How To's for Halloween!

So....as we get closer to Halloween, and it becomes a weeeee bit crazier around here, I've left the posts "OPEN" for whatever catches my fancy, Halloween-wise, at least.

Today, I thought I'd find you some Halloween How To's on the web. So here goes:

A WHOLE SLEW of How Tos can be found by a site with the same name:
HowToHalloween.com

In case you are lame at the Jack-O-Lantern making, there's a whole site devoted to pumpkin carving, including showing you how to pick the RIGHT pumpkin (really, there's a "wrong" pumpkin in this whole scenario?) for your JOL project: Pumpkin Carving 101

Need help making Halloween cupcakes? Here's a video to help you out HERE

And, I suppose, if you want to make HEALTHY alternatives to those cupcakes, you can go HERE

In the "totally random" category, here's a place to learn how to make ORIGAMI Halloween Shapes

In a totally "cool" category, here's how you can make YOUR OWN WAND

And, for the witch in all of us, here's HOW TO MAKE A BESOM (that's a "witch's broom" for those of you not in the know)!

And, in the totally hilarious category, or unbelievable category (or proof that you CAN find anything on the interwebs), here's a video series on HOW TO RUN FROM ZOMBIES

And with that, I'll leave you until tomorrow! Mwahahhaaaaaaaaaaaaa

An Urban Farm Halloween!

Hello Folks!

So today, I thought I'd share a little of MY Halloween escapades....

But first, A REMINDER...I STILL HAVE THE PUMPKIN SPATULA GIVEAWAY! Deadline to sign up for a free, cute HALLOWEEN-Y SPATULA ENDS OCTOBER 28th! SO SIGN UP HERE

Alright--so far, you've read all sorts of fun and informational Halloween posts throughout the month. Today, I thought I'd show you a little of my Halloween celebration!

Some of you may or may not know that when I am not doing art, I have a serious love of nature and farming. In fact one of my maaaaany jobs is as part time farm managers at an urban farm in New York City. This past weekend, I organized our farm's Halloween festival and we were happy to host the community in this fun celebration!

Here are some pics of the day (feel free to click to enlarge):

Yes, I am trying to be a gypsy here....

The whole outfit, complete with old fashioned bucket.....

Believe it or not, we GREW all of these pumpkins on the farm...it's 3 acres, so I guess it worked!

Demetrio, one of the leaders of the farm, in a pirate outfit. Note both the New York Graffiti, and the cow painted "barn." By the way, painting the cow spots: my idea!

One of our volunteers, looking ominous....

Cute kids, everywhere....

And my friend Mimi and her Tribal Dance Troupe, Manhattan Tribal, stole the show!

...and posed pretty, with their drummer Luis...

What a great festival! Hope everyone else has a great Halloween season!

CRAZY Halloween Costumes!

Hello Folks!

Wow, what a crazy weekend it's been. I'll post about the farm Halloween Festival I produced in the next round of postings. First, a couple of things!

YOU KNOW WE HAVE ANOTHER GIVEAWAY, right? CLICK HERE to check it out!

We also have a photo contest where you can wins some very cool art supplies like buttons, ribbon, stickers, and more!

JUST SEND ME YOUR HALLOWEEN pictures of: your funniest or craziest outfit, your kids celebrating Halloween or your pet celebrating Halloween. Send no more than 2 pictures BY HALLOWEEN to beyondvagabond@gmail.com and you can win!

Please note that I will be posting all of the Halloween pictures, so make sure this is something you think people want to see. I reserve the right to disqualify pics that I deem racy or inappropriate...so keep it cute and clean, folks!

And speaking about pictures, here are some amazing and hilarious costumes to get you in the Halloween mood!

Crazy and imaginative costumes for adults....





And for pets.....here, these animals are dressed...well, like other animals!





Even babies get in on the act...in this case, they seem to be dressed as food items...

What do YOU plan to be for Halloween?

Tomorrow...A Halloween Festival on an Urban Farm!

Moonlight Magic and Tea Under a Full Moon!

Hello Dearies! Oh Dear...I was to put a Magical Moon post up in this month-long Halloween Carnival roll, but I just plumb ran out of time....

So today, I decided to combine that with the Tea Party Under a Halloween Moon, hosted by
Frosted Petunias!

I see the Moon.....

