Peach Street's Blog

"Momma Likes Pretty Things" - Dresser Turned Lego Storage

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 02:55:00 +0000

Do you have a love, hate relationship with legos? Because I do. I am tired of stepping on them, worrying the baby will swallow them and seeing them slowly take over every room in my house. But, they're educational and my baby is sure to be a famous engineer as a result of playing with them.

My oldest has his own room. We also have a playroom. Still, somehow, those darn things still wind up migrating to the office and living room, too. They needed a place to go and they needed it fast. And it had to be pretty, 'cause Momma likes pretty things!

I found this beauty in the middle of nowhere. Literally. Like this store was on the corner of a cornfield and another cornfield. Kid you not. I paid $35, which was too much, especially since she didn't even have a back. But she had perfect lines and I really liked her faux-four top drawers.

Pretend I am skinny and have a nice tan, Mkay?

I definitely think she was worth it, don't you?

I took out the bottom four drawers and replaced them with water hyacinth baskets, you know, for legos. Because that just makes sense....right??

I do not understand furniture varnish. Why do they put that awful stuff on top of beautiful wood? Look what was hiding under there!

These are the greatest baskets. $19.99 each at the Hobby Lobby but I used my 40% off coupon on each of them.

A little distressing to keep things interesting....

And she's ready for work!

Would you ever guess there were a billion legos in there?

P.S. You will notice SouthernRevivals.com in each of my dresser pictures. I will soon be moving my DIY/Home Decor stuff over to this new blog and returning this one to my artwork. I hope you'll head on over there and 'follow' if you've been enjoying this series here because you won't see it here much longer!

Linking up to....

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Living Room Reveal ~ What now?

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:29:00 +0000

A reveal of any part of my house would not be complete without toys.
Just keeping it real folks.

Ready for the real thing?

Green. Green. And more green. You can see pics of the during here.

You don't miss the green, do you? I know I don't!

A peek of our painted wallpaper hallway - you can find more on that here.

Made a subway art sign for my wall above the couch out of part of a dresser top. Not sure if I want to leave it that high or put it just above the couch on the paneling. I love the paneling so much I hate to cover any of it up but now I'm hard pressed as to what else to put on the wall. And it needs something else. Currently thrifting for some fun end tables and chunky lamps. Maybe that'll fill things in over there a bit.

Christmas art my oldest made years ago. Daddy drew the pics, he painted them. Love those but they come down after Christmas. I'm pretty sure I know what I want to do here. It involves more wood, lighting and a nice chunky picture frame. We'll see.

See. This area really needs....something.

Ever noticed how much nicer everything looks with Christmas decorations. I hate taking them down.

One of these days I am going to tackle that mantle. It needs to be chunkier and a lot less black. Can you paint those metal inserts? We're about to find out!

Definitely going to redo the tile around the fireplace one of these days, too. It's so boring especially now that we jazzed up the walls. I'm thinking some little glass tiles? Also, going to get around to putting in new flooring throughout the whole house. Seeing as the crazy people who built the house put it in all willy, nilly in every direction but the right one. Either way, that tile on the floor...has. to. go.

One of my most favorite things we've ever done, our Pallet Coffee Table

Of course, I would love it even more if I could decorate the lovely wooden tray that graces it but as far as the baby's concerned it is only fit to hold his "Crucks".

And the biggest dilemma of all...what I am going to do with that big empty corner once that amazing tree is gone. I wanted to cry just thinking about it and now, as I sit here typing this and staring into the abyss that once housed that very tree, I am more stumped than ever.

Well, like I said, everything looks nicer with Christmas decorations. But really, there has to be a way to make it all holly, jolly in the meantime. Right?

I'm not sure. But if I ever get it figured out, I'll be sure to let you know. I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas!

Linking up to....

New Year - Time to Organize

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:34:00 +0000

I am not a clean freak. I love a clean house but I hate to clean one. I am, however, a neat freak. If these people I live with would just put their crap back where it came from I'd be a much happier person!

I already hate cleaning. Is having to tidy up before I can clean up going to make me any more likely to do it? Um, no. But it's hard, especially after Christmas, to find a place for everything and if it doesn't have a place to go, chances are, it'll stay where it's at. And I can't have that. I can't.

Here are some ways I plan to organize in the new year to help us put things back where they belong.

contemporary kitchen design by detroit kitchen and bath Al Williams

I would give a million dollars to be able to put my Kitchen Aid in a cabinet and save my already minuscule counter space.

traditional kitchen design by san francisco interior designer Alisa Hofmann

Yes. Yes. Yes. Why didn't I think of that!

