Rich Uncle Pennybags

I had to come up with a last minute costume idea on a very cheap budget this year. Normally I'm a planner and I've got everything picked out months ahead of time. 

This year, not so much. 

I needed something easy but original and with essentials generic enough that I could pick them up at the local holiday stop and shop. 

Rich Uncle Pennybags, also known as the Monopoly Banker Guy, was perfect.

I already had the vest which came with my White Rabbit costume from a few years back, the hat I picked up for around $10, the bow tie $3, the cane $5 and the mustache was $8. 

Most mustaches come with a strip of adhesive but 20 minutes of wear and the sticky will start to loose its gusto. Without the mustache this particular costume is kapoot, so it is well worth it to invest in a small bottle of Spirit Gum adhesive for additional $7 including the remover. 

Good luck with the costume parties and be responsible out there! 

Twin Peaks: See You In 25 Years

About a week and a half ago, David Lynch posted a very exciting and cryptic tweet directly in a style that only David Lynch would do. 

Those of us who have been riding along in the Twin Peaks band wagon the last few decades started getting a little hysterical.

And then...

A few days later, I see this little 60 second YouTube video pop up on the Internet:

Oh. My. God. 

You guys.

Showtime is bringing back the television show Twin Peaks for a limited 9 episode 3rd season.

I am so excited I could shit a mouse. 

My skin has goosebumps so hard I look like bubble wrap. 

Well, grab yourself a cup of damn good coffee, a piece of huckleberry pie, and maybe even a double stacked jelly donut because we're approaching the quarter century mark. 

When I was 20 years old, I rented the first season of Twin Peaks on VHS from our local video store. At the time I didn't know a lot about director David Lynch except that he was a genius and that he  and Mark Frost had managed to create a show which totally disorientated me and consumed me to the core. It was creepy, it was entrancing, it was curious and hypnotizing. 

Twin Peaks was totally uncommercial which is what made me fall so completely in love with it.  The characters were authentic, fresh and so very peculiar. The Man From Another Place, The One Armed Man, Killer BOB, Special Agent Dale Cooper... they all left me in a state of spellbound captivation and I wasn't the only one who felt that way. Twin Peaks was nominated for 18 Emmy awards, 4 Golden Globes, and 2 Grammys. In 2004 and 2007, it was ranked numbers 20 and 24 on TV Guide's Top Cult Shows Ever and in 2002, it was labeled as one of the "Top 50 Television Programs of All Time." In 2007, Time Magazine positioned the show on their list of the "100 Best TV Shows of All-Time."

My husband and I are currently in the middle of revisiting this series on Netflix. 

If you're planning on doing the same for the very first time, prepare yourself for a wild ride.  These episodes are fabulous and groundbreaking entertainment which rocked the world back in their glory days. Truly a gift for all of us cult loving weirdos. 

I. 

Cannot.
Wait.

The Brotherhood Of The Traveling Unicorn

Here's the thing:

For Halloween, Jason went as an 80's rocker. 

Finding the perfect t-shirt was critical.

Just as I was about to give up after searching almost every thrift store in town, I turned the corner and something out of place caught my eye. To the left across the bruised toys and around the corner of tossed aside wooden baskets, I saw a lone black shirt stuffed in among the soiled coffee pots. I pulled it out, unwaded the fabric and it was like a light shown down from the heavens. 

Trumpets played, angels hugged, choirs sang.

It was a glorious moment that brought tears to my eyes.
I knew this shirt was the winner I had been longing for. 

When I brought it up to the counter, the check out man smiled and held it up to his fellow co-workers who all told me about the shirt's fate saturated arrival. Apparently, they had discussed between them who was going to end up with this gem of cotton and whoever did was going to be one very lucky soul. I mean, it is pretty much the best shirt ever created.

So Halloween came and went but at the end of the day, we were left debating on what to do with this fantastic electric unicorn find.

"I kind of want to re-gift it," he said.

"Hmmmm...... I have an idea..." I said.

A week prior, I had been flipping through Pinterest and I ran across "The Giving Plate." It was just an uncomplicated porcelain platter with a nice letter written on it about passing food among friends and family. The directions stated that once you receive the plate, you whip up some sort of baked good and then gift the plate and the goodies to your closest girlfriend who then does the same. The plate goes round and round and continues to spread joy wherever it goes.

Well that's nice.

And then it dawned on me...

How could I be so stupid to think this shirt was just meant for our small minded little family? This shirt was a drifter! A dreamer! A loner full of wanderlust! Of course a shirt such as this one can't be tied down to one owner, what was I thinking??

So.

I am currently on a path to help this shirt fulfill its destiny. 

