The Countdown to Halloween: Bittersweet Parting

I wish I could have ended this countdown on a stronger note. Sadly, I was beyond sick today. This Halloween was very uneventful due to being so. We were planning on trick or treating with Evelyn, trick or treating for UNICEF, trunk or treating, have a full on brunch while watching scary movies, and attend a friend's party. My only saving points of today/tonight were doing peoples' makeup around the Finch house, taking pictures of the kids, attending the pre-board meeting for Jose, and dressing up as a pinup witch. I have posts that I'm planning on doing next year for sure. More reviews, more pictures, etc. This countdown was a blast, and it was an honor and privilege being apart of it.

I hope everyone had a fantastic Halloween. Take care! ^.^

P.S. Here are some photos taken during Halloween day and night. Enjoy!

Sarah was my first makeup victim of the night. Muwahahahahaha!

Here's a really close up shot of Sarah's face makeup. I really wish I was able to get a good shot of her right arm. I made her arm look so gross. I know this look was a success since people couldn't recognize Sarah at first, and even ran away from her. >:D

The second victim of the night. Kira wanted to be Belle for Halloween, so her makeup was kept more innocent. I used lighter, shimmery shadows on her eyes, smoked out at the ends. The rest of the face was kept simple with just some finishing powder, blush, and my new favorite lip stain.

I had to include this adorable shot. ^.^

Sarah freaked out Kira by popping up behind her when she didn't notice. The moment was golden.

Sarah's neighborhood friend came over, so we took more pictures before they left for trunk or treating. I've had so many people compliment on this picture the most. Their expressions are priceless.

My brother-in-law, Logan, dressed up as Guile this year. This is a picture of him comforting Evelyn before I dressed her up in her makeshift costume (explanation below). Adorableness overload! >w<

Steph requested a picture with Logan, and had asked to borrow one of my dresses. I complied to each request. I was planning on wearing this dress tonight, but didn't want to ruin it, since I still was coughing up my lungs.

The Finch house all lit up for Halloween. We had so many trick or treaters this year. It was awesome!

Vintage Ghost Bear goodness. <3 This is one of my all-time favorite decorations around here.

Here are my father-in-law's favorite Halloween decorations. The grim reaper is the latest addition to his collection, and seriously freaks Connor out so bad. Also, people were lining up to take pictures with these guys, which made my FIL's night.

This costume was completely makeshift. It's the dress that my mom and grandma picked up when they were in the Philippines, and gave to Evelyn for her first birthday. Her bat costume didn't pan out, and her jack o' lantern jumper pulled a Houdini on me, so this was a last resort. I call this look "Young Snow White."

Ian was so tired. He stayed up past 24 hours, so I let him sleep. He, sadly, had other plans so I hardly was around him today/tonight. On a funny note, he almost fell asleep with his Finn hat on. :P

Last, but not least, is me as a makeshift pinup witch. I got a lot of compliments on this outfit online, even though I didn't change into it until last minute. I'm not wearing makeup, as I didn't want any germs in my makeup palette. The witch hat is Sarah's. More pictures of this look will be posted up tomorrow when I'm not so drowsy. Goodnight!

The Countdown to Halloween: Party Animal

(Note before I start this post: Wow! I can't believe that Halloween is tomorrow! The feeling is bittersweet since Halloween is my all-time favorite holiday and it will end shortly after. I'm thankful that Dia de Los Muertos is afterward, and that Creepmas (I'm totally participating in that countdown for sure!) is on its way so I can cherish this holiday for what it's worth. In the meantime (on Halloween), I'm going to try not being depressed over my grandma as best as I can, do a bunch of Halloween crafts, spend time with my family and friends, visit our friend, Jose, make a spooky bunch, watch a bunch of scary movies, possibly take Evelyn trick or treating (highly depending on her condition as she had a nasty ear infection and fever yesterday), and possibly go out to a party.)

...speaking of parties, here are some of my favorite pictures taken at/before/after parties from over the recent years!

The Countdown to Halloween: Commercials From The Past

I love commercials this time of year, especially if they deal with brand name stuff or have some of my favorite celebrities in them.

Here are some of my favorites that I have seen over the years/commercials that have scared the hell out of me:

"Never Say No To Panda!"

"Creepiest Commercial Ever"

"Very Creepy Doll Commercial From The 60's"

"1970 Scary: Before the Exorcist, The Doll" (As you can tell, most doll commercials, especially from the past, scare the hell out of me pretty badly)

"The Hyundai Veloster Banned Commercial"

"Banned European Car Ad!" (Make sure to watch ALL of it for full effect!)

"Snickers Halloween Grocery Store Lady"

"SNICKERS- 'Horseless Headsman' Exclusive Online Edit"

"2001 Target Halloween Commercial"

"Exclusive Domo Halloween At Target"

"Keep The Party Alive With Skelanimals @ Target"

The Countdown to Halloween: Look Your Spooky Best

Need a last minute idea for Halloween, but don't have any idea what to do? Why not work with makeup?

Here are some of my favorite videos from awesome makeup gurus:

"Pin Up Zombie/ Dead Girl" by rottenzombiefairy

"Galaxy Makeup" by KlairedelysArt

"Zombie Barbie" by Michelle Phan

"Seductive Vampire" by Michelle Phan

"Tim Burton Look" by Michelle Phan

"Day of the Dead Makeup" by Michelle Phan

"Forest Fairy" by Michelle Phan

"Skulltastic Makeup" by Sokolum79

"Gimme Some Sugar(pill) Baby!" by Sokolum79

"If I Were Bitten By A Zombie..." by Sokolum79

"Evil Clown Halloween Tutorial" by Sokolum79

"Demon Makeup Tutorial" by xBeingNEONx

Have fun, and good luck!

