Seven Things For November First

Happy November to you!

I cannot believe it is November already.  How did the end of the year sneak up on us like that?  Two months from now, it will be 2012.  In the meantime, there is a lot left to be done before we send 2011 off fondly. 

Do you have a list of things to get done?  Let's compare lists, shall we?


Seven Things For November First

• I gotta start my Christmas shopping - seriously.  I get very anxious the closer Christmas comes and just want to get the best gifts for everyone on my list.  So, the sooner I get it done, the sooner I can relax and enjoy the season.  Last year I finished by the Monday after Thanksgiving.  
• Thanksgiving is coming!  In my family that means Christmas gift name drawing, tamale time, and a silly football game. Oh and being thankful.
• To me, thanksgiving means Black Friday Eve.  I have a long standing tradition of going out and spending too much money on Black Friday.  This year I hear most stores are gonna open at 12 midnight...not sure how I feel about that.
• Time to make all charitable donations before the end of the year!  Is this a weird thing to think about?
• Christmas music/decorations time!  I do all the lights at my parents house and my own as well, now that I'm a homeowner, so this is no joke.  I got lots of ladder time ahead of me!  Also Christmas is coming!  So exciting!
• This is the time of year that I forget I have a fireplace and then remember.  Then I forget again and am reminded by KM.  This is all despite the fact that from my perch on the couch and my recliner I can't help but see the damn thing.
• Be extra careful on the road season is here.  Yes, you must be careful 24/7/365.  However, Halloween through Super Bowl are the most dangerous times on the road as proven in a study conducted by me through my entire life.  Its dangerous and I am not joking a single bit when I say to you, my dear readers: Please be careful this holiday season everyone, I can't find readers like you just anywhere. 

7 Song Halloween Playlist LISTMANIA

Boo! 


Happy Halloween Gouhls and Boys! 

Today we are gonna keep it short and sweet with another Halloween music post that you can bump at all of your parties today and for the rest of the Halloween season! 

Herc has definitely pulled out all the stops for this playlist MANIA!  He's unstoppable.


Herc's Halloween Playlist MANIA
 
HALLOWEEN PLAYLIST MANIA


7 Songs with the word “DEVIL” in the title“Devil Inside” - INXS
“Sympathy For The Devil” - The Rolling Stones
“The Devil Went Down To Georgia” - Charlie Daniels Band
“Running With The Devil” - Van Halen
“Shout At The Devil” - Motley Crue
“Devil Woman” - Cliff Richard
“(You’re The) Devil In Disguise” - Elvis Presley


7 Novelty Songs from the 50s and 60s“Monster Mash - Bobby “Boris” Pickett
“Purple People Eater” - Sheb Wooley
“Haunted House” - Jumpin’ Gene Simmons
“Transfusion” - Nervous Norvus
“Frankenstein of ‘59” - Buchanan & Goodman
“They’re Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!” - Napoleon XIV
“Witch Doctor” - David Seville


7 Songs about the Female of the Species“Evil Woman” - Electric Light Orchestra
“Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen” - Santana
“Maneater” - Hall & Oates
“A Girl Like You” - Edwyn Collins
“Season of The Witch” - Donovan
“Little Miss Dangerous” - Ted Nugent
“Spooky” - Atlanta Rhythm Section


7 “KILLER” Songs“Riders On The Storm” - The Doors
“Psycho Killer” - Talking Heads
“Night Prowler” - AC/DC
“Red Right Hand” - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
“Killer Queen” - Queen
“Killer In The Home” - Adam & the Ants
“Murder By Numbers” - The Police


7 80s Songs“A Nightmare On My Street” - DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince [1988]
“Haunted House Of Rock” - Whodini [1983]
“Thriller” - Michael Jackson [1982]
“Ghostbusters” - Ray Parker, Jr. [1984]
“Cry Little Sister” - Gerard McMann [1987]
“Weird Science” - Oingo Boingo [1985]
“Somebody’s Watching Me” - Rockwell [1984]


7 Cover Songs“Abracadabra” - Sugar Ray
“I’m Your Boogie Man” - White Zombie
“Summer Breeze” - Type O Negative
“Last Kiss” - Pearl Jam
“Tainted Love” - Marilyn Manson
“Thriller” - Ian Brown
“Ain’t It Fun” - Guns N Roses


7 Sinister Sounding Songs“Gimme Shelter” - The Rolling Stones
“(Don’t) Fear The Reaper” - Blue Oyster Cult
“How Soon Is Now?” - The Smiths
“Mama” - Genesis
“Lullaby” - The Cure
“White Rabbit” - Jefferson Airplane
“Love Bites” - Judas Priest

Seven Halloween Treats For Your Next Fiesta

I have always wanted to throw a party for Halloween. 

