AM~Erica Gives Treats from a Trunk

So anyway...

If you remember, this Halloween season started out crazy leading to this weekend. (read the lead-in post HERE) Well...the weekend continued...

It was time for taking charge of the last morning of the Trunk-or-Treat table. You know that meant I needed to attract attention like I have the previous 3 weeks. Amm-i-rite?

I decided to put together & try a costume about 2 years in the making. I got drawn to the striking visual of the steampunk genre. I did not start with it thru books like many have...probably because I'm a visual person & need to see it first.

I began to dig into research it a bit...and the more I looked & was trying to get a grip & understanding of it...you know I had ideas swirling in my brain. Amm-i-rite?

A character began to come to me. I was slowly working collecting pieces to actually WEAR a steampunk outfit. Now I just needed a time to unveil Lady T'luluh Poulpe' to the world. Trunk-or-Treat table, at church, seemed as fitting time as any...so...

Everything here was a gift, from thrift shops, hand-me-downs/overs, and clearance.
I even faked a bustle.

It's just the beginning as I am working on the backstory for her. I've got a start of her background. I can't wait to actually get it down there & get other necessary pieces to make the story work a bit more. But in the meantime...I so love this outfit!!
But it figures that it was 80 degrees this late October day in Missouri, so this outfit was making me melt! More than just the love of it...but it was so warm!

But once I got home...it was time to shift focus to Trunk-or-Treat that night. My hubby & I were both doing our cars just to help give numbers in cars. Since we decided on the extra car last minute, I had to do some quick thinking for decorating our other trunk. *THINK-THINK-THINK*

I decided to head out to pick up a couple of things to go with the costume I had planned for that night. (Yes...yet another costume. DUH!) I had a coupon for World Market, so I got a great "Book of Life" ukulele for nearly nothing, since it was also on sale! Yippee!! It would look awesome with the Mexican blanket that belonged to my grandmother, and also the sombrero I've had for quite sometime. See where this is going??
I also hit the dollar store to see if I could fill out a couple more pieces for my theme of Dios de los Muertos. (Did you guess it by now?)

I have dabbled in the beginning celebrations of Day of the Dead (reminder HERE), but I had hoped it would translate to doing a trunk.

I had the sombrero, the blankets, got the tiny guitar for less than $1...actually nearly free (seriously),
and found the skeleton, beads, buckets & battery candles at the dollar store.
I took sharpies to create sugar skull patterns on the faces of the buckets. Easy-peezy.

But, like I said, I wanted it to match my costume for the event. And, even though my hubby was doing his own car, our costumes coordinated! This is a big deal, y'all. I'll explain why after I show this:

How's our sugar skull makeup?? I did it all! Which is actually really fun & kind of meditative...

I want you to keep something in mind about this. Last year, I brought up to my hubby that we have a Day of the Dead get together. A fiesta that includes remembering our loved ones who have passed on before us. As I explained it to him, he was not so keen on the sugar skull thing & refused to do any makeup kind of thing! So the fact that I threw the idea out there this year totally expecting it to NOT stick...is the one that DID!! Wha-WHA??? I know, right?

As I explained this to our good friend, and associate pastor, Rob (our "YOO CAHN DOO EET!" guy from the Firecracker Flight - HERE), he laughed & said to me, "Well, if you can start running..."
Touche', Rob. I gave him a fist bump for that one.

We got our trunks up & decorated, along with almost 30 other vehicles.

It was WINDY!! And warm. But still a great turn out! The event was top heavy in the schedule with the crowds since our hometown team was playing in the World Series game that night. So there was a HUGE rush for the first 45-ish minutes. Calmed down a bit afterward, still greeting a few kiddos thru the rest of the time.

But maybe the coolest moment for me was this:
A few folks figured out my overall theme. On one hand I could count how many kids &/or adults brought up Day of the Dead or "Book of Life." But it was the sweet, and well-costumed, Mexican family that came thru. That's the moment I got a bit nervous as to whether or not I may have done them proud or not. Truly I try to do justice to these celebrations & hoped I had transformed my trunk into a resemblance of an oferenda-type altar. I got my answer when they were ready to leave, sought me out at my car, and asked if they all could get a picture with me & my trunk decor! It was a beautiful moment.