The Countdown to Halloween: Drink Spirits, Be Merry

(Before I start this post: Yet another hectic day. Woke up past 9 a.m. in an awkward fashion. I was still pissed after coming home from Denise's get together earlier this morning, and finding out that Evelyn was abandoned in her playpen. Seriously, I'm never letting my SIL watch her ever again. This day has had more cons than pros. The worst part of this day dealt with a call from my dad telling me that little kids are basically being forced to stay home from the funeral. We searched around for a babysitter. Tomorrow is not an issue, since my MIL and FIL will be home to look after Evelyn. Monday is quite an issue since the kids will be in school, and everyone else will be either at work, school, or out of town. At this rate, Ian probably won't be able to attend mass with me or ride out with me to the cemetery since he'll be forced to watch Evelyn unless a miracle happens. It's rather unfair and stupid. This last minute request seems to have some prejudice backing (I don't want to get into the long story about it) and is quite uncalled for. We also weren't able to go to Boo At The Zoo over at Zoo Boise. It really bums me out since I wanted to see the expanded bat exhibits and the red pandas roaming about. The only highlight of this day has been getting the Candy Corn Halloween prize package from The Spooky Vegan (seriously, much love to her. She is so amazing! We have such similar tastes in things. You're seriously missing out if you aren't reading her blog) from a previous contest she had. I'll be posting up a picture on Instagram of it's contents tomorrow.

I love a good drink, just like everyone else. Raised Catholic (I've strayed from this religion for multiple reasons though), I'm no stranger to spirits, and have been drinking for religious and social reasons for years in moderation. Due to attending Jenise and Kelly's Halloween parties since 2009, I've also been addicted to looking up good party drink recipes. Here is a list of some of the best Halloween/spooky themed drinks, pre-made or not, that I found online. Due to being out of it, this list is only the tip of the iceberg. I might make another list later.

Enjoy! ^.^

P.S. For those that were wondering about my Instagram account and wanted to follow me, my screen name is riverisiren.

The Countdown to Halloween: Spooky Events

(Note before I start this post: Another day/night where things are crazy hectic around here. Five possible parties/gatherings are happening tonight. Also, still helping with grandma's funeral preparations. X.x We might go to one or two parties/gatherings with how tired I've been today. I got less than three hours of sleep this morning with Evelyn being super fussy, and still have to work on last minute crafts, treats, and costumes. As you might expect, here is a short, but pretty sweet post...)

I got really good feedback (via Skype, Twitter, etc.) from using the Readlist last time, so I decided to make another one. Here you go!

Enjoy! ^.^

P.S. A really fun attraction whose link wouldn't work with this Readlist roundup would be Linder Farms. This attraction has the most stuff to do stuffed into one attraction. This place was made famous for its pumpkin patch, petting zoo, hay rides, and Trail of Terror.

The Countdown to Halloween: "Read Me"

(Before we start this post: Many thanks to the people that messaged me asking how I am in terms of my Grandma's death. All I can say is that I'm trying my best to cope. It's rough, but I know I'll get through it. Death has been heavy on my side of the family since 2008. It kind of really sucks, but it's life.)

Due to the craziness of the last couple of days (mostly because of Grandma's funeral preparations, Halloween party preparations, and crafting), I don't have much time for blogging today, so I'll leave you guys this list here (the widget doesn't expand, making the link SO much better to deal with!).

Enjoy! ^.^

The Countdown to Halloween: Honoring The Dead

November 6, 1929-October 23, 2012

To My Dearest Grandma Anne,

I miss you already. You have just barely passed a day ago, but it feels like it's longer. Even though you didn't celebrate Samhain, I do, and I will honor you in advance. I will do what I do for honoring the dead, following in my mom's footsteps, along with doing my own rituals. I will honor you with your favorite food and drink. I will pray for you, looking back at all the good times we had together, even though those times were few and far between due to dad's wanting to stay away due to stuff I didn't know at the time but know now. I will create a sigil just for you, and send it off into the universe in the most fabulous fashion. You would have really loved to see that in person, since I knew you loved seeing things involving flash paper. I will leave you honey to enjoy, as an offering, especially if you decide to make your presence known anytime soon. I will be keeping an eye out in case you do. I will honor you in my artwork, especially if it's folk art, since that is what you specialized in when you were alive. I will learn and master making your recipes for cranberry salad, peanut butter soft cookies, pumpkin pie, and pecan pie. I will learn your favorite songs on the piano and organ. I will become better at remembering to write thank you notes, since you thought that it was always the polite thing to do whenever you received a gift. I will paint my nails black, not only to cope with what has happened, but also because you loved seeing me with black nail polish on. I will take risks, like you did. I will look into family history more, since you were one of the best family historians this side of the family has ever known. I will sing whenever the mood strikes, since you said you loved my singing voice. I will hunt for gemstones like you did. Last, but not least, I will look over grandpa, like he looked over you. I worry about him, since he loved you very much. We promise to keep an eye on him.

Know that you may be gone now, but certainly not forgotten. I will never forget all that you have done for this family.

Rest in peace, Grandma. I love you.

~Krystal

The Countdown to Halloween: Drained (NSFW)

(Note to others before starting this post: The video below is the full short movie. I put a NSFW warning, since there is creative nudity involved-I think they're using flesh suits blended perfectly with makeup on top. There is absolutely NO sex involved)

Notes for the best viewing experience: Not the best movie to watch before eating. This movie would be suited for people that enjoy live action, stop motion, and real situation related movies. Not suited for people with a weak stomach or don't enjoy nudity (even in a creative sense, which this movie uses).

