End of April

Hi all, Dawn here.  No pictures today, I’m just writing to catching up with my friends – YOU! 

It’s time to come out of hibernation around here at Nickols Manor, and we are starting to get ready to rumble.

It’s been a roller coaster of an ‘off season’ for us, with the toughest heartbreak being the loss of respected Haunt blogger John Wolfe.  I didn’t write about it at the time, I didn’t really know what to say that so many others had not already communicated more eloquently than I could have.  That is definitely not to mean that it did not affect us.  John was an amazing artist that did so much through his blog and webcams to educate and share with our community.  Beyond that, he was a very kind individual, one of the first to welcome us as newbies, and I will never forget that kindness.  You are missed much, and often John. 

Jayson and I just got back from a weekend getaway to a small little haunted Texas town that is a particular favorite of ours, we will be telling you a bit about it in the coming days… but it really gave us a chance to slow down, have time to talk about things other than the kids and work…. and it led to more haunt planning than we have gotten done in the first 4 months of the year!  I guess I need to chill out and realize that just may be how we roll!

This should be an amazing build season, thanks to some amazing techniques that Allen Hopps has been putting out on Youtube… We have had the privilege of working with him a few times in Dallas, and he has really reminded us that we are doing this to have fun (imagine THAT?!?!), and to look at EVERTHING as a potential building material. 

So we are full of ideas and are ready to go…. now all we have to do is focus!  (insert laughter here…) 

Here’s to 2012!

Dreaming of October

Is it because I want it to be Halloween? (For obvious reasons)

Is it because I want it to NOT read 111 degrees in my car?  (Like it does right now)

Is it because The Walking Dead Season 2 finally begins on October 16?  (Damn that new 4 minute preview for ComicCon, making me drool)

Yeah.... all those.

Like A Grown Up Lab Partner

Only better.  There is nothing better than prop building with your best friend.

We have these huge metal work benches, and set them up facing each other.  So while I am busy carving tiny intricate details on a tombstone, he is usually doing who knows what. 

But he almost always has that smile on his face, and I'm just grateful to share this awesome hobby with him.  Even when we butt heads and argue, its still the greatest time in my life.

Thanks Jaybo, you make this whole thing so worth it.

Dirty Girl

So I Have This Idea...

Hi all - Dawn here.  (I thought I would specify that, so that when it shows up on Jaybo's Facebook account, his friends won't think he has lost his mind)

So this idea isn't about props, monsters, themes, or costumes... but about the Haunt as a whole.  This year for some reason, I have been obsessing over what the people on the sidewalk think when they look into our yard.

For the last few years, I have stood out on the other side of the fence, and listened to the kids, listened to the adults, trying to eavesdrop on what they like, what they notice, what scares them, and then I take note of what does NOT get noticed, etc.

We also pose with them as their parents take our pictures, I watch them take pictures of various props.  Which got me to thinking.  (That "thinking" usually gets the hubby running for the hills)

I want to see the haunt through their eyes - through their pictures. 

So, I want them to send me their pictures.  Not to get this great photography - but to see their vision - what they gawk at.  So I thought, I could pass out a business card to anyone I see taking a picture on Halloween night - something that says "send us a few of your favorite pictures" yanno, something snappy like that. (rolls eyes)

So then I thought....What if.......... what if I find a way to communicate to the people that visit our haunt.... a contest.  Something like..... If we pick your picture, we will email you, and you can pick any epitaph, and we will feature a gravestone of your choice next year.  Would people care?  Would all of that FIT on a business card?!?! 

I know some 10 year old kids that would think naming a gravestone would be super cool - but is that enough to make parents email their pictures to me?

Pfffft.  My head hurts.  I can overcomplicate ANYTHING!  So, does it sound like a stupid idea?  Useless?  No one would even send one picture?

Need input.  I think Jaybo is afraid of hurting my feelings, LOL.

UPDATE:  My best buddy Shellee-O came up with a really good suggestion, which proves why she was my best friend growing up - she puts up with my "train of thought" derailments as good as Jayson does.  She suggested putting a link to the Nickols Manor Facebook page on a business card, and put the details of the contest, and also allows people to upload their pics there as well.  Genius, I say.

Gravestone Artwear

Evidently Dixie has been cooped up in the garage carving gravestones for much too long. She eats, breathes, and NOW wears gravestones!

 

 

She wanted me to tell everyone about Gravestone Artwear. Looks like these guys take rubbings of actual New England gravestones and silkscreen them onto all kinds of things. Looks like a pretty cool site.

