Mumblings from the Manic Mummy behind Fiona's Fright Shoppe

ZOMBIE WALK SALEM 2011

2011-10-07T16:57:00.000-04:00

Zombie Walk Salem is THIS WEEKEND!!!???!!!Time once again for the whole Fright Shoppe family to get together for the annual ZOMBIE WALK in SALEM MA! Same place, same time but this year it's on Saturday, October 8th, 2011. Zombies should be ready to stumble through town at 3PM. Steve at High Hat Productions is gathering a larger and larger zombie following each year and is sure not to disappoint for 2011!Our own Fiona has come up with a great zombie idea for her and the little Monster - it's top secret till after the walk, Dirty Sturdy will make an appearance as well as Tina Bleed, Rotten Rhi, John Diss and Maggie Maggot will also be there to shamble on down the road. This is also a great way to celebrate Halloween in Salem without having to deal with the horrifying traffic and massive crowd. And best of all??? IT'S FREE!!!!!See you there!! Zombie Walk Salem MA 2011October 8, 2011 3PMCollins Cove Park, Salem MA 01970High Hat Productionsfor all the info! Here's a pic of our very own Slush PAPA and Good old Auntie and Uncle from walks past:

POPCORN is a must for movie night!!

2011-10-06T17:15:00.000-04:00

In addition to all of the awesome Halloween Happenings and goings-on this month, best convention pal the one and only Queen of Sass, Kristy Jett has brought us all something too awesome to miss. This Friday at midnight (well let's just say 11:59 for debate sake) she is bringing her crusade to fund the DVD/Blu ray documentary and release of the one and only POPCORN (1991) to the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline MA for a once in a lifetime 35mm screening of the movie!!! You know you remember seeing that poster or VHS cover at the local mom and pop video store around the corner and being completely terrified!!! After far too many years in obscurity, she is bringing it to a whole new generation of horror fans. This showing is to raise funds to cover the crew and artists. There will be some 11 x 17 posters available for sale. So come on out and show your love and support not only for POPCORN, but for Horror itself, Ms. Jett, and for the power of the people!!!!!! Info and tickets at www.coolidge.org

Radio Show!

2010-06-13T22:00:00.005-04:00

So, being 8 months pregnant, I have sent the other half and Miss Tina Bee out to do our first radio interview!

Horror Talk with Dr.Chris. On tonight, at Midnight. Check it out if you can. We are going to try to get a copy that we can download to post on our website, facebook and Twitter.

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Oh, and I am making an effort to get back into the swing of things by updating the site and blog more often.

More to come!!!!!!

M

May Flowers ......

2009-04-28T11:25:00.004-04:00

I can hardly believe that it is already May. Ok well, technically there are a few more days of April, but wow, May seems to have come early!

We made it to Count Orlock's Nightmare Gallery to see "The Sentinel" and what a fun, creepy and incredibly awesome time it was!! I highly advise anyone to spend a night with the Count and watch the latest public domain find! The small group of people that were attending that night were so diverse and yet all had a great time. At one point I really felt like I was at a live episode of MST3000, what a blast!

We are getting ready to do our first Winnekenni Castle Psychic Night this Thursday. We will be the only vendor there, and we are bringing lots of new Psychic-type items. We have Tarot Sets, Books, Spells, Candles, Insence, Silver Jewelry, Shirts, Greeting Card posters, Note Cards and so much more!

We're also planning a summer vacation - to the Monster Mania Con in Cromwell, CT this June. We are considering adding a few conventions to vend at and this may be one in the future. The con looks great so far, Bruce Campbell, Robert Englund, John Saxon to name a few!

Were also awaiting the arrival of the new LIVING DEAD DOLLS - URBAN LEGENDS!!!

So, what are your plans for this summer so far??????

Yours Cruely,

M

My next cake project....

2009-03-19T10:27:00.003-04:00

Some of you may know that some of my other passions are baking and cake decorating.
I've made a Necronomicon ice cream cake, a creepy Scooby Doo villian cake and even a Sean (misspelled purposly) of the Dead cake.

Then I saw this cake, on cakewrecks:

Made by Antoni and Edward Frys of European Cake Gallery in Crowley, Texas, this is the best horror cake I have ever seen!

It lead me to search for some other horror cake photos on the net. Most that I could find range from the obnoxious, to the silly to the horrible (and not in a good way).

So that leads me to a challenge - anyone who can find a really cool horror cake , post a photo here! Let's find all of the most awesome and creepy cakes out there and pay our respects!

Until Next Time....

Frightfully Yours

M

http://www.fionasfrightshoppe.com

We're also on MySpace, www.myspace.com/fionasfrightshoppe

Little Girl Goth

2009-03-10T15:28:00.008-04:00

How cool is it to be a little goth-girl now?!

Just 3 short years ago, there weren't many cool goth girls out there for younger girls. Since the arrival of our very own "Monster Kid", we've spent alot of time trying to find scary, yet fun and somewhat apropriate books, movies, clothes, toys and all of the other items that a toddler likes. Here I wanted to share a few of the
best ones we are recently enjoying here at the Fright Shoppe.

Creepie Creecher - Growing Up Creepie - cartoon on Discovery Kids.