Personal notes: This was a project that I really wanted to fund on Kickstarter, but wasn't able to because I didn't have funds in time. I was surprised that Jon Heder helped produced this, and that this movie was in stop motion. The feel of this movie is real, gritty, dark, and industrial. The actors that were picked for this were top notch and perfect. This is on my CtH list since I find it creepy and unsettling, which makes this short movie perfect to watch around Halloween.

If you want more information on this short movie, check out this link.

Enjoy!

The Countdown to Halloween: Signal Boost-Underneath The Juniper Tree

I was wondering why Underneath The Juniper Tree was missing from this year's Countdown to Halloween lineup.

This is why:



Please help support one of the best contributors of all-time from The Countdown to Halloween. This anthology needs to be seen by the public for sure!

The Countdown to Halloween: I Was A Creeper-Anime Evolution Edition (Nostalgia)

(Photographer: Molly McIsaac, Anime Evolution 2009 Models: Alyssa Guy, Me)


(Photographer: Molly McIsaac, Anime Evolution 2009 Model: Me)


(Photographer: Molly McIsaac, Anime Evolution 2009 Model: Me)


(Photographer: Molly McIsaac, Anime Evolution 2009 Model: Me, Andrea Rupe)

I creeped out so many people at this convention.

Good times. Seriously.

The Countdown to Halloween: What You've Been Waiting For-The Return of the Fear Series

Note to the readers that have faithfully been awaiting this super lumped post of DOOM: It kind of makes me sad that this series has finally come to a close. I had a lot of fun making both versions that you will either read or view through this blog (if you haven't already!). If you have been following the Fear Series, I hope that you like/love the last set of posts.

Oh, and blame the late scans on the jerk scanner. Seriously.

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The Countdown to Halloween: Let's Dance

Note before I start this post: Today was a rough day. It was so difficult to focus on anything I came in contact with or was supposed to complete. I spaced on scanning the Fear Series due to my aunt's FB status that was posted earlier this morning. I swear that scanning the Fear Series is the first thing that's going to happen after I wake up in the morning, by the way. Trying to get ahold of my aunt was like pulling teeth; I ended up leaving quite a few messages with no call backs. I was left in the dark about her (her being my grandma's) condition until Sammy gave me an idea of what was happening. I found out my grandma's condition was even worse than I thought it was going to be, due to dad's call I got after Ian left for work earlier tonight. The soonish I can even visit my grandma at this point is Sunday, if the nurses will even allow that. It also doesn't help that Ian and I made a promise to Jose that we would visit him tomorrow. Major guilt trip sprees suck...

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In the mood for music to get you into the Halloween spirit?

Here is the link (since Grooveshark is still working on an embedded playlist for a huge amount of songs) for the Monster Mash party playlist that was put together, and played in the living room of the party I hosted on October 7, 2012. You get a various mix of sounds that include Gothic, industrial, covers, techno, trance, metal, indie, and classic. Songs that weren't listed on here were probably brought to the party by guests through Mp3 or CD format.

Enjoy!

The Countdown to Halloween: Michael's Haul

Note to my frequent readers: The Fear Series lumped post was supposed to go up today, but the scanner was having issues. I'm getting the scanner looked at tomorrow. I wanted to go the scanner route since I wanted people to be able to read my writing clearly. Also, it seems like everything is against me when I either want to post anything Fear Series or OUAT makeup collaboration related (something XSparkage inspired that I wanted to do with my friend, Joanne. She was going to do a Blue Faerie makeup look, and I was going to do an Evil Queen inspired look. It was going to be one of my posts during this countdown too, especially since one of my traditions during Spooky Seasons is to do multiple makeup looks). It kind of really sucks.

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I was finally able to go to Michael's craft store since Ian wasn't tired this time around. We left 10 a.m., and arrived back home past 11 a.m. due to getting distracted by all the cool holiday stuff. I was really surprised, especially with this time of month. Usually, the shelves are wiped clean by customers drawn to amazing sales that Michael's has. I also got a little carried away, and forgot to grab some pipe cleaners as bases for folk art pieces for some of the dolls/figurines I'm making for my WePay shop. I'm not feeling too bad since I heard that there's some pipe cleaners lying around somewhere around this house. I'm betting they're going to be in the laundry room. At times like this, I'm glad that my mother-in-law is a super crafty person.

Typing that all out makes me feel a bit sad and disorganized. Damn you Michael's for being too awesome and distracting!

Haul contents (working from the center and going clockwise): Masks that will be customized for parties Ian and I will be attending, the super adorable jack o' lantern headband that was on sale that I plan on wearing the rest of this month (it'll need a little bit of Mod Podge touch ups though :/ ), the "wreath" that's super cute and will be painted (I'm debating on switching this out with the 'Scary' sign I have up on the living space door), a Mod Podge sampler kit that's going to be used on multiple things (most of the customizable stuff you see here will be sealed with it, along with stuff that's going in my WePay shop), three sets of customizable Halloween ornaments that either are going to be hung up around the living space or put on a Halloween tree I plan on making, a creepy cute skeleton that will be painted and decorated, and some glitter glue that has an opal sheen (I plan on using this on several of stuff in the haul, on some of things I'm making for my WePay shop, and on future Christmas stockings).

Do you have a favorite craft store? Is there even a craft store in your area? Are you a person that easily gets distracted while shopping, or are you completely organized and focused? Comment in the box below. Thanks! x

The Countdown to Halloween: Lucid dreaming

Lucid dreams prove that/
All nightmares can be controlled/
Fear Series up next.

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Have you ever tried lucid dreaming?

It's quite fun, once you get the hang of it. It took me weeks to get used to falling asleep funny to get it right. I can control it now without worrying that I might screw it up.

