Ghoulie Girls Quick Project

Ok, here's a riddle for you. What does your local garden center have to do with Halloween? They carry great cemetery props for your haunted yard. No, really.

Work with me here... Several years ago I purchased a cheap resin bird bath and set it outside (exactly where one would expect it to go). Last winter the bird bath started to crack and finally it broke into pieces (I mentioned it was cheap didn't I?). The well of the bird bath was surrounded by three small resin birds that were attached to the bath by a peg. Though weathered they were all still in one piece and I got to thinking that these would be a nice little addition to a handmade tombstone. (Now don't pressure me. This is just one of many ideas banging around in the ol' brain. I haven't actually got around to doing it yet.)

All types of resin products are sold through garden centers. Everything from statuary busts to stepping stones to finials. At the end of the season you can probably even pick up a few on the cheap. (We love cheap!)

I place several architectural style pieces amongst our tombstones. I left them as I found them but you can certainly paint, weather, dry brush, or distress them to get the look you want. Smaller resin pieces can be incorporated into handmade tombstones or add them to store bought pieces for a unique look.

In the picture below you'll see the white resin piece nestled in a bush with a crow perched on top:

You don't have to wait until summer's end to do your shopping. You can often find resin pieces year-round that would be the perfect creepy addition. And, best of all, if you can get these for a few bucks on clearance and just slap them up you've got a great look that's Ghoulie Girl quick!

Blame It On Mom

I blame my mother. I know it was unintentional but I blame her just the same.

Our entire family enjoyed the Halloween season but aside from a few disposable decorations like crepe paper, honeycomb pieces, die-cuts, etc we really didn't have much to display. We always carved pumpkins and we made the corn stalk tee pee but that was about it. With one exception. My mother always placed a plastic light-up in the front window. The light-up featured a grinning Jack O' Lantern in a top hat balanced on a hunched back black cat with a skull between his feet. Around the base were several flying witches.



The lighting of the Jack and Cat signaled that Halloween was upon us. Every night from mid October until the 31st the black and orange plastic cast an eerie glow in our window. It was a magical time.

Several years ago my parents were cleaning out their basement. (Thank God because they are pack rats and I would hate to have to have done that after they were gone.) My sister and I showed up to help. Well, we showed up to stake claim to certain things anyway. I told my mom that I wanted the plastic Jack and Cat. I was surprised when she couldn't even recall what I was talking about. After relating the entire story as I have here she still couldn't remember it so I figured it had been tossed out.

We cleaned throughout the day and at one point I looked up in the rafters and... did I mention my parents are pack rats? Thank God they are because there it was! Tucked away and dusty but in great shape.

And so it began. My obsession with those vintage plastic light-ups. My collection now includes 25 of these relics from the 60's and 70's and it's still growing. I blame it on my mother.

Other pieces from the collection:
Vintage Light-Ups 1
Vintage Light-Ups 2
Vintage Light-Ups 3

The Beast

This past Halloween season the Ghoulie Girls took a quick trip to Kansas City, MO to take in a few haunted houses: The Beast, The Edge of Hell, The Chambers of Edgar Allen Poe and Macabre Cinema. All four are owned and operated by Full Moon Charities Inc and benefit the Variety Children's Charity.

While we enjoyed each haunt (and we'll likely end up reviewing them all) by and far we preferred The Beast. Opened in 1991, it holds the title as "The Largest Haunted House" in America. 45 minutes (give or take) of heart pounding action. It took us at least 45 minutes (and I know this because Tracy had to pee 5 minutes after we entered the building).




We screamed a lot and we're not especially easy to scare but it was just too much fun. This is an open floor format which means you aren't just herded through a maze but rather left to wander each area. In some areas it's hard to find exactly where you're supposed go and if you're like us some haunt actor will mess with your mind and send you to a dead end.

Dark as hell in some places and stairs everywhere (I have no idea how they pass code), uneven floors and live actors that get up close and personal. The creme de la creme is when you near the end and they hand you a butt size piece of wax paper and send you hurdling down a 4 story slide back to the bottom. Tracy lost a shoe on the way down [insert hysterical laughter here].

The best thing is that all four haunted houses are within walking distance of each other but, if you prefer, a tractor pulled hay rack ride is available. Lines for The Edge of Hell and The Beast can get rather long so we highly recommend buying your tickets online in advance. This also allows you to get in the VIP line which gets you in pretty fast. If you plan on visiting more than one haunt, the combo tickets are the best deal. Parking is crazy but there are parking attendants who are very helpful in giving you directions and other necessary information. Another tip: If you're planning to stay overnight check for package deals. This past season The Sheraton and the Hyatt Regency included haunt tickets with your room.

We'll definitely go back.