The Moon is scientifically known to have an affect on sea tides, weather, and more. It is said to affect women more often then men, including their hormones; thus the moon has often been portrayed as a female entity, while the sun is often "masculine."

And the Moon Sees Me....

The full moon was, in ancient (and modern times) said to be so powerful on the psyche of humans and animals that the Latin word, lunacy, meant "to be affected by the moon," but is a euphamism for "craziness."

So I invite him to a tea party!

Superstitions about the Moon's Affect on Weather - When the moon points up, the weather will be good, when it points down, it will rain - When a large star, or planet, is near the moon, the weather will be violent - Fog and a small moon bring an easterly winds

Superstitions on the Moon's Affect on Tides: - When the moon is low, the tides will be higher than normal - When the moon is at its brightest, the tides are high - Deaths occur most often when the tide is going out, and births occur when the tide is coming in

And the guests? Why they are Halloween Dollies!

Good Luck brought on by the moon: - People once believed the moon was made of silver, so they would ask the moon for help and jingle the change in their pockets, as they gazed at it's glory.

- Legend says that to cure warts, catch some moonbeams in a metal basin and wash your hands in it, saying "I wash my hands in thy dish, 'O man in the moon, do grant my wish, and come and take this away"

- To see the thin crescent over ones left shoulder is lucky

-Amulets in the shape of a crescent moon, are used to protect you from the evil eye, witchery and advance individual prosperity. - The Crescent must always point to the left, this represents the first quarter of the moon, when things prosper and grow. - In Roman times, women used to wear silver moon crescents on their shoes to ensure having healthy babies.

Favors are set, and guests will arrive soon

Bad Luck: - It was thought that to sleep in direct moonlight caused madness or blindness.

- It is unlucky to view the first new moon through glass or through a tree, it is also unlucky to point at the moon.
- It is bad luck to dig a grave or bury a body during a new Moon.

I stir the tea with this magical spoon!

- The new moon is an auspicious time for planting, courtship, the starting of new business ventures, or trips.
- It is also the best time to cut the hair and fingernails for better growth later on.

- An old English tradition holds that a housewife seeing the new moon for the first time, should run quickly to her bedroom and turn down her bed to ensure a happy marriage.

- At first sight of the new moon, one should turn a silver coin in his purse or pocket and make a wish.
- Seeing a new moon for the first time on a Monday will bring you good luck.

- If the first time you see a new moon, is over your right shoulder, it is a sign of fun times ahead.

- If you happen to be holding something, in both of your hands, when you see the new moon for the first time, you will never want for anything.

- A wish made whilst looking at new moon will come true within a year

Why thank you for coming Mr. Moon!

Thank you for joining my Tea Party Under a Full Moon! In the meantime, we have a whole month-long Halloween Carnival going on here! So come back for fun giveaways and more!
And enjoy blog-hopping, Dearies! Mwhahahahahaaaaa!

Pumpkin (s)Patch-ula Giveaway and more Halloween Fun!

Hello Friends!

Are you still keeping up with these Halloween posts? We're more than half-way through!

Alright--see this cool gadget?

Yep, it's a spatula in the shape of a Jack-o-Lantern! And--yes--it is functional! How fun would breakfast be on Halloween Day?! Or any day, if you are a Halloween-o-phile like me!

Anyhow-- I will try to keep it simple(r) this time around:

To be considered for this Jack-O-Spatula:
Just follow this blog, and leave a comment to say you are a follower, just so I know who's interested. You have until October 27th to leave a comment.

I pick a winner October 28th!

So start leaving those comments! In the meantime, here are some more fun Halloween links!

Ben and Jerry's have a whole section of their site devoted to fun and cute Halloween games! Great for kids and kids at heart!

For all things Halloween, Halloween Online Magazine has all sorts of activities, tips, games, recipes and more to make your Halloween one to remember.

For the truly macabre, you can find the grave--yes, the grave--of anyone, at the aptly titled Find A Grave site. I suppose this would be interesting if you were curious as to where famous and infamous people are buried!

If you are a haunted house fanatic, then the Haunted Houses site is your spot! Designed with cool graphics, this site will locate tons of REAL haunted houses, restaurants, wild west spots and other eerie places, AND also haunted house attractions for fun. You can' t get more haunted than that!

If you want to practice your pumpkin carving skills, you can do so at Spookathon or at Online PumpkinCarving, my personal favorite, which then "lights up" your finished project like a jack-o-lantern once you're finished!