Raised by a family that includes a Mosquito Dad and a Praying Mantis Mom, she goes on fun adventures with her friends, all while learning about different bugs. Bugs are SOOOO not my cup of tea, but little Fiona loves them. This show is one of her favorites because it combines her goth glam with a love of bugs, all for girls!!
Learning was never this WICKED!

Emily The Strange - Comics, books, many other items

We haven't gotten too far into Emily just yet (come on now, she's only 3!)but Emily the Strange is a tween/teen girl who has a bunch of black cats, the most popular being Sabbath. Most Emily items are in Black and Red, a goth girl's standard issue colors.

And our newest favorite, RUBY GLOOM!

This import from Canada, we came across her by complete accident! Upon a recent trip to the book store a lone black velvet covered book jumped out at us from the stacks. Ruby Gloom's Keys to Happiness. I don't think I could have ever found a more perfect world for my daughter!!!! Ruby Gloom is a happy little goth girl, yes I said HAPPY! She is happy enjoying the darker side of things. She has a great crew of friends including Doom Kitty, Scaredy Bat, Skull Boy, Misery, Iris, and 3 crows - Edgar, Allen and Poe!

Recently, we've discovered that there is a series on DVD but it is only in Canada and Australia. There are some T-shirts, wallets and the like but Ruby has not completely arrived here in the US. Here at the Fright Shoppe, we are working HARD on getting more Ruby Gloom in to the Shoppe so little goth girls (and big ones too) can rejoyce.

Check out our current offerings - we have some hard to find Emily The Strange items including Postcards, Lip Balms, Wallets and so much more!

Hope you visit us soon, we're DYING to see you!

Frightfully Yours,

M

www.fionasfrightshoppe.com
http://www.fionasfrightshoppe.com

We're also on MySpace, www.myspace.com/fionasfrightshoppe

Time to start planning for Halloween.. and we're back

2009-03-03T17:44:00.009-05:00

So after 2 weeks of computer updates and failures, and a new baby in the Fright Shoppe family (Welcome Baby Delilah!!) I am back to posting my blog.

Now I know it is only March, but here at the Fright Shoppe, it's pretty much halloween every day! We've just started our calendar for October this year and here are some of the events we have so far:

Rock and Shock in Worcester, MA. This year it will be the weekend of October 16,71 and 18th. Last year was a Hellraiser Reunion and we also got the chance to meet the awesome Jason 2009, Derek Mears. Can't wait to see what this year brings.

The 2nd annual Salem Zombie Walk is slated for October 10th. Here is a short video that is also available on Youtube and our Facebook Page:

This was a great time for the whole family, we had 3 generations there in their zombie best!

We've also started a newsletter - Fiona's Fright Shoppe Fiends and Family Newsletter!
Sign up and you will get all of the Fright Shoppe news, as well as exclusive email offers and contests! Visit our website and email me to sign up - www.fionasfrightshoppe.com

We are now accepting Google Checkout in the store, and we've just added the new Living Dead Dolls present: Jason Voorhees 2009. We only have a few of these guys left in stock so act fast!

http://www.fionasfrightshoppe.com

We're also on MySpace, www.myspace.com/fionasfrightshoppe

And finally, become a fan of the Fright Shoppe on Facebook! Just search Fiona's Fright Shoppe and you'll find us!

Until next time,

Frightfully Yours
M

Friday the 13th - 2009 Is it all it's slashed up to be??

2009-02-14T12:43:00.008-05:00

I bet you thought I wasn't going to make it past week 2 of my resolution to post, but I wanted to wait till today, so I could post a review of Friday the 13th (2009)!

Heading out to the theater on Friday the 13th to actually see Friday the 13th - this has to be a blast, right???? Well.........

all in all I say it was.

First, no kids in the theater!!!! A great way to start things off!!!

Settled in for the previews, which seemed very long this time. We saw Watchmen, A Haunting in Connecticut and Last House on the Left - all look pretty good. Watchmen looks the best of the 3, Last House on the Left brings a close second and wins for the uncomfortable factor and A Haunting, could go either way.

Oh, and I almost forgot - the forgettable Miss June (or July.. something like that) where it appears that Playboy wanted to make a movie so they found the most stupid and boring script possible and Hollywood threw $$$ at it. How some of these movies hit theaters and others languish on DVD I'll never know!!

Now on to the movie!!!

Without giving away anything, the opening scene explains away a lot of Jason/his Mom's background in a short time. OK so far.....

Then we are introduced to a group of kids in 2000, hiking in the woods of Crystal Lake (strangely, no car to be found, they are just walking) and we find that at least some of them are looking for a "secret" group of pot plants - to sell and make millions (WHAT??!!)

Teens in the woods with drugs .... CHECK!

Some camping ensues. A couple stumbles off to what appears to be Jason's family home, which is right on the campground, others stay behind and of course, we get some drinking and boobs. Did I really expect not to see boobs in a F13 movie? No.

Teen Drinking and Sex...... CHECK!

Someone wanders off and of course does not make it back....... and we are introduced to the new Jason, played by Derek Mears.

Jason kills the offending teens ..... CHECK!!

More killing ensues, none of which are particularly standout, and not much time is spent showing the gore so that we can appreciate the effects.

