Trick or Tree

I mentioned earlier in the month about the Hallowe'en tree. Well, my lovely little Spudguns! here it is. In all it's horror. And I mean that in the sense that I have no business trying to decorate anything.
Just one of those cheap little foot and a half things, bought at the dollar store. 

For someone who collects a lot of dren to do with Hallowe'en and vampires, I actually didn't have enough items to do the tree. I ended up having to raid my scrapbooking kits for some do dads and ribbon.
  
The fangs and spider web are glow in the dark, and the tree topper...which was the hardest to figure out, is a broach.
I actually tried to "make" some ornaments by printing out a couple of shots of the Addams Family and Dracula and gluing them onto some wooden bat cut outs. Only, they didn't work out as well as planned, so I only did two.

And now I know why my family would wait to do the tree when I was asleep or at school; I am missing the Martha Stewart gene. 

So here's my promise to myself...collect better dren so that come October, you can do a better tree for Hallowe'en/the holidays.

In my purse, next to the mojo bag

Spudguns!  you've heard me say before how Raymond T. McNally and Forrest J. Ackerman are heroes of mine, and you've heard me talking about how I'm making a prop vampire hunter's kit for my collection. Right.

I didn't realize I'd end up needing to make props for a prop.  But that seems to be what's happened. Which is totally fine, cause everyone needs a hobby right?  And unless you've got a few thousand dollars just lazing around to give a professional prop maker; you've got to but the leg work in yourself for a ...prop.
So what started off as a small "weekend project" of making a "center piece" for my vampire collection, (this photo shows half my vampire book collection. Not even a tip of the iceberg of my whole vampire collection which include movies, soundtracks, posters etc. I'm literally going to have a wall of bookcases just for my vamp stuff before I'm done this project) has turned into a bunch of little projects. And you know that old saying  measure twice cut once...yeah totally remember to do that.  See, there was my first mistake.  I had wanted a prop that would sit on the top of my one bookcase in a corner I was decorating in a theme. Ends up, the tool kit I bought was too large. It's going to need a table all it's own. But I'm determined to have a vampire hunter's kit damn it!
Which is what got me on the Supernatural marathon binge I've been on the last month.  Most of those vampire hunter's kits you see in movies or online are designed to have been a few hundred years old; and that originally was my plan. To make it look ancient and beat up. But, the case I found is aluminum, shinny and very modern. The more I thought about it, the less I wanted to destroy it. So, that led me to watching other vampire movies, that had "slayer kits" like how Buffy always uses just her purse/backpack, or the Frog brothers from Lost Boys, used water guns, or how Supernatural used the car as a portable hunter's kit.  See where I'm going with this.

So while I'm collecting bottles for "holy water" and salt and garlic bits, crosses, a mallet, and carving wooden stakes (which is a task in itself) I decided I wanted to add a hunter's journal/watcher's journal to the mix.
So I picked this up at the book store the other week. Which, if you're a fan of the show you know the "novel" is a tie-in to the main prop. I've just started reading it, and it ends up is more a prequel to the first few seasons then it really is a "guide" book.  And I have to say, for something that's listed as fiction, the novel is jammed with real items connected to hoodoo, shamanism, wicca, and the occult in general. It's actually got some better information on a few topics then some of the non-fiction witchcraft books I own.

As I said, it's a novel more so then a season by season guide book. (I just found out there is another picture book of the seasons monsters which is what I should have gotten as well) with a scattering of "pictures" to tie the whole thing together.
But it's what I'm basing my one prop on. Now, my ability to draw is better than stick figures, it's not on the level of graphic novels or anything, so I doubt I'll have many of those in the little book. I do plan to however, have snapshots of some of the other "props" so the hunter's journal ends up looking more like a scrapbook/diary then anything else.

Still with me...spiffy. I know long post today, hope you've had a coffee.

So here's a semi-half arse thought out plan. I'm going to create some "hunter's adventures" for the prop hunter's journal-that is for the prop vampire hunter's kit.  Follow. And I'm going to post some of them here. Like a bunch of chapters or something.

Told you it was only semi-thought out. 

