Mutterings of a Mad Woman

Use this idea to serve your guests some authentic finger foods this Halloween.

Check your local dollar store - they often sell popcorn containers in their party section. If you can't find them there, head to the local party supply store.

Fill your containers with snacks and a few extra bits. Be sure to use food colouring for the blood effect, and you might want to give the body parts a rinse before placing them in the containers.

I have four days to finish getting ready for my party this year (hence the sporadic blog posts lately). Every free moment is being dedicated to decorating.

I just finished carving this craft pumpkin or Funkin. I've never bought one before because a large one will run you close to $20 at the craft store. I found this one in a second hand store for $1.50.

Carving was a little tougher than I thought it would be. If you try to carve one, be sure to use a sharp knife and please be careful. They are great because you can reuse them, they won't go mouldy, and you can put them anywhere.

Ok. That's all the time I have. I must get back to decorating. Speaking of which, if you're interested in seeing how the house is coming along, take a peek at Halloween 2008 in the Art Ghoullery. I'll be updating the album as I get each room finished. Right now, you'll find images of the kitchen.

Today I've been playing with the stove I snatched off the street. I need to finish the gift shop area, the party room and the kitchen this weekend so the rest of the week can be focused on the game room.

I thought I would share a quick glimpse of the oven with you. To create the illusion of fire, I have a simple LED rope light in the bottom of the oven. I put a metal cooling rack on top of that (even though the lights are LEDs, I still would rather not have the other material touching it), and piled wood and bones on top of that. Stay tuned for more!

I was enjoying a coffee this morning on my porch when I looked across the street and spotted this stove staring back at me.

Kitchen prop, the Halloween voice quickly whispered.

Everyone passing by, on foot or by car, was turning to look at the stove. I knew it wouldn't be there for long, so I quickly got dressed and went for a closer look.

My neighbour, who has lived in the house since the 60's, said the stove is left over from the previous owner who must have purchased it somewhere closer to 1940. It's been in their basement ever since and they decided it was time to finally get rid of it.

With the help of Yetch, the two of us carried it back to our property and into the back yard to be cleaned. First, I attacked it with the air compressor, just to knock out as much of the dust and grime as I could before taking the pressure washer to it.