Barbie:OldNewGreenRedo : September 2021

Readying Spooky in Vickie's Halloween Dungeon

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In Vickie's unused lower level, fondly called the dungeon the girls have been hard at work transforming the dungeon into a Halloween shop full of costumes, accessories and spooky things.

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The doors in the stairway lead into Vickie's Halloween Dungeon. Enter if you dare for a sneak peek.

(Door creaking sound...errrreeeghhheeeek)

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Elise: Hi, I'm Elise. We, the goblin crew, have been working hard in the heat to get the dungeon ready for Friday's Opening at 7pm.

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Vickie: We've scoured the globe for special potions and elixirs. Phew...who knew it would be in the 90's this week.

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...Guaranteed to make your Halloween party a real hoot!

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Carly:Please wear a mask and sanitize as you check out with all your spooky purchases. The shop will be totally sanitized each nite to make it safe for shopping.

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Zoe: We've added some great mood lighting---worthy of a dungeon!

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Elise: You have to have a chat with Grizella, she moans all day and NIGHT about her lost love Godfrey.

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Carly: We are hanging things from the rafters!

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Zoe: For the first time we have as many guy costumes as the gals!

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Vickie: Zoe has done a great job of finding accessories and displaying them.

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Elise: Don't forget wigs, hats and boots!

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Vickie: See you all on Friday night, and we will be open usual hours starting on Saturday. Come get your Spooky on with us, starting Friday at 6PM.

Vickie: Okay cut, thanks Ian. If you could have the footage edited and sent to Zoe to release on the website, that would be great, and thanks!

And ladies, this has been a monumental job...I hope we can handle three floors. Tomorrow it will be Zoe and I for the main shop, opening at 9 and during the day. We will close at 5 and then all of us will reopen at 6 for the entire store. We will try Elise and Carly downstairs, if necessary we will close the off the Bridal level if we need a third person is needed down here. Usually the customers have to look at everything at least twice, so maybe sales won't be frantic.

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Joe will be here in the back room upstairs on the eye security cameras. I don't expect any problems, but he offered, and well, you all know our Halloween history...sigh.

Elise: History...?

Vickie: Well it was four years ago and the whole story really is how Joe and I met...

Okay, thanks again and everyone have a good sleep and I will put the air-conditioning on tomorrow, I promise!

Elise: Is there a dress code for this?

(Giggles and cackling)

Vickie: Yes, anything goes!

(Dear reader if you have time and want to go down a Rabbit Hole....here is how Joe and Vickie met...while solving a mystery!

Vickie's Haunted Vintage Part 1

Vickie's Haunted Vintage Part 2

Vickie's Haunted Vintage Part 3

Vickie's Haunted Vintage Part 4

Vickie's Haunted Vintage Part 5

Skeleton Bash and Vickie's Haunted Vintage Part 6

Skeleton Bash and Vickie's Haunted Vintage Part 7

Finale: Vickie's and the Skeleton Bash part 8

If you enjoyed this post(s), please join me by email- at

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I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions or products shown, or from where I shop.

Please Join me at these Fine Blog Parties!

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Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi

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Trish's Blue Sprinkling Can:Fall Part 2

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Part 2: Pumpkin-rama, Love when a plan comes together!

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We left Trish, just locking up at the Blue Sprinkling Can.

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Elise: Wow Trish, you sure got a lot of work done today. Vickie said you were a miracle worker!

Trish: Thanks, but I am sure tired now, though.

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(Vickie comes out the door of Vickie's Vintage and sees the Halloween Decor, Trish put up for her).

Vickie: OMG...Trish this is Fab! I love it.....!

Trish: I'm glad you like it...! It's fun doing a big piece like that...I hope it works with your plans for the Halloween Dungeon Shop.

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Vickie: It sure does...just a little bit spooky. It will be great to have our basement space utilized for a change. We've worked hard just to get it cleaned and painted down there.

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Vickie: Elise will be a big help---we have a lot to do in six days!

Elise: I love Halloween and merchandising, I think this will be fun and not just a job.

Vickie: Well, we will see you tomorrow early and wear grubbies, we have lots of stuff to move and unpack. Last year was a bust for Halloween, so we have plenty of goods to get out!

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Trish: I didn't get even half of my Halloween orders...so the center is mostly Fall this year!

Vickie: Trish it looks great....tell me what you have new.

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Trish: Well, we have lots of fresh and faux flowers. Lots of grasses and some dried gourds and cool pods.

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Trish: you can see the copper and pottery---I found a lot of vintage items for containers. And, I made some pumpkin stacks. We still need to put some Halloween on the tree.

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I've put the pots and supplies in the greenhouse along with some house plants.

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Everyone seems to want to grow something now. One thing about the pandemic, everyone is sprucing up their homes.

