Halloween

Halloween Fun – Saturday, October 31, 2009

by dlcasas on November 1, 2009

10-31-09 Cat Woman and Wonder Woman aren't really enemies

10-31-09 Cat Woman and Wonder Woman aren't really enemies

Friends:

The moon was full and we are in New Orleans! That, right there, is a recipe for a special Halloween brew! As a family, we decided to depict Heroes and Villains. My husband Antonio was Batman, my nine year old daughter Eliana was Wonder Woman, I was Cat Woman, my nineteen year old daughter Soleil was Harley Quinn (Joker’s girlfriend and partner in crime), and Soleil’s boyfriend Tomas was The Joker.

10-31-09 Heroes and Villains

10-31-09 Heroes and Villains

Soleil and Tomas headed for Voodoo Fest, a huge music festival in New Orleans City Park. Antonio, Eliana and I went to our church’s Trick-O-Trunk, an annual Halloween celebration where parishioners park their cars in the church parking lot and decorate their trunks. There is music, games, a haunted house, and food. It’s like a big festival and the kids only have to walk from trunk to trunk to go trick-or-treating. So much fun!

10-31-09 The Kids pose like grinning Jack-O-Lanterns

10-31-09 The Kids pose like grinning Jack-O-Lanterns

They participated in a Mummy Wrap contest with toilet paper. Eliana, Camrymm, Ashlynn & Sienna won 2nd place for their bow-tastic work! LOL

10-31-09 Eliana, Camrynn the Mummy, Ashlynn & Little Sienna

10-31-09 Eliana, Camrynn the Mummy, Ashlynn & Little Sienna

I had a bit of a brawl with Bat Man. Everyone wanted a picture with him. How dare he still my spotlight when I am on the prowl!

10-31-09 Batman fights Cat Woman

10-31-09 Batman fights Cat Woman

My brother, Gary, was a Star Wars Sith. His daughter, Camrynn, was Princess Leia.

10-31-09 Who will rescue Princess Leia from the evil Sith?

10-31-09 Who will rescue Princess Leia from the evil Sith?

My mom, Josie, is adorable. She intermittently wore a mask but here she is in all her cuteness.

10-31-09 Cutie Nana on Halloween

10-31-09 Cutie Nana on Halloween

Here is Eliana next to the coolest Jack-O-Lantern we saw all night!

10-31-09 Eliana next to a Fleur de Lis-O-Lantern at Trick-O-Trunk

10-31-09 Eliana next to a Fleur de Lis-O-Lantern at Trick-O-Trunk

We had a blast at Trick-O-Trunk and I loved being with my family again. That was MY biggest treat!!!

10-31-09 Dianne as Cat Woman - Meow!

10-31-09 Dianne as Cat Woman - Meow!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

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10-24-09 Dianne, Eliana & Fan

10-24-09 Dianne, Eliana & Fan

Friends:

I had the pleasure of being the storyteller at Terror on the Teche at the Shadows on the Teche Plantation in New Iberia, Louisiana. The event was sponsored by the Iberia Parish Library. Shadows on the Teche is an old plantation with its own graveyard! The spooky tales were on the grounds of the plantation. Too cool!

10-24-09 The audience at Terror on the Teche

10-24-09 The audience at Terror on the Teche

I had a blast telling funny, spooky and creepy ghost stories. I was so excited to see my friend, Cheryl Robichaux and her little princess, Savannah. I met Cheryl’s husband and his children too. What a beautiful family! Savannah and Caroline came on stage to help me with some magic… “Bloop! I’m awesome!” (Those were the magic words that Caroline and the audience came up with. Too funny!)

10-24-09 Dianne on stage doing magic with Savannah and Caroline

10-24-09 Dianne on stage doing magic with Savannah and Caroline

Eliana, my 9 year old daughter, ran around, taking pictures. It was so dark and difficult to get really good pictures with my digital camera but here’s one of me telling a spooky story. Thank you so much, Eliana! You are wonderful and Mommy loves you!

10-24-09 Telling a spooky story

10-24-09 Telling a spooky story

It was such a fun event and I can’t wait to do it again! Here is a picture of me and Eliana with Kristy Rose and Gail Garcia with the Iberia Parish Library. Gail is the director of the library system. They are such a marvelous team and afterwards, we ate at Duffy’s, a 50s diner in New Iberia with delicious diner dishes!