Now, excuse me while I try to explain to my wife why a 4ft long foam gravestone is not meant to be worn like a hat. The neighbors look at us funny as it is, we don't need to give them any more ammunition.

I LOVE MY WIFE!

So things have been pretty busy around the Manor lately, but not in the Halloween sort of way. I’ve been feeling very anxious as of late because the blog has been neglected, no new props have been built, I’ve missed like a million Make and Take meetings (ok, maybe two or three actually), and all of our blog and forum friends think we’ve died or fallen off the face of the earth!

So, I’m a little stressed out about a hobby I love and enjoy so much. Feel like I’m letting people down. Then I get this in my email at work from my beautiful, loving, and understanding wife:

THAT’S THE SIGN!

This is like seeing the first flower of spring or the first snowfall of the winter. When Dixie starts thinking this way and put’s pen to paper, that’s the first sign of the Prop Season! My favorite season of the year!

Can’t wait for this weekend to get started!

Easter Bunny Hates You!

 

Have a Happy Easter everyone!

The Best of the Best: Skull Shoppe

It is with great honor that we are finally able to blog about a dear friend of ours with amazing talent and a new online store.

If you ever hang out at Hauntforum.com, then the works at this shoppe will be very familiar to you. These are the amazing works of sculptor extraordinaire Scourge from the forums. The man has a true passion for sculpting accurate and realistic skulls. He has been wowing us in the forums with his talent for quite sometime. He also happens to be an extremely nice guy!

So please support a fellow haunter and show the man some love this haunting season!

Congratulations on your new web store Scourge!

Alice….

Did anyone go see it last night?

Was it awesome?  Everything you hoped for?

Am I going to survive 10 more hours til I can drag Jayson to take me to see it?

Oh and I just love Helena Bonham Carter, that’s why I chose a shot of her and not Depp above (although I adore him too!).  She is amazing!!

FYI

You might have noticed that I (being Dawn) have been a little scarce lately.  Well, just humor me and ACT like you noticed that.  ;)

I started a new girlie blog of my very own, because believe it or not, I really like decorating my home in bright vibrant colors, and I rarely (ok never) get to talk about that on this blog.  Jayson would kill me and use me as a prop in the haunt if I did that.

So, I have been putting some time into getting my new blog up and running, the web design of it all has taken longer than the posts themselves!

Not that any of you would be remotely interested, but the page is called Wacky Whimsy and can be found here.  (Well, except for Frog Queen, who, bless her heart, was my first non-family member follower, LOL  Thank you for that!)

Jayson told me this morning (in a voice that screamed “traitor!”) that since I have all but quit posting on NickolsManor lately, that I should just combine the two and call it Wacky Manor.  I died laughing.

We would be the only blog in the (short) history of blogging to lose every one of their followers in one day.  So don’t worry, he was just joking.  Just know that I’m still here, just a bit scarce for a bit.

Happy Sunday, hope it is fairly warm where you are!

Oh, and….. GO SAINTS!  (sorry, had to say it!)

A Bad Theme Idea.

Sitting around, surfing the internet mindlessly, I somehow start thinking… ok, so here goes – another mental mind train you have to follow:

1.  How much the hubby likes The Davis' Calvin & Hobbes Christmas display

2.  How even though we try to do Christmas yard displays here, they NEVER come to fruition

3.  Wouldn’t it be fun to do something like that for Halloween one year then?

4.  Can’t do cute.  Can’t do grave bloody injustices to Calvin or Hobbes either.  Just aint fittin’.

5.  What other comical characters could I slaughter without warping the mind of a 4 year old?

6.  4 year olds aren’t allowed to watch The Simpsons because Bart is a Bad Influence.

7.  The Haunting of Springfield… Yes, Thats IT!  We can do foam or plywood cut outs of all the Springfield folks – they are easily recognizable, we can still use our graves since some will be Simpson zombies…. (notice, this is all coming out in the same number 7, because my mind was working so fast now) and… and…  Bart can be stabbing Lisa, and Maggie can be killing Krusty the Clown – bludgeoning him with a baby bottle, and… and… I could do all the painting and it will be big eye balls and a lot of yellow skin with blood all over it, and wow, that would be funny AND scary.

I guess someone on the internet already thought of it.  Oh well.

Repeat 1-7 to Hubby without taking a breath, and just WATCH him stare at you like you forgot to take your meds this morning.  (“Not in MY yard, you don’t” I could just HEAR him say, although he didnt say a word, LOL)

Back to the drawing board.