Family Handyman.com

This year, somebody really must do something about the Hell-Hole (aka - The Garage)

VIA

Another one of those, Why didn't I think of that?, moments. A tension rod to hold your stuff. Genius.

The Container Store

FEET - n. Objects used for finding Legos in the dark

Can you identify? Here's the solution. Of course, you have to get those little Lego loving fiends to pick them up for it to work. Good luck with that.

Do your linen closets look like this? Yep. Mine neither.

Let the organizing begin!

My Final Project of 2011 ~ Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:42:00 +0000

(And yes, that's our mattress in the middle of the floor but that's a different story for a different day.)

Green. I'm not really sure how I feel about it in general I just know I couldn't live with it in my house. When we moved here back in 2007 this was the color of our living room, dining room and foyer. And apparently everyone loved it but me. Honestly, that's why I lived with it so long. I thought I must be missing something that everyone else could see.

Can you tell how green it is? It's showing up a little more yellow in this pic than I think it was in real life. But it was definitely a not-so-distant cousin of Granny Smith.

It took me forever to decide what color I wanted to repaint. I wanted to do the foyer, dining room and living room 3 different colors and that's a tough thing to pull off since they are basically one wide open space with only arches and columns for separation. The foyer and dining room were easy. I had no idea what to do for the living room so I just painted it a neutral color what worked well with the other two until I could figure out where to go from there. I still probably didn't get it right but since I love the paint in the dining room and Mr. Peach loves how the foyer came out, I don't see things changing anytime soon.

As far as the living room went, it wasn't so much the paint color as it was those high ceilings that was throwing me off. Where do you put pictures, art, anything! on a wall like that? At it's tallest point our ceilings are 20' tall and anything I hung on the wall got swallowed up by.....wall!

As luck would have it, I was ~~stalking~~ visiting Mandi over at Vintage Revivals when I saw this. And I instantly knew what I had to do.

As soon as we put that first board on the wall, I knew I'd made the right decision - even if the reluctant carpenter had his doubts.

It was the perfect way to divide those ginormous walls with more than just boring paint.

I loved it immediately, as soon as we had the pattern laid out on the wall - which wasn't as easy as I had imagined. I'm an "eyeballer" and apparently one must measure and do lots of mathy stuff for a project like this to work. Thank goodness I live with a Valedictorian and thank goodness he lives with a Creative because, Man!, I am in love!

I wish I could just go ahead and show you the after, especially since we finished this project before Thanksgiving, but there's just too much else to be done. (Which is code for let me pick up all these toys the kids got for Christmas before I take pictures or it will totally spoil the effect!)

But it's amazing so I promise to show it soon. Even if there really are lots of other things I'd like to do in the room, that I'll be lucky to finish before 2013 gets here. Unless you're one of those people who believe we won't still be here in 2013. In which case, I should really, really get back to work!

Happy New Year,

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 19:10:00 +0000

A Star Wars Themed Big Boy Room

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:01:00 +0000

You'd think after this much practice I'd remember to take proper BEFORE pictures. But no. My child's room wasn't quite this boring before. There were no curtains and it had the same bland taupe paint color as did most of the rest of the house. But it did have a nice red bookshelf which hinted at our good intentions of decorating his room. He informed me earlier this year that he was too old for the Choo Choo bedding he had in his room - I would call it a theme but that would be stretching it. He had a nice train quilt and RxR decorative pillow. That's as close to a theme as it got.

When he told me he was too old for the train theme he also informed me that he'd be needing a Transformers or Star Wars room theme, please. I have nothing against Transformers but I knew it was a phase and if I spent my time on that theme he'd be over it in a month. He's loved Star Wars forever so I figured that might last longer.

The only problem was he'd seen a Transformer Bed in a Bag set at Kmart. I'm not really a Bed in a Bag kinda person, at least not for kids' rooms, for several reasons. Not the least of which is how fast they "outgrow" their love for them. I wanted a room that could have an easily changeable theme without having to remodel every time, still be kid-friendly and look awesome at the same time. That's not such a tall order. Is it?

We started out by painting the top half of the wall in a navy blue - the color is Admirality from Lowes. We added a faux board and batten using lattice strips, crown molding and chair railing all done in a semi-gloss white. Much better already!

