Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Life size skeleton



So anyone who knows me knows that Halloween is my favorite holiday.
Although I love the fall and people who decorate their houses with fall colors and leaves and such for Halloween... I myself, like the creepy decorating.




Although I was way too lazy last year to decorate the outside, ha... didn't even do the inside. I did decorate the year before.


 
We made a cemetery in the yard... even a archway for the cemetery. My husband bought wood and made me a gallow's. 
I found old clothes and filled it with newspaper and bought a styrofoam head and covered it with a pillow case, since I could not find burlap. 
 
But this year I would like to pull the gallows back out, now that the wood is seasoned and dirty and old looking.... but don't want a lame looking body hanging from it. I would love to buy a skeleton and put ragged, torn, old, dirty clothes on it, to hang off the gallows.


As I was looking around for the price on a full size skeleton, I came across a blog that someon asked about making a skeleton rather then buying one. 

I found this one answer quite amusing and wanted to share.


Cheapest way to make a good quality skeleton is to hunt around you neighborhood looking for somebody the approximate size of the skeleton you need. Ask 'em over for a drink/house warming party or whatever works for you. As soon as they're comfortable you slip the poison into their drink.


I can't stress this enough...Poison, Poison, Poison. Do NOT make the novice mistake of trying to crack them over the skull. It's WAY more difficult to get clean kill with a blunt object and the more resistance you encounter the more chance of damaging the skeleton you're trying to harvest. Drain cleaner works fine, but don't be afraid of the classics. You really can't go wrong with cyanide or arsnic. I personally use over the counter sleeping pills, but I've got issues of my own. As soon as your donor is out cold, feel free to finish him/her off in any manner you like just be careful not to damage the all important skeleton.

Now I know what you're thinking. "Sure, I've got a body but how the Hell do I get the skeleton out of there?" Not a problem. Depending on time and space constraints you've got a couple of options. First don't be afraid of the bath tub. VERY useful for draining the body out and you can use it later for bone clean-up. Personally I use an abandoned house for this part of the process as it eliminates the problems of any unwanted smells and stains where I live.

Anyway, depending on time you can either use a good butcher set to clean the bones, just be VERY careful not to damage anything, or go with my preferred method and just dump the body into a tub full of Hydrochloric Acid for about a month. Hydrochloric is easily attainable from most hardware stores as a drain cleaner...just don't make the rookie mistake of buying it all at once. Spread your purchases around...different stores, different times.

Once the flesh has dissolved you're gonna need some chemical resistant gloves. I get mine from Harbor Freight, but whatever works for you. Pull out ALL of the bones. There are a lot of small bones in the human body and you don't want to accidentally send any down the drain. There's nothing more annoying than a missing finger on your skeleton.

After you've harvested all the bones, drain the tub, scoop out all the excess goo and dispose of it properly. Remember this stuff is a serious bio-hazard and you don't want any innocent animals getting into it. Just don't try to send it all down the drain. Nothing more annoying than a slow moving or clogged bathtub drain.

Anyway, give the bones a good rinse, to get the acid off then start dropping them into a pot of boiling water. This is CRUCIAL. YOU MUST BOIL THE BONES FOR 10 TO 15 MINUTES TO DESTROY THE MARROW. If you don't boil your bones you'll end up with a greasy, stinky skeleton that will simply draw attention away from the rest of your haunt.

That's pretty much it. Just re-assemble the skeleton using lightweight wire and display as desired.OR you could just buy a Bucky skeleton from the Anatomical Chart Company. Your call. 

http://www.halloweenforum.com/halloween-props/64385-how-do-you-make-cheap-skeletons.html

Monday, June 28, 2010

July's Give-away (how to enter)



JULY'S PRIZE
This month the winner picks their prize!!!

July's winner may pick one (1) item from my  
(maximum value $10)


Winner has until 12-31-2010 to decide on which item they want.


July's Give-away (how to enter)

Would you like to win an item from my shop? "Yes", you say.... "Count me in, but what do I have to do", you question?

It's easy as 1,2,3 


1.)
"Like" my facebook page, (formerly, become fan)
If you have already done this, skip #1 and continue on to #2

2.) On the top left hand corner of my fan page, under my profile picture, there is a link that says "
suggest to friends" click on that and send to all your friends

3.)Share my facebook fanpage link  { http://www.facebook.com/homespuncrafting } OR Geri's Journey blog link { http://gerihealey.blogspot.com } in your Facebook status.

