Walks by Night

Farewell, John

2012-01-27T08:13:00.000-08:00

I wish we'd met when I lived in Albuquerque.

You will be missed.

Wow.

2011-11-22T18:19:00.000-08:00

An unexpected side-effect of the 2010 flooding in parts of Sindh, Pakistan, was that millions of spiders climbed up into the trees to escape the rising flood waters; because of the scale of the flooding and the fact that the water took so long to recede, many trees became cocooned in spiders webs.
(© Russell Watkins)

What I Learned in 2011.

2011-11-07T15:16:00.000-08:00

1. More is more.

2. If lighting is the cake, cobwebs are the icing. Everything looks better with cobwebs. And fog. See #1.
2.a. Don't get the ones from the dollar store--they don't stretch out nicely like the ones from wally world or Michael's.

3. Enlist the help of the neighborhood teens next year. Several came over and decided to hang out, light the pumpkins, pose as corpses in the yard, and let me know when the zombie corpse was stuck. (He had timing problems.) They had such a good time, I mentioned maybe needing help next year and they jumped at the idea.

4. I need more skeletons and skulls. And another fog machine. See #1.

5. Plant some bushes along the edge of the yard. This year, as last, some of the kids were just too excited to come in through the driveway and the cemetery arch. Even though I had pumpkins at the end of the driveway to help light it up, one little girl fell in the ditch. (This will also help to keep my dog from running headlong into the road, which she tries to do, even with her shock collar.) I could try to make a fence, but I think the hedges will add a mystery and I can always do a smaller fenced area inside the yard.

6. Take a plastic knife or spoon with me to test pumpkins before buying. If they don't make a dent in the pumpkin, DON'T BUY IT! Enough with the gourds, already.
6. a. Think about buying more foam pumpkins. Michael's had theirs on half price by the second week in October.

7. Acquire more "creepy cloth" from the dollar store. I've seen it used several ways on different blogs and want to copy them. I have lots already and even some unopened bags, but--see #1.

8. I don't have any pool noodles, but I have to say that old C-PAP tubing has come in pretty handy.

9. This is the second year I've used the tiki torches and I really like the atmosphere they exude. I got these for half price last year in late Sept., early October, when wally world was starting to put out their Christmas stuff in their garden lot. One jug of fluid has lasted both years, with some to spare, though I only have 3 torches now. (One bit the dust last year.)

10. No matter how much lighting I have, it's not enough. Again with #1.

(On a side note, I've had at least 3 people tell me this year's display was the best one yet. That's great to hear, since it seemed so last minute to me, but on the other hand, I need to figure out why it was the best so next year will be better. Oh, the pressure...)

Hallowe'en 2011

2011-11-03T18:21:00.000-07:00

This year's theme was: The Funeral. It came about after having had 4 family members and one good friend die in the last 10 months. Yeah, sometimes a morbid sense of humor helps.

For the longest time, I couldn't get into the spirit of things due to all the stressors, and then the Alaskan cruise took up a lot of planning and thinking time, as well as the week itself. It wasn't until I had the casket out and up on pallets and was wondering what I could do to keep it protected until the big day, that inspiration struck when I erected the canopy tent.

So the last few weeks have been frantic, and some of the things I hurriedly planned were just too involved or time-consuming to come to fruition. In addition, of the twelve real pumpkins I purchased, 8 were gourd-like in their hardness and inability to truly carve, and I filleted a small bit of my left forefinger in the process, slowing things down even more. But I got lots of compliments from kids and adults alike, even before the lights went on. Some came for candy and a look before it got dark and then came back after dark to walk through again. Some, after getting their candy, asked if they could go through the yard and were excited when I said "Please DO!" Others, especially the little ones, were content to view the yard from afar.

The Mourners

The funeral

The Deceased. So to speak.

Fans of "The Walking Dead" will get this small tribute.

I had planned to put the scary or gruesome stuff towards the end of the display, so parents could just walk the little ones up the driveway to the porch and back again. But Zombie Girl wasn't battery-powered as I thought she was, and she needed a flat surface. So I plugged her in to an outlet in the garage and placed her on a sheet of foam insulation board.

Unfortunately she scared some of the little ones and one pre-teen dissolved into tears. I did regret that.

Each year, I think it will have to be my last. I turned 60 this summer, and it gets tougher to do this all alone. I drool over all your creativity, your wonderful handmade props, and fight the urge to compare my small yard haunt with yours.

But then, as I sat on the porch steps, shivering in my Zombie Nurse scrubs, watching adults, teens, and kids alike wander through the graveyard, turn their flashlights on mysterious object dangling from trees, and try to sum up the courage to peek into the casket, I realized I won't stop as long as I can get around. I can't stop. It's heady. It's a rush. It's too much fun.

Besides, I already have an idea for next year.

Kindle-owning Zombies

2011-11-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

I'll post pictures of yesterday a little later, as I didn't get any before the madness started, and will go out at twilight tonight and take some.

In the meantime, for you Kindle owners, check this out:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=tsm_1_fb_kin_111101_dailydeal?docId=1000677541

I had to order it!

"The Walking Dead" Sweepstakes

2011-03-05T06:57:00.000-08:00

You've got until 3/31 to enter for an iPad and the first season on Blu-Ray!

http://www.amcdead.com/

Missing my weekly quota...

2011-01-04T21:00:00.000-08:00

of "The Walking Dead."