Even though he got to see the paint job beforehand, I didn't want him to know what theme he was getting until I was done. I figured it would have more of an impact that way. I also thought it might make the lack of that dreaded (for me, anyway) Transformers Bed in Bag a little easier on the both of us.

I think he was pleased with the results!

I kept the bedding simple, masculine and, I like to think, sophisticated. And I did it without any help from Pottery Barn! Red, blue, white and brown - it can work with any theme. So if he changes his mind it's not a complete do-over!

I made the duvet cover by sewing together two flat sheets from sheet sets I found at both Kmart and TJ Maxx. The red and white polka dot is from Kmart and the blue and white stripe is from TJ Maxx. I cut a third of the polka dot sheet off and reattached it to make the opening for the comforter. Then sewed the two together.

I used the pillow cases from the two sets as pillow shams. Why not?
I also made two envelope style pillow covers out of navy pillow cases and used that blue striped burlapy ribbon stuff - which is technically called upholstery webbing. I love that stuff so much I think I might actually look for excuses to use it.

This accent pillow I got from Kmart matches the Canon Red Dot Floral Comforter Set. When I got it, it had a section of red and white floral fabric where the blue stripe fabric is now. I took the pillow apart, which was more of a pain than I anticipated because there's no pillow insert inside just stuffing, and added the panel of blue stripe fabric instead. I also added the red stripe webbing to the front. Sewed the whole thing back together and re-stuffed. Labor intensive but well worth the effort especially since I'm not a talented enough seamstress to have figured out how to make this pillow all on my own.

He already had lots of Star Wars stuff to decorate with so we just added a few accent pieces.

These lamps we got from Home Dept for $39.99 each. The have these beautiful shades that I just added a bit of ribbon to on top and bottom. They plug in, too, so no wiring is required!

I didn't want to pay an arm and a leg for 11 x 14 frames. I wanted the cheap ones but I wanted them in white. Turns out they don't make cheap white ones, at least not that I could find, so I just got the black ones from Walmart for $5 each and spray painted them. I put a blue textured paper, that I got from Hobby Lobby, into each frame. I cut Star Wars silhouettes using my Silhouette machine and navy vinyl and mounted those onto white pages from my acrylic paint pad. This paper gave the vinyl a nice texture as though it had been painted on instead. Using double sided tape, I affixed the silhouettes to the blue paper inside the frame. They look so nice you can hardly tell they aren't matted. By the way, my Star Wars silhouettes are actually a font that I downloaded from da font.com.

My poor baby finally has curtains!

This little lamp I got from Walmart for $4 forever ago. I am so glad I saved it. I removed the original bell shade and painted the natural pine a true red. The drum shade is from Target. I added his monogram by cutting out the letters with my Silhouette machine and then using it as a stencil. I also added some of the trim that I used for the lamps above his bed.

An image of Boba Fett that I found via Google. I had it matted and then framed in a shadowbox. I didn't realize this until recently but you can totally frame a picture in a shadowbox for a nice chunky frame with just a few easy tweaks. I love the way that looks!

And the rest is mostly stuff he already had.

I couldn't resist this nutcracker from Hobby Lobby. I wanted Boba Fett but they were already sold out by the time I saw these.

This poster, the Science of Star Wars, came with a gift he got for his birthday and I just put it in a picture frame.

A 3-D Star Wars book he got for Christmas last year.

The bubble gum machine he already had but I just had to put red, white and blue gumballs in there. I know. I need help.

Moon in My Room which he already had. And loves. Perfect for a space themed room. Of course, he will only operate it on every phase but full for fear of attracting werewolves.

When he was little, my brother used to have a giant Millennium Falcon that would light up hanging from his ceiling. I can't imagine what something like that would cost these days so I just went with this planetary night light from Lowes. $9.99.....

....And as far as he's concerned, it's out of this world!

As always, if you ever have any questions (or comments) about any of my projects, please feel free to email me or leave me a comment. I'll be sure to reply!

Linking to....

Our Under $100 Closet System - IKEA Hack

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:11:00 +0000

Just before the baby was born last September I was in a panic to get a closet system in his room. (You can read all about that, here.) After that, the baby's closet was the nicest closet in the whole house and sometimes I would go in there, stand in the one room in the house that was organized, and bask in it's glory.

