Cold Beer and Music

*Yay* We got the electricity back on in the barn. Thank Godzilla for that! It would have been a very dark and horrific Halloween without. A night to remember. Sitting there in the light of our trillion candles, listening to the sighs and whispers of the wind, around the corners and the trees, hearing eerie footsteps from upstairs.

On the other hand, it could have been fitting I guess.. But, we like some music and heat. And cold beer is nice to have too. I like old, but some modern inventions are great to have.

How to Survive a Horror Movie

Man Crates is a new online company, that has the most creative gifts for men I've heard of in a while. They ship a wood crate to the fellow you want to surprise, filled with all sorts of manly goodies of your choice. Where the receiver has to open it with a crowbar at arrival! Could also work for a girlfriend. Sounds pretty cool to me. They even have a zombie preparedness crate, which would be right up my alley..

Man Crate gave me this awsome challenge, to make a post about what I would bring, to survive a horror movie! A challenge that shouldn't be too hard, for someone who love scary movies. I'm probably not the only one, that think people in scary movies act pretty ridiculous and annoying sometimes. It's like they almost have some kind of inner death wish, doing everything opposite of what they should. As I think they should, anyways. Trying to guide them around, from my safe place under the blanket in the sofa. Often with a huge popcorn bowl, placed in my lap. Reminding myself, there probably wouldn't be any movie, if they didn't act brainless and totally dumb. It's half of the thrill I guess. If you wathced a fair ammount of horror movies. You should know, there's things to do and not to do. Like a few very obvious ones..

• DO NOT enter the haunted woods at night. Especially not on a full moon night. Monsterous howling, or whispering voices of any sort. should also give you a clue something's not right.
• DO NOT go into the scary, abandoned country house, in the middle of the storm, in the haunted woods.. Especially if you heard a scream from inside.
• If you for some reason have to enter the house. DO NOT throw on a loud "HELLO, anybody home??" As you open the squeaking door.
• NEVER go check out creepy, veird noises. And never ever alone.
• If you spot a monster, DO NOT stumble around in circles, screaming and waving your flashlight around, so the monster can see exactly where you are.
• DO NOT hide in the creepy, old closet, in the upstairs bedroom. Or under the bed, for that matter. Bad places for hiding, get you killed.
• DO NOT by any circumstances attempt to go down in the basement. Bad shit always happends in the basement. Don't forget, that's where the veirdo got all the dead bodies stocked up.. And most of the time it's haunted.

Lets pretend for one moment, that I found myself in this very scary, shitty and highly deadly situation... There's certain things I would like to have.

1. Holy Water. Can be used on any supernatural creature. It burns and can buy you some precious time.
2. Salt. To protect against supernatural creatures. For making safe circles for yourself, trapping and to burn old remains of evil ghosts. Don't forget to burn their personal items.
3. Zippo Lighter. Always have a lighter that works. To kill and destroy.
4. Silver Bullets and a Gun. To kill and wound supernatural creatures.
5. Rope with a Hook. A long rope is a super item to bring. Either it is for climbing, or tying up bloodthirsty phsycos with. Be sure to know your scout knots. Just remember, this will not work for the supernatural creatures.
6. A Pocket Bible. With religious verses, that sends your monsters right back to pergatory. Exactly where they belong.
7. Hiking Shoes, or leather boots. Be sure to have good shoes, so you can run like Forest Gump and to protect against sharp objects, no high heels or flip flops.
8. Samuray Sword. Like the chic in Walking Dead has. Perfect for slaying anything evil, coming your way..
9. A Big sharp Knife. An excellent tool, for making booby traps and wooden stakes, poking, stabbing, also good for close kills.
10. An Ax. For the very same reasons.
11. Camuflage Net and Bear traps. Great items for catching bad guys in.
12. Black Bodysuit. To hide in the dark.
13. Night Vision Goggles. To see any danger lurking in the dark, before they see you.
14. A working Flashlight. Sometimes you do need a little light, to see what you are doing.
15. Strong Work Gloves. To keep you from cutting yourself and spilling blood all over the place. When handling sharp objects, broken glass etc.
16. A couple of Grenades. For massive destruction. 
17. GPS. To find the right way out of there.
18. A Motorcycle, with a full gas tank. To get you fast out and away. Through narrow passages and even out of the haunted woods.
19. A Military Veichle, at a strategic point. Loaded with first aid, food, water, a phone and warm clothes. To get you safe and sound home, away from all this madness.
20. Having a friend waiting in that military veichle, would be even better. Someone you can trust.