10-24-09 Kristy Rose, Dianne de Las Casas, Gail Garcia & Eliana

10-24-09 Kristy Rose, Dianne de Las Casas, Gail Garcia & Eliana

Before we left the grounds, Eliana said I had to take a picture of the graveyard. And what is that spooky orb in the picture? A ghost? Who knows…

10-24-09 The Graveyard at Shadows on the Teche Plantation

10-24-09 The Graveyard at Shadows on the Teche Plantation

Eliana and I loved our brief but fun visit to New Iberia. Afterwards, I had to head back to New Orleans to catch a 6:15am flight to Chicago. Thank you to Gail, Kristy, Cheryl, Acadiana Lifestyles magazine, and everyone who came to Terror on the Teche. Have a spooktacular Halloween!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

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10-23-09 Diva Witch Dianne & Judy Boyce as Max from Where the Wild Things Are

10-23-09 Diva Witch Dianne & Judy Boyce as Max from Where the Wild Things Are

Friends:

Tonight, I had a spooktacular time at the West Baton Rouge Parish Library. Eliana, my 9 year old daughter accompanied me. She’s such an adorable little witch!

10-23-09 Eliana the Adorable Witch

10-23-09 Eliana the Adorable Witch

The Monster Mash is an annual tradition at the West Baton Rouge Parish Library. Judy Boyce, the Youth Services Coordinator, asked me to participate this year. The Halloween festivities start at the West Baton Rouge Museum with a trick or treat. Then the trick or treaters, following the fire truck, parade to the library a few blocks away.

10-23-09 The Grand Monster Mash Parade

10-23-09 The Grand Monster Mash Parade

Eliana and I rode in the library van. Originally, we were supposed to ride in a convertible but the weather was too chilly. One of the firemen took a picture with me. I only knew him as “Big Daddy” because that’s what was on his t-shirt. LOL

10-23-09 Dianne & Big Daddy Fireman

10-23-09 Dianne & Big Daddy Fireman

After the parade, everyone went into the library for a cozy spooky storytelling session. It was so much fun.

10-23-09 Telling a spooky story

10-23-09 Telling a spooky story

I even had the children participate with me, dancing and shaking dem bones! A special thank you to Eliana, who took all the performance pictures.

10-23-09 Dianne & kids shaking dem bones

10-23-09 Dianne & kids shaking dem bones

It was a terror-ific time and I loved spooking in the stacks… Thank you to West Baton Rouge Parish Library — Beth, Judy and Jim. You guys rock! And thank you to all the trick or treaters who came to the event. It was monstrously marvelous!

10-23-09 Dianne the Diva Witch

10-23-09 Dianne the Diva Witch

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

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Boo Book Cover

Boo Book Cover

When Eliana was 4 years old, we created a “Boo Book” for Halloween. She helped me put some poems together and she illustrated inside the book. It was a great coffee table book to display for Halloween. Create your own boo-tiful boo book!

Boo Book Dedication Page

Boo Book Dedication Page

Materials:
2 sheets of orange card stock
Several sheets of regular copy paper
A printer
Decorations such as spiders or Halloween stickers
Crayons and Markers
Stapler

Boo Book Spooky Haunted House by Eliana at Age 4

Boo Book Spooky Haunted House by Eliana at Age 4

Instructions:
Create several Halloween poems with your children. Type them on the computer and print them out. Have the children illustrate the poems. Create a book cover and back with the cardstock. Staple the sides to create a book. Decorate with creepy crawly spiders or stickers. Have fun!

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Friends:

After my shows, I rushed home so that Eliana and I could get ready for “Trick-O-Trunk” at our church. “Trick-O-Trunk” is a gathering of cars in a parking lot, decorated for Halloween. Instead of the children trick-o-treating from house to house, they go from trunk to trunk. The children don’t have to walk as far and because it’s run by the church, it’s a family affair with members of the church and the community. They also had games, a haunted hay ride, food, and a DJ. Here is Eliana the Pirate posing in front of a decorated trunk.

Eliana the Pirate in front of a Trick-O-Trunk - 10-31-08

Eliana the Pirate in front of a Trick-O-Trunk - 10-31-08

We had so much fun! Here is a picture of our Pirate Family – Eliana, Dianne & Antonio. Argh, matey!