I so need this:

Christmas Wish List

2010-12-08T09:10:00.000-08:00

Just had to put these on my Christmas wish list:

http://www.whatonearthcatalog.com/whatonearth/Item_Alien-Gnome-Bandits-Garden-Accent-6_VG1442_ps_srm.html

http://www.whatonearthcatalog.com/cgi-bin/hazel.cgi?randomizer=1515925760&action=detail&item=CE3173

Unfortunately, this is backordered:
http://www.whatonearthcatalog.com/cgi-bin/hazel.cgi?randomizer=918391616&action=detail&item=CE0422

And from AMC:
http://shop.amctv.com/products/95391-the-walking-dead-poster-key-chain
http://shop.amctv.com/products/95352-the-walking-dead-trio-distress-t-shirt

What's on your list?

Behind the Scenes, or What I Learned THIS Year

2010-11-04T18:17:00.000-07:00

1. I love Hot Blood. Her red hot glue sticks really DO look like blood, and they were so easy to apply, both on the fake weapons and inside the witch jars. I'm glad I bought lots, because I have tons left for next year, now that I know what to do with them.

2. Do NOT schedule a repairman the week before Halloween. He may be fast, and he may be good, but inevitably there will be unforeseen circumstances requiring your presence and decision-making abilities (which are shabby by now), and drywall, paint, etc. that need to dry before the next step can be taken.

(Although I do love the new fan in my sewing room, and the additional light made the cat's eyes in the window really shine through.)

Looks cool from the inside, too.

3. When Hallowe'en falls on a Sunday, be prepared to have just as many ToTs on Saturday as you expect on Sunday. This means have the props all set up and ready to go by 4:00 pm Sat. afternoon. Fortunately, that won't happen again until 2021--and as I will be 70 years old that year, it may just be a moot point.

4. Board Tandi every Hallowe'en. Period.

5. LoveLee soaps on Etsy makes awesome fake fingers , right down to the ragged cuticles. They're even a bit slick to the touch. (Red hot glue looks terrific on soap fingers.)

They also make soap poop, for all you pranksters and 8-yr-olds in adult clothing.

6. Duct tape and safety pins can save your butt.

6a. Duct tape sticks to itself better than anything else. (note bottom left corner of foam insulation board walls)

7. Carve jack-o-lanterns early, even if you have to put the finished products in the fridge or in coolers with ice. I never got any carved, and my lighting wasn't really enough without them.

8. Buy lots more extension cords and multi-outlet posts for next year. Enough said.

9. Punt.

With all those uncarved pumpkins, I had to come up with some way to use them. I scattered the pumpkins, skeletons, and the ubiquitous scarecrow around the yard, as if something had come and destroyed the place.

9a. Don't try to put together a new prop at the last minute. It will always look last minute--to you, even if your visitors aren't that critical.

Unless you can use the dim lighting to your advantage.

10. Firepits come in very handy for old Gypsy Queens on cold Hallowe'en nights. You can even dance around them, if no one's watching.

(More pictures on flickr, top right column of this blog)

Skeletons

2010-10-23T21:23:00.000-07:00

Bought 'em! Right now "Bob" and "Alice" are sitting in lawn chairs in the front yard as "Napoleon" (my 3' skeleton) rides the flower pot tricycle hauling pumpkins. They won't stay there, but for now they're pretty entertaining.

One more shift after tonight and I'm off work for 10 nights, so pictures are coming, I promise!

Quick Question

2010-10-16T20:01:00.000-07:00

I have the opportunity to buy 2 skeletons off Craigslist:
http://asheville.craigslist.org/for/2003625495.html

The seller says the skeletons are moveable, but not poseable--there must be some support to keep their positions. He says he has 2 of these skeletons in his graveyard scene and gets a lot of stop-and-lookers, and he thinks it's the skeletons. He will come down to $165.00 for these two new skeletons and will deliver them to me this weekend. Actually, he offered (via email) to do it tonight, but I'm a little cautious.

Based on the photos and his description of the dudes, height and weight, do you think this is a good deal? Hubby's reluctant, as I've spent a lot this year already, but I think this would be worth it.

Advice? Opinions? Anything more I should ask this guy?

Big Giveaway

2010-09-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

Have you been here?

It's a group of Halloween Artists who are giving away 31 prizes in October--one a day. There are some really intriguing gifts and all you need to do is describe your favorite Halloween tradition. For more entries you can post on your blog and shout out on Facebook.

Unfortunately neither Bean nor Shellhawk are part of that group, because their work is outstanding and I have purchased items myself. Maybe next year, ladies?

And look! I won a giveaway over at The Candy Corn Chronicles! The Pumpkin Girl

I have lots of repurposed items for Halloween, and my share of the commercial stuff, too. But more and more, I'm collecting handmade items of the holiday, and when I'm too old and decrepit to get out and haunt the yard, I will set up my little display in my nursing home windowsill and admire them from my rocker while I remember the good old days.

Latest Acquisitions

2010-09-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

When I woke up yesterday morning, it felt like a good day for junkin'. After lunch I headed out to hit various thrift stores, and though I didn't get to all of them, the ones I hit yielded several items for this year's haunting.

First, another oil lamp for my collection.

It's in great shape; it just needed a little work where the burner part was rusted and hard to get open. Once I got it unscrewed and cleaned and refilled, it burns beautifully. Whoever priced this didn't know what they had, because, although I haven't looked up this pattern in my book, the assembly indicates it was made before 1920--which makes it at least 90 years old. I got it for the cool price of $15.00.

And the last tea light holder came in from Dark Candles:

This one's a little dark, but here they are all lit up in my kitchen:

Next, a couple of Halloween buckets (probably will give these to friends), and electric stick candles which will be painted black and used in the tent, also.

The small jar has painted-on letters, which I will need to paint over or cover with a label, but is a good size for small potions.

