Thursday, October 28, 2010

10 Reasons I LOVE Halloween

For me, Halloween is the epitome of fun and the official start of the holiday season. I was raised in a household where Halloween was celebrated widely and wildly; and costumes were creative and spooky. With Halloween just a few days away and as I am in the midst of planning and decorating for my annual Halloween Bash, I have been thinking and reminiscing about this spooktacular day. Here are the ten reasons I love Halloween!


1. EVERYTHING is orange.
Orange is my favorite color, and for the longest time, people thought I was crazy for liking (actually, obsessing) over such a vibrant and strong color. Well, unless you live under a rock, orange is everywhere. Shoes, clothes, home accessories, appliances...they all come in orange. Now that aside, Halloween also comes in orange! How could I not love Halloween and it's orange affiliation.


2. Creativity and artistic inspiration.

Halloween is the perfect time when creative juices and artistic inspiration fly like bats as costumes are pieced together. Ditch the Halloween superstore and the 'costume-in-a-bag' and head to your local crafts store to pick up the ingredients for your unique, one of a kind costume. Don't be shy, don't hold back!


3. EVERYTHING has an osteological reference.
As a biological anthropologist who works in a human osteology lab, Halloween is the perfect time of year to find anything and everything osteological. Skull candle holders, skull hand towels, skeleton housemates, skull napkins and plates, skeleton lights, skeleton decorations...it's all for the taking. Even classy and elegant home stores like Pottery Barn are catching on with skeleton hand salad tossers! It's just so much fun and us anthropologists go crazy!



4. Pumpkins galore...
pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice candles, pumpkin seeds, carved pumpkins. There is so much joy in pumpkins. And..they're orange!


5. Horror movie marathons.
Whether on cable TV or from your own personal movie collection, Halloween is the ideal time to pop in those B-rated horror movie and scare yourselves silly.




6. Candy corn.
Need I say anything more?





7. Dia de los muertos.
Halloween means that dia de los muertos is right around the corner. While day of the dead has recently been popularized and mainstream media with movies like "Frida" and what not, day of the dead is a holiday by which we can celebrate and memorialize our loved ones who have passed on and left this world. With traditions such as altars, sugar skulls, marigolds and personal belongings of the deceased, dia de los muertos gives us the opportunity to remember our loved ones and to let them know that we haven't forgotten them as well.


8. Party hopping.
There's nothing like going from house to house, party to party scoping out all the fabulous, ridiculous and the sometimes boring costumes that people are donning. It's great fun to see how creative people get and how willing they are to look a fool...priceless!!


9. Tissue pom poms.
I have Martha Stewart to thank for this one. These paper tissues goodies can be made in virtually any color and add a lovely decorative pop to any occasion and decor. This year for my Halloween party, I have made black, orange and purple poms, and they look fantastic! For directions on how to make your own, check out the link below. Happy crafting!

http://www.marthastewart.com/how-to/tissue-paper-pom-poms-how-to




10. Haunted houses.
There's nothing better than a good ol' haunted house to commemorate Halloween. Whether you create one yourself or go to your local screamhouse, a haunted house experience is a must have during Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone. Eat, drink and be scary! And tell me...why do you love Halloween?

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Fall Happenings

Fall is such a lovely time of the year, especially in New Mexico...or in NYC! Last weekend I went to New York City with my roommate to visit her sister. It also happened to be my first time in the Big Apple. It was quite an experience, I must say! I knew there were a lot of people in NY (both tourists and local residents), but I wasn't prepared for that many people! A peaceful stroll through Soho is NOT going to happen on a Saturday...what was I thinking!? Additionally, my legs and feet were not prepared for all the walking. I'm sure it doesn't help that I didn't being appropriate shoes. The pain was well worth the priceless art, beautiful human diversity and fall weather I was able to absorb in my three short days in the city. I was also able to see a dear friend of mine from college, Stephanie. I hadn't seen her since 2006 and so much has happened in our lives since then. It was really great to see her! The culmination of my trip came with a transforming haircut! In the last 6 months, I've been so fed up with my hair; anxious for something different. For some strange reason, I decided to chop it off in NY! It's a great style for me and I love it!





Now, Halloween is right around the corner, and those who know me well know that Halloween is my favorite holiday that I take rather seriously! This year I will be throwing my third annual Halloween party in Albuquerque as a Hideous Witch! There will be lots of creepy decor and disgusting food. I've already started the preparations. I'll be sure to post more pictures as I complete the decorations.

It's been a busy month and I'm still writing my proposal! I'll be sure to let you know when it's done. Until next time!