Directions, thoughts and season two of Supernatural

October season was hectic. I threw myself into projects, some that worked, some that failed and some that just never got finished.
The year is winding down, which is being felt the most in the form of the cooking group I'm part of. (I'll come back at the end of next month with the actual list of blog post links for the year's recap of food posts I did for the group over on my movie blog.  As we have one more next month)
I bought a tree. A short, half foot high plastic wired thing at the dollar store, with the intentions of decorating it for Hallowe'en.  Yes, you read that right, not an x-mas tree. Well, it is an x-mas tree in theory because that's the only time they sell them. But it's going to be done in pure Addams Family fashion, and become my Hallowe'en tree. This will actually make it my second one. I had one that got thrown out during my move.

Rebuilding a life when you're at the crossroads of things...movies make it seem so easy. Dude, it's not. From little things like the holiday tree, to having to buy a few new coffee mugs because the old ones got chipped and broken, to just figuring out your place in the grande scheme of it all. Not easy.
I look around and see so many who have either gathered their dreams and made them physical, or who are just drifting through but yet still seem to have roots. You know what I mean?

And you're wondering at this point, what does the tv show Supernatural have to do with it all?  Well, besides the fact that I just got my hands on seasons one and two,  it is like the perfect metaphor for this, well life.  You've got these two guys who have just had their lives turned upside down, learning they are not as different from some people as they always thought, but yet not fitting in anywhere. Always finding the need to hide the core of their purpose, just...yeah this sounds like a stretch even for me with my gift for yammering.  Okay, so try again...two dudes one car all those crossroads.

Did I mention one of my projects is a vampire hunter's kit?  Dude, I'm working on a vampire hunter's kit, meant to be a center piece for my vampire collection. So doesn't fit on the table I bought it for. Too large. But, that's another post for another time.

Happy Hallowe'en

Just wanted to fly in here my little bat-droppings and wish everyone a happy Hallowe'en.

And if you've missed my 13 Days of Hallowe'en on my movie blog, I have been mixing up the treats with posts both that are Hallowe'en recipes and movies. Days 1-12 are up, with Day 13 coming tonight.  There's even pie.

The balance of it

The world is constantly reminding us to balance our lives. How many articles over the last 3 decades have been devoted to living our lives more balanced? Hell, whole books on the topic have been written.
But when was the last time you saw something that just talked about why we more often then not end up out of balance and embraced it?

There are parts of our personalities that many of us lean into more then others, creating this unbalanced nature. Times in our lives when we either do things because we become obsessed for short periods of time, or because we're looking for some sort of missing link in our lives.

That spinning out of control world-wind feeling. And yes, for many it will end up showing itself in physical or emotional ways when we get too far one direction or the other, causing us to actually realize that we're out of balance. And then there are a few who never seem to realize the connection. Why they're sick or depressed etc.

Why am I talking about this now?  Because I'm currently out of whack. Yep, I said it. My life is so far off kilter right now that I don't know what way is up.
And I ended up throwing myself into a series of crafting/blogging projects because of it. And of course as always when I do this, they were a complete and utter mess. Just ended up being total dren. I ended up having to redo them anyways.  I got stressed out, which for me always ends up in migraine headaches and body aches, paired with nightmares.

I admit, I get really really competitive this time of year. Other people it's x-mas that throws them into psycho mode, but me it's October season. (yes here October is a season all it's own not a month) I end up feeling like I have to prove myself on a bunch of different levels with the horror stuff and the domestic baking and the happy family Thanksgiving...(remember Canadian Thanksgiving is before Hallowe'en) and here's me falling apart at the end of September. Two weeks sooner then normal too I might add.

For the past month, I've barely blogged. Took such a step back from writing in general in anticipation of October's projects that I actually have started to feel guilty. Blogger's guilt. I don't feel guilt about anything, so why is it this time around something like not posting for a few weeks has me in a near panic?
That would be the out of balance part. So here's me, writing something to start the shift back to a more centered self. And in hopes at lest part of this horrible pounding migraine relaxes an inch.

One of the reasons my city sucks

For a city that has a lot, and I mean a lot of handicapped people, my city isn't really all that designed to be handicapped friendly.