If you want to see some cute PETS in Halloween costumes, mosey over to THIS SITE and get ready to laugh. Dogs, cats, and even an IGUANA get into the holiday spirit!

...and finally! For the poetry fans--why not enjoy a Halloween Haiku?

TOMORROW! The Full Moon alights! So Full Moon Magic is in order for tomorrow's post!

Ta-Da! We have our Winner (Giveaway #2)

Whooooooa! How could I forget? Oh dearie me! Time flies when you try to run a daily Halloween blog!

So forgive the late posting! Today's winner will win these two lovely TREATS:

Organic Lavender and Honey (from Zan's garden and BEES!)

Hmmm...I have to say I was surprised I only had 17 entries for these lovelies! Maybe not too many honey and lavender people out there?

Ahhh, nevertheless---more chances for our entrants to win! So off we go with the Random Number Generator again...I entered the number of entries--17--and got a random number (which I still can't copy and paste here! I REALLLYY need to figure that out!!)

And that number is #7!!

SO-- THERESA OF FAIRY MOON CREATIONS, YOU've WON!!

Send me your address via my email: beyondvagabond@gmail.com

And congrats!

And thanks all for participating.
NOW! THERE ARE STILL A FEW MORE GIVEAWAYS AFOOT!
TOMORROW, I SHALL TELL YOU HOW TO WIN THIS:

Cool Pumpkin Spatula


SO stay tuned, Dearies!
Mwahahahahahhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Werewolves and other Creeeeepy Creatures!

Hello Lovelies!

The Magic Halloween Carnival rolls ON! Don't forget, the LAVENDER and HONEY giveaway ENDS TOMORROW! I will PICK A WINNER TOMORROW EVENING! So don't miss out and join HERE!

Anyhow...onto today's post...which focuses on the creepy creatures that go BUMP in the night! mwahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaa!

WEREWOLVES

Werewolves have held intrigue from ancient to modern times; the idea of possibly shape-shifting and becoming the "beast" that lurks further in our primitive ancestry has always held fascination.

The possibility of one shifting into animal form has been regarded as possible by those superstitious and sometimes ultra-religious factions of the world, and one can see the idea of sorcery, witchery, or just plain mutations in those beliefs.

Various methods for becoming a werewolf have been reported, one of the simplest being the removal of clothing and putting on a belt made of wolfskin, probably as a substitute for the entire animal skin . In other cases, the body is rubbed with a magic salve. To drink rainwater out of the footprint of the animal in question or to drink from certain enchanted streams were also considered effectual modes of accomplishing metamorphosis.

In Italy, France and Germany, it was said that a man could turn into a werewolf if he, on a certain Wednesday or Friday, slept outside on a summer night with the full moon shining directly on his face.

In other cases, the transformation was supposedly accomplished by allegiance with the Devil for the most loathsome ends, often for the sake of sating a craving for human flesh

The curse of lycanthropy was also considered by some scholars as being a divine punishment. Werewolf literature shows many examples of God or saints allegedly cursing those who invoked their wrath by changing them int werewolves. Those who were excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church were also doomed to be werewolves.

Curiously, the power to transform humans into beasts is attributed to saints, as well as sorcerers. St. was said to have transformed the Welsh king Veriticus into a wolf. Natalis supposedly cursed an illustrious Irish family whose members were each doomed to be a wolf for seven years.

In other cases, lycanthropy was brought on by association with the Devil.

A notable exception to the association of Lycanthropy and the Devil, comes from a rare and lesser known account of an 80-year-old man named Thiess. In 1692, in Livonia, Thiess testified under oath that he and other werewolves were the Hounds of God. He claimed they were warriors who went down into hell to do battle with witches and demons. Their efforts ensured that the Devil and his minions did not carry off the grain from local failed crops down to hell. Thiess claimed that werewolves in Germany and Russia also did battle with the devil's minions in their own versions of Hell, and insisted that when werewolves died, their souls were welcomed into heaven as reward for their service. Thiess was ultimately sentenced to ten lashes for superstitious beliefs and idolatry

Becoming a werewolf simply by being bitten by another werewolf is common in modern horror films and fiction but this kind of transmission is rare in legend, unlike cases of vampirism. Another modern convention that did not exist in werewolf lore: susceptibility to silver bullets.