This old jar cost me $3.00. It's very large and with the lid painted black, and maybe some tattered muslin or something around it, will also be a good jar for a specimen.

Next are several red dresses I will be dismantling for drapes inside the tent:

Detail of the fabric:

This one has a nice shimmer to it, that doesn't show up well in the pictures, and is lined with red satin:

It also has a long scarf that went with it, and will make a great headband:

This one was my favorite. Notice the rhinestones across the bodice?

They'll be removed and used somewhere else, probably on the little wooden casket from Michael's that a friend gave me. I figure part of the fabric will be used to line the inside of the casket.

The underskirt is black netting, always handy, and more red satin.

Tonight will probably be spent watching a spooky movie off my Netflix list and ripping seams.

Good times.

Christmas in August

2010-08-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

Look at what has arrived at my humble abode this week:

A couple of items from Victorian Trading Company.

These aren't very tall, but I think they'll look good across the windowsill, or maybe even around a tombstone. There are 5 sets of three on the string.

The tall witch's shoe pincushion came in, too

I'm not sure how I'm going to use it this year, but it was too unique to pass up.

Next, the tealight holder, which really looks to be a votive holder.

Not red, as listed on the Dark Candles site, but purple.

I'm crazy about purple and I've decided to keep it, but it's not what I ordered.

This is what I ordered:

I can see this on the table with the black lacy tablecloth and the crystal ball. So I've sent an email to Helena at Dark Candles to work out how to keep the purple one and order the red one, too, since they were different prices.

The first set of tea lights I ordered from her came in. These are Bonfire (the dark orange ones), Graveyard, and Clove. With my next order, I want to try a single votive of several more scents to decide what I want to use in the tent, and some pillars for the house. So far, they are smelling delicious, but they may not last til the jack-o-lanterns are carved.

Next were a couple of items from a blogging friend:

A papier mache skull from Michael's, I think.

This little casket emits a Fun-House type of laughter that continues as long as the top is opened. A little black paint (to match my other casket), something to cover the inside top, some batting and silky-like fabric to line the bottom and it would be ready for....what?

A tiny skeleton? A tiny vampire?

Or a severed finger?

I had a storyline started for my gypsy, but the "elegance" of the candleholders has given me pause. Maybe it would be creepier to have her surroundings not be likened to an old shack in the woods, where everything is all dusty and cobwebby inside, but more colorful and "bejewelled" and elegant. Then have the pathway to the tent lined with spiders and cobwebs, crooked tombstones, swamps and cursed victims.

What do you think?

Revving Up

2010-08-08T04:23:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 3:30 this morning with the remnants of a scary dream in my mind. With a little work, it would make a good short story, so I'm not going to divulge it just yet. Maybe later...

Anyway, my mind leapfrogged over to Halloween and the storyline for the old gypsy woman for this year's haunt, and that was it for sleep. At 4:30, a bewildered but loyal Tandi and I got up for good. I've spent some time mulling over the details of the story, but decided I needed to play some Nox Arcana to facilitate the mood, and plugged the iPod into the docking station in my sewing room before remembering I had removed the Halloween playlists at Christmas. (No problem, they're still on iTunes on the computer, but it occurs to me I need to back these up on a disc or I will be soooo sorry!)

Turned on the computer and synced up and added the last few Hauntcasts to the list, too.
While this was going on, I decided to take this lovely dark time and catch up on my Halloween blogs, watching some of the videos posted on their sites and chasing links. It occurs to me that since going on my "track" at work, I've avoided the one-night-shift-off scenario that usually leaves me grumpy and hard to live with, but has also deprived me of those all-nighters where I have the whole house to myself and no television news or history programs to escape. I might just need to schedule one of those nights, because once early bird Jack gets up (as he just did) the mood is gone. It's hard to maintain a spooky atmosphere when daylight comes and news analysts argue the latest events--and Jack feels the need to chime in.

Here's a site I need to check out more closely, thanks to Wendy of The Halloween Tree: Victorian Trading Company's Fall Sneak Peek i-catalogue. I could SO spend my paycheck here!

I've already been over to Dark Candles and put in an order--can't wait for it to come in!

Yes, I'm a little late joining the leagues of those who live and breathe Halloween year-round, and have been hard at work for months, but there's still time.

Goodies

2010-07-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, I finally got a couple more storage bins for the newest Halloween stuff. Some of it was "cutesie", and that's not usually my style, but I have friends who will like it. So some of it will be gifted to them--a Halloween wreath, a Halloween flag, a paper garland of skulls--but most of it will stay with me.

Candleholders that feel like wax themselves

As I was sorting the similar items into bins, it occurred to me I should probably be cataloguing what I have. After all, I'm up to 9 bins now, not counting the stuff that won't fit into plastic storage bins. I began listing the newest things in categories: Bones and Skeletons; Masks and Wigs; Tombstones; Candleholders; etc. Some things fit more than one category, of course, and right now it's all in a spiral notebook, but I can see where it could easily be cross-referenced and put into the computer. I could detail myself to death here, so that will just wait until a post-holiday winter's day when I can't find anything else to do.

Uh-huh.

There are two ground-busters from the Casket Donor, a mummy and a skeleton:

Some netting "ghosts" that will probably be disassembled and washed in Rit Color Remover to make them glow:

I haven't checked to see if the green bats will glow in the dark, but I'll bet they will.

I'm not sure if this guy had insides, but he doesn't now, so I may have to re-purpose him after I get a chance to check him over more closely. There is also something that seems to be a Frankenstein tree-hugger, but I haven't tested that theory yet.

