Halloween Overload

You've probably already seen this on a couple of other blogs, but just in case, I wanted to make you aware of a new website out there: Halloween Overload!

Halloween Overload is essentially a Craigslist for haunters. If you're looking for a change in your haunt, you can trade, buy or sell your props on the site and at least have a possibility of getting your materials cost back. Looking at all the pretty pictures might inspire you, too!

Here's another great resource for haunters to take advantage of, so go for it!

Getting in the Mood For Hallowe'en

As I was doing some research for my Charmed Pot segment for the upcoming episode of Hauntcast, I popped in one of my favorite Halloween movies, Sleepy Hollow. I hadn't seen it for a bit, so it was fun to watch it, even with one eye on my computer as I was compiling some notes.

Because I'm a bit of a movie geek, I had to watch the "Making of" featurette, as I couldn't remember having done so, before. Click on the pic to watch, and hit, "Play All."

I hope it inspires you in your prop building, as much as it inspires me!

Giveaway Update

Since I'm about to start school again, I decided to change the contest end date to this coming Wednesday. So if you haven't gotten around to reading the rules on the original post, do it now!

I'm giving away two subscriptions to Hauntcast, plus one of my Jack-o-lantern pots, so get on the stick and enter now!

Lest I forget my manners, thanks to all of you who have subscribed and supported the show all along! You're why we do the show!

Good luck.

P.S. See Chris's plea for Hauntcast here.

The Betrayal

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy back in 2010, I had a piece on display as part of a show at The Crocker Art Museum. I have to say, there were a lot of really great pieces in all different media there. Hubby came along with me for the closing reception, and for the second time, saw and fell in love with this painting:


"The Betrayal," by Victoria Walters

I have to admit, I loved it both the first time and the second time, too. The expression on the woman's face is captured with sensitivity and grace and the softness of her body is beautifully contrasted by the wood it's painted on.

When Mr. ShellHawk said "Find out who the artist is and how much she wants for it," it was a pretty easy sell. It helped that he said the model looked like me. (I mentally added, "Yeah. About 25 pounds ago!")

I'd heard about Victoria Walters when I was hanging around my school clay buddies, but since I pretty much had to go to school and come home immediately because of The Dog's injury, I hadn't had time to track her down and schmooze with her.

I was glad when I finally got to meet her at the reception. Victoria is one of those young women who should have "Going Places" tattooed on her forehead. She is very talented and very active with the Fine Arts Club at the college, and clearly loves art with every fiber of her body and soul.

We bought the piece, but have still not agreed on a permanent place for it as of yet. We do have a few ideas, and are blessed with tall ceilings so this can be displayed properly. We're also talking about rearranging another wall so that it can hang there. Meanwhile, it's leaning in a niche by the fireplace, waiting for its permanent home.

Thanks, Victoria! I can't wait to see what you paint next.

Yes, I DO Torture My Dogs

One of them, anyway.
I was taking down the Christmas decorations the other day, it being the first day I felt slightly better from my cold, and the wreath went so well with his black fur. I couldn't resist! Yes, this is the dog that blew his knee out a few months back, but pity doesn't play much in this household!

 He is not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he knows when he's being made fun of. (He also is not a smart man, but knows what love is.) Below, he refused to look at me for the second shot. Seriously, I kept calling his name, and his ear would flick towards me, but he would not look at the camera! In the background, our Shepherd is concerned that she will be called upon for similar humiliations. After all, when he gets a bath, she gets one right after, so what else could she expect?

Because I am utterly insane, it looks like there will be a new addition to our family towards the end of March or early April. No, I'm not pregnant-that passed me by and I'm kind of relieved it did. Nope. We're going to get a puppy.

Our girl, staying warm in a patch of weak winter sun.


Both my current kids are rescues. My shepherd was about a year and a half or so when we got her from German Shepherd Rescue in Orange County. Some jackass had tied her up in the backyard and then moved away, leaving her without food for around ten days, give or take. She was still lactating, full grown and only thirty-eight pounds when we got her. Now, she's around nine years old and weighs in at a healthy 70 pounds.

Mini-rant: Please, people, would you do your research on your dogs before you adopt? DO NOT have a couch-potato lifestyle and expect a high-energy dog to match your energy level. You'll make the dog and yourself miserable, and you'll probably get rid of the dog. Of course, you could say the dog was crazy, but what's crazy is expecting a dog to act against its breeding. If you can get Animal Planet, there's a series called "Dogs 101" that will give you all the info you need to make an intelligent decision about what dog is right for your life. You can also go here, here and here for more info on dog behavior and how to pick a dog.