Six weeks later, we are introduced to the next group of kids, which include the rich kid leader(this guy is the definition of D*bag!!), the good girl, the dumb whore girl, the African American guy, the jock, the I girls gone wild girl (played by Willa Ford) and the best of the group, the Asian dorky guy who turns out to have one of the best and funniest scenes of the entire movie.

All the typical teen stereotypes represented? ...... CHECK!

All the prerequisites of a Friday movie have been met.

Add in Sam Winchester (Clay, I mean) played by Jared Padalecki who is looking for his sister and the rich kid's sprawling vacation cabin (which somehow seems to cover 1/2 of the lake)..... stir up Jason and you have the 2nd half of the movie.

Overall, this is another check your brain at the door, fun slasher movie. All though we are jaded by the originals, this one walks the line between cliche/comedy/jump scares/terror and sometimes stumbles a bit.

The characters are hard to care much about and some of the relationships don't really make much sense (Are the good girl and the rich kid really dating? If so, there are some really unexplainable moments!! Why would these kids all hang out with each other??). For me, I don't know if I would have enjoyed it as much if it weren't for Derek Mears' great take on Jason, and Jared Padalecki who is just about the only character who's acting makes you care at all. In fact, most of the actors are easily in their 30's and could never pass for teens!

Some of the scenes don't really make much sense if you think about it either - like why is Jason's house right in the campground?? How does someone captured by Jason live for weeks on end - what did they eat??! If my boyfriend was getting it on with my friend and told me to leave while I am trying to warn about a killer, wouldn't I be mad??? I just met a strange guy, but I am going to take off into the woods for a few hours with him.... HUH? Oh, and this needs no further explanation other than a guy came up with this one - topless water skiing??!!!

There are a few good explanations for some of how Jason gets around and knows where everyone is though.

I just wish when the Rich Kid finally got it, it was longer and more bloody!

My conclusion for the film??

Don't go into the woods looking for Jason's secret stash - or you are gonna get killed!

Until next time ......

M

PS - In honor of Derek Mears (who is an AWESOME guy and does a great job filling Jason's shoes) we have IN STOCK .... a VERY LIMITED amount of the Mezco Toy Fair 09 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO 1000, SOLD OUT, 3.75in Jason Voorhees figures with a glow in the dark mask!!!! IF you haven't seen this one, you are missing out. This may be one of the most detailed and awesome figures we've seen! It's actually Jason from Friday the 13th, the Final Chapter (in which Jason was played by Ted White, Steve Dash & Richard Brooker) and comes with his trademark Machete and a removable, glow in the dark hockey mask! We also have the Derek Mears version in stock, and coming soon, the Living Dead Doll Jason Voorhees remake!

CHECK 'em OUT!!

Come on, people - a movie called My Bloody Valentine 3-D is NOT a Disney movie ...

2009-02-04T14:25:00.005-05:00

For my second weekly post, I thought that I would post a review of the movie My Bloody Valentine 3-D, which I actually made and effort to get to the theater to see.

Before I get into the movie itself though, I want to just take some time to talk about the movie theater experience we had, so here goes!

We arrive at AMC theater a bit early, on a snowy Sunday afternoon. The roads were pretty bad so not many people were out. Go and buy our tickets, with our $2.00 3-D glasses( bringing the ticket price to $12.00 each!!) and some snacks (another $10.00). Not too bad, I was kind of expecting the prices. Off to the theater to find a seat. As I said, not many people out so we found seats easily, in the back of the theater.

We get seated and a few minutes before the previews start, a couple sits 4 seats away from us - WITH A 2 YEAR OLD GIRL!!! Yes, a toddler. Instantly, the mother in me kicks in and I start to get uncomfortable. Do I have a toddler? YES. Do we take her to see movies like My Bloody Valentine?? NO!!! Do we have to wait till we have a sitter to go to a movie like that?? YES!!!! I mean, really people, where is your common sense?

Then the previews start - Last House on the Left!!!! I was shocked at the preview, and the thought of this little girl crying next to me was getting to be too much. Then the mother gets on her cell phone and starts talking to someone!! As I was about to get up and leave(not before letting these 2 know what I thought), the father comforts the child a bit and the mother got off of the phone and she went to sleep. By this time, I can't remember the previews that well (A Haunting in Connecticut with Virginia Madsen... there may have been another) and I am just disgusted that this situation exists.

The same thing happened last time I went to see Halloween... and I mentioned it to the theater manager then, but they said they can't do anything about it.

Now I know it may sound harsh but seriously, a parent is supposed to raise, nurture and protect their child. I don't see at all how watching and hearing this kind of stuff at that age can not cause anxiety and fear. If this is what they let the child see in public, what the heck goes on at home??!!

OK, well enough of my high horse rant... let's get to the movie!!!

On go the glasses, which were actually comfortable. Right away in the first few minutes of the movie, there are some great effects and scares - I won't go into detail, but it is surprising!

Then we go forward a few years to develop the story. I hate to say it but the whole time every time Jensen Ackles was on screen, all I could think of was Dean Winchester!
The characters were not very likeable to me and I really didn't care what happened to them. In fact, the "heroine" of the story was kind of a b*tch. Most of the acting seemed flat and almost monotone.

And who could forget the naked chick scene....unnecessary, YES. Part of the slasher film formula? YES. Completely overdone to the point of gratuity? Surprisingly, NO!