I really like these small candleholders! The witches had a blue cauldron-shaped votive holder in between them, but I dropped it carrying armloads from the truck to the house, and it broke. I'm hoping to find something I can use in its place, maybe from Michael's. It's about time for the Halloween items to start showing up there.

Here are 3 "semi-cute" signs that I think I might can doctor up a little. Reminds me of those old highway signs--you know, the ones that advertised the shaving creme back in the 50s? That rhymed. Can't remember the name of the product, though. Bryl-Creme? No. But I think it did start with a B.

Guess my early dementia is kicking in here. It'll come to me, though.

Another couple of semi-cute signs. They have potential.

And my favorite, next to the casket itself:

He's not toally poseable, but all his joints bend. They just don't rotate and bend.

While I was indulging in a little Halloween fantasizing and wondering how to use all the things I have, my subconscious dredged up an idea I've read somewhere, probably on one of your blogs. Since I plan to have the candy outside this year, away from the front door where Tandi would bark herself into a severe case of laryngitis, and will need to make a pathway to the Gypsy Tent, I'm thinking I should work out a storyline for the old gypsy woman. I might not put out explanatory signs or anything, but something to help me organize my yard, and utilize some of the groupings I have. For example, the path could pass through a cemetery. Then I can use the tombstones and ground busters. Maybe it should go past a "swamp", where bats and reptilian body parts give off a green glow.

I have reconciled myself to the fact I will never have the production that most of my favorite bloggers have, just because I am a one-woman show. And I don't have the time, space, know-how, or inclination (at least in this heat and humidity!) to build those wonderful moving props I see in Halloween-Land. So I need to make the most of what I have or can buy.

Any advice or suggestions for storylines?

BURMA SHAVE--that's it!

I knew it would come to me.

2010 Theme

2010-06-16T23:45:00.000-07:00

It's that time again. Many of the Halloween bloggers I read never really stop creating, or maybe only for Nov. and Dec., but I just don't reach that level of dedication.

But about the time I get tired of planting things in the yard (which, "coincidentally" is when the humidity exceeds the temperature outside), is when I begin dreaming of cooler days, ie: autumn, and all that goes with it. It's when I start making the rounds of yard sales with an eye towards items for Halloween.

I've lucked up, I think, and will be meeting with a gal on Fri. and buying all her Halloween decor. I know it consists of a small skeleton, a 4' long casket, mummy parts and skeleton parts that look as if the bodies are breaking through the ground, and various wigs, masks, candleholders, and indoor items. She's moving to South America in the fall, and they don't celebrate Halloween down there. I found her ad on craigslist, and she's holding the items for me until I can come get them. Heaven knows where I'm going to store a small casket, as the garage is already bulging, so I may have to check out a few storage facilities. Between the Christmas bins (15) and things that don't fit, and the Halloween bins (7) and things that don't fit in a bin, I believe I have just cause to rent ~~a cheap~~ an inexpensive storage room. She's holding the items just for me; said it's only fitting that her treasures should go to the woman known in her neighborhood as "The Halloween Lady." I'm tickled pink. Or orange.

Of course, it doesn't compare with what most of those in blogland are doing--I stand in awe! But then again, I do okay for a one-woman show. Besides, I love getting ideas and tips from everyone else.

Oh, the theme for this year: Gypsy Curse. I'm still mulling it all over, but have mentioned it to a couple of friends and the ideas are beginning to flow my way. We're on the lookout for one of those small wall-less tents--the ones with 4 posts and a roof. If I can't find one to borrow, maybe I'll snag one at an end-of-season sale. Draped with black sheets, and an overlay of red ones, some jars of potions, hubby's crystal ball, an old, dusty book, baubles with ghostly charms, a palm with an eye in it, some Tarot cards, some of Pumpkinrot's witch jars to light the path...

Getting excited!

Halloween at Christmas

2009-12-07T20:09:00.000-08:00

One of the blogs I subscribe to on my Reader is Our Best Bites. Today they had a blitz of Christmas ideas--and this is the first one up:

http://www.mcphee.com/shop/products/Oh-No...-Zombies%21-Board-Game.html

It may be corny, or it could be fun--who knows? Cute idea, though.

Oh, and then there's this:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_id=31816213
Just for you, Frog Queen!

And, from the same artist:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_id=31407219

For the guys:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_id=12468816

Another gift idea:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061956430?ie=UTF8&tag=rarbirfin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061956430

I Got Nothin'

2009-11-26T18:28:00.000-08:00

I'm afraid postings here are gonna be lean(er) for the next few weeks. I am a Halloween nut, but I'm also a Christmas nut. What can I say? They run neck and neck for my favorite holiday.

And I just can't blend the two.

Unless I get something really cool under the tree--like my first Bucky skeleton!

Otherwise, see you folks in about a month.

Depressing

2009-11-13T20:37:00.000-08:00

This weekend, it all gets packed away. Finally.

Of course, it has to come down first:

the black curtains throughout the house, the creepy cloth, the (previously) bloody shower curtain,

the foam pumpkins,

the various and sundry items that have become so much a part of the decor, I almost don't see them anymore.

Most of it has been residing in various piles in the garage, waiting for a relatively warm, uncommitted offday to sort it out and pack it away.... somewhere.

I seem to have acquired more than I thought. For the first time, some of the garden/outdoor items are going into the crawl space.

Hmmm. Maybe it'd be easier just to set things up down there next year.

Fame

2009-11-04T23:22:00.000-08:00

A co-worker who knows a little of my love for Halloween was telling me about the Forest of Fear he and his wife went to the weekend during their first anniversary celebration the weekend before. They went through a corn maze, a 'Forest of Fear', and a Haunted hayride, and he told me of some of what they saw.