Our shepherd is smart, funny, and full of personality, she is convinced that our Lab mix is her dog toy. Since we're still rehabbing him (no, we did not go for the $3800 surgery for his knee, because he's eleven and a spaz who will only tear up the surgery, anyway), he can't play with her without undoing his healing. So, she needs a pal. We had planned to get another shepherd, anyway, because they're so smart, and this way, we get her help in raising our new little guy, and we figure our Lab (a.k.a. The Dog) will be less threatened (and less likely to hurt himself) by an eight-week old male coming into his territory than a full-grown dog he'll feel the need to fight with to assert his dominance.

I want to point out that this idea was originally my husband's. He's mentioned getting another dog several times since The Dog or El Doggo (not his real name, either) was injured, but I refused because I was so busy. Mr. ShellHawk works some very long hours, so the responsibility for training and assimilating a new pack member would fall to me, and I just couldn't add one more thing.

Who am I kidding? I still can't, but I will. I can't let our girl's talents go to waste, and she will be a big help in teaching the new dog how to behave. Since she was a mommy, and also is very social with other dogs, I'm sure she'll enjoy her new role.

I went back and forth with the rescue vs. breeder thing. We got lucky in some ways with both our rescues. Neither one of them came with food-aggression issues, they're both great with kids, and they're both very patient, sweet dogs. (Note the earlier picture of the wreathed and lit black dog... I still have all my fingers!) But there were some issues with El Doggo because it seems that no one did a damn thing with him before we got him at around age five or six.

He's stubborn, clingy, and pushy, and (for instance) even after having worked consistently with him for the last six years, he barks furiously at the door when the doorbell rings (like we have never corrected him for it, ever) and will not stop when corrected for more than a few seconds. Oh, and do you think that after consistently letting him know that it is not o.k. to charge the back corner of the property to get at the untrained Rottweilers, he would stop? Hell no. Did I mention the back hair coming up every time he meets another adult dog, and the fact that before his injury, we couldn't let him loose at the dog park because he's both an asshole and an idiot? Don't get me started on the barking, either.

I know that Cesar says that the behavior can be corrected when the human knows what to do, and I really agree with this. Clearly, I'm missing something.

There! I admitted I'm not perfect. Please don't tell anyone, o.k.? Thanks.

 Admittedly, he is much better than he was when we first got him, but he's still a hell of a lot of work. We figure he'll settle down three weeks before he dies, if we aren't forced to put him down because of catastrophic injury due to his low I.Q. (He's one of the few dogs in the world who may stupid/stubborn himself to death.) It's just who he is, and we still love him. No dog in the world sits prettier or snuggles cuter in the morning, after all! Shepherd has her own little quirks, but we're better able to handle them because she's smart and not stubborn.

So when the new dog idea came up, I began to think longingly of a dog that didn't come with a load of behavioral issues. With rescues, you roll the dice and hopefully come up with a great dog, like we did with our girl. But I wanted to be more sure this time. I want a dog that can hang out with guests at a party and not try to climb into their laps and breathe in their faces. I want to have a dog that I can leave the garage door open while I'm working and have him calmly in my shop with me while I work. I want to be able to leave the house for a few hours without coming home to the execution of every paper product I own. I'm also looking forward to taking the new pup camping, like I do with the rest of the pack.

I'm willing to work with a dog to make that happen. I'm not one of those people who thinks that the dog should just magically know what it's supposed to do. Though I have a couple of Cesar's books already, I downloaded a couple of his newer ones to get prepped for the upcoming changes. (Because I really needed more to read, LOL!)

I started some research into local breeders and came up with Sprague's German Shepherds, and was very impressed with the training they do with their pups from birth through eight weeks, as well as the research they had clearly done for early dog development. They also have hip and elbow guarantees, which was also a concern of mine. I took a look at their dogs, and fell for Hutch, a very handsome stud. I talked things over with Mr. ShellHawk once more, and then gave Sandy a call and e-mailed her my application form.

Long story less long (holy goodnight, is this post long!), Sandy and I talked for a bit and I found out there are two potential litters to pick from (she's waiting to make sure the girls are pregnant before she makes promises), both due around February 14th. Her prices are very reasonable (though I'm sacrificing a projector I was going to buy for my haunt this year :o() , and there are a few very minor details to iron out, but I think the new Hell Hound will join the pack in April! Maybe he'll look a bit like his daddy.

Hutch at 14 weeks

I can't wait to find out!

The Owl and the Hot Springs

After the Christmas madness was over and we turned the Prius' nose northward again, Mr. ShellHawk and I made a couple of stops on the way up the coast. One stop was Hearst Castle, which will be another post, and the other stop was Mercey Hot Springs. The Hot Springs is about twenty-six miles from the middle of nowhere, and there is no doubt as to how happy I was that we had our GPS in full working order! We had gotten a late start from Ventura, where we had visited a friend for brunch, so by the time we got to the last couple of turns, it was pitch black and raining. It would have been super-easy to miss a turn in the dark and wind up at Leatherface's house, instead!

We had reserved one of the tiny cabins, which was basically a small bedroom with heat and enough space to put your bags down. Though small, the place was immaculate and there was nothing wrong with the heater!

