Jumping On the Bandwagon

Well, I've gone and done it.

I've purchased my very first 

Johanna Parker Halloween piece.

It's the Johanna Parker 

Carnival Cottage "Sassy Cat" Bowl,

which I found at HomeGoods for $12.99.

I'm and fan of smiling cats for Halloween,

and with all the JP excitement swirling around,

I decided it was time to join the club!

The YouTube channels I watch, including

 Cris the Girl, Jack Valentine, and others,

are simply gaga over all things, Johanna Parker.

It's hard not to get caught up in the enthusiasm,

especially when her creations are so charming.

I followed Ms. Parker's blog 

from time to time in the past, 

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where she showcased her wonderful

handmade creations and gave readers 

a peek at how they came to life. 

She also took her creations on the road to

Holiday art shows and trunk shows.

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I believe she bases her cat creations on

her own black cat, Jack.

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I can certainly see the resemblance.

This year, I had my hands on one of her 

original cat mugs at HomeGoods, 

but made the mistake of putting it back 

on the shelf to "Think About It."

 Big mistake! When I went back, 

it was gone,

and I haven't seen another one since.

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I thought it would be especially neat to own because Johanna had shared a tutorial showing how the the mug

came to life, 

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 from the original concept sketch to finish product.

It would be fun to have a piece with that little bit of

behind-the-scenes history attached to it.

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Maybe I'll have better luck next year.

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Back in the late 90's, I jumped on the 

Debbie Mumm bandwagon, too! 

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She offered a whole range 

of Halloween collectibles, 

but I only brought home 

one little treasure from Ross, I think,

this cute monster pumpkin mug.

which remains a fun reminder 

of her charming designs.

Her style has a real quilt-like quality to it.

I really loved her pumpkin cookie jar,

but never managed to get one.

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She even offered a pretty cool 

haunted house cookie jar back in 1998.

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On second thought, maybe it's time 

for me to climb back on the 

Debbie Mumm bandwagon.

It's time my mug had a family reunion. 

Thanks for stopping by

and Happy Haunting!

A Bathroom Haunting

The hall bathroom has undergone

a spooky transformation for Halloween and 

Dia de los Muertos, inspired by the 

colorful shower curtain.

It's all very festive, but, there's something a 

little strange about this room. I can't shake 

the feeling that I'm not alone in here.

Sure, there's the new little skeleton guy I added 

to the Bathing Witch shelf I introduced 

in my last post HERE.  But I don't think he's 

responsible for the eerie feeling. The bath mats aren't talking either.

their lips are zipped, but somehow, 

I get the feeling like their eyes

are tying to tell me something.

Then again, these guys 

don't even have eyes!

The ornaments are pretending 

not to notice anything.

I know the cat's got a secret, 

but he's not talking...

Suddenly, these three turn white as a sheet ,

They seem to be whispering, 

"There's Something Under The Tub!"

Slowly, I tilt the camera downward, and... 

 YIKES! There's A GHOST!!!

It's a white, speckled glass ghost

 I picked up at HomeGoods this year.

He's got...lifeless eyes, 

black eyes, like a doll's eyes.

And the best part?

He lights up on a timer every night,

There's a string of LED lights all coiled 

up in there.

so just when I think the bathroom is safe, 

this little specter makes his 

nightly appearance.

BOO!

Thanks for stopping by

and happy haunting!

 

Little Spooks Join My Halloween Haunt

The moment the calendar flips to October,

My hutch starts calling for a little mischief.

I unpack box after box,

of ghoulish goodies

until the whole hutch is 

bursting at the seams with delightful oddities

and this year, a few irresistible Target

finds have joined the haunted collection.

This year, I've added a new little 

character beside my

Haunted House Cookie Jar:

a 4¾'' tall pumpkin man 

I found at Target

get one here

for just $5.00!! WHAT?

I must admit, he looks as though

he was made for that house. The ghosts 

are certainly happy to have him as a guest!

He's reminiscent of the pumpkin men 

you'd find on those odd vintage 

Hallowe'en greeting cards,

only a bit less disturbing.

Maybe the pumpkin townsfolk form

"Over the Garden Wall"

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I wonder if my pumpkin guy 

has a skeleton inside?

I guess we'll never know.

He needed a bit of a boost to reach

the height of the molding around the hutch,

so I improvised will a pill bottle.

Over in the hall bathroom, I added 

another Target find.

You'll spot him next to the 

Bathing Witch picture:

a little skeleton holding a raven.

He was another of Target's five dollar 

Halloween figurines.

I have to laugh at the way his leg bones 

seem to go straight up into his rib cage!?!

Anatomy wasn't necessarily a priority

in the skeleton department.

get one here

Still, I thought he'd be right at home here, 

especially since the raven he's holding

matches the one in the Bathing Witch picture.

Remember, it's all about coordinating the décor, 

even in the afterlife

My next Target treasure has found a home

on a shelf in the family room.

This time, it's a black cat perched atop

 a jack-o'-lantern.

I've placed her in front of my 

Beistle die-cut witch house,

and I think her colors compliment this 

modern reproduction beautifully.

get one here

who's a precious kitty?

The last of my new characters is 

this sweet little ghost holding a pumpkin.

get one here

He looks right at home beneath my 

Jack's Pumpkins, Pick-Your-Own sign.

And wouldn't you know it?

He's picked the perfect pumpkin,

 just his size!

Those are all the characters I brought home, 

but they're certainly not all the 

Halloween goodies Target has to offer.

Take this Grim Reaper, for instance.

get one here

He looks downright grim,

as any respectable Grim Reaper should!

Then there's this spooky pair of ghosts 

peeking out from behind a gravestone.

Whatever they're up to, I'm not sure 

I want to know!

Target also offers mini Halloween 

figurine sets for five dollars,

get one here
along with an small line of fall-themed 

figurines at the same price!

How cool it that?

I'm wanting to fill a few more shelves.

get on here

So, keep this in mind:

 a quick trip to Target can score you a 

plethora of Halloween gewgaws to fill 

those nooks and crannies in your 

haunted home.

At five dollars apiece, it's awfully 

tempting to bring a few little spooks

home with you!

Thanks for stopping by 

and happy haunting!