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Halloween Week: Dexter Party Concept

October 4, 2011 by Renee Claire

Inspiration & Concept

Inspiration: Amy Lau's Dexter Party

When I first saw Amy Lau’s incredible Dexter-themed dining room a few years ago, I knew it had dinner party potential. Hence the name of this party concept, although it doesn’t have to be for Dexter; the ideas here would work for a generic serial killer or (with tweaks) a mad doctor party.

What I like about this concept, aside from the stark beauty of the red and white color scheme, is that it can be quite cheap to produce. Furniture & floors can be covered with white sheets, tarps, or tableclothes, and most of the accent items are inexpensive (washable fake blood spatter (recipe below), red yarn, red taper candles, cheap red vases, white candlesticks, & test tubes).

Washable fake blood recipe

200 ml water
5 tbsps corn starch
2 tsps cream
5 tsps red food coloring

Mix water + corn starch first, then mix in the other ingredients. Add some green food coloring or chocolate syrup if you’d like your fake blood to have a more realistic color. Be sure to do a test patch on all surfaces you intend to cover (I’d recommend sticking with glass surfaces and bleachable fabrics). Apply with spray bottles, hands (for bloody handprints), and old paintbrushes.

The Food

Dexter Party Food

What’s for dinner? Dismembered body parts and blood (red wine or red punch), of course:

  • Dexter blood slide suckers from Forkable.
  • Meatloaf brains, by Lauren’s Latest at Tasty Kitchen.
  • Bloody murder cupcakes by Jai on All Recipes.
  • Puff pastry intestines from The Knead for Speed.
  • Bleeding Heart martini from Martha Stewart.
  • Adam’s Ribs from Better Homes & Gardens.
  • Zombie cake from Lily Vanilli’s A Zombie Ate My Cupcake.

Not pictured (but awesome): bloody jello shot-filled syringes; frozen eyeballs; meatloaf hand; ogre eyes hot cocoa; ladies’ fingers and men’s toes.

The Decorations

Dexter Party Decorations

Again, decorations should be simple, mostly white with a few red accents. You also only need to decorate the dining area and maybe the bathroom. Other areas can be cordoned off with crime scene tape (example).

  1. Halloween splatter nails by Never Too Much Glitter. Also: imitate Dexter’s blood-spattered look.
  2. Blomster white candle holders (set of 3), $14.99 from Ikea.
  3. Midnight Massacre desk lamp from Living Dead Creations.
  4. Spine candles by Daniel Tyrkiel.
  5. 10″ red taper candles from Dollar Tree. Or these bleeding taper candles.
  6. Bloody hand towels from Heather Hutchinson/Pinterest.
  7. Salong red vase, $7.99 from Ikea.
  8. 60 plastic test tubes with rack, $25.99 at Amazon.
  9. Bloody window treatment from Muse Lodge.
  10. Bloody shower from Justinsomnia.
  11. Bloody bath mat from Perpetual Kid.
  12. Antonio Murado Salome 14-piece set (sold out) from the New Museum/via Haute Macabre.

Not pictured: red flatware; more blood-themed housewares.

Hope you found this concept helpful! Up next: Halloween Week 2011: Witch Party Concept.

Filed Under: Festivus, Halloween Week

Halloween Week: Arachnophobia Party Concept

October 4, 2011 by Renee Claire

The Concept

When I saw this cocooned man (also below), I knew I had to do a spider-themed Halloween post. I’ve titled it the Arachnophobia party concept, in honor of the Jeff Daniels movie (I’ll never forget those pulsing larval sacs), but it could easily be a Black Widow party, or for the nerdy, a Shelob’s Lair or Aragog’s Nest party. Repetition is key here: you need a volume of webs, fake spiders, and ensnared victims to get visitors’ skin tingling.

The Host

Spider Party

Simple costumes are better if you’re hosting. Just dress in all black and add some of the following spidery touches:

  • Spiderweb fake lashes makeup by Erika Uhl. Here’s a better D.I.Y. version (better only because it’s more visible).
  • Spider lace hose, $9 at Sock Dreams.
  • Cheese cloth spider web wrap (scroll down) from Martha Stewart.
  • Spider sunglasses (scroll down) from Martha Stewart.
  • More spider web eye makeup by Daisy Van Winkel.