OTHER CREEPY CREATURES (not necessarily associated with Halloween, but scary nevertheless)

MANTICORE

The manticore is a composite beast from ancient India, meaning it has body parts that are of different species. It supposedly had a "blood-colored lion's body", the face of a man with blue eyes, and a tail resembling the sting of a scorpion. It's supposed existence was first traced in Ancient Greece, when Pliny the Elder wrote of it from a visit to East Asia. It can leap great distances and is very active. It eats human flesh voraciously. Its voice is a whistle that sounds like a melody from pipes. Some say it can shoot spines from its tail, and in any case a man who meet the Manticore is doomed to die.

BIGFOOT

Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, is purportedly an ape-like creature that inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, upright humanoid creature. The term "sasquatch" is an anglicized derivative of the word "Sésquac" which means "wild man" in a Salish Native American language.

A majority of scientists discount the existence of Bigfoot and consider it to be a combination of folklore, misidentification, and hoax, rather than a legitimate animal, in part because some estimate large numbers necessary to maintain a breeding population. Nevertheless, Bigfoot remains one of the more famous and controversial legends. The Yeti, or Abominable Snowman is another humanoid on the same scale as Bigfoot, and is known as a humanoid creature living in the mountains of Tibet and/or Nepal.

CHUPACABRA

The most contemporary of the creepy mystery animals is the Chupacabra. Chupracabra is literally a latin translation from chupar "to suck" and cabra "goat", (literally "goat sucker," though some say it was meant to mean "blood sucker"), is a legendary creature rumored to inhabit parts of the Americas. It is associated more recently with sightings of an allegedly unknown animal in Puerto Rico (where these sightings were first reported), Mexico, and the United States. The name comes from the animal's reported habit of attacking and drinking the blood of livestock, especially goats. Physical descriptions of the creature vary. Eyewitness sightings have been claimed as early as 1995 in Puerto Rico, and have since been reported as far north as Maine, and as far south as Chile. It is supposedly a heavy creature, the size of a small bear, with a row of spines reaching from the neck to the base of the tail. There has been no factual evidence to prove chupracabras as more than lore.

LOCH NESS MONSTER

The Loch Ness Monster is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness (lake Ness) in the Scottish Highlands. The most frequent speculation is that the creature represents a line of long-surviving plesiosaurs (ancient water dinosaurs). It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its description varies from one account to the next. Popular interest and belief in the animal has fluctuated since it was brought to the world's attention in 1933. Evidence of its existence is anecdotal, with minimal and much-disputed photographic material and sonar readings. The scientific community regards the Loch Ness Monster as a modern-day myth, and explains sightings as hoaxes. Despite this, it remains one of the most famous examples of The legendary monster has been affectionately referred to by the nickname Nessie. In general, most sightings involve a semblance of a long head or what are believed to be dorsal spines, above water.

Garden Witchery and Lore!

Hello Friends!

I hope you are enjoying the merriment of the Magical Halloween Carnival! Forgive me for the late post....I was with a few doll friends of mine, including Pattee of Odd Dolls, who is staying with me for a few days! Yay!

Alright, on another note, don't forget...THIS GIVEAWAY IS GOING ON STILL...so jump in!

And so is THIS PHOTO CONTEST....so jump in some more!

And now on to today's post!

GARDEN WITCHERY and FLOWER LORE and MAGIC!

The art of caring for a garden grew out of millenia of humans tending to nature all around. Plants were healing, as well as foodstuffs, and eventually MAN found a way to manipulate these (as with most other aspects of nature) for his/her benefit. Gardens were visual masterpieces and kept plants in a controllable, orderly, convenient, and attractive way.

Obviously, the art of herbalism, flower care and medicine, and food preparations were crucial to early peoples, and ways of working with plants was an important part of living for early peoples. The art of garden witchery was usually passed down from mother to daughter, or from old herbalists to apprentices. These were tried and true ideas that were part old lore and superstition and also quite a bit of tried and true experimentation with plants.

These included:

All our shade-giving trees were once believed to have guardian spirits living within, but it was the oak tree that was to be worshipped with its variety of magical powers.Two of its claims being the presevation of youth by simply carrying around one of the acorns, and the ability to cure a toothache by driving a nail into the trunk.

The European mountain ash supposedly had the power to ward off witches, hence its previous name the "Witchen". Another that gave protection against witchcraft was the small flowering elder tree.

