Why I love Halloween

Dear Internets,

I love Halloween weekend. Friday, the Queen tribute band show on the riverboat was all kinds of awesome. As I have mentioned before, I enjoy creativity in Halloween costumes. I was not disappointed by the costumes people were wearing on the boat ride. Most involved some sort of witty pun (which is my favorite type of costume). The others were mostly either scary homemade costumes (my second favorite type) or semi-obscure pop culture reference costumes (Captain Crunch and MacGruber both made appearances). The sponsors also served unlimited free beers and margaritas, which helped to ensure a good time was had by all.

Saturday, one of my friends hosted a Clue murder mystery party. I had my doubts at first (what does one do at a Clue party?), but my friend Annie did an incredible job. Seriously, she built multiple secret passageways that were completely hidden behind bookshelves and curtains. She even cut the eyes out of a portrait and hung it on a false wall so that people could look through the eyes of the painting.

I was Mrs. White. Apparently, I had it out for Mrs. Peacocok.




I hope you had a wonderful weekend, Internets!

Love,
Jane

Movie Night

Dear Internets,

I think my movie night was a success! Despite a somewhat poor scheduling decision on my part (I managed to schedule a party on the same night as the last presidential debate AND the season finale of Project Runway), most of my friends were able to stop by. Even some of the Internets were able to make it - the very awesome and funny Saving Diva brought some delicious High School Musical gummy fruit.

The cupcakes and other decorations were a hit, but A's Beer Pumpkin was the star of the night:


The Beer Pumpkin


He cut beer-sized holes in the back of the pumpkin, then filled it with ice and battery-powered lights in plastic bags. A couple of people actually asked if we had candles inside the pumpkin - it looked really cool.


Hooray beer!

The beer actually stayed really cold. So if you're ever lost in the woods with pumpkins, a carving knife, and ice, but no cooler, you can keep your beer cold with a beer pumpkin.

Happy October!

Love,
Jane

I hope I don't get a rock

Dear Internets,

I'm getting pretty excited about my Halloween movie night tomorrow. The decorations have been made or borrowed, the movies have been rented (where necessary), and the cupcakes will be finished tonight.

My decorations are fancy.

It's not just me and Audrey who are getting pumped; A is excited too. Even Bailey is getting into the Halloween spirit, which you can tell from this picture:

In person, he looked more sad than possessed. He wanted to help with the decorations, I think.

While I have been busy tackling the important tasks of taking funny pictures of the dog and making costumes for our wall art, A has been busy carving jack-o-lanterns. I'm probably biased, but I think he's pretty talented. Here's a tiny one he made me last year for Halloween:

I forgot to take a picture until the pumpkin was a little bit past it's prime, but it was pretty awesome. Also, romantic.

I'm not exactly a world-class pumpkin carver, so I decided to try a different approach. Unfortunately, my painted pumpkin ended up looking like a painted lady. Behold, Grizzelda:

Me, pretty much, if I'm out past midnight.

Tomorrow, I'll post pictures of the cupcakes, and more of A's pumpkins. (Hopefully, the talking cupcake will approve of my attempts at cupcake-decorating!)

Love always,
Jane

The world is full of "guys," Lloyd.

Dear Internets,

• I finished the big part of my work deadline. My brain feels like someone took a mixer to it.
• A's dad (a retired, but still licensed plumber) thinks he can fix the plumbing situation at my condo for free. Score one for Jane! [Current tally: Jane, 1/Condo, 493.]
• I'm thinking of having a dinner party in two weeks, but I haven't thought of a theme. I was thinking "Perry Como," but I don't know how far I could take that one. Any ideas?
  
• I kind of like that Nivea "finally, a body wash for grown-ups" commercial. Men (and women) are almost universally infantilized in pop culture; it's about time that people be encouraged to act like grown-ups.
  
• I am supposed to run 7 miles tonight. I don't think it will be too hot, because it has been raining. However, next Sunday is the Nike Human Race (6.2 miles), and the high is supposed to be a humid 96 degrees. I'm not looking forward to that.
• My brain is pretty much empty now.
  

Love,
Jane