Halloween Part 1.

We get very into decorations here, and with a halloween party planned, we had extra incentive. Plus with Lauren staying with us, we had extra talent!

We hung a sheet in our kitchen over some of the more happy domestic stuff, and put a strobe light behind it. This was the message that was revealed in subliminal message-type flashes. By Lauren.

The halloween cut out from a few years ago adapted to our new apartment's window.

Our witchy drink display: dry ice in the cauldron punch and bottles of wine with spooky labels.

Nathan and Lauren's baby: a dead body filled with delectable dips! PLUS, RED WINE CAME OUT OF THE NECK! Yes. They put a bag (from boxed wine) in the chest with the spout sticking out from our headless victim. Like blood. Muahaha.

During our halloween party, someone was like, where do you get all these creepy decorations? And I was like, well...most of this stuff was just already in my house. Like these silhouettes I cut of me and Nathan and this deer skull. Those are year-round baby. Just add spider webs.

collection of natural curiosities. also mostly just things I had lying around.

One of the built-ins I re-arranged for halloween, including rats, books, bugs, an antique lightbulb, flame-less candles, pumpkins, crows, and my great grandma's sewing machine.

Brain cupcakes. Got this idea from Martha.

I made Andy's bread and Nathan made his goat cheese-garlic spread. Also we sliced honey-crisp apples and served them with caramel dip.

I printed off lots of creepy Victorian photographs and had them displayed all around the house in place of our usual photos. Postmortem photography was very popular during this time, which produced many, many creepy images of dead people dressed up as if they were alive with their family. At the time it was simply because getting a portrait commissioned was expensive compared to sitting for a photograph, and so it was supposed to be a keepsake to remember the loved one by. But now it is just hella creepy.

The bookshelf is also re-arranged with flameless candles, specimens in jars, bones, teeth, and custom book covers lauren made for the occasion. 

Our gin and tonic laboratory!

And under black light. I filled those test-tubes with highlighters that I broke open and mixed with water.  It looked great, but was super messy. The green, yellow, and pink glowed best. Also that glowing bottle on the left is tonic--the quinine has natural black light glowing tendencies! 

The fridge

Another shot of the table--I shaved a beet and put it in a apothecary jar, and also put a cabbage in green-dyed water in another (although you can see that better in the picture of the food above)

Lauren also added ghosts she cut out of vellum to some of our architectural photos

Masks and blood on the family portraits

One of the many books lauren re-covered for the occasion.

some day-time close ups.

Recent Happenings!

Our friends Stephanie and James got married! Congratulations guys! We couldn't be there for the wedding in MI, but there was a small park reception for Washingtonians, and came bearing gifts wrapped in money. Real dollar bills, yo.

The happy couple

Meanwhile, I have been crazy busy doing lots of dance stuff, hanging out with Lauren, who has just moved in with us until her lease starts in November, and working at the Plum Bistro of course.

Here's what else I've been doing: planning my epic HALLOWEEN EXTRAVAGANZA which is only now a few days away! And I have LOTS to do. But last week I made these "cabinet of curiosities" jars:

some plant themed ones

Some bird themed ones

Some bug themed ones.

I will, of course, take pictures of the final decorations. This is just a SNEAK PEAK into how excellent this all will be.

On a less excellent note: Nathan got in a bike accident last week. Someone cut in front of him and he skidded out to avoid the collision. He quite sore, but otherwise he and his bike seem to be OK. Nathan's iphone, however, fared less well:

And the iphone-shaped bruise where the iphone was in his pocket:

and after a few days:

The colors only continue to get prettier. 

Anyways, when you are driving be sure to look out for bicyclists like my nathan please!

OK, I'm off to trader joes to get party supplies, and then back to my crazy week. I perform Sunday and Monday and still have some preparations for that, and to top it off I'm fighting a cold. I'm kind of looking forward to November...

Spring Spring Spring!

Well, spring has definitely sprung...it's almost may after all, and we've been busybusy and also I've been sick...again. Here is a little centerpiece I put together for our table, but unfortunately the cat for some reason is OBSESSED with taking all the little things out of the teacups. She's not even allowed on the table, but I cannot leave the centerpiece unmonitored for a second, so sadly most of the time I keep our fly screen dome covering it.

