Scary Time is Almost Here! Last call for Giveaway!

Good Sunday Morning To You All!
Hope you're having a great weekend!

Do You Know What Today Is?
Do You?
It's the day before OCTOBER!!
The month of ghosts and ghouls, bats and cats, goblins and witches with big black hats!
Dark spooky critters of all shapes and size, it's time to be scary - don't you realize?

I'm excited - can you tell? LOL!
It's also the day before the Giveaway. So join up if you haven't! If you have - THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH! I really appreciate the support! Here's the link, one last time.....

Thought I'd do a quick update (and remind everyone of the giveaway) on what's shaping up. Got a good bit of things accomplished...no dolls or painting this time around...but spookies and critters! I got some of the outside decorations started. I decided at the last minute that I didn't want the little Halloween ghoulies trying to maneuver around the graveyard and various props so I moved the fence and used it more like a back drop instead of an entrance. I got my skeletons out and in the process of setting them up lost one of the pins in his knee...somewhere in the grass. We all looked but couldn't find it anywhere. :(  I guess I will have to fabricate one, can't have him legless! I got a few more bales of hay for around the fence too. Mr. Hubert at Wal Mart was so funny to watch getting the bales. When he opened the trailer it was full - all the way to the top. He went and got a rake to pull them down. He hooked the strings and then pulled.....and then ran down the stairs as the bale was falling. It was so funny. I was a little worried that he was going to get hit in the head with one of them though. I'm thankful he didn't!

Part way through setting up my wife came home with our grand daughter. She was right there on top of me in a flash. Sally kept trying to get her to go inside.....nope, no doing! She had to stay outside and help Pappy. :)   She was extremely helpful in telling me which ones to put out. She didn't want to touch them but was very insistent on where they went. It was cute......made me miss my daughter's help! Now my daughter wasn't 'skeered' at that age....she'd drag the props all over the yard! Had a good time doing it though, I guess that's all that truly matters.

I also decided that I wanted a couple of  'floaters' for the yard this year. However, I was NOT paying $30, $40 or $50 dollars for a piece of wire with gauze wrapped around it. Ssssooooooooo, I made my own. I got the 'devil' completed and he will be hung today (assuming it's not pouring by then). I also got my Scare-Me-Crows arms re-wrapped with more wire and his new green burlap tatters! And I added some cardboard to his hat so it would stay up...it always wants to flop over. He's all ready to be spooky!

I hope to have everything up today (again, hoping it doesn't rain). I didn't get any of the lights up yesterday so that will all have to be done today as well. It's time for the 'slow traffic at my house'....people were already starting to slow down and look while I was setting up yesterday. It's funny how many adults want to see what I'm doing. :)  Anyway, here's a couple of photos until I get it all done and ready to be lit up! Enjoy!

the yard so far......

Scare-Me-Crow - ready to do his thing

the beginning of a floater....styro foam head (an old one i had around),

 wire, batting and a little hot glue

all put together....cheesecloth and some

'spooky' fabric

here's the completed piece with his

face attached.

Got a new member too! YAY!

some really cool miniature work

at Dark Squirrel

That's all for now....more pics to come!

Come join the giveaway!

I will be doing the drawing tomorrow - Monday, Oct 1st - sometime around 6pm.

So check back tomorrow night to see who's name was picked. Until then......

Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!

TTFN

31 one days away from the Best Night of the Year!  :)



Zombies in the Duct Work!

Good Evening Everyone!
Hope you're having a great week!
So far this week has been pretty darn good!

Just got off the phone with a company that my wife and I are dealing with to help us start our own business. It was a very productive telephone session! I'll post on that in the future as things become more focused and I know more. Hopefully this will all come into being in the next few months! **fingers crossed**

Ok, let's start with....
the Giveaway (big surprise, right?).
Am I doing something wrong? Am I not friendly enough? Am I boring? Am I...........?
I've been looking at the 'numbers' and can see a lot of people on the giveaway page, however, I have two people playing. Two? Really? :( 
Did the Halloween angle scare people off? This is not how I saw it in my mind. LOL!
Anyway, enough with the negative. It is now Wednesday and there is only four days left till I draw a name for the table runner. So....don't you wanna play? If so, now is the time to do it! Here's the link (you know, just in case it slipped your mind).....

