A Tirade on Originality

Many, many people are expecting Halloween Pictures and a detailing of the events of the night. That will all be posted shortly, but first and foremost I have a bit of a tirade to embark upon.


People are not original.

I make this statement after the "Most Outrageous" costume party at a club last night. The criteria was supposedly based on presentation and originality. The winner? A guy dressed as The Green Lantern. Now obviously I must have been asleep when the definition of "original" was redefined... but to the best of my knowledge, it is this:

Original: New, fresh, innovative or novel. Created, undertaken or presented for the first time.

Now I'm not merely making things up, this definition is pieced together from an online dictionary. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary echoes a similar definition. So I am understandably confused how a guy dressed as a superhero (in a costume that is readily purchased) won a contest supposedly based on "originality"... especially considering that there were FOUR guys dressed as the Green Lantern in the room at the time! Maybe the secret lies in a drag queen host so oblivious the bitch didn't realize she should wear panty hose/tights to help hide the dimples of her cellulite-heavy ass.

I'm sorry, I'm a fan of originality; being novel and creative is a major component of why I enjoy crafts as much as I do. There is no higher pleasure for me than to make something, give it out and hear people say, "Oh... that's clever!"So I think it is understandable that I'm a bit irritated that there was such a blatant lack of creativity. Half the people there weren't even in costume, and a good many of those that WERE in costume were only partially done. Seriously, if putting on a mullet wig is all you're going to do why even bother? What's worse... when that wig is ALL that is needed to create the illusion... *shudders*

I'm issuing a call-to-arms. Crafty people need to stand up and assert themselves! If anyone is interested, I'd gladly participate in an actual crafting circle to help share ideas and help progress the capacity of like-minded people. Honestly, if we lose our concepts of originality and craftiness the world will become so boring that not even The Green Lantern will be able to save it...

Onward, and Upward... but mostly Onward...

So it would seem that I am once again questioning the direction of my blog... There are so many possibilities and it seems to be simply oozing in all directions and I'd really appreciate if it had a more clarified sense of purpose.

I do, of course, love my opinion posts. They take a little less work on my part, and people seem to appreciate the sassy humor that finds a way into my writing. However, I also love my crafty/how-to posts. A bit more effort, but actually worth reading and including pretty pictures. I like to think that I am more than a bit talented in the way of cooking/plants/crafts, and humor a small romantic notion that my blogs on these topics will lead to me becoming the next Martha Stewart-esque character. :)

So, let me know what you think! Oh, and sometime this week I will prepare an awesome orange-chocolate mousse. It should be picture-heavy... :)

Halloween 101 - Body Paint

So, I like to have a fairly out-there costume... and I believe in immersion. I want to believe that I actually am what I am trying to portray. Sometimes, this doesn't exactly fit with the skin tone I was given. Obvious solution? Body Paint

For example: A Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) is a pretty interesting plant, and also my favorite tropical bloom. Unfortunately for the person wanting to be a Bird of Paradise, it's also green...

Bird of Paradise, Strelitzia reginae

So obviously, this can present a bit of a problem... unless you're prepared to go all out!

Me, as a Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) 

Obviously, I'm not naturally green... which presented a problem. Now most of the body paints and creme makeups I've seen have had a number of negative aspects that I didn't like. So, naturally, I experimented and established my own unique system. I simply mix 1 part acrylic craft paint to 1-1.5 parts cocoa butter lotion (I use Queen Helene, but I'm sure any good quality cocoa butter lotion will suffice). The acrylic craft paint means you have limitless color possibilities, and the cocoa butter actually prevents the paint from flaking and drying off instantly. There are a couple things to remember about this stuff, though:

1) This works much better with vibrant colors, pale colors and white are a bit more of a challenge.

2) The paint will lighten in color when mixed with the lotion, but it should dry the color you initially chose (or slightly lighter). The color will be much lighter when applied, but it will darken as it dries.

3) It comes off pretty easily with just soap and water, and I have never had this method cause the OUTRAGEOUS outbreak that other paints have caused. That being said, the color does sometimes linger (it tinted the dry skin on my knees for a couple days, but only a bit that came off easily).

4) This paint is not waterproof. It breathes really well, so you're unlikely to sweat it off. However, I usually also apply a coat of spray glitter just to help secure it and hide any places it might have been lax in coating.

5) If you are applying this to somewhere you need to move, get a friend to help. I needed to apply it to my back, which I could reach with the rollers I had. However, the skin of my back moved as I was applying it, causing an uneven coating. I had a friend apply an even coating in less than 1/5 the time I performed the sloppy, frustrating job on my back.

6) This should go without saying... but take a moment to think about whether or not this is the best option for you. I have had people ask me for my recipe because they REALLY wanted to go out in the bodypaint... and the response in my head was, "Really? Because I bet a bunch of other people would REALLY rather you wore actual clothes..."

Halloween - Part I

It should go without saying that I am a crafty person. I like making things myself, and can be often found looking at cute things saying, "I could make that better."

It's for this reason that I think I love Halloween myself. I make my own costumes, and the challenge of making a craft while using myself as the canvas is truly exciting. (That being said, at times I question why I'm working with such a horrible canvas!)

So... Halloween is here. I have decided that I'm going to update people on the status of my costume on here. I'm also going to share a few tips and tricks I've learned, since I have already had quite a few people ask for them!

So the question is: are you feeling crafty?