When you have completed the requirements above, please post on the fan page wall or my blog   that you have (1) shared the link and (2) invited your friends to join, and you will be entered into July's Give-away.

****If  you do not post to either my blog or fanpage 
that you have done the above requirements, 
you will not be entered, because I will not know who you are****


July's give away ends on the 31st....  and the winner will be announced here shortly after that. 

Entries names will be put in the entry box as they enter, at the end of the give-away I will have my Grandson Casper pick a winner.

Prize will be mailed after the winner has been contacted, and needed information for mailing has been attained

Good luck everyone!

Chunky peanut butter

The other day my husband looked out the window from his chair and noticed a crow in the recycle bins, and told me to take a look but to move slowly.

I was not able to see the crow from where I was standing in the room, so I slowly worked my way over to the window to try and catch a glimpse.

Well the crow saw me before I saw it, and decided to fly away, but not before grabbing an empty jar of peanut butter. I watched it fly to the house across the street, onto the rooftop to sit on their chimney.
Of course my camera was upstairs, so I ran up to get it, but by the time I made it back down it was gone.

My husband suggested I put some of the chunky peanut butter, I picked up by mistake, out onto the porch to lure him back. I really didn't know what to put it in that wouldn't fall or get swept away by the wind. So I decided to just smear it onto the porch banister. It sat for a few days with only a small bird coming back here and there for a little.

As we were outside watching the fireworks from our local park, my grandson asked me why I had peanut butter on the banister, so I told him and he thought I was nuts or something, no pun intended LOL

Yesterday morning my grandson was watching some squirrels come up and eat it. I did not know this until I mentioned to him that there was just a squirrel on the porch eating it. I showed him the pictures and told him  this is why I put the peanut butter there. He did get to see one again after that, but was so excited that he ran to the front door opened it and scared it away.

As of this morning the peanut butter is all gone, but I did get some not so great pictures of the squirrel yesterday evening and a little video and would like to share.

Oh and if you watch the video, the back ground noise is my air conditioner. As I watched it for the first time, I could not for the life of me figure out what it was, then it hit me ☺☺ Enjoy!









Wednesday, June 23, 2010

June's Give-away winner

 The results are in.... a winner has been picked.

I am very happy with the results with the amount of entries this month, they tripled from last month. But, I guess when last months entries were (3), that wasn't to hard to beat. LOL Well, everyone has to start somewhere.

We were watching our grandson today, and while he was here I had him pick June's winner. 


He made sure to shake up the box and was really excited to pick it. So much, that he was having a hard time waiting for me to get pictures of him doing it. 

Waiting not so patiently

Shaking the box


Reaching in 


Got one



 Opening up the winner


Attempting to read the name of the winner 


AND THE WINNER IS.....

Close up of the winner picked.... 
......Congratulations Michele Pineda !!!



Thursday, June 17, 2010

Transition

                         For weeks I have been saying I am going to switch my computer room and my spare bedroom. But I just kept putting it off over and over again.

Finally I got myself in gear started a little here and a little there, and then I went to be with intentions on waking this morning and finally starting to accomplish what I've wanted for a while now.

I am not done by any means but, the big stuff has been moved. The computer, modem, and telephone. The fax machine, printer and extra table to put it on, so I have more room on my desk. Yeah more room to get cluttered up. LOL

 Moved the bed from here to there, but first I had to move the futon and dresser to the other side of the room, and before that I had to shampoo the rug. So all the big stuff is in place, I feel better now.

Funny thing about cleaning, I mean deep cleaning. You find stuff either you forgot you have, or stuff you've been looking for in the recent past.

I found my earrings I have been looking weeks for... ended up falling behind the computer desk. There was no way I would have found them without moving the desk, I barely found them with it moved.

I decided before I even bring the drawers to the computer desk in here that I would clean them out. I have one small drawer, a file drawer and a cabinet with a shelf. The small drawer has not been cleaned in years. I barely even go in it. I think I keep adding things here and there. Well I dumped it all out on the desk, found printer ink I didn't know I had for a printer that is long gone. A thermometer that I didn't even know still existed. Bunch of screws, tacs, other things that belong in a tool drawer.