The symbol of good hope belongs to the hawthorn tree and was also considered a charm against sorcery by the Romans. Crowns made of hawthorn flowers were once worn for luck by the Athenian girls at weddings.

But still our gardens of herbs hold a wonder of cures and have come a long way since medieval times. Although, some may have become proven remedies, others were based on the powers of magic.

The angel herb "Angelica" was the one to grow when guarding against plague and pestilence. This holy plant also had a reputation as an extremely strong deterrent against witchcraft, its power supposedly discovered by a monk.

Parsley was believed to be followed by disaster and should never be given away. It was also an added ingredient in concocted brews that were taken to induce abortions.

As for heart disease, this was treated with the herb trefoil, simply because of its heart shaped leaves.

Also used was the purple-belled foxglove, although extremely poisonous, a derivative of this plant is used by physicians of today for cardiac conditions.

An antidote to the powers of witchcraft was supposedly a dose of the mallow flower. The rowan berry was used to protect your offsprings, and mugwort to shield you from the evil eye.

If you are wondering what you have laid to rest in your flower bed, then beware of the daffodil. Greek legend has these golden blooms tied in with the spirits of death.

The christian symbol of eternal love may spring from the carnation, but it was previously believed that this popular buttonhole flower once sprang from the grave of lovers.

The anemone with its wealth of color and perfume brings withered hopes as it wanes in the chilly winds of its short life, leaving the message of hope to be delivered by the almond blossom.

Sorrow is the periwinkle growing in the cool of the shade. Her wreath of flowers was once worn to executions on the heads of criminals. This wreath of sorrow was also worn by the dead infants of Italy.

But, all is not doom and gloom, as flowers have always spoken the language of love. Representing truth is the white chrysanthemun, while a love that's true is forever the forget-me-not.

Incidentally, the Victorians took flower lore and meanings to new heights and a miss or mister might tell his intended any number of things by what they put as a combination in their bouquet of flowers, here are some flowers and flower colors with special meaning:

Amaryllis	dramatic
Anemone	fragile
Apple Blossom	promise
Aster	contentment
Azalea	abundance
Bachelor Button	anticipation
Begonia	deep thoughts
Black-Eyed Susan	encouragement
Camellia	graciousness
Carnation:
pink	gratitude
red	flashy
striped	refusal
white	remembrance
yellow	cheerful
Chrysanthemum
bronze	excitement
white	truth
red	sharing
yellow	secret admirer
Cosmos	peaceful
Crocus	foresight
Daffodil	chivalry
Delphinum	boldness
Daisy	innocence
Freesia	spirited
Forget-Me-Not	remember me forever
Gardenia	joy
Geranium	comfort
Ginger	proud
Gladiolus	strength of character
Heather	solitude
Hibiscus	delicate beauty
Holly	domestic happiness
Hyacinth	sincerity
Hydrangea	perserverence
Iris	inspiration
Ivy	fidelity
Jasmine	grace and elegance
Larkspur	beautiful spirit
Lavender	distrust
Lilac	first love
Lily:
Calla	regal
Casablanca	celebration
Day	enthusiasm
Stargazer	ambition
Lisianthus	calming
Magnolia	dignity
Marigold	desire for riches
Nasturtium	patriotism
Orange Blossom	fertility
Orchid	delicate beauty
Pansy	loving thoughts
Passion flower	passion
Peony	healing
Poppy	consolation
Queen Anne's Lace	delicate femininity
Ranunculus	radiant
Rhododendron	beware
Rose:
pink	friendship
red	passionate love
red & white	unity
white	purity
yellow	zealous
Snapdragon	presumptious
Star of Bethlehem	hope
Stephanotis	good luck
Statice	success
Sunflower	adoration
Sweetpea	shyness
Tuberose	pleasure
Tulip:
pink	caring
purple	royalty
red	declaration of love
white	forgiveness
yellow	hopelessly in love
Violet	faithfulness
Wisteria	steadfast
Yarrow	good health
Zinnia	thoughts of friends

And finally, one more interesting garden witchery aspect...

Gardening by the Moon ~

Planting by the Moon: Gardeners for ages have known that planting by the moon can help grow better crops.

In very general terms, waxing moons (time before the full moon) is better for handling above ground crops.

Waning moon (after the full moon) is better for some root crops and doing garden maintenance like weeding and trimming.

HOLIDAY DOLL BALL SWAP PARTNERS!