I pulled up PumpkinRot's site on the 'puter to show him some photos of his haunt, and look what I found: http://pumpkinrot.blogspot.com/2009/11/soup.html

At first I thought it was my site and wondered how I'd clicked wrong, and then realized what it was and I was very uncool. I squealed. Quasi-fame does that to me.

In the words of Chris Baker on Hauntcast: I am not worthy.

Thanks, Rot! You made my night!

The Whys

2009-11-01T19:28:00.000-08:00

Some photos of the yard and the best compliment (s) ever.

(You'll note the lack of rain in the pictures--I stole some advice off someone's blog [can't remember whose] and left everything set up til tonight. Then I relit everything and took pictures at my leisure. Good advice!)

I had some who wanted to walk around the yard and take photos of their children with some of the objects. Some folks told me they come by every year because this is their favorite house. I had some teens gathered round with flashlights--didn't even come to the door for candy--just looking at things. ( I always give them candy if they come to the door, no matter how old they are. They get a bigger loot if they made an effort to dress up, paint their faces, or even wear masks, but always something, because these kids will be our future Haunters.)

All the while, I'm feeling like a hypocrite, because there are so many of you who have wonderful hand-built props and amazing staging and I'm such an amateur.

But you know what made my night? A little boy, maybe 3 years old, in his little prisoner's outfit with a black and white striped shirt. Young enough that mom had to hold his hand to help him up the steps and hold his bag for him because he couldn't manage both.

When they got to the porch, she prompted him "Now, say 'Trick or Treat!'" Instead, he looked up at me and said "I wike your house."

I'll live off that for months.

In the Midst and in The Mist

2009-10-31T18:25:00.000-07:00

The rain has gone from a drizzle to a steady, candle-snuffing precipitation. The bush-shaking monster is in a continuous roar from the movement of the plants in front of it.

J-Man has long gone to watch TV in the bedroom, tired of having to stop the movie over and over again while I calm the dog and answer the door.

Nox Arcana is playing only to the night --ToTs are few and far between now. The spotlights are still on, and the tiki torches are putting up a brave front, but they may have to give up the ghost soon.

The Mist is on TV, I have a stack of more DVDs to watch, and I'm on a sugar high from dipping into the candy cauldron. (I forgot to eat supper.)

Sweet.

Happy Halloween, All!

Dismal

2009-10-31T06:32:00.000-07:00

It's been raining for 15 straight hours now. Half of my yard haunt is unfinished: Farmer/Hatchet man is still a PVC frame, the cornstalks are drooping again, 3 tombstones and a column still need to be water-proofed, as do Samara's hands (she who will be coming up from a big black flowerpot instead of the well that didn't get built), no jack-o-lanterns have been carved yet, and it's doubtful the finishing touch of cobwebs will be distributed.

It's a wet, soggy, bare mess right now.

On the slightly positive side, I did get the tombstones carved, and finished painting them at 2:30 this morning. They aren't what I'd planned, but they'll have to do. If I get a chance to make the green-paint-dryer-lint "moss", maybe that will help. Then again, maybe the paint will just run.

No, I didn't carve the Viking ship--just the epitaph.

This one was going to read "Don D. Cade", but I realized all three tombstones would be for males, so I changed it to Dawn instead. A little harder to sound out, but maybe people will get it.

I know you can't read this one--but I'm hoping the ToTs will be able to. It reads: "Ye who walk o'er me will wish you'd died 'fore me." They will have to get close to read it--and that's the point.

I'd hoped to drape this one with the fake green "grape" cluster lights and place it at the end of the driveway, but now I'm not sure.

Sigh. Maybe things will dry up slightly. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Halloween Theater

2009-10-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

To belatedly celebrate our anniversary, DH and I went to see "The Woman in Black" at our state theater. Talk about a haunting! I was on the edge of my seat almost the entire play, both with the storyline and with studying the lighting and visual effects.

If you've never seen it, you have to go first chance you get. It's a two-actor play within a play, with both men playing multiple parts. These guys were so good, there was no doubt which role they were playing at any given time.

The play is based on a novel by Susan Hill and was adapted to the stage by Stephen Mallaratt. Do NOT google the storyline--some of the sites tell you the whole story as opposed to just a synopsis, and that would ruin the experience.

The Woman in Black is in its 21st year at the Fortune Theater in London--where it is reported to be haunted by a woman in black. She was first seen mid-performance by the actors, appearing in the wings after a break-in at the Covent Theater. How appropo!

I feel a theme for next year's yard haunt coming on....

Lighting

2009-10-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

My tennis shoes and socks are wet and my toes are cold. I've been out trying to position the lighting and decide what else I need before Sat. The tombstones are not out, there are no jack-o-lanterns yet, the tiki torches aren't lit, and I haven't done a trial run with the fogger. I'm going to change the kitchen window and Samara is not ready, nor is the ghostly person I decided to make at the last minute (a little eye-rolling, please).

But boy, do I like the effect I'm getting here:

I'm thinking I need another red spotlight a little closer to the "X", but so far, the creepiness is just what I want. There are tiki torches on each side of the X that will be lit Halloween night. (Dry run tomorrow night.)

There is some rearranging yet to be done, but this is the woodpile left from taking the tree down. Remember?

I moved it to the left of the stump right next to the driveway, and the 'barrow of bones is on the right as you're looking at it.

Big Lots had a lot of their summer stuff marked way down back in September, and they had these tacky-looking "grape" lights with a couple of grape leaves at each "cluster" along the strand. I bought two red strings and two green ones. Then I took one of the red strands, unclustered them, and spread them out underneath the logs. It's hard to see here (I must learn to master night photography!), but it looks like glowing embers when you're right there.

