Speechless

that is exactly how husband and I felt sitting on the couch Christmas morning after we opened up the present from my brother Tony (you remember him, that cool guy that donated the resin skulls- you know, the cool ones from Disneyland!), his lovely bride Tina and our new friend Mike.

We met Mike over a year ago at our local "haunt" (bar) when we here having dinner. He drew a cartoon picture of us and we started talking. We told him what we did and he was immediately interested in helping! Long story short, he helped this year with many of the projects for the graveyard (made the angel/skeleton wings - that prop would have never happened without his inspirational spark :) and helped with many other projects.)

So for Christmas he and my brother worked out a plan to get this astounding picture that Mike created for Jeff and I printed on canvas.

We were stunned.

When you enlarge the picture (and you should) you will see all kinds of details:

Hal (Halloween Cat) is sitting on my broom (a Nimbus 2000 no less!)
frogs on the pumpkin and on my hat
our mausoleum
grave keeper
the monks
the house
the angel
the fence
the can of black and white paint (the graveyard's signature colors)
the tombstones
I believe the 26 on the fence is for the years we have been married
Jeff has several references to the Universal Monsters (his/our favorite- as you would know from his mask collection that we display each Halloween) in his picture
Mike nicely made my body shape much smaller that it is! :D Woohoo!!! Check out the frog queen's rack! (pictures in the mirror are smaller(and closer!) than they appear! :D )

Thanks Mike, Tony and Tina...I love you guys!! :D

It is so cool! That is one of the best gifts ever!!! We feel very honored. (We are not worthy!!) Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!! Best Christmas present ever! :D

Happy Hogmanay

If you have been reading this blog for a while you know that I consider my true home to be Edinburgh, Scotland. Milwaukie, Oregon is only temporary :D

I have traveled there many times (even spent Halloween there one year) - but the two other times I would like to be there are during part of The Edinburgh Festival (summer) and on Hogmanay - New Year's Eve. They pride themselves in throwing the largest New Year's Eve party in the world. I would love to be part of it some day.

Edinburgh's Hogmanay from Edinburgh's Hogmanay on Vimeo.

Craig Ferguson described Hogmanay as follows: "In Scotland, New Year's is called Hogmanay. And it is a time when people who can inspire awe in the Irish for the amount of alcohol that they drink decide to ramp it up a notch."

Remember, frog queen knows of a cool castle, not too expensive, with a graveyard on the property....you want to go....I know you do!!! :D

That makes my New Year's Eve party look like a kids birthday party. I gotta get more fireworks! :D

Slàinte mhath!

Why the cats

do not get to bring guests to the New Year's Eve party.


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Cold bones

Photos courtesy of husband :)

Let it snow, let snow,

let it snow!

It is snowing outside!!!

Husband came and woke me up (I am home sick with a bad cold) to let me know that it is snowing outside. Wow, I suddenly feel much better! :D

So I run to the window to check the snow and immediately think of all the pictures I need to take of the yard. I them to husband, who looks at me and says "why you telling me?"

"Well, I am sick with a cold, I cannot go out in the snow in my PJs."

You can see the wheels in his head turning as if to protest....you can see him going through as many possible options available that do not involve him going out in the snow.

Then you see it that moment where he knows.....he better go get his coat on. :D

I do love that guy.

"That is just a frog in a

Santa hat pinned to your sweater." She says.

(I stare back and think....) Yes, yes it is. How observant of you. "I know, isn't that cool! Can you believe I found this!"

"The dress code for today is "Christmas" themed clothing."

(In my head, I think....yes, I know, I read the memo, I actually wrote it years ago...they dust it off every year and recycle it (with one edit a this year)...and really, don't you have something better to be doing right now?)

I reply, jokingly with a smile "I know it might be a big surprise to you, but I don't own a single "Christmasy" piece of clothing." :D

"Oh, that is right, you like Halloween, you wore a skull scarf last Christmas eve, you know, that is a bit weird."

