September 24, 2013

Countdown to Halloween is looming in the distance!!!!

One week away!!!

I've already started writing posts - I am going to feature Cemetery Tuesdays & Saturdays since I've gotten rather happy with my new camera.  Other than that - I better get busy!!


I'm pretty excited that my dear hubby humored me while on vacation this past summer and we visited 6 (of the 33 in Michigan) REAL Maple Grove Cemeteries, so look for those!!!

September 22, 2013

Michigan Renaissance Festival

Happy first day of fall!

We finally made it there today!  We've been meaning to go since we got home from vacation and with only one weekend left......we had to go !  

It was off & on clouds & I don't think it even hit 60* today.  So overall, a nice day!
 A cool old truck witting along the road. 

 Angel getting her henna tattoo.


I am determined to get my family in costume sooner or later. 
So I took lots of pictures for ideas.  
Sorry for the quality, most of the time I was walking. 

 I love this dress!

 One of the living trees. 





 Angel tried to climb Jacob's ladder. 


Interesting color combos. 

 Ded Bob!

 This guy was so funny - he was yelling stuff down at people.  
He saw us following Randy and he was like "that's right - follow the man with the keys!"





 Codpieces are rather disturbing.  





 This couple had the Steampunk thing going.





 


another living tree. 

 Angel had her caricature done.  It was the one thing she really wanted to do. 


I don't know what exactly I would want to wear.  I need something with a belt or 2 piece, since I have one of the furry tails that I like.  (I wore it tied on my jeans today!) And I have my drinking horn.  Hmm.  
And Randy needs a Utilikilt.  Yup.   

September 14, 2013

I got my badge!

My blog is now proudly sporting the 2013 Countdown to Halloween badge!  It was tough to choose since they were all based on the Monster cereals.

Anyhoooooooo,  I visited Menard's for the first time yesterday.  It's about a 45 minute drive out of my way, so I won't be making regular visits there.  But I will be going back once more closer to Christmas to score some of gazillions of blowmolds they carry!   (don't tell the family - shhhhhh)

I have a small Nutcracker addiction, so I like (want) these guys, 
and the candles just beyond them. 


I mainly went to check out their skeletons.  I've heard rumors that Walgreens has stopped carrying their $30 version and will only carry the $50 pose & stay.  I don't know for sure - none of the stores around here have started putting stuff out yet.   Anyway, this one was $40 and his arms & legs are wired on.  I will be doing a full comparison with my other full sized skellies once I dig them out of the coffin in the shed (giggle).

People at Menard's were highly entertained, since I pushed around my cart like that as I browsed in the rest of the store.  One guy found it extremely funny and had tears from laughing.  The store employee in the garden section had a good laugh & and old couple walked by & just looked.  She leaned over to me and said that was how she felt while there with her husband.  Lots people did double-takes & smiled.  The cashier commented on how dainty he was sitting, with legs crossed, etc. Heehee!


And going home, safety first! Actually, he's still sitting out there in my car. I'll leave him there for a couple more days. I need to make him lean slightly forward, since he leans back right now and you can't really see him because that part between the door & back window.


I also stopped at Kmart & Big Lots last night  I couldn't believe these hand towels!  How freakin' cool are they???  I got the end zombie one & the JOL one, but I think I want to go back and get the grim reaper & the hand.   They are really nice feeling towels, and the graphics are beautiful!

This guy is pretty neat.  He appears to be 5' tall & has wings.  But for $69.99?

All I got at Big Lots is a headband with a witch hat on it.  A co-worked invited me to a charity Witch Crawl right before Halloween.  We dress up in our witchy-est outfits, start out at one bar, get on a bus, go to 3 others, then head back to the first.  There are games & raffles & contests and 30% of our tab at each bar goes to breast cancer research, so the only thing we ~have~ to do is wear pink somewhere.  My hat has a pink feather on it.  I didn't want to wear a regular sized witch hat, since it'll be crowded on the bus & probably a pain in the butt to maneuver around in.

I am really excited to go!  I've heard this co-worked tell us about going on this for years, so when she asked me, I said yes, even before I found out when it was!  Both my sisters and a niece are going, too! And so far, 2 bus-loads of other people.   funfunfunfun

ooo, and I think I'm going to sign up for a 5K walk/run called the Halloween Hustle!  You get to dress up & there are prizes for different categories.  I don't run, but I regularly easily walk that far, so I will talk the family into going with me & take the dog & have a good time! The t-shirts are pretty cool, too.

Anyway - sheesh, had to kick the furnace on this morning!  It was in the 90s on Wednesday, and today is barely supposed to reach the mid-60s !!  Welcome to Michigan!  The last 2 mornings, our thermometer said 47 degrees outside.  It was 63 degrees in the house when I got up - brrrrr!

Alrighty, I thought about going out to work on re-painting and touching up some headstones, but it's still chilly out there! I would have to unwrap from my shawl & put socks/shoes on!   Guess I could get them out & set them on the patio in the sun to warm up.

I mailed out my Secret Reaper gift yesterday (Friday the 13th!) now where's mine,
dammit??

September 10, 2013

51 days - swooooon!

I finally broke down & went to Target today to look for the infamous pumpkin Spice M&Ms.  Success!

 I like the colors & the package is really cute.  
I got more of the 'spice" flavor from them over any "pumpkin"  
But I'm sure I'll finish off the bag.  
I'll have to control myself since I highly doubt they are Weight Watcher friendly!

Isn't my countertop hideous?  70s vomit spatter brown is the color. 

 I also had to get the White Chocolate candy corn variety. 
 I got more "white chocolate" than "candy corn" out of this one.  
And a very sugary aroma drifted out as soon as I opened the package.  
Yummy, tho!

And I had to get some tried & true basic milk chocolate ones.  
The colors are neat & Red in the football jersey is really cute!

They didn't have much out by way of decor yet. Some costumes, a truckload of candy & some towels & stuff.  There is still much potential at this Target, since they had a LOT of open shelving lined with skeleton paper in that area.  I'll give them another week or two and go back.    

I like these because they're nice & soft.  And JOLs!!!  

.
oh, yeah.  And I got a couple $1 packs of black tealights. 

You know what peeves me?  People posting stuff on my timeline on Facebook that apparently they think I've a) not seen it 1000 times or b) they think I'd actually use their ideas.  let's explore....

no.

ok, this is pretty freakin' awesome. 

no.

oh.hell.to.the.NO


Anyhooo, I have the post-it-note in front of me with the number to the wood recycling place so I will put it in my bag & call from work tomorrow.  Mom offered to let me use Dad's truck to pick up pallets.  I probably only need 12-15 but I can't fit them in my Escort so I'm going to take her up on that offer!   I need to get busy on that damn fence!  And I need to finish my Secret Reaper gift because I want to get it postmarked Friday the 13th!

But first.... my family wants food.  Sigh.