The Tale of The Incompitent Virgo; a Valentine's Day Story

Once long ago, in a small sleepy town,
lived the incompitent virgo, and his wife, oh so round.

With baby she was, and 'bout due to pop,
a romance he had planned, that nobody could top.

He researched and studied, for weeks he did plan,
'till he had made the best bath in the land.

Rose petals and oil he gathered aplenty,
when the water was right 'n' candles were ready,

He turned off the lights
and he guided her in

Blind as she was, scarf tied 'bout her head,
she trusted him, sure she had nothing to dread.

Into the wall he tossed her with force,
as he made panicked noises and with relief, cursed.

Soon they did halt, having come to the tub
and he told her to enter her bath, made with love.

Stepping inside, she slipped on the bottom
saving herself only because she caught him.

On her way down, settling in,
dread she did feel, as something stuck to her end.

Grainy and coarse was the surface she sat on,
covered in oil, being greased up just felt wrong.

Determined of course, to not grimace to loudly,
knowing this gift he presented so proudly.

Unknown to her, the ordeal was not over
as he left for the milk and brought a cup closer.

Still she was blind, bewildered, confused
He said "lean forward, I have something for you".

Straight down her back, the ice cold milk ran,
fresh from the fridge, what a wonderful man!

Unable to hold herself in check any longer,
she screeched, tore off blindfold, and gazed on in wonder.

Candlelight flickered, incense scented the air
her wall impact, clearly for the sake of  her hair.

Rose petals floated on the water's surface,

that had stuck to her tush as she struggled for purchase.

Oils and salts to the bath he had added,
With how hard he'd tried, she was truly saddened.

To tell him a shower was needed most urgent,
and all of his work tossed aside for detergents.

Months later their marriage she did finally forgoe,
Alas, poor, sweet, hapless, incompitent virgo.

(Based on a true story)

Visual Kei On a Budget: A Photo Tutorial

Okay, I know it is almost an oxy-moron. Visaul Kei and budget don't even belong in the same post, much less the same sentence!

If you are familiar with cosplay, the Final Fantasy games, J-pop, or anime at all, then you have an idea of what Visual Kei is.

But only the vaguest of ideas...

See, Visual Kei is a music genre that encompasses a bizarre combination of what happened when 80's hair bands, Jpop, and punk smashed together, and created something altogether new. Born in Japan, it mixes cosplay, metal, gothic and glam. Visual kei bands are very extravagant, and you can usually tell a Visual Kei band or artist by their elaborate costumes, crazy-impossible hairstyles, and bold, daring makeup, usually applied over some variety of lighteining foundation. Want an idea of what I'm talking about? A simple example:

"Dir En Grey" Get the idea? Of course, this is not our favorite Visual Kei band, but this promo shot has the most varied imagery on which to base a generalized idea of the genre. *smile*

So, two days before Halloween, Willamina tells me she would love to be Visual Kei for her costume. Being me, I tell her that's no problem, and I can make that happen. She protested, saying we had nothing that would work for a costume that elaborate, and I gave her a short list of things to acquire from our closets, and the costuming bucket while I went out shopping.

A little while later, I returned with a can of hairspray, some red lipliner (I needed some anyway), a small jar of ivory foundation, a tube of white clown makeup, and some black eyeliner (useful for both her and her sister's costume). Total cost; about $20

Yes, that's all we're working with here. Budget-minded enough for you yet?

No? Okay, I didn't really have to buy the $7 hairspray, and I couldn't find red lipliner at the dollar shop, so sue me. *wink* If I had, though, or we'd had some liquid foundation at the house, I could have gotten away with spending a mere $6, tax included. Better? *grin*

When I returned, she had gathered my little stretchy vest, a red scarf, some leftover red hairspray from some other event, her little sister's white dress shirt, a couple of punk lace-up arm warmers I got on clearance last year after Halloween, some gold chains she had lying around, her black exercise pants, a punky leather collar, black pleather boots, and a sleeveless little t-shirt-like overcoat that buttons in the front. You know the kind that proper young ladies wear over their plain, long-sleeved dresses in the winter?

So with all of these disparate items, I got to work.

First came the sketch. A working example of what I planned on creating. Not pretty, but functional, and it gave a decent idea to W as to what I intended for her. But still she couldn't fathom how, exactly, I was going to pull it off with the seemingly meager supplies we had brought together.