I might someday, but I already have the ideas for the food and treats!

Pinterest - heard of it?  They've helped me out a lot.  Also Pinterest is the reason for the lack of my productivity.

Seven Halloween Treats

• Mystery Box(of eyeballs) - All I will do is peel a bowl full of grapes and get them nice and cold.  Then I will paint a box black with a cut out in the top of it and add a creative sign.  Something about stick your hand in here, eyes were seen here, blah blah.  And now I've ruined my surprise for everyone.
• Brain Cupcakes - I will bake vanilla cupcakes and fill with something red.  Jam or cherry filling or something like that.  Then I will make a putrid beige colored icing and pipe it to look like brains.  Then you crack it it open and the blood comes out.
• Spider Webs - Take some pretzel rods and arrange them in an asterisk shape like this: *.  Connect the pretzels with concentric lines of white chocolate and a bit of a blob in the center.  Then fashion a mini spider out of a brown M&M and some chocolate jimmies. Repeat for all guests.  
• Candy Corn Sugar Cookies - Make your favorite roll-able sugar cookie dough recipe.  Divide dough in three and color some orange, yellow and leave some white.  Layer the colors in a pan, chill. cut the stacked dough into strips and then cut them into triangles.  The will be reversed but adorable!  Food color is magic.
• Ear Wax - Take an old box of q-tips.  Empty and set aside.  Then take some lollipop sticks and put a mini marshmallow on each end.  Dip each marshmallow in some butterscotch or caramel sauce to resemble ear wax.  GROSS but also perfect and delicious.
• Eyeball Truffles - White chocolate truffles in a traditional round shape.  Pipe on them in colors to make the irises and then red lines for a bloodshot look.  I literally just thought this up.  GOLD STAR.
• Witch Hats - Take one of those fudge shoppe cookies that the bottom half is dipped in chocolate.  Flip it to chocolate side up.  Then put a naked kiss on top.  Using a festive colored icing, pipe a ribbon decor where the hat meets the brim. 

Are my treats too cute-sy?  I guess I should wait till I have kids to throw that party...

Seven Rad Group/Family Costumes

Hey!

Still digging Halloween week?  Me too.

I like to watch other people dress up in costumes and pull off elaborate things and themes and stuff. 

I love when creative people blow my mind.  Today I am posting a list of themes I have seen, but no photos to go with, because I'm too lazy to find and resize them.

True dat.

Seven Rad Group/Family Costumes

• The Jetsons - Parents, kids and a dog.  SO ADORABLE.  The ones I saw had made their costumes by hand.  Hopefully youngsters know who The Jetsons are...
• The Simpsons - Yellow body paint and lots of plastic facial pieces.  Crazy rubbery wigs and hat things and great clothing.  Another cartoon family costume theme done well.
• BLT - The sandwich - mom and dad were bread, three kids(bacon, lettuce, tomato).  I saw this online and they looked like store bought costumes but its hard to say. 
• The Flinstones - Fred, Wilma, Pebbles so cute!  Quite a commitment for the mom and dad too, thats a lot of orange hair and a lot of body hair...
• Legos - A big red and blue brick for mom and dad and then a smaller yellow brick for baby!  AMAZING!
• Pac Man and family - Mr and Mrs Pac-Man and the four ghosts.  Somebody with four kids must do this!
• S'mores - Mom and dad as graham crackers, kids as marshmallows and chocolate bar.  I have a thing for the food combos like this, too cool. 

Have you seen or done something cooler?  TELL ME! 

Seven Scary Movies

I'm gonna propose a toast...

ah-hem!  This toast is for all of you out there that can watch scary movies, you have my condolences!


That being said:  I do not like scary movies.

Nope.

Not at all.  I can't even bring myself to watch the classics.  No not even with the lights on in the middle of the day.  Not even when someone is around to protect me.  Not even with my hands over my eyes.  Not even with a finger on the mute button.  Not even if you paid me.

I just can't do it. 

Sorry.


