You’ve Got To Have Friends To Create Halloween Displays

“But you’ve got to have friends,” Bette Midler’s song lyrics helped push me through the creative challenges of making my Halloween displays. I’m not an artist or a crafter, so the struggle was real. Thankfully, two remarkable women, Sharon and Lauren, cheered me on along the way.

After I created my first display, The Amy Winehouse Twins, made of recycled bottles for Halloween last year, Sharon kept encouraging me to create more art. My insecurities helped me blow off her comments until Spring.

But her interest in my creativity wore me down until I asked myself, “Why not?” I experienced so much joy creating the Winehouse Twins and Angela ‘LAMB’ sbury, it was worth a try.

I found a cheap plastic duck mask in a box in my closet. At first, a Halloween duck display didn’t make sense to me. But then, the name Cruella DUCK Vil popped into my head.

Still, even after that light bulb went off, I wondered if I could make a duck display. My paper mache skills were considered shaky back in elementary school.

Thank goodness for YouTube craft videos! I didn’t need to know there are so many types of paper mache available, from clay to cement, but the step-by-step demonstrations helped. After several frustrating days (weeks!) of trying to smooth out the seams, I moved on to decorations.

This step presented a whole new set of problems. I had never used a glue gun before, and my handcrafting skills were laughable or nonexistent at best. I had this ‘brilliant’ idea to decorate my Duck displays with candy.

Shortly after purchasing a bunch of candy, I found out that most types of candy don’t adhere to glue, and if they do, the glue deteriorates them. It was a sticky, hot mess. Then, after creating a 20’s style flapper dress using red licorice for Cruella, a hungry rat got into my apartment and devoured it.

Count Duckula, Cruella Duck Vil, Bri-Duck of Frankenstein, and Duck Vader are made from recycled bottles, shoe boxes, and New York Times newspapers with old-fashioned paper mache (flower and water).

Count Duckula’s costume is covered in Tic Tacs, cake sprinkles, Red Hots, Black Licorice, Dollar Store eyes, Chocolate Baking Dots, Recycled Red and Black Cloth Grocery Bags, and a Child-Size Dracula wig.

Duck Vader’s costume is made from a child’s Darth Vader costume, Take-Out Container, Trash Bags, Packing Supplies, Black Licorice, and Orange Tic Tacs.

Cruella and the Bri-Duck of Frankenstein were the last displays I decorated. By this time, I had decided to forgo candy and use household items for decorations. Cruella’s dress is made of placemats and Swifters. Bri-Duck’s dress is made from coffee filters, paper plates, doilies, Amazon wigs, and mops.

Periodically, through my creative meltdowns, I’d bump into Sharon. Her timing was perfect! Sharon’s excitement about what I was creating (even though she didn’t know what it was) and my friend Lauren’s enthusiasm boosted my spirits.

Lauren helped me with my displays last year, too.

When you tell Lauren you want to climb a mountain, Lauren will ask you ‘How many steps?’ she won’t question why you should do it. I love that! She’s a wonderful friend who cheers you and begs you to go BIGGER!!

Which I did!

Kitty Litter is made from recycled materials. Single-use bottles, packing supplies, boxes, and the New York Times newspaper with old-fashioned paper mache. Her head is a $14 mask from Amazon. Her bustier is made from assorted candy, including Dots, Licorice, three-sizes of Gumballs, Skittles, Mike & Ikes, Circus Peanuts, Tic Tacs, Jelly Bellys, Good n’ Plenty, and Swedish Fish. Her fins are assorted foil muffin liners. Her skirt is made of multi-colored spaghetti licorice. Her tail is made of three sizes of marshmallows. Initially, I wanted to use multi-colored mini marshmallows like my Aunt Francis used to put her in Ambrosia salad, but I couldn’t find them anywhere!

The rest of the Kitty Litter display is a nod to the enormous amount of single-use plastics in our oceans. Collecting my single-use plastics, including water bottles, take-out food containers, cups, straws, and food packages over two months opened my eyes to the staggering amount of trash I contribute to the environmental crisis.

I hope this post encourages you to create art, especially if you’re doubtful about your skills, afraid of failure, or unsure where or how to start. I shared all of those thoughts, too. But even at my most challenging moments, I had a blast!

This little boy’s excitement made my adventures in crafting worthwhile!

The spirit and community of West 69th Street inspired me to create some kid-friendly decorations for Halloween and learn how to use a glue gun. Sadly, many fingertips were burned trying to clue the marshmallows to Kitty Littter’s tail.

