Costumes Everyone wants more candy on Halloween! Costumes and things can make a big difference in the world of candy. Here’s a list on the pros and cons of some costumes! Newspaper boy This costume, despite not being scary, can be a great help. For this costume, you could ride a bike, getting you from house to house with greater ease. Also, this character comes with a white pillow case bag in which to collect all that candy. Terrific! Knight This outfit has a sword to ward off candy thieves. The assorted enemy trick-or-treaters not according to your plan (Hey, guys!) will also no longer be a threat, since knights wear special belts with attached small, inaccessible bags safely holding the candy. Error 404 (Costume Not Found) This costume doesn’t require much design, just white pants & t-shirt emblazoned with “ERROR 404,” along with checkered sneakers. This is a perfectly ironic costume for people who can’t find a costume. Sans This is a very majestic costume. It’s likely most of your friends and neighbors haven’t yet heard about the spectacular steam game, “Undertale,” but will be enchanted with this character sporting a blue jacket, pockets installed to carry candy and to stay comfortable in cool Autumn evenings. Your shoes are fuzzy pink slippers- go on and wear some of those kitty slippers you have in your endless closet.(Crocs are good too, for scaring your friends with FOOTWEAR.) Take One Often you’ll encounter some empty house with the porch lights on and a tantalizing “Take One” sign staring out over an enormous bowl of loot, just waiting!.. The thought consumes you, “I’ll take the whole bowl, please!” Who is there to stop you? No one; but in the greedy event you’re discovered, just dive behind a nearby bush and wait for the danger to pass. If you’re found, well… Throw a cat or something. Strategies Draw up a map of all the neighborhood homes and build a track so your legs won’t get that tired. Skip the Almond Joys because you don’t need to be greedy. Give those candies to the ones in need, like five year olds. Manners do matter in Halloween. If you’re not polite, you don’t get as much loot. (The “Take One” misdeeds are an exception to the rule.) Being polite doesn’t cost much. If you don’t want to expend too many words, simply rely on a cheery, concise “Happy Halloween!” and “Goodbye!” Dangers You don’t go around to random people’s houses. That’s why “Stranger Danger!” was invented. Make sure you know who’s behind the door you’re knocking on! If you do go to a stranger’s home, make sure they’re nice–if not, run away as fast as you can! Keep up your daily newspaper reading to ensure there are no criminals at large in your neighborhood. End Your trick or treating guide is over and you’ve probably learned a lot of successful tactics to end your evening with jam-packed bag of goodies. I wish you much luck and a truly Happy Halloween! (P.S. Please, seriously, don’t actually plunder all that “Take One” candy. Those poor adults and kids won’t have any extra candy left.)
Young Bloggers
Fahrenheit 451 and the Impact of Electronic Devices
The first time I read Fahrenheit 451, I was struck by Ray Bradbury’s remarkable writing. The second time, the breathtaking plot. The third time, the horrific, but modern ideas. I just finished my third time reading Fahrenheit 451, and the full force of the significant meaning hit me. There are so many big ideas in Fahrenheit 451 about children, love, books, and technology. The screen issue popped out to me as soon as I read the book as a real issue that we are still dealing with today. Even though this book was published in 1951, a time when the main electronics were televisions, rotary phones, film projectors, and radios, the idea that electronic devices have a great impact on our lives is still very present, way more present even than it was in the 1950s. Everyday, when I walk into school, each and every child has her nose buried in an iPhone or computer. If I take a step outside, almost everyone is either talking on the phone, texting, or has their phone tight in their hand. Today, look outside. How many people do you see with an electronic device? What are they doing with it? Is it getting in the way of socializing with someone nearby? What else could they be doing? In Fahrenheit 451, the community’s electronic obsession goes so far as to take over their normal lives, leading them to ban books. There are “firemen” who– instead of putting out fires– burn books, and the houses that house them. Unlike other dystopian novels, where the government imposed an oppressive rule, in Fahrenheit 451, the public came to believe that books were junk. “‘Remember, the firemen are rarely necessary. The public itself stopped reading of its own accord,’ said Faber, a rebel who has been sneaking books and reading them, ‘Can you dance faster the White Clown, shout louder than ‘Mr. Gimmick’ and the parlor ‘families’? If you can, you’ll win your way, Montag. In any event you are a fool. People are having fun.’” Guy Montag, the main character, starts out the book as a fireman himself, burning books day and night. He fools himself into believing he is happy, with his wife, who loves her parlor ‘family’– a room where all of the walls are covered with TVs, and the characters talk directly to her– more than him, his job, and his life. Then, he meets Clarisse. She sits at home and talks to her real family instead of participating in the violence that other kids create.. She thinks about things and observes the world instead of watching TV. She is a voice of reason for Montag, and within a couple weeks of knowing him she changes his thoughts forever. I am not one to say that electronic devices do not have their advantages. I am working on a google doc right now, with spell check, saving, and deleting. Stone Soup just switched to an online website, probably because it is cheaper, faster, and flexible. In many ways, electronics save lives, open up opportunities, and make things more efficient. There are many times when electronics are used well. There is a difference between writing on a google doc or reading on the Stone Soup website, and, let’s say, playing a video game or looking up random pictures. The question is, should we let electronic devices replace things we love? Should we let electronic devices replace books? Imagine that you are a scale, you have a device in one hand, and a book in the other. Which one do you choose? Which one weighs more in your life?
Sewing: Book Cover Tutorial
My name is Jess and I’ve been sewing since I was about 6 years old. I started with hand sewing but now I love to combine this with work on my vintage hand turned machine and new electric model. My sewing projects include gifts for family and friends, free motion stitched artwork, clothes, soft toys, dolls and cushions. Some months my blog will include step by step projects suitable for beginners upwards, sometimes I will share a project I am working on at home or focus on fabrics and techniques. In this first blog entry, I’m going to share with you a simple project that can easily be personalized. I’m going to show you how to make a book cover than can be used on a notepad or storybook. I will be using felt for this project as it is easy to sew and doesn’t fray at the edges. Book Cover Materials: Felt (2 sheets large enough to cover your book. They can be different colors if you wish.) Hand sewing needles and thread, or a threaded sewing machine. Scissors Pins Fabric chalk or pencil (optional) Materials to decorate (optional) Instructions: Place the book you wish to cover onto the felt with the cover facing down. Cut the felt around the book cover leaving a ¼ inch extra around each side. Cut another piece of felt (It can be a different colour if you wish) the same size as your first. Fold one of the pieces of felt in half to find the centre, and cut down the middle. Do this again with the resulting felt pieces so you have four strips. Discard one strip ( or save it for decorating your finished cover.) Lie your first piece of felt down flat and place two of your strips onto it, one on each end. Stitch the strips in place along three sides as shown. You can do this by hand or on a machine. Slip the cover of your book back into the pockets you have just made. Close the book. Take the third strip of felt and place it on the felt where you want the spine to be. Pin in place or mark with chalk. Open your cover again and remove your book. Stitch the spine in place using hand or machine stitches. Remove pins if you used them. Decorate your book cover as much or as little as you like. You could use spare felt, cross stitches or scraps of cool fabrics. (Alternatively, you may find it easier to decorate the cover before stage 4 if you wish to do a complicated or machine stitched design.) Place on your book and enjoy. I hope you enjoy having a go at making this book cover. I’d love to see your finished pieces and to hear what you’d enjoy reading about in my sewing blog.