Seven Scary Movies
(that I've never seen but think are pretty scary)

• Final Desination.  The first one of this series was a movie I tried to watch.  I got about halfway into it and left the room in tears.  When that truck of logs/poles/whatever launches one into the driver of the car behind it - I think of that every.single.time. I see a truck of logs/poles.  Then the CRT computer monitor exploded and slit that person's throat....DONE!  That's all I saw of that movie and it was enough. 
• Scream.  My dad had this movie's audio in our minivan once and hearing it surround me - with no picture - was scary.  The voices and whatever they were talking about really creeped me out.  I don't know why I'm such a whimp...even that mask to me is just like....why?
• Psycho.  This has a lot of classic scenes from what I understand.  This was directed by Hitchcock, right?  The shower scene?  I think I have seen scene snippets so I didn't seem too clueless. 
• The Exorcist.  I went to Catholic school for many years.  I can't even think about this movie's plot without giving myself the heebjeebs.
• The Silence of the Lambs.  The two parts of this movie that stick out to someone who has never seen it: that creepy ass mask, and then the famous line "put the lotion in the basket"
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  Now that is a scary mask.  Do they really cut people up with a chainsaw?  I know how a chainsaw works and that sounds terrible and unnecessary.  No way, Jose.
• Halloween.  There is something from this movie that I like: that theme song.  Otherwise I'm not interested.

Sorry Dad.

Seven Candy Bars

Hey Everyone!

Are you excited?  I'm getting excited.  

The one day of the year where you can eat as much candy as you can get your hands on is fast approaching and Herc is back to give you a piece of his mind on the subject of candy bars. 

I haven't enjoyed several of these treats and sincerely feel like I'm missing out.  *sad face*

7 Candy Bars

Herc has a bit of a sweet tooth - more than 30 of them actually. On a health kick now, it’s been a few months since he’s tasted any candy bar but if he could, these would be the ones he’s seek out. No tricks, just these treats please.

SnickersHerc’s go-to candy bar whenever given a choice, he likes them in all sizes, flavors and states of refrigeration.

Mr. Goodbar
In junior high, Herc let it be known that the way to his heart was through his stomach via these yellow wrapped wonders. More than a few times he opened his locker to find bar after bar after bar waiting for him - they fit perfectly in the slotted vents of the locker.

 PaydayIt’s sweet, it’s salty, it’s delicious.

MunchBasically, a thin rectangle piece of peanut brittle. Mmm, peanut brittle. Only it has more peanuts. And only six ingredients. Check it.

Baby RuthHands down, the messiest candy bar Herc’s ever had the pleasure to consume. Pieces of chocolate and peanut halves rain down around him every time.

Gone but not forgotten category:

AvalancheIn 2007, for a few months, the makers of Payday bars had the bright idea to cover the Payday in milk chocolate. Genius. Then they stopped. Nooooooooooo!

Marathon BarThis bad boy was Herc’s favorite candy bar back in the day. It was 8” and there was a ruler on the wrapper so you knew it was true. For those of you who never had the pleasure, it was braided caramel covered in chocolate. They stopped making them in 1981. The interwebs tell of a similar bar still manufactured by Cadbury in the United Kingdom called the Curly Wurly. Herc’s Kingdom for a Curly Wurly!

Seven Favorite Baby Costumes

The title reveals my favorite part of Halloween - baby costumes!

So adorable it makes me wanna cry.  TOO MUCH CUTE! 

Photos are coming...thanks to the sites for letting me borrow them!

Seven Favorite Baby Costumes

 

Seven Halloween Costumes

Truth Time!

I have been a lot of things for Halloween in my life.  As I'm sure you have...but I feel like mine were particularly amazing. 

Truth be told though, I'm not crazy about Halloween. I like it - in a simple way.  I'm much more of a Christmas kind of girl.  Watch out for December - really. 

Let's talk about my favorite costumes from my life.

Seven Halloween Costumes

• The Riddler(from Batman) - I have a strange love for superheros and comic books.  Thanks to my dad, I'm sure.  I was in a green one piececostume with question marks all over it and had a gold glittery bowler hat on.  And a mask too I think.  So cool.  Just like Jim Carey.
  
• Nerd - This was a costume when I was in middle school.  Rainbow suspenders, pocket protector, pants pulled way up and masking tape on the bridge of my glasses. 
• Cyclops(X-Men) - See The Riddler!  Cyclops was always my favorite mutant.  I never cared for Wolverine like everyone else.  I had to always pick my favorite - and nobody else could have the same favorite as mine. 
• Catwoman(Batman) - ANOTHER comic book character?  How awesome!  I don't know why I was catwoman.  I don't like cats.  I never liked her.  I'd rather be batman.  My brother once had an awesome batman costume that looked like he was walking around in the batmobile.  Awesome.  I was(and still am) so very jealous. 
•  Nerd - I was this last year again, but I bought all my wardrobe at Goodwill and plan to re-wear it in the future.  Its a great go-to costume for me because it comes so easy to me.  I have a knack for being a nerd.  Go Figure. 
• Athlete - Best costume ever pulled from my normal attire and stuff I owned.  KM made me dress up when we were living in Vegas.  Insert track suit + high ponytail and VOILA! Instant costume.  
• Next Year's Costume - OMG you guys, I'm gonna have an amazing costume next year.  I'm ready for it.  I need to buy lots of eyeliner.  That's why its next years costume. 