This past weekend I got the fence completed. YAY! My daughter's boyfriend came out to help me with the fence and panels. They were both here for the weekend. It was nice to have help. Which was really weird cause I'm not used to having help. I'm a loner. Ha! Anyway, Perry helped me take nails out of the remaining wood and then putting them together. He then helped me skin the second panel - which was a BIG help as the wind decided it was going to be unreasonable and blow things all over the place. We even managed to get it done and only put one small rip in it. It was in the back corner, so it won't be seen. Then we hinged them together. They look pretty good even if I do say so myself (somebody has to, right?).

And....I took no pictures of these two panels together. I was too busy trying to get it inside before the wind ripped it to shreads. Take my word for it, they look good. It's the 'bat' material on two panels, one on top of the other.

I also got the other two, which will be on each side of the red panels, finished. They look pretty good too. Not sure I'm 100% about them yet though. But I think once I get them all together they'll be great. I did get some photos of them though....

the completed fence. i will be adding a few more hay bales

to help stabilize the fence and have a place to put some

pumpkins and my skeletons. once i add everything and

some lights this should be amazing!

this is where they started....

this is where they are now. i had to have the

stool....that's what happens when you're short :)

a close up of the skeleton

a close up of the ghosts

not thrilled with the wood showing through

but i think it will 'disapear' in the dark.

at least i hope it will

I promised to post the link to the decorative letters and the drawing in my header as soon as I found it again...well, I found it. The decorative lettering is here and the drawing, by Harry Clarke, is here. 

My wife brought me a surprise on Monday. I know she's not a 'Halloween' person but she does keep an eye out for things that she thinks I would like. And I do....

coupons for the haunted house that is right down the road

from me. this is in an old bar that isn't anymore

On Monday I went to The Engineer Guy to see 'a class' given by none other than Roy Wooley. Roy is from Face Off and works at Netherworld. He was doing a demonstration on Zombie makeup. On the way  I picked up my daughter. I'm glad she came with me. She said she had a good time and learned a few things. Anyway, as I left work, I noticed this spot on my hood. I thought at first it was bird goo, but then it moved. Yes, it was a large spider. Big enough for me to see clearly from the cab of my truck. This little bugger hung on all the way to my daughter's house. It was warm out and I had the window open. All I could think all the way there was 'this thing is going to fly into my lap and I'm gonna crash my truck'. That was the longest 20 minute ride I've ever taken. I had to chase him off my truck when I got to my daughters. And he wasn't scared. He raised himself up and prepared to fight. I resisted the urge to squish him and just scooped him off the hood.

Then my daughter fed me spaghetti before we left. Yummy, yummy! We met up with Jan at the Engineer Guy and went into the classroom. It was a fairly small room. There was probably a dozen people or so. Not overcrowded but full. Roy is the most down to earth 'celebrity' that I've ever met (not that I've met many). Everyone kept trying to get him to spill the secret of who won Face Off. He's been fighting questions since June. I don't know that I could keep that secret for that long. :)

Right after he got started I realized that my phone battery was dead. CRAP! Fortunately, Jenifer and Jan both took pictures! Thank goodness, I'd have been really mad if I left with no pictures. Roy explained how to use cotton and Skin Tite to create a Zombie. Some really good tips! And then he explained all about alcohol based makeup. I've never used it before but now I think I might.

After the class I wandered around The Engineer Guy and looked at all the things I wanted but couldn't afford.....silicone, rubber, plastics, makeup....etc, etc, etc. I did however find some material that I got so that I could play with it. It's called Fosshape. It looks and feels like felt but hardens when heat is applied. I have so many ideas for this stuff. I talked for a while with the owner and he told me all about Fosshape and it's counter part, Wonderflex. Which is something I want to try later on. I also spoke with one of the class attendees who have used Wonderflex.Wow! This guy made two dragon heads out of the Wonderflex. It's a thin 'plastic sheet' that is heat reactive. Some really amazing work! There was also a couple from one of the area haunted houses.

