1980's Retro Halloween Party Memories

While doing the post for  Ghosts of Halloween Past . I decided to do a post about 1980's Halloween Party . I base this on some of the best parties I attended as a child.

Treats
Candy Apples
Candy Corn Cup Cookies
Doritos ( Doritos were quite a trendy food in the 80's )
Cheese Balls
Brownies
Ruffles Chips
Onion Soup Dip
large bowl of candy ( Snickers , Reese Peanut Butter Cups , M& M's , Hershey's Miniatures, Nerds , Dots , Tootsie Rolls
Coca Cola , Sprite , Orange Crush , Slice , Grape Soda ,

Pop Corn Balls




Tricks 

Ouija Board  use with caution I only mention it for it was the staple of most 80's Halloween Party and Sleep overs . I myself will never use this again

Apple Bobbing, 

also known as bobbing for apples, is a game often played at Halloween. The game is played by filling a tub or a large basin with water and putting apples in the water. Because apples are less dense than water, they will float at the surface. Players (usually children) then try to catch one with their teeth. Use of arms is not allowed, and often are tied behind the back to prevent cheating.In Scotland, this may be called "dooking"," i.e. ducking. In northern England, the game is often called apple ducking or duck-apple In Ireland, mainly County Kerry, it is known as "Snap Apple", and in Newfoundland and Labrador, "Snap Apple Night" is a synonym for Halloween . (via Wiki pedia ) 

Gross Food Guessing Game

Take a Cardboard box and cut a circle in it . ( use caution when cutting cardboard if your a child have a parent do this for you )  Make the whole large enough for a guest to put there hand through . Color the box black with construction paper , paint , fabric decorate how ever you want. Then you place a mystery dish inside for your guests to feel and touch. Tell them what they are touching this used to freak me out as a kid.

Here are some ideas for what to use for gross food :

 Witch's eyeballs (peeled grapes), Witch's brains (cooked spaghetti noodles), a poor soul's guts (canned spinach that's very slimy and disgusting), Frankenstein's fingernails (slivered almonds), Blood (warm non-set Jell-O), Witch Noses (cut hot dogs), dried ears (dried apples), bat toenails (seeds), liver (slab of jell-o), teeth (Popcorn kernels). ( via Coolest Halloween Party Games ) 

Donut on a String

Hang plain donuts on a string and have an eating contest . Guests have there hands tied behind there back . Who ever eats the most donut in 30 sec wins


Ghost Stories 

This old Quaker cemetery gets it name from the iron gates at the entrance that resemble spider webs. One of the rumors is that the entrance to the cemetery is actually the eighth Gate to Hell

Everyone has a regional ghost story that is past on from generations. In my corner of the world its Spider Gates my Aunties and Uncles told me this story. Most people in my area have a Spider Gates story.
The one I hear most often is two lovers went to " Park at Spider Gates" There was an escaped convict with supernatural powers that murdered the two love birds.

It is alleged that a boy hung himself there in the 80's and still can be found roaming the grounds at night.

My psychology teacher in High School loved parapsychology he was fascinating. He was an old eccentric type of man that mad learning fun. He used to take EVP ( Electric Voice Phenomenon )   play them for us in class. The hair would raise up on the your arms when you'd hear things. This just for me added to the urban legend.



Lizzie Borden 

 American woman who was tried and acquitted in the 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts.

We used to sing this when we jumped rope in the school yard. This didn't alarm our parents or teachers for some reason. Though why I mention most people also have a Lizzie story at parties.

Lizzie Borden took an axe

And gave her mother forty whacks.

When she saw what she had done

She gave her father forty-one.

Folklore says the rhyme was made up by an anonymous writer as a tune to sell newspapers. Others attribute it to the ubiquitous, but anonymous  In reality, Lizzie's stepmother suffered 18^[or 19^[ blows; her father, 11 blows.

Decorations 

Fake Spider Webs ( like everything in the 80's over do it , more is more ) 

Glow Sticks I would say the same rule applies more is more

Fake spiders , rats , skulls , witches brooms 

Pictures of Frankenstein, Dracula , Pumpkins , Black Cats , Ghosts 

Ghost Balloon - Helium Balloon , white trash bag ,   black marker 

Music : Scary Effects tapes were hot in the 80's . Here is a modern example below
Thriller
Ghost Busters
Purple People Eater
They are Going to Take me Away Ha Ha 

Goodie Bags

Plastic Spider Rings , Glow Sticks , Glow in the Dark Stickers , Wax Lips , Bubble Gum