While moving my futon, I found my stapler that my grandson got his hands on and it disappeared. I found a box with crafts in it, that I didn't remember putting there. This was cool because I was looking for something in particular that was in it. It was just brought up in conversation a week ago, I looked in to other craft boxes and when it wasn't in either of them, I could not for the life of me figure out what happened to it.

My next day off I plan on doing the rest of the little things, wonder what I will find then. I can't wait until its all finished, I will feel so much more organized. ☺

Thursday, May 27, 2010

June's Give-away (how to enter)

Would you like to win an item from my shop? "Yes", you say.... "Count me in, but what do I have to do", you question?

It's easy as 1,2,3 

1.) "Like" my facebook page, (formerly, become fan)
If you have already done this, skip #1 and continue on to #2

2.) On the top left hand corner of my fan page, under my profile picture, there is a link that says "suggest to friends" click on that and send to all your friends

3.) Share my facebook fanpage link  { http://www.facebook.com/homespuncrafting } OR Geri's Journey blog link { http://gerihealey.blogspot.com } in your Facebook status.

When you have completed the requirements above, please post on the fan page wall or 
my blog   that you have (1) shared the link and (2) invited your friends to join, and you will be entered into June's Give-away.

****If  you do not post to either my blog or fanpage that you have done the above requirements, 
you will not be entered, because I will not know who you are****


May's winner is......

I want to thank everyone who entered my First giveaway.

I am in the process of deciding what will be the prize for June. Stay tuned for details!

Now on to the winner.

As I was running out of the house to meet with my daughter Krista and Grandson Casper, I grabbed a solid bag and the names of all the entries already on paper all folded up, so Casper could pick May's winner

We spent awhile at my Mother's house visiting and helping her out with stuff around the house and almost forgot to have him do this.

As we were getting ready to leave I told him I wanted him to do something for me.... he needed to reach in the bag and take out "just one" paper and read it, that he was picking the winner for my contest. He took it out and said the name and then asked me if he won. He was really confused as to what just happened. I tried to explain to him he just picked someone name to win a prize and it just wouldn't sink. He kept thinking he won something. His mother tried to explain it better and  he was ok with it, but I still don't think he got it. LOL

So in conclusion, "The Winner Is"..... Katie Smith.

Congratulations Katie... I will be getting in contact with you to see what color you want me to make your prize in.

Once again thank you for all the entries and good luck on June's giveaway.



Seeded With Love


A a few weeks ago my grandson was at my house and I asked him to put cans in the recycle bin. He said he was going to keep them because his teacher asked them to bring in cans for a project they were doing.

The Saturday before Mother's day he walked in the house and said "Happy Mother's Day" to me and handed me a can with something growing in it. I thanked him and gave him a hug and kiss and asked him what it was, he told me it was a flower but didn't know what kind.

As his Mother watched him give it to me, she told me how it was supposed to be for her, but he wanted to give it to me. Which I thought was so sweet. She was a little disappointed, but she knew he had made her something else that he was going to give her the next day.

When I saw her on Mother's day, she showed me that he had made her this sweet key chain with a #1 MOM charm on it. She was thrilled with it. She ended up with the present that will last as long is it does not break or get lost. My flower on the other hand will only last a little while, but as her's gives her joy, mine does too.

Each  morning after that I watched it grow trying to figure out what kind of flower it is, and am reminded each morning of the bond I have with Casper.

I woke a few days ago looking at the flower still trying to figure out what it is, it looked close to blooming. Later that afternoon, I walked into the kitchen and found that it did indeed bloom. Casper visited later that day and I made sure to show him how it bloomed, he of course was not as excited as I was. Two days later 1 more bloomed and it looks like another one is getting ready too. I believe it is a petunia, and it is very pretty.

So even though my present will not last as long as his mom's I will have something to look forward to every morning for as long as it lasts.


































Saturday, May 1, 2010

Day's off

 I work any where from 3 to five days a week. The shifts are 7.5 to 8.5 hrs on my feet. I am a cashier.

The days I work, I usually wait until the last minute to get up to get ready to walk out the door. So I don't really do anything before work other then get myself ready for the day ahead of me.

