Tag: Halloween

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Broadway’s The Hills Of California Inspires Art

I had such a wonderful time at the brilliant Broadway show The Hills of California! It’s an Olivier Award-winning play by Jez Butterworth, directed by the amazing Sam Mendes.

The story revolves around a very ambitious mother who dreams of seeing her four daughters become a successful singing group, much like the Andrews Sisters. It beautifully captures themes of love and loss, and it truly left a mark on me.

After the show, I dove deep into a rabbit hole of YouTube, watching interviews, performances, and documentaries about the Andrews Sisters, the Boswell Sisters, and the McGuire Sisters. I was mesmerized by the glamorous fashions and stunning fabric patterns from the 1940s and 50s.

It hit me that these designs could inspire my Halloween displays for next year! For Halloween 2025, I’m excited to create some fabulous clothing for my displays using paper, paint, and polyurethane.

I’ve drawn inspiration from Isabelle de Borchgrave, the incredible self-taught Belgian artist who creates breathtaking painted paper dresses. Her historical gown recreations are always captivating and seem to pop up in exhibitions worldwide.

I started by flattening some brown paper grocery bags and painting them with acrylic and house paint. Then I spent some time researching 1940s and 50s fabric patterns. With a few paint cans in hand, I let my creativity flow, despite my limited skills!

My dress designs are loosely inspired by the fabulous stage outfits of the Andrews and Boswell sisters, along with Loretta Young. For my sculptures, I’m getting creative with all sorts of materials like kid’s plastic masks, shoe boxes, Tide detergent containers, Coffee Mate bottles, newspapers, and paper towel rolls.

The powerful drama and acting from that Broadway experience have stayed with me for days. Isabelle de Borchgrave’s fashion creations sparked my imagination, while the music and style of the Andrews Sisters entertained me as I embarked on my artistic journey!

There’s a long way to go before my creations go on display. I’m still testing the various ways to waterproof my paper dresses so they don’t get damaged outdoors. I’m also aiming to write and draw a picture book based on the characters I create.

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Single-Use Plastics Are Overwhelming

According to the Los Angeles Times, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo misrepresent the environmental impact of their plastic bottles.

I used art, creating my Halloween displays with single-use plastic, to draw attention to the alarming prevalence of single-use plastics in our lives.

The two companies are among the world’s top plastic polluters. Currently, just 9% of the world’s plastics are recycled. The rest are incinerated and set to landfills or in rivers and oceans. Experts say that almost 3.5 billion bottles are left unaccounted for and can only be recycled once or twice.

One of the other major concerns related to the abundance of single-use plastics is our health. The tiny particles in plastics known as microplastics have been detected in every ecosystem on the planet. Microplastics have been found in the brain, heart, lungs, blood, and semen.  Microplastics have been linked to an increased risk of diabetes because they contain additives that act as endocrine disruptors (EDCs), which can alter the body’s hormone system and impair glucose homeostasis. 

Collecting my single-use plastics, including water bottles, take-out food containers, cups, straws, and food packages over two months, really opened my eyes to the staggering amount of trash I contribute to the environmental crisis.

My single-use plastic swamp comprises plastic bottles and cardboard packaging that I painted to resemble foliage.

Everything used to make my displays, except the wigs and crowns, is made from recycled materials – water bottles, pizza boxes, FedEx boxes, damaged comic books, broken lamp shades, paper towels, toilet paper rolls, New York Times newspapers, bubble wrap, coffee cans, lids, and packing foam. 

If you’re concerned about the abundance of single-use plastics and their harmful effects, focus on reducing or replacing one plastic item at a time, like your daily iced coffee container. You can also bring your reusable water bottle, coffee mug, and utensils when you go out. 

Avoid buying new clothing, especially polyester, which is spun from plastic. Instead, look for secondhand options or natural fibers like cotton, wool, rayon, or silk.


Plastic containers can be reused for years, but don’t use them for hot foods or liquids, and don’t microwave them.

Please do some research to learn more about the harmful effects of single-use plastics. 

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I Won First Prize At West 69th Street’s Halloween Decorating Contest

To my surprise and delight, I won FIRST PRIZE in West 69th Street’s Halloween Decorating Contest for my “Princess Frogs” display.