The Pirate Family - 10-31-08

The Pirate Family - 10-31-08

On my way home, my stepdad, Clay, called me and said that he wanted to decorate his truck’s tailgate. It was soooo last minute. I arrived home at 4:45pm and Trick-O-Trunk started at 5:00pm! I rushed and put something together quickly, using my spooky backdrop. This is how it came out… not bad for a 20 minute rush job! It was the tallest “trunk” in the parking lot and the only haunted house!

Haunted House Tail Gate on Clay's Truck - 10-31-08

Haunted House Tail Gate on Clay's Truck - 10-31-08

This is Eliana’s favorite Trick-O-Trunk, her “winner.”

Eliana's Trick-O-Trunk Winner - 10-31-08

Eliana's Trick-O-Trunk Winner - 10-31-08

Eliana had a ton of fun with her cousins, Camrynn, Ashlynn, Jasmynn, and our friend’s daughter, Marie. Here are the costumed cuties…

The Costumed Cuties - 10-31-08

The Costumed Cuties - 10-31-08

We all had a ball dancing. Eliana danced up a storm with her daddy, shakin’ it to “Suavemente.”

Eliana dancing with Daddy - 10-31-08

Eliana dancing with Daddy - 10-31-08

Here is Paw Paw (my stepdad, Clay) dancing with Camrynn, the princess.

Paw Paw and Camrynn dancing - 10-31-08

Paw Paw and Camrynn dancing - 10-31-08

The kids played games, including “Mummy Wrap.” They won 3rd place, wrapping Marie with three rolls of toilet paper to the song “Monster Mash.”

Mummy Wrap Team - 10-31-08

Mummy Wrap Team - 10-31-08

Here is Eliana doing the limbo. Jack be nimble, jack be quick. Jack go under limbo stick… Limbo lower now!

Eliana doing the limbo - 10-31-08

Eliana doing the limbo - 10-31-08

It was such a fun night. Afterwards, Eliana spent the night at Nana and Paw Paw’s. Antonio and I went to the movies in costume! We saw Quarantine and then went out dancing for a little while. What a day and night!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

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Kerner Elementary Welcomes Dianne - 10-30-08

Kerner Elementary Welcomes Dianne - 10-30-08

Friends:

Today I had the pleasure of performing “Scared Silly” to celebrate Halloween at Kerner Elementary in Lafitte, Louisiana. I saw the entire school – K-6 grades in two performances. The first performance was for grades K-3. The students were so enthusiastic and participatory. They were absolutely wonderful and perfectly behaved. Following my show, I had a Q&A session. Several of the teachers told me that their classes would be writing and mailing letters to me. I can’t wait!

Scared Silly for Grades K-3 at Kerner - 10-30-08

Scared Silly for Grades K-3 at Kerner - 10-30-08

After the little ones filed out, it was time for the big kids to come in. I had grades 4-6 for my second show. I adjusted the show to their age level, telling more “mature” spooky stories, including a Louisiana story about a bayou bogie called the “Fifolet.” They were fascinated. While I shared the story, you could hear a pin drop in the cafeteria. It was tons of fun.

Scared Silly for Grades 4-6 at Kerner Elementary - 10-30-08

Scared Silly for Grades 4-6 at Kerner Elementary - 10-30-08

The school could not have been more welcoming. There was a beautiful sign at the front of the school (the first picture you see); assistance unloading, setting up, and packing up my show; AND the cafeteria staff took it upon themselves to feed me! Yum! Thank you to Ms. Bordelon, Ms. Blair, Ms. Callen, Ms. Perrin, and all the teachers at Kerner Elementary. You have a beautiful school and fantastic students.

I hope to visit Kerner Elementary again! What a joyous experience!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

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Eliana the Adorable Witch - Saturday, October 25, 2008

Eliana the Adorable Witch - Saturday, October 25, 2008

Friends:

Yesterday, I had a “Scared Silly” show at the Council for Aging in Chalmette sponsored by the St. Bernard Parish Library. It was a full, fun crowd. Eliana came with me and dressed in costume as a witch. Here is Eliana posing for pictures with a fan. Too cute!

Eliana posing with fan - Saturday, October 25, 2008

Eliana posing with fan - Saturday, October 25, 2008

I told “The House that Witchy Built,” a story I wrote adapted from the Mother Goose story form of “The House that Jack Built.” I also told my perennially popular “The Viper,” the edge-of-your seat and hilariously funny “Ghost of Mabel Gable,” and “Rap, Rap, Rap.”