Leave out the dog, the cat if he has been in during the night, or now sneaks in when my husband leaves the dog out in the wee hours of the morning, when he gets up for work. I eat breakfast (while sitting in front of the computer checking fb and things).
Then its a shower, unless I was smart enough to do it the night before, and in that case, trying to do something with my hair.
Then there's lunch, better to take from home then pay more at work to eat, I been trying hard to put that together the night before, but that doesn't always work.
In-between all that is finding clothes and getting dressed.
I try my best to remember not to walk out the door without a bottle of water, that I re-use. I hate forgetting and then having to buy a new one, I have so many of them floating around here.
Then if I was up early enough or it's not raining, I walk to work, if not I take a cab.

So get to work,work my shift and then a walk back (unless I get a ride from someone) home. Normally I do not get out of work til about 5, 6 at the latest.
So by the time I get back in the door its late. Now I have to figure out something for supper, because I'm not smart enough to do that the day before.  NO! Why would I want to do that then? Make things easier for my self? What fun is that!

But first, I kick off the shoes and head straight up to the computer, turn it on, bathroom break and then on the computer for about an hour winding down from the day. Back down stairs to get supper on, wash a few dishes, straighten up the kitchen ect. Then its sitting down with the hubby in front of the TV while eating and watching either a movie or the new or something Discovery channel.

It's about 7-8 by the time I'm done with all this. I want to relax for the rest of the night, watch my shows if any are on, or a movie hubby has found on tv, or back up to the computer for awhile.
There, I try to work on getting the word out that I have an Etsy shop and an Online Lingerie shop. Talk with family, mess around on farmville. Check my email, etc. Then its off to bed.
So the days I work, I don't get much accomplished.

Now to the days off. Unless I have decided to stay up really late the night before, which I have not been doing that much at all lately. I get up anywhere around 7-10 am. First thing I do.... put on the computer, head to the bathroom, then back to the computer for God knows how long. I don't usually get breakfast til about an hour to two after I have woken. Like right now, I woke at 9 and its almost 10:30 and I have not even been down stairs yet. Soon!
But thing is with a day off, you want it to be the day for you. To do what you want, and that's mostly to relax.
Whether it be in front of your computer, the tv, in bed or what ever you decide.
But unfortunately it can't always be like that. Cause there is laundry, dishes, vacuuming,etc. That's just the stuff inside. Outside there is shopping and now that its warm cutting the grass, when it snows, shoveling the walkways or what ever that domestic chore is that you have.

Today I wake up thinking, I want to get so much accomplished I don't want to waste the day away. I wanted to sleep longer then 9am but I made myself get up.

There are so many things I would like to do today. I would like to make something new to go up in my craft store. I want to start on my Mom's Mother's Day present, then there's helping my daughter clean her new apartment or pack before she has to move tomorrow. I want to take a few hours to visit a relative, get some cleaning and laundry done, figure out supper, get into the the garage to clean up for another garage sale.

I figure by the end of the day, what will have been accomplished will probably be, helping my daughter, possibly the visit, dinner will probably be left overs. Then spending some time with the hubby in the evening after he gets home from work. Maybe I will push myself out to go for a walk to the park, but doubtful.

So my intentions are always good thinking, on my day off. But I usually don't accomplish much cause I have so much I want to do, I get so overwhelmed  that I either get only a little done or nothing at all.

So much for it being called "a day OFF"! I really don't think there is such thing.

Monday, April 26, 2010

May - Give away (Rules)

Would you like to win an item from my shop? "Yes", you say.... "Count me in, but what do I have to do", you question?

Well,  its easy as 1, 2, 3.


1.) "Like" my page, (formerly, become fan)
If you have already done this, skip rule #1 and continue on to rule #2

2.) On the top right hand corner of my fan page, under my profile picture, there is a link that says "suggest to friends" click on that and send to all your friends, then post my fan page or blog to your profile.

3.) Go check out my Esty store "Homespun Crafting" take a look around, and *post on my fanpage  or blog what your favorite item is and that you have done all three mentioned rules and you will be entered.

 By telling me your favorite item, I will take the information into consideration and use it for an upcoming giveaway

*If  you do not let me know you did all 3, then I will not be able to enter you into the giveaway because I will not have your name.



May's giveaway is for a Nintendo Controller Ds lite case/ Jewelry box/ Catch all.


The prize will be made after the winner is announced, I am leaving the color of the case up to the winner.

May's give away will end on the 25th of May and the winner will be announced here between May 26-30th.

Prize will be mailed within 10 days after the winner has decided the color he/she would like.


Good luck everyone!