October 2008
11 posts
The Day We've Been Waiting For...
Today is All Hallow’s Eve, which derived from the Celtic harvest festival of Samhein. The Celts believed that today the dead could return to the realm of the living…and could possibly cause illness, death, and harm to the crops if not respected. Hence, treats. Halloween also marks the end of the Top 10. If you didn’t follow it, catch up: 10. Best Halloween Game 9. Best...
Best Halloween Book
I know what you’re thinking: Again with the nepotism! You’re right. I spent 21 of my 22 years in Alabama…but have you ever read this book? Luckily, I turned these hallowed pages when I was about eight years old, and it scarred me for life. Every time I travel to a city mentioned in the book, my mind floods with memories of that town’s supernatural being and how its tale...
Best Halloween Craft
I like Ugly Dolls and all, but they are too…well…manufactured. An idle hand is the devil’s play thing, so give a sister something to do! Enter Bonesquisher, one of the many creations straight from the mind of John Murphy. Murphy is the founder and head artist of Stupid Creatures, a brilliant company that distributes sock monster kits to those who want to bond on a Dr....
Best Halloween Saint
Of all saint whose feast days fall on Halloween, St. Wolfgang of Regensburg was the obvious choice. Aside from having “wolf” in his name, he dealt with some pretty scary things — namely Satan himself. The above Pacher painting depicts the encounter where, in short, Wolfgang forces ol’ Lucifer to help him build a church. I’m impressed… …impressed that...
Best Halloween Candy
Okay, the Best Halloween Candy award had some nepotism involved. First of all, chocolate-covered strawberries are divine…literally…like straight from the hand of God. The Martha Stewart in me insists I remind you that these ghosts are also adorable, impressive, atypical, and high end; you surely won’t find these cast into your trick-or-treat bags. They’re so easy to make,...
Best Halloween Blind Contour
Blind contour drawing is one of my favorite art exercises, and the outcome is always surprising and interesting. Drawing an object or person without looking at your paper helps you to understand line, form, movement, space, fluidity, perspective…the list goes on and on. This particular blind contour helps me to better understand the theory of awesome. The artist, Jennifer “Niff”...
Best Halloween-Related Article
One look at this article, and you know it’s a winner. These days, Halloween revolves around the unnatural, the spooky, the bizarre. This pumpkin process performed by John M. Czeski is all of the above. The most positive aspect of this creepy human-faced pumpkin is that you won’t have to carve it in order to be festive. The least positive aspect is that you might feel guilty (and a tad...
Best Halloween Misery-Causing Costume
Maybe she hates the Neomexicanismo movement. Maybe she hates Diego Rivera’s cheating ways. Maybe the wig is just itchy. Whatever the reason, this baby does not want to be dressed as Frida Kahlo for Halloween. Her exquisite pain can be overlooked — by her parents and by us, the viewers — due to its adorability.
Best Halloween Death
Hands down, the best person to have ever died on Halloween is Ehrich Weiss, otherwise known as Harry Houdini. His final disappearance act happened on October 31, 1926 due to peritonitis from his ruptured appendix. If you think I know what peritonitis is, you’re crazy. Either way, though Houdini had been suffering from acute appendicitis for days prior, the ruptured appendix was caused by J....
Best Halloween Game
Halloween is, by far, my favorite holiday. To honor this All Hallow’s Eve, there will be a daily winner of a related category for each of the ten days leading to October 31st. The first prize goes to the Best Game.
Whirl-O nabs the coveted Best Halloween Game award due to its charming vintage aesthetics, rhyming dares, and ease of play. If you like to have good, clean fun, then...