Blizzard Update

The DC area welcomes a few inches of snow each winter. When Mother Nature drops 18 inches of the white stuff in under 24 hours, apparently we call that a blizzard in this area. I grew up in Connecticut but learned how to drive here, so I'm entitled to call us DCists winter wimps. What do we do when a "blizzard" strikes? Prep the roads? No. Have the plows on stand-by? No. We watch the shower of flurries, in childlike awe, from our cozy living rooms while sipping creamy hot chocolate and listening to carols. Basically, we step into a Christmas card.

It is Sunday afternoon as I write this post and there are plenty of kids sledding down the streets but no plows in sight or within earshot. Sure, the deadline for 12/24 delivery with standard shipping has long passed, but we were hoping to be able to ship out tomorrow items eligible for regular (USPS) expedited shipping. There is still hope, but we just don't know what the roads will look like or if USPS will be picking up tomorrow.

. . :: . .SHIPPING UPDATE & PROMO. . :: . .
If you need your USPS-eligible order delivered to a DC area address before 12/25, it should still arrive by then if you order by noon tomorrow, 12/21. To improve those chances, place the order with (USPS) 2-3 day expedited shipping. To sweeten the situation, we will deduct shipping cost on orders with product totals of $55 and above when we charge your card if you type promo code "blizzard09" in the message box above the green button at checkout. Be sure to read the general holiday shipping notice.**

View from front of our house. There were houses just beyond these woods!

 

Boughs-a-breaking in our backyard. 18" on that table. That's our ancient grill in the center. We officially can call its time of death. See the path on the right? We had to dig it so our dog, Simon, could find his way to his outhouse.


The black blur is Simon, snow-loving dog.


Why shovel when you can make snow angels?!

**Offer valid online only December 20, 2009, at 12 a.m. ET through December 21, 2009, at 12:00 p.m. ET. Free shipping valid on standard and USPS 2-3 day shipping only anywhere in the US. Additional shipping charges will apply for items not eligible for USPS 2-3 day shipping but placed with expedited shipping (items that ship only via FedEx/UPS, including furniture, diaper bags, jewelry marked as shipping out in up to 10 days). Final Sale Items: eligible for free standard shipping only. Not valid for cash or cash equivalent. No adjustments on previous purchases.

Favorite Halloween Ideas: Indoors

Jack-o-Lantern Candles
*tip: These slipcovers for pillar candle holders look great flickering along a mantle or staring out of windows. Crafting these spooky faces is time consuming, but you can reuse them for future Halloweens if you handle them carefully.



Levitating Trick-or-Treat Table
What a fabulous way to make an impression on your trick-or-treaters!

Bat Silhouettes & Unidentified Shadow

*tip: For maximum "bat cave" effect, use these silhouettes in a foyer or other tighter quarters. Use poster-board for reusability.











Gothic Curtains
*tip: We used these spooky curtains on a pass-through/transom type "window" framing the view into the next room. Best made with poster-board.





Paper Mice
*Although these mice silhouettes look extra creepy-crawly on a staircase, we had the shadow silhouette (above) on our stairs so we used the mice along our living room baseboards and over a few wall frames. You need a lot of mice, which makes this project time-consuming, so plan to get it done at your own "pre-Halloween" craft party. Best with poster-board.

Favorite Halloween Ideas: DIY Costumes

Have I mentioned lately how much I love Costuming? I'm in costume as I write this entry. Guess which one I'm wearing:

The Raven (no sew)
An homage to Edgar Allen Poe's famous creepy poem.
*tip: Buy a black-feather boa and clip individual feathers for headpiece, wrist cuffs, and tail following Martha's instructions. Best to glue beak to a plain, black store-bought mask, otherwise it's too uncomfortable. The black tulle is important to give the bustle volume so don't skimp on materials!

Tulle Ghost (no sew)
Can you imagine seeing someone in this get-up on a moonlit, foggy Halloween night? Get me some Depends.
*tip: Try to find the wider 108" tulle for easier, wider coverage and better effect.

Spiderweb Mother & Baby Spider
So cute! I really want to make a spider costume like this for my black lab. (Not attached to me! Too heavy.)

Classic Masked-Ball Masks

Even your notoriously party-pooper friends won't object to wearing these gorgeous masks to your Halloween party. The black one would pair perfectly with the Raven costume, wouldn't it?

*tip: use