My daughter got Roy to take a picture with her and then another one cause she didn't like how she looked. Being 20 is just so terrible. LOL! And he signed the back of one of my business cards for her. It turned out to be a pretty good night! I'm really glad that I got to go. Here's a few photos from the class.....

Roy giving tips on using a syringe to dispense the

Skin Tite - so you get equal amounts in small batches

a layer of Skin Tite and cotton applied

a few layers of Skin Tite over the cotton

to build it up

applying makeup to Skin Tite

Roy added layers of color with makeup brushes....

and airbrush

preparing the alcohol based makeup

the end product. this was all in about an hour.

this guy is interning with Roy

Roy and me, grinning like an idiot!

my free loading, hood surfing spider

Today my daughter sent me a text with Dryer Duct Pumpkins! She found them on Pintrest, so I don't have a link but I think the picture is pretty self explanatory. I thought they were really cool. I may try to squeeze one or two in before Halloween! :)

simply idea - looks great!

That's all for this episode!

til next time...

Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!

TTFN

Four days to the Giveaway. Four days to decorating!!





Panels of Spooky!

Good Day Everyone!

Ok, before we delve into the weeks events, what do you think of the 'new' white layout? Better? Worse? No opinion? I think I like it....it will be changed for Halloween (October) but I think I may go back to it afterwards. And what about the new header? I thought it was time for a change. The drawing and the decorative letters came from a website I found this past week....and of course I forgot to write it down. I will let you know the name of it as soon as I find it again. Leave me a message and let me know what you think!

Can you believe another week has gone by? Where does the time go? Swoosh! and it's gone.
Well, we are a week away from decorating....I can hardly wait! I've been really impatient. I was going to start pulling things out yesterday but decided I'd better wait......my neighbors already think I'm crazy.

I've been working on the panels...I got two more constructed and one 'skinned'. Not sure if I like it or not. I think it will work for what I want. At least, I hope it will. I still have to apply paint to the two that are sitting here starring me in the face. The 'skin' is a vinyl wall decoration. It looks good but boy is it cheap! I managed to rip it two or three times attaching it to the frame. Fortunately, the rips are in places you will never see. I forgot to take a picture of the frame before it was covered. Here's a couple of progress pics.....

the 'scene setter' is what i used for the panels.

the crow and tree branches will go inside, i can't

wait to put them up (picture coming soon!)

here's one of the panels. it's aprx 4ft x 8ft

there will be two, one on top of the other and

then two on the sides that are vertical, to create a 'room'

and a close up of the bats

My youngest grandson, at least until December, just turned two a couple of days ago. Talk about feeling old. My children make me feel old but my grand kids....wow....they grow so fast! Yes, you read that right...my son and his wife are expecting in December. This will be four for them. I don't think the 'birds and the bees' talk worked..or maybe it worked too well? Maybe I need to get them an illustrated version of the book cause I don't think they've figured out what causes babies. HA!! Anyway, come December, my wife and I will have another little bundle of joy to spoil (and send home)!
My daughter and her boyfriend are at the house this weekend too! They're spending a couple of days here and then on Sunday we are all going to my son's to celebrate Rylee's 2nd birthday! It will be nice to have everyone together.

In between working on the panels and the fence I have managed to squeeze in a little time for my 'Forrest' project. I will post pictures of that in the near future...don't want to give too much away! LOL! All I can say right now is that it's coming along wonderfully!

And now.....
We come to the Giveaway reminder!
I've gotten some really good responses from people! I can see where everyone and their uncle has been to the page to check it out! I've also gotten a couple new friends as well! I'm thrilled that people are stopping by to 'play'! We are just over a week away from the drawing, so if you haven't gotten involved - Do It Now! :)  Here's the link again in case you missed it....

Be sure to say hi to my new friends!
you can see
Melissa's page here
and you can see
A dog's Mom here

Well, I think that's all for this post.....
See you soon!
til then...
Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!


TTFN

The Evil Queen is Fenced in with all The Ghoulies!

Good Evening All!
Hope you have had a wonderful weekend. Here it is Sunday night already....back to work. Yippee. This weekend seems to have flown by. Amazing how that happens isn't it?

