Monday, October 31, 2011

0 Days - Happy Halloween!

The baby bat
Screamed out in fright,
"Turn on the dark,
I'm afraid of the light."
-Shel Silverstein
Happy Halloween!

Now get dressed up, grab some candy and a scary book,

and enjoy the day!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

4 Days - Off With Your Head

Just a cute little charm. I'd wear it year-round, but it's great for Halloween. 
And perfect for the queen in us all.

 

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

5 Days - Just another story...

‘Twas the color of her cloak that first captured the attention of his tainted eyes. Traipsing across the cobbled street, the bright splash of crimson against the grey gloom that is Wesston was hard to miss. It wasn’t often he saw his victims first, and not during dark days such as this. His usual pattern led him through the streets near children’s dress shops and bakeries during bright-sunned days. He would wait patiently for one squeal or a peal of laughter. Pacing his feet he would walk slow enough not to look suspicious, but fast enough to keep up. It only took one lone child…


Red



She was quiet. The little girl in a full petticoat and pointed boots moved through the alleyways and past the carriages without a sound. He kept his distance making sure she wasn’t headed home, or worse, to meet up with her folks. As she made her way out of town, her pace quickened, but still, no sound. She moved like a ghost through the trees and over the moss-covered stones. He couldn’t hear the layers of fabric rustle or even a slight tap from her feet. Even the woods were quiet. There were no chirps, no scurrying feet. Just silence. That should have been a sign.

The further he walked, the more excited he became. He enjoyed the hunt, the thrill of the chase. His body buzzed as his heart raced. He was never sure where he and his prey would end up, but that made it even better. This was his favorite game.

Small beads of perspiration glistened on his forehead. He labored to keep his breaths hushed, but the man could have sworn he heard her humming. He paused, holding his breath.
Ah, there it is.
Broken pieces of a familiar melody floated back, sticking fast in his mind.

Though he was exerting himself, he caught sight of his arm and saw the gooseflesh. Chills licked his spine as the hair on his neck rose. Shaking it off, he worked to catch up to how far behind he had been. He mumbled a curse under his breath. None of the others had taken him this far from town, and none had been this fast. As his eyes searched he caught a flicker of red in the dense sea of pine, bark, and earth. Grinning, he patted himself on the back for such luck, as if he himself had told her to wear the article.

As he pulled himself over a boulder his clammy fingers slipped on the wet moss and he landed hard on his rump and cried out. Peering cautiously around the rock, he saw the girl continue on. Grateful she hadn’t heard him, he was also slightly perturbed that she hadn’t.
She should have, he thought. She should have at least paused.

Righting himself, he brushed away the twigs and debris. He knew he’d have to speed up if he wanted to find her. It would be dusk soon, and he liked to finish his business and be home before it was time to wash for supper.

The man was much too noisy and much too involved in his own thoughts to notice the other hunter behind him. The panting that followed him through the woods grew louder, but matched his own. Had he not been muttering he would have heard the echoes of branches cracking under the weight of large black paws. He was usually more careful and aware of his surroundings.

Just ahead of the girl, the trees thinned. The man could hear waves of a lake across the pebbled shores. He could smell smoke from a nearby fire. He knew he would have to pounce soon.

As he passed the last tree, he saw the young girl seated on a large boulder, her back to him. Adrenaline pumped through his body, causing him to shake. He could feel his heart beat in his ears as the distance between them lessened.
Twenty feet.
Ten feet.
Five feet.
One.
Now, merely inches away, his arm reached out to touch her shoulder. Before he could feel the velvet of the red cloak a large black jaw latched onto his elbow. One hunter screamed out in pain and surprise. The other fed.



The large black wolf stepped out of the lake and shook, drops of water and blood flying in all directions. Small pale fingers reached out towards the large beast as he licked the human remains from his lips and teeth. He lowered his head and sniffing, walked beneath the girl’s outstretched hand. Her blood-red lips curved into a grin as he nudged her, coaxing her to pet him, or scratch his ears.

“Come, Woodsman,” the young girl spoke softly, her hands combing through the coarse fur. “We’ve more hunting to do.”



Nina Renner 2011 ©
Yes, this is mine. Steal it and I will bite you. Twice.

Monday, October 24, 2011

6 Days - The Buried Moon

What's Halloween without a creepy story?
Click the image to read the fairy tale it is based on.
Image source here.
Also, check out the rest of his work. Most of it is pretty creepy, but he has some Disney pieces in the gallery too that are pretty cool.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

8 Days - Whatcha readin?

We've talked about what movies to get you in the Halloween spirit, but I LOVE to read. And spooky books are better than movies because while they creep you out for days, or even weeks, there's no killer jumping out at you. And because I don't like being scared that way, let's read. Shall we?

Here are some books we should be reading:


by Susan Hill
Do not read this while you are alone. Or at night. Seriously.
P.S. There is a movie coming out in 2012 starring Daniel Radcliffe.
Do not watch the trailer alone either.

by Ransom Riggs
Honestly, I haven't read it yet. But it looks really interesting. And the photographs are creepy and beautiful.

by Michael O. Tunnell
A witch casts a spell to protect her Pumpkin Pie and flies out for a night of mischief, while a vampire, a ghoul, a ghost, a zombie, a banshee and a skeleton all follow the scent to her house. It's a great read for kids, and it even has a pumpkin pie recipe in the back.
 by Mary Roach
Not creepy, so much as fun and interesting facts. After reading this, I decided I do not want to be buried. I'd like to be frozen, shattered, and used as compost for a gorgeous tree. Or a shade garden. Rotting and decomposing is so last century.

by Mary Downing Hahn
This is a YA novel, but it still gives me chills. Helen is intensely creepy! I loathed Heather until the end, when I found out why she acted that way. I actually almost cried. It isn't all-out scary, but it has it's moments.