We bought our home as a foreclosure. That meant we had no appliances, no bathroom mirrors and absolutely, completely, empty closets. No rods for hanging, no shelves in the pantry, NADA! (I totally just said "Nada" in James Spader's voice from Pretty in Pink in my head)

That might not seem too overwhelming at first but there are 9 closets in this house and by the time we got done putting in all the appliances we normally take for granted and hanging mirrors so we could see to brush our teeth, the closets seemed really unimportant. Which is a shame because in the end they are so essential in the War on Clutter, especially in our oldest son's room. But we were tired so the only treatment our closets got was two of those triangle brackets that oh-so-handily hold a rod and a shelf at the same time. They are also efficient at taking up so much space that you can't put as many clothes on the rod as you should be to and you can only fit so many of them in a closet at a time. Then, you wind up with this...

Wow. That's actually really embarrassing. Now you know two things: 1) Someone besides the baby needs a closet system and 2) I need to wash clothes.

Here's the thing, the baby's closet system set us back $700. At the time my desperation, and possibly my hormones, clouded my judgement. But this time there was no way I was spending that much - especially since he has two closets.

I'd read some where on the web about someone using EasyClosets.com to design their closet and then using the plan/measurements to do it themselves. Bingo! (Actually, EasyClosets.com is a very affordable option and had we bought the baby's closet system from them we'd have probably saved some money!) But did we really have time for a DIY; to cut every piece of wood, pre-drill every hole and basically start from scratch? The answer is no for alot of reasons. Namely that I have way too many projects I want to do to spend an eternity on two closets and also because we'd probably never finish it. That's when I met Billy...

IKEA

Tall, white and Swedish. The man of my dreams...in terms of a semi-diy closet system. And he's cheap, too. We got four of these, two for each closet. Add some closet rods, some white shelving board and brackets, a small tweak to make Billy a little taller (see below) and you have a closet system for under 100 bucks per closet!

First we added a small mdf panel to the bottoms of each bookshelf to make the notch, already in the back of the bookshelf, fit over our molding.

Phew! Much better! Man, I love Billy!

Stay tuned for the Big Boy Room Makeover these closets go with. Coming Soon!

Quick & Easy Homemade Pumpkin Pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 16:34:00 +0000

I have the greatest from scratch pumpkin pancake recipe. Ever. The problem is I can NEVER find it. Every year the weather gets crisp and cool and I get a hankering for pumpkin pancakes. And every year I cannot remember where I've put it. Today, if I had turned the house upside like I usually have to, I'm sure I would've found it. But since I had a limited amount of time get my pumpkin pancake fix, I decided to explore my options.

I'm glad I did! My from scratch recipes calls for yummy things like spices and melted butter. It is to die for! But who has time for from scratch pancakes every time they want them? This version is the next best thing!

Simple Ingredients

2 eggs
1 c. Milk
1/2 cup cooked pumpkin (or canned pumpkin puree)
1 3/4 c. Bisquick Mix
1 TBSP Sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 c. chopped nuts, optional

The Quick & Easy Part

Just mix it all up, pour it onto your griddle and flip when they start to bubble a little.

Supposedly it yeilds 2 1/2 dozen 4" pancakes. I must've made mine a good bit bigger!

Today I am thankful for pumpkins and lazy Saturdays with my family!

NOTE: I always have left over canned pumpkin puree from my Halloween party. I make a yummy pumpkin dip that only uses about half the can of pumpkin. I'm always looking for ways to use up that kind of stuff because I hate to waste. If you find yourself with leftover canned pumpkin puree, you can use it for these pancakes or for Festive Pumpkin Dip - found here.

Carnival 1st Birthday Party

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 03:07:00 +0000

My baby just turned a year old in September. I can hardly believe it. I feel like I just had him. And since I'm still carrying around the baby weight, I sorta wish that were true.

We had the greatest vintage circus/carnival birthday for him and I've been anxious to share it with you. And since this is part of the Thankful series on my blog I'd just like to take a moment to say thank you to my husband for never, ever complaining about all my grand ideas and always playing along. You make it so much more fun to be me!

You saw our Big Top tent how-to, here, but believe me when I tell you there were far more spray painted, glued and decorated shenanigans going on.

I'm a big believer in using what I've already go to get just what I want and most of the time it's totally do-able. And if not, a trip to the dollar store is usually all it takes.

Dollar Store Glass candle sticks, ice cream dishes & faux silver platters.
A little glue + some spray paint = awesome serving trays

Costumes were necessary to complete the theme and let's face it, I'll use any excuse to wear a costume. I made the birthday boy's outfit and just put some stuff we had on hand together for Daddy - Edgar the Great (magician) and myself - a vintage clown. But big brother got a store bought one because I couldn't figure out how to do Strong Man DIY style. BUT I did make Strong Man a barbell with some styrofoam balls, a dowel and some spray paint. Can I just say, styrofoam balls are expensive!

