“And above all,
watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you,
because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.
Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.”
― Roald Dahl





Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Haunted Humpday..the end?

And here we are at the end..
How did it go by so fast?


We have not been to the howl-o-ween zoo event yet, that's opening this weekend
But Fear Farm was a good experience..I'm still alive, haha!
While I don't have photos from that night, I do have a couple from the 
Great Pumpkin Festival held at our beautiful botanical gardens.
 The morning started out cool but quickly heated it up.
Guess who wants a goat now??















Oh, we finally watched Light's Out.
it was spooky and I think
it's a good Halloween movie to own.
We made hot dogs, popcorn and set out movie theater candy, 
then we turned out
all the lights and huddled up on the floor with blankets.
It was especially scary when, at a dramatic part of the film
This not so adorable cross eyed lump pushed a pan off of the counter..


I instantly aged 10 years!!


I've creating art all summer.
It's been an especially helpful activity for both of us this year, 
especially me.
It calms me down.
 I made a couple of these Lydia Deetz dolls..


This vintage style cat...


And this little jester



Friday I took Helena to the public library and we ended up shopping at the store of discarded books.
It was FANTASTIC!
We left with so many books for us both!
it was all under 4 dollars!!!










afterwards we stopped by a thrift store and found this guy!
He's a good size and was only $2
 
 
This was 2.99 at Walgreens..
how creepy is that werewolf behind it?




I have one last short story to share in front of the fire 
come close and listen......


What are your thoughts on ghosts?
My mom had so many stories about them..
I unfortunately cannot remember them all..
There was one that she thought about and retold
from time to time though..

When my mom and dad were newly married 
they moved into a neighborhood that was very close to their families...
Her brother lived across the street..his sister and her husband lived down the block,
I think you get the picture.
my mom had an elderly aunt that was ill and couldn't walk correctly,
every time she walked she would drag her foot.
It was a very distinct sound.
When she became so ill she was was bed ridden, she told my mom..
"when I die, I'm going to come back and say goodbye to you, just you wait"
She passed away not long after...
My mom, of course, felt terrible..
That night, when it grew dark
my mom said she was sitting at the kitchen table when she heard the sliding door open.
She said she did not turn to look at her visitor..
the dragging of someones  foot was loud enough to let her knew who it was.

I hope you enjoyed this years Haunted Humpday..
It really went by too quickly.
Thank you to everyone that participated and left comments,
You are awesome!!

I'll be back very soon.


Friday, October 21, 2016

Witches in fiction 2016: Kindness



I began this painting a while ago, but didn't finish until very recently.
This is called 
'Spring Witch'
The flowers floating from her make me think about how we need to scatter kindness.
Although my favorite season is Autumn
I feel like we all need to keep Spring in our hearts and surrounding us.
Have you ever helped a stray?
Planted flowers or brought food to a shelter?
To me that is magic...kindness is magic.
It keeps your soul nourished.
We need to sow these seeds of Spring..emotions of love and care,
in order to help, not only the planet but each other.

A special thank you going out to the wickedly clever and beautiful Magaly.
Leave a comment and you get a chance to win a smaller painting of this witch
made to your specifications:)


Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Haunted Humpday, going, going


Hello, how was your week?
Welcome to the penultimate Haunted Humpday!


Anyone doing any scary/spooky Halloween activities soon?
In addition to going to the fair, which isn't spooky
We have a few that are on our list.
starting with 


According to the website:

"From the city all you can hear are the screams resonating from fields on the farm.  Located on the outskirts of the city lies a farmland that is home to one of the scariest places in Arizona.  Fear Farm is the largest outdoor haunted attraction in the valley.  30 acres of pure terror, consisting of 5 indoor/outdoor haunted attractions and for the faint of heart we offer a 10 acre corn maze. New for 2016  Fear farm brings you the all new Phoenix Haunted Hayride.  Guests won’t have to travel far to leave the city lights behind and enjoy this ominous oasis of the desert, the Valley’s only outdoor Halloween experience with attractions for the whole family. This Halloween season, Fear Farms promises to become your family’s newest and most frightening fall tradition: Come for the fun, stay for the fear. Make a night of it. We dare you.
This year there are 5 horrific haunts all at one location: Slaughterhouse, Undead, The Bunker, Mouth of Madness, and Legends: Goatman!
If you’re in Phoenix this fall, be sure to not miss everyone’s favorite Halloween tradition and take a stroll through Fear Farm Haunted House and Corn Maze" 

We'll see. 

We are also planning on 

This has "merry" activities that are appropriate for all ages..
which includes walking through an extinct animal graveyard 
and a mad hatter dance party!
There's also a "scary" option,
This sounds like a bit more fun.