Then I dressed her partially and set her in the chair for hair and makeup.

Doesn't she look so very excited? This, my loves, is a picture of teen disbelief. She was willing to let me try, but didn't think it would turn out very well, despite the fact that I told her that her hair alone would take me nearly two hours to complete...

Somewhat more excited here, about 45 minutes into her hairstyling. Resting frequently to assuage the complaints of "yanking my hair out of my head", these sacrifices were necessary for "the look" she wanted. We still have not touched the colored hairspray in this shot, this is the (dyed) color of her hair.

Of course, after a lot more time, and application of the colored hairspray to the tips of her spikes only, we achieved this (spray drift caused the blended-color effect).

Makeup was quick by comparison, custom-mixing the shade of pale that I could easily blend with the natural shade of her neck, drawing on the bold lip design and eye makeup, and finishing off with kanji on her cheek just for spice; the Japanese character for "candy". Perfect for trick-or-treating!

Hoping to grab a cheap pair of ears for her sister's costume before our homeschool group's Halloween party, we dropped off at a local big box store. We didn't find any pink kitty ears, but we did find something perfect for W's costume!

A broken umbrella, and I knew just what to do with it, too!

Ah, sweet broken umbrella, discarded, unloved. The most overlooked piece of costuming potential to ever sit abandoned on the ground at my feet...

Oh yes, I had plans for that umbrella, and my plans involved a pair of scissors and some safety pins.

After that, it was simply a matter of finding a suitable backdrop for a photo of the finished product.

Costume bonus; every time the spikes were pushed down, they sprang back into place!

Halloween in an Economic Slump

Well, our Halloween was great. We went to the same neighborhood as every year. Our nearly mile-long walk netted the girls about 2.5lbs of candy each, and everyone loved Willamina's costume.

But it was nothing like last year. This year, it was obvious that the purse strings had been tightened in many households. Last year, the girls came home with about 3.5lbs of candy each, but that's not where it showed the most.

In the costuming department, very few folks had the outrageous and exciting costumes of previous years. There were lass home-made costumes, and less people out begging for candy, overall. The houses were also different. While our favorite neighborhood usually has every house open, and costumed adults and children handing out candy, this year, about 1/3 of the houses had their lights out. No candy, no celebration.

There are a couple of bright spots every year on our route; the

house that hands out fresh-made cotton candy, the house that gives away a single hot dog, grilled right there in their yard, mini play-dough, the haunted house garage, the family-friendly spooky movie carport, the spider in a tree that dropped on unsuspecting candy-hunters, adults posing as mannequins to surprise unsuspecting visitors, and all the garish decorations at every house, new designs and styles to enjoy each year. It's something to remember, and we look forward to it with giddy anticipation.

Well this year, there were no hot dogs, and no cotton candy. Only one house had real people posing still to scare the kids (and parents), the spider was suspiciously missing, and of the few houses that were actually decorated, many re-used last year's decor. What candy there was, ran out quicker than ever, and instead of the usual chocolate and rare goodies, there were several

houses that had been forced to resort to DumDum pops and tootsie rolls...

Yeah, it showed. Even the movie carport was gone, being reduced only to a small seating area with a creepy gauzy"doorway". Guess the cutting back included the utility bills too.

Not that is wasn't great. Far from it, in fact. All of the great celebratory feeling was still there, and people were happy. The weather was great, and everyone was as friendly as ever. We had a great time with our friends, and ended with our traditional dinner at a local pizza joint that we only ever visit on Halloween night.

But I noticed, and so did the other parents. The kids noticed things missing, but didn't seem to mind. It's sad when holidays and festivities have to suffer because of a bad economy, but I guess everything shrinks a little when things get tough. I guess I just didn't quite expect it. Not on Halloween, not in our favorite neighborhood.

Thinking we could maybe give the sugared-up kids a little more room to run after our initial fun, we dropped by a spot where we used to go. You know, the fabled neighborhood where they give out full-sized candy bars, and coupons for free Krispy Cream doughnuts? Well, usually, around 9pm, the houses there begin to close, but there are always a few stragglers with a bit of extra candy to give, waiting with their lights on for the later of the candy-gatherers.

Closed, lights off. All but one house in the entire neighborhood.

So, in a last-ditch effort to extend the fun, we drove around looking for college parties to crash. Always fun, a parent MUST go with the kids, but watching the newly-adult scramble in a frantic search for candy for the cute little kids that just appeared at their party is amusing to say the least.