And my final project, aside from the food, was a special seat for the birthday boy. I had my heart set on a wooden highchair, legs cut off with just the seat perched atop two round, galvanized containers in graduated sizes painted to look like old elephant stands. I mean, that's not asking too much, is it?

Now you have some idea what being me is like and how wonderful the people are who put up with me. In the end, I wound up with a special chair for the birthday boy - a donation from a friend who's two boys are all grown up - in other words, FREE! Add a little spray paint and while it wasn't what I'd envisioned, it was perfect.

And so.....it was time to party!

Mmmmm Cake! Popcorn cupcake recipe found, here.

I used liquid eyeliner on the baby's face. It stays put but it's gentle.
Find the cheapest Strong Man costume on the web, here.

The highchair turned out perfectly even though it wasn't what I envisioned. I spray painted the whole thing white then used my Silhouette to cut a mask for the tray, then spray painted that red. Aren't baby feet the cutest??

The baby's outfit was just a simple onesie that I added ric rac to for faux suspenders, a bow tie made from the same sheets I used for the photobooth (below). The 1 was created from felt I hand-cut then used fusible web to add a hand-cut 1 from the sheet material on top. After that I ironed the whole thing on to the onesie with the fusible web.

Plenty of clown noses, party horns & jumbo glasses were on hand as well as tons of popcorn. After all, you can't have a circus without popcorn!

I've gotta say, one of my all time favorite things about this party was the photo booth. Made from simple things like bulletin board paper and striped sheets from Walmart, it was a huge hit. I set up a prop station of clown noses, jumbo glasses and chenille mustaches and everyone had a great time getting into character. I can honestly say I didn't hear one person complain about having his or her picture taken. Even me. And that's sayin something!

Linking up.....

Sweet November

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 03:43:00 +0000

In this month of Thanksgiving I have much to be thankful for. At the moment, one of the things I am thankful for is making it through the 31 days of Halloween on my blog. Phew! That was a job! On the plus side, I realize I really like this "job" and I like the idea of carving out a little more time for it and being consistent. So I've decided to do just that!

Coming up on my blog is a series where I hope to share projects I'm working on, DIYs, motherhood and the ins and outs of me....being thankful....doing exactly what I love to do.

I hope you'll join me for the month of November and share with me what you're thankful for.

Happy Halloween 2011 ~ Day 31

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 03:10:00 +0000

Here's hoping you got more treats than tricks, your scares were all fun ones and no aliens really tried to take you to their mothership.

Happy Halloween from this Ghoul & her Boils!

MY Not So Scary Halloween Party ~ Day 30

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 03:35:00 +0000

It's Candy the Chandy all dressed up for Halloween!

The Food

Ah Man! There's no more Mummy Dogs?!

More punch Mommy!

Evidently I didn't give him enough punch!

Photo Booth

Happy Halloween!

Sloppy Jacks Recipe ~ Day 29

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 03:16:00 +0000

A fun take on Sloppy Joes. The perfect pre-trick or treat dinner.

What you need:
1lb of ground beef
Small can Manwich
1 Refridgerated Pizza Dough
Chives/Green Onion tops cut in 1" pieces
Orange Food Color Spray

What you do:
Brown your meat; drain
Mix in 1/2 - 3/4 of the can of Manwich(using the whole can will make your meat too wet and the inside of your sloppy jacks will be soggy)
Set Aside

Roll out pizza dough and cut in three sections; across horizontally then vertically making 9 squares of dough.

Place a dollop of meat mixture in the middle of each square. Fold corners in and pinch dough together. Place pinched sides down on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake on 350° for 20 - 25 minutes.

Let cool slightly then spray with orange food color spray. Make a small hole in the tops of your pumpkins and put in your chive or green onion.

Serve to your Ghouls and Boils. Maybe they'll eat less candy that way. Maybe not.

Enjoy!

Modern Horror Movie Trivia ~ Day 28

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 02:48:00 +0000

1. In the beginning of Stephen Kings The Mist what is the painting a depiction of?

There are many paintings on the walls that are actually movie poster depictions, such the one to his far left for The Thing. It has been erroneously reported that this is the painting David is working on during opening credits, when in fact it is the image of the Gunslinger from Stephen King's Dark Tower series.