Everything, except for the wigs and crowns, was made from recycled materials. I used water bottles, pizza boxes, FedEx boxes, damaged comic books, broken lampshades, paper towels, toilet paper rolls, New York Times newspapers, bubble wrap, coffee cans, lids, and packing foam.

As I collected single-use plastics—such as water bottles, take-out food containers, cups, straws, and food packages—for two months, I was truly opened to the staggering amount of trash I contribute to the environmental crisis.

I created a “Single-Use Swamp” using plastic bottles and cardboard packaging, which I painted to resemble foliage. The extent of single-use plastic consumption is frightening and overwhelming. Like most people, I’m horrified by the billions of plastic items choking our oceans, lakes, and rivers. Recently, I’ve been reading about the harmful effects of Bisphenol A (BPA) on our endocrine systems. I encourage others to research this topic thoroughly, as it requires more than just a quick Google search to understand fully.

Sitting atop my vision of a lily pond—crafted from old T-shirts, pillowcases, and towels—are Queen Elizabeth I and Wonder Woman.

Upon seeing my display, I was overjoyed when a young girl passing by exclaimed, “Princess Frogs!”. Her mother informed me that her daughter loves to dress up as a princess. It warms my heart to know that my target audience appreciates my work!

Janet and Rosetta Van der Voort, born in the 1800s, were two wealthy sisters whose father rarely let them leave the house unaccompanied. The one place they were allowed to visit was Central Park’s Wollman Rink, where they went ice skating in the winter.

The two sisters never married, were lifelong best friends, and died a few months apart. Since their death, their ghostly spirits have been seen periodically skating together on the Central Park Pond, wearing the same red and purple outfits they wore over 100 years ago.

Divabetic pays tribute to the sisters’ spirits, hoping to encourage you to indulge in the creativity associated with Halloween instead of candy. Halloween’s record-breaking sugar consumption and its detrimental effects on overall health are scarier than any ghost story. It’s been reported that consumers gobbled up a record $36.9 billion in candy, gum, mints, chocolate, and other confections in 2021.

High intakes of dietary sugars in the setting of a worldwide pandemic of obesity and cardiovascular disease have heightened concerns about the adverse effects of excessive consumption of sugars. The American Heart Association suggests limiting adding sugars to no more than 100 calories per day (about 6 teaspoons or 24 grams) for most adult women and no more than 150 calories per day (about 9 teaspoons or 36 grams of sugar) for most men.

Credits Producer: Max Szadek Writers: Max Szadek, Wendy Radford, Lorraine Brooks Voice Actors: Max Szadek, Verna Henry, Lauren Ricks Graphic Designer: Max Szadek

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Princess Frog Poems: Rapunzel

Finally, all four of my Princess Frog sculptures are displayed for Halloween at West 69th Street in New York City.

I was overjoyed when a young girl pointed at each frog and said, “Ribbit, Ribbit, Ribbit, Ribbit.”

West 69th Street is one of New York City’s iconic Halloween Streets, where over 2,000 children trick-or-treat annually.

Rapunzel 

Once upon a time, there was a little frog,
Who lives in a pond, in a cozy little bog
One day, she meets a prince who is lost in the woods,
And she asks him kindly If she can do him any good.

 “Please help me find my way to the tower up ahead,
Where my dear Rapunzel lives with her long, luscious hair, unfed.”
The smart little frog knows the way, and she hops along the road,
Leading the prince until they reach the tower of cobblestone

But when they find Rapunzel l, She is no longer a maid,
But a slimy green frog, who has been cursed and betrayed.
The prince is surprised, But he takes the frog in his hands,
And kisses her on the cheek, Breaking the witch’s spell demands.

 And lo and behold, The frog turns into a princess fair,
With golden locks of hair and eyes like the sun’s glare.
Hand in hand, the happy couple go on their merry way, 

leaving the little frog to deal with the tower’s disarray.

On the floor, the frog sees Rapunzel‘s beautiful locks of hair

And decides to make a wig that she can wear
Next, she sees a big pile of pretty, lacy dresses
All of which seem fit for a Queen or Princess

Beautiful dresses covered with buttons and stripes, 

others with purple flowers in designs she likes 

The frog tries on a pink dress with long, pillowy sleeves
She looks in the mirror and decides it suits her to a tee
She hops to the bureau, where she finds a gold crown
She stares in the mirror, sees her reflection, and laughs out loud

Suddenly, she hears a creak when the couple opens the door
To find the little frog draped in velvet, pearls, and furs galore
Rapunzel and the Prince shriek at the frog in delight
Thrilled to see the frog beaming in jewels shining bright

Rapunzel runs to the little frog and gives her a squeeze
“You saved my life, little frog. Take whatever you please.”

