Halloween at Pottery Barn

Baby M is just going gaga for the new collection at Pottery Barn.  They really do have some lovely classy pieces for this years very small (less than 10 people) Halloween gathering. Perhaps she intends to get some items for next years Halloween wedding.  

These are my favorites:
Bat Wreath

Skeleton Hand Wine Glasses

Skeleton Wine Glasses

Scary Tree Yard stake

Damask Table Throw

And so much more - check it all out here.

New Minis From Erika V.

Erika V. of  EV Miniatures has some beautiful new offerings online here. 

 I love these leather bound mini books with clasps

 The plague doctor is indicative of the times we are living through.

Look at all these wonderful gadgets for your observatory tower.

Mini Me

I set out to create a mini me using this Irish Doll acquired last year from a thrift shop.  As you can see, she is long and weirdly shaped, not at all like short, plump, buxom Lady M. I discarded her long red hair and green dress as unsuitable for the job at hand.

However she did come with these great black garments: petticoat, bloomers, boots and stockings.  I found her a suitable black wig from Who Gives a Scrap, repainted her a lovely shade of pale, added lots of make up, and fashioned a bodice out of one of those pesky thongs that came with my corset.

I believe it matched this corset. No I never have worn it so you don't have to think "gross she's making doll clothes out of discarded underwear".

Here she is - long elegant mini me.

The resemblance is uncanny.

                  

Oh You Beautiful Doll

Brittney and Megan are lonely and need some friends, preferably with eyes.  Enter the doll gang.  I thrifted these last winter (before covid) and have been hiding them from his Lordship ever since. As you can see, they have all lost their clothes in a tub of black rit dye.

They required scalping. Yanking the hair off was surprisingly cathartic.  

I found them some new black doll hair courtesy of Who Gives a Scrap resale center.

Then they got their new frocks.

Here they sit awaiting their new look - they will need decorating as they are all too pretty.

Heritage Center Cast Offs

The Manitou Spring Heritage Center has been using their downtime wisely. While visitors have been slow this year, they given their storage area a good purge. A lot of the items destined for the thrift store are Halloween related and since his Lordship sits on the board, he let me pick over rejects. Like a good pack rat, I found 2 cauldrons and some red velvet cloth. I have a hankering to make over a plastic cauldron with a new paint job.

Coffin Races killed by Covid

This lousy pandemic and our nations rather anemic effort to get it under control have resulted in the cancellation of the Emma Crawford Coffin Races in Manitou this year.  I am so bummed out but not really suprised. 

The Chamber of Commerce has announced a  scavenger hunt and other events to replace it:

We’re doing this a little different this year. Sign up your team (up to 5 members) to compete for the Emma Cup! On October 17 we’ll need you to put on your detective hats to solve some clues. Your team will have to submit all of your pictures to coffinraces@manitouchamber.com by October 25, to have the most opportunites to win. Do you have have what it takes?

THROUGH AUGUST 28

Design our t-shirt graphic

Submit your designs to coffinraces@manitouchamber.com until Friday, Aug 28th and then we will open voting until September 11. The winning artist will be notified by the 14th when pre-orders of the shirt will start.

OCTOBER 1 - OCTOBER 23

Dust off your costumes

This is Manitou and we dress up! Even in a pandemic! Prizes will be awarded for Best Emma and Best Team Theme. Enter by emailing a pic of you decked out in your best costume(s) to coffinraces@manitouchamber.com.

I am thinking of getting a team of five together for the scavenger hunt.  After all, it is probably my only chance to compete as I will never be able to run up Manitou Ave. pushing a coffin.

Thrifted Chandelier

I found a little plastic chandelier at Who Gives A Scrsp thrift store awhile back. I am not sure what purpose it originally served but it is perfect for the dollhouse.  It was easy to add a little color with silver gilding paste and brown wax.

It is a little hard to make out against the damask wallpaper.

Arcade in Manitou Springs

My nephew was visiting over the last couple of days and we had a chance to explore the Manitou Arcade.

It is a fascinating old place with 7 rooms of machines of all descriptions.  Everything from pinball to pacman to peepshows.

Most machines cost 25 cents but some as little as a nickel.

Here's Harvey trying an old peep show which featured drawings of women in bikinis. Quite riske' for its time I am sure. He was a little underwhelmed.

There were a selection of creepy fortune tellers.

As well as an assortment of menacing clowns.

Not to be outdone was the ghoulish monkey straight out of a Stephen King novel. 

I wonder how many people died as we had the monkey clapping his cymbals together yesterday?

Michael R Miniatures Giveaway

One of my favorite miniature artists, Michael R.  is doing a Giveaway on Instagram.  He is offering some fantastic pieces.