Maybe this will help you picture it a little better:

I realize the lights are all blurry, but now you can see where the woodpile is.

I was going to add the second strand of red lights to the woodpile, but now I'm wondering if maybe I should encircle the base of the "X" with them instead, or just rely on the one red spotlight and the tiki torches on either side which will be lit that night.

Any opinions? Suggestions?

It's a Conspiracy

2009-10-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

Four days to Halloween and it's raining--AGAIN! AAAGGGHHH!

I'm about to throw my hands up in surrender. These hands:

Or maybe these:

Things I've learned while making my first papier mache props:

1. Plan the position of the fingers before starting and if possible, plan the use for the hands. Fingers too close together make it difficult to wrap glue-soaked paper around.

2. Using a telephone book is great for layering with paper, as you can alternate between white pages and yellow pages to know which layer needs more, er, layers.

3. Never let the yellow layer be your last one.

4. Take your time.

5. Don't wear vinyl exam gloves while building papier mache props, even if you're allergic to latex. They don't fit and dexterity is a joke. Just go ahead and get your hands all gluey.

6. The jury is out on using paper towels as your final layers. I hate working with it, as the paper towel pieces tend to roll up on the edges. On the other hand, I do like how they look as they're drying. Time will tell.

I used a universal wood-burning type tool to carve the letters on my foam tombstones, wearing a mask, of course. They didn't turn out too badly, but I cannot find any of my paintbrushes. I don't think I got rid of them, but where are they? I wanted to paint the letters so they'll stand out, but it's too wet and cold to make a run to the hardware store.

Besides, the local hardware store has a few corn stalks left, and I need some more. The frame to the yard windmill (which I have never finished putting together) is great for attaching the stalks to, but it looks rather bare right now.

And droopy.

And the big "X" that I made with the black-painted PVC pipes and cornstalks?

Toppled.

I don't know if the stalks got too wet and overloaded the pipes or if the sand in the big flowerpot they are sunk into, shifted with all the water. At any rate, I need more, dry cornstalks.

Even the 'barrow of bones is suffering:

It's a plot, I tell you.

No photos yet

2009-10-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

Worked last night, and now I'm off until next Tuesday. I spent some time in the yard after waking up, and have the cornstalks up, along with the tiki torches. It was hard to get much done, as the neighbors and dog-walkers had to stop and chew the fat, while I chomped at the bit. (How's that for mixing metaphors?)

I'm not one for cutesy stuff at Halloween, but I did stumble upon some plastic pumpkin lights on stakes at a yard sale. A drainage ditch runs under the edge of my driveway, and as there are no street lights, I don't want anyone tumbling over the side, so I rigged those up in a hurry along one side of the driveway. Just gotta make sure no one trips over the power cords. The other side is much more of a drop-off with little ground to make use of. I'm not sure what I'll put there to prevent accidents.

Tomorrow is supposed to be hard rain all day and most of the night, so it'll be inside preparations only. I need to put another layer on the paper mache hands for Samara and the spare hands, and it's time to get the dremel wannabe out to carve the tombstones. Maybe some pumpkins will get carved, too.

I need more time!

(Photos here are from years past) (And no, that's not me.)

Day Whatever-This-Is

2009-10-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

And the Countdown to Halloween continues....

I don't know how or when I came upon this site, but I have already spent an hour there and could spend another without getting through it all. Free paper "toys", seasonal music, weird art and photography--it's a fun site to peruse. I'm really diggin' some of his artwork.

Take a stroll....

http://ravensblight.com/index.html

Resuming intermittent countdown

2009-10-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

I must admit to being disappointed that I won't get to do all the things I wanted for this year's Halloween celebration, but there was no way to predict illness. The party must be postponed until next year, and the prop-building will be minimal.

On a rare break from the hospital last week, I put up a few more items in the house (more to cheer myself up than hubby), and got a little bit done yesterday. It's become apparent I need MORE STUFF. I did order one of Shellhawk's jack-o-lanterns (can you spot it?) and tonight ordered some of Bean's baby jack-o-lanterns.

Here are a few inside photos:

On the TV in the guest room

On top of the china cabinet in the dining room. I bought the styrofoam wig heads to corpse, but won't have the time. This reminds me of the "Wicked" posters.

Gotta love that creepy cloth--all of $1.00 from the Dollar Store. I went back and bought the last 5 packages, but haven't put them up yet.

The skull's eyes light up at intervals when you press a button. Dumb, but fun.

I didn't realize how much I would like the brass candlestick look. Got it at a yard sale this summer along with the twisty black ones, and I think I'm gonna keep my eyes open for more.

Gargoyles also from the dollar store. If the organ were in better shape, it could really be effective.

The fall tablerunner and potpourri will come off this weekend. Got the "bleeding candles" from Spirit, who left my "glass grabber creatures" out of the shipment.

I need to print out some labels and rearrange this a bit, but it shows promise in my kitchen. hehehe.

I'm finding it difficult to get much done, unfortunately. Maybe after some of these doctor appointments have passed....

Halloween Winner

2009-10-16T21:43:00.000-07:00

I won! Mr. Macabre was giving away 250 custom greeting cards and I won them! Woohoo!

This year's Halloween party had to be scrapped, as hubby was in the hospital for a week and still needs a liver biopsy and there just isn't time over the next two weeks to finish around the house, much less plan and "execute" a party, so this will be perfect for next year!

Thanks, Mr. Macabre!

Keep your fingers that all goes well over the next two weeks and I can get the yard done and photos taken!

Blogging Hiatus

2009-10-08T17:08:00.000-07:00

Had to put DH in the hospital--will resume this blog in a few days, hopefully with some Halloweenish items!