I just watched a guy in a wheelchair, sit for almost three minutes trapped in one of those push-it-yourself- enter/exit carousels.  This was at the grocery. I ended up dropping my basket, going out the one end, coming back through the far door and helping him. God knows how long he would have sat there before anyone bothered to help otherwise.

Little pissed off.  The staff were staring right at him too. Just chatting it up ignoring him and their actual jobs.

As someone who's spent over half my life dealing with canes/crutches/wheelchairs myself, I can tell you how frealing frustrating it is to be needing something/get somewhere in this city when you're alone and end up finding yourself unable to do whatever it was because the place you need to go isn't equipped for someone with a handicap.
It's enough to cause you to break down and cry at times. In public.

The city council and the like talk all the time about how wonderful our health care staff are...that's fine and good, but there is a honest shortage of home care workers. 

I've ranted enough for today.

now I'm heartbroken

I was feeling nostalgic and went to look at some old videos my friends and I had made, which were on one of our old websites, only to find they are missing. When I went to the old photobucket account, it says the account is empty.
What the hell???  I know they were uploaded in 2006 but still...

Anyways, those videos are lost forever as are the photos from that time frame in my life. In an odd strange way, I guess it's the universe's way of telling me it's beyond time to get over that point in my life. Those people as much as I loved them, have long since moved on in their lives.

This is what happens when you don't pay attention to those you care about, you find yourself in front of a blank account.  The love gone, the memories wiped clean and yourself scratching your head.

July 29th 2015

I've just returned to using facebook after 5 years of not...so if you are in the Thunder Bay area and would like to book a tarot reading with me, you can do so either through my profile (on the sidebar here) or by the Bliss Cafe Thunder Bay page. 
The readings at the Bliss Cafe are normally on Friday afternoons.  But I don't limit my bookings to just that.  Which is why I have returned to using facebook myself, to make it easier for people to book outside of Bliss Cafe if they find Fridays are not good for them.

Shameless promotion out of the way...

We have a second Full Moon this weekend. Which makes it a Blue Moon. I think I mentioned it the other week on here...it's significant on a few levels. One being that this weekend is Lammas, and because it changes the order of the way the season's moons are counted. (yeah I still don't understand that part myself. New Moon then Full Moon turns to Full Moon then New Moon. Or something)

July 27th 2015 Ugh!

So I had a nasty computer virus, and have been without a computer for the last 4 days.  It's amazing how much housework you can get finished when you don't have the computer to distract you.  Though, went a bit stir crazy for the first few hours. Kept automatically walking into the area of the apartment that I've been using for my computer zone, automatically putting my coffee down and then have to snap out of autopilot cause, the desk was empty. Right, and since I do not have internet on my phone;  I spent half my time calling my mother asking her to look stuff up. Not the slickest moments of my weekend.

I did manage to get a sewing project half way completed. So that's bonus. Only problem now, there are way too many emails to stiff through.

And of course, it had to happen on a weekend when the temps were +29C with +39C humidex, so it was a staying indoors sort of weekend. Not that I take my pale self outside too often anyways.
We're sitting currently at +30C with a +40C...melting would be the catch phrase of the day.

Okay, just really wanted to post something after having been without a computer...

Random talk 16th july 2015

Didn't mean to go this long between posts. But, I took a week off  from blogging in general this month, to get a head start on some Hallowe'en themed projects. 

Some of you my lovely Spudguns! might remember way way way back few years ago on this bloggy blog, that I wanted to make a Bride of Frankenstein dress.  Had gone out and bought a ton of material for it and everything.  I also mentioned around the same year, that I wanted to do a quilt. Went out and bought material at that point too. 

I never did do either.

But recently, I found all that old material and it's sparked an idea.  Which, I'm hoping to have done in time for October's Food n Flix post...which I do over on the movie blog. 

One of these lifetimes I will get my Bride of Frankenstein dress done.  If I have to slaughter innocent bunnies and jackrabbits and other furry things that most people find cuddling to do so... I really hate bunnies. It's not just a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan thing, I just don't like rabbits. Been that way since I was like 10 years old. Used to have a friend who had rabbits, and whenever I was over the damned things would hop around the house, gnawing on everything...your coat, your purse, you. Just can't stand the things. Except for the Alice in Wonderland white rabbit, who's always late...tell me you don't get the metaphor on that one Eh?  I can't tell you how many times I stayed there as a kid over night, only to wake up and find her rabbits breathing on me, chewing on my hair, rabbit poop on my sleeping bag... damn rabbits!

