Thank you for your support!)

Halloween means candy.

And where there is candy, there is someone trying to find an organized way to distribute it!

Whether it's a class party or a costume contest, these Ever {Cr}After Halloween Treat Bags crafted from inexpensive brown paper lunch sacks and a plastic grocery bag will add a flourish to the ghoulish fun!!

First off, let's gather our supplies!

SUPPLY LIST

• Brown Paper Lunch Sacks
• Paper Punch for Edges (NOT a "Double Edge Punch")
• Plastic Grocery Bag
• Scissors
• Hole Punch (the one used here has a 2" reach)
• Crochet Hook, Size D (may not be necessary if using a larger hole punch)
• Gobs of Ooey Gooey Candy and Treats!

 

CONSTRUCTION

To shorten the bags in a fairly uniform way, fold the bottom edge of the bag up towards the top, then use the line made by that bottom edge as a cutting guide.

Be careful to cut about 1/4" away from the bottom edge.  Cutting too closely may result in cutting through that bottom, and then your candy will have a very hard time staying put!

When you are done, you will have a stack of shorter lunch bags, and a pile of bag tops.  STASH THOSE BAG TOPS WITH YOUR CRAFT SUPPLIES!!   My brain is already churning about what to do with these perfect little ringed gems.  Christmas, if you don't already know, is right around the corner!

Did you put those cut-off bag tops in a safe place?  Are you sure? OK, good!  Moving on...

Grab your edge punch.  Mine is a Martha Stewart spider punch I procured a few years back, but any delightfully spooky punch will do!

Ever {Cr}After Tip: With an Edge Punch, it is easiest to begin punching in the center.  In this way you have the uncut paper edges on either side to line up the puncher with.  A lot more accurate than trying to line it up with just one side!

After punching in the center, line up one side and punch....

Then line up the other side.

There! A creepily crawly top edge!

Next, grab your hole punch, and make two holes a couple inches down from the top of the bag.

If you have a rubber "Happy Halloween" stamp and an ink pad, now would be the time to use that on the front of your bag.  Or grab a marker and let the kids sign their names.  Or maybe drizzle on a little "fake blood" to really creep the kids out.  Whatever you wanna do to personalize your Treat Bags, do it now before you fill them with candy!

This is a quick way to cut up the plastic grocery bag.  But I am fortunate to have a bag with no writing on it. If your bag has writing on one side that you don't want to use, then cut the front of the bag off and use only the unmarked side.

But first, cut off the bottom of the bag, then spread out the folded sides so it lays flat.

Make a perpendicular fold (so the bag's handles are together).  On the "open" side, there will be two loops, cut each of those apart, straight up the side of the bag.  On the "fold" side, there will be one loop, cut that loop apart.  There will be four pieces of bag, but keep all the pieces layered on top of one another.

Fold the bag perpendicular one more time, so it is long and skinny and both handles are still to one side.  Then, starting at the bottom, cut strips, about 2" wide, all the way up the bag.  Each "slice" will yield four strips, one strip for each Treat Bag.  Cut as many strips as you need.  (I made 30 Treat Bags and used just over half of one bag.)

Now the fun part!  Fill the bag with all sorts of Halloween Goodness!!

One for them...one for me....two for them....three for me.......

(My hole punch is pretty tiny, so I had to use a small crochet hook for this step.  If your punch makes a larger hole, you could probably do this step without the hook.)

With candy nestled safely in your Treat Bags, use the crochet hook to help pull each end of the plastic strip through from the back to the front.

And after both sides are pulled through.....

Tie the ends in a knot.

Voila!  Your Halloween Treat Bags are ready for any ghosts or goblins that may come your way!

These can be personalized in so many ways.  Have an extra wide-tipped marker?  Add a swipe of color to the tops of the bags before using the edge punch.  Have a gift tag?  Punch a hole in the top and string it onto the plastic bag strip.  Have a snowflake edge punch?  Then use your Treat Bags for Christmas or even a Frozen Themed Birthday Party!

Let me know how your Brown Paper Treat Bags turned out.  And if any Zombies were there to lend a hand!

 

Want more DIY and craft ideas?  Then head over to The Ever {Cr}After page!

Ever After Creativity Corner - Cravings, The True Mother Of Invention

I have to admit, I didn't quite know what to do with the five pound bucket of refrigerated cookie dough that the Hubster proudly brought home from the grocery store, strutting around like a caveman showing off his latest kill.

Don't get me wrong, chocolate chip cookies are my ultimate, favoritest thing.  But I was a little concerned that I wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of gorging on just the dough - which is a big no-no while your pregnant.  (Unless, of course, you enjoy salmonella poisoning, in which case, go for it.)

Fortunately, Hubby knows this Achilles heel of mine, and made quick work out of slapping globs of dough onto a pan, completing a whole batch in a matter of minutes.