The main reason I wanted to be able to control my dreams was the fact that I kept having nightmares, "storybook" nightmares to be exact. To make a long story short, storybook nightmares are nightmares that basically continue night after night, one right after the other. They can be the same dream from the night before, just revealing a little bit more each time to up the dread factor, or they can be completely new but add to the "story" in the long run. The worst storybook dreams involved a fun house, zombies, and toys taking over peoples' souls.

Due to being inspired by Courtney, I tried lucid dreaming for the first time in three months, just before Ian called me on his first break at work. I was surprised that I was still able to do so with ease. I love being able to do so during the case of nightmares. Being weird, I like being able to see a comparison in my dreams side by side, in a kind of PIP style.

Once I was able to identify that the dream was going to take a turn for the worst, I willed myself to partially wake up, then fall back asleep. The PIP screen showed up to my upper right, blank. The dream already had a feel that I was already in a video game, since we were taking care of stuff on a farm in the equivalency of Farmville as a team. We were headed back to the main house to take a break. I was going to take a shower to get the grime off of me. After I was finished, the PIP screen started to glow, and the nightmare equivalent began. I was supposed to get sexually assaulted by some random farmer, and JGL was going to save me. Glad that I dodged that bullet, except for the JGL part, I took charge of the moment. I was able to talk the farmer into getting marriage therapy with his his wife, and he went on his way. JGL was able to pick me up normally, and take me home to be with Ian and Evelyn for dinner. All was well.

Then my phone rang. Ian called. I finally woke up entirely, a lot happier than I originally would have been if I hadn't recognize the signs of a nightmare coming on. It really is a life saving tool.

I wonder if a person could lucid dream battle against Freddy, in a literal sense. I bet he wouldn't like that. :P

Have you ever experienced lucid dreaming before? If so, how did that go? Would you like to try so if you could? Do you think someone could lucid dream battle against Freddy, and possibly win/be squashed like a bug? Comment below in the comment box. Thanks! x

P.S. Here are some links and for lucid dreaming if you wanted to try it:


Brainpickings
Wikihow
Some really awesome books on lucid dreaming

The Countdown to Halloween: Prep Time On Crack

So much to do before Halloween hits. So little time.

• I still need to check off everything on my Halloween traditions list (with exceptions being the ones that can't be completed this month, of course!)
• I still need to finish up the artsy versions of the Fear Series (should be finished and lumped together by tomorrow! Fingers crossed!)
• My nails need to be either polished black (that was held off today since all of my clear polishes are too thick to use now. I should have grabbed some Seche Clear when I had the chance yesterday!) or have nail stickers put on them (I haven't used any of my nail stickers since I keep making a decision swaps at the last minute; this isn't good since they're only one time use)
• A craft store run is in order for Mod Podge and pipe cleaners for multiple projects (preferably Michael's to see if they have any cool stuff on clearance and to see their Halloween stuff in general)
• Mojo bags and sigil booby traps are in the works since the spirit overload as of late
• I need to see my grandma on my dad's side since it sounds like she's close to being on her death bed for the second time
• I need compatible makeup solutions that would go with multiple costume choices, specifically before the twenty-sixth, when the parties would take place
• On that note, I need to finalize and make costumes for Ian, Evelyn, and me before the twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh for sure
• I need to borrow a sewing machine from someone A.S.A.P. to make projects and costumes
• Ian and I need to finish marathoning Tales of the Crypt, and return the box set to dad
• I need to decide if I want the Humble Bundle or not (since it goes away in six days!). I love reading new books any time of the year, and some of the books are worth checking out just for the authors that made them (some of the books look All Hallow's Read worthy)
• I need to get the ends of my hair trimmed, preferably during the full moon since I missed getting them trimmed on the new moon (I've decided that more volume would be awesome over length). Trimmed hair will make wearing wigs a breeze
• I need to get all of the missing ingredients for the desserts I was planning on making for the end of this month/for parties bought and sorted beforehand
• Pictures for either leisure or work need to be developed and used/sent out to their owners
• Ian and I need to visit Jose before the month is up, especially since we have more time now with Ian quitting his other job. We both really miss him.

That's all I can think up for stuff that needs to be done before Halloween. Do you have any last minute stuff that needs to get done too, or are you all ready to go? If so, post in the comments. Thanks! x

The Countdown to Halloween: Date Night

I finally got around to watching Hotel Transylvania with Ian. We didn't go yesterday with Ian pulling the tired card again, but it was legit in his case since he was awake for almost 36 hours at that point due to attending the stake conference.

We got to the Edwards 22 Theatre early (which is a miracle with how late we arrived to several movies in the past), and were able to use the unrestricted movie tickets without any problems. After getting a large popcorn bucket and two large sodas, we made our way into the viewing room we were assigned to, which happened to be The Grand Palace. After choosing seats in the upper middle section, we sat through waiting commercials provided by Regal Entertainment, we finally got to the actual movie previews. The only movies I would see out of those would be Wreck It Ralph and the nature movies. The other movies seemed like they would be a waste of time/a disappointment. The main feature started showing afterward. Overall, I liked Hotel Transylvania. It was a pretty cute movie.

What I liked about it: Cute, family friendly, could get you in the Halloween spirit, makes a good date movie, had some unexpected twists that I didn't see coming, had an all-star voice acting cast, has some cosplay worthy characters, the main animator of PPG worked on it, it used concept art in the credits, and my favorite voice actors sang.

What I didn't like about it: Some areas were predictable, and some of the auto-tuning during some of the character's songs were near headache causing levels.

If you were thinking about possibly seeing this movie, I would totally give it a shot. If you're indecisive, waiting until it's available for renting would be a safe choice.