Trying to keep it light I say, "And reindeer antlers...don't forgot those! Man those hurt your head after a while."

"Yeah, and that must be your gingerbread house...the one with the tombstones and the skeletons in the front yard."

(I think, well aren't you the brightest thing on the planet.) Instead I say, "How did you guess? I put snow on the house and the yard....that makes it wintry/Christmasy" :D

She replies "I don't think you know the true meaning of Christmas and I think it is unfair that you make us have to see skeletons at Christmas time. I would say something to HR, but I don't want to cause any trouble."

I think, well that is the last team-building-gingerbread-house-competition I enter. :)

Because I am at work....I just smile and say "I see your point, sorry if I offended you, was not my intention, just having a bit of fun. Merry Christmas."

But in my mind, I plant her face right into my gingerbread house. :D

Happy Saturnalia everyone!!!

FQF

Cutting down

the fairies to put in the tree.

The look happy to be out of the cold and in the house. I mean as happy as a dead fairy can be I suppose. :D

Merry Christmas!

Something that does work

to distract the cats from the tree.

Turn the heat down in the house and then put an electric blanket (made for cats) on the couch.

Warm blanket beats out shinny tree!

Peace at last. :)

Things that do not work

to distract the cats from the Christmas tree.

Yelling at them when they go near it. Does not work when they claw the furniture, why would I think it would work now? :)

Squirt water at them when they get too close to the tree. Although always fun, in this case it can backfire tragically. A cat sprayed with water first, jumps in the air and then runs away. Sounds good, but in this case, they jump into the tree and then try to run under it.

The sound of crashing ornaments usually follows, and if I am really lucky, the tree does not fall over . . . . .again.

I have been known to tie the tree to the wall with fishing line.

Should the tree not fall over giving me easy access to the cat.....then more crashing ornaments and a whole lot of colorful language as I try to wrangle the cat out from under the tree....cat and I are now unhappy and devoid of any holiday spirit! :(

Put lots of presents underneath it so they cannot get under it. No matter how many presents and how well I stack them....they find a way.....

At this point, I am not above locking them in the basement for the month of December..... :)

I think he might know me

the person that sent me this holiday card might be reading my blog.....and knows my fascination with LOLcats :D

Thanks Todd!

Speaking of Holiday cards

Here is the 2009 Davis Graveyard Holiday card. These pictures were taken last year during the snow storm (thanks wordsandmusic for the reaper picture!)

Every year we put some type of item in the cards, this year, the pumpkin on the cover inspired me to create my own pumpkin seed package.

Each card contained a packet of seed that can be grown this spring....see, it is always about Halloween with me :D

Since I could not send everyone a card, truth is I just like some of you better than others :D No, no, just kidding, I don't have all your mailing addresses. I will get my act together next year and work up a mailing list.

So for everyone else, here is your virtual Davis Graveyard holiday card. :)

Merry Christmas Halloween Spirit

I am feeling bad about Halloween's Spirits pumpkin blight this year....I had the same problem, I cheated and purchased pumpkins and put them in my beds for pictures.

I am in marketing....stretching the truth is my job :D

While I was making labels for my holiday card pumpkin seeds, I got in inspired to create the label for what I call

Frog Queen's Magic Pumpkin Seeds (with bonus!)

Guaranteed to produce perfect pumpkins.

(Click on image to enlarge)

The Frog Queen's Magic Pumpkin Seeds* live up to their name by producing perfectly shaped, full grown stunningly carved, pumpkins right before your eyes.

Perfect for the hard-working haunter who is busy building props and just cannot make the time to tend a pumpkin patch.

Gone are the hours of toiling in the yard, watering, pouring salt on the slugs, shooting the crows, all for a few sad looking pumpkins....now, every time you walk out to the garden, another perfectly shaped and carved pumpkin is waiting for you to harvest.