We hit up a couple of parties successfully, and encountered a group of folks spinning fire behind a nearby coffee house before the kids (and parents) were simply too tired to carry on.

That's okay though, it was after midnight when we stopped our hunt for candy and amusement, and we would have been tired by then even if we hadn't had so much fun. *smile*

So that was the extent of our Halloween, and regardless of how hard the financial crisis effected us, and our community, we made the best of it, and had a lot of fun!

My little pink lion decided that her ruff was too itchy, and since we couldn't afford fake ears this year, and didn't have any leftover pink hairspray, this is how she went out trick-or treating. Everyone knew what she was though (some sort of pink kitty), and she still had loads of fun. *smile*

You're invited! Theme Parties Open To The Public!

Want to learn something new, or have an exciting new experience?

How about a challenge for your bravery and your tastebuds?

Then I have some parties for you!

I am hosting a series of Themed Tupperware parties, and there is one to suit nearly everyone!

Tightwad Auction Party

Frugality & Free Tupperware

10/07/09, 6:30pm, Springfield, MO

For more information & to RSVP, click here.

~~~~~~~~~

Eco-Auction Party

Saving The Planet With Free Plastic!

October 15, 2009, 6:30pm, Springfield, MO

For more information & to RSVP, click here.

~~~~~~~~~

Fear Factor Party

Hauntings & Bizarre Foods!

October 25, 2009, 6:30pm, Springfield, MO

For more information & to RSVP, click here.

~~~~~~~~~

Holiday Gatherings Auction Party

Starting the season off right with free Tupperware!

October 29, 2009, 6:30pm, Springfield, MO

For more information & to RSVP, click here.

~~~~~~~~~

Also coming soon!

Drunk & Dirty

Fund Raiser Expose'

To host your own exciting custom-theme party, contact me today!

Tupperware parties no longer have to be held in your home! You can have your party at a park, at a restaurant, in a local community center, and more!

So Long & Thanks For All The Wheels

We are now finally out of the old place, having cleaned the living heck out of it, and left it better than we found it. Everything that we now own is either over at my mother's house waiting for me to have a huge yard sale later in the summer, or at our new place.

We couldn't have done it without all your help, especially when I didn't have any transportation. Thanks, for everything.

For now, we're leaving it all where it is, locking up tight, and going camping. We'll be gone for about a week, but we'll be back to our new home, and back to blogging, shortly.

May you have a glorious and safe fireworks and family celebration!

New Year's Wishes

My Wish for You in 2009

May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debts.

May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for legally safe $100 bills.

May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!

May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy.

May the problems you once had forget your home address!

In simple words ............

May 2009 be the best year of your life!!!

Holiday Shopping & Buy Nothing Day 2008

As you well know, our family celebrates Buy Nothing Day. That is the holiday of anti-consumerism that takes place on the day after Thanksgiving, called by eager shoppers; "Black Friday" or "Blitz Day", and marketed as the biggest shopping day of the year. Businesses have taken advantage of this, and in an attempt to boost their sales on the unholy grail of shopping days, offer huge discounts in order to entice customers to come buy from their store instead of all of the others.

Of course items that usually cost $400 dropping in price to a mere $100 is terribly tempting, and this entices people so much that they awake at 3am so they can fight for parking places, jostle for a place in line, and wait in the freeing cold for hours, just so they can have a chance (yes, that's right, a chance, there's no guarantee here folks), of getting the one thing they want most. Some people even go so far as to bring a sleeping bag and camp outside of the store with friends, sleeping in shifts to be assured one of thes magical and elusive first spots in line, and thus, first dibs on spending money. This past year it was so bad that there were several injuries and even a death as customers stormed into the store in a rush to get to the gifts they most coveted.

This lunacy is brought to you by the idea that spending lots of money and getting really fancy gifts for your friends and family around the holidays is the best way to let them know you care. Of course it is also helped by the advertising industry, and people who seem to think that teaching their children the joy of giving is not an important part of the season, which leads to excessive cases of the gimmies, and creates the vicious circle of consumerism.

Some businesses are cluing into the fact that there are a lot of people refusing to buy on "Black Friday", and have created new ways to take advantage of the consumerist rush, and many internet companies have made the day after black Friday another big shopping day, in the hopes that more people can be drawn to shop at online retailers.