10/30/202310/30/2023

Bette Midler Hocus Pocus Themed Charcuterie Board

Recently, I hosted my Annual Pumpkin Carving party for friends. I made five mystery celebrity charcuterie boards for dinner.

Clever doesn’t cost a thing is my motto for entertaining. There are plenty of items to make your table dazzle available at the Dollar Store. I bought masks, placemats, pineapple lights, and plastic tablecloths. I anticipated the mess we would create from carving pumpkins, so I opted for a plastic tablecloth.

A broken toaster found on the street was my centerpiece. I transformed it using assorted black and orange flowers. My friends broke out in laughter the moment they saw it.

For dinner, I served Mystery Celebrity Charcuterie Boards. The items on Mystery Celebrity Charcuterie boards serve as clues to identify specific celebrities. The assortment of cheeses, meats, fruit, vegetables, and dips relates to movies, TV shows, books, celebrity family members, and songs. Once I present the boards and the mystery celebrity’s quote, my guests try to guess their identity.

Mystery Celebrity Charcuterie Boards is a lot of fun and a great icebreaker for people to interact with each other.

We played five rounds of a Halloween edition of Mystery Celebrity Charcuterie Boards on Friday. All my mystery celebrities are related to Halloween.

Celebrity Charcuterie – Halloween edition #1: Halloween movie quote related to Jamie Lee Curtis: “I wish I had you all alone, just the two of us. I’ll hold you close to me, so close to me, just the two of us.”

Celebrity Charcuterie – Halloween edition #2: Bette Midler quote from Hocus Pocus movie: “Oh, look, another glorious morning. It makes me sick!”

My friend Mark’s favorite Halloween movie is Hocus Pocus. No matter what quote I chose from the movie, I knew Mark would know it, which is why Bette’s Mystery Celebrity Charcuterie was made in her image. I found inspiration in a recent culinary curator’s Instagram post. I held off revealing the board until Mark shouted out the answer. Once Mark said, “Hocus Pocus,” I brought out the charcuterie board.

Celebrity Charcuterie – Halloween edition #3: Michael Jackson about the making of Thriller: “I have felt touched by something sacred. In those moments, I felt my spirit soar and become one with everything that exists.”

Celebrity Charcuterie – Halloween edition #4: Bela Lugosi from an interview: “Horror means something revolting. Anybody can show you a pailful of innards. But the object of the roles I played is not to turn your stomach – but merely to make your hair stand on end.”

Celebrity Charcuterie – Halloween edition#5: Boris Karloff from an interview: “I guess I’m pretty much of a lone wolf.”

We’re sharing excerpts of interviews from our favorite Divabetic podcasts over the years. This excerpt is from our Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis Turnaround podcast with Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWC, FAND, and gospel singer Pat Lacy.

10/21/202310/21/2023

The Bride Of Frankenstein Halloween Display

I received a package filled with lightning bolt-shaped styrofoam a few weeks ago. I didn’t throw them away. The shape was fantastic. Even though all of my Halloween Duck, Duck, Ghoul! displays are done. I wondered what I could make with the styrofoam. The styrofoam’s shape reminded me of the Bride Of Frankenstein’s eyebrows. So, I decided to make one more display. I studied pictures from the original movie.

According to Google, The Bride Of Frankenstein was created as a collaborative project between and his old university affiliate, Dr. Septimus Pretorius. The scientists create the Bride to give it to the monster as a mate, but the monster only wishes to have a friend.

The Bride’s gown in the 1935 movie is sublime. But its simple elegance and draping didn’t work on a duck. And trust me, I tried everything, including a Large Federal Express packing bag – I thought the corners would be perfect for the shoulders. So, I abandoned the idea of knocking off the original gown and let my imagination take over. When the legendary Vogue and Harpers Bazaar journalist Diana Vreeland wrote “the eye must travel” in her book in 1980, I doubt she was referring to the front door of Dollar General. But that’s precisely where my thrifty spirit for crafting took me.

After a fruitless search, I wandered into my local hardware store. Inspiration hit when I spotted mops and a package of large coffee filters. I ventured to two more stores in search of paper dollies to complete her dress. I topped off my display when the cheapest wig I could find on Amazon.

Throughout October, health guru High Voltage travels to select schools around New York City to create awareness and excitement to empower private and public schools to take a stand against the sugar industry. During these Shocktober rallies, High Voltage presents a powerful demonstration showing teens how to “Sugar Shock” their favorite drinks. Sugar Shock demonstrations allow teens to discover how much-added sugar they consume daily; when they do, most are SHOCKED!

Watch this video to see how many grams of sugar are in popular drinks!