Costume Contest 

Ghosts of Halloween Past 1980's Part 1

Hagatha is looking into her crystal ball taking us back to the 80's 

I decided to do some posts celebrating Halloween. I have always been fascinated with transformation key reason I got into makeup. Halloween is an interesting time when we all get to live out a fantasy of sorts. Shall we take a look back at some Halloween past. I was born in the 70's though I recall most vividly the 80's Halloween fun. We were allowed to have Halloween parties at school back then. Our parents back then thought nothing of putting us in flammable costumes with plastic masks. You'd purchase them at the department store. You could tell the hot sellers for you would see 20 bride barbies and Casper the Friendly Ghosts roaming the street. What I think was so special about being a kid at this time. I got to see the evolution of  Halloween . Where you could walk the streets of your neighborhood with a pillow sack and get candy. Allot of times people made the halloween treats for there trick or treats. It was like a block party of sorts where the streets were crowded. Around the mid 80's this changed drastically Halloween got scary on many levels. There were reports of people putting razor blades in candy even poisoning children. so your parents had to check your candy. Police would even set up candy check centers at local community centers. This put an end to Caramel popcorn balls and Candy apples which made my dentist happy. This is when the decline of neighborhood trick or treating started. Girls and Boys Clubs, Churches, Malls started to host safe Halloween events. If you still trick or treated it was only to close friends and family mostly. I wish the younger generation could experience the way it was then. You'd run into your friends from school swap candy show each other your costumes.   So I decided to look at the 1980s first so shall we go back .

 


Toys R Us Real Ghost Story

"Johnny Johnson is the name of the ghost haunting the Sunnyvale Toys'R'Usin California. He does not haunt the Toys'R'Us specifically, but he does haunt the land that it was built on. As the building was built on the same piece of land that he died on.Before the Toys'R'Us was built, the area where it is today was a farm. Johnny Johnson was a farmer during the 1800s. Johnny Johnson was not actually his former name. He was an immigrant by the name of Johann Yansen. But his collages called him Johnny Johnson.Johnson was apparently a mentally challenge man.Johnson fell in love with the ranch owner's daughter, Beth Murphy. Although it was known that he was infatuated with her among the ranch hands, Johnson was never able to tell Beth that he loved her. As a result, he was devastated when Beth moved away to Boston to live with her new husband.Johnny became very depressed  He also caught a viral infection that damaged his brain (Witch may be the source of his supposed mental disability . One day Johnson was told to chop wood. He was later found dead near the farm well. He had hacked into his own leg and bled to death."

So here is one of many products that were rocking our Halloween back in the 1980's

The Pumpkin Cutter 




We shall stop here in our next post we will talk about the glow in the dark craze of the 1980s . We will also look at what I believe to be the pinnacle of that decade of Halloween. Michael Jackson's Thriller  video many other trick or treats in store stay tuned

Red Carpet Ready

There is allot of pressure in HollyWood to look amazing on so many levels. I tend to love the folks that bend the rules a little bit. Wearing a completely different outfit then expected. So what exactly goes into getting a star ready for that famous walk . Lets take a look at brand involvement in this CNN video posted below. Even though they are covering the  BAFTA Awards. It gives you a look at how it all works. I was reading that preparation for these shows can start as early as 6 weeks ahead of the show. Stars going on juicing detoxes and diets. Also amping up the cardio in there work outs. Most swear off carbonated and alcoholic beverages prior to the show. Getting botox injections in there armpits to prevent unsightly sweat. I don't blame them when I read the fashion reviewers rip some of them apart in there articles and TV segments. I think award shows should have dressing themes like pajama night. Hope you enjoyed the Grammys this year.

I love it when stars take risks

Random Sunday Night Thoughts

(poster at www.zazzle.com/badgirlart*)

My insomnia has returned with a vengeance. I had a super busy week just not the right time. I felt like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. I actually got a chance to hang out with some friends it was amazing when you can commiserate with a group of supportive women. I am sick of worrying about things . Though things run through my head at night. Will I be in a homeless shelter in two months if something major happens. Though I'm a survivor will ride this rollercoaster.  My mom looked at me today and said " Your so talented do so much , wish someone would pay you"  I was reflecting on a post I saw on facebook by Bad Girl Art . I really love this page and her work . Its real slightly irreverent  yet it her work keeps it real.

Immediately the age 18 popped in my head . I thought Id be married with 2 children living in a suburb of Boston. Would have a husband in a creative field . We would host fun theme parties .  I was going to be an international radio star . Eventually be a late night talk show host. ( I was 18 mind you when I envisioned this )

My life turned out completely different though I'm blessed with the many opportunities afforded to me from living outside of the box. I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow. Though the surmounting stressors in my life have not relented . I have hope that things are going to be alright. In this journey I have decided to focus on the good things and people who have come from this. Will be armed with hope and determination to make each day my best. Knowing that I will give 110% be able to rest my head on my pillow knowing that. Never give up when times get tough. Keep fighting most of all keep growing from the challenges set fourth before you.  Make a list each day of what you are thankful for it helps .