Oh, let's see, where should we begin.....?

Let's start with a reminder.....
DON'T FORGET THE 125 POSTS GIVEAWAY! If this weekend was any indication, the drawing will be upon us before you know it! Go check it out, get involved! Hope to see you there! Click on the pic below to go to the page..........

This past week I watched Snow White and The Huntsman. I really liked this movie. The costumes (especially Charlize's) were amazing! I really liked the troll too! And the White Stag, wow! However, I do have to say that I don't get all the commotion about Kristen. There just doesn't seem to be any facial expressions in her acting (something I noticed in Twilight - yes, I watched it). Fortunately, she didn't seem to have a whole lot of speaking parts. Anyway, there were several instances in the movie that have spawned inspiration for various projects! Yay! I'll keep you posted on the progress of those!

love the crown! and the chains!

AND....

In case you missed it, I have added more to my Etsy Shop. You can check those out by going to the widget in the upper right hand corner of my blog! If you've been reading my blog, you might recognize one of the new pieces! She was screaming to be sold....so here she is! LOL! Also, Harley and Forrest are back on the block.

I did manage to get some work done this weekend. This past week I brought some old pallets home from work, with the help of Scott, to use on one of my Halloween projects. I saw a tutorial on this and for the life of me, I can't remember where, when I do I'll post it. Anyway, it is an old dilapidated fence made from pallet parts. So Tuesday I brought them home and took them apart. The tutorial used a crowbar...I took my small sledge hammer to them and separated them into piles.  And then they had to wait until Saturday. I then had to remove the nails, most of them came out by 'reverse hammering' them.  Of course there were about 8 boards that the nails wouldn't come out of - cheap, cheap nails. I wound up using my saws all - after my neighbor reminded me it had a 'metal' blade. I'm glad Barry came over to put his two cents in! After that I pulled out the table saw and clipped the corners (so it looked 'fence-y'). I then laid them out and screwed them in place. Everything was looking good! At this point I had to stop - I discovered that being sick and taking blood pressure medication while 'playing' in the sun, well, NOT a good idea! Coughing and hacking and all the pretty little stars......just take my word for it, it is not something I want to repeat! After a while (about 4 hours) I went back outside to continue working on my fence. At this point it needed to be 'aged'. So I broke out the butane torch! I really like the effect this gives to wood. Believe it or not, it took about 2 hours to do this. It didn't seem like that long but it was getting dark when I finished up. With the exception of putting the braces on the back, so that it will stand up, they are completed! Not too shabby for a days work! I'll show you the pictures and let you decide for yourself.......

2 of the 4 waiting to be torn apart...

the small cross boards being removed -

by sledge! great anger management. :)

pile of cross boards. waiting to be de-nailed and clipped

same pile...no nails and dog eared

laid out for spacing, waiting to be screwed

in place

the two panels ready for aging

part way through the aging process. see the water spot?

yeah, i set the one in the middle on fire..Oops!

the right side has been aged, the left is still waiting...

just so you can see the difference

panels aged and waiting for the braces to be completed.

and yes, at this point i am only doing two panels. maybe

a couple more next year, we'll see how it goes  :)

A friend of my neighbors, Barry and Amy, who lives on the next street over had a yard sale on Saturday. Barry tried to text me to tell me she had Halloween stuff but my phone was dead. :(   Shelia said I could come over today and check out what she had left! Nothing like a private yard sale!! She had a lot of stuff. Things that I wouldn't normally buy and things that just wouldn't go with my decor. However, you know I didn't leave empty handed! I found a few things that I really liked and could use! And I only spent 12 whole dollars! I think I did pretty damn good!

4 pumpkin candle lights, a pumpkin window light with

suction cup, two brand new complete sets of towels with

pot holders, 4 brand new place mats and a new set of lights

not too bad for $12

I made a trip into Douglasville too. I went to see if the 'mega' Halloween stores were open yet. Well, Spirit Halloween was open. Kid in a candy store!!! They had some really cool displays set up right when you walked in the door. And as long as you didn't get close they looked great! I was thinking 'man, I could get in some trouble in here'....then I got close enough to realize they were cardboard. And up close they looked like cardboard. Total bummer! Cool concepts though, so who knows, they may make an appearance - only constructed better! So I wandered around for a bit...they had some decent stuff but most (85%) of the store was costumes. I don't buy costumes. No need when I can make my own. :)  I did find a couple of things that I got. Nothing major...a couple of masks and a timer for my fog machine. 