Stephen King draws inspiration from all avenues but he is well known for taking his own life events and incorporating them into a horrific story. The mist is based on an experience he had near his home when severe storm rolled through his home town, the next day while at the supermarket with his son he imagined a winged creature flying through the store.

2. In the 2001 horror movie Session 9 where does Simon say he lives?

Simon is the dark alter personality that patient Mary Hobbs other personalities are reticent to talk about. Mary has been undergoing therapy sessions at the asylum and most personalities share freely. By the end of the film, you hear Simon explain to the doctor that he resides in the weak and wounded.

The Danvers Insane Asylum, which is the setting for Session 9 is rumored to be the birthplace for the lobotomy and may have been the inspiration for Arkham Asylum from the Batman comic strips.

3. In the movie Hard Candy what is the drink that Hayley spikes for Jeff?

Central to her plan to make Jeff pay for his alleged pedophilia Hayley must drug him. She does so by explaining that she never drinks anything she did not pour herself and proceeds to make them both a screwdriver.

Unlike most movies today, Hard Candy only contains nine minutes of music in the entire film. The remainder of the background noise consists of heavy breathing and other ambient sounds.

4. In the first installation of the Saw movies what started the timer on the reverse bear trap that Amanda was wearing?

The jigsaw video left for Amanda left no doubt about the status of her head once the timer ran out. She is told where to find the key to stop the timer, what she is not told is that the timer is not activated until she stands from her chair to retrieve the key.

There is a video short referred to on the internet as Saw .5 that was used to pitch the idea to studios and actors. The original full-length film depicted David as the one in the reverse bear trap but in the end, it was this Saw movie short that became the official scene.

Source: http://www.squidoo.com/horrormovietrivia

Terror Behind the Walls ~ Day 27

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 03:54:00 +0000

***So sorry days 27, 28 & 29 did not post automatically. Darn Blogger!***

Eastern State Penitentiary is the America's most historic prison. It is also a massive haunted house.....in a REAL PRISON! Can you imagine!

Opened in 1829 as part of a controversial movement to change the behavior of inmates through "confinement in solitude with labor," Eastern State Penitentiary quickly became one of the most expensive and most copied buildings in the young United States. It is estimated that more than 300 prisons worldwide are based on the Penitentiary's wagon-wheel, or "radial" floor plan.

Some of America's most notorious criminals were held in the Penitentiary's vaulted, sky-lit cells, including bank robber Willie Sutton and Al Capone. After 142 years of consecutive use, Eastern State Penitentiary was completely abandoned in 1971, and now stands, a lost world of crumbling cell blocks and empty guard towers.

I was watching Making Monsters on the Travel Channel tonight when I learned about Terror Behind the Walls at Eastern State Pen. They were making a monster for one of their exhibits. Naturally it's a 13 room tour that takes about 45 minutes. 45 minutes of haunted house! All while walking past dark, empty cells not knowing who or what lurks in the dark. Can you handle it? Well, the good news is at the end of the tour you can much on some funnel cake, provided you still have an appetite. And if not you might as well join Monster Mash spun by Zombie DJ.

And, Hey! It's all for a good cause. It a non-profit org that uses the revenue to preserve history. Nothing scary about that.

So, would you go....to prison....on purpose at Eastern State Pen? I totally would if I lived closer. If you've been tell us all about it, would ya?

Classic Horror Movie Trivia ~ Day 26

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:13:00 +0000

1. Village of the Damned is an adaptation of what famous novel?

Filmed in the UK in 1960 and is a horror film about mutant children based on the novel, The Midwich Cuckoos.

This film was originally planned as an American release but MGM decided the virgin birth spin was too inflammatory for American production. Of course, the movie was an instant hit with creepy children possessing mental abilities and a cold nature. Once the movie was printed and released for American audiences there was one notable difference from the UK print, the children's glowing eyes.

2. Night of the Living Dead was originally a black and white horror film created in the late 60's, how many times has the movie been colorized?

At three different occasions labs have created a colorized version of this classic zombie flick, 1986, 1987 and 2004 were the respective dates with a fourth revision planned for 2009 which will take the 2D movie colorize it and present it in 3D.

Surprisingly there was little criticism about this grisly movie after its release. The main problem critic Robert Ebert had was the theater policies of the time that allowed children as young as five or six to purchase a ticket. In an age where graphic video games, cartoons and television did not exist this must have been quite a shock for young children.