Special Bonus

As promised, a bit of extra magic was added to these seeds, each perfectly carved pumpkin comes with a "never go out" candle inside. Rain, wind, snow, lack of oxygen....nothing will put these candles out.**

*Warning...in a few test cases, these magic pumpkins attracted fairies. Do not plant these pumpkin if you have a fairy allergy or have an existing fairy problem.

**Safety Warning - We mean "never go out" literally. Nothing puts them out. Please be mindful of this when you are disposing of or storing your jack o' lanterns.

Disclaimer: Use at your own risk. The frog queen is not responsible for damages by faeries or fire resulting from this product.

___________________________

Halloween Spirit - email me your address and I will get a packet of "magic" seeds out your way. chris@davisgraveyard.com

Don't have pictures

but husband and I also crashed the "Solstice Festival" in downtown Milwaukie over the weekend. Sitting by the bonfire sipping hot cocoa in our festive skull hats with holly on them.

"Oh look. the Graveyard people are here!" - yes, yes we are...and we brought Halloween with us....we take it everywhere we go :D

picture above from 2008 Christmas card

Secret Santa, or at least

a frog in a Santa suit as you can see on my masthead :D

For "Secret Santa Can Suck it" over at at Shadow Manor the frog queen, in her nifty Santa hat, gets to be Santa for....Dixie!!! Yeah! (We love Dixie, oh, and Jaybo....they might have to share :)

So I thought I would with a small stocking stuffer. She has great taste in bath product so here is a gift basket set from Bath & Body Works of the "Eucalyptus stress kit". We could all use a bit less stress around the holidays!













Then something all us haunters need. A lifetime supply of black and gray house paint.

And who would not want the Davis Graveyard church facade. Yes, it is all yours, I will even throw in a few monks. :D

From the frog queen, Happy Holidays Dixie!

Want to know what the frog queen got? Check out Tomato Blight - she rocks!

Duh, we all knew that

To be fair, if you put almost any cat, and even the frog queen on Santa's lap and you will likely get the same reaction :)

From a bit closer

this was on the back of my Christmas card from Carl over at ILHM (he can draw too!?! Wow!)- my favorite card this season! Thanks Carl!

Happy Horridays to everyone!

From Canada

with love. Here is the Christmas card we got from our friend Grant up in Edmonton. Zombie Santa, with a sack full of brains....just warms your heart doesn't it ? :D

Happy Solstice

It is beginning

to look a lot like Halloween again.

Yes, this year the Davis Graveyard once again "took over" the Milwaukie Umbrella parade. - We can fit Halloween into every holiday! :D

Nothing like a mass of black umbrellas with Christmas decoration sported by a crew in black top hats with skulls on them to outshine Santa :D

We even got the "group" award! Woohoo!!! Thanks everyone for showing up! Looking forward to next year.

OMG! It is snowing here too!

Thanks Guy (House Bloodthorn) for the how to. And yes, us marketing types are easily distracted by shinny (in this case snowy) objects!

Sometimes....it is the little things. :)

It is snowing

on the House Bloodthorn blog.

How cool is that!! I gotta spend more time learning how to update my blog than make these endless posts! :D

Happy Holidays! Check it out!

Things that are not going

back out in the yard in 2010.

After sitting through hours of video footage....I am on a rant! So here goes...things NOT going back in the yard in 2010:

Those stupid white tapper type candles with the bulbs on top. Every time I see them in a photo I cringe :( One of the worst ideas I have ever had. I apologize to my friend Jason who, per my request, wired up about a dozen of then so they would run off a power supply instead of batteries....sorry man, thanks anyway.

Fake polyester spider webs...the ones I purchased this year were terrible quality and did not stretch worth crap. Now that the new webber gun is working.....no more polyester webs for the graveyard. Note to self to buy glue sticks in bulk :)

Will B. Back tombstone - I am not a fan of the reversed out tombstone for the display. It is a modern design and not the type of grave stone from a UK cemetery. This is one of those times where I forced an idea on the graveyard without being mindful of how it would look in the yard.