Most of the scenes did not make sense if you thought about it for more than 2 seconds, but the novelty of the 3-D - which is for the entire movie, not just certain parts - makes this a fun, slasher flick. Try not to compare it to the original, though or you will make yourself insane.

I have to admit, I had another whole plot and ending in my mind, so the end of the movie was a surprise (not a total surprise, but there are a few fakeouts to keep you guessing).

All in all, for the novelty of 3-D this is a good movie, however if this was not in
3-D I would have been left extremely disappointed. For some Valentines winter fun, go see it - just leave the kids at home, PLEASE!!!

Unpleasant Dreams .....

M

And our item of the week is a Valentine Special - Mini Love Voodoo Doll KIT! Check it out in the Fright Shoppe!! We'll even ship it FREE!

The road to hell.....

2009-01-28T15:48:00.004-05:00

......is paved with good intentions. The new year just brings on a million other intentions you never fulfilled in the previous 12 months plus a million new ones for the upcoming year. Then life gets in the way.

My intention was to post a new blog every day, or at least every other.
The reality - well you can see, the last post was October 2nd 2008!!
Where did the time go??
Rather than bore you with the details, I have come up with a new set of intentions. You will all have to see if I stick to them!
The first is to have a new blog posted at least once per week, and hopefully with some extiting or interesting news from the world of Fiona's Fright Shoppe!

So, here is week 1.

Until Next Week (or sooner, you never know!)

Unpleasant Dreams

M

Oh, and by the way - Jason Voorhees has arrived at the Fright Shoppe!! Fresh from the factory, we have a limited stock of Mezco's 7in Cinema of Fear Jason figures from the upcoming 2009 remake! Get 'em while you can!!

Halloween Party MENU ideas

2008-09-29T14:29:00.014-04:00

As promised, here are some easy ideas and creepy concoctions to make your Halloween Party's menu the talk of the town. You don't have to kill yourself in the kitchen to have frightfully delightful party food - unless you are into that sort of thing......

One of my favorites is something we like to call "Scabs". This is an old family favorite and couldn't be easier! They taste good too!!

1 wedge of parmesan cheese
Cheese Grater
Baking Sheet
Food Coloring
Parchment Paper
Tablespoon

Method: Pre heat the oven to 400.
Grate 1/2 cup of Parmesan.
Line baking sheet with Parchment Paper.
Put tablespoons of cheese about 1/2 inch apart and pat each spoonful down.
Add tiny drops of food color to the piles. Yellow, Red, Black and Green are perfect!
Bake for 3-5 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool.

Each 1/2 cup of Parmesan makes about 8-10 Scabs.

I last served these at our "Sean of the Dead" Party!

Captain Spaulding's Famous Fried Chicken from House of 1,000 Corpses.
This one may be the easiest of all!Living in Rob Zombie's hometown (actually just a few streets over from his old house) we had an obligation to throw a House of 1,000 Corpses themed party! What a freaky night that was...........

Take Out Popcorn chicken ( I used KFC )
Leave the chicken in the boxes.

Using photos I found online ( a google image search works wonders!) I printed out a small label for each box with a photo of the infamous clown and the words "Captain Spaulding's Famous Fried Chicken and Gasoline Exit 13 off Rte 1 at Ruggsville" and taped it over the front of each box.

Elvira's Halloween Soup (from www.elvira.com)

1 lb black beans
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 Tbs A1 Sauce
salt & cayenne pepper to taste 1 lb. carrots, sliced into rounds
cilantro for garnish (optional)

Method: Rinse and soak beans for 6 hours or overnight. Drain beans and empty into a large soup pot. Add enough water to cover the beans by 2 to 3 inches. Bring to a boil and then skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
Add garlic and onion. Lower heat and cook untilonions are soft, about 15 minutes.
Next, add A1 Sauce and salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Cook for about 1 hour.
Add carrots and continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro, if desired, before serving.

Anything from Elvira gives us Unplesant Dreams - the good kind!!

Intestine Calzone
Every Zombie's Favorite! (Think how the Scottish love Haggis)

1 package premade pizza dough (you can use white or whole wheat)
1 jar pizza sauce
Choose your fillings: sauteed mushroom, onion, chopped sausage, chopped pepperoni, sliced black olives ....
2 cups shredded pizza cheese
Flour
Toothpick

Method: Pre heat oven according to dough package instructions.
Roll out pizza dough into a snake (you know, like you used to do with your playdoh!)
On a floured surface, flatten out the snake with a rolling pin or your hands with enough surface area for the dough to be wrapped into a tube.

Place fillings, sauce and cheese along the middle of the flattened tube (horizontally). I add some extra sauce to be sure it leaks out during cooking!

Bring the two sides of the dough together forming a tube. Pinch off the ends.

Place the tube on your cookie sheet, and loop around to look like intestines (I like to randomly pinch areas to give that realistic look)

Poke a few holes on the top for venting and oozing!

Bake according to the crust's directions, wactching carefully not to burn!

Let cool. Remove from cookie sheet and serve!

These are just a few of the many creepy concoctions we've served over the years - just enough to get your brain working on some ideas of it's own!