Whew!  That bashed the cookie cravings for a about a day and a half.  (What can I say?  I'm eating for two here!)

With no cooked cookies left, what is a whale of a girl supposed to do?  Hubs was busy bathing and bedding Miss Priss.  And the picture of a cookie cake on the back of the bucket was calling to me.

But we don't have a pan big enough for a cookie cake. 

AND, I couldn't trust myself NOT to burn it.

(If you recall, cooking is really Hubster's thing.  Left to my own devices, I would subsist on Arby's roast beef sandwiches and cans of vegetables.  I know this because, I'm embarrassed to admit,  I have.)

What to do, what to do?

Aha!  I had a stroke of brilliance that officially made me the Baker du Jour!

About a year ago I had purchased a brie baker, a beautiful handcrafted piece of pottery that sort of resembles a large ashtray.  And, of course, I had yet to use it, with brie or anything else.

Today was the day!  I stuffed it full of refrigerated dough while waiting for the oven to preheat to 425 degrees.

20 minutes later and....

Voila!

Perfect size for two people with a bit of a crunch on the outside and moist and gooey on the inside.  (Better go wipe your face before the drool ruins your keyboard.)

The rest of the bucket was consumed in similar style - sometimes topped with ice cream!  (Again, watch the drool!)

Isn't it amazing how something can go from being the biggest waste of money to totally priceless in just one night?


Disclaimer #1: OK, if you didn't already pick up on it, I bought this thing a year ago, with my own money, so no, this not one of those sponsored posts. I included the link to where I got my brie baker in case your cravings cannot be satisfied until you've made a cookie of your own.

Disclaimer #2: Although I may be as rotund as the Pillsbury Dough Boy, don't even think about poking my tummy - unless you WANT to lose a finger.

Click the link to see what else is inspiring women this week!

Ever After Creativity Corner – The Twirl Girl

I have been crafting ever since I could pick up a popsicle stick and smear it with glue.

But I am truly a Jill of All Crafts. As evidenced by the Crafty Closet, a walk-in closet chock full of yarns, beads, threads, looms, glue, scissors, and other paraphernalia to keep my habit going.

Much to the horror of my husband.

The man is totally cool with the "better or worse." Would steadfastly stand by me through the "sickness and health." But I'm pretty sure he double-checked the fine print of our vows when he realized he'd be stuck, for the rest of his life, with the Crap-ty Closet.

Which goes to show you the vast depths of his love for me when I asked for a sewing machine for Christmas and he actually got me one!

(Is he acting as an enabler? I don't care; I've got my sewing machine!!!)

For all my needle pointing, knitting and crocheting, oddly enough, I had never learned how to sew. And being in this itty bitty town, it wasn't too easy to find a class. So I headed over to the keeper of all things knowledge, Amazon.com. I found a great book that had three projects you do in progression, each one a little tougher than the last, that would show me the ropes.

And me being me, I finished off the first project (a cute little pillow), ditched the book and headed straight for this Twirly Dress pattern I found at the fabric store.

It took a little while. And I'm proud to say, I only had to rip it out and redo it twice. But it is done!

Thankfully, it is a VERY forgiving pattern, and a lot of the mistakes are not readily visible.

But crooked seams or not, Miss Priss LOVES it! The important part works just fine – Priss can get a good twirl on with minimal effort.

Just like this…

 

Which reminds me, there's a secondary reason for this project.

The dress is also part of a new parenting technique I'm testing out...

Keep 'em dizzy to stay in constant control of any situation.

I'll report my findings at a later date.

EverAfter Creativity Corner - Closed Due To Illness

Apparently, I'm a total overachiever.

It's not enough for me to "just get sick" at eight/nine months pregnant. 

Oh no, no ordinary "flu" here!  If I'm gonna get sick, I'm gonna make it a doozy!  Something that'll really make everybody nervous.  A virus to end all viruses!

Oh, yeah, folks, after putting the business end of a cotton swab up my nose and twirling it around my brain, the tests came back and it's official -- I've got...

SWINE FLU!

I swear, I wasn't even trying.  I'm just this awesome at being on the cutting edge of all the latest trends.

Wait!  Stop!  Don't go!!!  I checked, and the doctor assured me that there is NO WAY you can catch this thing through your computer. 

But if you're really worried, go take a bath in some boiling water - after you're done reading this post.

Alright, the stats.  The nurse assured me this is a mild form (obviously, since, you know, I'm not dead or anything) that is really no worse than a regular flu.  I can attest, it's certainly no better, either.  I was already on the mend when we found out, so they've deemed me "not contagious."  We're just supposed to keep an eye out on Miss Priss and The Hubs and if either shows any sign of illness, take them in right away.

