Halloween Zombie Attack

I know I'm not the only one who is watching the Walking Dead right now.  So far, the 2nd season is phenomenal.  Zombies are such a cultural phenomenon at the moment that I have zombie dreams.  Guess what?  I kick serious zombie butt.

C'est moi kicking arse in my awesome zombie t-shirt










Here's my top 10 fav zombie films and shows:

28 Days Later- Absolutely frightening- the people and the zombies!

Zombieland- Awesomely fun & screamtastic.  

Dawn of the Dead (2004)- This is the movie that got me into zombies.  And I love Sarah Polley.  

Night of the Living Dead (1968)- I still jump up and down during parts.  

The Dollhouse- this show gave me the most zombie nightmares.  I freaking loved it.  

The Walking Dead- I get so nervous while watching this show that I need a stiff drink to get through it.   

Shaun of the Dead- I laughed, I jumped up and down and yelled at the characters.  Good fun.  

Pet Cemetery- Not as good as the book, but still well done.  

Resident Evil: The Afterlife- Milla Jovovich kicks so much arse in this movie.  And it was surprisingly good.  I liked (but fell asleep during) the first Resident Evil.  This is the only other film I've seen out of the lot, but I highly recommend.  

Planet Terror- Rose McGowan and Robert Rodriguez equals awesomeness.  I really regret not seeing the Grindhouse movies (Planet Terror & Death Proof) back to back, because they were probably the best films to come out that year.  I'm a big fan of both and loved McGowan in this.  

Joe looking for zombies

When orange and black rules

What is it about this time of year?  When I go outside on an early Fall morning, the smell of turning leaves, the dream-like hue of overcast sky, and crisp air brushing against my skin has me reciting 19th century poetry.  If you revisit my blog around this time last year, Dickinson, Poe, Prevert, Robert Frost and Li Po were the poets whose inspired words captured this moment for me.

As a young child, Halloween meant little more to me than the time of year when I got to play dress up outside of the house and ask strangers for candy.  Which was quite daring in itself on any ordinary day.  Just exactly what our parents tell us not to do, right?  Watching my young adult grow older, this time of year has developed profound significance for me.  

The patter of rain on a pile of yellowing leaves brings my mind to the past.  I'll reminisce about how my son once jumped with gusto into leaves or wonder when the trees lost their leaves in different cities I've lived in.  All it takes is a quiet morning alone with a steaming mug of tea and suddenly I let myself get whisked away into Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market.  

Fall wistfully transports us to times past, while we still feel the flush of summer upon our cheeks.  Not yet ready to hibernate, the afternoon sun is relished on long walks.  Every morning when our dog, Owen, and I go out, I feel thankful that the garden has survived another night without frost.  Tomatoes taste even more succulent, because I know it will be another 10 months before they taste sweet and juicy again.  

This is the time of year when orange and black rule.  Their meanings run deeper than branding a holiday season.  Black signifies the trepidation we feel in our hearts as the nights lengthen, as well as the longer, darker nights.  Orange's inspiration is the last of the season's harvest, those butternut squash and pumpkins, the ripened leaves blanketing the green grass, the lingering warmth of the sun's rays.  So, this season as I'm wearing the orange and black socks my husband bought me, I'm not merely participating in the commercialization of another holiday.  Instead, we are all honoring this moment in time, paying homage to autumn, before it passes.   

                                              Ghosts Galore card by Blackbird and Peacock

Rain, rain, rain & new inventory

The weather in Upstate, NY is always kooky, but the last couple of weeks the East Coast has been bombarded by two hurricanes.  Today the surrounding schools, colleges, and gov't offices were closed due to flooding.  I feel a tremendous amount of appreciation that our house has been undamaged and all of our friends and family are safe and sound.

                                                     8 Bit Ghost Halloween Cards 

It is said that April showers bring May flowers and the same is true in my Etsy shop.  The chilly weather has forced me indoors, so I've taken the opportunity to begin adding new inventory to Blackbird and Peacock.  After such a long brake, I'm pretty excited to start showing off the new cards and journals stamped with Joe's rad designs.  The ghost is my fav and I've been waiting for him to turn that into a stamp for over a year.  

                                                 8 Bit Ghost red moleskine journal

I'll be adding some more Halloween merchandise soon, but there were some other new designs we turned into stamps recently.  I had to make a few journals using them so I could show the designs off.  

                                           8 Bit Balloon Geek Birthday red moleskine journal

                                                      Retro Bicycle moleskine journal

Ghost Stories

Do you believe in ghosts?  On July 31st, my friends and I were able to document an incorporeal being haunting this abandoned house in the Catskill mountains.  Unquestionably, it was the scariest moment of my life.

Although the house was clearly empty, before we crossed paths with the "white ghost" we felt the eyes of someone or something watching us.