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Princess Frog Poems: Croak-A-Hontas

Slowly, I am staging my upcoming Princess Frogs displays for Halloween. After quickly staging all the display elements – the four Princess Frogs, handpainted signs, lily ponds, and foliage—together in a temporary location, I am relocating them to their permanent location on West 69th Street.

I was overjoyed when a young girl passing by screamed, “Princess Frogs!” when she spotted my display. Her mother told me that her daughter loves to dress up as a princess. My target audience gets me!! My display will be on one of New York City’s iconic Halloween Streets, where over 2,000 children trick-or-treat annually.

Everything, except the wigs and crowns, is made from recycled materials – water bottles, pizza boxes, FedEx boxes, paper towels, toilet paper rolls, New York Times newspapers, bubble wrap, coffee cans, lids, and packing foam. 

Croak-A- Hontas

Once upon a time, in a far-off  tranquil stream

Lives a princess frog named Croak-A- Hontas, with high self-esteem

She is green and slimy but oh so regal, 

And her croak is sweet and pure, like a golden eagle. 

 Her father is the king of all the reptiles

that live near the stream for miles and miles

And Croak-A- Hontas is friends with one and all

if there is a fight, she is quick to break up the brawl

But one day, an evil stork comes to the pond, 

And snatches her up, leaving her father beyond. 

Croak-A- Hontas is scared, but she doesn’t give up, 

She knows she can escape without a hiccup. 

So she kicks, and she wriggles and finally breaks free, 

And lands with a splash in a nearby tree. 

There, she meets a nervous snake

with a rattle on his tail, he likes to shake

She comforts him as best she can

and promises to take him back to her land

Together, they begin to trek across the valley

making new friends and often stopping to dillydally

Croak-A- Hontas is fascinated by all that she sees

Her mind fills with a boundless curiosity

For every rock and tree and creature 

has a life, has a spirit, has a name that can teach her

My Princess Frogs display is a twist on the perennial tale Frog Prince. Instead of a woman kissing a frog to break the spell and turn it back into a prince, I wondered if a man would be willing to kiss a frog and turn it back into a princess.

If a man was willing to kiss a frog, would the frog want to be turned back into a Princess? Sarah Ferguson, Diana Spencer, and Meghan Markle‘s comments about a princess’s real life make it clear it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Life as a frog might be much easier than life as a princess.

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Princess Frog Poems: Toad White


Without a drop of rain, I staged a few of my upcoming Princess Frogs displays for Halloween. It was my first time seeing all the display elements – Princess Frogs, signs, lily ponds, and foliage—together.

I was overjoyed when a young girl passing by screamed, “Princess Frogs!” when she spotted my display. Her mother told me that her daughter loves to dress up as a princess. My target audience gets me!! My display will be on one of New York City’s iconic Halloween Streets, where over 2,000 children trick-or-treat annually.

Everything, except the wigs and crowns, is made from recycled materials – water bottles, pizza boxes, FedEx boxes, paper towels, toilet paper rolls, New York Times newspapers, bubble wrap, coffee cans, lids, and packing foam. 

Toad White 

In the forest so green and wide, 

Lives a toad, Toad White, with seven dwarfs by her side. 

Her skin is bumpy, her voice so low, 

But she is kind and gentle to all she knows

She spends her days hopping and leaping

and her nights on a lily pad, quietly sleeping

The Seven Dwarfs work in a field

harvesting corn that they later peel

She often visits them during the day

and reads them stories to keep them entertained

With her quick wit and sense of humor 

she makes long days pass much sooner 

One day, a prince passes her way, 

And sees  Toad White, a toad so gray. 

He picks her up, kisses her head, 

And suddenly, she is no longer dead. 

Toad White transforms, to her surprise, 

A princess now, before her eyes. 