Major sources of added sugars are sugary beverages (regular soft drinks, sweetened tea, coffee, energy drinks, and fruit drinks), candy, desserts, and sweet snacks (cakes, cookies, pies). Smaller amounts come from dairy desserts, milk products (ice cream, sweetened yogurt, and sweetened milk), breakfast cereals and bars, and other items.

The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to 100 calories per day (6 teaspoons of sugar) for most women and no more than 150 calories per day (9 teaspoons) for most men.

We’re talking about ‘THE SWEETEST TABOO’ aka ‘SUGAR’ with musical inspiration from Sade on this episode of Divabetic’s podcast.

Added sugar is everywhere. But do we understand the impact it has on our diabetes health?

If asked to name sugary foods, you may think of sweets, chocolate, sodas, table sugar, and perhaps fruit. But sugar also appears in savory foods such as ready meals, soups, salads, sauces, and ‘healthy’ foods such as breakfast cereals and yogurt. Furthermore, starches such as bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes also convert to sugar in our bloodstream, having the same impact on our bodies. These ‘hidden sugars’ can add a surprising amount to our daily intake.

Guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Tameka Milline, Catherine Schuller. Kathy Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage’, and Stephanie MacKendree. Throughout the podcast, we play music from ‘The Essential Sade’ album courtesy of SONY Music.

07/07/202307/07/2023

Candy Decorations for Halloween

This year, I’m starting my Halloween decorations early. I’m using different kinds of candy to decorate my paper mache sculptures to be displayed on New York City’s most iconic Halloween Street on the Upper Westside. I’m attempting to be more crafty.

My goal is to encourage people to indulge in the creativity associated with Halloween instead of candy.

We’re talking about ‘THE SWEETEST TABOO’ aka ‘SUGAR’ with musical inspiration from Sade on this episode of Divabetic’s popular podcast. Guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Tameka Milline, Catherine Schuller AICI, CIP, Kathy Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage’, and Stephanie MacKendree.

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 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 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.

Last year, I used paper mache for the first time to make several sculptures. I was told that the street’s theme was ‘ghosts,’ which proved untrue. Unfortunately, I didn’t learn the truth until completing all my displays.

One of my sculptures was the Ghost of Lily, the Central Park Zoo Polar Bear (1987- 2004). Lily was the beloved companion of Gus, a 700-pound polar bear that mesmerized tourists. He swam lap after lap in figure-eight patterns, pawing his way through the water with powerful backstrokes. He did this for as many as 12 hours a day. Every day. Every week. Every month. Lily would grin and bear it as she watched and waited for her partner to finish.

This year, I’m using paper mache again to create my sculptures. Although I’m not sharing what my sculptures will be, I have been working on different decorating techniques using candy.

Candy is bright, fun, and festive. Candy colors like yellow, red, orange, and green are eye-catching. Candy corn seems to be the candy most commonly associated with Halloween. The various variations of two and three-color combinations lend themselves to floral designs.

But working with candy, especially in the Summer heat, is challenging. It’s sticky and melts quickly. I’m storing various types of candy in my refrigerator to keep them from distorting their shape. Using a hot glue gun to affix candy to various materials, such as cardboard and paper, is painful. It doesn’t work. So now, I’m using Elmer’s glue which presents its own set of problems.

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 Central Park’s infamous Victorian ghost sisters, Janet and Rosetta Van der Voort, in this short video.

10/30/2022

Divabetic Halloween Displays 2022

My office is on New York City’s Halloween street. We’re expecting 3,000 – 5,000 trick-or-treaters. Everyone decorates their brownstones and flower beds. This year, I made 3 displays with my friend, Lauren.

Display #1: Ghost of Lily, the Central Park Zoo Polar Bear (1987- 2004)

“Lily was the beloved companion of Gus, a 700-pound polar bear that mesmerized tourists. He swam lap after lap in figure-eight patterns, pawing his way through the water with powerful backstrokes. He did this for as many as 12 hours a day. Every day. Every week. Every month. Lily would grin and bear it.

Materials: I used office shreddings, a dollar store mask, masking tape, plastic Chinese Restaurant soup containers, bubble wrap, a plastic serving bowl (belly), a Dollar Store child’s tutu, and newspaper to make her!).

Inspiration: I had no plans to make this bear until I received a package that arrived with pink bubble wrap. I couldn’t stop wondering if I could make a tutu using it!