Last, but not least.. Don't trust that any strangers, cops, or officials, will get you out of this sticky situation. They'll just end up dead and so will you, if you entrust them with your life. You're alone on this one. Trust yourself and your instincts. Also, don't attempt to make a phone call. Phones and mobiles never work in horror movies and just let the bad guy know where you're at. You can be sure you'll get a text, just at the wrong time..

From the movie The Descent

Lights Out

It's been a very busy weekend, preparing for our monster ball. We made a couple more monsters, got the last props in and a few little details in place.. Also purchased a couple of horrifickly fun Halloween props. Couldn't help ourselves when we found a banjo playing Skeleton and a sweet creepy talking doll, with no eyes and cracked skull. As the man in the shop said "isn't it adorable?"

Only a few more red led lights and batteries on the shopping list.. We use red bicicle led lights, to light up and add a touch of spookiness to our installations. They are inexpensive and it gives it that extra, little eerie feel. Can't have enough of those. Also we might have to get a few more grave lanterns, for our graveyard.

We had some fun testing out the creepiness, in the Dead Sailors Inn on Saturday. Besides, we had to try the music list. Had the whole circus going, with all the trillion candles, oil lamps, jack'o lanterns, Halloween lights and light chains blinking. Only four small days left till Halloween!! I'm so ready. Like my love put it, as we were sitting there with our beer; Wish it was tomorrow!

Apparantly he spoke too soon, or maybe the barn ghost heard us. As we were sitting there, all happy and oh so ready for Halloween. A buzzing sound from the heaters and the music blured out with a muffed sound. The power was gone. Possibly the worst thing that could happend, one week away from Halloween! Needing power for our heaters, stereo and the mini concert we'll be having. A buddy will be playing for us. Really not a good timing, if things like that ever has a good timing. On top of that, we found out that our stereo had burned out. No more stereo. Dead. No hope of any resurrection there. Have to look for a new one.. A bit of bad luck there. Crossing fingers that bestest Miss Lindy Lee and hubby, has a stereo we can borrow for the night.

An electrician will be coming today. Hopefully he'll be able to find out what's wrong, with the electricity in our barn. On the positive side, it was REALLY spooky in there, with only candles and oil lamps lighting the bar.. O and I swear I could hear footsteps from the top floor, when I was out there alone the other day. Talking about creepy.

Costume Coming Together..

I'm so happy to say, that my costume is coming together! I tried everything on yesterday, with the makeup. I'm very pleased and thrilled to see my idea coming to life. Just a couple of small details left and I'm ready for the monster ball, at Dead Sailors Inn.. Most of the items I already had, looking through my wardrobe. Other items I found in a variety of shops down town. Maybe the coolest prop, I found in an antique shop out where we live.. An old fake, gun that someone made, out of wood and a steel pipe. With really nice details of mother of pearl on the shaft. So excited now that it's getting closer...



Love this print of The flying Dutchman

Macabre Carpenter

We haven't been too busy making new props this year, as we decided to reuse most of what we already have.. But some new things is slowly being added, to our collection of horror. I really wanted a coffin for a graveyard this year and eagerly babbled, waved my arms and sent links of what I thought would look cool, in our little graveyard.. Sometimes this eager babbeling of mine, seems to find it's way into his brain. I'm now the happy owner of a huge standing coffin, thanks to my macabre carpenter! It will be standing by the doorway, outside the saloon. Not sure yet, if it will house a scary monster, or if we should make it as a "photo booth". Where our guests can take their photo in the coffin..

"I want a coffin" I said.. And baby made a coffin.

