Pumpkin Patch

details
hat: DeLux
shirt: Garage
jacket: Sirens
belt: American Apparel
skirt: American Apparel

halloween movie night

One of my favourite things about October is... Halloween! Halloween is my favourite holiday and I love hosting festive events. Last night I had a Halloween Movie Night and decided I would post my own "how-to." So! Here it is, my very own step by step on how to host your own Halloween movie night, complete with decorations, snacks, drinks and movie recommendations!

The Decorations



A nice simple table centerpiece. One medium sized pumpkin with little pumpkins and squashes (found at any grocery store or even better, a pumpkin patch!) The black sticks I made simply by collecting dead twigs, pulling off any remaining leaves, and spray painting them all completely black.




These ghosts were made with nothing but an old sheet, stuffing, some rope and a black marker. I cut the sheet into individual squares and stuffed them with newspaper (you can use anything, cotton would be the best but newspaper does work too!) and tied a rope around their necks. Make sure to leave a bit of rope dangling to hang them up. Draw their faces on with black sharpie and tie them to the ceiling with tacks.




Silhouettes are a super simple but really cute decoration... I decided to make bats! I drew them onto black foam paper and cut them out with scissors. It's a little time consuming but something to do while watching TV or a movie.


The Movies

First of all, decide if you want to watch classic horror films, scary creepy thrillers, Halloween favourites, or gory comedies. Classic horror films include anything from the 50's, 60's, or 70's... House on Haunted Hill, Night of the Living Dead, The Shining, etc. If you're looking for something a little more scary, more modern horrors like Silence of the Lambs, or even more recent, movies like 28 Days Later are a good choice. Halloween favourites like Beetlejuice or Nightmare Before Christmas are usually appreciated by everyone. Personally my favourites are the gory, horror-spoofs like the Evil Dead trilogy.




The Drinks



Halloween martinis are yummy and look awesome. All you need is:

-vodka
-sprite
-lime juice
-ice cube trays
-gummy worms
-food colouring

I was able to find black food colouring from Michaels to make these drinks, but any colour (lime green, red, etc) will work. Make sure to prepare the ice cubes the day before by freezing the gummy worms right inside the trays. Place one gummy worm ice cube into a martini glass with one shot of vodka. Fill the remaining space with sprite and squeeze a couple good squirts of lime juice in. And last but not least, add a few drops of food colouring!


The Snacks



-popcorn
-margarine
-sugar
-salt
-candy corns

We made candy corn popcorn! Pop some kernels on the stove in a large pot with some oil, shaking constantly to prevent burning. Once the corn is all popped, throw about 2 tbsp margarine and 3-4 tbsp sugar into the microwave until nicely melted and mixed together. Pour over the popcorn, sprinkle some salt, and add the candy corn. This makes a really yummy sweet and salty combination.

And that's it! All you need to know on how to put on your own Halloween movie night :)

outfit - black, white, red

Details
bow: claires, $13
shirt: thrifted, $3
skirt: vintage, $0
oxford pumps: payless, $13

autumn apple dishes

So other than pumpkin, apples are my second favourite thing to eat during the fall. Here are a few of my favourite autumn-inspired apple dishes!



Traditional Apple Pie

3 apples, thinly sliced
brown sugar
cinnamon
nutmeg
ginger
allspice
molasses
margarine
granola
pie crust (recipe can be found here )

1. Make the pie crust and let sit in the fridge while preparing the filling.

1. In a large pot, cook the sliced apples, brown sugar, spices, and molasses under medium heat until everything is melted, mixed together, and the apples are soft and brown.

2. Pour mixture into the pie crust. In a separate bowl mix some margarine, brown sugar, and granola. Sprinkle mixture over pie until evenly covered. Bake in oven at 350 until golden brown.


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Apple Curry

1 large granny smith apple, thinly sliced
can of coconut milk
1 lime
tumeric
cumin
curry powder
1 onion
1 tbsp olive oil
2 spoonfuls brown sugar
salt
slivered almonds
any thick noodle of your choice

1. In a large pan, fry the onions in the oil until brown. Add brown sugar and continue to cook until sugar is melted.

2. Slowly stir in coconut milk. Once completely incorporated, add the cumin, tumeric, salt, and curry powder.

3. Add sliced apples and almonds. Let simmer for 10 minutes or so.

4. Boil some noodles, and once cooked, drain them and add the curry sauce.


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Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes
**disclaimer** yes, I realize honey isn't vegan, but I also realize that not all of my readers are vegan! The original recipe includes honey, but I have also included a vegan alternative :)

1 apple, cut into small cubes
1 large sweet potato, cut into medium cubes
honey (or any sweet vegan alternative, like agave nectar or similar syrupy sweetener)
1 tbsp brown sugar
cinnamon
nutmeg
allspice
mixed nuts (walnuts, almonds, and cashews are the best)

1. Mix the apple, sweet potato, honey/vegan alternative, spices and brown sugar.

2. Pour mixture into a deep casserole dish.

3. Bake in the oven at 425 for 20 minutes until the sweet potato is soft and brown.

autumn playlist

Every season there are certain songs which I fall in love with that, for some strange reason, embody everything that personally reminds me of that time. Right now, for Autumn, more specifically, this October, I've created a playlist of songs that I think reflect this particular season.... some chilling, others melancholic, peaceful, or reflective, some soft and melodic, but all beautiful. Enjoy!

click here to download

ps; please comment me if you take it!