In the meantime...I am taking a few days to gear up for Halloween! I am so looking forward to it! I'm sure that doesn't surprise you...but thought I'd tell you anyway.

And you know you'll be hearing about how that goes down. Amm-i-rite?

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica's Choice for Ofrenda

So anyway...

As I enjoy keeping Halloween sorts of things going as long as possible (Right? Click HERE to begin to be reminded.), I stumbled upon one of the greatest cultural celebrations ever, about a year & a half ago! It falls on November 2nd, and is the Mexican holiday of Dios De Los Muertos (aka - Day of the Dead).

It's a little frightening, yet beautiful. It celebrates & remembers those who have gone before us. It's like the All Saints Day that we have come to know it, but with great celebration! Celebrating our loved ones (family &/or friends) is an amazing thought.

There is also beautiful attire for it. There is this fabulous thing called "sugar skull." It is decorated skeletons & skulls. You make yourself look like one, and/or do it by decorating in bright flowers & beautiful colors.

Some of you may or may not be surprised that I tried my own hand at making myself into a sugar skull for the sake of celebration last year:

I have totally become fascinated by this. The whole thing. I started a Pinterest board on the celebration, too. You can have a gander at it HERE. No really...go check it out! It's my board with the most followers by far!

There is also something called "ofrenda"...or the offering for your passed loved one(s). The ofrenda includes things like favorite foods, pictures, drinks...things to remember those who have gone on before us.

Yesterday, I came across something while shopping at Target...

My hubby & I were glancing around at the Halloween stuff on clearance. As we gazed & were still thoroughly entertained by things we were finding, I came across something...

This made me smile...and then giggle...and then I pulled out my phone to take a pic so I could text...it...to...

...oh...wait...never mind...I just started crying instead. Seriously crying. No pic taken of "Trick Arrrr Treat" to send on the Pirate's Booty Halloween pack. Because my instinct was to send it to my friend, RENEE'. And I remembered that I couldn't. It's been just over a year since she passed, and I was ready to send her that pic. And I just stood there crying as I stood next to my hubby in Target. It was ridiculous, but I was really missing my friend in that moment. Thankfully my hubby redirected my attention with his crazy-witty humor as we moved along to the Christmas candy aisle to cheer me back up. Because I really wanted Renee' to get as big of a kick out of that moment as I did. Because I know she would have...

And now, here we are: November 2nd. It's Dios De Los Muertos...and part of my ofrenda had been placed in front of me for my friend. So I got 3 boxes worth. And they are perfect. Not just for the ofrenda that makes me think of Renee', but also because when I got a couple bags of the snack for ITLAP DAY, I discovered that Lil Guy really likes it, too! Now I just need to get Naked (the smoothie drink, folks) to finish off that part of the ofrenda in remembrance of my friend.

 I also want to add Starbuck's, chocolate & sushi to this iAltar to my friend...covered with pink flowers

I will also be remembering MY GRANDMOTHER, who left us 2 & a half years ago. I still get several reminders from her, too. Like the sweet little lady who joined our church recently...
Her man is Santa! And she is his Mrs. Claus...that resembles my grandmother so much. When they joined our church...it shook me to my core at the resemblance! From her stature, to her smile, to her facial structure, to her gentle spirit...yeah...so much.

I want to use this pic of Will Ferrell as a part of my
ofrenda choice for my grandmother. Not only because of the butterflies,
but she would have found this funny. It's right along the lines of our family's humor.

So, today, November 2nd, Dios De Los Muertos will be semi-celebrated as I remember my grandmother & my friend. Love them & miss them so much.

May you, too, take a moment today to remember yours, too. Eat &/or drink something in their honor. Or have something Mexican or Mexican-inspired (here's a few ideas HERE or from my Mexican food Pinterest board HERE).

Also...keep those who have left the Earth before us close to your heart. Like a makeshift ofernda display like I did here:

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica