ZOMBIE PUMPKINS

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For the past three years I've been consistently asked, where do you buy your carved pumpkins from? I always tell everyone, I do them myself. "Oh" are you a graphic designer? No I reply, I'm just creative when it comes to sourcing out the best stencil carved pumpkins for Halloween.

I personally get really annoyed with myself when I purchase a great looking pumpkin and screw it up trying to carve something spooky and it turns out looking like crap!

So I'll let you all in on a secret of mine, here's where I get my pumpkin stencils from.

ZombiePumpkins.com offers its own breed of original pumpkin stencils which anyone can print out and use to create some of the most impressive pumpkin carving masterpieces that you could possibly imagine, in your neighborhood. You can dazzle anybody. You can really get that reaction for your pumpkins, as you're carving them this year.

When you put these carved monstrosities on your porch, you're guaranteed to be the hit of your block. It's hard to not love pumpkin carving when your entire neighborhood is showering your doorstep on Halloween night.

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Ryan Wickstrand (Owner), runs the Zombie Pumpkin Web site that sells the creepy pumpkin carving stencils of his own designs of typical Hollywood monsters, but also creates characters and designs based on people's requests.

He has created over 218 pattern options, you can download the ones you want for a small fee. You can also grab some pointers for making your carved creations even more creeptacular.

House is Wrapped

Went past the block today and Millie called out "Look at our green house" from the back seat - we have been wrapped! (I think that is what it is called??) Lots had happened today - front door on - and I love it looks great. Bath frame is in - door frames for sliding doors are in - it is really coming together now!

THE HALLOWEEN KID

I was excited to find out when I got home from work today that I had received a package in the mail. I knew by the size and shape it was the Halloween children's book I had pre-ordered back in July 2010 "The Halloween Kid" written by Rhode Montijo.

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The Halloween Kid is about a mysterious masked boy who wrangles Halloween hoodlums to keep the night safe for trick-or-treaters. All is well for years, that is, until a band of greedy goodie goblins gallop onto the scene - then even the Halloween Kid can use a helpin’ hand.

My two boys Ryan (6) and Matthew (3) have had me already read this rootin', tootin' tale of heroism to them several times, they really enjoyed the toilet-paper-tossing mummies and pumpkin-sucking vampires.

If you have kids, nieces, newphews, grandchildren, or just love children and Halloween, I highly recomend this children's Halloween book by Rhode Montijo.

Roof Tiles On

Dave went for an inspection yesterday with our new SS. He seemed to be very friendly and helpful so that was good. There was a big team to do the roof tiles and we were told it would be almost finished in one day! When I went to have a look later in the day I was very excited to see that the roof tiles were nearly completed! Our SS thinks we will be at lock up in two weeks - very exciting that it is all happening so quick!

PSYCHO

It's hard to believe that Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho premiered 50 years ago today.

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Arguably the best psychological thriller ever made, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) is a masterwork of suspense and horror. The acting, cinematography, editing and music in this low-budget, studio-bound film are superb. The movie shows two grisly murders and paints a disturbing portrait of a psychopathic killer.

Anthony Perkins gives a brilliant performance as Psycho's main character, Norman Bates. At first Norman seems to be an attractive, vulnerable and likable young man living with his domineering mother. But as Norman says, "We all go a little mad sometimes."

Janet Leigh is unforgettable in a key role, but she does not appear in the film's last hour. Leigh plays a secretary who steals $40,000, goes on the lam and checks into the isolated Bates Motel ("Twelve cabins, 12 vacancies."), which is run by Norman.

As Psycho winds down, there's a scene where a psychiatrist explains the psychology behind the murders. Critics often object to this scene on the grounds that it is heavy-handed exposition, but it is thought-provoking and indicates that the filmmakers want the viewer to recognize that the killer is not so much an evil man as he is a sick man.

After watching Psycho as a teenager for the first time, I was unable to take a shower for a few weeks without being a little freaked out. Even now I make sure that every door is locked securely before I take a motel shower.

MAUSOLEUM FLOOR PLANS

Here's the floor plans for the new Mausoleum I'm building for Halloween. I'll be building this on top of the entire driveway, it will be 16' wide, 28' long, 8' tall, and every hallway will be 4' wide.

Every room will have it's own theme, there will be a surround sound systems playing creepy music, spooky lighting, live actors, moving props, and other things that go bump in the night.

I'll be blogging more in the future with additional photo's and updates.

HAPPY FRIDAY 13TH

Friday the 13th is considered to be one of the unluckiest days on the calendar.

Like many human beliefs, the fear of Friday the 13th (known asparaskevidekatriaphobia) isn't exactly grounded in scientific logic. But the really strange thing is that most of the people who believe the day is unlucky offer no explanation at all, logical or illogical. As with most superstitions, people fear Friday the 13th for its own sake, without any need for background information.