Likely the same with the Goodbye tombstone and a handful of others I am just not happy with.


....the fate of the Mourner is still undecided :D

You guys are killing me!

Okay, it is official the National Haunters Convention is the same week as HAuNTcon.

What!!?? Really? Seriously, people what are you thinking? I know scheduling events is a lot of work and it might have been the only dates you could get.....but not good.

One is in Pennsylvania, the other is in Florida. Not even a chance I could get to both.

I am already committed to and always enjoy Hauntcon, but I am concerned over vendors and haunters....who is going to which event? Many of the haunters I know are closer to the NHC than Hauntcon in Florida.

My friends Dick (from Voices from Hell), Mike (from Haunted New England/Bad Boys Scenic Design) and Pam live up that way, so the NHC will be closer for them. And I am sure there is a blog friend or two up that way that I could meet up with.

In Florida, there are the Wolfe Brothers (who live in Florida) then there is Disney and Universal....that is a big draw. And I know I know a few blogger friends down that way too.

I guess it is going to depend on where the vendors and haunt friends (lots of them I know and want to see again) will be. Husband and I are going to put some feelers out and see what the word is on the street.

At this rate, we are beginning to think we just bag both conventions and just head to Scotland for a couple weeks after Halloween. I am thinking of renting a castle again....anyone want to join me? You will love it, Edinburgh has the best ghost tours!! If we plan it right, we can see two tours a night!!

Husband is Mr. October!!!

Hee, hee...in the Parallax catalog/calendar.

Our friend Jon from EFX-TEK (check out their cool holiday masthead) kindly suggested us to Parallax when they mentioned that they needed projects for the catalog/calendar. Jon thought it would be great to have our Grave Digger prop as the feature for Halloween in October.

Jeff took some pictures, wrote a little blurb and sent it off.

A few days ago we got a box from Parallax with some calendars.....and there husband is in October.

So proud of my geeky husband :) So any of you fellow geeky Halloween prop builders, be sure contact Parallax and get your catalog today!! :)

It even promoted him to actually post on his blog....impressed I am :)

For us cat owners

This is the fear we live with daily from the moment we foolishly put up our holiday tree thinking....maybe this year the cats will leave it alone :D


moar funny pictures

I think my cats start planning the day after they have eaten all the valentines day candy - the poor tree doesn't stand a chance! :)

Guess what these are for?

The red envelopes underneath might be giving it away :)

This is the annual frog queen folly for Christmas. I have been doing this for way too many years. I have decorated 40+ small Christmas trees, made "boxing day" boxes, designed and printed calendars.....this is likely the start of the frog queen follies. :)

Since on the card, I used a photo we took last year during the snow, of snow on a pumpkin that was still in the yard, it inspired me to make my own pumpkin seed packets to include in the holiday cards. This year husband helped my cut, fold, glue and fill 60 packets of pumpkin seeds and cut and fold all the cards.....this one just might be a Davis Graveyard folly :)

Now you can grow an official Davis Graveyard Jack O' Lantern pumpkin!

I say nothing says Merry Christmas like pumpkin seeds! How about you? :D

Sleepy?

Not anymore....at least for

Michael Jones and The Captain

They are the two winners in my Davis Graveyard energy drink giveaway! Congratulations guys....remember, mixes great with vodka! :D

Just email your mailing address and I will get them out to you. chris@davisgraveyard.com

I will get them in the Davis Graveyard store by the end of the week if anyone wants to purchase one.

It is always the simple

things that get the most attention. We were going through our video footage to create our video for the Haunters Video Awards and we both marveled on how the simple pieces often outshine the big props.

Take our latest ghost effect. We use projection material for several of the ghost effects, but since this needed to be about 30' wide, that would be too expensive, so we needed another plan.

How about just black backdrop fabric?

Hum, can't see why that would not work....lets give it a try.

