Fave Halloween Flicks

The Exorcist - Before I ever saw this film, I knew of it from my father. He told me that his younger brother, Alan, would wake up with nightmares after seeing it. And Alan was a Green Beret in Vietnam. Then I saw the movie and was equally as terrified.

The Changeling - When I was eighteen I saw this with friends and it began my love of scary movies. The ending was a tad weak, but the rest of the film is fantastic. That scene in the beginning where George C. Scott is in the phone booth still gives me the chills.

Dawn of the Dead - Star's first zombie movie! Pax showed me this brilliant George Romero film first and then later I caught up on the rest of his filmography. This one is still my favourite.

Halloween H20 - I actually saw this Halloween before the original. It was one Sunday in October back when a group of us would meet up at Bishop and Pax's. The first Halloween is awesome, but this one from 1998 holds up pretty well, in my opinion.

The Thing - Kurt Russell in a beard. That's all I needed to know in order to check out this John Carpenter classic. Fantastic cast and so great to watch on the coldest of winter nights.

Poltergeist - This movie still scares the crap outta me. That crazy tree outside Robbie's window? That demonic clown (we used to have a similar one with long ass arms), and the swimming pool filled with skeletons - scare-ee! When I watch this movie, I still can't sleep unless there's a light on.

The Shining - It's Stanley Kubrick and Jack Nicholson with Shelley Duvall in a huge, empty hotel in the middle of nowhere. Doesn't get much creepier. Those twin girls and that decomposing dead chick don't make it any less so.

Alien/Aliens - I love both of these films equally and although they are more Sci-Fi than horror, they are still scary as hell.

Psycho - That scene in the basement is so freakin' disturbing. Just the way Tony Perkins entered the room and the look in his eye was beyond frightening.

Final Destination - Awesome premise for a scary movie and still fun to watch!

So there ya have it, my top ten for best scary movies. Although, honestly, the scariest movie I ever saw was Frances with Jessica Lange. Her mother was terrifying and the scenes with Frances in the institution are nightmarish to say the least.

(photos kidnapped from: The Exorcist c/o impawards - The Changeling c/o linusloves80horror - Dawn of the Dead c/o nerdist - Halloween H20 c/o trickortreatstudios - The Thing c/o mototimer - Poltergeist c/o posterbobs - The Shining c/o adamrabalais - Alien c/o centennialgdm - Psycho c/o themoviewaffler - Final Destination c/o moviepostersale)

I Heart Guts

I had stumbled across this shop about eight or nine years ago and immediately loved it. I have turned to I Heart Guts for unique gifts for my ill loved ones and each time the recipient reacted with shock and laughter. Here are the Guts and Glands that I've purchased over the years.

Obviously, my first purchase was a packet of stickers for me!

My cousin had to have her thyroid and parathyroid glands removed, and these pins left her perplexed and then very touched.

 

One of my favourite people had to have their testicle removed and this cute-as-can-be look-a-like gland became a new edition to his stuffed pals.

When Olivia's heart was getting weaker and weaker, I mailed her this one and told her in a note, "Since your heart sucks, here's one that's super fit and cute as hell, so hug it tight and repeat the words: My heart is healthy, my heart is strong, my heart is awesome!"

And for the best dentist in the universe and my all-time favourite hygienist, I had to get them each their own bad ass lapel pin!

A friend who underwent a mastectomy just had to have this adorable mammary gland pin!

Sadly, a close family friend is having her bladder removed (fuck you, cancer, i hope you vanish without a trace from this earth real soon because we are all SO over you) and so last week I went right to I Heart Guts and ordered her a way cuter version than the bladder she currently has - hope it brings a smile to her sweet face and maybe makes all this hellish crap a little easier to handle.

Daydream Believer

On my way home from the market the other night, I drove past a tiny strip mall and saw that every shop there was empty. Each store was up for lease. That's when I started daydreaming about what I would do with that space if I had all the money in the world. I immediately knew that I would turn it into The Female Center of East Utopia (clearly I'm not tellin' y'all where I really live). It would be such a wonderful opportunity to bring the females in the community together. I wouldn't want it to strictly be for women or teenage girls, but a place that anyone in the community can turn to when in need of advice, help, guidance, or support regarding female issues. Somewhere you can come and know that you will be welcomed and assisted with whatever your need may be. I could visualise the flyers and pamphlets that we would pass out, announcing the center.

