Christmas

My house a week back or so during a late night snow dusting. Always wondered what other fall haunts look like at Christmas.

Family and I attended the Winter Wonderlights display at Sunnyside last night. Based upon the Washington Irving tale Rip Van Winkle...

A disappointment....

It was rather sparse and short and I really can't recommend. It lacked the atmosphere & overall fun when compared to The Blaze held in the fall at Van Cortlandt Manor.

At times somewhat amateurish and limited(prop /decor wise).

On the plus side ..walking through the woods at night is cool! Ha! I'll be fair..there's more than that...many if not all the items used were recyclables (water bottles and other plastics). Not sure if this is what hindered the appearance of things but it came across at times as "cheap looking".

Anyway a few pics....

This I liked a lot. Rip's 20 years sleep.

The Witch of the Western Woods (The Crone) Prop

Even today the Western Woods is a haunted place....where brave men will not venture.

My off season plan. Always wanted to do a witch prop. Something about witches with me....anyway a take on the classic witch stirring cauldron props that use wiper motors that I think are soooo cool. I would replace the stirring motion with that of a throat slash /off with your head sort of hand gesture. After all ...it is Sleepy Hollow.


I've already started accumulating some pieces here and there. The most important right now for me are the hands. I purchased a pair from http://www.ghostride.com/. I'll alter the pose of them. Not sure how right now (probably cut some fingers off here and there! - and reposition and glue). Going for the look of the top picture.


I think I can use a simple motor to move her right arm. Saw a place online that separately sells motors ($9) used by those Christmas deer that turn their heads back and forth.

Purchased a colonial ball gown pattern for the dress similar in structure to that of the last picture. Sewing is not my thing. I'll have to put a serious bribe package together for my wife to whip up a 18th century gown that I will basically destroy and weather. It has a filthy, creep cloth look to it that I hope I can replicate.


Well I'm off to hang the Christmas wreath on the house, grapevine deer the lawn and string some lights in the holly bushes. Sadly the wife has killed my plans on doing a Ebenezer Scrooge life size prop for A Christmas Carol themed yard display. Maybe next year.
Just kidding. It would be kind of cool though...have to go with the George C. Scott version.