At first, the ghost evaded our attempts to come close.  I was able to capture it in the image above from about 80 feet away using the zoom function on my camera.
Eventually White Ghost warmed up to us and we were able to snap some fabulous shots.

Standing in such close proximity to a real life ethereal being sent chills running up and down every part of my body, but I kept telling myself how important it was to record this moment for posterity.

Although White Ghost vanished into thin air within minutes, its presence will haunt my dreams until the day I die.

DIY Gifting: Part 5, Why Handmade with Amy Hornburg Heilveil

Now that the holidays are over, making gifts is probably the last thing on your mind.  However, now that all the brouhaha has died down and the nights are long, I think this is the best time to get ahead on crafting projects.  
So, bust out those needles and knit that hat for your cousin in Ohio or start making a love journal for your favorite valentine.  
Amy Hornburg Heilveil gifts us with her crafting know-how once again and dishes the skinny on why handmade is what the cool kids like.  The cloak she made for her daughter would make a wonderful gift this time of year.  

"One of the things that is so refreshing is how much my daughter adores any article of clothing that someone has taken the time to make for her. I've made her costumes for Halloween for the past two years. Each costume cost me less than $20 in materials and she was pleased as punch with both of them. 

She was also the envy of several other children both times, as they did turn out well. The first year she wanted to be a pumpkin and the second year, Mu Shu from the movie, "MuLan". 

This year for Channukah, I decided that she needed a more formal coat for winter. I don't care to take her to nice dinners at grandma's house wearing her play 'winter coat'.  The outer fabric for the cape I made is a cotton flannel that I'd had for a couple of years, thinking to make something of this sort for her. The collar is a bit of black velveteen that I inherited with my grandmother's fabric stash, and the lining is a low profile purple fleece to help keep her warm. 

Boy, this thing is very warm too; I was amazed.  

I didn't think we were going to get it off of her when we got to grandma's house. Since it was done in starts and stops, the cloak took about a week to make, which translates into approximately 5 hours, at the most and it's unique to her, you can't find stuff like this in a store."

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EtsyVeg Spooktacular Event! Not too late!!!

It's Day 6 of the EtsyVeg Team Spooktacular Event.  Only 1 day left!!!  etsyveg spooktacular event  Storewide sales, giveaways, and more.

Halloween Isn't Over Yet

Seems like the holidays whizz by faster every year.  Halloween isn't even over yet and candy is on sale, getting ready to move over for Christmas ornaments.  Well, I still have a scary movie or two to watch and a party to go to before Halloween is said and done for me.  Heck- I don't even know what I'm dressing up as yet!

Here are some cool Etsy finds to help you get in a Halloweenie mood!  

skull  

Two Targets Skull by Skullhouse is super cool! 

vintage decoration 

As some of you may know, I have a fondness for retro holiday decorations.  This one from Grandmother's Attic would look spooktacular on my door.  

little red riding hood costume 

I'd honestly rather watch scary movies than dress up on Halloween, but I think I would look pretty cute in this Little Red Riding Hood costume by Lover Dovers Clothing






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EtsyVeg Spooktacular Event! October 24th-31st

Halloween Spooktacular Event Oct 26-Nov 2nd etsyveg event 

The Etsyveg team is offering up some great giveaways in celebration of Halloween! Some great items have been donated by these artists: Palafoxstudio 23 ,  Aktie9 ,  JF Illustrations and Blackbird and Peacock paper things (me & Joe).

Check out these shops for awesome promotions: Silent Lotus , MagglePie , Au Clair de la Lune , Lalu Jewelry , Gardenias Garb , and more!

More details available at the EtsyVeg blog- this link will take you there- etsyveg blog

In Honor of Halloween...

 

Just posted Joe's 8 Bit Skeleton card in Blackbird and Peacock.  In the transition of moving all cards and journals from BBAC to the new shop.  Also have listed some skull journals, zombies and postcards.  Enjoying creating with the skull stamp- very inspiring.  My son likes that one.  Will be posting some Halloween cards, journals and postcards over the next couple of weeks.  Oh yeah!

It's Fall Already- You Know What That Means...Horror Films!

Summer is my favorite season, so I'm pretty stoked that it's still shorts and t-shirt weather here in the Catskills.  Every year I mourn the leaves falling from the trees, as much as I love that fall smell.  On the flip side, there's Halloween.
Every September I start loading my Netflix queue up with horror movies.  Some slashers, some kitsch.  Last year the rotation included watched Evil Dead 2, Ginger Snaps, Sleepy Hollow (a classic), Amityville Horror, House, and Rob Zombie's Halloween.  This year we're considering re-watching The X-Files- my son was too young the first time I saw it and at 14 years old, he'll probably appreciate it.  Will also watch Zombie's 2nd Halloween (although I've been told it is disappointing).
In a few more years, I'll be re-visiting Twin Peaks, which is all the eerier when there's a chill in the air.