All Soul’s Day, Samhain, Halloween, Protestant Reformation Day - they’re all a week away. Chances are, you’re either going to a party, hosting one or hiding in terror. Make whatever you’ve got coming up better with the following guides.
Do you have a costume yet? Do you dread geting caught between spending too much time and money, and wearing the lamest getup ever? You should read Easy & Creative Halloween Costume Ideas by Lisa Severson. This book will show you 60 painless ways to create memorable costumes for yourself, your kids or that lackadaisical loser who shows up at your house dressed as “Joe the Plumber.”
Serve memorably spooky snacks at your party by following the repulsive recipes in Kaye Hamm’s Kreepy Katering. This illustrated cookbook features 29 stomach-churning concoctions sure to enliven, I mean deaden, any party. My favorites are the Slimy Bat Wings (relax, they only look like bat meat), and the Rotten Apple Martini. Also worth taking a peek at is 13 Halloween Recipes from ThirteenForHalloween.com. Those Goblin Horns are making me hungry. Please remember that these depraved dishes are only visually arresting - we have the authors’ word that everything featured is very tasty regardless of appearance. Even Poop On A Cracker.
Put some horror in your house by taking cues from The Secrets of Disney’s Haunted Mansion by Jeff Baham. This 64-page compendium includes the original script and sheet music, a walk-through of the mansion, descriptions of the ghoulish props and loads of vintage artwork, adverts and blueprints. There’s even a blank Haunted Mansion death certificate that you can fill out with petrified party guests’ names.
Further frighten up your humble abode with pumpkin heads - both carved and knitted, spooky sounds, mummy dolls, and unbelievably adorable Jack O’Lantern crochet poppets.
Keep your party guests groaning in delight with jokes from Tony Iacoviello’s Blood Lines. Here’s an example: What does a vampire never order at a restaurant? A stake sandwich. There are 52 ridiculous pages of this balderdash. Another book that would be fun to have at your party is Professor Ichbonnsen’s Monster Month. It’s a spectacular who’s who of the monsters that are likely skulking your streets this season. And, finally, if your party gets to the point where a past life regression session or druid healing spell is necessary, it’s probably a good idea to have a copy of A reference guide to the Craft on hand.
With all this fine literature at your disposal, any chilling celebration is bound to be a smash hit.
