Archive for the ‘other’ Category

Any good haunter will tell you about their love for all things Burton.  The Nightmare Before Christmas is a staple DVD in a haunter’s collection.  I own two, just so you know.  I also have a lot of Nightmare toys, but nothing can compare to actually seeing some of Burton’s real work up close and personal.  The guy is a mad scientist of sorts.  His work is weird, wonderfully weird.

A while back, I was gifted tickets to the Burton exhibit at the TIFF Lightbox in downtown Toronto.  Technically you aren’t allowed to take photos at this exhibit, but technically I didn’t care!  So enjoy:  Read the rest of this entry »

With Halloween being long since over, you may have noticed a lack of new blog posts.  The whole Monday and Friday idea will pick up again in the summer, but for now, I will be updating at random.  Tto make sure you know what’s going on, you best follow Haunt on the Hill on facebook and twitter.  Links are to the right. 

Coming up in the near future: a look at the Tim Burton Exhibit.  I went, I took pictures (when the guards weren’t looking!),and I have lots to share.  I will also be doing a feature in a while where you get an inside look at my mind, through a guided tour of my oddly beautiful bedroom!   And lastly, the “Site I Like” feature will be coming back, so if you have a home haunt, store, etc…email me the link and it may just be on the site.

Au revoir for now folks!

Halloween 2010 has come and gone.  It felt like it happened so fast, yet the set-up seemed like it took ages.  I am writing this at 10:22pm after a grueling day on my feet, so bare with me here folks. 

This year saw some great things and some not so great.  The great, such as the addition of Hallowindow and some new props, will be shown in pictures and videos in the coming weeks, as I sift through everything.  The opening/closing coffin was a wonderful success.  The electric chair was great, except for the handle that broke off VERY early in the evening, courtesy of one hyper guest. 

On the not so great side, wind broke my donation reaper, so while he was still able to accept donations, he was no longer animated and his stand was in pieces.  The lights on my street are seriously messed up and would go on and off at will, which played games with my own lighting.  Overall though, I heard many great things from neighbours.  However, the debate to continue next year, which will be the 12th, is raging in my mind.  I’ll have to sleep on this one.

In the meantime, there are many people I would like to thank.

 - Neal Brother’s Foods: your support was much appreciated and I must say I heard nothing but good things about the taste of your cheese pops!
 - Mike Leinwand: You are always a help, although I often have to bribe you with candy.  Thanks Muke!
 - Mom and Pops: Once again you have proven to be wonderful parents who are VERY understanding!
 - Jesse: Thanks for lending me the projector oh wonderful brother!
 

And to all my neighbours who came and donated to The SickKids Foundation, I thank you very much!  And once again, a shout out to Jacob, for no reason other than I think you’re a cool kid, but my feelings towards your dog are undecided, as he growled at me.

Check back soon for pictures and video.  If I figure out how to transfer things from a PVR to a computer, I’ll also upload my City TV interview, as I was most hilarious in it, if I do say so myself.

This past weekend I took a trip to what was one of my favourite pumpkin farms as a child.  It’s not what it once was, having moved locations, but they still have all the pumpkins you could possibly want!  They also have a small carnival area with rides for the kids.

As I mentioned in last Friday’s post, I carve a number of pumpkins on Halloween night and there’s nothing quite like picking them up from the farm!

Here’s a shot of my purchases:

I took a lot of time to pick out my pumpkins.  First, I selected my patterns from Zombie Pumpkins, knowing exactly how many pumpkins I plan on having.  The patterns on that site may look complicated, but trust me, if I can do it, you can too.  Then, I selected the pumpkins with the patterns printed out.  Longer patterns deserve longer pumpkins, rounder patterns lend themselves out to nice round pumpkins.  Now, maybe not everyone goes to this trouble, but I like my pumpkins just right!

The Thursday before Halloween is my official pumpkin carving night!  I get help from my fiance, it’s more fun and goes faster!  What about you?  Do you use patterns or make your own crazy designs?  Do you have a favourite pumpkin farm in your city?  Share below!