Do you like to be creeped out year-round? 
Or do you save the spooky stories for October?

Friday, October 14, 2011

16 Days - Beautiful Screamer


When you get scared, do you scream?

Do you scream more than once?

Are you completely silent?

Do you yell?

My cousin could scream so high-pitched that it came out sounding like a whistle. I think I was the only one who realized it was him screaming...

Me, personally? I am a grunter. Yes, you read that right. I don't have the feminine scream you always hear on horror films. No, ladies and gentlemen. 
I grunt.
Think a little less politely clearing my throat at the table, and a little more enraged tennis star. Yeah. I go all sorts of Sharapova. And sometimes I lash out in pathetic attempts of violence as well. I'm hoping to hone my reactions so if it's a serial killer that sneaks up on me, I can rupture their ear drums just before I maim them. 


What is your scared noise?

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

18 Days - Kid Flicks

When Halloween is this close, I don't let my kids watch just anything. It had gosh-dang better well have something to do with Halloween. I'm not sure the previous sentence made sense, but you get the picture. Anyway, since I have to watch it too, I usually pick something I can stand. There are some I save for when the kids are in bed, but here are my our favorites for when they're around:

This came out in 1995. It was the same year my dad died, and while most of the year is a bit blurry, I remember going to see this at the theatre with some of my family. Watching it now, I didn't realize it had so much cussing. 
(Darn, heck, and botch words.)
Whenever our girls watch it, we try to edit out the words by talking loudly.
Fave Quote: 
"Gosh, I'd kill for a pinkie."


Oh. My. Gads. I still love this movie. We watched it every year when I was younger. Now, I'm hoping my girls will enjoy it just as much as I do.
Fave Quote: 
"Wanna hang him on a hook and lemme play with him?"

 I really liked this one. It was hilarious, with just the right creep factor. And I LOVE Jennifer Coolidge. She is funny no matter what she does.
Fave Quote:
"You have an ugly face."
My girls LOVE this movie. The music is what they love the most I'm sure. They sing "Remains of the Day" all the time. One thing I love most about this movie is how the land of the living is just grey and dull, but the land of the dead is vibrant and fun. This is a movie we all enjoy. My younger brother, who is in college at the moment, loves this movie as much, maybe even more than my kids. And he's more mature than I am. {:
Fave Quote:
"Her little heart beat soooo loud."
 

I always watched this movie at my Grandma's house. It seemed fitting because 1) it was for kids of any age, and 2) it had almost as much imagination as my Grandma did. Plus, there was no need to worry about language or scary moments.
Fave Quote:
" I don't believe in giving animals ridiculous names. I call him Cosmic Creepers, because that's the name he came with."


Who doesn't like Wallace & Gromit? The poster above says it perfectly, too. Wallace is the master, while Gromit is definitely the mind. Ha.
Fave Quote:
Wallace: Oh come on, Gromit. A bit more, you know... alluring.
(Gromit vamps it up)
Wallace: Oho, very cheeky.


And last but most assuredly not least....
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mister Toad
(or The Legend of Sleepy Hollow)
I can hear the music now...
"Ichabod, Ichabod crane. Kind of odd, but nice just the same."
"With a hip-hip and a clippity clop. He's out looking for a head to chop. So don't stop to try and figure out a plan. You can't reason with a headless man..."
If I have to pick a favorite Halloween movie, this is it. The odd school teacher, the lovely Katrina, and the handsome Brom. And the amazing talent of Bing Crosby. We watch it on YouTube more often than I'd care to admit. But it's worth it.

What movies do you love to watch this time of year?
Are you a horror fan? Or do you prefer something mild?

Friday, October 7, 2011

23 Days - Makeup Tutorials / Inspiration

Click pictures for links - the pics don't have tutorials, but they should be fairly easy to recreate... I hope.
I've Got the Rots - So fun. And hello, toilet paper! You can also substitute Elmer's Glue for the Liquid Latex.

Mysterious Bird Lady: I'd use different colors, but it looks great.
Angler Fish.
(Doesn't have a tutorial, but it would be easy enough to figure out.)
It's just the right amount of creepy and cool. The teeth are just paper, but I'd use a stiffer fabric (pleather, perhaps?) so they'd be a bit shinier and hold up better. Looks great though, right?


Really creepy zombie face.
For those that don't have small children or a spouse that scares easily. {:
 The contacts really make this look. 
I'd go for more subtle attire, just so people might mistake me for a true blind person. 
And then get freaked out when I look right at them.

Halloween is the only time it's okay for my true freak to pop up. I love almost everything about it. I went trick-or-treating in college. And now I have kids, so I still get to go. Yep. I'm immature. But I'm enjoying every second.

What are your costume plans?
Do you still dress up? Do you hate dressing up?
Tell me! Tell me now!
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