Elder Goths Contest Giveaway!

Hi all!  Our "Goth Afer 30" Facebook group is holding a photo contest!  To enter, all you need to do is take a picture of yourself and submit it to the group's wall.  Let's show the world that our lifestyle choices aren't necessarily "kid stuff."  Photos can be funny, serious, silly, dark... whatever you feel like expressing.  Elder goths rule, so don't be afraid to show it! :)

The contest is from now to March 14th.  A winner will be chosen at random from those who have submitted photos to the group.  (Just mark it "Contest photo" so that I know to add you to the list of entries.)  If you want to add a watermark that says "Goth After 30 on Facebook" -AND/OR- the URL (http://www.tinyurl.com/ElderGoths) that would be awesome, but not necessary.  I'll draw a winner and notify the group on March 15th.

The winner will receive a lipstick in the blackest black we could find (and it's FRESH too!  Not a Halloween clearance item!), a black nail glaze (perfect for adding a darker shade on top of your favorite color OR use a few coats all by itself), a spooky black pentagram candle, and a black-soybean isoflavone facial treatment to keep you looking your loveliest whether you're 30, 40, or beyond!  (Items are provided by NecessaryEvils.com)

Good luck, everyone!  Can't wait to see your photos! :)

P.S.  Excuse me for posting this on my blog, but I needed a good place to stick the contest information. :)

Easiest Candle Making Technique Ever!

I love, love, love making candles!  It's one of the funnest and easiest crafts that I know of.  I mean, how can you go wrong?  Just melt a bit of candle wax, position your wick, add whatever colors or scents you like (crayons and essential oils or even perfume will work just fine), pour the whole thing together, and wait 'til it's firm.  I've been making my own candles since the 1990s and just love the entire process.  It makes me feel so creative and clever to use up my leftover waxes this way!  I also get the added satisfaction of knowing that my candle is unique; no one has quite the same color or scent that I do!

That said, pouring candles can be a real pain in the ass if you don't get it right.  The wax can form ugly lumps and bumps, you can find bubbles inside that compromise the burning smoothness, and sometimes the best-laid shapes will go awry.  And long, skinny candles -- well, forget pouring those!  Dipping takes too long (though admittedly, I have not tried it very thoroughly: maybe I'll do it sometime).

If you're a first-timer or you're in the market for an easy candle project, you can buy yourself some rolls of beeswax at your local craft store.  They also come in candle-making kits that couldn't be simpler.  Place your wick on one side of the wax sheet, roll it up, and Bob's your uncle.  It's lovely and takes only a few minutes.

In the same spirit as the roll-your-own-beeswax candle, I have created a terribly easy candle recipe that would make any star of the most recent episode of "Hoarders" stand and applaud vigorously. ;)

INGREDIENTS:
* Something for a wick (natural fiber string, rope, kitchen string, or buy yourself some commercial wick from the craft store.)
* One bag of your favorite wax-covered Laughing Cow cheese. (Bonbel and Babybel Light use red wax, and their Cheddar variety is coated in yellow wax.)

These candles are romantic and decadent,
not at all cheesy! Available in classic Babybel, or Cheddar.

Step 1.  Eat the cheese as you normally would, storing up all of the awesome wax!  Resist the urge to play with the wax... it's hard, but you need to restrain yourself.  Pick the wax apart so that it's in half-circles or anything flat.

Step 2.  [If you're very anal about germs: wash the wax in cold, slightly soapy water. Soak for a bit, rinse, then allow to air dry undisturbed over the course of a few days.  If you don't care about getting cheese particles in your candle -- and trust me, it's not all that much anyway -- read on...]

Step 3.  Cut your wax into strips and wind it around your wick.  After you've made a nice long, tall strip, wind more wax strips around your first coat.  (It is this step where you can rub a bit of scented oil over your wax strips if you like -- I did roses on mine, and now they smell like roses dipped in cheese.)

Step 4.  Repeat until all of your wax is gone, or your candle is sized and shaped the way you want it.

Step 5.  Put in a candleholder (or a glass filled with pretty stones, as shown) and light, enjoying the dark romantic ambience of your super-easy craft!

More Halloween Fun

Here's an article I wrote some time ago... and yes, I've found the candle basket pics!
~~~
Halloween is taken very seriously here. To most people, this fun holiday might be about candy, costumes, and parties, but for me it's much more. The entire fall season is special, as are many of its aspects: The harvest, the exciting weather changes, beautiful displays of foliage, cold-weather treats, crisp cold air, costume excitement, edible seasonal treats, fun fall crafts, apple picking, pumpkin carving, cider brewing, leisurely strolls in an autumn-frosted cemetery. So many wonderful joys about throughout the season. The first day of fall always heralds great excitement for me, and with it comes my annual vow not to waste a single day. This year, so far, I haven't!

One of the ideas I had this year was to buy one pumpkin each week. (So far I'm on my third pumpkin.) Last week's became a whimsical yet simple emoticon-themed jack o' lantern (emoti-lantern?) It turned out cute, but it was really easy to do. I am NOT a very skillled jack o' lantern artist, so simple designs are usually my safest bet. This year, though, I'm going to "graduate" to more intricate designs as fall wears on. I'd highly recommend trying a jack o' lantern with your favorite emoticon if you're artistically-challenged like me!


My second pumpkin (this week's) was my version of a candle-lantern -- kind of a pumpkin candle basket. It's simply a hollowed-out pumpkin which has had a larg hole cut out of both sides.  The top was left intact so that I could easily pick it up and move it wherever I liked. Inside the pumpkin shell, I put in a large black candle and surrounded it with tealights. It's another easy project that even the least artistically skilled among us can do... and, to me at least, the smell of lightly scorching pumpkin is a festive one indeed. :)


Of course, one of the fringe benefits of pumpkin carving is the yummy bounty of seeds! I got a great recipe from HalloweenKitchen.Com for "Sweet Spicy Pumpkin Seeds." I've changed it just a little for my tastes...

INGREDIENTS:
seeds from 1 medium-sized pumpkin
2 teaspoons olive oil
3-4 drops tabasco sauce (just a hint of heat; you don't need a lot!)
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. De-gut the seeds, but don't wash them. Add olive oil and salt to the seeds; stir well. Then add all additional seasonings, and blend as thoroughly as possible. Place on a lightly sprayed cookie sheet and roast for about 20 minutes. (Check the seeds every 5-10 minutes and stir to ensure an even browning.) These will be VERY sticky, and they'll probably stick together a lot, but just do the best you can. After they're roasted to your liking, let them cool and, if you like, use your hands to break apart any seeds that have stuck together.

These seeds are SO good! I've done spiced pumpkin seeds a multitude of ways, but I really loved Wanda's recipe. My favorite part is the smoky cumin combined with the sweetness of the toasted sugar. It works so beautifully with the traditional fall seasonings here.

My next pumpkin-processing adventure is going to include the 30-pounder that I got yesterday! I'll keep everyone posted!