Dianne performing "The Viper" - Saturday, October 25, 2008

Dianne performing "The Viper" - Saturday, October 25, 2008

Don’t you love those orange striped socks? Here I am doing a magic trick with an audience member. I love the spiders hanging from the ceiling!

Dianne doing magic with an audience member - Saturday, October 25, 2008

Dianne doing magic with an audience member - Saturday, October 25, 2008

Eliana helped me perform my original song, “Shake-A-Shake Them Bones.” It was so much fun!

Eliana and Dianne Shake-A-Shakin' Them Bones - Saturday, October 25, 2008

Eliana and Dianne Shake-A-Shakin' Them Bones - Saturday, October 25, 2008

After the show, Eliana changed and chilled out on the front porch swing.

Eliana Chillin' on the Front Porch Swing - Saturday, October 25, 2008

Eliana Chillin' on the Front Porch Swing - Saturday, October 25, 2008

Notice that she still has her witch hat on?! LOL She was so cute.

Thank you to Janet Perez of the St. Bernard Parish Library for inviting me and for taking the great pictures of the show! Another special thank you to Susan at the St. Bernard Parish Council for Aging for lending us their building (the library is still in a post-Katrina temporary space that is much too small).

Thank you to my wonderful audience – all the children, parents and grandparents who attended. We had a blast with creepy sound effects, clapping, singing, dancing, and laughing. I look forward to returning to St. Bernard Parish Library!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

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Eliana's Spookover Door Sign - October 18, 2008

Eliana's Spookover Door Sign - October 18, 2008

Friends:

Saturday was a blast! The night of my 8 year old daughter, Eliana’s Spookover, finally arrived! Eliana was ready for some swashbuckling fun. Argh, matey!

Pirate Eliana - October 18, 2008

Pirate Eliana - October 18, 2008

We worked all day cleaning, decorating, and cooking. I set up my spooky backdrop and decorated the table full of frightening food – bloody pigs in a blanket, petrifying pizza party pinwheels, Jack-O-Jam cookies, popcorn chicken parts, witches brew and more. Check out the table. I love the mummies marrying under the Tree of Terror.

The Spooktacular Table - October 18, 2008

The Spooktacular Table - October 18, 2008

This is what the Witches Brew (lime sherbet ice cream in 7Up) looked like…

Witches Brew - October 18, 2008

Witches Brew - October 18, 2008

All the girls had their own cups with their names on them. The girls came in costume. They are so adorable!

The Spookover Girls - October 18, 2008

The Spookover Girls - October 18, 2008

No one had the same costume on – we had Hannah Montana, a princess bride, a mermaid, Sharpei from High School Musical, a pirate, a hip hop dancer, an angel, and an aquamarine princess. 8 crazy cuties ready to party! Here’s a parent-to-parent tip: I had all the parents/guardians fill out an emergency card with all their contact numbers on it – just in case…

We began with The Ghoulish Guessing Game. They each had a Halloween monster pinned to their back and they had to ask 10 yes-or-no questions. The first to guess their monster won. Next, we had a costume contest. My mom, Josie; my husband, Antonio; and I were judges. We judged the girls on three categories: creativity, originality, and attitude. Each category was worth 10 points with a total possible score of 90. The judges had score cards that were totaled at the end. The girls strutted down the “runway” and then had to talk about who they were. The pirate won with 79 points with the hip hop dancer and princess bride tied for second place. The girls loved winning prizes.

The Pirate and the Princess Bride - October 18, 2008

The Pirate and the Princess Bride - October 18, 2008

After that we moved on to “Pin the Hat on the Witch.” I made a witch with different colored hats with double stick tape on the back. The girls were blindfolded with a sleeping mask and spun around 6 times. They pinned their hats to the witch. I took pictures of each hat after they were placed so we could remove the hat and judge in the end whose hat was closest. It was funny to see where the hats were placed!

Pin the Hat on the Witch - October 18, 2008

Pin the Hat on the Witch - October 18, 2008

After that, we moved on to The Creepy Clothes Race, a relay game. The girls were divided into teams of two, with four girls on each team. They were given a bag of clothes that contained a hat, a cape, a shirt, shorts, gloves, and a scarf. Each player raced to the opposite side, dressing in the creepy clothes and then raced back, undressing, stuffing the clothing in the bag, and handing it off to the next player. I played “Ghostbusters” as they raced. It was laugh-out-loud zany fun!

