Wicked Witchy Halloween!

It's my favorite time of year and I have been slow with planning my costume. No party this year, just answering the door, handing out candy to the kids. Typically I'm either a witch, ala 1960s Bewitched, or a cat, like the last two years. I've decided to go back to the classic witch costume, but this time I'm going to style myself after Elphaba Tropp, from "Wicked." I've never seen the musical and really know nothing about the music other than what I've heard on "Glee." But I've seen the poster and pics on the 'net, so I figured I'd give it a go.

The supplies, a mix of professional and drugstore cosmetics.

Back in high school, I pretty much lived in the drama club makeup department, but that was 30 years ago, so my skills are pretty rusty.  First, I collected my supplies. I checked out Easley's Fun Shop for makeup. I picked up some Ben Nye cake makeup in green, white, and black and a foundation brush. I grabbed two shades of M.A.C. Viva Glam lipstick from my makeup bag, some eyeliner in black and white, mascara and eyelash curler, eyeshadow (black, silver, grey, and white) and makeup primer.

I started with a semi-clean face and applied the primer.

Primed and ready.

Then I applied the first layer of green, using the foundation brush and some water. The layer is pretty thin; I look more queasy than witchy.

Layer #1.

I let the first layer dry and applied another layer. I think I was a bit too eager and applied the green before the primer had fully soaked in. That's why there's a dress rehearsal, folks!

Layer #2. Kind of blotchy.

And layer #3. I look full on Hulk here. I also started applying black as contour to my forehead, nose and the hollows of my cheekbones and mixed white and green for highlights.

Layer #3, feeling green!

Next, I drew in my eyebrows and highlighted around my eyes using eye shadow and the white cake makeup.

Eyebrows on, working on highlighting the eyes & cheeks.

Now the eyeliner. Just a simple cat eye swoosh.

Mascara on top and bottom lashes and a quick eyelash curl.

I'm using Physician's Formula Natural Origin Mascara. Love.

Finally lipstick and I start to let my hair down.

M.A.C. Viva Glam! The face is due to a tangled hair tie. Ow.

Witchy hotness, but I need wardrobe and better lighting.

Something is missing here...

Perfect! A sparkly cape and I'm ready for the Trick or Treaters!

What are your plans for Halloween?

Have a happy, safe, and healthy Independence Day.

Handmade Halloween: Horrifying Headstones

Clever epitaphs make homemade tombstones unique. I borrowed ideas from celebrity stones: "in" was Jack Lemmon's epitaph, "That's all folks" was Mel Blanc's, and "Nevermore" was part of Edgar Allen Poe's.

It's no secret that Halloween is my favorite holiday. Perhaps it was my past life as an art student in the '80s (yes, I was goth for a brief period of my life), but I really get into the costumes and I decorate the whole house, inside and out. I tend not to be too over the top in my outdoor decor, opting for a more subtle, haunted house look. This neighborhood has always been a big draw for trick or treaters, but now that several episodes of Grimm have been filmed here, I felt I needed to step up my game. I headed to Home Depot for supplies.

Horrifying Headstones

• 1 Styrofoam Insulation Sheet (1/2" x 2' x 8')
• 1 can Stone Textured Spray Paint
• Sharp knife or saw
• Assorted Acrylic Paints and brushes

Cut tombstone shapes from stryofoam board using a knife or thin bladed saw. Do this outside, as it gets pretty messy. First, I plotted out the general size of the tombstones and marked with pen on the plastic my initial shapes. I cut out the rectangles first and then cut out the domed top.



Peel off foil and plastic protective skins from the styrofoam. Using a sandpaper block, sand down the rough edges. Wear a mask, because styrofoam dust gets everywhere. Dull any "sharp" corners and edges. Remember, these tombstones have been sitting out in your front yard for ages and are weathered and worn.



Next, line up tombstones on a tarp and evenly apply stone textured spray paint. If you spray each stone individually like I did, you may run out of paint (I ran out of paint), so try and do them all at once and get a light, even coating, then go back and add more "texture." The paint will need to dry overnight if left outside in a garage in the Pacific Northwest. It may dry faster in a drier environment.

