This is the cutest costume for my 6 month old pug! She is a little small yet for the headpiece, so it was a good thing we did a dress rehearsal! Just a few stitches to take it in and the fit should be perfect. For some reason though, I thought it was a one-piece outfit.
Anyway, the body fits great, it’s very lightweight and stretchy. Since she loves wearing little t-shirts and football jerseys anyway, it was very easy to put on. The wings attach with velcro and are very light, but they do flutter a little. The first time she had them on and felt the flutter, she ran around in circles trying to catch them!
If you are going to try a Halloween Costume for your pet this year, I highly recommend a few dress rehearsals before the big day, whether it be a costume contest, party or just as a fun Halloween surprise for your trick-or-treaters. Even if your doggie loves to wear clothes, the attachments and extra stuff included on many costumes may take some getting used to, in order to avoid freak-outs.
How do you eat candy corn? Do you daintily nibble off the white tip? Do you start from the bottom? Or do you just pop them in your mouth either one at a time, or by the sugary handful? Yes, it is the Halloween version of the Oreo-Cookie eating controversy. It is said that the way one eats their candy corn is a window into their personality type.
Over 20 million pounds of candy corn sold every year. There is such a love of candy corn,that it has become a year-round treat, with its looks and flavors to match the different holidays. We have seen pastel colored candy corn at Easter, red and pink candy corn for Valentine’s Day, red and green for Christmas and chocolate-flavored brown, orange and yellow combo for Thanksgiving, and even white Wedding candy corn!
When did this madness start? Back in the 1880s, an employee of a candy company called Wunderlee, George Renninger invented this little treat which was intended to look like a kernel of field corn. Made from a combination of sugar, corn syrup and honey, but it was the tri-color, yellow top, orange center, white point, that made it so popular. By 1898, the Goelitz Candy Company, now known as Jelly Belly Candy Co (one of my favs) was producing the candy in mass quantities.
In later years, innovations in mechanical processing increased production to the point of expanding from a seasonal candy to a year-round (hence the color/flavor variations) confection, available worldwide.
Okay, so it is not actually glow-in-the-dark Jell-O, but it looks really cool! Besides, that could be hazardous to your health. I have done this for kids parties and with Jell-O shots for adult parties.
It’s very simple! All you need to do is to place your Jell-O mold or whatever other creation you’ve come up with, onto a glass platter and light it from underneath with a flashlight, glow sticks, flashing lights (like the small disk type used on bicycles) whatever. The way I have done it is to place the flashing light, or flashlight into a shallow glass or clear plastic bowl that is deep enough to hold the light and sturdy enough to put under the platter. I have heard of using a Bundt cake pan, or other pan with a hollow center (for the flashlight) as the support for the glass platter, but just make sure it is placed where it won’t be bumped or knocked over.
Same deal with the Jello shots - just try to find the clear little plastic shot-cups instead of the more common opaque ones, so they will glow well. Stick something oooey and gooey on top of each one!
The glowing effect works best with green or orange jello (or anything that is not too dark). Be creative! If you are using a mold, mix in a few gummy spiders as the jello sets, or arrange them on the mold at the last minute. Just don’t over-do it, or the glowing effect will be diminished.
When it comes to carving your Halloween pumpkin, there are endless design possibilities. You can make it with the traditional happy face, or you can use stencils and make some very elaborate designs. They can be scary, weird, or funny. I’ve seen some outrageous celebrity carvings, one of Ozzy Ozborne at a Halloween party, that really fit the occasion.
First, finding that perfect pumpkin. Consider the shape you want - pumpkins come in all shapes and sizes. Make sure that your pumpkin is ripe, but not too ripe. Here’s a tip…when you thump on it you should hear a hollow sound. That means the pumpkin should be easy to scoop out….remember to save those seeds for baking. Pumpkin seeds make a yummy snack! Try to find a pumpkin that also has a nice stem & remember not to carry it by the stem, always carry from the bottom.
Store your pumpkin in a cool, dry place, until ready to carve. Warm temperatures will only speed up the ripening, then rotting, process. Yuck!
Cut a hole in the top of your pumpkin and remember that you will need this part for the lid. Make sure when you make the cut that you angle it inward, so your lid will sit properly on top of the pumpkin and won’t just fall through! This was the first mistake I ever made when carving and it ruined the whole thing!
To help preserve your pumpkin and prevent mold, wash the outside and the inside (when it has been cleaned out, of course) with a mild bleach solution (1 tbsp bleach to 1 gallon of water), and dry. To make your design last longer, coat all of the exposed ‘flesh’ of the pumpkin with petroleum jelly as soon as you have finished carving, including the surfaces you have cut your design into (you may need to use a cotton swab to reach tricky spots), as this will slow down the ‘old apple’ look and shrinking.
As for the actual carving part, it’s really pretty basic - depending on your design. Draw your pumpkin pattern on a piece of paper first, this way you can make revisions without damaging the pumpkin. If you do not consider yourself to be particularly artistic, there are many ready made stencils available, some even come with pumpkin carving kits. There are great patterns that you can find online and print out.
If you use the stencil method, trim off the excess paper and tape the pattern to the pumpkin. Then poke holes through the pattern on to the pumpkin with a push pin, nail, or pumpkin poker (in pumpkin carving kits). Make a dotted line with the holes close enough for you to be able to see the design well when ready to cut - the closer, the better. This part requires patience, but it will pay off in the end. When finished, remove the paper and rub flour or powder over the holes to make them easier to see.
To actually cut the design, you should use a small serrated knife, and slowly use a sawing motion to carve your design. Never use a razor or straight edge knife, as you may slip and ruin your design, the pumpkin, or injure yourself! I prefer the tools that come with a pumpkin carving kit. They are inexpensive and it really does help to have the right tools for the job.
Once you’ve completed your design, it is ready for display! If you want to light it, use either a light made for pumpkins, or a small votive type candle in a secure holder (there are some available just for pumpkins). Place the candle (in holder) inside the pumpkin on a piece of aluminum foil. Light the candle and place the lid on the pumpkin. After a few minutes, remove the lid and look on the underside of it for smoke marks. You will want to cut small vents in the lid where the smoke left marks. This will also help preserve your pumpkin and keep you from cooking it from the inside. Happy Halloween!
This is the cutest costume for my 6 month old pug! She is a little small yet for the headpiece, so it was a good thing we did a dress rehearsal! Just a few stitches to take it in and the fit should be perfect. For some reason though, I thought it was a one-piece outfit.