Amazon.com for example offered special deals and sales, with all the pricing of the unholy shopping day, but starting on Nov 27th, and going on for several days of special deals, with one deal each day. It's the same concept, but a little more innovative. I have to give them credit for thinking outside the box like that, and I'm sure that their creativity got some of those who celebrate Buy Nothing Day to indulge in a little extra shopping too.

With the bad economy, and the prevalence of gift cards as presents in recent years, other retailers have tried to get people out on December 26th as well, to spend those gift cards, and get what they really wanted from the cash they got back after returning their unwanted gifts.

This last year was extra-special!

This year, we attended our very first zombie walk!

At the Battlefield Mall at 1pm, zombies invaded Springfield, trudging through the mall and mumbling things like "consume" and "buy" instead of the typical "brains", then when they were kicked off of mall property, moved over to the dark lord WaldeMart for a bit more fun before shambling back to their dens to sleep out the cold. Little known fact, zombies really dislike cold weather.



The zombie walk was an open event, and all were welcome to join in the fun. Shredded clothes and special effect makeup were not necessary, but they did make things a lot more amusing.

Thanksgiving Tree 2008

After rescuing a small potted tree this fall that didn't quite make it despite all our loving attention, and having very little time for crafts, this year we went a whole new route with the thanksgiving tree, and stapled construction paper leaves to a real "tree" for our thanksgiving tree.

Christmas Events at Chick-Fil-A

Celebrate Christmas with Chick-Fil-A. Make crafts, and happy memories, and even score a free meal!

Monday, Dec 15th ~ Decorate a stocking (all day)
Tuesday, Dec 16th ~ Christmas stories with Santa Cow (5-8pm)
Wednesday, Dec 17th ~ Free hot cocoa & candy canes (all day)
Thursday, Dec 18th ~ Make reindeer food (5-8pm)
Friday, Dec 19th ~ Dress up like Santa, Get a free meal* (all day event)
Saturday, Dec 20th ~ Breakfast with Santa Cow (8-9am or 9-10am)**
Monday, Dec 22nd ~ Decorate Christmas cookies (all day)
Tuesday, Dec 23rd ~ Design Christmas placemats (all day)

* Head to toe dressing like Santa gets a meal, dressing in something with Santa on it, or Santa-like gets you a free sandwich.

** RSVP required by Dec 18th. $5 for breakfast.

Festival of Lights Free Ice Skating

Mediacom Ice Park near Jordan Valley Park in downtown Springfield is having it's annual free ice skating again this year for the holiday season.

The schedule of remaining free skates are as follows;

Saturday, Dec 13th 9-10pm
Friday, Dec 19th 5:30-6:30pm
Thursday, Dec 25th 3:30-4:30pm
Friday, Dec 26th 5:30-6:30pm
Saturday, Dec 27th 6-7pm

Free ice skating includes rink usage only, skate rental is extra; $2.50.

Address: 635 East Trafficway, Springfield, MO. Phone number: 417-866-7444

Delightfully Decadent Eco-Decor: Fall & Winter Series; Spiced Candles

The fourth in our inexpensive recycled autumn & winter crafts series for 2008 is the spiced candle.

Ages 10+
(5+ can help parents or older children with some steps)

Supplies:

• Clove & cinnamon essential oil,
• Vanilla-scented candle wax bits in clear. (small bag)
• Fallen autumn leaves
• Glass baking dish
• Corn cob holders
• Stirring stick or spoon
• Large pan (that the baking dish will fit into)
• Scissors
• Whatever else strikes your fancy from your outdoor collection bag or kitchen (nuts, seeds, twigs, spices)
• Pillar candles (unscented, vanilla, pumpkin, gingerbread, or apple work best, but pine may also be used)

Instructions:

1. Place vanilla wax into glass dish and add one drop each of the essential oils.
2. Put 2 cups water into the large pan.
3. Place glass dish into large pan and heat on medium-high until wax is melted.
4. Stir wax to incorporate the essential oils well.
5. Put corn cob holders into the tops of the pillar candles.
6. Remove label from bottom of candle.
   
7. Roll candles in melted wax for one full turn, carefully avoiding touching the bottom of the pan.
8. Artfully arrange decorative herbs, spices, and findings on the hot wax.
9. Roll the candle again in the scented wax and let sit on waxed paper to cool.
10. Cut out the waxed paper the candle was sitting on to fit the candle.
11. (optional) Create your own custom under-candle label.
12. Remove corn-spear from top of candle, and place in the bottom of the candle.
13. Dip top of candle in melted wax.
14. Let candle cool on it's side for 2 minutes.
    