Taking your first trip to the gynecologist or getting a mammogram and feeling scared and nervous? We can provide you with tons of information and even partner you up with someone who will go with you and keep you calm, cool, and totally at ease!

Having issues with the changes your body may be going through as a teen or pretty much any other time in life? Come on down! We will educate you and help you breathe a sigh of relief that all these changes are totally okay!

Are you pregnant and have no other female friends with kids and feel under-educated and overwhelmed? Relax, we got your back!  Stop in for our group meeting with other moms in the area who have the same concerns about parenting that you may have.

Having problems with your diet (be that carnivore, vegetarian, vegan, or specific diets with restrictions such as gluten-free), as well as your general health? We can direct you to a nutritionist who will get you on track and we will even connect you with a support team. We can also recommend female friendly gyms and workout centers or get you in touch with women in your area that like to take walks, ride bikes, or play various sports. Good health is yours for the taking!

It may say Female on the building, but our door is open to anyone seeking more information on females. If you are a dude raising a daughter and need some guidance, or even just to learn how to braid a fidgety six year old's hair for school - we can help! 

I see the FCEU as a safe haven for females in abusive relationships, regardless the female's age or who that abuser may be. A place that can offer literature on other females in all careers, be it politics, music, the arts, activism, or humanitarianism, thus giving females of all ages an opportunity to learn more about the other ladies in the world that are making a difference. I envision the FCEU as a place to pick up life skills such as how to knit, sew, cook, change a tire, paint a bedroom, create a budget, and so much more that will foster independence. The center could suggest female friendly shops that use positive ads for happy and healthy ladies. This would encourage people to spend their money wisely on companies that protect and inspire females, rather than tear apart their self esteem and turn them into objects. The FCEU would offer self defense courses for all ages so that the females in the community will have the confidence to take care of themselves in any threatening situation.

If it is something that affects a female, I want this place to act as a sanctuary where people, not just women, but people can come and get help or guidance and know that there is somewhere safe to be. The center would be a place where those suffering with drug and alcohol addiction or dependency, anger management, eating disorders, or even mental health issues can come and find help without judgement. Not everyone has a happy home life. Not everyone knows what they are supposed to do with their lives or even how to behave in certain situations. I want this to be a place where females as well as males can come to ask questions and feel zero anxiety about doing so. I dream that FCEU is a center where discussions can be had, meetings can be held, and the females in the community can become more involved and help other females around the world, be it through volunteer work, financially, or just gaining knowledge about how other females live and then impart that knowledge to others.

Sydney's First Homecoming Dance

Here's our Syd looking absolutely stunning from head to toe. What a beauty.

 

 

 

(photos c/o Xavier!)

Dinner with M'gals!

Saturday evening Marina got a sitter for Mateo and met up with Lauryn and me for dinner in C.wood. It's such a great little town and we had a fabulous night at Villa Barone. The food was fantastic, the waiter was an old co-worker of mine, we saw a man who looked exactly like Robert Stanton in Dennis the Menace, and the laughter was virtually non-stop. We even got all dolled up just for funsies. Next time, Kat will have to join us and make our trio into a kick ass quartet!

 

 

The Essence of Happiness

When Marina, Mateo and I were at Storybook Land last weekend I saw this little six year old girl in a dress that had a huge print of the Eiffel Tower on it. Clearly this was a super cute pre-Halloween costume and she was the Tower itself. While pushing Teo's coach I said to her, "Oh my gosh, I love what you're wearing! So cool!" What I received in response was thee snottiest stink eye of all time. She shot me a dirty look like I just ate her pet hamster. I was so incredibly pissed off and annoyed. Like, how does someone complimenting you warrant a nasty look with a matching sneer? Without thinking, I just said with vengeance, "Well, fuck you then. Ya stuck up little bitch." Marina immediately scolded me, but that only fueled my fire.