A Tip of the Hat

2009-10-05T18:01:00.001-07:00

This is the week I really miss Albuquerque--during the annual Balloon Fiesta. I miss the chill of the morning air, the scent of roasting chiles, and the sight of hundreds of balloons adorning the unbelievably blue skies.

Here's a salute to the Festival:

image source

I don't know where the above two shots were taken. But THIS one is definitely in NM:
New Mexico PhotoJournal: October 2005 (Oct. 30)

Posted using ShareThis

Countdown Day 4

2009-10-04T20:01:00.000-07:00

Remakes would be more enjoyable if you hadn't seen the original.

War of the Worlds, Halloween, The Stepford Wives--three I remember off the top of my head that boasted far better originals than the remakes. The Day the Earth Stood Still has been one of my all-time favorites. ("Gort! Klaatu barada nikto.")

I have resisted seeing the remake with Keanu Reeves, though I hear he does a good job with crappy material. Oh, and just saw the remake of Children of the Corn --also a disappointment. I wanted to kill the bitchy wife myself.

However, ttonight I watched the latest (3rd) remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Invasion with Nicole Kidman was tolerable. Jeremy Northam, who was terrific in The Net, was no more believable than Daniel Craig. But the little boy was adorable and I appreciated the maternal aspect--a watered-down Aliens mom--but a mom, nonetheless.

I mean, what's scarier than someone wanting to kill your child?

Beginnings

2009-10-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

Do you remember when you first became enamored with Halloween and all that it entails? I've tried to remember (and when you're 50-something, there are a lot of memories to cull through!), and two incidents jump out at me.

The first occurred when I was about 6 years old, or thereabouts. My parents had put me to bed, and were watching a scary movie on TV. Unbeknownst to them, I had sneaked into the hall and was watching it, too--until a commercial came on and Mother got up for something. Busted! She tucked me back into bed, admonishing me to go to sleep, and shut my door.

Sleep didn't come for a very long time, and when it did, it was full of nightmares about oddly-acting people with strange marks on their necks. My parents, seizing the opportunity to make a point, told me the nightmares were from watching movies made for grown-ups. I knew better. It was because I hadn't seen the ending. My imagination filled in the gaps for me.

Did you figure out the movie? It was 1953's Invaders from Mars.

It was years before I got to see it again--and I found it satisfyingly spooky.

The second incident happened in the fall of my second grade year. We'd moved to Dallas after school started, and I was new to the class and a little shy. There was to be a school show of some sort, and auditions for a witch were held in my class. I was an unlikely candidate, being a chubby little thing with wavy blond hair, but I tried out anyway. It was almost certain the part would go to another aspiring actress, a slim little girl with long black hair, and indeed, it came down to the two of us. However, what I lacked in looks, I made up for with attitude and cackle. I got the part, much to her chagrin.

It was only a small skit. My lines will be familiar to most of you, though I don't remember anything more than this:

"Double, double, toil and trouble, Fire burn and cauldron bubble."

I was hooked forever.

Halloween Love Story

2009-10-02T21:28:00.000-07:00

Countdown to Halloween has started, and I was fortunate enough to find it in time to participate this year. It's going to be difficult to tear myself away from all the participants' blogs, but if I don't, there'll be nothing to post.

Mr. Macabre posted a question several days ago, dealing with spousal support for Halloween enthusiasts. As I stated there, hubby indulges me, but doesn't really get into it all, probably due to his disabilities. But there was a time....

In the late 1960s (probably before most of you were born, children), DH was a youth and music minister of a Baptist church in Alabama, where we both grew up. I had met him not long before my 15th birthday, when he was a student at a local University and came to help out one of his fellow students (my choir director) by singing in the youth choir. I was hopelessly smitten, but as there was a 4-year age difference, our friendship was more of a sibling-type relationship.

My senior year in high school, DH planned Halloween "socials" for 3 different church youth groups, and recruited two of his cousins and me to help. One of them, Steve, was really into theater and the arts, and did a great job transforming DH, Bill, himself and me into a vampire, corpse, wolf-man, and lady vampire, respectively. I remember it took Steve hours to individually apply clumps of hair to his face and hands.

DH wrote the script for us, and though the storyline is long since forgotten, what I do remember is a lot of teeth-baring and discord among the characters, and some improvisation when we couldn't remember our lines. After the final social, when we weren't quite ready to give it all up, we drove around awhile, scaring other drivers at stoplights (I told you Steve was good) and stopping at a 7-11 for some Slurpies and photos by the store's proprietor.

Within 2 years we were dating, and in 1971, I married this blue-eyed, dimpled vampire. Our first Halloween, he positioned the huge stereo speakers out in the bushes by the front porch and played the only 2 record albums of spooky sound effects we owned. We turned off all the lights in the house, and I sat just inside the open door, dressed all in white, under the rays of the blacklight, beckoning ToTs to come, come. The shivering was real--it was COLD that night--and very few children ventured up the sidewalk, let alone came to the porch for candy.

Years passed, we worked, moved, and moved, and moved across the country and back again, endured a catastrophic illness and financial quagmires, and Halloween pranks and events took a back seat to trick-or-treating with our daughter.

Now we are older, still loving scary movies, living in a great neighborhood with increasing numbers of children, and there's a plethora of information and how-tos out there. Halloween has ascended to a whole new level of technique, finesse and fright, and it's exciting to discover and try them. DH humors me and even makes a suggestion now and then. I think there may still be a bit of vampire lurking behind those blue eyes and dimples...