Check out this disturbing and incredible Cannibal Feast menu - these recipes are truly revolting and will add a kick to any Halloween Party!

http://imakeprojects.com/Projects/halloween-supper/ (You'll have to copy and paste the link into your browser)

I'll leave you with that .........

http://www.fionasfrightshoppe.com/

We're also on MySpace, www.myspace.com/fionasfrightshoppe

Until next time....

Frightfully Yours,

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What are you doing this October?

2008-09-29T14:07:00.006-04:00

Wow, I can hardly believe October is here! With so many frightningly fun things to do, how do you narrow it all down??!

Instead of crying in November over all of the places and events we missed out on, this year, we decided to sit down and create a Halloween Schedule!

We wrote down all of the places we wanted to go and then sat down with the dry erase board and got to task.

It was a daunting task - keeping the shoppe alive for our favorite time of year and getting out of the coffins for some Halloween Hijinx - but we managed to fit EVERYTHING in this year (on paper at least!!)

Stay tuned to the blog for our unadulterated reviews of our local haunts and events - heck we may even post some photos!

Now we want to hear from all of you - What are you doing this October?

http://www.fionasfrightshoppe.com

We're also on MySpace, www.myspace.com/fionasfrightshoppe

Until next time....

Frightfully Yours,

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Trick or Treat ???!! How inconvenient!

2008-09-29T13:30:00.010-04:00

It's almost that time of year again, the one night that children of all ages eat dinner as fast as they can, dress up in their best costumes and go door to door collecting pillowcases full of treats from every house in the neighborhood at all hours of the night......

At least that is how I remember Trick or Treating.

Today, it is incredible to me that it seems so many people want to do away with or put crazy restrictions on this age old tradition.

As a kid, I went out Trick or Treating until I was 14 years old! We went through our own neighborhood, then to the "rich" part of town to get all of the good candy, our parents drove us over to our Grandparent's neighborhood a few towns away and we got as much candy as possible, sometimes staying out until 9 PM or later. Very few homes had the lights off, the tell tale sign that no treats are to be found there, and everyone had a blast giving out candy to all of the ghosts, princesses, skeletons, and the "I have no idea what this is, I threw some strange clothes on in order to get some candy" costume. People even gave candy to our parents!

Today, I am saddened by what this family tradition has become.

Some towns have Trick or Treat inside the MALL!!!! (No door knocking required)

Some towns have time restrictions or more convenient dates for Trick or Treat - ours holds this annual event on the Saturday before Halloween from 5-7!!!! (Sorry if your parent's work or if you planned on eating dinner first!)

As many as 3 out of 4 houses have the lights off !!(no candy even if someone is home)

and... Older kids are refused candy, for being too old to Trick or Treat!!! (I'd much rather these kids be out drinking and doing drugs, TP'ing and egging homes .....)

People complain about out of town children coming in and Trick or Treating (A town issued Trick or Treat ID will be next ...)

These days it seems that it is inconvenient for parents to spend the time taking the kids out. Dark and rainy nights are far too uncomfortable for people to go out. People don't want to be bothered to buy candy and open the door.

It's a very sad state of affairs.

At our house, we embrace the odd tradition of Trick or Treat on the Saturday before (which for some reason has always rained the last 4 years!) by getting our costumes on (yes, all of us!) setting out the fog machine, CD and bowl of candy (we still use the honor system, and it works!) taking our little one out around the neighborhood for an hour or so and head back home to give out sodas, candy and have fun seeing all of the costumes. If you're between the ages of 0-100, and have any kind of costume on, you WILL get CANDY from our house!!!

THEN.... on Halloween night, we get to wear a second costume and we do the unthinkable and take our daughter to her Grandparent's neighborhood (which is more than a few towns away) and Trick or Treat AGAIN!!!

I am urging all of you out there who remember what fun Trick or Treating was as a child to go all out this year - Leave the lights on!! Give out Awesome candy!!! Who cares how old you are??!! Let them all have candy!! Even give some out to that poor kid who's parents didn't get him a costume and he had to get started at 8PM - He deserves it!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Frightfully Yours,

M

Stop by the Shoppe - we have tons of SLASHED prices and FREE gifts!
http://www.fionasfrightshoppe.com

We're also on MySpace, www.myspace.com/fionasfrightshoppe

Until next time....

Frightfully Yours,

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Want to capture a Ghost on film????

2008-08-05T21:28:00.002-04:00

......or at least pretend you did?

Last year, we came across the Ghost Finder Camera. It's a disposable camera that adds "ghosts" to the photos you take!

The theme for my Husband's birthday party was Children of the Corn (more on that party in a later blog!!) so I decided to take the camera along.

I took pictures of everyone as you normally would. Then when we took the camera to be developed we got to see the results.

Some of the photos came out a bit goofy (a ghost head next to someone's behind) but others came out really freaky looking. We decided to trick our family by mixing in the creepiest in with some regular photos to see if anyone noticed.

My mom was acutally scared by a few of them, she was really staring to freak out!! So we told her about the camera, and she loved it!

We've added a few to our store so that you can get one and have your own fun!!! Perfect for halloween parties, or a trip to the graveyard.....

We're actually planning to head over to a graveyard in Salem with some friends with this camera - it will be a blast!

Until next time.........