The Countdown to Halloween: Spooked By A Ghost

I've been seeing a bunch of spirits today. The ones I saw of note were a huge, looming shadow spirit just chilling in the back of the chapel during stake conference (one of the scariest things I have witnessed in quite a while. I literally had to stop myself from screaming during the meeting), and a spirit whose description fits Ian's grandfather (on his mom's side) to a tee (Gazo said that she has been dreaming of her long deceased husband for awhile. I think he's just watching over her and trying to tell her something. I think it's pretty sweet).

I see heavier spirit activity whenever a full or new moon is out (new moon happens tomorrow), and when the veil is thin (it's getting closer to Halloween, upping the spirit seeing count by a helluva lot, mind you).

I'm thinking about making a smudge stick from scratch, purifying the room, and adding some sigil booby traps around here for good measure.

Too many spirits in one area makes me feel uneasy, especially if they linger.

The Countdown to Halloween: Remedying Female Costumes (If Desired!)

Looking on the internet for photoshoot inspirations this time of year has made me think about one thing: the dreaded return of slutty costumes.

Seriously, what is up with that? Trick or treating in Idaho is cold enough as it is, and making kids (particularly the females) wear less is just stupid.

In my personal opinion, clever costumes trump slutty costumes any day of the week. Add in a scare factor to a clever costume, and you have officially won during Halloween. Since we're still on the topic of slutty costumes, they happen to be best saved for more private endeavors, photoshoots for that deal with pinups or boudoirs, or if you're heavily dancing the night away and have no where to change at (clubbing with too much stuff on makes me feel gross and longing to take a shower A.S.A.P.). If you're going by "Girl World" rules, more power to you, I guess? It's really not a bad thing when it's age appropriate and fits the situation.

The best inspirations for clever costumes as of late:

• Take Back Halloween-This site is AMAZING! One of my friends showed me this site just recently, and I love it! Ironically, I dressed up as Persephone last year without seeing this site first.
• Anything zombie related-Love it, hate, or think it's overrated, but know that it works. Unless you died naked or worked in something more skimpy, you should be fully clothed when you die. Amp up the gore factor, and it's perfect. I've seen so many creative zombie costumes that are warm and tasteful.
• Anything ending in "punk" or "lolita" (not based on the original book, unless that's the look you're actually going for)-You would have an excuse to dress up classy, and crave tea and sweets.
• Old Halloween photos- Google this exact phrase ("Old Halloween Photos") when you have the chance. Some of the costumes our parents and grandparents wore would eat our costumes for breakfast. They wore some pretty terrifying masks back in the day.
• Anything masquerade-See the third point
• Classic horror movie characters
• Threadbanger-One of the best DIY sites ever invented, hands down.
• Gothic poetry
• Duct tape clothing
• Repurposed clothing
• Thrifting
• JGL's plan: Only make and wear the costume the day of Halloween
• Local costume shops

The Countdown to Halloween: When we first got together...

Today marks my longest relationship I've ever had with a person I have dated. That lucky person is my husband, Ian. I love him so much.

We had been friends for awhile (which was a first for any of the people I had dated), and he had been there for me when others weren't. Things just clicked after that. We started hanging out more with each other, just around friends. It wasn't until he asked me to see Zombieland together that we got to spend some one-on-one time with each other, and it was completely by accident. It was going to be a movie showing with the rest of our friends, originally, but they got called into work. Since we were the only ones going that night, we decided to go Dutch to make things fair and less awkward. We both had a blast.

After the night was over with, he asked me out before I drove back to my parents' house. I left his house saying that I would like a day to decide. That was only partially true. I was going to say yes right off, since the night was fantastic and all, but did I truly want to get into another relationship so soon after having a really heart retching breakup two months back (the breakup pain was worse from the previous relationship-I didn't recover until six months had past. Seriously, never wanted to go down that road again!)? I also had another close guy friend that had also asked me out around the same time, but he was up in Washington at the time, and wouldn't be home for a good four months. I promised myself that I wouldn't do long distance relationships, since I knew how that went with several other friends I knew (not exactly pretty!). My friend had also been in other relationships before, Ian had not. I decided to give Ian a chance, and told him so the next day.

We've been together since then, through the thick and thin. We got together on October 12, 2009. He proposed to me on July 6, 2010. Our marriage was expedited to November 15, 2010, since we found out we were going to have a kid together (after over a month of being proposed!). Last, but not least, our daughter was born on May 4, 2011.

Every dating anniversary, we either do something cool, Ian showers me with gifts, or both. With his work schedule being whack these last two years, they have mostly been gift related. In 2010, he got me the Blu-Ray version of Zombieland and the exact candies we had during our first date-Swedish Fish, Sour Patch Kids, Dots, Whoppers, and the type of Twizzlers that are made out of multiple strands. I added to his collection of Gears of War figures (that I had started). In 2011, he got me the Blu-Ray version of Shaun of the Dead, a ginormous pack of Swedish Fish, and he made me breakfast. I made him dinner before he had to go to work. This year, we're going to go see Hotel Transylvania or Frankenweenie (both movies that I wanted to do a review on for this countdown, surely enough) on Sunday (we're celebrating then since our dating anniversary fell on Friday this year) since I requested an experience gift versus a physical gift.

I wouldn't mind a surprise cricket bat though. That would be nice to fend of zombies with...

P.S. If you need a good party movie involving zombies, I would check out Zombieland for sure! It's not too gory and super fun/goofy.

The Countdown to Halloween: Trick or treating for UNICEF

(Posting this since some of the Fear Series posts are still in the works. The ones that are getting revamped will be lumped together.)