Display #2: The Amy Wine “Haunted” House Twins:

“Rockstar Amy Winehouse died too soon

She misused hard drugs
drank too much booze

Maybe a lesson for October
is to remember you can make great art even when you’re sober”

Materials: I used Diet Coke bottles (shoes), hangers, newspaper, Dollar Store masks, pipe cleaners, Target (dress), water bottles, 1-gallon water jugs (heads), styrofoam balls, takeaway food serving utensils (hands), yarn, shower loofa (flower), yarn (hair), masking tape, and office shredding to make these beauties).

Inspiration: I adored my friend Catherine Schuller’s beautiful fascinator made out of water bottles that she wore for Halloween a few years back, so I challenged myself to build something out of my recycling pile.

Display #3: Real-Life Van der Voort Sister Ghosts. These beauties will make their debut later today! When I googled ‘Central Park Ghosts,’ I found a few articles about the two Victorian sisters, Janet and Rosetta Van der Voort, who haunt the ice rink in Central Park. Their story has such Gothic overtones that I got carried away. I produced a short audio story (with the help of Lorraine Brooks, Wendy Radford, Verna Henry, and Lauren Ricks), designed an art installation, and recruited my boyfriend, Joe, a found art sculptor, to create an additional display. I can’t wait to share it with you! Happy Halloween!

10/29/2022

Van Der Voort Sisters Ghost Story by Lorraine Brooks

The Van Der Voort Sisters Ghost Story by Lorraine Brooks

Janet and Rosetta Van der Voort
Were allowed only one outdoor sport.
Their father dear would let them skate
On one pond near the park’s south gate.

And skate they would, in purple and red,
The figure-eights their feet would tread.
In afternoon and evening’s charm
The sisters skated arm in arm.

They never married nor gave their hearts,
And died as spinsters, weeks apart.
They had no friends or folks to mourn,
And traveled not from where they were born.

And now, as people skate the pond,
They’ve seen the sisters, aptly donned,
As figures floating on the ice
Making figure-eights precise.

They haunt their old familiar ground
Skating together, round and round.
So if, perchance, you see them there,
Enjoy their presence – IF YOU DARE.

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.

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Are you interested in baking tips and recipes?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with special guest Stacey Harris, The Diabetic Pastry Chef, on Thursday, November 10, 7-8 PM EST.

During this Extra-Special Baking Party on Zoom, we invite you to bake along with The Diabetic Pastry Chef as she prepares her delicious Sugar-Free Pumpkin Spice Muffin recipe. Once you register, we will send you the recipe’s complete list of ingredients so you can prepare before our program begins.

The Diabetic Chef will also demonstrate her favorite kitchen tool and share expert tips for using sugar substitutes and alternative flours in traditional recipes.

Free Prizes! Mr. Divabetic will host a Baking Trivia Contest and Prize Drawing during the program. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our prize drawings to win a Splenda Baking Kit, Tonya Kappes Cozy Mystery and PEAK 10 SKIN SAVE MY SOLE foot rescue cream.

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION

10/27/2022

Sugar-Free Baked Rice Pudding Recipe by the Diabetic Pastry Chef

Divabetic wants to encourage you to indulge in the creative side of Halloween this year.

Instead of feasting on loads of candy, why not listen to our short audio ghost story about the Van der Voort Sisters who haunt Central Park as you enjoy this sugar-free recipe from the Diabetic Pastry Chef?

Sugar-Free Baked Rice Pudding by the Diabetic Pastry Chef

Ingredients

3/4 cup cooked brown rice

2 cups whole milk

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup dry sugar substitute of choice

3 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup raisins

sprinkle of nutmeg for garnishing

nutmeg for garnishing

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Garnish the top with a light sprinkle of grated nutmeg. Bake until the pudding is firm in the center, about 40 minutes. Serve warm or cold with cream or whipped cream.

The Diabetic Pastry Chef’s Note: The pudding mixture can be baked in small greased ramekins or mini casserole dishes instead of a large casserole dish.

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Are you interested in baking tips and recipes?

The Diabetic Chef will also demonstrate her favorite kitchen tool and share expert tips for using sugar substitutes and alternative flours in traditional recipes.

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION

10/19/202210/21/2022

Divabetic Shares A Halloween Ghost Story with Listeners

Enjoy this special Divabetic podcast for Halloween.

Our regular Divabetic podcast featuring an all-star lineup of guests resumes next month for National Diabetes Awareness month in November.

Did you know that Halloween’s sugar consumption will likely surpass the $36 billion record set in 2021?

Understanding how food affects blood glucose is the first step in managing diabetes. But many people, especially at Halloween, when candy is so plentiful, love to give their unsolicited advice about what we’re putting in our mouths.