I then went across the street to Halloween city....they don't open until 9/18. Tuesday? What is that all about? They have a roll of 'wallpaper' that I want. So I guess I'll have to wait until they open. I'm going to incorporate it into my Halloween panels. I just don't want to pay for shipping if I don't have to! Frugal? No, just cheap! LOL

this is the first thing you see through the door.

i like the barn idea...

opposite side of above

further back in the store

this is the mask i wanted for The Traveler @ DragonCon

i think these will be 'floaters'. just need some material now

I just found out yesterday that The Engineer Guy (rubber, silicone, casting plastic, etc.) is having some special guest come in to their shop to give tips on using things for Halloween. Guess who their first guest is??

Give Up? It's Roy!! From Face Off (and Netherworld). He's going to be teaching how do Halloween makeup! I can't wait, it's next Monday. I'll have to go straight from work but I'm sure it will be worth the trip!

Well, that's about all for this past week.......

Wait a minute, I just looked at my blog stats......all these views for the giveaway page and I have not one entry. What gives? Do you all want to see a grown man cry? Cause that's what will happen. I will pout and cry and kick my feet and have a temper tantrum.

Is that what you want? Hhhhhhmmmmm?

No? Well get to it then!

Make some noise! I know you're out there I can see you!

Quit peeking and just dive in! LOL!! 

Hope to see you all soon!

til next time....

Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!

TTFN

44 days to Halloween!! only 15 days to the Giveaway!



 



*** 125 Posts GIVEAWAY! ***

Good Evening All!

Well, as promised, the giveaway is ready to begin.
I have made a reversible table runner and it's own custom box just for this special occasion!
You can read all about it on it's own page. How's that for fancy-smansy!?
I really have enjoyed all the people that I have had the opportunity to meet!
I can't wait to make more friends!
Then my little corner of the web will be that much more enjoyable.
Click on the picture below to be taken to the Giveaway page.
All the information and rules are there!
Good Luck To You!
I'll be watching!

Have fun!

Spread The Word!!

the drawing will take place on 10/01/12

TTFN

Can You Smell It?

Good Morning Everyone!
Can you smell it? It's in the air! Fall is right around the corner....of course, you know what that means.....
HALLOWEEN!!!

I have made my first 'official' purchase of the season....two actually. :)  I have noticed that more stores are finally putting out the Black and Orange. Some places are just slower than others. LOL
My daughter and I were out shopping yesterday and to my surprise was not one but two Halloween mega-stores, right across the street from each other. YAY! One is Halloween City, they are normally here each year. But right across the street is Spirit Halloween. I know they have a big online presence, it will interesting to see what they have in the store.
And Friday night I noticed that a local bar is no longer open but in it's place are signs for a new Haunted House! There hasn't been one in Villa Rica since Travis' Psycho Shack. I'm excited! I think I may try to get a group of people together again this year to make the trip to Netherworld. Never had much luck putting that group together....people always back out at the last minute. Maybe this will be the year. Hhhhhmmmmmm. Anyone interested??
I also got some yummy new cookies! From Pepperidge Farms. Pumpkin Cheesecake. They are really good!

first 'official' Halloween purchase 2012

and the second

yummy, yummy, yummy!

Ok, before I go any further I have to take care of a recipe....a few posts back I was telling you how my wife had made some really amazing Butternut Squash Soup. I had a request for the recipe, so here it is.

This goes out to Rhissanna. When you make it Miss B you'll have to let me know how it turned out!

This recipe comes from the Rival Crock Pot cook book that was published in 2006.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

makes 6 to 8 servings.

10 minutes prep time.