Frightfully Yours

M

Terribly Terrific Travels ... Count Orlok's Nightmare Gallery

2008-07-31T21:37:00.004-04:00

Salem Massachusetts.

It's a place that is a mystery to many, and a tourist destination, especially at Halloween.

For us, it's where we grew up (in Salem and neighboring Beverly)

Somehow, living there is not as exciting as it sounds and looks on TV!

Well, last weekend, we found ourselves with a willing babysitter (Thanks, Nanny!) and the whole day to ourselves. We decided to head down to Salem to see what was new.

After stopping in at the usual places (the Wicca Shops, T shirt place, Pickering Wharf) we decided to head home. On the way, we drove past a place called The Nightmare Gallery on Derby Street. We both looked at each other and decided to pull over and give it a try, since we'd never seen it before.

We were so glad that we did!!!

When we first walked in and our eyes adjusted to the very low light, we saw an awesome display of Lon Chaney's Mummy. It looked great! Frankenstein along with the Mrs. were there, too. This was just the lobby!

Count Orlok invited us to look around and decide if we wanted to see more. If we did (which of course we did!!) you could pay the modest admission price ($8.00 each - which is very inxpensive!) and enter the exhibit halls.

I don't want to ruin the tour for anyone, but we saw some of the coolest, creepy, cleanest looking exhibits I've ever seen. Each display had an easy to read plaque in front with just enough info for horror novices to learn something yet not bore hardcore horror fans. The museum is pretty dark, which only adds to the ambiance of the exhibits.

No one rushed us out, and we spent a long time just looking at the displays, talking about each one.

At the exit, there is a game to play. If you're lucky, you may win a prize of the day! We got 2.

We were also lucky enough to encounter the count again, who told us that the exhibits change from time to time so there is always something different.

I can't wait to go back, and I would suggest anyone who is in the Salem area to stop by and take a look!

They also host private events. How great is that??!!!!

Visit them on MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/nightmaregallery for some photos and more info. And tell them Fiona's Fright Shoppe sent ya!

http://www.fionasfrightshoppe.com

We're also on MySpace, www.myspace.com/fionasfrightshoppe

Until next time....

Frightfully Yours,

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Trip down memory lane .... Monster Cereal and Monster Squad

2008-07-24T23:53:00.003-04:00

Oh, the joys of being a parent - you get to sometimes relive your past and see things through a new set of eyes at the same time!

On our weekly trip to the supermarket last week, my little one saw a box of Frankenberry cereal on the shelf. She instantly turned to me and yelled MAMA!! MAMA!!! STOP!! I NEED THIS!!! LOOK, ITS FRANKENSTEIN CEREAL!!!!

I halted the cart and saw an updated version of my childhood favorites there together on the shelf : Frankenberry, Boo Berry and Count Chocula. I hadn't even thought of buying them in decades so I decided to say OK. My daughter was thrilled all the way home.

The next morning, I asked what was for breakfast. FRANKENBERRIES! was the answer. So I made her a bowl. She then insisted that I have one too. Hmmm, OK I thought - sure why not? Kashi GO Lean could wait another day.....

With the first bite, I remembered how much I loved those cereals as a kid! The sugary puffs and marshmallows, and the bonus strawberry milk at the end... it was like I was suddenly 10 again! We had a blast eating together. For the next week, we ate Frankenberries together each morning.

This week, I will be buying the Boo Berry!!

This brings me to last night. During a recent trip to WalMart, my daughter grabbed two movies to look at 1) The Mask with Jim Carrey and 2) Monster Squad.

It wasn't hard to convince my husband to bring them home!

We all sat down and cuddled up on the couch last night and watched Monster Squad together. What a blast!!! I had completely forgotton how great that movie is and how fun, too! My little one sat engrossed for the whole movie, playing with her Mummy figure. At the end, she even got a bit upset when Frankenstein went home!

Then it was off to bed, where we spent a good half hour each being assigned a monster to be : Wolfman, Mummy, Dracula, Sea Creature (I think Gill Man was the official name), Frankenstein, and of course Dracula's "girls".

If you haven't had the pleasure of re-discovering these two great things from childhood, or if you haven't yet tried them (god forbid!) I strongly urge you to do so. It really brings back the kid in you!

Check out these lip balms - Just like the cereal without the sugar and calories!

Until next time

Frightfully Yours,

M

Great gift for a horror fan

2008-07-23T01:55:00.005-04:00

After many years of not knowing what to get our resident (and non-resident) horror fans for birthdays, Christmas etc... the idea came to me one fall day a few years ago. Why not make one of those "movie gift baskets" that I've seen for sale for the low price of $50.00 plus shipping(!) ??

I started out by making a few for Christmas that year with a few of the classics: Amityville Horror, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th. I added the necessities, soda, popcorn and candy and shrink wrapped the baskets just like the "pros" I had seen.

Guess what? It didn't cost me $50.00 plus shipping - and I bought everything retail!

You want to know something else? Everyone LOVED them, and were even more impressed that they were hand made for them!

Soon I had requests for them coming in from everywhere. I, of course, had to limit myself to holidays but soon I found myself making enough that I felt I should share them.