After a bit of sewing (by our lovely Elyssa) and some cabling from the house to the shop (thanks Dan) we made a larger 30' wide screen across the back of the graveyard.

And then filmed Max, Gabe, Lex, and Cane in white clothing running in front of the background. Then it just needed a bit of film editing in Pinnacle by husband.

Once it was created we then put a projector behind the "Goodbye" tombstone and voila! Ghost effect!

It was very, very creepy.....we were all surprised how good it looked. It was a happy accident that because you could see through the fabric to the back yard made the ghost effect more believable than a solid black background.

So here is how we stored it every night. Just grab it pull the fabric to the house and tie it up with a black ribbon. Very high tech, huh? :)

Much easier than the trial that was the Skeleton Angel and a lot more people noticed it! I would say that there is a lesson to be learned here.....but I doubt I will ever stop making complicated props that are hidden in the back of the yard....I will never learn :)

The exit is that way......

see...it is that glowing green sign over there...... yeah over there.......

stop reading now.....I warned you :)

I gave up on the Halloween listservs about...... do I remember...yeah, it was ....July this year.....but for some reason tonight I thought I would check it out. It was clandestine!!!

I think the email was titled:

"I'm hoping this offends someone on the list"

Oh, goodyI must break my rule!!! I MUST read this one!!!

Seriously nothing will get the frog queen to read something like a title like that. :D

If I liked those people....even a little bit, wait.....what I meant to say if those people like ME a little tiny bit :D

LOL! Husband and I were just "talking" about my confrontational attitude, as a matter of fact! Yeah, I understand how I can be unpopular :D

Back on topic......I had several other funny witty, hysterical lines to open this post with....but I think I am just getting in the way of the genius of this picture.

Remember - frog queen is x-catholic school attendee.....I almost wet myself with glee on this one......sorry to anyone who is offended, but after years of bad blue plaid Catholic school uniforms and scary nuns......I am claiming the right to find this funny.....how could I not post this......

BTW - Thanks Steve, you are my hero!!!

It's only a flesh wound!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

We discovered quite

by accident one day that Hal (Halloween Cat) does not like dogs. No way, no how, not even a little.

He has always been extremely territorial about the yard. We write that off to the fact that he is a stray from the neighborhood who is mighty happy with himself that he found the suckers he did, and he will be dammed if any other cats are going to get near "his house"

Back to the dog bit.....our friends have the coolest dog (I keep trying to steal him every time I visit) and I told them they should bring him over when they are working. We have a large yard, he should have a great time.

So, one morning they bring their dog over and Hal turns into the demon grave keeper cat, with one intention: get that dog out of my yard. After a few minutes it is very apparent that this is not going to work, Hal wants this dog "out of his yard, right now!"

Hal made it abundantly clear if we did not remove the dog, he had no problem taking care of it himself, and it would likely involve blood, it could be ours or the dogs, made little matter to him :)

I knew then that any dreams I had of finally getting a dog were gone :(

Husband reminds me that he works from home and babysitting three cats is distracting enough....rescuing a dog from the cats on a regular basis will likely make working impossible.

Or, we could get a big dog that could intimidate the cats.....but husband really likes Corgi's . . . and they are no bigger than our two largest cats :D (odd looking dogs, but I have to say, I have warmed up to them, and if I can only get a dog by getting one of those, I can live with a cat sized dog :D )

But, sadly, it looks like it is a dog free house for the frog queen.

Anyway, this cute dog was at the wedding this Halloween. We saw him and said "we have to find Hal before he sees the dog."

They said, "Don't worry, he loves cats"

We both think "I imagine he does, but I doubt that will make a difference to Hal" :)

Too late, Hal spots him. His eyes start glowing red and ears curl up like horns.

I grab Hal (I know stupid thing to do with a mad cat) and put him up on the table and put myself between Hal and the dog. (yet another stupid thing to do.)