01-01-10

That title looks like binary, doesn’t it?  This 2010 stuff is just freaking me out.  Where’s our rocket ship cars, and our robot maid’s? 

On this first day of the year, I wanted to make a short post, no tutorials, or pictures…. no Prop do’s and don’ts….

I wanted to thank every single person that has become a follower of our little space on the web… I know how precious time is, and I am truly honored that you take even a moment from your day to read what Jayson and I have written.

I have said it many times, and I really believe this – the haunt community has some of the most kind and creative, talented and MacGuyver-Like people I have ever had the opportunity to be around.  Thank you for everything you have taught me in 2009, and know that I am looking so forward to spending 2010 with you.

Happy New Year!

Dixie’s Secret Santa Can Suck It Gift…

I had the awesome opportunity to be able to BUY for our gracious host, Cobwebs of Shadow Manor.  What’s really cool about that is I get to give her MORE because she is our host, so I have an unlimited budget.  The web is my playground and here I go.

The fun part about shopping for someone with an incredible blog, such as Shadow Manor is that her Wish List is laid out day by day… for the last 2 1/2 years or something like that.  So not only did I get to take a step back in time and relive some of her great posts, I got to pick and choose my gifts to her from amongst things I read she liked!

I start off with a stocking by the hearth…. because of COURSE, its a Secret SANTA, and everyone knows he comes via the computer chimney.

PS.  This picture is stolen from the internet.  Use your imagination people.

PSS.  Just imagine that one of those stockings says Cobwebs, ok?  Don’t make me drag out the Photoshop.

PSSS.  Don’t ever type in “Halloween Stockings” into Google.  Some of them aren't the kind of stockings to hang on the mantle, and some of them should not be squeezed onto the leg that is in the picture.  *shivers*

Ok, Cobwebs… open your stocking!

   Yes, the awesome Chandelier nightlight she found at Target.  Coolness.

An awesome Zombie toy.  Who doesn't need a dismantle-the-zombie toy??

Well, and a $1000 gift certificate to Think Geek because she said she has an unnatural liking of the joint.  (And I have an unlimited budget, yay!)

Ok, and last in her stocking,

I mean, that stupid thing goes in EVERYONE’S stockings, right?!!

Ok, onto the pretty wrapped presents.  woohooo!

From The Mourning Sampler.  This one was my favorite, I hope she likes it too!

(And I hope that stupid copyright thing isn’t on it either, LOL)

Then we have this,

Found here...  It appears to work something like a slinky, only its Regan MacNeil from the Exorcist, and I just think that ROCKS! 

Ok, next is a gift certificate to this place, since I know she likes the shirts, but I’m not sure which one.  While buying the gift certificate for her, I’m buying this one for me, because its my horror favorite movie, and well, I can’t resist.

Onto another favorite item – and something that I know she will like, some of the world famous DeadSpider of Arana Muerta.com Witches Kitchen labels for, well just about anything that she wants!  (Excellent blog, by the way, if you don’t subscribe, you SHOULD!)

Another item that Cobwebs spoke of was GoogleGoth, and I thought it would be great to see what it thought I should get her.  So after putting in “Christmas Gift for Her” the first link was the Top 25 gifts to give her from askmen.com!  I don’t know how GoogleGoth knows Cobwebs, but I guess they know everything.   Well, until I clicked on #1.

“Philosophy: The Winter Escape

This limited edition collection of bath products from Philosophy is only available at Sephora. Any woman on your list can enjoy the comfort of a cup of hot cocoa in the shower or bath with new peppermint Hot Cocoa Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath and then finish off with delicious Melting Marshmallow Cream Body Soufflé and Melting Marshmallow Cream Lip Shine -- the man in her life with thank you too for this sumptuous Christmas gift.”

So, well, if she doesn’t like that, she will forget when she opens the next one.  I saved the best for last.   I had trouble wrapping it, so I just got a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiig bow.

and here it is……..

 

 

 

The only problem is…………… it comes with JAYBO… sitting on it… because he wants it so bad he can’t stand it.

Enjoy your new couch, my hubby sitting on it, and all of your other gifts!

Thank you as well for such a wonderful and informative blog – I had a lot of fun researching all of your old posts to find just the thing!!!

Christmas Shopping…

We tried so hard to be normal, red blooded CHRISTMAS type people today, and got out with the masses to celebrate Black Friday.  Happened by Big Lots to pick up some cheap stocking stuffers.  Found an angel tombstone topper that I’m sure is supposed to be all Christmas-ey and stuff…. oh, and 8 packs of flicker LED tealights that are probably supposed to be in a cute little Christmas window or something….