Tell me about your costumes!  Were you ever anything embarassing?  Come back and I'll tell you a favorite costume category of mine...

Seven Underplayed Songs For Halloween Times

Hey Everyone!

Theme week comin' your way!  Herc is here to kick us off with a Halloween playlist.  He's got a knack for themed and appropriate music.  ENJOY!


7 Underplayed Songs For Your Halloween Playlist
(part of ongoing series 7 Song Playlists)

The Halloween Playlist is a little more elusive, the pool of songs a little more shallow, than almost any other seasonal or situational playlist. Do you go all atmospheric musically? Do you go Goth? Do you go the familiar horror movie music? Do you go the “scare the children” route? Do you get all high concept? Do you use songs only about the Devil? Herc’s done it all and he’s been everywhere, man, and now he’s gonna share a few lesser known tracks from throughout all time with you.

Spoti-BOO!

“In the Shadows” - The Rasmus [2003]
A rousing, bass heavy anthem that rocks hard, this track from 2003 will kick your party up a notch or three. The lyrics (“I’ve been watching/I’ve been waiting”) paint a darker picture, abstract enough to hint at vampirism (They say/That I must learn to kill before I can feel safe”). There are three different videos for this song by the Finnish band so check them out next time your surfing the Web.

“Lil Red Riding Hood” - Sam The Sham & the Pharaohs [1966]The band that brought us “Wooly Bully” was no one-hit wonder - they followed up that massive hit with this 1966 gem which also made it all the way to #2 on the charts. It’s been featured in more than a few TV shows and movies and has been covered by several artists including those crazy nut rockers from Texas, Bowling for Soup.

“Heartbreak Hotel” - The Jacksons [1980]
Essentially a Michael Jackson solo effort, his brothers are credited with “percussion” while Tito lays down the tasty guitar solo. It predates the paranoid pathos that later blossomed full blown in songs like “Billie Jean” and “In The Closet” and features a creaky rhythm making it sound like a haunted house. Without explanation, the song’s official title was amended to “This Place Hotel” sometime in the late 1980s or early 1990s when the CD version of the 1980 album was released.

“Cat People (Puttin’ Out Fire)” - David Bowie [1982]
The original version of this song was written for and featured in 1982 movie Cat People. It is longer and more atmospheric, with a simmering slowness and features one of Bowie’s most haunted vocal performances. (It was used with surprising effect in 2009’s Inglourious Basterds as well.) Due to contractual conflicts, Bowie was unable to use the same recording for his 1983 album Let’s Dance so he re-recorded it with producer Nile Rodgers laying back on guitar, Tony Thompson pounding the drums and Carmine Rojas anchoring the bottom with his bass as a faster, sturdier rocker. The icing on this musical cake is then relatively unknown Stevie Ray Vaughan bringing the wicked solos - his debut solo album wouldn’t be released until a few months later.

“Strong As I Am” - The Prime Movers [1985]
Sounding eerily like a young U2 lyrically and musically, The Prime Movers released this song on their self-titled EP. Director Michael Mann, hot off his hitch on Miami Vice, heard it, loved it and snagged it for the soundtrack of his 1986 film Manhunter. He even personally financed the video for the song. The lead singer left shortly after but the band regrouped without him as Dread Zeppelin and released several reggae infused Led Zeppelin hybrids with Elvis-sounding vocals. Just like U2.

“Wicked Game” - Stone Sour [2006]
A live, acoustic cover of Chris Isaak’s impossibly high-voiced 1989 love lament by the lead singer of the bands Slipknot and Stone Sour, Corey Taylor. His reading adds a little more masculinity to the song while retaining the sadness and heartbreak.

“Used To Love Her” - Guns N Roses [1988]
Axl and the boys snuck this darkly funny acoustic yet metallic ballad out on the stop-gap EP, GNR Lies. It catches you off-guard lyrically and makes a delightful addition to any spooky set. Who knew those bad, bad boys had such a good, good sense of humor?

Spoti-BOO!

The Dirt! 12 Things Dev Doesn't Want You To Know About Her

Happy Birthday to ME!

Herc seems to have been up to some shenanigans, he emailed me this...just like this.  I don't even want to ask him where he found all of this sensitive information!