HELLO DEARIES! Wow, I wanted to post much earlier but I keep forgetting that the task of choosing swap partners is a heady and lengthy one! I am one of those that agonizes over choosing the right swap partners for my participants, so I can only hope I did a good job!

Swappers! REMEMBER: your doll must be AT LEAST 4 INCHES TALL and you must have it in the mail by DEC 5th.

If you are delayed, kindly tell your partner! In the meantime, I've emailed most of your with your partner's email address. If I don't email you by early tomorrow, it means I've somehow lost my mind and missed you (which is likely to happen--me losing my mind, that is!).

Here are the pair ups! PLEASE EMAIL YOUR DOLL PICTURES TO ME BY DEC 10th, as we are doing a Holiday doll parade on Dec 12th on the blog!

Nicole/Mealy Monster Land - Denise/Odd Imagination

Marina/Marina's Dolls - Sue/Oriel Studios

Stephanie/Pixies in the House - Deanna/Blue Dragon Arts

Hope/Pixie's Ponderings - Grace/Little Black Crow

Cody/Cody Goodin Arts - Christen/Morton-N-Friends

Georgina/La Llarona Arts - Marfi/Incipient Wings

Wilma/Empress Wu - Dierdra/Dierdra Doan

Helen/Helen Fern Originals- Theresa/Sycamore Moon

Vonda/Vonda Hart - Eru/Shop Eru

Cathy/SnuggleBug Blessings - Amy/Heart of A Seed

Jacqui/Odd Dollz - Carissa/GoblinFruit Studios

Moriah/MLB Studios - Raedell/Della Rae Dezines

Tracey-anne/Jasmoon Butterfly - Kaerie Faerie/Twigs Faerie Land

Kim/Prims By Kim - Diane/Dianie Mac Designs

Caroline/Bent Whims Studio - Kim/Dark Horse Dolls

Kim/Soggy Dog Studios - Jan/JD Conwell

Trish/Crafty Creations by Trish - Amy/Bumble Bee Lane Cottage

Bridget/Wynd Swept Acres - Sue/Rabbit Hollow Prims

Sonia/Dark Raven's Nest - Michelle/Studio At Crow Haven Farms

Zan/Vagabond Creations - Lotus/Whymsical Lotus


AND MAY THE DOLL CRAFTING BEGIN!!

A Halloween Blog Party!

Hello Dearies!

Welcome to a Halloween Blog Party by the amazing Vanessa Valencia of ~*A Fanciful Twist*~

If this is your first time here, please note that this is just one of a whole MONTH of Halloween posts that are happening here on this little blog of mine! Feel free to peruse the Halloween madness of the Magical Halloween Carnival by clicking on the links of the list on the top left-hand side of the blog!

Now, onto our posting!

Once upon a time in the "Big City"
Lived a girl and her world, which was ruled by THREE!

Here in her house, on Halloween
Three pumpkins greet you merrily!



And up near the rafters hanging from the eaves,
are several bat signs, one-two-THREE.

round bat candle holder, the back of an upside down bat candle holder, and bats on a "Spells" sign

Three Halloween bowls stand a-waiting




And three works of art await to be painted!


Three clay heads are dolls waiting to be


And Three haunted houses sit spookily!

1. 

Halloween is fun and importantly
The HOLIDAY is about THREE:
Besides me
friends and family!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

Next post: Some new Vagabonds in the shop and Doll Swap partners!

Winner of the Spirit Giveaway and Doll Swap News!

Hello Lovelies!

Wow, it's been quite an adventure so far! Hoping you are enjoying the Halloween posts! So today is the day when I finally ship of Halloween kitty Spirit to her new home (her sister Spooky, on the left now has a new home with Lisa of Priti Studio, thank you very much).



Now, before I get to the big announcement, a quick word to my Holiday Doll Ball swappers (what?! You thought I'd just jump in with the Giveaway winner announcement? Then where would all the anticipation be? Of course, you can always scroll past this part if you want to see the winner's name!)

~FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING in the Doll Swap--TODAY IS YOUR LAST DAY! So tell me you want in by MIDNIGHT EST at the latest!

~Also--if you have emailed me to confirm you are in, or you think you are--PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK THE LIST OF PARTICIPANTS AT THE TOP RIGHT HAND CORNER. If you ARE NOT LISTED, EMAIL ME at beyondvagabond@gmail IMMEDIATELY as something has gone awry and I somehow don't have you confirmed!