From their website:
 
  • Urban Legend Lane
    Wander along a path of urban legends and encounter characters you’ve only heard about in myths.
  • Haunt for Dead October
  • Feel the terror of the deep in the Haunt for Dead October. Dare to enter a Soviet submarine and be menaced by radioactive Russian zombies.
  • Walking Dead Way
    Don’t make any sudden movements … escaped and hungry zombies roam the pathway waiting to feast on human flesh.
  • Vampires Awakening
    Enter the Lair of Darkness where thirsty vampires await to feed on the living.
  • Insane Asylum
    Experience this insane “funhouse”. Try not to stare … you could end up being their next resident!
  • Post-Apocalyptic Train Tour*
    Take a train ride to the darkest and scariest corners of the Zoo where even we won’t venture on our own! Let’s hope you make it back in one piece…

There are a few local 'home haunts' in our area that we plan on visiting  too!


 I forgot to show you this sign I found at goodwill, 
This was 3.99!





You flip up the face and this is underneath


This was bought at Target..I love the gypsy vibe it has!


This is an old mask and werewolf paws that I stuck on the wall..
It always creeps me out when I turn off the living room lights at night, it's like I forget it's
hanging there until it's dark.



Look at this mug! This was sent to me as a gift:)
Isn't it just adorable?


This one, I've had forever..It's one of my favorites.
It's huge, perfect for coffee.



Sometimes the talent that people have just blows me away..
You couple that with generosity and it's a powerful combination.
My awesome friend Georgina created these two amazing
beauties and sent them to me!!
A treat box and a tree of life ornament:)
That treat box will be out all year and the ornie will definitely
be on our tree for many years to come!
I LOVE her art work. 
stop by her blog and take a look at her work, it's at 




I also received these lollipops, yes, they are edible..
from another talented lady in California..
The details are ridiculous!
Look at that skelly Cinderella!
That puppy lollipop is her very own dog Bixby, 
which I drew, and she turned him into candy!!
I highly recommend visiting her Etsy shop 
Her confections are as delicious as they are magical.
Right now she has Halloween pops but she creates for all occasions!
Stop by if you get a chance!


Here are a few of my silly little paper devils..
Who, by the way, are available for adoption
for anyone that is interested.




 Would you like to watch a creepy video?
We found this one last week and I think it's pretty scary.
Turn down your lights and watch it alone:)



what did you think?


What do you know about skin-walkers?
according to wikipedia they are 


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"This article is about the creature of Native American legend. For other uses, see Skin-walker (disambiguation).
In Navajo (Navajo: Diné) culture, a skin-walker (yee nahgloshii) is a type of witch who has the ability to turn into an animal, or to disguise themselves as an animal.
In the Navajo language, yee naagloshii translates to "he who walks on all fours".[1] While perhaps the most common variety seen in horror fiction by non-Navajo people, the yee naaldlooshii is one of several varieties of Navajo witch, specifically a type of ’ánti’įhnii.[1]
Navajo people usually hesitate to reveal this lore to non-Navajos, or even to discuss it casually among those they do not trust.[2]"




My best friend from middle school had a brother that 
loved to go camping.
He especially liked the rural mountainous areas east of Phoenix Arizona.
 He would get on his motorcycle and head out for long weekends
usually alone.
He loved driving and
He didn't believe in superstitions or 'old wives tales'
As he put it.
I spoke to my friend and she said he'd been out camping and came home early. 
Spooked out of his mind.
He told her he had seen something so terrible
He felt like the thought alone was going to drive him insane.
.................
After setting up camp, he decided to hike over to a small lake and fish for a while
(It was a routine he had.)
He was not having much luck 
and had resigned himself to going back to camp
and having some of the food he brought with him,
for this very reason.
As he began to pack up his tackle 
He heard a low growl drifting up from the thick underbrush behind him.
He got very anxious since mountain lions were spotted often in that area.
He finished and started to put as much space between himself and the creature as possible.
On the way back to his campsite he could hear whistling and small bushes and leaves
being crushed...whatever it was kept pace with him all the way back.
He said his mind was playing tricks on him
because he could swear that what ever it was that was out there
 had climbed up the nearest tree and was now just watching him as he
built a fire and settled down for the night.
Every once in a while he could hear growls and what sounded like whispers.
This went on for about an hour until he decided to get out his
gun and shoot into the tree, figuring that whatever was up there would 
become frightened and run off.
He shot in the general direction of the 'animal'
but instead of running off it jumped down and got closer to the fire.
After getting a good look at it.
He ran for his bike, didn't even pack his stuff and took off.
The drive home was terrifying for him.
The creature looked like a large shaggy deer.
The face pale, the eyes bright red. 
The limbs, unnaturally long.
It ran along the side of the road, sometimes on all fours, sometimes up on it's hind legs.
Driving as fast as he possibly could, he made it back to a populated area 
and rested there until the sun came up.
Afterwards my friend told me he was spooked.
He saw shadows where no one else did.
His driving was reserved for work only
and camping became out of the question.
After a few weeks
He told her her that
the creature was everywhere, he could hear it
scrabbling and whispering in the dead of night.
He could see it out of the corner of his eye.
This went on for a couple of months.. 
Then one night in early September
he was killed in a motorcycle accident on a lonely highway.
There were no other vehicles involved.
 