I'm glad that I was able to start up this tradition again. I participated in this since I was in the fourth grade, specifically in Girl Scouts. We were handed these boxes by my troop leader that we had to build, and then sent out in small groups to collect donations. Collecting donations for kids in need made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I remember after we were done, we would go to a local corn maze, pick pumpkins, carve the pumpkins, and enjoy hot apple cider together. It was a blast, and I have always associated trick or treating for UNICEF with awesome memories. It was skipped last year due to focusing on graduating from Stevens-Henager College. With restarting this tradition, I hope to leave Evelyn was awesome memories that she'll cherish for years to come, along with teaching her good morals.

The cute kit that held everything for trick or treating for UNICEF. It, unfortunately, got here three days later than the Halloween party, so we weren't able to trick or treat as a group. To make things fair with the lack of boxes, they became first come, first serve. All of my friends that receive the boxes are either going trick or treating with us, or are throwing random events to promote raising money for UNICEF. I was even thinking about doing a bake sale for this.

The selection of boxes that UNICEF sent me. I asked for twenty, and they sent me twelve. They also sent me princess boxes when I requested the witch or pumpkin design instead. :/ So far, Steph and I have claimed the black cat boxes. Evelyn and Eli both claimed vampire boxes. There are only eight total boxes left that are up for grabs within my group of friends.

The Countdown to Halloween: The Fear-Spiders (Part Five)

The Countdown to Halloween: Taking a different direction with the Fear Series

I've decided to redo the posts that wouldn't post up, even with trying to copy and paste them over onto a new document.

The new look of the Fear Series is going to be more artsy/abstract.

Stay tuned!

The Countdown to Halloween: Apologies

The two posts seemed to have not post today due to the wi-fi acting up again. I'm going to have to resolve this by tomorrow. :/

In the mean time, here's another haiku to tide you over:

Crime scene bodies scare/
The evil neighbors next door/
On Misgivings Day

The Countdown to Halloween: Halloween party haiku

Watching Creepshow now/
Good friends make this party fun.
Been awake so long.

Due to extreme cleaning and prep work for the party, I wasn't able to post my Fear Series post on spiders. Tomorrow, I will make up for it for sure, especially after not getting any sleep in 24 hours. O.o;;;

The Countdown to Halloween: The Fear-Spirits (Part Four)

The Fear: Spirits

This is the fear that I have probably have dealt with the longest, since it started when I was around three.

Ian has been one of the only people I have admitted this to, so here it goes: Back when I was younger, I could see spirits plain as day. They have been more difficult to spot since I have gotten older. I have been super sensitive around spirits. I can sense their presence more than anything else. I don't know how this came to be, but it happened and was here to stay.

I heavily dislike watching movies that are about spirits, and try to avoid them as much as possible. They scare me more than zombie movies do a good portion of the time.

Memorable spirits I have seen in my life:

• "Tom" (a.k.a. the dead guy whose remains were found underneath my parents house in the crawl space)
• The old lady that resides in my parents' bathroom mirror
• The old man with the piercing stare (this guy kept coming back to my parents' house a lot. He freaked me right the hell out on multiple occasions. I clearly see him every time he shows up)
• The shadow spirit of a boy that resides in my parents' bedroom
• Snowball
• Arthur
• Zippy
• The shadow spirits that roam the Finch house (especially the ones that like to hangout near my side of the bedroom)
• A lady with a nearly decapitated head around the Finch living room sitting by the fireplace
• A little girl sitting on curb near 8th Street downtown
• A lady with a red dress in the hotel room in Winnemucca
• My grandpa on my mom's side
• Van, my half brother

Have you had any experiences with spirits? If so, was the experience negative or positive. Post your comments below! Thanks! x

The Countdown to Halloween: The Fear-Zombies (Bonus)

(Note before we start this: I definitely have other favorites for this particular fear, but they will be listed in future posts, if you were wondering...)

Some of the best of the best stuff that deals with zombies...

1.) Resident Evil novels

Here is a Listmania list that deals with all of the novels (as unearthed by The Outstanding Seanny).

Notes for the best reading experience: If you want to scare yourself silly, read in the dark with a flashlight or by candlelight. These books are definitely made for an older crowd, and can really scare a child with macabre details. If you hate conspiracy theories, this book series probably isn't for you.

My personal thoughts: I've read a good majority of horror novels back in the day, and these are honestly some of the scariest books I've read to date. The details are heavily macabre and done right. I didn't sleep right for weeks after finishing each book. My favorites in the series are The Umbrella Conspiracy, City of the Dead, and Code Veronica. If you have played the games, seen the movies, or a newbie to the RE series, this is the best place to start/go back to. Extremely worth the read.

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2.) Shaun of the Dead

Notes for the best viewing experience: This movie is perfect when you want a darker comedy, but with a touch of action. This movie is best for the people that are new to zombie films, horror movie veterans, and people that don't want to watch something too scary. A definite party favorite. Also, a definite watch for fans of British tv shows.

Personal notes: I'm dead certain (I made a punny!) that this movie is going to become a classic in the future. The casting is perfect. The music and one-liners are super catchy. There were some parts of this movie that made me jump the first time I saw it. If you think about it that way, this is a perfect movie to prank someone to, especially if they have never seen this movie before. I have so many emotional ties to this movie that it isn't even funny. For example, I got this movie as a Blu-Ray as one of my anniversary gifts from Ian.

The Countdown to Halloween: The Fear-Zombies (Part Three)

Note before we start this post: Many apologies about the late post. Cleaning for the party has been pretty crazy, especially with my concussion feeling as if it's relapsing due to accidentally getting headbutted the other day by Gazo. I have been forced to take it easy as much as possible, even with the party time limit and multiple projects that need to be completed at hand. If things get worse, I'm probably going to end up back in the E.R., and the party will probably be cancelled. This situation kind of really sucks.