Everyday Artsy Pictures

I seem to confuse my facebook friends by posting random pics I take out and about in my day. Id like to share them with you sometimes I see an artistic merit to them.

Its Spring Time in New York City #mbfw

http://pinterest.com/pin/18014467232968543/

Fashion weeks are like time travel in my opinion. We get a glimpse if you will into our future. There is some kind of wonder about this for we don't even know what we are dressing as on Halloween. Though when we emerge from our slumber we know what will be on the covers of the Magazines. My observations thus far is there is the return of the clean face. I think for years we all have been tinkering with bold lip colors and eyes. Youtube gurus making crazy multi layered colorful eye looks. Seems this Spring clean skin with a lip color a few hues darker then your own is the call to order. There is a big 90's House of Style type movement I have seen on the runway. I often wonder why we are going back to the future is there a new future?  I'm not saying over the top crazy lady GaGa like looks yet something new. I mean the wing pants of the 90s ( yes you'd like to forget ) to there credit they were new. In my time travel I've notice all the new stopped in the 90s . So maybe by fashion going there they will invent something new next season.  I crave that new thing that we all need to have thats exciting.

http://pinterest.com/pin/129548926754729549/

If you want to get a pulse on Fashion get off the runway watch your world around you. Street Style is really getting popular. Allot of us in the blogging world were familiar years ago. Do you realize by the time the runway looks hit our department stores we are out of style. Allot of inspiration is pulled from you the average person. Did you think that you didn't ? Fashion designers like all artists pull from the real world. House wives who wore messy buns to NYC star bucks started a trend in 2004. So you never know . Look over some street style sites I recommend ones that are Foreign and gritty.

http://pinteresthttp://pinterest.com/pin/129548926754729549/

You'll be able to witness the evolution of how real life ends up on the runway. I will give you a rundown of my favorite shows on Thursday.  Since I haven't been able to attend this year I've been watching from live stream. We will talk about the actually logistics of a Fashion week and why they exist in future posts. I am going to take street style photos in my own place in the world to show you. Fashion isn't about the labels its how you put it all together.

My Cat Bubba #NYFW

I was in my late 20s when this little ball of fur came into my life. I was living in Chattanooga TN in apartment all by myself. My friends would joke and say don't get a cat its all down hill from there. I remember doing laundry finding cat hair in the washer in our laundry room saying " So glad I don't have a pet anymore" Well two weeks later in a twist of fate I became the owner of a little ball of orange fur that I named Emerson, Fenway , Kujo yet I ended up looking at him saying your a Bubba. It had been a long time since I owned a cat. I loved having someone waiting for me when I got home at night. Sometimes I would stay in instead of going out and snuggle with Bubba on the couch watch movies. Its been ten years since this animated fluff ball has changed my life in all the good ways. I know your time is limited with a pet. Yet my vet said Cats can now live to 18-20 . Bubba got a bladder infection this week I thought he was near death. I layed by his cat bed and cried this happened at 1am in the morning an I had no way to get him to the emergency room. Though the next morning after vet visit antibiotics he is on the road to recovery. I was due to go to NYC on Sunday but due to a Vet bill. I'm not able to go so I decided that in the spirit of Pop Trash Beauty . I will have form of coverage for you to enjoy. Which I will post through the week. I have covered many events in my home due to live streams things such as that. My cat takes priority they say everything happens for a reason so maybe I wasn't meant to be in the city on that day. Though I will surely not disappoint I got some great stuff cooking so stay tuned. In my previous post I said NYC or Bust . So I guess its plan B time .

NYC or Bust Adventure in the Making #NYFW

I apologize for my absence from the blog. Well it has finally happened I've hit rock bottom. My bank account is scary low. No job prospects in my immediate future. I've been doing everything I know how to do and nothing is sticking. I am on my last unemployment extension got nothing else to loose. I can't think of a better time to take a risk. A week from today I am headed to New York Fashion Week. I will take street style shots and talk to folks outside the Diane Von Furstenberg show. I cashed in my jar of change it equals enough for a bus ticket there and back. I have no idea what I am doing though have full confidence it will turn out well. I will take you with me. Live Tweeting , Vine , Facebook. I hope to meet some of you out there and learn baptism by fire. This week I am researching the best I can to get my ducks in a row. Next Sunday we will go to fashion week. So get your sassy shoes ready cause this freak show is going to NYC.