A Wee Cradle...

The kids need a place to sleep too, you know? So Brent decided to make a little cradle for a couple. This is a bit more sophisticated than the cut up box we have for a few of the larger ones...

 An idea starts coming together...

 Rusty paint gives it a nice touch, don't you think? 

I think these two will be very happy hanging out in the new crib...

Need a new bed?

We've got some really fun stuff planned for the Scaryview Cemetery this year. Here's a sneak peek at the layout:

What? You didn't think I was going to make it readable, did you? Not that it matters. My scribbles are nothing compared to how it will all look in 3D. ;-) We're doing a haunted mansion theme this year - the yard being our "mansion". There will be a dining room with a feast and entertainment, a sitting room/nursery for the babies and their nanny, a bedroom for the Master & Mistress of Death, and of course, a private graveyard for the estate. You never know what else we'll throw in just for kicks, so plan to stop by if you're local to the area!

Brent's been working hard on some of the "hardscape" props we need this year. Anyone need a new canopy bed? Ours is built of scrap wood, foam insulation, PVC pipe and pipe insulation.

 Bottom Frame - we needed it off the ground for...ah...well, that's a surprise.

 PVC canopy frame over a "foam" mattress (luckily, the undead aren't picky about hard surfaces)

Canopy frame covered with dark gray PVC insulation, which will not only make it disappear in the dark, but will provide a bit of friction for the fabric we'll be hanging off of it.

Next up, something a big smaller... 

Long Time, No Post!

Wow. The 2011 party pics are the last things I got up here? I am seriously slacking, I tell you what. The thing is, last year we decided to skip the party and dash down to Florida for Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights, and it was seriously fun, I tell you what. When we got back, we decked out the yard and handed out candy, but it was all pretty low-key, overall. A few pics, you say? Here you go...

 Like our new nanny? I think the zombie babies dig her...or dug her, rather. ;-)

2012 Nursery

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Photos from Halloween Horror Nights

 Brent (foggy)

 More Brent - the lighting and streets were just super-cool!

 Street walker - reaper!

 Just another creepy street at Universal Studios...

 Yours truly, in front of a mausoleum mid-street.

 Very cool shaking/moaning caskets, and pumpkins lit high in the trees.

The Entrance, which was the plainest part of the whole trip but still very cool. Here's where I learned that my fingerprints do not work well with biometric scanners. Good to know...

For 2013, we decided to skip the party again (I know, I know - I hear you groaning out there - sorry!), and focus on making our yard haunt totally awesome. Next up, pics of the props we're preparing for this year's yard display...

Decor Progress!

The new carpet is in (well, mostly), and we spent Tuesday putting the outside power outlets back on the new siding (with help from my dad) and getting the new entertainment center delivered. So today was the first real day we had to get on with cleaning and actual decorating, and we worked most of the day and a few hours tonight as well. A lot of cleaning, so tomorrow will be the main decor push, but we met the Devil:

Don't worry. If you're coming to the party, you'll meet him soon enough. ;-) 

We also helped a ghost get off the ground: 

Ooo...good pic of the new carpet too! 

And then tonight, I put up one of our Halloween villages in the new entertainment center. This picture doesn't really do it justice, but you get the idea: 

So a busy day all around, and tomorrow will be a lot more decorating as it's our last day to really work on the indoor decor (we still have a graveyard to put out, you know...). 

Two days to party time! :-)

How to Make Your Spiders Happy

Just eleven days to party time this year, and we've barely started decorating! We've had some issues getting new carpet in (it won't be installed until next Monday - eek!), and it's been a bit slow starting because of that. But we're moving now, and tonight it was time to make the spiders a cozy home.

First, of course, they needed a welcoming environment. Enter the webs!

Ignore my socks there. This is a work in progress, after all...my feet were hot! 

Once the webs are in place, it's time to set the spiders. But be sure to put the biggest ones out first. They get jealous otherwise...

Then it's time to put the medium spiders out. They normally like to hang around, so I hook 'em up with curtain rods and whatever shelving I can find. 

I have a little dropping spider - his specialty is "Boo!". He'll need to hang...somewhere spooky for the party, but for now, this hook will do. 

Then it's time for the tiny spiders - they're happy just hanging out on the counter top, which is handy. Now we're almost done...

