Pre-Halloween Halloween Party

Halloween!
    So, last Friday was pretty much Halloween for J and I.
    We were invited to go to a party with friends, who, I must say, are awesome at costumes. So, of course,  for the past two weeks were spent running about looking for costumes/costume ideas. Ideally, I would love for J and I to do a couple costume (some ideas we've had include Buttercup & Wesley from Princess Bride and Mary Poppins and Bert), but we just didn't have enough time or resources to make it work this time around, so we fell back on some costume staples from the past. J, being a chemical engineer, has a lab coat and access to goggles, so he donned those and went as a mad scientist (and with the addition of last minute make-up, he had just exploded something!). I ended up wearing a black dress along with the corset I made last year, and with the addition of a belt, crossbow, and some items purchased at the dollar store, I passed myself off as a vampire hunter.
    I had also been invited by a super-good friend to go to the Halloween party at Nickelodeon, so I rushed to get ready and hurried over. Every year, Nick invites friends and family (lots of kids!) to come to the studio to eat goodies, craft pumpkins, and trick or treat in the show-themed mazes.

photo credits go to Pooneh :)

I have awesomely cool friends!

Amazing Mazes!

    After filling our tummies with grilled cheese sandwiches, cheeseburger sliders, and funnel cake, and after traveling through each maze at least once, it was time for me to go pick up J and head off to our more grown-up party ;)

   We were a bit late, but we settled right it with a few seasonal drinks (I brought my fireball whiskey, which was a hit) and some delicious home-made goodies. I also brought my camera so I could take a few photos of costume awesomeness.

Steph as Korra from "Avatar"

Jackie as Mabel from "Gravity Falls"

    After our initial catching-up and chatting, those of us who remained broke out a game of Telestrations. For those of you who have never heard of this before, it is essentially a combination of telephone and pictionary. You should definitely try it out. It is seriously the type of game that can be played with some paper and pens if you're resourceful enough, but the actual game comes with pre-set words and phrases that (I think) make the game a bit simpler. 

    Basically, each person is given a card with a word or phrase on it. Your job is to DRAW whatever word or phrase you're stuck with. How you do this is completely up to you, and there are definitely a wide variety of strategies that I've seen used. Once you've drawn your word/phrase, you pass your drawing to the person next to you. Then, that person must interpret your drawing and write a word or phrase on the next page before passing to the next person who must draw THAT word or phrase, etc etc..  After your board has gone all the way around (as has everyone else's) you get to witness the evolution of your word. Just as in Telephone, sometimes the word/phrase remains intact. Sometimes, however, your word changes in ways that are almost too ridiculous to imagine. Therefore, I have some examples to share from our game!

    After many a round of drinks and Telestrations, it was suddenly 2:30am and time to go home. We said our farewells and wandered home to get some much-needed sleep.
    It was an awesome night :)

Halloween Time at Disneyland

    Last week, I learned that a friend of mine from college would be going to Disneyland for their Halloween Party - for those of you who aren't in the know, in October, Disneyland gets all decked out for Halloween and for a few days during the week, the park closes early and a special party begins. 

A separate ticket is needed for the Halloween Party (which is part of the reason that I have yet to partake in the special event), but if you're ever tempted, here is what it gets you: This is the only time of the year that adults may don costumes and play in the park. Along with this special privilege, they also have trick-or-treating with lots of candy, dance parties, and a special parade and fireworks show (which is apparently amazing). 

    Also special for this time of the year (but free for everyone) is Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy. This is also the month that Haunted Mansion is officially transitioned into Nightmare Before Christmas - which lasts through the beginning of January.

    But, aside from all this, what I love most about holidays at Disneyland is the decor...

Main Street is decked out in festive autumn orange yellow and red, every light post features the pumpkin Mickey, and hundreds of jack-o-lanterns adorn each balcony and rooftop.

At the statue of Disney and Mickey in front of the castle you will find pumpkins carved with characters to represent each individual land (here you can see Buzz Lightyear representing Tomorrowland).

    Anyways, as I mentioned before, a friend of mine was going, and since I have an annual pass and can go pretty much whenever, I decided to meet up with her for a few hours in California Adventure, so off I went.
    I am pleased to say that this park, despite it's slow beginnings, is slowly becoming my favorite. The recently (re)opened Buena Vista Street harkens back to a different era in Hollywood's history. All of a sudden, you've stepped into the 20's, from the Art Deco architecture, to the Red Car Trolley, to the classic characters all in their most dapper attire. As you stroll along the street, you come across the 5 and Dime jazz band cruising around in a classic car. All of a sudden, a second Red Trolley appears carrying a band of singing/dancing "Newsies" come to tell you about the news of the day and the story of Walt's journey to Hollywood.

     I ended up meeting up with my friend Aimee and her boyfriend Jared in Hollywood Land, which has several of my favorite places, and one of my favorite rides: Tower of Terror. We met in the Disney Animation building, where they were just about ready to head into the Animation Academy to learn how to draw Tigger.
    After the quick drawing lesson, I was surprised and excited to discover that they had never been to one of my favorite places in the building: The Sorcerer's Workshop. Many people, including myself, have walked past this spot and completely missed it. Right when you walk into the building, the Animation Academy is on your left, Turtle Talk on the right, but if you just walk straight towards the opposite end of the room, below the large movie screens, you'll see the sign for the Workshop.
    When you first enter, you'll notice several tables with paper and pencils and numerous spinning Zoetropes. Zoetropes are one of the earliest forms of viewing animation, allowing you to view multiple images in quick succession so that they appear to be moving. On the tables, you will find paper and pencils, and suggestions for how to create your own animation. From there, you can place them in the Zoetropes and watch the magic! There are several other cool examples of animating images within this room as well as a replica of the evil queen's magic mirror.

    The next room in the Sorcerer's Workshop is my absolute favorite: Beast's Library. This room is made to look like the Library from Beauty and the Beast, but also includes several beautiful details. Part of the magic of this room is its transformation. Most of the time, when you first enter, the room is dark.. The ruined portrait of the Beast hangs above a fireplace, and on the mantle is the Rose beneath it's glass case. If you watch the rose, it will slowly begin to drop its petals one by one. Then, when the last petal falls, the music in the room swells and the room begins to change. The room begins to glitter beneath the mantle, and magically spreads up and around, bathing the room in light. Suddenly the room is bright and warm, the fire is roaring, and the painting of Beast is returned to its former glory.

    The other bit of fun in this room is found at any of the reading stations placed around the edges of the room. Sit down at the chair and you will be greeted by Lumiere and Cogsworth, who will show you what to do. Have your picture taken, answer a few quick questions, and they will tell you which Disney Character is most like you! (Aimee got Maleficent)

    For the rest of this month (and, I believe, the next) there is a special exhibit being showcased in the main room of the Animation Building : The Making of Frankenweenie. Here, you will find a beautiful collection of models from the film, including dozens of miniature props, and several full sets complete with characters. 

The skeletal structure of "Sparky"

These images are just fragments of the Lab and Kitchen sets.

    My trip to California Adventure is never complete without a trip to three places: Ghiradelli, Boudin's, and this fabulous gem of a store, Off the Page. I love Off the Page because it caters to what I love to buy - Art and "making of" books. They also have a collection of art prints, an artist who will draw and personalize character drawings for you, and numerous other special collectibles. If you are a fan of the art of animation, this is definitely a good place to check out.

    Another Disneyland excursion (with J this time!) is planned for next weekend, so keep an eye out for more!