Creepy Clothes Race - October 18, 2008

Creepy Clothes Race - October 18, 2008

Our last game was “Keepin’ It Under Wraps,” a wrapping mummy with tissue paper game. Again, the girls were divided into two teams of four girls. The smallest girls on each team were the mummies. The remaining girls on the team were the “wrappers.” Each wrapper was given a roll of cheap toilet paper. They had to wrap the mummy as quickly and as best as they could without the paper ripping, which it did – plenty! It was hilarious. They wrapped and rolled to the song “Monster Mash.” The team with the best looking mummy at the end of the song won.

Keepin It Under Wraps Game - October 18, 2008

Keepin It Under Wraps Game - October 18, 2008

Afterwards, the girls had a massive tissue paper fight. I wish I could be a kid again! Such uninhibited joy!

Tissue Paper Fight - October 18, 2008

Tissue Paper Fight - October 18, 2008

And yes, they helped clean up the mess too – very quickly! After all the games, the girls were ready to settle down and eat.

Then we began crafting. We made Batty Sock Bats from socks, foam, googly eyes, and chenille sticks.

Crafting Batty Sock Bats - October 18, 2008

Crafting Batty Sock Bats - October 18, 2008

These are the finished bats. Aren’t they the most boo-tiful bats you’ve ever seen?!!

Batty Sock Bats - October 18, 2008

Batty Sock Bats - October 18, 2008

Here is a closeup of the bats…

Batty Socks Bats Closeup - October 18, 2008

Batty Socks Bats Closeup - October 18, 2008

Next, we made mummies out of toilet tissue rolls and Boo Bags from white paper lunch bags.

Boo Bags - October 18, 2008

Boo Bags - October 18, 2008

After our creepy crafts, we headed outside to the screened, covered patio for marshmallow roasting and spooky stories. I told several stories including “The Ghost of Mable Gable,” “Bloody Fingers,” “The Ghost with One Black Eye,” and “Blood Red Lips.” The patio was dark except for several lit candles. It was the perfect spookmosphere.

Gathering for Ghost Stories - October 18, 2008

Gathering for Ghost Stories - October 18, 2008

Finally, around 1:30 am, we headed inside and set up the sleeping area on the floor of the living room. Everyone brought their sleeping bags. I put in the movie, Ghostbusters, and all but three girls fell asleep. The last three girls fell asleep around 4:30 am! That meant that I was up with them!

In the morning, Antonio made Eliana’s Devil’s Food Monster Muffins. The girls had a spooktastic time and I was ready for a nap!! LOL Two of the girls had never been to a sleepover and they loved it so much, they want to do it again! (Yes, maybe next year, girls!! hahaha)

Wrapping the Mummy - October 18, 2008

Wrapping the Mummy - October 18, 2008

It was a successful Spookover and Eliana was elated. And that’s all a Mummy can ask for, right?! Happy Spooky Season!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

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Craft: Wrappin’ Mummy Rolls

by Dianne on October 18, 2008

Wrapping Mummy Roll Craft - October 18, 2008

Wrapping Mummy Roll Craft - October 18, 2008

Wrappin’ Mummy Roll Craft

Supplies:
1 tissue paper roll
Old t-shirt ripped into 1 inch strips or gauze
Pot of old coffee
Large googly eyes
Hot glue

Directions:
To make the t-shirt or gauze look old, soak it in the coffee for 10-20 minutes. Allow to dry. Gluing one end down, wrap a foot long strip around the tissue paper roll. Glue the final end down. Glue large googly eyes to your mummy. Now you have a wrappin’ mummy roll!

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Craft: Batty Sock Bat

by Dianne on October 17, 2008

Batty Sock Bat Craft - October 17, 2008

Batty Sock Bat Craft - October 17, 2008

Batty Sock Bat Craft

Supplies:
New sock
Fiberfill stuffing
1 large sheet of foam matching the color of sock
1 Red chenille stick
1 chenille stick in a color matching the sock
Two medium size Googly Eyes
White cardstock or index card
Hot glue

Directions:
Stuff one sock with fiberfill about 3/4 full. Tie the end of the sock closed with a matching chenille stick, leaving a long piece to use as a hanger. Cut wings and ears out of foam and hot glue to the body. Glue on Googly Eyes. Cut a small piece of red chenille stick to create a mouth. Cut two sharp fangs out of cardstock or index card. Glue to body. When complete, hang upside down in front of a window. This is a great craft to go with the book, Bats at the Library!

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