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The Fear: Zombies

These next couple of days are going to go over my fears of zombies and spirits. I'm separating these posts due to each post being pretty lengthy. I'm highly necrophobic. Mostly, I fear what the dead actually think of us. If they were reanimated, would they come back completely soulless?  Would they still keep their memories and habits, but still decay? Would their mind be controlled by a parasitic force, forcing them to kill against their will and reverting them back to basic needs (the likely choice)? If they were in spirit form, why can't they move on? Am I being watched at this very moment by one of them? Did I piss them off when they were living, somehow, and now they're possibly after me?

The fear of the zombies, in specific, started off due to being exposed to a B-rated, Filipino horror movie that dealt with voodoo zombies. I watched this movie with my mom since she didn't like watching horror movies alone, and I wanted to learn Tagalog. I don't remember the name of the movie (I've been constantly been trying to find out what it was so I can re-watch it). What I do remember is the fact that that one of the final scenes dealt with some of these poor people being drug into the earth by the dead and being swallowed up into the earth while the dead feasted upon the living that they caught. I still remember that scene to this day, picture perfect, and it sends chills down my spine. I slept with the lights on for weeks afterward. I feared back then that one of the voodoo zombies would grab my legs, drag me into a hole in the ground, and devour me while the earth swallowed us up.

It was awhile before I came in contact with anymore zombie related stuff. I think I honestly wanted to repress the idea of zombies on purpose, on a subconscious level.

Enter the Resident Evil series. Resident Evil 2 really freaked me out while I watched my younger brother play through it. I had to see the other games to see how they turned out. I was exposed to the first movie in high school. The storyline was alright, but it still creeped me out pretty badly. I think the way the dead moved, and the music really creeped me out the most during that movie. That movie had some pretty creepy one-liners. After one of my guy friends, Joey, told me about the book series, I had to read them all. If you seriously want the best Resident Evil experience, you need to read the books for sure. The macabre detailing will leave you sleepless for weeks, but it's totally worth it to know the canon story line.

I was hooked, even though I was creeped out every time I was exposed to anything dealing with zombies, even to this day. I'm pretty sure with my enthusiasm on knowing things about zombies that my old group would agree that I even loved zombies. In truth, I studied up on them so I could avoid them like a plague if they happened to exist.

I would like to survive, please: If you happened to wonder if I have a zombie survival plan, I do. In fact, I have thought up and plotted plans in dealing with multiple situations, and with family, strangers, or if I am alone. I made Ian promise to kill me off if I became a zombie if there was no cure during the chance that a zombie apocalypse would happen and vice versa. In my will plans, I have asked for a barrier to be built around my coffin in the case I happen to be reanimated. I also like that plan since I don't like thinking about people stealing my stuff after death or doing worse things to me, personally.

What are your thoughts on zombies? Do you think zombies are possible or a hoax? Do you have a plan? Do you think zombies are overrated? Post your thoughts in the comments. Thanks! x

The Countdown to Halloween: The Fear-Medical Needles (Bonus)

Best of the best horror movies dealing with medical needles...

Movie #1: Audition

Notes for the best viewing experience: This movie starts off a bit slow, but works up to a faster pace.  Make sure you pay attention all the way through, especially at the end. This movie is best for a person that loves psychological horror, foreign movies (especially with a Japanese flair), and sexy femme fatales.

Personal thoughts: This movie will mess with your mind until the end. You think you get what going on, and then everything becomes absolutely trippy. Most of the scenes with the needles still make me cringe to this very day.

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Movie #2: Planet Terror

Notes for the best viewing experience: This movie is best watched with people that love action and ridiculousness. This movie might inspire you to make barbecue ribs, or make you shy away from them altogether. I highly recommend this as a party movie.

Personal thoughts: This movie combines some of my biggest fears of medical needles and zombies, and yet, I still love it. You can't help but root for some of the female leads and poetic justice served in this movie. As a fair warning, some of the one liners are addictive and you may find yourself saying them without realizing it.

The Countdown to Halloween: The Fear-Medical Needles (Part Two)

Note before we start this post: I relabeled the titles that dealt with the Countdown to Halloween to separate them from other posts I may be making this month. This is also my personal blog, after all. What I love about this particular blog theme is that each post will still show, but will be lumped together for the same day that they were posted in, so you guys will be getting something extra. I am having a Halloween party on the seventh of this month (to avoid parties overlapping later on). On that day, you will get a party related post AND a Fear Series post. How awesome is that? ^.^ Other times, you may get a personal post or even a review overlapped with something else CtH related that was not planned in advance...

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The Fear: Medical Needles

I have to admit, this is one fear that has waned or worsened over time, due to the situation.

My parents said that I was a trooper when it came to medical needles around when I was born up until the age of four. I could even look at the needle and not be fazed one bit. The shot was administered, and then everything was over with. Here's a lollipop and a bandage for you, along with your discharge papers. Done.

Everything changed up until the age of five, when I dealt with my first dentist experience in Idaho. My family attended a local dentist place since it was cheap and got the job done. The first dentist I had was not great with kids and elderly people (he had such poor reviews from patients that he eventually got fired!) and had even pinned me to a chair trying to administer a shot into my gums. I called out for my parents when the dentist was being too rough. My dad rushed back, and saw what the dentist was trying to do, and told him to stop. I rushed out of the chair in tears. Dad was not pleased, and told the dentist off. I would not attend M. Dental for over ten years after being traumatized. I was referred to a specialized orthodontist after that incident.

Since then, I was being highly skittish around medical needles, with good reason. The State's medical facility had some male nurses that were beefy and rude. One of them vice gripped my arm while giving me shots I needed for traveling overseas. My right arm was bruised for days. I try to avoid going there whenever possible for my shots now.