15. Roll candle in melted wax once more.
16. Remove corn-spear from bottom of candle.
17. Affix label to the bottom of the candle.
18. Set upright to cool for 1 hour
19. (optional) wrap in tissue paper or clear gift-basket wrap and tie with a bow for gift-giving.
    

Photos copyright All Occasions Gits.

Delightfully Decadent Eco-Decor: Fall & Winter Series; Leaf Rubbings & Prints

The third in our inexpensive recycled autumn & winter crafts series for 2008 is leaf rubbings & prints.

Ages 2+

For this you will need paper, leaves, tempura paint, and a box of crayons.

Make your own greeting cards, place mats, pretty art presents, photo frame matting, and/or gift wrap with freshly fallen leaves and a little creativity.

This one is quick easy fun that can last a good long time. Simply place your leaf on the table, put the paper on top, then rub the side of a crayon across the leaf to make a rubbing.

For a print, brush a small amount of paint onto the bottom (veigny part) of the leaf, then place the leaf where you want the design printed. Gently roll a rolling pin (or soda bottle, or can of food) over the top to make the print. You may use a paper towel or piece of scrap paper to prevent paint mess getting on the rolling device.

Photo copyright Just Another Family

Delightfully Decadent Eco-Decor: Fall & Winter Series; Autumn Potpourri

The first in our inexpensive recycled autumn & winter crafts series for 2008 is Autumn Potpourri.

Ages 3+

Supplies:

• Clove essential oil
• Acorns
• Small pinecones
• Small tree leaves (Maples are pretty)
  
• Spices: cinnamon sticks, whole allspice, star anise, whole cloves and whole bay leaves

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients except bay & tree leaves in a large colander.
2. Add some drops of essential oil to the mix & toss gently.
3. Drop in more essential oil until the scent is strong enough for you.
4. Add all leaves & lightly mix.

Display in a bowl. Add a single glass-contained large candle or three glass-contained votive candles for accent and gentle heating of the potpourri for better scent dispersal.

* Since we are running so far behind on these crafts this year, some posts will be served with photos of the creations of others. This photo property of Good Hope Botanicals.

Delightfully Decadent Eco-Decor: Fall & Winter Series

*Whoops!*

I am determined to get some of this done before the holiday season really gears up into full swing.

The family has already started the Thanksgiving tree and countdown turkey this year, so other crafty goodness must assuredly follow. *smile* (Instrictions for 2 different varieties of bonsai Thanksgiving trees, large Thanksgiving wall tree tutorial, crafting a Thanksgiving countdown turkey)

First things first.

To do all of the crafts in fall portion of this series correctly, we must start with a nature walk to gather free materials. This can be a lot of fun, so pick a nice day and get out of the house for a while.

How can you make it more than just a simple no-cash craft-supply shopping spree?

This can be a special family time just as valuable as doing the crafts themselves, so bring everyone, and make the most of it.

* Make a list for each family member, give them two reusable fabric grocery sacks or canvas totes and a plastic grocery bag, and call it a scavenger hunt.

What's the plastic bag for, you may ask? Picking up any litter you might find on your hike! Nothing makes a nature walk even better like leaving it nicer than it was before you found it, and protecting the environment and local wildlife in the process.

* Turn it into an educational event for fall plant and tree identification, a wild food hunt and gathering party, or seed some untended areas with winter food for local animals.
Here's your list of things to get while out**;

Tall grasses with the seed heads still attached. (20)
Twigs with branches off of them, or dead tomato plants with the leaves stripped off. (5)
Dried Leaves (2 plastic bags full)
Small log or large branch section (2)
Pinecones (15)
Small pinecones (20)
Birch bark strips (about 25)
Small nuts, shells, woody misc (1 plastic bag)
Feathers (any you find on the ground)

Other Supplies Needed (or that might prove useful);

Waxed paper
Busted crayons
Scissors
Apples
Cheese grater
Oranges
Markers
Yarn
Hand quilting thread
Whole cranberries
Clove oil
Iron
Baling wire (or metal coat hangers and pliers)
Ribbon
Empty, clean food cans (any sizes)
un-popped popcorn (unflavored)
Glue stick
Air popcorn popper (or other popping method)
Sharp darning needles

From the spice cabinet: vanilla extract, cinnamon sticks, whole allspice, star anise, whole cloves, whole bay leaves, pumpkin pie spice

* State and national conservation areas may have a law regarding gathering of plant matter. Please check your state's regulations and stay legal!