Here is how:

I have made and laminated its story to be passed along from person to person. I figure, wherever this shirt goes, wherever it ends up, we can all track it back to this web page. If this shirt ends up in your lucky hands, email me! krista@thebrighterwriter.com and send me a picture of you in the shirt along with your location and I will post the picture here on this site. If you're on Twitter or Instagram, take a picture and use #TheBrotherhoodOfTheTravelingUnicorn to show us all the adventures it has been on.

Who knows where it'll go! Maybe it'll make its way around the world!

The Unicorn Journey:

Updated 1/16/14 - The electric unicorn has made its way from Fort Collins, Colorado to Lake Forest, California. Thank you to Scott R. for the photo update!

Updated 2/3/14 - From  Lake Forest, California to Sahuarita, Arizona! Thanks to Brian J! Best pictures ever!

From a lineman in Sahuarita, Arizona to a train engineer in Tucson, Arizona! 

Thanks Kyle Jackson!

 To Nick Jordan from Georgia!

Moving along to Joshua Quesada from Philadelphia, P.A

Marvin Estevez From Queens, New York! 

Thanks guys for keeping it going! 

The Day After Halloween

Success!
We had a few melt downs due to lack of sleep and a constant stream of sugar, but for the most part, Halloween went off without a hitch again this year!

Kalynn revived the late, great "Mean Queen" Marie Antoinette with the props I brought back from Paris this last Summer.

I dreamed about taking back the streets of Manhattan from Slimer with my homemade Proton Pack and hugging up on Venkman:

Jason channeled his inner 80's electric unicorn loving self and rocked the neighborhoods of Fort Collins with his tight rolled jeans.

Just like last year, Kalynn racked up a pile of candy that is going to take us months to consume. We got more Kit Kats and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups than anything else so it's time to put them to good use and make another few cheesecakes!

The thing I love about this recipe is that it doesn't have to be Reese's. Last year Kalynn came home with a bucket full of Butterfingers, Heath Bars, and Snickers to use for cheesecake. They all work for this recipe. 

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup finely crushed chocolate graham crackers

1/2 cup butter, melted

13 individual Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

3 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup milk

Normally when you make a graham crust, you combine the butter and the crushed graham cracker, press it to the bottom of your pan and bake it. However, with this recipe you skip the baking step because when the chocolate in the Reese's (or whatever) melts, it solidifies the crust on it's own. So all you need to do press the crumb mixture to the bottom of your pie pan or spring form pan or whatever you're using. I happened to use a rocks glass because that's what I had handy, but you can use a spoon or a measuring cup or basically anything with a flat bottom. 

(or just buy a pre-made crust from the store)

Next, chop up your candy and make a layer directly on top of your crust. I used 8 individual Reese's Cups for the layer on the bottom of the crust but if you have more to use, then use them!

Cheesecake filling:

In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese (make sure your cream cheese is softened! I blew out the motor of one of my hand mixers trying to do this step with freshly refrigerated cream cheese) sugar, flour, and vanilla until combined. Add eggs and egg yolk all at once, beating on low speed just until combined. Stir in milk. 

Pour filling into crust and candy lined pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes for the 8-inch pan, 40-45 minutes for the 9-inch pan, or til center appears nearly set when shaken.

Cool  cheesecake completely and chill at least 4 hours. 

Chop and sprinkle your remaining candy cups on top of cheesecake. We had Reese's Pieces, Reese's Fast Breaks, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. It really doesn't matter. You can also add chocolate syrup for garnish. 

Now that Halloween has come and gone, it's time to pack up the creepy crawlies and bust out the Thanksgiving decor. I've come to the realization that countdown calendars are the way to go with a little one running around the house. I don't have to tell her every single morning how many days are left until the next holiday. Plus taking a ring off the chain, or opening a door from the house (or whatever your countdown) gives her something to look forward to. This year I made a felt tree. Felt is great because it's super cheap and it sticks to itself. Perfect for a 3 year old. 

I used whatever colors of felt I had around the house, cut out 30 little leaves and stuck them on the branches. Each day she takes a leaf off, tells me something she's thankful for, and puts it in the "Give Thanks" pouch.

When I was at the Home Depot yesterday buying potting soil I made a stop by the paint department and grabbed a couple of paint samples. They make great turkey tails!

I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween! Don't forget to brush your teeth!

How To Make A Ghostbusters Proton Pack

Ok, so I was basically meant to be a Ghostbuster at some point in time for Halloween. This year turned out to be the year. I didn't have any problem picking up the outfit at a second hand store, but the proton pack that I found to go with it was a blow up super cheesy kind that I had no interest in. So I decided to make my own. 

Here's how you can make one too. 

Step 1: Find yourself a backpack. Any kind with black straps will do. I got this Disney Cruise Line pack at Good Will for $1.99

Step 2: Get a stitch ripper and take off the entire front of the back. All you need is the flat black base and the straps. Everything else can go.

