Monthly Archives: August 2023

Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Beyond Halloween Town: The Story, the Characters, and the Legacy

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Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Beyond Halloween Town

By Erin

*Horsing Around in LA is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com*

Just in time for Spooky Season! There’s a new book out now that any Nightmare Before Christmas fan HAS to own. Filled with tons of nostalgia of all of your favorite characters like Jack Skellington, Sally, Zero, and Oogie Boogie!

After 30 years, discover the inspirations behind Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and its legacy as a certified pop-culture experience.

What is it about Jack Skellington that is so compelling? Why does the love between Sally and Jack resonate with so many? The feature-length, stop-motion movie about the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town who becomes obsessed with celebrating Christmas is a fascinating musical and love story that has transcended the original film and captivated the world. From the improbable tale to the lovable characters, Tim Burton’s creation has turned into a lifestyle, branching into fashion, video games, card and board games, live-action concerts, themed celebrations at Disneyland, and even cameos in other movies.

Featuring an original foreword by Tim Burton himself, Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Beyond Halloween Town celebrates the film and the culture that has grown around it with exclusive and original interviews from:

  • Author and creator, Tim Burton
  • Animators, sculptors, and other artists of the film
  • Musical talent behind Jack Skellington
  • The iconic voice of Sally, comic actress Catherine O’Hara
  • Musicians on the Nightmare Revisited album

Delve into the magic of Halloween and Christmas in a story told through unlikely heroes that started 30 years ago. This beautifully designed coffee-table book is sure to captivate die-hard and casual fans alike.

BUY YOUR COPY HERE

ABOUT:

Emily Zemler, author of “Disney Princess: Beyond the Tiara”

Emily Zemler is a writer and journalist based in London. She is a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times and Rolling Stone, among other prestigious outlets. Emily is the co-author of A Sick Life, with TLC’s Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, and the author of The Art and Making of Aladdin and Disney Princess: Beyond the Tiara.

Tim Burton, director and artist, is widely regarded as one of cinema’s most imaginative filmmakers. Both his live-action and animated films have earned Academy Awards, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and many other industry accolades, cementing his status as one of the greatest filmmakers of our time.

He has a dedicated following, notably for classic features such as Beetlejuice (1988); Edward Scissorhands (1990); and Sweeny Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007); as well as blockbuster hits Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992); Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005); and Alice in Wonderland (2010). He helped to reinvigorate the stop-motion industry with his 1993 creation and cult classic Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas; followed by Corpse Bride (2005) and Frankenweenie (2012).


Long before becoming a director, Burton expressed himself through drawing, painting, poetry, and photography, all of which have been documented in books The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories, The Napkin Art of Tim Burton, and the 2009 release, The Art of Tim Burton, a 430-page volume comprising more than 40 years of his personal and professional artwork. Coinciding with the release of The Art of Tim Burton, the Museum of Modern Art opened an extensive exhibition of his work in New York, which went on to tour in Melbourne, Toronto, Los Angeles, Paris, and Seoul. A second exhibition of his artwork, The World of Tim Burton, continues to tour internationally. A third, immersive exhibition entitled Tim Burton’s Labyrinth, premiered in Madrid in 2022 and continues to tour internationally.

Under the Sea Boozy Popsicles

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Under the Sea Boozy Popsicles

By Erin

Yield: 9 popsicles
Prep Time: 15 min
Chill Time: 4 hours

Life is the bubbles with these Under the Sea Boozy Popsicles! Ice pops are a great summer indulgence and, for adults, boozy popsicles are even better! These frozen little treats are spiked with alcohol and bring a childhood favorite into the cocktail-loving world. So don’t be such a guppy, cool off with these fun Under the Sea Boozy Popsicles.

Total TIme: 4 hours and 15 minutes

Ingredients:
Green Portion
2 oz Midori Liquor
1 oz Green Apple cocktail syrup
2 oz Light colored margarita mix ( no Yellow or Green shades ) 2 cups of Ice

Blue Portion
2 oz Blue Curacao
1⁄2 oz Blue Raspberry syrup
3 oz Light colored margarita mix ( no Yellow or Green shades ) 2 cups of ice

Yellow Portion
1 oz Tequila
1 oz Triple Sec
2 oz Pineapple Juice 2 cups of Ice

Tools:
Small ice cream scoop
4 small containers or bowls

Popsicle mold ( 6-9 )

Instructions:
Green Layer:
In a blender add all of your GREEN cocktail ingredients. Blend on high until smooth.
Pour into a small container
Set to the side

Blue Layer:
In a blender add all of your BLUE cocktail ingredients.

Blend on high until smooth. Pour into a small container Set to the side

Yellow Layer:
In a blender add all of your YELLOW cocktail ingredients. Blend on high until smooth.
Pour into a small container
Set to the side

Creating the Popsicles
Using your ice cream scoop, scoop small dollops of the green, blue, and yellow frozen cocktail mixture into a bowl.
Continue to add the avors until all is in the 4th bowl.
Using a spoon or spatula lightly fold / mix the cocktail colors to combine.
You want to see portions of each color.
Using your small ice cream scoop, scoop the mixture into the popsicle mold.
Lightly tap the mold on the counter to have the mixture to settle to the bottom and eliminate bubbles.
Use a small spatula to press the mixture down rmly into the molds.
Add more mixture if needed.
Insert the popsicle stickers in the center
Place in the freezer for 4 hours before serving

ENJOY!

Chocolate S’mores Shots

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Chocolate S’mores Shots

By Erin

Chocolate S'mores Shots

It’s National S’mores Day! Time to gather your friends or family around a campfire, roast some marshmallows to a golden brown (or charred black), pop it on a graham cracker with chocolate and enjoy! 

In celebration of S’mores Day, I thought I’d add a little twist to the classic S’mores and make some Chocolate S’mores Shots for the adults to enjoy. Cheers!

*You could also make this into a non-alcoholic treat for the kids and anyone else who needs a mocktail version of this by subbing chocolate milk for the alcohol. 🙂

Chotoclate S’mores Shots

Yield: 8-10
Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 15 min

Ingredients:
1 cup Whipped Vodka

2 cups Caramel Liquor

1 cup Irish Cream

Garnish:
Mini Marshmallows

Graham Cracker Crumbs

Mini chocolate chips

Chocolate Shot Glasses:
8-10 Mini Red Solo Cups
1 package ( 10 oz ) Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Candy Melts

Instructions:
Melt Ghirardelli chocolate wafers and lightly pour 2 tablespoons of the chocolate into the red mini cups.
Swirl the chocolate around the sides of the cups, to evenly spread the chocolate around.
Place in the refrigerator to harden.
Cut the sides of the red cups to remove the chocolate mold.
Pour graham crackers crumbs into a small bowl.
Place a frying pan on the stove over low heat.
Place the top of the chocolate glass on the frying pan to melt the edges.
Dip the chocolate glass into the graham crumbs.
Set to the side.
Repeat with all of the glasses.
In a large chilled pitcher combine vodka, Caramel liquor, and Irish cream and shake.
Pour into the chocolate cups.
Add Whipped cream, graham cracker crumbs, mini chocolate chips, and mini marshmallows to garnish.

Enjoy!

Chocolate S'mores Shots