But she never forgets her humble start, 

As a toad with a kind and gentle heart.

so the couple settles in a castle near a pond

so she will never forget her bond

with seven dwarfs who are her friends

so they all live happily together in the end 

My Princess Frogs display is a twist on the perennial tale Frog Prince. Instead of a woman kissing a frog to break the spell and turn it back into a prince, I wondered if a man would be willing to kiss a frog and turn it back into a princess.

If a man was willing to kiss a frog, would the frog want to be turned back into a Princess? Sarah Ferguson, Diana Spencer, and Meghan Markle‘s comments about a princess’s real life make it clear it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Life as a frog might be much easier than life as a princess.

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Celebrity Charcuterie at Halloween Dinner

Last night’s Annual Pumpkin Carving Party was an absolute blast, especially with the fun food game, Celebrity Charcuterie! I created different plates of foods to see if guests could guess the identities of several Halloween-themed famous figures: Big Foot, Bewitched, Angelica Huston, the Mummy, and Ichabod Crane.

Despite being busy catering and sprucing up my Princess Frogs and Mermaid outdoor Halloween displays, I still found time to vote.

Thank you, Carol Seitz, for the great photo capturing the creepy creativity of our tablescape. 

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic stops by the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island to raise awareness for diabetes in a fun, new way.

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Halloween Extravaganza at the Cathedral Of St. John the Divine

Last night, I attended the Cathedral of St. John the Divine‘s beloved annual Halloween celebration, 

The night started with a ‘cello-ween’ performance by a scary skeleton musician. The haunting melodies filled the cathedral’s amber-hued walls, creating an eerie atmosphere.  Next, we enjoyed a screening of the silent film The Phantom of the Opera, from 1925, starring the incomparable Lon Chaney. I always thought Lon Chaney was a one-note performer best known for scary roles, but his performance as the Phantom was masterful. 

The film remains most famous for Lon Chaney’s ghastly, self-devised make-up, which was kept a studio secret until the film’s premiere.  The lighting design filled with shadows, the mythic Grand Opera House stage, cellar and river, the enormous cast, and the superb editing of this film make it a must-see movie.  


TV guide said, “One of the most famous horror movies of all time, The Phantom of the Opera, still manages to frighten after more than 60 years.”

Our screening featured a live organ accompaniment that heightened the horror and drama. After the film finished, we were treated to a parade of ghouls and goblins from the Mettawee River Theater Company. Performers emerged from the smile of a gigantic, grotesque clown to scare and delight us. 

The Mettawee River Theatre Company dramatizes myths, folk tales, and legends from diverse cultures. Their original theatre productions incorporate masks, puppets, and giant figures with music, movement, and text.  

Under the Artistic Direction of mask maker, designer, and director Ralph Lee, the Mettawee River Company experimented with means of presenting masks, puppetry, mythology, and theater in ways that led an audience to experience the powerful relationship between human beings, their ancestry, and the natural environment.

Janet and Rosetta Van der Voort, born in the 1800s, were two wealthy sisters whose father rarely let them leave the house unaccompanied. The one place they were allowed to visit was Central Park’s Wollman Rink, where they went ice skating in the winter. The two sisters never married, were lifelong best friends, and died a few months apart. Since their death, their ghostly spirits have been seen periodically skating together on the Central Park Pond, wearing the same red and purple outfits they wore over 100 years ago.

Divabetic pays tribute to the sisters’ spirits, hoping to encourage you to indulge in the creativity associated with Halloween instead of candy. Halloween’s record-breaking sugar consumption and its detrimental effects on overall health are scarier than any ghost story.

It’s been reported that consumers gobbled up a record $36.9 billion in candy, gum, mints, chocolate, and other confections in 2021. High dietary sugar intakes in the context of a worldwide pandemic of obesity and cardiovascular disease have heightened concerns about the adverse effects of excessive sugar consumption.

The American Heart Association suggests limiting added sugars to less than 100 calories per day (about 6 teaspoons or 24 grams) for most adult women and no more than 150 calories per day (about 9 teaspoons or 36 grams of sugar) for most men.

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Lily Pond Using Single-Use Plastics

I’m temporarily obsessed with creating a lily pond made from single-use plastics for my upcoming Princess Frogs Halloween display on West 69th Street (between Columbus and Central Park West).

I used an assortment of single-use plastics, including Sprite and Seltzer water bottles, yogurt containers, coffee cans, Chinese takeout lids, bubble wrap, and thin packing foam.