Step 3: Find a bunch of crap around your house that you don't mind destroying. It really can be anything you want. You're going to end up painting it so make sure it isn't anything you'll want to use again in the future. I used a breakfast sausage box, an old handle from my daughter's plastic sand shovel, a large plastic Lego, a Tupperware lid, the plug bottom of a burned out night light, a cable splitter, a metal hook and a handful of random vacuum attachments. 

Honestly, a pile of trash. 

Step 4: Take your trash, spray paint it all black and hot glue gun everything to the back pack. Make sure you lay it all out first and have all the pieces where you want them to go.

Here's what the original looks like in case you need a point of reference:

As you can see from above, you need wires. You'll need to grab some sort of used electronic for step 5. Again, I hit up the Good Will and found an old speaker box from a computer and the guy sold it to me for a dollar. 

Take apart the box, be careful not to cut yourself, and pull out all the old wires that look proton-packish. Go for the ones with lots of colors. 

Grab your hot glue gun and glue your wires wherever they fit. Sorry to be so vague, but your pile of trash is going to be different than mine, so just use your best judgement here.

I used sticky label paper from OfficeMax to print out some stickers from the internet.

For my ghost trapper, I used an old Kleenex box.
Step 1: paint it black.

Step 2: Put your stickers on. ( I found a black fan inside the previously pulled apart speaker box and glued that on for good measure.)

My cord is just an old coaxial cable. Feel free to add a handle or whatever else to it. I wasn't going to make another trip to the Good Will so I just called it a day on this one. 

Happy Ghost Busting!

Want to hear more from me? Follow me on Instagram! @thebrighterwriter

Dollar Store Halloween Skeleton Trophies

It's no secret how I feel about Autumn.

Something about the air coming out of the crisper drawer to play makes my heart skip a beat. 

Halloween has a hold on me in a way that no other holiday ever could. I'm in love with vintage Ouija boards.  I'm in love with the witching hour. I'm in love with the giant orange full moons. 

I have traditions, just like any other Fall junkie, that I happily look forward to all year and it's about that time to start crossing them off my list.

For instance, every year I watch The Shining

And I watch Clue because I LOVE Tim Curry. He's just the best. 

I also watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show because the only thing better than Tim Curry is Tim Curry in drag.

We watch It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown because no Halloween season is complete without a visit from the Great Pumpkin. We pop some popcorn and watch this one with Kalynn every year. I'm not sure if she remembers, but she's seen it every Halloween season since she was born.

And then of course there is the pumpkin patch, the pumpkin carving, the roasted pumpkin seeds, the home churned pumpkin ice cream, the pumpkin cheesecake and the pumpkin spice lattes.

Last year on Halloween night I worked a double at the bar and helped judge the annual costume contest. This year, I have the night off, but even though I won't be there in person I wanted to make something that would still let me be there in spirit.

Enter: The best Halloween costume contest trophies in the World...

Above is the final "Sexiest Costume" and "Best Couple Costume."

Below is "The Scariest Costume" and "Funniest Costume."

So here are the step by step instructions on how I made these guys:

At most Dollar Stores around town during the Halloween season you can pick up these skeleton garlands. They usually have 4 skeletons per garland and they work perfect because they're little bodies and heads are pretty amusing the way they are. Something about them just make me laugh.

You can also find these cheap plastic wine glasses in a pack of 5 or 6 for $1. 

The first thing you need to do is un-string your skeleton from the garland so you're left with just his skinny stick body and snap off all of his bones at the joints. I said my apologies to him before I did this with the promise that, like any surgery, he'd be better than new once the healing process happened. 

Next, you start rebuilding from the bottom up. You'll flip your wine glass over first and use it as the trophy base. Get out your trusty glue gun and form your little guy the way you want him. Start first with gluing his long skinny little toes to the bottom, and then his ankles and so on. 

Once you've got his knees and hips done, it's time to figure out what you want him to do with his hands. 

This guy is the Sexiest Costume man so I made sure to glue his head and arms just where I thought they'd look best. 

I followed the same basic assembly for all five trophies. The couple was the hardest to do but with patience (of which I have very little) I think it turned out the best. 

Next it is time to spray paint. You can find metallic gold stray paint at almost any hardware store. It runs about $6 per can. 

The great thing about the cheap wine glasses is that they come apart at the base, so when it was time to give them their color, it was super easy to separate them with out disrupting their pose.

The stem and cup of the wine glass are used as the base of the trophy so I opted to go with a flat black color which will most likely run you about $1. What's great about the project is that the whole thing total is doable under $10 as long as you already own a glue gun. But even then, a glue gun is only about $8 at any Target, Walmart or craft store. 

Once you put him all together, you can make his sash and base labels. I already have a label maker and construction paper so I just printed out his "Best Over All Costume" banner. 

So that's all there is to it! I hope every one is having a great Fall season and good luck with your contest!