yay!

(note to self: if you hit Enter after you type the title, the blog will post. you don't want to do that.)

* Gettin' in the Halloween mood. I want to make treat boxes again this year, but on a larger scale. I've been perusing a fantastic book my mom-in-law got me - Ghoulish Goodies! It's really cool with great recipes and adorably spooky illustrations. I'd love to try the pumpkin-shaped cookies with melted crushed candy for the eyes so they look like they're glowing!

* Also nabbed this year's BHG Halloween magazine (the magazine is great but their website is a nightmare!) My fave section this year is the "Dead and Breakfast" front yard ideas, and the photos of an antique shop's decorations. Weathered paperbacks stacked with pages facing out? Brilliant! Wrapping flameless candles with yellowed book pages? Spook-a-licious! Hmm, flameless candles were on sale at Costco last week ...

I haven't seen Martha on the newsstands yet. This year she even has her own costumes for sale at Grandin Road - the costumes that she tells you how to make in her magazines and website, but buying them would save time I guess. (Don't look at the other women's costumes there, it's all that unimaginative "sexy fill-in-the-blank" junk)

Well, looks like Target have started the ball rolling and revealed their mascots for this year - green witch, square-headed Frankenstein and mummy, and one-eyed ghost. Dagnabbit, I'll miss the Jones soda this year :(

World Market doesn't have a specific section on their website, but this branch candle holder would fit right in, these mercury glass votive candle holders are great, and I would love this kinda-retro paper pulp moon & owl.

Okay, I'd better spread this stuff out or I'll be bare by Halloween. See ya next time!

spooky times ahead?

* Hi to anybody that's left!

* I realized last week that I haven't done a single post about Halloween and it's almost September! Blame Canada. No Target (they'd be on the bad list anyway after donating money to a PAC that then supported an anti-gay rights politician), and I have no idea what nifty mail-order places there are up here. I have scoped out Michael's collection, and the rack and a half at Winners/Homesense, but nothing is calling me. I'm considering making my Halloween treat box bigger this year and filling it with cookies. My sis-in-law picked up some cute cookie cutters on her trip to Oregon so I could break those in.

The spirit is coming, though. Today is super windy and the scent of fall is in the air! And the wind is chilly! Real fall!

* Last Friday night we attended a very special birthday party - Lovecraft's 120th! The giant Cthulhu head with lit-up eyes was amazing! They had spoken word artists, singers, poets, a trivia contest and they showed a creeeepy short film called AM1200 (rent and watch with the lights off).
My favorite parts were:

• The gentleman in the photo above reading Nyarlathotep (which it turns out I've been pronouncing incorrectly).
• The singer (Jeff Andrew), self described as "hobo noir," a combo of Tom Waits and Tim Burton, and accompanied by a saw! a saw I say! and a tin whistle!
• Missie Peters' poem about a rift brought forth through a carving
• a bouncy little Cthulhu song sung by the host and a robed gent with a guitar

They even served birthday cake.

* That's it for today - thanks for stopping by!

Swap meet goodness!

* Oh boy I love the swap meet! (except for the getting-up-early part, and the walking-in-the-sun part). It's random - sometimes there's nothing, but sometimes we find something great!About a month ago, found this gem. (not exactly this one cause I haven't taken a photo of mine yet, but just like this except the top says "A classic game for two" and the bottom right corner says "Le Bourreau" because we're in Canada). Vincent Price! Hangman! Once I get some plate holders to hold the box upright, he'll go on top of the bookshelf with Cthulhu, the gargoyles and the jar 'o skulls.

Last week I got a handful of vintage patterns. I had been sticking with the 50s, but these ladies are just so cute! The one on the far right is having a VERY GOOD time, and I covet the shoes of the one in the middle.

He lives! He strikes! No grave can hold him! For $1 I got Tales of the Zombie #1 AND Vampire Tales #1! Glen also got a fantabulous photo album of Elks from the 50s through the 70s. Stuck between a couple of pages was this:

Nifty real human hair net invisible! With hair net enclosed!

Last but not least, the cutest vintage embroidery transfer pattern! One day I will make these for somebody I know. I don't exactly know WHO yet, but somebody deserves to bee relaxed!

Thanks for sticking around! Coming soon, an epic tale of vinyl.