Later that night I got to thinking, "do I really want to become the person that curses out a six year old?" I don't. I still fully believe that she needed to be put in her place and I think I should be commended for not saying what I really wanted which was, "Where's your mother so I can push her fuckin' teeth in and make you watch?" I wanted this kid to suffer for the indignation she placed upon me. Moving on, I decided that I'm becoming far too angry and bitter and I need to nip this shit in the bud. I scanned my bookshelves and pulled out the Dalai Lama's book The Essence of Happiness. This passage jumped out at me:

If you harbor hateful thoughts or intense anger deep within yourself, it ruins your health; thus it destroys one of the factors conventionally considered necessary for a happy life.

I'm going to try like hell to focus on the good and steer away from thoughts of anger or hostility. It won't be easy, but I'm certain that it will be worth it. (Hey, maybe that little beyotch will be a better person in the future because of what I said. Probably not, though.)

Returning to Antwerpen

I love this city, which is somewhat obvious if you are a committed reader of this blog. Sadly, Antwerp doesn't seem to love me. That doesn't stop me from going back, though. The city is gorgeous; it's clean and safe - at least, I've never felt unsafe at any point while there - and it's the perfect combination of old world and modern world. The people are beautiful looking and few things sound as graceful as someone speaking Flemish, but they are not terribly warm, at least not toward strange girls from America. They are polite, but they are not the Irish. In Dublin I constantly felt at home, surrounded by close friends and cherished family members. Everyone I met was kind and genuine and welcoming. Antwerp kinda reminds me of New York's reputation in the 80s when the people were guarded to the point of standoffish and rude. I guess that's understandable. Actually, it isn't. There's no reason to be mean to someone that's being decent and respectful to both you and your city. That being said, I've decided to go back one last time, for ten days in March of 2015. This time around I'm looking to stay at Michel's flat again and see the few things I was too chicken to do this year, like hang out in Borgerhout and check out Coffee and Vinyl in Het Zuid. I didn't get a chance to see MAS, so that's on my list, and I have to, have to, go see the Magritte Museum in Brussels. I figure ten days gives me time to relax and adjust and then get out there and explore til my feet fall apart. This time, my goal will be to connect with one person, aside from Michel, who is just plain spectacular, and change my perspective on Belgians. I wanna come home and feel that they are the salt of the earth. 

Frida

It's no secret in my family that I love Frida Kahlo and am bananas over her art. I got a text the other day from Kayla and was really touched that she remembered my love of Ms. Kahlo.

 

From a Dusty Dream

I'm not sure how I stumbled upon this, but wow. Pretty incredible. The story goes that a Parisian woman, Madame de Florian, left the apartment during World War II but continued to pay the rent until her death in 2010. Her home was left completely untouched since the day she fled Paris. I love the photo of the dressing table and especially the reflection of the peeling wallpaper in the enormous wall mirror. I'd kill for a swatch of that paper.

 

 

 

(photos kidnapped from boredlion - not to be unkind, but this website was one of the worst ever - it was overloaded with god awful adverts. also, i believe these photographs are Getty property, as stated on twistedsifter)

Notes for...

...Random Folks is a pocket sized blank book that I believe I had ordered from the old Renegade Handmade shop. The artist is Halle Cisco and the groovy lil' drawings inspired me to create names and back stories for the random folks featured. I think eventually I'll feel the urge to colour in the people, but for now they remain in black and white.

 

Workin Knit

Lauryn Henry's etsy page may be empty at the moment, but I'm puttin' on the pressure for her to create more knitted goodies to sell. (More so for me than for the general public.) I'm tellin' ya, this gal took a couple knitting classes and now she is so good that frankly, it's astonishing. Check out some of her past work:

 

 

 

 

 

 

(truthfully, i think the turkey is my fave. so cute!!! once lauryn has time, i'm gonna beg her to make me an octopus, a turtle, and definitely a turkey.)

Pix from the Booth

The last of the pictures from the Multiplex's photo booth. So sad that they tore that place down a few years back.

 

 

Storybook Land

Yesterday Marina and I took Mateo to Storybook Land it was just as fun and fabulous as it was when I was a kid! The Alice in Wonderland black light tunnel is still my favourite because it ends with a maze of playing cards. I even made myself look like a huge dork and climbed aboard a carousel horse on the merry-go-round. We can't wait to go back again in December and see it all decked out for the winter holidays!