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Vickie: You are still bringing in produce, I will need to pick some up tomorrow...I love that brass birdcage!

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Elise: Hmmm, fresh corn. My roommates and I are all into fresh vegetables, this will be great. Those beets look scrumptious.

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Trish: It's been a strange year...some things are happier now since the temps have finally come down in Chicagoland. The eggplants are finally going bonkers.

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Vickie: I like all your pumpkin arrangements. Joe's cat would love to tear those up...LOL.

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Trish: Well, the metal would work with your cat...they usually don't pay too much attention to that.

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Vickie: I'll get some gourds tomorrow. Everything looks super---oh, do you have any of those Buffalo Checked runners, that would work in my kitchen.

Trish: Yes, and placemats, too, I'm bringing those in tomorrow!

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Vickie: Super, good night Trish. Well, Elise, I 'll walk you to the bus stop.

Elise: Sure, bye Trish. Your garden shop looks great, see you tomorrow!

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Vickie: And, only six days until

The HALLOWEEN DUNGEON

OPENS!

What are your dolls doing for Halloween and Fall Decorations?

If you enjoyed this post, please join me by email- at

FOLLOW IT---upper right hand corner.

I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions or products shown, or from where I shop.

Please Join me at these Fine Blog Parties!

Anything Goes Pink Saturday

Happiness is Homemade

Friday Favorites

Vintage charm

Grammy's Grid #81

Please do not use my photos without linking back to this blog without my permission.

Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi

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Trish's Blue Sprinkling Can:Fall 2021 part 1

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Part 1-Trish's Mess ---Fall Behind the Scenes at the Blue Sprinkling Can.

After a long hot summer it's time for FALL...it was even cold last night 48 degrees.

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Trish: Hi, dear readers...wow, do I have a mess---here's some of the wreckage of changing Trish's Blue Sprinkling Can over to Fall 2021. Like many shop owners...supplies and orders for the season were delayed or not delivering! Yikes, I guess I have to make do with what I have. A little of this...and a bit of that!!!

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Trish: Luckily my buyer is a real 'scrounger' and has stashes of stuff. She did find some pumpkin stacks---ready to decorate at a thrift store this summer. Thank Heavens! I really needed a few 'statement' pieces for this upscale location. Out in the country at the farm, customers are happy with hay bales and scarecrows. Here, the customers want...

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...something different, like wood wreaths...these have a great finish, a little bit of white wash.

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I had a huge bag of mixed mosses and this wonderful fungi...perfect for those beige and white homes around here. Can't you see this over a fireplace!

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This shape works well with natural elements, gourds, giant pinecones, pumpkin, squash, moss and cheery yellow flowers!

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More natural elements...love this fungi, strawflowers, berries and a spotted pumpkin. We have so many varieties at the farm.

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I'm working on the faux pumpkin stacks. They had a huge, thick wire stem I couldn't even cut. So, I pulled it out and inserted with hot glue a smaller one to go into the clay flower pots.

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The mini pot is filled with foam...and the edge is hot glued and the fungi stuck on...watch your fingers!

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Stick your glue gun tip in the middle of the foam and squeeze a generous amount of hot glue. Push the wire down in the center...hold for 10 seconds and

your stack of pumpkins attaches tightly.

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Right before the magic moment.

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The leaves between the pumpkins were too large, so I just trimmed them to make them look smaller...add more fungi between the pumpkns, a few natural colored berry bits, and this is one classy pumpkin stack!

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Turn it around and balance all the decor elements all the way around.

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Here's another version with white/green moss and some straw flowers and berries.

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Here's another one...green looks great with the pumpkins also. I have to make two more for the Grand View! Phewww and now to set up the garden center.

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Wow....it was a really long day, my brother helped and we got the entire garden center set up. We still need signage, but we will be ready to open tomorrow. Now to turn off the lights and lock the gate.

I hope Vickie likes her outdoor arrangement...she wanted spooky, because they are adding a Halloween Dungeon to the shop...can't wait!

Trish's Diorama is a semi-permanent fixture of foam core painted, foam core and brick scrapbook paper, wood placemat fencing, and silver poster board covered foam core for floors.

The wood Greenhouse is adapted from a wooden (IKEA) one that was made taller. Battery lights provide seasonal lighting. Minis are mostly found thrifted. Very first post at Trish's here:Trish's Blue Sprinkling Can

For these Fall projects today, not recommended for kids under 12

Tools needed:

Scissors

mini cool melt glue gun

wire clippers

knife to cut foam (serrated plastic knives work also)

Supplies:

mini flower pots or containers.

wooden drapery/ rings or grapevine rings.

floral dry foam

wire pieces (bottoms of long floral stems)

assorted mosses, fungi,