I'm sure there are a few love goddesses/gods who will smite me down for dissing their totem animals, but...

July 1st 2015

Spudguns!  Morning!  Happy Canada Day!!!

If you follow my movie blog, then you know that this morning I kicked off the theme week for July which is Clearly Canadian...and really no surprise there, as it's Canada Day and I announced it yesterday.

I also did a shout out to the July host for the food blogger group I'm part of. And let me take a moment to just say something.  It's not as easy as it looks.
You would think, watching a movie would be the stupidly easiest thing ever.  No people it's not.  You have to first find a copy, and not all of us can afford to buy the dvd if we don't have a copy already, and some of the older movies that get picked are no longer available new, so unless you want to spend a fortune buying from some hoarder who is charging $90 or more for a "rare out of print copy", your out of luck.  Me, I've resorted to watching pretty much all the movies so far online...sshh don't tell cause none have been on Netflix Canada at all...
THEN once you have located a copy, you have to watch it.  I mean watch it, pick it apart. That means pausing, rewinding, pausing etc.  Write down ever little scrap of food either shown or mentioned even background signs of restaurants.  Lucky for me, that's how I used to do my wrestling reviews back when I did them still. So got the method down.
Then comes the hard part, deciding what to make. You can take the obvious route and pick something in the movie or the hard route and come up with something that the movie sparked in your imagination.
Yeah, I love hard things...um...er...coffee!
THEN you have to actually cook/bake it, take the photos, write up the recipe, talk about the movie, and be social about it.
What started off as a 90minute film has now turned into a two day event. Then what do you do when you've picked a movie either everyone choose to skip or just plan hated? Feelings get crushed like a skunk under a semi. Only the smell doesn't linger as long with the skunk.

That's how I'm spending my Canada Day...how you spending yours?

There is a Full Moon tonight, the first of two for July. This marks the point in the year where the "order" of  full moon/new moon changes.  I have no clue how that really works either?  I guess it's got to do somehow with how you pay attention to the moon phase for the next few months until Yule or something? 

And I still want to give a progress report on my weight...but can't figure out how to do so without sounding like an infomercial douchebag?   I can tell you this much, I was able to fit into a pair of jeans I haven't fit into in two years. So very happy about that.

This post took way longer then I had planned, really need coffee!
 

Weight, Tarot, and other stuff

Spudguns!   It's not yet 7am here this morning where I am, I'm up, not awake but up. I have been seeing the topic of tarot journaling everywhere lately.  To me that is a sign that maybe it's something I should be thinking about.

Only, I have a difficult time wrapping my head around the whole thing. That and to be honest, I find it a bit of a snore. Taking a deck and working with it for a few months or a full year, examining how each card makes me feel on a daily basis, then writing about it.
I write enough about my emotions as it is, and nothing seems to keep my attention for more then a few days straight at a time anymore so...
Plus, it's another form of art journaling and that's just another branch of scrabooking.

Haven't had a coffee yet this morning, so my blunt side is showing.

What I have noticed myself in the past few weeks of general tarot use, is that the 9 of Pentacles and the 3 of Pentacles have been popping up together a lot.   Both of these represent the end of a cycle and rewards. The 9 of Pentacles, also can mean weight loss/gain.

Here's where this ties in this morning.   If you've been reading me for long, you know I've had an issue with my weight over the course of things. I've admitted it more often then maybe I should have.

I had a massive five paragraph bit here about the whole weight thing over the last few years, but decided to delete it because it was sounding like some sort of infomercial so...

I'm not sure anymore what it was I was trying to say...need that coffee...but I am trying to figure out more ways to bring the tarot into play here on this blog. That, and it's been a week since I posted on this blog so hence the ramble.

I do want to talk about the weight thing too, only maybe today isn't the day for it.

