Alfred E. Newman for President ~ Hopeless . . .

Thanks to: Mad History

Hardworking Party Shoes . . .

The Digital Journalist Callie Shell took this picture. She pointed out to Barack Obama that he had holes in his shoes. He said he knew; they had already been resoled at least once. He has been pounding the pavement for you and for me so please VOTE ON NOVEMBER 4th.

Party Shoes . . .

These are great. I only wish I had discovered them sooner. Other styles are available including one pair with the elephant too for the undecided voter. They are $45.00 and the company Toms Shoes has a fabulous company policy. For every pair purchased (in any style) Toms will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. Go to their website and watch a short film before you start shopping for the many styles available for men, women, and children. Surely you will consider purchasing from such socially conscious entrepreneurs. The holidays are coming...so think gifts.

The Peaceable Kingdom . . .

This is a wonderful theorem watercolor I picked up at a tag sale recently. I have the perfect antique frame for it. My mother is going to love this Christmas present! It is based on The Peaceable Kingdom by Edward Hicks (very fitting since this is our family name).

Peaceable Kingdom, ca. 1830–32
Edward Hicks (American, 1780–1849)
Oil on canvas; 17 7/8 x 23 7/8 in.

Edward Hicks, a Quaker preacher and sign painter, painted approximately sixty versions of the Peaceable Kingdom. The painting represents the messianic prophecy of Isaiah 11:6: "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them." The presence of additional animals and children on the left is due to Hicks' inclusion of the seventh and eighth verses. Hicks derived the composition, a popular nineteenth-century Bible illustration, from an engraving after a drawing by the English artist Richard Westall. The theme of a peaceable community of animals was one often used as a political metaphor, and was adapted by Hicks himself. The artist sometimes included scenes of Penn's treaty with the Indians, intending Penn's flock to stand as a sort of partial fulfillment of the biblical prophecy. Image: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Abraham Lincoln ~ Inexperienced Senator from Illinois . . .

Only two more days. Please make your vote count.

Best Baby Halloween Costume (hilarious) . . .

A baby dressed as a ventriloquist's dummy. Clever, quirky, and hilarious.
Found @ A Cup of Jo

2009 Job Market | Executives as Day Laborers . . .

This YouTube Video has a very unexpected twist! What a role reversal.

You didn't see that one coming, did you?

Wes Craven | Halloween 2008 Video endorsing Obama . . .

Wes Craven, the master of the horror film trilogy Nightmare on Elm Street starring the iconic Freddy Krueger has produced a YouTube film for Halloween 2008. There is no fright here but an episode urging everyone to vote.
http://www.youtube.com/user/wescraven

How nice of such a busy man to take the time to urge people to do their civic duty and vote. Watch closely; he appears to favor Obama.

Jack 'O Lantern Grilled Cheese Halloween Snack . . .

Isn't this the cleverest open-faced grilled cheese you've ever seen?

Let your goblins cut the shape of a Jack 'O Lantern face out of a slice of cheddar cheese. Place it on a toasted English muffin and smear it with a smidge of barbecue sauce. Broil until cheese is melted and add a little green onion stem.

This would be good for a quick dinner for excited trick or treaters who won't/can't sit still for a complete meal. They are just going to be sick later anyway after eating all that candy.
Found @ Prudence Pennywise

Make the BEST HALLOWEEN MASK EVER (free download) . . .

I love this DIY paper craft (with tutorial) so much. You will be the hit of any Halloween Party holding this up to your face!

Say goodbye to uncomfortable plastic masks or sweaty (and ill-smelling) latex hoods. Put a little craft into your costume this year and have a ghoulishly good time doing it.

Full instructions.

Download template.

Photo: Jeff Rudell

Wishing you an Old-Fashioned Hallowe'en

Here's hoping you survive the vampires, ghosts and goblins, and that your treat bags are filled to the top.

I scanned this image from a 2001 Martha Stewart Living. It's simply BOOOtiful, isn't it?




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Halloween from a Pumpkin's viewpoint . . .

The Life and Death of a Pumpkin.
A very creative video. You'll never carve a jack-o-lantern again without feeling its pain!

Wash Tubs Painted for Halloween . . .

What a cute idea. Paint the bottoms of your wash tubs and hang them up for Halloween!

Candidates' Communication Tools . . .

Thanks, fubiz.

Halloween Gingerbread Skeleton Cookies . . .

HAPPY HALLOWEEN...Make some of these cookies for Friday's big holiday if you have time. These are cut with a standard Gingerbread Man Cookie Cutter and iced like skeletons. Aren't they wonderful?

One of my readers (Gal Friday) was inspired by this post and she made a whole batch of skeletons and one ghost. See her cookies here.

Guaranteed to please the most discriminating trick or treater. Get recipe. Found @ Heidi Kenney via Living Small

Written laws and spiders' webs . . .

"Written laws are like spiders' webs; they will catch, it is true, the weak and the poor, but would be torn in pieces by the rich and powerful."
Anacharsis (6th century Greek philosopher)

"Laws, like the spider's web, catch the fly and let the hawk go free." Spanish Proverb

The check is in the mail . . .

Portrait of #44 is ready to hang . . .

Images by Jonathan Horowitz via Ready for the House

Oh No! | First Snow of the Season . . .

I am definitely not ready for this. I am sure it will stop snowing just as quickly as it started (I hope). The same thing happened last year before the leaves were off the trees; but in 2007 it was a blizzard. I don't think this flurry will be that bad. This is just a preview of what's to come.