     2  pound butternut squash, rinsed, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1-inch cubes

     1  firm crisp apple, peeled, seeded and chopped

     1  yellow onion, chopped

     5  cups chicken stock

     1 tablespoon curry powder, sweet or hot

  1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

        salt and pepper to taste

  1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries (optional)

1. Add squash, apple and onion to the crock pot.

2. Mix together the stock, curry powder and cloves in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the squash and apples.

3. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 5 to 5 1/2 hours until the vegetables are tender.

4. Using an immersion or traditional blender, blend the soup to desired consistency. Add salt and pepper.

5. Garnish individual bowls with cranberries (optional).

That's the whole recipe. Now for my opinions.....the cranberries are NOT optional! They add just the right contrast to the soup. As far as a garnish...well, they sink not float. As for the blender, we blended it for what seemed an eternity. It is soup, it's not thick. My wife and I discussed it and the next time it gets made we are going to add a bit of corn starch to it to thicken it up a little.

I hope you enjoy it!

Now continuing on.....

It's time for some concentrated efforts! LOL!! I have 21 days to pull all my Halloween things together.

Twenty-one days? What?

No, Halloween is still 51 days away, you say.

NOPE! I don't decorate the week before Halloween. Come October first, I'm out putting up lights and 'crows and various monsters and ghoulies! So it's crunch time! I can't wait!!!  :)  I have a few things to complete - top of the list is my panels. I would like to do an 'old fence' too. So much to do. Wish me luck!

Also, if you can believe it, we've made it to 125 posts! And 42 members! I couldn't have timed this any better if I planned it! If you remember, way back in February, I said I would have another giveaway when I reached 125 post or 50 members, well, it seems that we have reached that goal. I've been working on the goodies - through the hacking and coughing- so that it would be ready (yes, unfortunately, I am still sick). I've been thinking of what I will have as the 'rules' as well......I haven't completely decided on what crazy things I will require. Hhhhmmmmm, hand stands? cartwheels? funny faces? So many choices. LOL! At any rate, my very next post will have all the information needed to join in the fun! Excited yet? You better be! HA!

Well, I do believe that's all for this post.

Got a busy day ahead of me.....grass mowing, dog bathing, laundry. Sewing and stuffing too! Hope you all have a great day and a fantastic upcoming week!

til next time..

Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!!!

TTFN

watch for the rules in the next post!

i hear witches cackling! :)

DragonCon Review!

Good Friday All.
Hope you have had a great week.
Still coming down from this past weekend at DragonCon!

I had a fantastic time and took lots of pictures. I was going to post on a daily basis but for some unknown reason I could not get my laptop to connect. It picked up the wireless but would not assign an IP address. Really, really irritating. Oh well. So, between having to go through all the photos and being sick - yes, I somehow managed to catch 'something' while at DC - it has taken me the better part of a week to get these posted. Hopefully, everyone will think they were worth the wait.

I got to meet a few people that I wanted to and one that I wasn't expecting (see day 4). I broke it down into days since there are still a good bit of pictures - even after trying to trim them down some. Day 4 has the least amount since there really wasn't many costumes, but I'll let you read about that on that page.

If you've never been to DragonCon I would highly suggest it! Lots to see and do. I am hoping to go next year, so maybe I'll see you there.

Anyway, here are the links to the pages. Each day has it's own page.....

Day One - 8/31/12  -  15 photos

Day Two - 9/1/12  -  40 photos

Day Three - 9/2/12  -  45 photos

Day Four - 9/3/12  -  4 photos

I think I have somewhere in the vicinity of 350-400 photos total. Enough for a book! Far too many for a website. :)  These are the ones that I really liked.

And yes, 6 days later, I am still sick. BLAH! But I wouldn't change any of it (well, except for the lines, maybe).

Enjoy the photos - leave me some feedback, questions, comments!

I guess that's all for now.

I see two new members too! YAY!
Thanks for stopping by! The coffees hot (always).
say hello to Mark Satchwill - some amazing artwork!
and to Alexandria Velez - a young lady I met at DragonCon!
Welcome aboard!!

Damn, I just realized that my Etsy items expired some time this past weekend. Gotta go fix it!

Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!


TTFN
can you believe this is 124? and 42 members? wow, i am flabbergasted!
see ya soon!