Sunday June 14th 2015

Saturn. The planet is shifting from one zodiac to another, and is bumping into other planets at the moment. Which is something it doesn't do too often. This means, that a lot of the dren you've been going through over the last few years, will smooth out.  Either you will find that you no longer have massive obstacles or you will just no longer care about the situation at all.

I already see where a lot of the things that have been sitting on my last nerve for the last few years, melting away. I do believe that I'm falling more into the no longer giving a crap, side of things.

Saturn is the planet of tests and rewards. So, a lot of people who get tarot readings, runes done, reiki work done etc, will be told blockages are lifting.  The Wheel of Fortune and Death cards will start to appear more often in tarot readings, because new paths are opening up.

Which is you know, all about timing, as Mercury went direct few days ago. So the past month of bad communication, missed flights, broken computers/cell phones will start to ease up.  Things will start to gel a bit better.

I have to admit, if it wasn't for the fact there is so much math involved in astrology, I'd be doing this as more then just a hobby. As math was always the anvil on my cartoon character if you know what I mean. Kills me every time.
That's all I've got up my sleeve this morning.  Coffee's getting cold.

When did zombies become the new black?

So if witches are the new zombies, when did zombies become the new vampires?

I don't get zombie culture, sorry but I don't.  With that said, I love the tv show iZombie.  Maybe because it's more like a vampire show then a typical zombie movie? That's my answer and I'm sticking to it.
As a non zombie fan, but a vampirologist, I find myself face first sometimes in zombie culture. They do cris-cross, and some can argue are off shoots of the same thing.   Yeah, had that argument many many times before. Believe it or not, I am on the side that they are indeed the same thing only really more like cousins then the same species.

Anyways, just when did the popular mindset jump off the coffin and onto the brains bandwagon?  Must have happened in the last couple of years while my back was turned.

Speaking of witches and vampires and all that sort of stuff, I did a post on my movie blog this morning about my thoughts on the remake of the Craft. Just a few lines really.  And this is vampire theme week on there as well.

That's about all for now...kiss kiss noise.

Well hostel 17 owes me kittens

Spudguns!  We are in the middle of another Mercury retrograde. Which means technology meltdowns, bad traffic accidents, storms of all kinds, and massive communication mix ups.  Remember, this happens three times a year for about 3 weeks each.
It's also a time for reviewing. Reviewing contracts, reviewing your goals, reviewing yourself.

And that's what I've been doing lately. Reevaluating everything. Every so often it needs to be done anyways right? Right.

When I started this blog, I had joined a bunch of online groups, all with the intention of just getting out there more. Online of course. They were suppose to be support/friendship communities but they ended up mostly being ratings pushes. I stopped partaking after a few months.
It just didn't feel right to me.  They kept talking about finding your tribe.  Which, is about the only thing I actually agreed with. Sort of. Finding your identity and going with it. 

Five years or so later and I'm still not in any "tribe" that I'm really aware of.  I'm just too weird. Too me.  And that's what I wanted Domestic and Damned to be.  Me on a plate. A large onyx plate covered in bats and coffins...Only it ends up the older I get, the less weird I really am.

I'm part of the Twin Peaks generation, and my younger sister is part of the Nightmare Before Christmas generation.  We both fall squarely into that whole Addams Family generation that seemed to sprout up in the last twenty years. And we just keep on trucking.

At one point, I had an idea, vision almost, of this blog being a Martha Stewart style how to blog with a vampiric twist.  yeah that didn't really happen. Ends up, I'm terrible at the do it yourself stuff.  And the older I get, the more I see it's not unique at all. In fact, it's a large genre all its own.

So, not as weird as I have always been led to believe I am. So sad when you think about it, rip my soul's rug out from under me letting me smash my skull on the edge of the crypt on that one...anyways, just waiting for the coffee to be ready, which given the fact I drink instant means me admitting that I haven't gotten off my arse yet to boil the water is a sad sad thing too, and thinking out loud that this blog needed a little something other than just the tarot videos I've been doing as of late; which I still have a few to post down the line.

The remake of the Craft...seems to be a big topic last few days with the broomstick crowd. I might have to really think about it before I chime in...or you know just open my mouth like I always do and let whatever drip out. But I think I will make that a whole post on it's own later.