The worst part was yet to come. Enter my sixth grade year, which was the second worst year of my whole life. Mom and dad got told off since I wasn't updated on my shots due to school records not transferring right. My parents argued that I had shots, especially since I had traveled outside the country not too long ago to see my family in the Philippines. The schoolboard wouldn't listen, since the state doctors hadn't sent them my records as planned. We were referred on over to St. Luke's over in Meridian. I liked the lower areas of St. Luke's since the building was brand new at the time and had multiple areas with fish tanks. What I didn't like was the fact that I thought that my Pediatrician was a pedophile/creeper (it was later seen via the news that he was arrested for being a part of and owning child porn, confirming my fears), especially around my brothers, the rough/rude nurses, and the fact that they didn't bother contacting the State's facility for their shot records, causing later overdoses that could have killed me. To this day, by body has random spasms due to the overdoses (these spasms were heavily noticeable during middle school, and were so bad that I was referred to multiple doctors around the state). I thought that my family hadn't tried suing them for maltreatment, but I recently found out that they had, and unfortunately, lost in the end. The fact that I was manhandled when I got my blood drawn later in their lab did not help their case.

Since then, I have only been getting getting shots/blood drawn at St. Alphonsus if I can help it. Their services are way nicer in general.  During my pregnancy with Evelyn, they handled me with care and even brought in specialists to help me out. I endured through shots and blood draws for Evelyn, and would do it again if I have to-for her.

Have you guys had any freaky/bad/good experiences in dealing with medical needles? If so, post in the comments! Thanks! x

The Countdown to Halloween: The Fear- Original (Part One)

I really hope everyone is having a great Countdown so far. I have so many great posts in store for this month due to major inspiration; some of the inspiration is recent due to some of the lovely commenters. Much love to the people that commented and the new followers. You guys rock! <3

Oh, and to the people that want to make lists based on the topic posted, post them down in the comments so I can read them! If you have any questions, I'll try my best to answer them! If they deal with a future post, I won't answer it until that post is posted, if the post doesn't answer it first.

Now, please enjoy part one of The Fear Series!

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Fear is one of the main reasons of why Halloween is so awesome. People have a love/hate relationship with being afraid. Why are some us driven into macabre thinking when others shy away from it as if it does not exist?

I know what I'm afraid of.  How about you?

Here is my top list of fears in the order of the series:

• Medical needles
• Zombies
• Spirits
• Spiders
• Drowning
• Being eaten alive
• My loved ones being harmed somehow
• Failure
• Sleepwalkers
• Certain types of environments around me/houses at night
• Being alone for awhile
• Ventriloquist dummies
• Porcelain dolls
• Clowns
• Being forgotten or replaced

The Countdown to Halloween: The Kingdom of Witches

***Note: These next two days are going to have some short and sweet posts due to some heavier content on the way.***

It's nearing Misgivings Day! Let's get into the Halloween spirit, shall we?

This video has been giving me goosebumps since I first watched it a couple of years back. I love how the music, poem, and animation work together in harmony. It flows so beautifully. Enjoy!

The Countdown to Halloween: Halloween traditions

I have been asked on Twitter by multiple people what kind of traditions I follow during the month of October to celebrate the Halloween. I consider late September to mid November "Spooky Season," mostly due to the awesomeness of Oktoberfest, Halloween, Samhain, and the Day of the Dead, and celebrate during this time. With fall and winter, you seriously get the best holidays and the best food.

Here are my current traditions in no particular order (which will be crossed off when each one is completed):

• Making candied/caramel apples  Completed 10/7
• Having a horror movie marathon  Completed 10/7
• Attending a friend's Halloween party  Completed 10/26
• Drinking hot spiked cider (Not applicable when I'm pregnant, obviously!)  Completed 10/26
• Drinking hot/cold cider (Applicable anytime!)  Completed 9/16
• Watching anything related to Elvira (she's so cool!) Completed 9/28
• Dressing up in multiple costumes  Completed 10/25
• Going trick or treating (with friends or with Evelyn) This didn't happen due to Evelyn and I being extremely sick. The thought is depressing.
• Enjoying a Halloween edition of a regular candy  Completed 9/28
• Honoring my ancestors with incense, lighting a candle, silently praying, and offering honey afterward The full rituals I have been planning have been put on hold until I'm feeling better. They will probably take place around my anniversary. I have been offering prayers by fires, in the meantime.
• Participating in All Hallow's Read  Completed 10/7 (We celebrated early on Misgivings Day! How awesome is that? ;3 )
• Participating in trick or treating for UNICEF We may or may not be able to do this, all depends on Evelyn getting better. :/ UNICEF is accepting donations late due to Hurricane Sandy's destruction.
• Checking out a seasonal Halloween store  Completed 10/30
• Wearing a vibrant colored wig  Completed 10/15
• Wearing various over-the-top makeup looks for the hell of it  Completed 10/23
• Scaring people whenever possible by creeping up on them  Completed 10/22
• Enjoying a Sam Adam's seasonal beer  Completed 9/24
• Reading scary stories online or in book form  Completed 9/26
• Making a sugar skull Going to make these on November 1st or during mine and Ian's wedding anniversary.
• Consuming something pumpkin flavored  Completed 9/25
• Drinking hot chocolate while wrapped in a blanket with a fire started in the fireplace  Completed 9/22
• Watching a foreign horror movie
• Creating a hypersigil I have created the hypersigil, and hopefully going to fire it for Dia de Los Muertos.
• Listen to Gothic/Halloween inspired music  Completed 9/15/Technically all year round!
• Watch The Kingdom of Witches to get into Halloween mood (totally awesome Youtube video worth the watch! I have been watching this since it was first released. I will put up a post on it tomorrow!) Completed 9/29