A "Bright Idea"!

   Well, it is getting along that time of year that the Little Bayou House will be transformed into something entirely different than it usually is.  September starts to see the change taking place and, by October 1st, the place will look remarkably different.  Why?  Well, October is the month of the Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou, of course!  So, about this time of year, my brain starts to come up with all sorts of weird and wonderful ideas of how to decorate.  Each year, the theme is unique so the decorations have to be done from scratch.  A few items may be reused but not many.  Everything will be moved around, flipped upside down and generally in a state of discombobulation  For the entire month, I will live in a fantasy world of clue hunt mania! 

  This year, we are solving a murder!  It seems that our hostess, Lady DeadMadame, has met her demise at the hands of an evildoer and it is up to the clue hunt team members to solve the crime!  This whole ordeal takes place at a masquerade ball so just guess how the Little Bayou House will be decorated for the next couple of months!  It should be fun...I hope! 

  Since it was a rainy day, I figured it was a good time to get started on the decorations.  The dining table will be in use for the clue hunt but I did not want to use my standard lighting so a "chandelier" of sorts was needed.  Last night, I had a bright idea!  I would create a cascading chandelier of mini lights and crystals.  I had everything on hand to make this thing now I just had to do it.  A strip of 2 inch wide board (52 inches long) was stained to match the beams above.  Then cup hooks were screwed into the board at 2 inch intervals.  Now came the fun.  Stringing the crystals and other "sparkles" onto fishing line and attaching them to the hooks.  A few strings of fairy lights and there you have it...one funky chandelier!  

  Now to get the thing hung from the beam above the dining table and at least that chore is complete.  Between working on decorations and props, the storyline and clues all have to be created and set into place.  There are no written clues but rather the team members have to use their wits to find "evidence" and tools to help them along the way.  Son has been busy building puzzles, locked boxes and otherwise creating enigmas for our team members to solve.  Oh, what fun we have on the Bayou!  I love October!

Be a Little Funky-Weird!

  You know, sometimes you just have to get a little (or a lot, in my case) funky-weird and not fret over what others think.  I have long been this way and, well, I as happy as a centipede in a rotten cantaloupe.  And, trust me on this, centipedes love their rotten cantaloupes!  As for worrying what others think?  Who cares?  I have lived long enough not to give a plug nickel about others' opinions of me.  I do what I want to do and feel as free as a bird.

  This morning, I awoke to no sunrise.  In fact, there was a torrential downpour happening complete with thunder, lightning and wind.  It is amazing how invigorating a good storm is!  But it was yesterday's rising that was rather unique.  After another nigh on sleepless night due to the old dog's yelping in pain and many trips to go out on walks with him in the middle of the night, I had no energy to hike to the pier.  The sunrise would have to be viewed from indoors.  I rolled over and was fully entranced by the sunlight coming through the windows.  Even though thick canvas curtains blocked out the full sunrise, the effect was pretty intriguing. 

  Behind that thick canvas curtain hangs dozens of crystals.  Had the curtain been open, the sunbeams would have had rainbows bouncing about the walls but, alas, the curtain was closed.  The silhouettes of the crystals were impressive enough but the fact that the crystals were still able to push a few tiny irises through the canvas showed determination (if, indeed, inanimate objects could have determination!).  It was that determination that kicked me out of bed with a renewed sense of being.  I figured its not what you see on the horizon that makes your day but how you look at what is in front of you.  

  Just like the sunrises when viewed from the pier, the silhouettes inspired me.  I had things to do! I had things to see!  I had to be a little bit funky-weird!  So, I jumped out of bed and decided today was the day that I would start my costume for the Sixth Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou!!  With the theme of a masquerade ball, this should be fun for all!  Time to get that ballgown sewn!  And, yes, it will be a bit funky-weird!

Party! Party!

There is a party going on in the Haunted Mansion!  No..no..no...no the Little Bayou House!  In the Haunted Mansion!  Part of my Halloween decorations is a haunted house candle holder from Yankee Candle Company.  This is meant to hold little votive candles but since I am never in the room long enough to warrant lighting the candles, I wired it to be lit by a small nightlight bulb.  It works fine and gives me the peace of mind that lit candles do not.  Usually I make a few little cotton ghosts to parade around in the house and add a tiny Jack-o-lantern or two.  However, this year I had a brilliant idea!  With a little help from Michael, the Haunted Mansion became the sight of a masquerade party!

Elizabeth and Robbie always send me the cutest Halloween cards.  I always save them from year to year since I use them as part of my decorations.  One year they sent me a "pop-up" card depicting aHalloween party..a "Monster Mash" type party.  Dracula, Frankenstein, his bride, a skeleton and a host of others were all dancing the night away at their party.  The brilliant idea?..I added this card to the Haunted Mansion! I slipped the card into the house via the "back door" better known as the "opening to light the candles"! At first, I could not get the card to stay open so the characters would "pop-up".  Michael came to my rescue with two paperclips.  He somehow squished his hand through the front door of the house and secured the back of the card to the back wall of the house.  Ahhh...now my friendly party-goers could be happy!

Not many folks even notice that the Haunted Mansion is filled with such activity.  The whole thing is set low on a table so that only little tykes can see inside.  I am sure that they appreciate the masquerade party scene that is happening inside the house!  I can fully appreciate it as well!  I won't have to clean up after this party is over!!!  Party on monsters....party on!!!