~I am trying to get to emailing everyone with a few questions. If you haven't received an email with questions, please just email me back and tell me 1. If you can do international shipping and 2. Which 3 or 4 of the participants you'd ideally like to be paired with. I can't promise you it will happen but I'll at least get a sense of the doll styles you like!

Please send these answers ASAP!

FROM THERE, I WILL EMAIL YOU WITH YOUR PARTNER ON OCT 17th! And the mayhem shall begin! You'll have until Dec 5th to mail out your doll!

Whew! Alright!

Now, with that announcement over with----HERE'S YOUR WINNER (and thank you for your overwhelming responses, by the way)!

I used the random number generator and added in the numbers up to 57 (the number of comments left for the giveaway) and---hmmm, I never know how to get the actual generator posted on the blog--I'll have to work on it---

but I GOT THE #3 --BUCCANEERS AND BALLGOWNS
(oh, dear, I don't know your actual name!)

But please email beyondvagabond@gmail.com with your address and info so I can send sweet kitty to you!

Now, never fear, friends, there are still plenty o' giveaways left, and the next one is well under way! Just click here to ENTER THAT!

TOMORROW! A Fanciful Twist's Halloween Party! Join me here bright and early as we meet some more Vagabonds!

Well Now, This Is Interesting...

Hmmmm.....

It seems I've somehow scheduled my Halloween posts so I've gotten AHEAD of them somehow, and I DON'T have anything to post today. Yes, there is a gap between yesterday's post, and today's post.

However, this works out well because there are MANY MANY things going on here at this little Halloween Carnival that you probably should be reminded of. So today's posting is just catch up for you, Dear Reader!

~DOLL MAKERS! Tell me by sometime tomorrow that you want to be in my FALL DOLL SWAP! We've got a nice list going, so feel free to jump in NOW BY CLICKING HERE

~YOUR LAST CHANCE FOR THE KITTY DOLL GIVEAWAY ALSO ENDS TOMORROW in the MORNING! Leave me SOME COMMENTS AT THIS LINK to be QUALIFIED!

~If you miss out on the first giveaway, you now have a chance for GIVEAWAY #2. CLICK HERE for details!

~ AND, THERE IS ALSO A PHOTO CONTEST GOING ON, where you can also win other fun stuff! CLICK HERE for details, and start sendin' in those photos!

Alright, hopefully, that's quite a bit of Halloween fun for everyone! Stay tuned for winner announcements tomorrow!

A History of Vampires...and Giveaway #2!

Helloooooo Everyone! We continue our Halloween Journey with a new post!

Awww...baby vampire bats. Cute, right? RIGHT?!?

But once again, a few notes! THE DEADLINE FOR THE DOLL SWAP is in TWO DAYS! LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP BEFORE THE 15th is HERE

The last chance for the kitten art doll is also the morning of the 15th! SIGN UP IS HERE!

....AND! YOU NOW HAVE A CHANCE TO ENTER A SECOND GIVEAWAY!

YES! I KNOW that we have yet to pick the winner of the FIRST giveaway, but hey, with only a month to fit in FOUR prizes, a girl's gotta double time the schedules!

SO HERE GOES:

See these two wonderful herbal-y and natural-y things?

Organic Lavender and Honey (from Zan's garden and BEES!)

They can be YOURS!

YES! This is my SECOND HALLOWEEN GIVEAWAY!
Plus, I'll add some bonus goodies to your package, if you win!

To ENTER --Once again, you'll follow the rules for the first contest:

1. Just leave me a comment telling me you want the prize (I don't mind what sort of comment it is, you can even just say "hi") for ONE chance to win.

2. Become a FOLLOWER of this blog for another chance to win--PLEASE COME BACK AND LEAVE ME A SECOND COMMENT if you become a follower or if you are a follower.

3. IF you've posted my little blog link of the "Magical Halloween Carnival" on your blog, leave me another comment for a third chance to win.

WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED OCTOBER 20TH

NOW---If THAT wasn't enough of a posting for ya ~ I STILL have to get to today's macabre post!