3. Upon what real life serial killer was the movie Psycho based on?

Ed Gein was a serial killer and grave robber from Wisconsin in the 1950's. He admitted to killing two women, whose heads were later found in his home. The most significant correlation between him and Norman Bates is probably the similarities in their mothers. Both are portrayed as teaching their sons that all women were prostitutes and immoral.

In the now famous shower scene from Psycho in which Norman takes his first victim, Marion Crane, chocolate was used to simulate blood. This was a common enough occurrence during the era of black and white horror films.

4. Was the Texas Chainsaw Massacre a real event?

No, despite the opening credits that state what you are about to see is true, the movie was a fiction based loosely on true-life serial killers Ed Gein and Elmer Wayne Henley.

The idea to be intentionally misleading at the outset of this film was to highlight the many lies being told by the federal government at the time. Hooper, one of the writers on the film felt that Vietnam, Watergate and the oil crisis were gross intentional misinformation presented by the government and his characters highlighted the fact that he felt man was the real monster.

These classic horror films have indeed stood the test of time. To this day, you can still feel the horror even though they lack the detail of today's Technicolor movies. That in and of itself is a testament to the fact that these are indeed great films that changed the horror genre forever.

Source: http://www.squidoo.com/horrormovietrivia

Pumpkin Carving 101 ~ Day 25

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 03:00:00 +0000

I have a confession. Until today, these were the only Halloween decorations in my house. Are you as shocked as I am depressed about it? I know, right?

I was driving through town last night and passed a house covered in cob-webs and Halloween lights and I promply burst into tears. I keep telling myself that the remodeling we've been doing will be worth it and I'll have an even better place to decorate next year. But then I think, next year, like as in 365 MORE days from now. And then I want to cry again.

Anyway, I tried to redeem myself today by doing a little pumpkin carving with the kiddos. And I have to tell you about the greatest thing ever. Ever.

Meet the Pumpkin Gutter. If you don't have one you must stop reading this and drive on over to the local Wal-mart right now. Go. I'll wait.

Now. I don't know about you but I've owned every pumpkin carving kit ever made and that piece of plastic with teeth that's included never does the trick for me. I'm an avid pumpkin carver, I admit it. But even if you're not this thing is worth all of the five hundred eighty seven pennies it costs.

It's fun to boot. You can even use it in the smaller pumpkins.

Anybody can do it and it makes quick work of the not so fun part so that you can get on with the so fun part.

Next, if you carve even one pumpkin a year, you're going to want to invest in some carving tools. You can get the cheap ones (left) which work great or, for a little more, you can upgrade to one like this Martha Stewart set (right). I like this one because it comes with the gouging tools which really come in handy. By the way, did you know they make a carving kit for your Dremel? That is totally going on my Christmas list. (Along with a scroll saw....just in case any of my family's reading this!)

To make things a little easier you might want to use a pumpkin carving template. Google them. Free. Easy. You can also find some from Southern Living, here. Do not, I repeat, do not let your child try talking you into free handing Mickey off a Disney World bag onto your pumpkin. You were warned.

And last, but certainly not least, spray the inside of that masterpiece daily with a mixture of bleach and water - I use Clorox Anywhere spray - to keep flesh eating bacteria from forming. Or you can wipe the inside with petroleum jelly to keep it hydrated. Don't let all that hard work go to waste!

I have one final tip for you. If you ~~mistakenly~~ thought maggots only eat meat, I am here to tell you they eat pumpkins, too. This is especially good to know if you're keeping your pumpkin indoors. And it rots. Without your knowing it. Because you didn't know you were suppose to spray it with bleach water, no one ever told you, and you find yourself, the day of your Halloween party, cleaning maggots off the buffet, the floor, the walls....BLECH.

Not that that's ever happened to me.

Based on True Events Horror Movie Trivia ~ Day 24

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 02:53:00 +0000

1. What real life water related drama did the filmmakers of Open Water, Chris Kentis and Laura Lau survive just three days after the DVD release of the movie?

Chris and Laura were in Thailand with their 7-year-old daughter when the devastating tsunami hit the island. Over 200,000 people perished in the storm but Chris, Laura and their daughter survived.

Interestingly enough this is one horror/thriller based on a true story that is close to the actual tale. Tom and Aileen Lonergan disappeared during a scuba diving expedition off the Great Barrier Reef and it was two days before the couple was noticed missing. Another little tidbit is the fact that filmmakers used real sharks as opposed to mechanical variations normally used in these types of films.