Many assume that eating candy causes diabetes.

There are two main types of diabetes – type 1 and type 2 diabetes. We know that sugar does not cause type 1 diabetes because our immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells in our pancreas.

Type 2 diabetes is a combination of insulin resistance and pancreatic failure. That said, there’s enough shame and blame already associated with diabetes that it’s too much when someone feels obligated to tell us what we can and cannot eat.

One of our Facebook community members, Rosemary R., perfectly summed up our feeling on the subject:

“Having had diabetes since 11 years old and now 73, you do the math. It is only a part of my life, not the whole. I live a full and varied life. I tell new folks I meet about my condition to alert them to the possibilities of “lows” & how to help me.

Essentially, it’s my responsibility to look after myself just like anyone else. My only beef is that sometimes those “in the know” tell me, “oh, you are a diabetic and shouldn’t be eating that.”

My choice and my responsibility. I own my actions, taking care that any risk is managed and minimized and that I don’t become a burden to family, friends, workmates, the community at large, and the health system. My mantra has always been “moderation in all things.” I thank those who accept me for who I am. I lead a full and satisfying life.”

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.

You can also access the Van der Voort Ghost Story using this QR code:

10/18/202210/18/2022

Central Park Ghosts: The Van der Voort Sisters

I’m excited to share a sneak peek of my upcoming multi-media Halloween display. The theme of Halloween Street, where I work, is ‘Ghost Live”. Since we’re so close to Central Park, I researched ghosts in Central Park and found out about these two Victorian Sisters, Janet and Rosetta Van der Voort, who haunt the Wollman ice rink. I was so inspired by their story that I decided to produce a short story about them and recruited a few talented friends to help.

Divabetic pays tribute to the sisters’ spirits, hoping to encourage you to indulge in the creativity associated with Halloween instead of candy.

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.

Credits Producer: Max Szadek Writers: Max Szadek, Wendy Radford, Lorraine Brooks

Voice Actors: Max Szadek, Verna Henry, Lauren Ricks Graphic Designer: Max Szadek

Articles on the Van der Voort Sisters:

Van der Voort sisters/Ephemeral New York, click HERE to read.

Surprising Central Park, Nature’s Pied-a-Terre, click HERE to read.

Central Park’s Skating Sisters, click HERE to read.

10/08/202210/08/2022

Halloween Muse: Amy Wine “Haunted” House Twins

I have trouble glorifying famous addicts in the music industry. Many people seem to idolize their tragic lives. In my opinion, making ‘good art’ doesn’t require wrestling your demons, torturing your soul, or taking mind-alerting substances. There are plenty of happy, down-to-earth sober artists making beautiful and popular music. Unfortunately, their legacies are often outshined by the mystical status of Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Jimmy Hendrix, and Amy Winehouse.

This Halloween, I’ve decided to pay tribute to Amy Winehouse to raise awareness for 988 since substance abuse is rising.

Amy Winehouse’s legacy is a cautionary tale for how deadly substance abuse and addiction can be. Unfortunately, her tragic story is all too familiar.

Its been widely reported that the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increased number of people misusing drugs and dying from drug overdoses. There were more than 99,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States in the first year of the pandemic, an increase of nearly 30% from the year before.

Amy Winehouse was a rockstar’s rockstar. She is considered one of the greatest musical talents of the past 20 years. Her voice, music, and the way she expressed herself were unique. She modernized jazz. She poured her soul into writing deeply confessional lyrics and singing around London, her hometown. She was a unique talent, a jazz fanatic with the voice of a soul singer.

That Winehouse was just 27 years old when she died underscored her sheer natural brilliance, the meteoric nature of her rise, and the wrenching tragedy of her downward spiral and ultimate fall.

Driven by her muse and haunted by her addictions, she allegedly used heroin and other hard drugs until alcohol became her constant companion. She’d died of accidental alcohol poisoning, as her blood alcohol level was .416% at the time of her death. Addiction and mental health disorders may house certain symptoms, but every case is different, just like the person with them.

If someone in your life is jeopardizing their well-being in any capacity, that should be the first sign: something is wrong, and this person is battling.

Calling 988 directly connects you to compassionate, accessible care and support for mental health or substance abuse-related distress.

I created the Amy Wine “Haunted” House Twins using water bottles, hangers, Diet Coke bottles, yarn, pipe cleaners, newspaper, plastic bags, Target cloth bags, paper shreddings, Dollar Store decorations (masks and eyeballs), disposal serving forks, ribbon, styrofoam balls, and gaffers tape. This Halloween, celebrate creativity, not candy!