Once dry, the fun begins! I applied black and green splotches to the sides of the stones to look like moss and mildew, using a piece of sponge and acrylic paint. After researching epitaphs online, I sketched the designs using chalk, then I painted the final art using latex acrylic paint.

One sheet of styrofoam will make four assorted sized tombstones. Dowel rods can be inserted into the bottom of the stones as supports to prop them up in the yard. Happy Halloween!

Labor Day Weekend First Friday Wellness

Join us this coming Labor Day weekend at Holistica Healthcare for our next First Friday Wellness. This September 4th, we will be featuring 10 minute mini- foot reflexology sessions to help you relax and rejuvenate yourself before the holiday weekend. Carissa from Tula Skin Therapy will be joining us to provide you with personalized, holistic skin consultations. There also will be tasty and healthy good-for-your-skin snacks to sample.

Call to reserve your session 503-926-3640. Explore our neighbors at the 811 Design Center Lower Burnside Art Walk, including Recess Wellness, Bombshell Vintage, Redux, Grass Hut, Sword+Fern, Stand Up Comedy, Second Nature, and Holly Stalder.

First Friday: July 3rd Open House

Image by Joep de Graaff via Flickr

Been busy planning the next First Friday Holistica Healthcare Open House. Dr. Anya Chang and I will be providing mini-sessions of massage and foot reflexology (respectively). I will be setting up a schedule for folks to sign up in advance, so stay tuned!

What a perfectly relaxing way to wash away stress from the week and start the July 4th holiday weekend!

Full length appointments can be scheduled with Dr. Chang or myself at holisticahealth.clickbook.net.

Green Gifts that Keep on Giving

There are some of us who would find a year's membership to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program the perfect holiday gift (hint, hint), but thinking beyond the kitchen can be a challenge when it comes to eco-gift giving.

The Green Guide offers tips on green gift giving. Be sure to explore the How to Go Green links for tips on shopping for gifts such as clothing, high tech gadgets, and toys.

The Daily Muse email from Skirt.com lead me to Global Girlfriend, an online, fair-trade boutique featuring eco-friendly gifts made by women, providing them with economic opportunities they might not have otherwise. Whether it's Thistle Farms Moisturizing Body Balm or a yoga mat bag made from recycled rice bags, artisans from all over the world learn craft and business skills while creating unique gifts benefiting themselves and others.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has always been a favorite holiday in our house because it revolves around food, friends, and family. For many years, my Thanksgiving tradition has been to wake up early to prepare the meal while watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (and later the National Dog Show). This year I will be preparing a wheat-free dinner featuring a brined turkey, vegetarian spelt stuffing, horseradish mashed potatoes, roasted root vegetables with brussels sprouts, homemade cranberry sauce, and gluten-free desserts: brownies and pumpkin cheesecake!

Here are some resources I've used this year to help prepare my Thanksgiving dinner:

New Seasons Market is where I have ordered my turkey since moving to Portland. I placed the order online, then picked up the bird on Tuesday. With each purchase you also receive a bag of potatoes and a box of broth.

Calculate your cooking time with Butterball's Calculator and Conversion page. Just enter the weight of the turkey and it instantly calculates cooking time.

Marketwatch.com features a great article about Thanksgiving safety in the kitchen, from cleaning to cooking times.

Don't get stuffed! At least, not if you're the turkey! According to the USDA, cooking a bird with stuffing inside not only can lead to an unevenly cooked bird but increases the risk of foodborne illnesses. My experience has been that a stuffed turkey is a dry turkey and I prefer to place herbs, carrots, and onion inside for extra flavor.


Gluten-free Pumpkin Cheesecake Adapted from this site, I just subbed Trader Joe's Gluten-free Ginger Snaps. The g-f brownies were made from a Trader Joe's mix, with added chocolate chips.

Safely store your leftovers My favorite food storage containers are glass with plastic lids, because they don't stain and can easily go from fridge to microwave to dishwasher (just take the lid off first). If you prefer plastic, or have yet to make the change to glass, go to The Green Guide for their guide to plastic storage supplies.