Halloween Harvest

We've been growing pumpkins for the first time this year.. Been so excited to see how they would turn out! Finally one is getting ready. Wasn't sure what to expect, when they would get ready, or how big they would get. But they have exceeded every expectation so far. Looks like we'll have one big and two smaller pumpkins, to carve. Think we'll just let them grow as much as possible, before we harvest.. Hoping hubby will make pumkin pai of the inside! *Yumyum*

Winter is coming..

Yesterday the first snow came.. Big, wet snowflakes, falling down from a grey and heavy sky. Which left a thin, white blanket, spread over the autumn colored trees and fields. Very pretty and long time since, but always a bit of a surprise every year. I'm not quite sure if I'm ready for winter yet. My feet sure wasn't. I was still in my thin, cotton, summer sneakers.. I can ensure you, cold and wet feet in the snow, isn't the best way to start the day. On the bright side, I found some nice new winter boots for my freezing feet. Some that I've been drooling at, through the shop window for some time now. Finally I got the excuse I needed to buy them! *Hah*

As always, when the snowfall come this early. A voice back in my head, reminds me how not so good this is for Halloween and all our props. *Sigh* Why does winter always have to come and mess things up? If it could stay away, just a liiiiittle bit longer. It would all be good. Don't get me wrong, it's nice with some snow. Just not on Halloween! Please, please, pleeease stay away a couple more weeks...

Haunted Portraits

More dark art, for the mansion.. This time from Gorey Details. I'd love to have one of their haunted portraits, for our stairway. The portraits look like vintage photographs, of people long gone. An old aunt, uncle or your grandma's cousin. The portrait changes as you pass it, into a bit on the morbide side.. It would be a perfect addition, to all our odds and whimsicals on the wall. Blended in with our own family photos. Preferably one of the smaller sizes, so you have to look closer to believe what you see..

If you don't care much for darker stuff the rest of the year, take them out for Halloween. They would be a great prop for any haunted house. Give your guests the chills, as they pass by your seemingly normal portraits of long gone ancestors.

Here's some of my haunted favourites!
 

What to Wear

*Sigh* I've been struggling a bit, with my Halloween costume ideas this year. Not really a lack of ideas, rather the lack of enthusiasm. I had many ideas, but none that seemed right.. Usually I find out of my costumes quite early. Having time to plan it down to the small details, finding things online if I have to. I started to get nervous. What if I didn't find out of it in time. At this point, I can just forget about ordering costume props from abroad if I need to. As it take so long to get here. But you know what? I'm going to take up on my own advice. Go costume shopping in my own wardrobe.

I don't know if it was the horror and Halloween movies, I've been watching the last couple of days, that removed my creative block. Or just the idea that needed some time to form. It's an idea I've had for a while now.. The more I think about it, the better it feels. I went digging through some old clothes today and found some perfect garments, for putting a costume together. What I don't have, I'm quite positive I will be able to find in some shops down town. So excited now that my plan unfolds. Think it will be awsome! *Yay*

I can't reveal what it is right now, as some of my guests might read this post.. But I promise to get back to you good folks on it! All I can say, is that I'm inspired by an old photo of an historic person, that I stumbled over online.. Someone that I hadn't heard of before, that made an impression.

Also having costume trouble? Here's my advice..

• Put your soft, romantic, cry movies away and watch som good, old, blood splatting horror movies. Start with your favourite Halloween movie, to get you in the mood. I always like to start with Trick'r Treat. It never fails!
• What's the party theme? Try to think out of the box. Look through your wardrobe and old clothes that's stored away. Something there that you can use, maybe alter and make into a costume?
• If you're crafty, get the needle and thread out. This way, you can make something unique, that no one else has on the party. Also much creepier than the costumes bought in any shop! Just look at the vintage costumes, they all look like serial killers..
• Go to a thrift shop, they have lots of cheap clothes that can be made into an awsome costume.
• Get ideas from the horror/Halloween movies you're watching.. They are full of great costume idas!
• Do some research. Any historical person, someone that has actually lived that you can be? Preferably evil. Or victim of someone evil.
• And what about our fairytales.. They are full of villains and psychopaths.
• Finally; If you can't come up with ANY good ideas. Go as your dead self. It's Halloween people, it's supposed to be SCARY. Dead is good!