After brief negotiations between the dog owners and Hal (who the whole time was looking at me as if to say" dog must die! dog must die!"), we come to an agreement.

"Just be crystal clear, under no circumstances can you let that dog off the lease or out of your sight. Trust me, the moment that dog is free, Hal will fully transform into the demon graveyard keeper cat and will be chasing your dog down the street."


I glance at Hal who is very unhappy and wonder . . . . does anyone else smell brimstone?

They kept the dog on a tight leash and Hal found a high spot that he could sit with the perfect vantage point to watch the dog at all times. If the dog stayed about 10 feet away from Hal, and we kept the situation supervised, the demon transformation was held at bay.

It was a sweet wedding, and it did not start raining until they were packing up to head out. That is nothing short of a miracle in the Pacific NW in October:D

We wish the happy couple well in their new life together.

Here are a few more pictures from our friend Marci

It is freezing

actually it is below freezing out there!! I have been home with a cold for a few days wrapped up in warm comforters in my PJs and drinking herbal tea, I thought I was miserable in the house....then I went to work.

Walking from the house to the car was painful.....ran the heat full blast all the way to work....and then I had to walk from the parking lot to my office.....I think I got frost bite! I can barely feel my fingers.

I am supposed to go watch Christmas ships over a a friends house out on their deck overlooking the river. I think I will stay inside and watch it them from the window :)

I was reminded by someone that a week ago this Friday is when Portland got a snow storm that lasted almost two weeks. It was a nightmare for the frog queen who misses the sunny weather of Southern California!!! I got used to the rain....but I will never get used to snow!! Fortunately, just freezing....no snow. I like it that way.

Anyway, speaking of snow. Here is a picture of Calvin and Hobbs from last year in the snow. It looks great for the display, but . . . . that is about all it is good for :)

Zombie Princesses?

This is one of the best pictures of Disney characters I have ever seen......I particularly like the skull on Pocahontas' belt and the bunny head in Alice's hand....and is that a bone from the dead body of the beast in Belle's hand? :D

Pure joy!

Toph used to be

my friend. :)

Until he sent me a link with this picture.

What kinda of crazy person would make that? :D (Impressive isn't it?)

Anyway, I think the message in the email to me and our friends was something to the effect of "I bet $20 she passes out when she sees this."

Actually, he is right, pretty safe bet :)

I was in my office, by myself when I saw it....so you will never know :D

I recycle

(Sorry out for a few days with a cold....but I am back now!)

Here is how the Davis Graveyard recycles Halloween decorations for the Christmas holiday. :D

Several years ago when we were looking for an idea for our Christmas card, we came up with this idea to take one of the pointing mud men and create an Ebenezer Scrooge tombstone. Inspired by A Christmas Carol.

You see, any holiday story with ghosts in it is perfect for us for Christmas : )

This piece is on the very busy side of the house, so the font being large is deliberate so that those flying by at 35 miles an hour (even though it is supposed to be 25) can read it, and hopefully after a few passes by, they get the idea.

Not nearly as popular as Calvin and Hobbs...but how can anything compete with that kind of genius :D

Happy Holidays!

It used to be that more

people knew our house for our Calvin and Hobbs Christmas display than our Halloween decorations.

This display is celebrating its 10th year in the yard. Held up pretty well since it is made of particle board with house paint.

Every Halloween I still get lots of people asking about Calvin and Hobbs.... :D

The idea was taken from the original strip that had Calvin build the snowmen around his dads car to look like he had hit one of them and they were aghast. But we thought a car in the lawn would look a bit silly, so we just made it look like Calvin had created the scene and he and Hobbs were walking off.

In comparison to the Halloween decorations this takes a whopping 20 minutes to set up....including flood lights that is if you remember not to put them away with the Halloween decorations and have to spend 30 minutes digging them out and arguing where they are :D

Here is a picture from last Christmas that the people that were watching our house took for us. They made a real snowman in the yard....very cute

Happy Holidays