What are your thoughts on this..?
Have you ever heard of skin walkers?
They're supposedly in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico...
But I've heard stories of them being in other places as well.

If you want to hear other tales about them
give this guy a listen,
His name is Lazy Masquerade 
and he has a bunch of cool scary stories that will freak you out.



Alright, I'm about to get ready to go to sleep..or at least try.
If you camp a lot or are in a rural area in AZ, TX, or NM
& you hear a rustling or a whistling one dark night..
Well, I hope you get home safe and sound.

Happy Haunted Humpday!!
it's the 19th day of the Countdown to Halloween!
goodnight!

Sunday, October 16, 2016

doorways and windows...

-Doorway to Halloween-


Windows or doors.
And it's
Day #16 on the 

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Orange and Black Birthday

It was my blog's birthday on the tenth.
I'd completely forgotten.
I've been here on blogger (off and on)
for 7 years!!
I started blogging because at the time
I had a strange separation anxiety every time
my husband left for work.
Oh, it wasn't a normal schedule, 9-5 type of thing..
It was one month gone one week home for nine to ten months of the year.
Blogging helped me cope with that irrational, emotional turmoil.

I've created many, many different types and styles of art..
Shared heartbreaks and happy stories
and
I've made friends, amazing friends, that I keep in close contact with.
 I'm so grateful!
So today I wish my little blog 
very
Happy (belated) Birthday

I'm also linking up to the take a word challenge this week.
And today is the 13th day of the 

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Haunted Humpday #5

How are you today?
It's our fifth Haunted Humpday already..
 There's only two more left!




June, July, and August are uphill months for us here..
September is a recovery month, kind of like
"oh, I'm still here and everything's still attached"...
But October... is, (as Stephen King says)
"Slicker than owl shit"
Now, I'm not sure how slick owl shit is, but I'll take his word for it.

 It's also the 12th night on the Countdown to Halloween!

I try and make everyday as 'Halloween filled' as possible during October.
Just to get out each and every little drop of magic.
This is done because I've always been this way..but I also do it for Helena..
(She needs all the magic she can get right now.)

We recently painted pumpkins..


 I even carved a mini pumpkin for her, because she thought it couldn't be done!



Last night we went for a walk at Tempe Town Lake.
It was gorgeous, the temperature was in the low 70's
and there was a delicious breeze moving. 
I didn't take any photos this time but you can bet we are going to go back there soon 
and I'll take so many!

 (via Pinterest)

Anyhow, afterwards we stopped by to get some snacks and found these
cute little slurpee holders at 7-11.
I just had to show you!

 


In honor of
 Breast Cancer Awareness month
I'd like to show you a little dessert we made the other night.
They're just cake pops, dipped in melted vanilla candy with a mini
chocolate chip in the center.
aren't they cute?



We always find time to create art
Every day. No matter how small the project is.
 We recently painted up some rocks..
She made a pumpkin


We both made ghouls.


I also have another painting to show you too.
She's brand new, I started her a while ago and kept adding  more and more, 
but now I think she's done.






Has anyone watched the Exorcist TV show?
If so what do you think?
I think it's okay..not great but maybe the really
good scares arrive later..

Is it cold where you live?
We are currently at 65 degrees and that's good enough to start a campfire.
why don't you come sit with me and listen closely.
 


One of our neighbors told me this story, years ago.
She lived in a small town somewhere in mexico.
when she was about 12 years old
One day
she overheard her aunt and mother talking about how 
one of the local teenage girls was causing trouble for her family
 disobeying her parents and refusing to go to church were among her transgressions.

Her mother and aunt were asked to stop by the church the next evening to pray for the family
She was brought along even though she really didn't want to go.
When they arrived
there were other people gathered there already. 
They started praying and were began to file into the church one by one.
She said they walked in and the first thing she noticed was how dark it was. 
Not one light was on.
Then she noticed that it was cold.
Cold for a warm night in June
 in a building without air conditioning.
She could hear screams and guttural voices drifting through the vestibule.

 As a group, they walked down the isle, then the priest tied a piece of yarn around the crucifix.
He then led them down a short hallway and they entered a small room.
The girl was there.
She was crouching in the darkest corner.
He tied the other end of the yarn to her ankle then they all prayed.
She said the noises filling the room were horrific.
She said she can still hear them in her head.
After the prayers they had to turn their back and walk out, one by one.
By the this time the inflicted one was barking and howling
swinging her hands at the congregation, trying to reach them, 
but she couldn't seem to get out of the corner.
They prayed more that night then returned to their homes,
She says she never knew what happened to the girl.
The family moved and no one heard from them again.


Well, it's 2 minutes until three A.M. and I'm freaked out so I'm going to call it a night.
In the mean time, here's a kitten in a pumpkin.
 Goodnight! and Happy Haunted Humpday to you!