So why might you be asking, the two separate Buffy the Vampire Slayer quotes for the title...why not?

kiss kiss noise.

Tarot Talk Episode 4

Here's the next installment in my tarot series. Again, from February 2015, this one has to do with the 3 of Cups and the Page of Cups.

I am working on some new themes for videos, I know I need to be more relaxed with the way I present the tarot. Somewhere along the last few years I lost myself. So, yeah...I'm also trying to figure out a way to bring some of my other blog topics into video form, without it being too...well too.

Till later...kiss kiss noise

Coffee and Tarot...tarot episode 3

Spudguns! This is the next video I did back in February in my tarot series. It's a bit more comedic, with many coffee breaks and me stumbling over the words I was trying to express. The cards were the 10 of swords and the 6 of wands.

May 10th 2015

Spudguns!   Yes, I am trying to get back to writing on this blog in a more regular fashion.

So you know we have yet another Mercury retrograde coming up next week right?  No? You didn't know that?  Well, we do. They happen three times a year.  And it messes with your communications, your technology, and travel. So expect your widgets and gadgets and flights etc to break down next week. Here's the kicker, they last for about 2 and a half -three weeks at a time too.

I didn't want to just slap another of my tarot videos in the post, not today anyways. I do, however, have five or six more on my youtube that I did few months ago, and will be adding them over the course of things. With plans to make a few videos just for the movie blog. At some point...soon. Some of which will be cooking related.

Until then...I would say more, but I know I will start ranting about the fact NBC cancelled Constantine. So, I'll just end it here for today.

Tarot Talk episode 2

Spudguns!  I'm back, and here's another video I did back in February 2015. I talk about the lovers card and the devil card.

Tarot break

I've been thinking about how to bring some life back to this crypt, and I think sharing some of my tarot stuff might be a good start.
I've been doing some tarot videos the last few months, trying to improve my speaking skills, and just wanting to get back to doing videos in general. Here's the first one I did back in February 2015. 

Coffin break 5:52pm

Have I told you all lately that I joined Food n Flix?  Once a month, a lucky blogger gets to host and pick a movie, and the rest of the group watches it, cooking/baking something that the movie inspired.

It's been going on for a few years, but I just started this past January. So far, for 2015 we've done Bridget Jones's Diary, Lady and the Tramp, The Quiet Man, Chef  and coming up in May, The Goonies.   I'm really looking forward to that one!

So if you want to see what kind of dishes I've been coming up with and what parts of the movie inspired me to do so, check out my movie blog more often.

And if you're in the Thunder Bay area, and would like to have a tarot reading done, drop me a comment on the movie blog...the comments on here are iffy at best.

And for those of you who remember when I used to do videos of movie reviews...I've got a post on the movie blog with a request question...

That's enough self promotion for this post.

Currently reading : Vittorio the Vampire  by Anne Rice
Currently watching: From Dusk till Dawn the series Season 1 on dvd
Currently listening to:  Momentum by Jamie Cullum
Currently favourite wrestler is: Seth Rollins

Creeping Screams!

Holy turnbuckles batman!

Been wayyyyyy too long since I logged in here. But...I just saw the craziest thing.  A bunch of my screen captures and wrestling photos being used on wrestler fan-sites and profile pages.  Sort of cool when you think about it. And we're talking stuff from when I was first blogging about TNA- namely Mr. Shelley and Mr. Sabin.
Damn, I miss seeing them on weekly tv.

This tarot card has nothing to do with the topic at hand, just it's a rare photo of me taken last month.  On the topic of photos/screen shots...

Spudguns!  Most of you by now, I'm sure, are aware that my movie blog has become my main stay the last year or so.  And yes, I still talk about wrestling on my wrestling blog.

Speaking of title belts... okay we weren't but why not...I'm totally digging the fact that Seth Rollins has managed to get the title at maina. Dude! Love that!  Just wish he'd pick one colour and stick with it.

And if you don't follow my movie blog, you should because I joined Food n Flix this year, and every month a different movie is picked, and the lot of us watch it, then cook/bake something inspired by the movie.  So yes, my cooking is better then it used to be my lovely Spudguns!

That about covers it for now. Creeping Screams!
-Ardeth Blood.