2. In the Serpent and the Rainbow, what is the name of the zombie-making drug?

The drug named in the film is tetrodotoxin, a drug that can make a living person appear dead. The way the movie depicts the administration of the drug, by blowing it into the victims face is more consistent with a mind-altering drug known as scopolamine.

Interestingly enough the author of the non-fiction book on which the film is based hated the movie. He commented at one time that he went to Borneo to escape the hysteria.

3. The Exorcism of Emily rose declares what specific time to be the devils hour? And why?

Three am is called the devils hour in an evil attempt to mock the Holy Trinity and in direct opposition to the time it is thought Jesus died on the cross, many scholars put it at three pm.

You might be surprised to find out that many of the unholy body contortions of Emily Rose were achieved by actress Jennifer Carpenter were done without visual effects. Her performance won her a Best Frightened Performance from MTV.

4. In Wolf Creek the psycho killer uses a little torture technique called "head on a stick" what event does he credit with the invention of the tactic?

After cutting Liz's fingers off her explains that during the Vietnam War, they figured out a way to extract information from captives while leaving them unable to run away. Head on a stick is a torture tactic that involves severing the spinal column.

This film is shot on location in southern Australia, an area known as arid and sunny. On the first day of shooting, it commenced raining forcing the directors to incorporate it into the movie. The interesting fact is this particular area had not received rainfall in over six years.

5. What did John Bell claim he offer Kate Batts in exchange for use of her land?

The deal they spat and shook upon included the use of the Bell's slave Samuel and a $100 loan. However, he neglects to tell the council that he charged her 20% interest, which was against the church usury law. Though he clearly broke, their law they determined is punishment was the loss of his good name, of course, Kate Batts had other plans.

This movie is inspired at least in part by the same Tennessee witch legends as the Blair witch project. Though there are many claims about this legend, such as documentation proving this was the first incidence of a human death from a spiritual entity, none of the claims can be substantiated.

Source: http://www.squidoo.com/horrormovietrivia

Cute Little Monsters ~ Day 23

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 03:00:00 +0000

You guys! I'm exhausted! The only day this weekend we got to be bed before 2 or 3 am was last night and I think I was comatose by 9 pm. You'd think after that and the 6 hour trip home I'd be rested but not so much. I think it must've been the shopping trip to IKEA that took it all out of me. But it was worth it!

Tomorrow is the week before Halloween and I've got some fun things in store so I'm going to need my rest. So, I leave you with a few pics of the cutest little monsters I know.

A Little Pre-Halloween Saturday Night Makeup ~ Day 22

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 00:52:00 +0000

You're going out anyway, why not do this makeup look instead.? You'll probably have a lot of people asking what you are. Just stand there, mouth closed, eyes blank and see who "gets it" first!

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party ~ Day 21

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 23:00:00 +0000

Yep! You guess it! I'm at the "happiest place on earth". Which has me wondering how on the trip here I managed to sprout horns, spew pea soup and turn my neck around 360°. Well, at least I'm dressed for the party.

Tonight we're headed to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. It's basically Trick or Treat in the Magic Kingdom where the lines to rides are drastically smaller with nice, cool 59° temps. It's the best time to come really. And there's candy. Lots of it.

Everything it all decked out for Halloween. Even the characters are in costume. Which is kind of redundant if you think about it.

There's a Boo to You parade complete, with my favorite, the headless horsemen.

Many of the characters greet you in front of the castle after the Halloween light show. And, of course, there's a spooktacular fireworks show, too.

This quartet is awesome. Their songs are quite entertaining.

And they happily pose for pics!

It's on to our favorite ride, especially this time of year, The Haunted Mansion!

Have you ever visted the Mouse's House for Halloween?

Guess Where I Am! ~ Day 20

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 02:30:00 +0000

Ghost Box ~ Day 19

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 02:30:00 +0000

This is Bunny. She has a ghost box. I think that's fun. Check it out. You might, too!

Halloween Decor - Some of my Favs ~ Day 18

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 02:57:00 +0000

I love to decorate for the holidays. Love. Here are a few of my favorite ideas from around the web. Enjoy.

Etsy.com

Martha Stewart.com

HostessBlog.com

Btw, found some more costume ideas for this year....so whatcha think?

Chesire Cat (VIA) OR Day of the Dead Skelly

The Two F's of Fall ~ Day 17

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Lott) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 03:52:00 +0000

Football

Fair