** List is for one-2 of each project. For more projects, get more goodies.

*Whoops* : I accidentally forgot to change the date of posting to reflect the actual date I posted this instead of the date I started writing it. Sorry about that. *blush* All better now!

Hailoween

We had hail on Halloween morning, but the weather cleared up nicely for the yearly stranger-begging ritual, leaving us with warm temperatures and clear skies.

Ladybug went as Glenda the "good witch" in her younger years. She was "popular" but her poor dress didn't fare very well throughout the evening...

Z-Man ran with his pirate costume again this year, and looked dapper as usual, while his father went army (not pictured).
Littlebit went faerie in the riskiest color of all, white. No worries, she lived up to expectations and damaged it beyond salvation. *chuckle*

Faith Dressed like the pretty pink girl, which got more elaborate and fluffy as the evening wore on, due to Ladybug's dress frayed and tore.

I was a disgruntled homecoming queen, with gun, of course. *smile* All homecoming queens have to have guns, dont'cha know? Loosing all that weight made the gown fall off of course, so I had to safety-pin it to my underclothes with Faith's help in order to keep it on for the night. Almost time to retire or repurpose it.

There were all sorts of neat houses to visit, and this was one of the most popular on our route, replete with a long line, the cotton candy house! Three people were manning the cotton candy maker, and here we have a photo of Faith's hubby getting a bit of candy for himself. This was one of the only houses that all the adults begged at as well.

From house to house we walked, gathering goodies, making new friends, and singing filk songs.

Everyone really gets into the action in our favorite neighborhood, decorating their homes and themselves. I really enjoyed this house's creative and artfully carved Obama pumpkin!

Even in two-inch tall platform sneakers, Ladybug couldn't stop stepping on the gown she had been given (thanks Faith, she loved it to death!), and about half-way through the evening, the front had ripped off, and she rubber banded some of the shredded bite to her wrists and became a gypsy.
We did some reverse Trick or Treating this year, giving fair trade chocolate and informational fliers to those who shared their candy with us. For more information, or to bring next year's event to your neighborhood, visit Global Exchange. Fair trade chocolate is the best I've ever tried, seriously, buy some, you won't be sorry, and the good feeling you get from supporting ethical farmers doesn't hurt the flavor one bit. *grin*

I had never seen this sort of costume before, so I grabbed a picture, but the one that shocked me most was the little Sarah Palin. She looked very accurate, and had obviously put some planning into her costume. I didn't manage to get a photo of it, but Faith did, and will probably post it on Gather here in a couple of days. Her ID is Faith IB, so go on over and have a look at what she's already posted, and keep an eye out for the Palin costume.

Despite her initial misgivings about going candy-begging, Ladybug danced the night away in her beautiful gown, until finally, almost all of the toole was gone, and she draped a large chunk of it over her head and started saying she was a pink bride. *laugh* Way to roll with the punches!

There was a house with a haunted house, and another with a kid-friendly Halloween movie playing in their garage on infinite loop. Note the puzzle cube in the photo. It was a really creative year, that's for sure. Among the greatest costumes not captured were Mr. Perelli from the movie Sweeney Todd, a peacock, Edward Scissorhands, three great gothic lolita costumes, and a Joker in a nurse's uniform.
The house parties were great too, giving everyone the opportunity to be as silly as they'd like, and even the adults came out in their full splendor.

They didn't end up with a lot of candy this year, but we all sure did have a lot of fun together, and that's what really counts!

After we finished Trick or Treating, Littlebit went home with Faith for a little overnight care, and after hearing that the college kids next door had taken all of our parking places, we just drove over and parked near our next event, the Rocky Horror Picture Show!

RHPS is a great place to get pictures of really fun costumes, so I dragged out my camera again after the event, and grabbed a few more shots of some of the more interesting costumes.

Pinocchio was a huge surprise.

For some odd reason, I thought the aerobics instructor look was dead, but all things rise from the dead on Halloween, no matter how awful they are!

And our final photo, you would never expect to see in a million years, Eddie (meatloaf), and The Goblin King posing together for the strangest photo of the evening.

It was a really long night, but worth every minute for the fun! How was your Halloween?