Single-use plastics are goods made primarily from fossil fuel–based chemicals (petrochemicals) and are meant to be disposed of immediately after use. Plastic pollution is very real, and single-use plastics are small but have a significant impact.

According to EarthDay.Org, Americans purchase about 50 billion water bottles annually, averaging about 13 bottles per person in the U.S.! That means using a reusable water bottle could save an average of 156 plastic bottles annually.

At least 14 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year, according to EarthDay.Org.

Single-use plastics can pose several health risks and contain chemical additives that act as endocrine disruptors. These additives mimic hormones and disrupt the body’s signaling, leading to a range of health issues, including hormonal imbalances, reproductive problems, and cancer.

If you’re thinking about getting crafty, check out YouTube. There are so many wonderful instructional videos. I enjoy watching the Ultimate Paper Mache channel with Joanie. My only wish is that she would occasionally switch up the hoodie for a twin set.

To create my lotus flowers, I watched a craft video on YouTube on how to make Lotus Flowers, but it was beyond my skill set, so I turned it off and went to work.

I ripped off the labels on the Sprite and Seltzer bottles. I cut the bottles in half and then cut flower shapes on the circumference of each half. The final step was painting the inside with a dusty rose before adding hot pink highlights.

My friend Lauren gave me some scraps of bubble wrap and thin packing foam. I cut the bubble wrap into 4-inch strips and painted both sides with dusty rose paint. I cut triangle shapes on one side of the strips and then tied them off before inserting them with glue into each plastic bottle.

There won’t be enough room in front of the townhouse on West 69th Street to host my display for these lovelies, but it doesn’t matter. I had a blast making them.

Many people have been wondering why I created Princess Frogs for Halloween. Last year, two women who saw my Dastardly Ducks display commented that they were grateful for a break from the gore and horror of the other street decorations, especially given the current violence in the world.

Secondly, there were so many girls dressed as princesses trick-or-treating that I wanted to celebrate them.

Everyone deserves to feel like a princess.

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Kitty Litter Sculpture Gets A New Corset

Last year’s Halloween sensation, Kitty Litter‘s new bustier, was my creative twist on French designer Thierry Mugler‘s futuristic designs, using a $0.99 roasting pan from my local Dollar Store. 

Thierry Mugler not only created fashion and couture, but he also invented perfumes, photographed his creations, and worked as a director, costume, and spectacle designer.

According to Madame Faction, Thierry Mugler’s fashion is – first and foremost – intrinsically linked to the aesthetic of the 1980s and 90s: The hyper-feminine, body-hugging silhouettes, narrow waists, extremely broad shoulders, bold colors, and the vital power dressing aspect breathe the Zeitgeist of 80s and 90s fashion

Unfortunately, last year’s candy-encrusted bustier didn’t survive the intense summer heat and the rat infestation of ’23 (I still have nightmares about it).

Kitty Litter was my response to people’s upsetting claims on social media that only certain types of people can be mermaids following the release of the live-action Little Mermaid movie. I believe anyone can be a mermaid, so I made a sculpture depicting a cat as a mermaid to prove my point. 

Personally, I loved watching singer and actress Halle Bailey in the title role in Disney’s live-action Little Mermaid.

I also wanted to raise awareness for single-use plastic consumption. Over two months, I collected my single-use plastics, including water bottles, take-out food containers, cups, straws, and food packages, which really opened my eyes to the staggering amount of trash I contribute to the environmental crisis. 

Single-use plastic is as prevalent as added sugar in our food and drinks. It’s easy to consume too much without realizing it. Most people know that added sugar is in soda, sweetened tea and coffee, energy drinks, fruit drinks, candy, ice cream, sweetened yogurts, flavored and/or sweetened milk, breakfast cereals, and bars. But added sugar is found in bread, condiments, dairy-based foods, nut butter, salad dressings, sauces, and even some “healthy” cereal.

The average American consumes more than 17 teaspoons of added sugar daily, more than the recommended amount. Consuming too much-added sugar can lead to health problems such as tooth decay, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

I took a break from writing Divabetic’s Annual Mystery podcasts to focus on my Halloween displays and the related book, Once Upon A Slime.

This year, Kitty Litter’s final appearance will be on Halloween Street at West 69th Street in New York City.

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