THE HISTORY OF VAMPIRES

The idea of drinking blood to be immortal is not a new concept. Ancient Indians, Greeks and Christians have all culturally believed in this concept at one time. Drinking the blood of another is sometimes understood as obtaining the "life-blood" of someone else for yourself. Therefore, the idea of the vampire stems from cannibalism, and the concept of putting someone's body inside your own to obtain more life. Almost universally, it is believed that vampires are creatures that maintain immortality by sucking blood from humans and animals. Their behavior was initially likened to that of bats (or vampire bats, the only other mammal to exclusively live off of blood). Thus, vampires were thought to be night creatures, and superstition held that the sight of sunlight turned them to stone, or sometimes dust. Through the ages, legend, and even media, the stereotypical vampire (if there were such a thing) is characterized by black capes, long corpse-like bodies and the ability to fly, although whether or not these characteristics were included in the original vampire myths is not known. They sleep in coffins, and scream at the sight of garlic and crucifixes. In ancient times vampires were very real concerns. European countries such as Romania, Hungary, and other Balkan areas, as well as areas such as Italy believed that vampires were demons, or those possessed by them. In Romania, they were known as strigoi (witch), and strigoi voi are live witches who will become vampires after death. They can send out their soul at night to meet with other witches or with Strigoi mort who are dead vampires. The strigoi mort are the reanimated bodies which return to suck the blood of family, livestock, and neighbors. In various countries, a person born with a tail, born out of wedlock, or one who died an unnatural death, or died before baptism, was doomed to become a vampire. Also suspected to be prone to vampirism: the seventh child of the same sex in a family, the child of a pregnant woman who didn't eat salt or was looked at by a vampire, or a witch. And naturally, being bitten by vampire, meant certain condemnation to a vampiric existence after death. The vampire was usually first noticed when it attacked family and livestock, or threw things around in the house. Vampires, along with witches, were believed to be most active on the Eve of St George's Day (April 22 Julian, May 4 Gregorian calendar), the night when all forms of evil were supposed to be abroad. St Georges Day is still celebrated in Europe. A vampire in the grave was confirmed by holes in the earth near it's buried coffin, an undecomposed corpse with a red face, or having one foot in the corner of the coffin. Living vampires were found by distributing garlic in church and seeing who didn't eat it (Hmmm, so what happens to those vampires who don't go to church?). Graves were often opened three years after death of a child, five years after the death of a young person, or seven years after the death of an adult to check for vampirism. Measures to prevent a person becoming a vampire included careful preparation of dead bodies, including preventing animals from passing over the corpse, placing a thorny branch of wild rose in the grave, and placing garlic on windows and rubbing it on cattle, especially on St George's & St Andrew's days. To destroy a vampire, a stake was driven through the body followed by decapitation and placing garlic in the mouth. By the 19th century people were shooting a bullet through the coffin. For resistant cases, the body was dismembered and the pieces burned, mixed with water, and given to family members as a cure. The most latent historical figure to first shape the Vampire mythos was probably the Transylvanian-Hungarian known as Vlad Tepes, or "Vlad the Impaler." A fierce and blood thirsty warlord, his father was known as "Dracul," an offshoot for the word Dragon, but which has since been the base word for "Dracula"....thus we now have the origins for the word, and for the mythos of Transylvania being the home of Vampires. Vlad the Impaler was ruthless, often taking out whole towns of those who opposed them. He crucifixed entire villages, including the bodies of women and children, and it was said that after he leveled one town, he had his army draw and quarter it's citizens while he ate lunch and watched the procedings. It was Vlad the Impaler, the "Dracula" that was the basis of Bram Stokers novel. The novel was a Victorian sensation, chronicling demonic behaviors that were taboo in the straight-laced era. Similarly, the novel would influence the novels of Anne Rice, including Interview With a Vampire, which further explore the definition of a vampire. Her vampires are immortal, jaded and mostly ordinary people caught in something they cannot understand. It is interesting to note the way that the concept of vampires is used in the literature that contains it. Stoker's Dracula was an unconscious comment on Victorian England, and underneath its plot one can see female subjugation. Stoker himself was torn between the convention of the sexes in this day, and underneath this book one can see his inner struggle. Similarly, Anne Rice uses vampires to examine the reaction of the modern world to the magical and horrific. In Interview With A Vampire, the main character asks to be made into a vampire. The vampire he asks is unwilling to comply. Today there are actually some cults of "vampires" that exist. These people drink small amounts of blood from willing victims in keeping with the ancient belief that it will bring power and life.

The story of vampires continues to be explored in the Twilight saga, and much more. It is clear that modern society is still fascinated with these dark creatures of the night.

So beware.....mwahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!