Because that fat bastard, Santa, brought me a cold for Christmas, I stayed in bed in our little cabin and couldn't bring myself to take advantage of the hot springs. (It was also cold and rainy, and there was no way I was going out in that any more than I absolutely had to.) The Mister headed over to the tubs while I snuggled up with my Kindle, my tissue box and my Ape and listened to the wind blow and the rain fall.

Why on earth would we go there in December? Why not go when it's warmer? Because of a feathered resident, the Long-Eared Owl. Mercey Hot Springs (and surrounds) happens to be their overwintering spot.

They are very hard to see under normal circumstances, because their plumage allows them to blend into the trees. 

The next morning, we woke to a sunny, windy day, and the trees outside were full of owls. Think of the picture above as one of those "Hidden Pictures" searches from your childhood while you look for the little guys. On the other side of the tree, they were a bit easier to see.

He and his friends were definitely checking us out as much as we were checking them out.

They were so flipping cute, I just wanted to snuggle them. 

Haunters Video Awards-Hey! Get Off Your Asses and Submit, Already! (Sheesh!)

Yes, your Mistress of Mayhem is very disappointed in you, because you haven't submitted your video for the Haunters Video Awards, yet.

The deadline is January 31, although there are some rumblings about extending it. But you know what? The deadline should not have to be extended, should it? Because we are all organized people, right? And organized people always get their projects in long before the cutoff date, so the people who have real jobs and lives and are volunteering their time don't get swamped on the last day with problems and questions, right? Because poor planning on our part does not constitute an emergency on their part, right? Because we organized people are considerate of other haunting enthusiasts time and would never dream of being that rude, would we?

I thought not.

I know all of my readers, regardless of the level of their haunt, will submit their 4-5 minute video, according to the instructions on the website, right? Because we all want to support our haunt community and this unique collection of videos or they will go away, right?

I thought so.

And you say you'll spread the word about this, too? You really are the best readers any blogger could ever have.

*sniff* I am so verklempt!

Hauntcast Giveaway!

Well, boils and ghouls, why wait for a good thing? Might as well announce the first giveaway of the year!

First prize: A Loyal Minion Subscription to Hauntcast, which includes a t-shirt and a one-year subscription to Hauntcast.

Second Prize: A Dungeon Dweller Subscription, which includes a one-year subscription to Hauntcast.

Third Prize: An original, ShellHawk ceramic pumpkin of my choice. Go to my Etsy store to see what you just might win.

And yes, I am actually paying for the subscriptions out of my pocket. That's how much I love you.

"ShellHawk! What do I have to do to win one of these AMAZING prizes?!"

I thought you'd never ask.

There are several ways to get your name dropped into the hat:

• Comment on this post. (If you get this through Facebook, please head to my actual blog page to enter your comment. Facebook comments don't count!)
• Blog about this post and include a link. Leave me a comment with a link so I can check it out.
• Become a new follower of this blog. Come on. You know you want to!
• Become a new Twitter follower.
• "Like" my fan page on Facebook.
• If it doesn't break the rules of conduct, post about this on Garage of Evil, Hauntforum, Hauntspace, or Halloween Forum to spread the word.
• After each of these, you can come back and comment on this post for another entry, as long as you include the link for me!

I want to encourage everyone to enter, even if you've previously won and don't want to be greedy! (Go ahead. Be greedy!)

The winners will be announced on Monday, January 17th

And, btw, if you can't wait to win a subscription, head over to the Hauntcast subscription page and check out your other options. One of those options includes discounts from some of our old sponsors, which alone could pay for your subscription price...

UPDATE: Chris and his tiny minions have been working feverishly to accomodate those without a Paypal account; now he accepts all major credit cards. So if you're looking to get a subscription before this giveaway is over, it's more convenient than ever!

Good luck, everyone!

Loot!

Christmas has been and gone, leaving behind not the lump of coal expected, but some very cool things! A Kindle, a special edition copy of The Silence of the Lambs, a bunch of ceramics books, a very cool set of bobblehead skull wine stoppers, and a hand made parrot fish from a friend of mine. I got a bunch of other stuff, too, but I won't bore you with the full list.

 The only problem with the wine stoppers is that we rarely have a bottle with wine left in it at the end of our gatherings!

 My best friend from jr. high school, Ron Whipple, has started making various sock and glove dolls. I have to say, I just love this parrot fish!

Last I heard, he had a nice collection for sale at the Hyaena Gallery in Burbank, so head on over there to check them out.

I'll give you some more updates on my Winter Break soon. Meanwhile, stay tuned! January will bring you several giveaways here at the Nest!

Now Playing: Hauntcast!

Ringin' in the New Year---right? Well, ringing it in, anyway! Hauntcast 26 is now playing, darlings! Click on the pic to get to the site and download the latest madness from your Scream Team!