Enjoy and since it made me laugh out loud,  I hope it makes you do the same!!!

The Dirt! 150 12 Things Dev Doesn’t Want You To Know About Her

After an expensive extensive exhausting half-arse investigation brief Google search, Herc’s International Exports and House of Global Espionage has prepared quite a thick dossier on our Miss Devyn.  Here’s the dirt, the lowdown, the poop and the scuttlebutt.  Use it as you see fit.

• Devyn is preternaturally afraid of Muppets, 1111111, yellow wooden pencils with pink erasers, 1111111111111111111 and British accents.  Not people with British accents mind you but the actual accents themselves.  This applies to all British, Irish, 1111111111111 and Scottish accents and Australian and some Canadian accents as well.

• Blessed with amazing athletic ability, Devyn fancies herself rather a good golfer but has consistently failed to make it past both the clown’s mouth and the haunted windmill on every course she has ever played.  She prefers to play with an orange ball and club with at least a 3 degree angle while out on the links.

• Practically a fluent speaker in her native language, Devyn cannot wink, blink or operate a ventriloquist figure (“dummy”) without moving her lips.  Or her nose.

• Because she possesses beauty beyond the range of perceptible human eyesight, astute mirrors have been known to look at Devyn before she looks at them.  And the Sun follows her wherever she goes.  Until it gets tired.  And then the Moon takes over.

• Devyn knows the difference between right and wrong but sometimes confuses right and left.  And her password is “1234password” but don’t tell anyone

• It was Devyn’s suggestion that the Girl Scouts Of America slice up their slow-selling Mint Loafs and market them as Thin Mints.  She was awarded the Bright Idea badge and got a personal visit from the National Leader of GSA, who then asked Dev for her autograph.  On a non-disclosure agreement.

• As an avid celebrant of holidays, Devyn refuses to acknowledge the existence of or even decorate for International Hug A Tree Day and Universal Pig Latin Day which are usually more than 7 months apart.

• While playing the position of goalkeeper in AYSO soccer games, Devyn held opponents to fewer than 20 goals.  Every. Single. Game.

• On the rare occasions Devyn deigns to have her car washed by trained professionals, she often chooses to have either Caribbean Breeze or Monkey Farts as the interior scent.  But never both at the same time.

• She’s been known to hock up a small hairball on more than one occasion through no fault of her own.

• The Lord may move in mysterious ways but Devyn uses a 27’ U-Haul truck.  And 37 of her closest family and friends.

• As a child, Devyn’s nose was “stolen” more than a dozen times by close relatives with the long-term effects yet to be determined.  While her nose was always recovered, the guilty culprits have never been brought to justice.

Seven Magnificent Ways to Spend Time With Your Family

Yesterday was the 4th of July.  Happy Birthday America!

I was busy spending quality time with my family and never got around to writing a post on the holiday...so today, on July 5th I give you Seven Magnificent Ways to Spend Your Time With Family!

• Take a defined shopaholic to The Container Store for the first time.  Hours of fun! Did you know they make containers for EVERYTHING?  Just browsing is quite entertaining.  Let me just say that my family is well on its way to pure organized bliss.
• IKEA.
• Standing on the back porch with rain pouring down every which way, while getting soaking wet and pummeled with micro-hail.  Kind of like a massage, but not.  So much fun, makes all of your cares slip away temporarily.  I highly recommend it. 
• Scrapbooking.  You tell your whole family about your trips and adventures which leads to them telling you theirs.  Next thing you know, you learned something new about your grandmother, your aunt, your supposedly angelic cousin and your own parents even.  All because you went to Boston.  Oh and now I know my one cousin who has always had an extensive wardrobe was wearing the same shirt for two school photos in a row! 
• Sitting around staring at each other.  Often the best way to just hang out with family.  Staring lovingly into their eyes and having your soul examined through your own eyes.  Deep, right?
• Eating a meal.  Laughing, hilarity and delicious home cooked food.  Steaks on the 4th of July? Yes please. 
• Road Trippin'.  The single greatest family moments I have take place in the back of a minivan or front seat of some car.  Similar to that annoying "what happens in vegas..." phrase, what happens in a car on a trip is your carload's business.  You don't need to discuss it with the caravan, you just live in the moment and get a little closer to those you are riding with.  You feel old cause your baby cousin is now driving you around, for example.

There you have it.  These are all great things that I love to do when I am home which I have done the past few days.  I really enjoy family time.  I apologize for being so mushy-gushy and promise that the blog will return to full speed ahead after one more day of r&r.

I shall leave you with three words: Harry.Potter.Week.