You can imagine the fun Hubster got to have informing all of his co-workers that his wife has Swine Flu and that, consequently, they've all probably been exposed to it, too. 

Good times, good times!  (On the plus side, though, definitely one tactic for getting out of the mandatory work party.)

And for those slightly concerned with how the baby is doing, I've been told there's nothing to worry about.  Sure, she may pop out with a cute little curly tail, but they can remove that after the fact.

But maybe I'd better cut some little holes in the backs of her pants, just in case.

So what's a girl in the throws of her own private pandemic supposed to do?

Stuck on the couch, the computer hurting my eyes, the perfect excuse to get out of housework, I was all set to get some crafty goodness done. 

"I'll catch up on a few projects," I thought.  "And then I'll get started on those ideas that have been floating around my head..."

And then I fell asleep.

When I woke up, I had a lucid moment of realization that any crafty thing I would attempt in this condition was going to wind up horribly and tragically deformed.

Also, I kept visualizing all my finished projects on pigs.  I really hope that goes away once I get better.

Which I'm starting to lose hope is EVER going to happen.

Ever After Creativity Corner - The Sassy Skirt

My poor in-laws.  It was such a simple question, one that could have been answered with two scant words.

But I couldn't muster up the moxy to reply.  Couldn't bring my mouth to form the words, or my vocal chords to produce sound. 

And so they were unwittingly kept in the dark.  Forced by my weird neuroses to subject themselves to lurking, spying, and making their own guesses.

The question, of course,

"What's that you're making?"

What is it about creative endeavors that can bring out all these oddities in me?

It's an involuntary reaction.  A stranger could ask me my life's story, and I could easily spill the whole thing, in detail.  But ask me "what're you making" and I clam up tighter than a two-year-old in tights.

Does anybody else find themselves chanting, as your squeezing, pulling and yanking them into that spadex/lycra nightmare, "Please don't potty during dance class.  PLEASE don't potty during dance class."?  But I digress...

So what WAS I making?  The answer, I can finally free my brain to produce is "A Skirt!"

As always, there is a reason for my idiocy, you just have to switch your brain off "normal" to understand.

The idea for this skirt inspired by an old 1940's pattern I came across online.  The original pattern was for a shawl with layers and layers of yarny ruffles that made it look like a cloud.  Priss, not being one for shawls (cloud-like or otherwise), I thought would have more functionality with a skirt.

So, armed with an all-to-abbreviated pattern to go by, and some cheapo yarn from the craft store, my little fingers set to work on a prototype. 

The technique used is called hairpin lace, a craft that originated in Victorian times where you basically crochet loops together.

What can I say, I'm an old-fashioned kind of girl. And apparently, an advocate for rebirthing the lost arts.

I was about a third of the way through, when the in-laws came in town for a visit.

They queried, they pondered, they asked very, very nicely what the heck it was I was making, but the most I could muster is, "It's a surprise!"

I promise, they are really very supportive of all my artsy craftsy-ness.

And neither of them is into the fiber arts, so there was no inferiority complex on my part.

Actually, it had nothing to do with them.  I couldn't tell ANYBODY what I was working on. 

(Well, except Hubby, but he would've withheld my mint chocolate chip ice cream if I didn't spill, so really it was an extreme amount of torture.)

I am sure there is some deep psychological reason for my secretiveness, one that has to do with a need for perfection and a fear of disapproval, blah, blah, blah.

But, c'mon, it's just a yarn skirt!  It's not exactly going to affect the fate of the world!

The original prototype was finished up after they left.  I did a little tweaking, more loops with a lighter-weight yarn, and here, finally, I present the finished product!

This Sassy Skirt is dedicated to Grandma W and Grandpa J - Thanks for putting up with me.  I wish I could promise it won't happen again, but let's face it, I will always be this weird!

Ever After Creativity Corner - Tea Partyin' in Style

Because I enjoy making stuff.  But I enjoy showing it off so much more!

Miss Priss is the ultimate Tea Party Hostess.

And what Professional Tea Party Hostess would be caught without proper place mats
for her best little tea cups?



These cute lil' flower place mats were created quite by accident, actually.

I had picked up this pattern and a few balls of Lily Sugar n' Cream cotton yarn from the craft store one day, thinking it would be something quick and easy to whip up. 

See that yellow, orange and pink flower at the bottom of the photo?

That's what the finished piece was supposed to look like.

Me having a sporadic history with crochet, I managed to completely mangle my first
attempt and wound up with something much more two dimensional.

And the little flower place mats were born!

(If you'd like to fire up the ol' crochet hook for your own flower place mats, I can send you my pattern - all you have to do is leave a comment telling me how awesome and cool I am, and where to email it!)

(If, however, you'd prefer to just hand over a wad of money and have some flower place mats show up on your doorstep, that can also be arranged.  It's no secret how cheap and easy I am, you just have to ask!)