Still, I feel like I'm forgetting something. But what? 

Oh, right. Food! Don't forget to leave your spiders a nice big snack. Wouldn't want them to get hungry and start munching on party guests now, would we? 

I think we can safely say that the spiders are happy now. :-) 

What's next? I'm not sure. It may or may not involve skeletons...

Party Week: Thursday Scenes

Blogger went down last night, so this is yesterday's post, finally up.

My main mission today was to finish painting the graveyard fence black - mission accomplished! Of course I forgot to get a picture, but there will be plenty once we get the tombstones out tomorrow. After letting my hands recover for a bit (I don't love spray paint!), I headed downstairs and set up the autopsy room:
Cool in regular lighting, but way spookier with the red bulb in!
I spent the rest of my time today cleaning, putting totes away and working on the main activity for the party. We're very close to being done with all the scene setting - here are some shots of the pediatrics ward:

Peek-a-BOO!

What's that they're playing with?

We also brainstormed the party ideas our guests will vote on for the 2010 party. The themes are:

Heaven & Hell
Worst Fears/Superstitions
Time Warp

Which one would you vote for?

More to come...

Party Week: Wednesday Report

A lot of cleaning today - putting away unused decorations, getting the glassware rinsed and put out, finishing up the last loads of laundry so I can turn that area into "Autopsy". Not too much to show though...just a quick pic of what I was working on late this afternoon: Sorry, I can't tell you exactly what these are for. Don't want to spoil it for the party guests. I'll let you in on it after the party. Should be pretty fun, I think.

Tomorrow, the weather is supposed to be decent, and I'm headed outside to finish painting the fence, and set up the graveyard in the front yard. Hopefully it won't be too cold. I'd also like to finish up the stuff in the photo above, and maybe get the gift bags done. We'll see how far the day goes.

More tomorrow!

Party Week: Tuesday Report

Today was half taken up with errands this morning, one of which was gathering up and donating Halloween stuff we don't need/want anymore to the local rescue mission store. Most of what I did this afternoon involved cleaning, vacuuming and putting stuff away.

So I thought I'd share some pics of things already mostly done:

Our bartender this year - the creepy lab technician.
Brent's crematorium - looks creepy this way, but with the lights and fog...primo!
Our MRI machine - another of Brent's brainstorms. This one will have special lighting/sound too.
This afternoon I put the x-ray box up...looks pretty good here, even without the lights on!
Why am I showing you a gray shower curtain? Hint: our normal curtain isn't gray. Doesn't it make you wonder - what's on the other side?

I'm running half a day behind...tomorrow morning, I'll be finishing up the basement as much as possible. Tomorrow afternoon, time to assemble party bags and start prepping the contests. More photos tomorrow...

Party Week: Monday Decorating

It's party week at Chez DeBree, and time to get serious with finishing up the decorations and other preparations. Today was the day to finish up all major decorating on the main floor, and while I didn't get everything I wanted to done, I got quite a bit done. A couple of scenes have to wait until Saturday to put up, and I scrapped one other decor project (no, I'm not telling what) due to time constraints. Here's some of what I did today:

I set up the corpse buffet under our new giant bat. I love that guy! His eyes flash red...scary!
The skeletal centerpiece, ready to serve.
The windows have eyes! Or one window, anyway.
And some creepy faces around (and in!) the fireplace.
Tomorrow I'm finishing up the basement decor - photos tomorrow night!

Two Weeks to Party Time!

Everyone should have received their invitation by now, so here's what they ended up looking like. Turned out very well, I think, but I forgot to add that costumes, as always *are* required. Oh well...we'll have plenty of costumes for anyone who "forgets".

We're at crunch time now - and thank goodness we have a three-day weekend to get some things done. Here's what we worked on today:
Brent downloaded some old medical certificates and documents that we replaced the pirate pictures from last year with.
Then I got the Dept. 56 village set up in the living room: Next, a bloody border and some dangling skeletons:
And finally the Lemax village in the basement:
Doesn't sound like much, but we did some cleaning & reorganizing as well. Tomorrow, I think we'll be able to get pediatrics/therapy/surgery mostly done, and some work done on a few more rooms as well.

Still haven't found my Halloween clock though. *sigh* I hope it turns up soon!