Finger Food

The rain just doesn't want to stop, and when it does it stays misty.  Sooo I have turned to other Halloween projects.  Last year I made fingers from white chocolate covered pretzel sticks.  Once everyone got over the shock of seeing fingers lying on the plate they were a big hit.  The youngest reminded me last week that it was getting time to make fingers for this year, so I have been in the kitchen making fingers.  I think the first batch roughly 5 dozen "fingers" but only about 2 dozen made it to the carving and powdering stage.  The youngest has been snatching them quicker than I can carve the features into them.  Last night I got another 2 dozen carved and powdered.  I have all of them hidden.  I think that I am also going to try to make eyeballs this year.  I figure white chocolate covered peanut butter will be a good base.  We'll see. (pun intended)

Yeah! I Got to Work On The Yard

It stopped raining Friday night so Saturday I took advantage!!! Began by getting the yard mowed then enlisted the help of the youngest. He always sets up the cemetery fence for me. He has it all down to a science, he knows exactly how far apart to space the stakes. If his feet get any bigger I am in trouble. I don't know if I can find anymore of the chain (another project on my forever long list is PROPER cemetery fencing.). After he got the fence put up I couldn't wait to start filling it. I began pulling out tombstones when I realized that one of the things I really wanted to do this year was make tombstones. Oh well, it looks like another year of store bought tombstones. Bleh! It is a good thing the cemetery isn't all that big. While I was placing the tombstones my neighbor came over to give me this really cook apron she had embroidered and to tell me about the Haunted Corn Maze that she was working in this year. (Yes the big green monster reared its ugly head. I got jealous. Big Time.) She gave me a flyer and asked me to come. She also wanted me to give them some pointers on things that they needed to fix/change. Like she said being in the middle of it you don't see what the customer sees. She came over today while I was putting some accent pieces in the cemetery to discuss my thoughts on the maze. Of course me and my big mouth had to go volunteer to help out next weekend. But at least I have the cemetery mostly done. I have to adjust the placement of some of the tombstones and play with the lights a little more, but over all it is done. Now for the rest of the yard and quite a few prayers, chants, spells and sacrifices that it doesn't rain anymore. Hey what ever it takes.

Casting Call

It is raining. It has been raining for the past several days. I had pulled out a few projects and started working on them again in hopes of being able to put them right out into the yard when I finished them but it started raining. The one time I quit procrastinating I can't do much because of the rain. At least the campfire is done and two of the ghosts are almost done. I just need to sew their arms into place, maybe even look for some wire to give their arms a better look (maybe not this year, need to leave a little room to improve). Norville has his stand and arms now. I really didn't realize how big he was gonna turn out to be. Now I just need to distress his jacket and make his corn field. Tim still needs his hands. That one is one project that I am a little uneasy about trying to accomplish this year, but I have to do something since I threw out the old hands.

I really wanted to get to work on the lighting this year. I have read from so many different sites that I have major concerns about the amount of light fixtures that I have. This year I am going to mount some of the lights on the side of the house for a more moonlit effect (or at least that is what it is supposed to do). I am hoping that I don't have to buy to many bulbs this year. My Halloween budget is spent and I really don't want to have to ask Pappa Bear for anymore money. To think last year I was bugging over fog machines. I haven't even thought about those this year. OH CRAP!!! I haven't thought about fog machines! I have to make new fog chillers this year. The ones I made last year didn't chill the fog enough, it still floated up, up, and away. I guess I will have to forget fog this year. Not that I used it that much last year anyway. Oh well, I told myself at the beginning of the year I was not going to let things get me frazzled. So what if I don't have fog. I live on a hill and trying to keep fog on the side of a hill is fruitless anyways. Now were are those darn ravens I put in the box!?!

Moving in the Right Direction

Who would have thought that making a fake fire was so frustrating. My original design failed major big time. Then the youngest comes out of his hole, turns out all the lights then starts making suggestions. Cut here. Move the lights there. Separate the silk a little more there. Now there, it looks more like a fire, just need to add the logs around it. Brat. I guess I was to close to the project to see. But now the fire is done. Two of the ghosts have been started by the oldest and his girlfriend. That just leaves 3 more to do. Norville is starting to get ready. I finally figured out his pose for the year. Just have to find the proper height corn stalks. Don't want him to be totally hidden. We have discussed hanging Grim up on his usual line but we are afraid the he will Diva on us like the last time we let him play (the oldest girlfriend looked at us like we had lost our minds when we discussed this aspect of Grim). He always had to be the center of the cemetery.



I think that I am going to name the yard this year. Ravenhill Manor sounds pretty good. It also helps that I have about a dozen black birds for the haunt this year and the yard is so steep. I want to place signs out on some of the main streets directing people back to our area. This year the ToTs will be getting full sized candy bars. Now watch I will be over ran with people this year. Of course I do plan on having some treats for family and friends. Fingers anyone?