Pumpkins 2008

2009-10-01T06:05:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorites from last year:

Puking Pumpkin and Disgusting Friend

A Dental Hygienist's Nightmare

What Happens When you Divorce Barbie

My Favorite: Deformed Baby

Source of Inspiration? This guy right here.

Potential

2009-09-28T17:59:00.000-07:00

We had two dying trees cut down today, which really leaves a HUGE space to try and stage for Halloween. I'm kind of at a loss about how to control yard wanderers now, and where to put Samara's well, which I am determined to put together this year.

The workmen also left me a good-sized pile of firewood for my daughter, who lives in VA. She'll come down for the party and Halloween, and probably take a trunkload back with her, but it's mine to use in the meantime.

There must be something I can do with it. Make a path with the logs? Just move the pile and use it as is to hide something? Faced with all I need to do between now and the 30th of Oct., it needs to be something simple.

Any suggestions?

Giveaway site

2009-09-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

Mr. Macabre is having awesome giveaways of banners and greeting cards you design yourself--go check it out!

http://mistermacabre.blogspot.com/

Tombstones

2009-09-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

Some of these have been posted on my other blog, but here are some great tombstones from local cemeteries. There are all kinds of fonts, carvings, bas relief carvings, shapes of stones to be copied.

You could carve a hand pointing downwards instead.

Beautiful leaves, and lovely stone.

More leaf placement.

I don't know what you'd call this shape:

Very elaborate.

Love the curves of the top and the dove.

Banner, books, arches--all carved into one stone.

Gorgeous obelisk

Different colored rose added to carvings

This one lies flat on the ground but has some sort of leaves as well as an outer border.

Creepy inscription

Simple lines with flowers in the corners

Different shape

The inside of this reminds me of police badges

Difficult to see, but very elaborate

Almost completely worn down, but I like the vine growing over the top.

Husband's name, but not the wife's

Very shallow carving

Textured obeslisk

Scroll and flower

Odd outside stonework with marble insides

The hand again, but look at the fonts and baseline. Also the discoloration.

Another obelisk, this time from Woodmen of the World.

Twin headstones for Irish twins, who also died within 2 weeks of each other.

Their parents, with lovely carvings there, too.

Old shape, carving, discoloration

First name carved on top, with more info and carvings below.

I'm not up to much of this skill level yet, and will not be making my own tombstones this year, but maybe next year.

Nature's decorations

2009-09-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

First shown on my other blog, I think this will make a great model for making a hot glue gun spiderweb, a la msolek

Don't you love the giant spider logo in the middle?

Maybe it was her signature.

Windows

2009-09-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

Our house has two windows that face the front yard: the kitchen window and the sewing room window. The sewing room window is not really a problem, but the kitchen lights are on a lot, and that can interfere with the uneasy feeling you want your ToTs to experience.

This year, we're having a costume party on Fri. night, with the inside of the house being loosely done as The Masque of the Red Death--After the Party. In Poe's story, the rooms are lit from without, not within. The orange room, blue room, etc. have lights shining through colored panes of glass. I can accomplish some of that with colored spotlights in the yard shining through the windows, but my ~~victims~~ guests will want to see my yard, so I need to leave some mood lighting out there. Also, the window treatments must be changed on Saturday morning before the ToTs come around.

Enter the cheater treatment:

I bought this 2-paneled window cling from Fright Catalog a few years back and it's remarkably effective. Here it's shown in the sewing room windows, but Saturday morning, I'll be putting this up in the kitchen window. Mood and time problems solved.

Wally World has cheap black sheets in their bedding department. Take out a few stitches at the hem on either side and you have quick curtains. It takes 4 twin-sized sheets on our wide windows to be an effective light-blocker, but station a black light below window sill level, add some old white gloves, white tulle or netting, and a couple of cheap white plastic masks, and another quick mood-setter is born:

In past years, I've also taken a spring-loaded shower curtain rod and mounted it just inside the front door, with another pair of twin sheet/curtains hung on it. This blocks out the television and computer screens and light spilling from the kitchen. One year, I strategically placed another black light to the side of the front door, put on another set of old white gloves, poked my hands through the curtains and beckoned the ToTs up onto the porch. Some refused to come. Hehehe.

It's really pretty spooky here at night, since our street is a dark one. We live on a corner, and there are no houses across from us or beside us for about three lots--and the next ones are just around a curve. The house on the opposite corner faces 90 degrees away from us, and he either leaves home or keeps the lights out. I'm sure these techniques wouldn't be as effective if we had lots of neighbors or street lights.

My dream is to someday have enough to fill the entire front and side yards. I think I'm going to have to live a long time....

Why

2009-09-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

Not everyone shares my delight in scary movies and all things Halloween--and I don't want to alienate some of my Scraps readers. Hence, this blog. Those friends who do love Halloween, Stephen King, and being deliciously frightened will find their way over here.

There is a plethora of Halloween how-tos on the web. As a beginner, I am simultaneously intimidated and inspired. If there is a profile for Halloween enthusiasts, I'm sure I don't fit its parameters. I am a 58-year-old woman, just a beginner in the whole home-haunting, prop-building community. Heck, I'm not even in the community--just living on the fringes, peeking through the black iron gates, eyes wide.

My husband thinks it is childish, this fascination with Halloween. Paralyzed on his left side and in chronic pain, he is unable to participate, and sometimes I think this is the reason for his seeming indifference. No matter. He loves me and he indulges me in this pasttime, and that is enough.

So I will post photos of my meager attempts at props, decorating, past Halloweens, and links to terrific sites--most of which everyone probably already knows and visits. And I will return any visits, answer all comments, and welcome you into this humble little blog.

Oh, and the title? Well, I am a night nurse.