Yeah, tried really hard to Christmas shop, but gosh darn we are coming home with more Halloween stuff than Santa stuff!

Hope everyone is enjoying the Turkey Day weekend… this 4 day weekend is just such a blessing for me – time with the family, then time to unwind.  Love it!

As it is November 23rd…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy birthday honey… even though I nag you more than I should, and bitch about Halloween related TO-DO’s more than I should… I have always loved you, and always will.  You are a wonderful husband and father, and I hope today is very special for you because you are very loved.  :)

Cloudy With a Chance of Ruined Props.

As the rain starts to fall, I took a little look into my next 24 to 36 hours….

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH is in effect through Monday evening.

TONIGHT: Widespread showers and t-storms. Some possibly severe along with very heavy rain. Low: 56. Winds: S/WNW 10-20.

MONDAY: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Steady temps in the mid 50s. High: 56. Winds: N 10-20.

I don’t know who it was that thought it was such a good idea to just buy polyurethane, instead of the much more rain resistant spar urethane… (oh wait, that was me… Ms. Cheap-Skate)… but it was a dumb idea.

At least the embedded PVC and rebar trick is working wonders, and not a thing is moving a’tall in that yard, even with the 40 mpg gusts we are getting.  And, at least its warm.  I have seen pictures of peoples haunts on the forums, and there is…. SNOW on the ground.  What thaaaa?  :)

So anyways, Here’s to counting our blessings, and our next 4 inches of rain! 

If You’re “Into” That Kind of Thing….

Microcontrollers …. and I know a lot of you that are…..

There’s a Halloween contest going on over at makezine.com that has a pretty substantial prize…

From the page:

“Microchip Technology Inc. and MAKE have teamed up to present to you the Make: Halloween Contest 2009! Show us your embedded microcontroller Halloween projects and you could be chosen as a winner. Use a microcontroller to make anything from themed lawn decorations to creative costumes - the possibilities are endless. The Make: Halloween Contest will run for 8 weeks, and the Prizewinners will be announced on Friday, November 6th. Deadline for entries is 11:59 p.m. PDT November 3, 2009. Each entry will be judged based on the following criteria: creativity of idea, use of Halloween theme, technical implementation using a microcontroller, execution and craftsmanship, and quality of documentation. Please see Official Rules for more information on the Winner selection.”

Got your eye on the prize?

One Grand Prize Winner three Runner-up Winners will be selected by the judges. The Grand Prize is a Microchip Starter Kit Bundle, valued at $600.00, which includes:

• PIC18 Starter Kit
• PIC24F Starter Kit
• dsPIC® DSC Starter Kit
• PIC32 Starter Kit
• Memory Starter Kit
• FI Evaluation Platform
• PICkit™ 3

The Runner-up Prizes are as follows:

• 1st Runner-up Prize: PICDEM™ Lab (valued at $124.99), plus a $50 Maker Shed gift certificate.
• 2nd Runner-up Prize: PICkit™ 3 (valued at $69.99), plus a $50 Maker Shed gift certificate.
• 3rd Runner-up Prize: F1 Starter Kit (valued at $39.99), plus a $50 Maker Shed gift certificate.

I would enter, but I don't even know what the prize is.  That’s why I hang out with Jayson and you guys – you know what it is.

Now, go forth, and WIN! 

Details Here.

Busy Bee’s…

 

You can really tell its mid August around here – we have really started kicking it into overdrive on the prop building every night…. so much so that we haven’t had a chance to post to the blog.  (Has NOTHING to do with the fact that I cannot find the cable to my camera so that I can post pictures… nope, not a THING to do with that!)  ;)

But we are still here – and I promise that one of use will put down the drill, or the paint brush long enough to post some of the stuffs we are working on.

Hope you guys are all doing well, we will talk to you soon!

Gotta LOVE Hauntcast!!!

Wow… I’m still in shock!  I’m sitting in the garage with Jaybo, listening to the most recent episode of Hauntcast (very nice tips by Rev in this edition, btw…) and lo and behold, I WON THE DC PROP BOOKS!!!!  I don’t know who squealed like a girl more – me or Jaybo.  He had BETTER let me read them first!  ;)

Thanks to DC Props for donating such an AWESOME prize, and many-many-many thanks to Hauntcast for giving my husband and I something to fight over for years to come :)

More news on the prop front coming soon – been working like slaves for the past few days….  and have another Make/Take in Lewisville this weekend, so there should be plenty of pics coming soon!