 Last weekend Brian and Kate took us to the tulip fields in Mt Vernon...

 It is really quite breathtaking

The tulips are over for this year, but if you plan on going to this yearly event, I would not recommend the first beautiful saturday of the year...you might also want to wear rain boots since it was quite muddy, and whatever you do, drive back to I-5 via Hwy 20 and not through town! You'll simply never get there. Lots of people were biking in and could zoom right past the traffic. Were we ever jealous of them!

 Before the tulips we stopped at a very popular farm stand for the advertised "Immodest Ice Cream."
Quite.

 And also for some "Wood fired Piz...za"

Brian and Nathan by the pizza oven and Kate displays her pizza below

A review of the last month in photos

Thanksgiving:

I made pies! Pumpkin and Apple

Here is the spread!

The table is set!

Christmas presents ready to go to michigan!

Mom came to visit in early april and brought us an early christmas present--this tree skirt she made in the spirit of my great grandmother's many felt crafts. The tree skirt is one of a kind and filled with little scraps tidbits from past projects. Isn't she talented?

The big green sequins are from my great grandmother's collection, and she also made the candy cane my mom repurposed here. The checked scarf is fabric from a pillow my mom made for Kitty Witty, one of my favorite stuffed animals when I was about 5.

Steph so graciously invited me to her ritzy work holiday party at the four seasons. Got to wear my junior prom dress again!

Buffet!! Ohmygod the mashed potatoes were amazing.

Steph wore her old prom dress too!

Then we took a few pictures by the gum wall:

Nathan with our Zipcar truck and our most beautiful christmas tree in the back!

Gdad sent me these stained glass dancers he made! They are based on pictures of me and look great in my kitchen window! 

Finally finished fixing up the bathroom! Here it is:

Kitty likes to jump in the tub

Holiday Party! A huge success. Here are the cookies I usually make with my grandma every year. This year I made them with Steph. It was exhausting, but look how pretty!

Here is the recipe direct from my grandma:

CREAM CHEESE SUGAR COOKIES

4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening (Crisco or some other non-butter shortening)*
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1-1/3 cups sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg and set aside.  Cream together butter and shortening; add cream cheese and sugar beating until fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla;  beat well.  Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Divide dough in half.  Cover and chill 1-2 hours.

On lightly floured surface, roll dough 1/4 " -thick.**  Cut with cookie cutters.  Place on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees, 7-9 minutes.  Cool on wire rack.  Frost as desired.  Makes 4-5 dozen cookies.


 * I have been known to use all butter instead of 1/2 butter and 1/2 vegetable shortening.

** The recipe calls for rolling out the dough 1/8" thick, but I have found that thin a cookie is hard to handle and burns too easily in the baking process.  I have better luck with somewhat thicker cookies.  All of this is up to you -- do what your experience tells you.

I made the frosting from powdered sugar, crisco, butter, vanilla, etc. The recipe was on the bag, but I really estimated amounts and it turned out fine.

Vegan Chocolate Cake! SOO good and SOO easy. Made this for my halloween party last year, this time I frosted it with some vegan frosting that was donated by Plum Bistro. 

Shortbread cookies!

I'm sorry this photo is awful. I made Andy's bread, Nathan made the goat cheese dip with garlic and herbs, Steph made cherry tomato, cucumber, and fresh mozzarella skewers, and then I bought crackers and tapenade from trader joes. 

The most beautiful tree of all time!!!!

Even Santa showed up to the party!

I know this picture is fuzzy, but it is the only photo where you can see my outfit! I got it vintage and it fits like a glove!

Stuffed mushrooms. Onion, garlic, spinach, thyme, mushroom stems, parmesan. Baked.

My fun little display on the radiator.

All ready for Christmas tomorrow! Working with Steph at Plum in the morning and early afternoon, and then a relaxing evening with my loving Nathan. We will miss everyone of course, but I don't think I have had such a low stress holiday in a while.