I've recently added a new crop of horror DVDs to the shoppe, along with the option to add on the Horror Hound Gift Basket for a small additional charge. That way you can turn an inexpensive DVD into an awesome gift for a friend, relative, coworker - basically anyone who loves horror!

I know that these are a great gift and turn a regular DVD into a fun movie night. So, let me do the work for you and you take the credit!

Stop by the shoppe and check out our DVD listings and don't forget to add the HORROR HOUND GIFT BASKET!

Until next time

Frightfully Yours,

M

http://www.fionasfrightshoppe.com

Halloween comes in ..... July??!!

2008-07-19T22:05:00.003-04:00

So, as I was doing some errands yesterday afternoon, I came across the strangest thing : Halloween Decorations...and the seasonal department had been changed to Halloween from summer things like flip flops and umbrellas. I thought I was bad when I started putting out my Halloween decorations in September!

Not that I can really complain, because I think Halloween should be celebrated year round, but setting up the Halloween displays in July makes me feel like summer is already gone, and I haven't done nearly as much as I had planned for this summer!!

Stores have been setting out the holiday and seasonal items earlier and earlier each year. Have you ever tried to find a bathing suit in the store in July (you know, when you would actually be using a bathing suit)?? It's nearly impossible since all of the back to school clothes are out. At this rate, we'll be getting ready for next Halloween by the end of November soon! Christmas in August is going to just put me over the edge!!

Now I am off to the store, to get a jump on my Halloween shopping, of course!

We LOVE Mummy Nanny!!!

2008-07-16T11:26:00.004-04:00

Have you ever considered hiring a 5000 year old mummy as your Nanny?

Well in my house, I would actually say yes to this question!

We recently "unearthed" a DVD called Mummy Nanny Volume 3: Under Wraps. My daughter saw the mummy on the cover and told me she "NEEEEDDEDDD" this "DBD". As it was a great price, I said sure - why not? 5 episodes for $5 bucks is great, and if it was completly crappy, I wouldn't feel that I wasted alot of money.

Well, was I completely surprised!! First, my daughter was totally engrossed by the story, she actually sat still for the whole first episode (24 minutes for a toddler is remarkable in my house!) but the big shock was to come... she wanted MORE MUMMY NANNY PLEASE!!

She actually sat through the whole 120 minutes, laughing and having a blast. She enjoyed it so much, I had to find more!

I came across a place that had the whole series available, and I bought out the stock.

In a nutshell, the premise is Nile, a 5000 year old mummy is running away from a nasty antiques dealer. To find cover, she runs into the Elsewhere children, Alex and Samantha and they convince their crazy parents to hire her as the Nanny! Mixed in with the laughs are some real bits about Egyptian history.

We actually had to explain to my mother that we had built a Sarcophagus for our daughter to hide in - and she has a blast being a Mummy in it!

By Isis, I command you to check this series out!!

Rest in Peace

2008-07-13T21:32:00.003-04:00

Today, we had some shocking and sad news, one of my uncles had passed away suddenly last night.

In talking with many family members, almost all of whom we haven't seen in a long time, we all came to the same observation: How sad is it that we are so busy in our day to day life that we don't spend time with our family until there is a tragedy that seemingly stops everyone in their tracks?

When you really think about it, how important is checking your email once more or doing the last load of dishes in the sink when you could be missing out on some wonderful time with your family?

I, for one, am going to be sure to make more time for people and less time for things.

You'll be missed, Uncle Michael.

Frightfully Yours,

M

Have we seen enough of SAW ?

2008-07-11T22:49:00.005-04:00

When SAW hit theaters in 2004, it actually had me feeling nervous and scared in the movie theater, something that hadn't happened in a long time. It was so shocking and different, and you really had no idea what was going to happen.

Then, the next October, it was time for SAW II. It was the first movie that I went out to see after the birth of our daughter. Mom and Dad's first night out. I don't know if it was the hormones or what, but I felt kind of let down and confused by the story, and overly grossed out by the gore gags.

When they began advertising SAW III the very next year I was skeptical, but we had to see it anyway. Well, I wish I hadn't. All of the scares and twists the first two had delivered, this one took away and then some. The story was just so unreal and uninteresting, the chemistry and acting seemed off - like the story was more of an afterthought to try and connect a bunch of gore gags.

I haven't watched SAW IV yet, but I know I will just have to see it, good or bad!

I recently read that SAW V is scheduled to be released this October.

This brings me to the question - have we really seen enough of Saw? Is it too unrealistic to release a new sequel every year? Will people want to see another installment of this franchise?

I guess we wait till October to find out.... See you in line at the theater!

Show your support for SAW with this Jigsaw T Shirt!

Frightfully Yours,

M

My Hero : Elvira Mistress of the Dark

2008-07-10T23:06:00.003-04:00

Elvira has long been one of my heroes.

Ever since I was 13 years old, I have dressed up like Elvira for Halloween in some form or another.

There was just something that I always loved and admired about this goth gal, watching these awful horror movies and giving those infamous one liners to go with them.

She was beautiful, loved horror movies, had big boobs (something I was not thrilled about at 13!!) and didn't take any crap from anyone. She was my ideal identity.

So, I am writing this blog to celebrate the 20th anniversary of my favorite movie of all time, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark!!

