Thanksgiving: The Forgotten Holiday

It's been a week since Halloween and we have (in the US at least) have another holiday coming up in a few weeks, Thanksgiving. Of course, you wouldn't know it by visiting any store.

I don't do much decorating for Thanksgiving, but I do like to do some. Good luck finding anything Thanksgiving themed though. As usual, all the store aisles are filled with red and green.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas decorations. But they have their time and place. I am still in a sort of fall festive type of mood. Show me some orange and brown, a few plain pumpkins. To me, it lessens the beauty of Christmas decorations seeing them up months before December.

Imagine the magic of walking into the mall the day after Thanksgiving and seeing newly lit trees and freshly hung sparkly decorations.

Enter The Laboratory If You Dare

One way you can add a little extra spook to your Halloween party is to transform your kitchen into a mad scientist's lab. It is easier than it may seem.

First you need the scientist. Use dad, grampa, crazy uncle.... Give his hair a little tease to make it stand up, sprinkle it with a little talc powder, and spray it with a combination of white and gray hair sprays. Dress him in an old white jacket or lab coat. Finish off his 'mad' look by darkening around his eyes with black and gray eyeshadow.

Now, for the decorations. What would a mad scientist have lying around? Cover the table with a tablecloth ( a store bought plastic cover would work, or use wild Halloween printed fabric to make your own), I like either shocking purple, or Frankenstein skin green. Place old beakers, test tubes, vials, eyedroppers, and the occasional rubber rat or bug around the table. Drape some fake spiderwebs over the windows, walls, and light fixtures. Fill flasks with water in different colors. A rubber monster face mask and some body parts are always good to have around.

Now for the food, it is the kitchen after all. Serve tomato soup in test tubes to look like blood. Have a spare brain sitting around (molded Jell-O or spaghetti will do). Use rubber gloves (thoroughly soak and wash first) to mold ice hands (use can use green food coloring to tint the water) and float them in the punch bowl.

Check back for more body part food ideas!

Make your house the most haunted haunt!

Having a Halloween party? Need to quickly transform your home into a haunted house? Try some of these suggestions that use easy to find supplies and many things you already have around the house.

*Create a ghostly mist! Fill buckets halfway with water, and add dry ice. There should be enough water to cover the dry ice, with 2 parts water to 1 part dry ice. Warmer water will make thicker smoke, but it will disappear quickly. Cooler water makes thinner smoke, but it will last longer. Make sure to keep them out of reach of children. Dry ice is dangerous when touched.

*Blow up different sized white balloons with helium. Cover each balloon with a small white sheet or pieces of white fabric and draw on a face with permanent marker. Float them around the house. For glowing ghosts, stick a glow stick in the balloon before inflating.

*Buy neon black lights, and place them around the house or in the party area. They will cause an eerie glow and make all the white items in the room, including the mist and ghosts, really stand out.

*Cover shoeboxes with brown or black construction paper, and line the inside of each with red felt. Fill with small plastic skeletons and place them around the house.

*Cover the tables with a black or orange tablecloth, toss with confetti, and decorate with plastic spiders and skulls.

*Hang orange and black streamers from the ceilings.

*Make your own haunted window coverings by cutting cats, bats, pumpkins and spiders out of black construction paper or felt. Tape them to your window, and then cover the entire window with white paper or a sheet, making sure to completely cover the window. Place a light behind the window to make the scary silhouettes you can see from outside.

I'll be back later with ways to turn your kitchen into a mad scientist's laboratory!

Want to start early?

Every year do you plan on turning your home into the perfect haunt? Well if you haven't started yet, what are you waiting for? Here are some sites to help you get started.

http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/halloween/decorate.htm
http://interiordec.about.com/od/hallowee1/a/hol_fallhallown.htm
http://joyholidays.com/halloween_decorating_tips.htm
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/pac_ctnt_988/text/0,2496,HGTV_22056_36458,00.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_7711_decorate-halloween-table.html
http://halloweendecorations.wordpress.com/2008/08/17/decorate-with-a-midnight-dreary-halloween-table/