Other ideas include drawing a spider on your mouth to go with the eye webs, gluing fake spiders onto your face and neck with eyelash glue, and creating a black widow-infested beehive per the urban legend. Martha Stewart also has a spiderweb shawl, a sock spider costume for babies, and a black widow spider costume for Fido.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Festivus, Halloween Week Tagged With: TBD

Halloween Week: Autumnal Options

October 3, 2011 by Renee Claire

Not everyone wants spooky, Halloween-specific decorations. People who consider Halloween a one-day holiday and people with conflicting religious beliefs may prefer more neutral seasonal options. The following decoration ideas are dual purpose: suitable for Halloween without being restricted to it. They’re also not scary, a bonus for households with small children and easily unnerved adults (ghastlier options will follow, of course).

Note: Almost of all of these are D.I.Y., and if you click on the link you’ll get a recipe or tutorial.

Bronze & Gold Decorations

Bronze gold autumnal

My favorite type of autumnal decoration uses and mixes warmer metallics, like bronze, gold, deep orange, even purple. It’s a rich and elegant look. Credits row by row, from left:

  • Golden harvest decorations from Country Living, gilded with Caromal Colours (photos by Joseph De Leo).
  • Autumn Harvest ornament wreath (sold, similar items available) by Dottie Gray.
  • Golden address pumpkins from Twig & Thistle.
  • Golden pumpkins also from Country Living, gilded with Caromal Colours (via Dress Design Decor).

[Read more…]

Filed Under: D.I.Y., Festivus, Halloween Week Tagged With: TBD

Welcome to Halloween Week!

October 3, 2011 by Renee Claire

Vintage Halloween Witch by Gil ElvgrenWelcome to Halloween Week! For the next five days, expect 2+ posts a day featuring Halloween party concepts, D.I.Y. tutorials and ideas, vintage and budget Halloween inspiration, costume ideas, and scary book recommendations.

A quick list of my top Halloween resources:

  • Martha Stewart’s Halloween Central: Martha is the Halloween Queen.
  • Instructables’ Halloween: Lots of creative, user-submitted tutorials.
  • Halloween Forum: If you’re looking for creepy and gruesome Halloween crafts, this is the place.
  • Pinterest: Here’s my Halloween board, and here are my top Halloween pinners: Leanne; Wen Duan; Karen Clifford; Amelie Bernard; MaryAnn Rizzo; Graziela Mink; Jessica; Chris Kenyon; and Andrea Paulin.

Next up: Halloween Week 2011: Autumnal Options.

Vintage witch pin-up “Riding High” by Gil Elvgren.

Filed Under: Festivus, Halloween Week

Fall Frame of Mind: 4 to 6

September 30, 2011 by Renee Claire

Just as Miss Moss had to psyche herself up for summer, I’ve decided to do a series of posts to get myself and readers psyched for fall. Think of it as a to-do/photo inspiration list. Here are items 4 to 6:

PopBetty Fall Inspiration - Warm Knits
From left: Toast’s cable knit socks (sold out; link is to a similar item); Yokoo’s The Snow Leopard Scarf.

4. Break out the knits: No more trying to mentally suck in your back fat. Time to don your favorite sweaters, cable knit socks, hats, and warm scarves. You’ll be snuggled and warm, and as far as anybody can tell, shaped like Miss World.

Oktoberfest Inspiration from Joy the Baker, Epicurious, and Design Sponge
Row by row: soft seasoned pretzels with mustard by Joy the Baker; beer stein from Amazon; bratwurst with apples, onion, & sauerkraut from Epicurious (photo by Lisa Hubbard); German chocolate cake from Design*Sponge (photos by Kristina Gill). 

5. Oktoberfest: Getting drunk off beer while wearing a dirndl & surrounded by strangers? No thanks. But a mini-homemade Oktoberfest, with friends & hearty foods (and no lederhosen) sounds like fun. Typical Oktoberfest foods include brats with apples and cabbage, soft pretzels with mustard, German chocolate cake, potato dumplings (knödel), and apple strudel; the beer I’ll leave up to you.

PopBetty Fall Inspiration - Bonfires and Smores
Row by row: Bonfire from Tereasa & David’s wedding, via Martha Stewart Weddings; cooking marshmallow photo from What’s Cooking America; fireplace from Country Living; Pillsbury double-stack s’more recipe.

6. Open fires (fireplaces, bonfires, candles): We made s’mores over the grill this summer, and let me say: cooking over an open flame in July is like standing in the mouth of hell. Never again! But open fires in the crisp fall breeze? Pure bliss. Add s’mores (preferably made with Petit Ecolier biscuits) for maximum effect.

Filed Under: Fall Frame of Mind, Festivus, Food

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