Originally out in 1998, I instantly loved this movie, it was all I had wished it would be - funny, cool and goth. And the fact that it took place Falwell, Massachusetts - my very own state!! - was just incredible.

Here are some of my favorite Elvira quotes from the movie:

Cheap? Who are you callin' cheap? What's that perfume you're wearing, catch of the day?

Revenge is better than Christmas.

And if they ever ask about me, tell them I was more than just a great set of boobs. I was also an incredible pair of legs. And tell them... tell them that I never turned down a friend. I... never turned down a stranger for that matter. And tell them... tell them that when all is said and done, I only ask that people remember me by two simple words......... Any two, as long as they're simple

And don't forget, tomorrow we're showing the head with two things... I mean the thing with two heads.

Check out this awsome Retro 80's Elvira Mistress of the Dark T, perfect to wear while watching the movie to celebrate it's 20th anniversary!!!

Until next time ....

UNPLEASANT DREAMS .......

M

Horror Surprise Party # 1

2008-07-09T22:25:00.005-04:00

A few years back, I decided to combine my love for planning/hosting parties with our love for horror movies, and started throwing an annual "surprise" birthday party for my husband (after the first 2 he kinda caught on!)

So many of our horror and non-horror friends have commented on how much fun they are, so I thought I'd post them on our blog to share with everyone.

The first party was an Evil Dead theme!

The invites had Ask and his chainsaw on the front and some awesome wording (including "Join US!" & the "not just pillowtalk" quote!

The party food included a mac and cheese (that was my best guess on what was served in the movie for dinner) bloody marys, and Ash's evil fingers - hotdogs wrapped in crescent rolls with "fingernails" made from cut out radish slices and garnished with Ketchup blood.

The cake was awesome - it was an icecream cake covered in chocolate that was shaped into the necronomicon!!!

We played Pin the Chainsaw on Ash!

Goodie bags included some Evil Dead shot glasses, and a T Shirt that I made that said I survived SD's Evil Dead Birthday Bash!

We had screenings of each of the Evil Dead movies during the party. It was a blast!!!

I'll post some pictures as soon as I can get the darn scanner to work.

For more fun party stuff, visit our store ....

Until Next Time ......

Frightfully Yours

M

From the ANOTHER REMAKE??!! Files: Nightmare on Elm Street

2008-07-09T00:05:00.004-04:00

SO, there I was, catching up on some horror news, when I see a post on a forum I frequent, bloody-disgusting.com - They have officially gone ahead with the Nightmare on Elm St remake, and Robert Englund will NOT be playing Freddy.

Ok, so what the heck is going on??!! Seriously, how many movies can they remake before someone stands up and yells STOP IT!!!

I won't be lining up for this one, for sure.

Oh, and the other news ... Tara Reid wants to be in the movie??! You have to be kidding!

I wonder if there is anyone who is acutally waiting for this one to come out! Let me know what you think!

In support of the one and only Freddy Krueger, we've added Freddy Nightmare on Elm Street wallets to the store. We only have a few left, so get one while you still can!

Frightfully Yours,

M

From the Movies we FINALLY got a chance to see list... 30 Days of Night

2008-07-07T17:04:00.009-04:00

So, after finally getting our dear little one to the point where she will go to bed before we do, we dug into the pile of DVD's we have yet to watch. The first on our list: 30 Days of Night (Steve Niles comic, Alaska, Vampires Oh My!)

I have to say, I have mixed feelings about this one, ghouls. So I made a list of like and not so much. Let's see if anyone agrees with me ....

Liked :
Scary non-sexy vampires.. no Tom Cruise here, Woo Hoo!
The edge of my seat feeling about 30 days with no sunlight, and seeing the vamps coming
The creepy filming

Not so much:
The wasted "food" left all over by the vampires
UV light??!!
The ENDING!!!

I am all for surprising, shocking and twist endings but this just seemed like it made no sense at all! I'd go more into detail but don't want to ruin it for anyone else who hasn't seen it yet.

So, feinds, let me know how you feel about 30 Days of Night!

In honor of us FINALLY getting the chance to watch this movie, we've added some really cool officially licesed T Shirts to our store from the movie!

http://www.fionasfrightshoppe.com

Welcome .......

2008-07-06T21:33:00.002-04:00

to the first official installment of our blog.

For those who don't yet know us, allow myself to introduce myself ...... Fiona's Fright Shoppe is a small, home based business that specializes in Horror fun for the whole family. Our website has something for everyone, kids, parents, guys, girls and everyone in between!

When my daughter showed us an affinity for the scary stuff that we loved, at the young age of about 12 months, I could not find anything that was scary yet still cute so I started making dresses for her out of cool fabrics I found. When I started getting requests for dresses from other Moms, I decided it just might be time to open our shoppe.

We've included items for everyone, clothing, makeup, housewares, accessories, silver jewelry and more from the tame to the terrifying. Most of our items are one of a kind or limited quantity, so if you see something you like - get it before it's gone!

Our blog will be a place for reviews (Movies, Products, Books, etc..), How To's, Recipes and Random Thoughts all related to the Horror genre we love!

I hope that you'll stop by for a spell ...... http://www.fionasfrightshoppe.com

We're also on MySpace, www.myspace.com/fionasfrightshoppe

Until next time....

Frightfully Yours,

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