Vintage Halloween Costumes

Still not sure what to wear, for the grisliest night of them all? Needing some inspiration for your costume this year, do not despear! Get inspired by this collection of eerie and fabelous, vintage costumes. People were so creative, no purchasing ready costumes here..

What is your best Halloween costumes ideas? Or maybe you seen an awsome costume? Tell me, I'd love to hear about it!

 

Deadville

A small peek at last years Halloween and what we were up to.. The theme was an old western ghost town, Deadville. Good times, indeed!!



One of the installations we made, outside the barn.. Finger food on the grill.
Every fancy party serves finger food, right?

Black Death and Joe Nobody

Beer denied!

Are you scared yet?

And some monsters are beautiful.. A ghastly, spoiled dove of the west.

Your's truly, Scary Mary and my love, Voodoo John..

The Barn

Things has definitely changed, since we moved out of our tiny, little, one room, studio appartment down town, around 3 years ago. Or is it 4? Time flies, that's for sure. And things change.

We were looking for something bigger, more space, something of our own, freedom and a place to call home. One of the conditions my love had, was that it had to have a barn. "A barn" I said, "what do we need a BARN for?" The city girl I am (was?) thought he had lost his mind and that it would be difficult to find something within our pricerange, that had all that. Little did I know.. I remember there was a time, when all we wanted was an extra room, a fireplace and a balcony lol. That was back when we still lived in the asphalt jungle. Before we started looking for a house on the countryside. When we did find our house, it felt like winning the lottery. It had everything and more. Even the barn! Lets just say, I was totally wrong about that barn. Getting a barn, was the BEST idea ever!

The first few months living in the new house, I didn't see much to my love at all. Every evening when we got home from work, he would grab a thermos with coffee, a bag of pastry and disappear into the barn. Also every weekend. For a couple of months, all I heard was hammer noise and the pitch sound of an electric saw, piercing the cold, crisp winter air.. I remember we had temperatures down to -22 C/-7,6 F that winter and in a barn without heating.. I found myself staring out of the window, towards the barn. Glad I heard some noises. At least it meant he was alive, not frozen to death out there.

When we bought the house, the first floor of the barn was very basic, dark and really eerie looking. With dirt floor and beams a bit above the ground, probably from an old floor that once had been there. Also the barn walls was of the plain panel, that lets through both sun and weather. Not very good for the norwegian weather, at least not for the plans my love had for the place. In the back of the barn there was and still is, the old barn. A really old building, used for animals at some point, with thick timber walls and old crooked doors. Not a place you wanted stay long in, or even could use for much. That was before my man turned the place upside down, with his head full of creative ideas and passion.

Every now and then I would peek in, curious to see what was going on and the progression.. First he made a floor, which made a huge difference. Then the walls and a bar. Even a small fireplace was put in. All made with used wood and materials, found in and under the barn, and from an old house, they were remodelling up in the village. When he finally was done, I was stunned, the change was amazing! It was a whole new place. Such a cozy little bar. I was litterarly clapping my hands, at this point.

And our barn bar, Dusty Saddle Saloon was born! A place that already holds many happy memories of fun times, with good friends and family. It's also the PERFECT location for our Halloween parties. Let's just say, it's not very dificult to get that old, creepy feel to the place, when we want to.. Also the bar never really gets done, there's always something going on there. Some small, new quirky little details popping up. Or like this summer, when my love decided to expand the bar, to the double size.

Everyone should have their own barn bar! At least if you live on the countryside..

 

First photo after project barn started..

 

Got some more old materials, to use on the bar..

 

A small rest and thinking about what to do next..

Getting the bar roof on.. I love that detail.

Details from the bar.. Fish heads from the lake, near by.

And the finished result, before he added on more space..

 

A Place to rest

Bessy and hubby

And just because it's pretty. The gorgeous sunset view, from Dusty Saddle!