Day: October 18, 2023

Posted in Moments and Musings

Is Your TV Haunted?

Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

Anyone who knows me knows I love this time of year. I love the crisp chill in the air, the smell of burning firewood and cinnamon-flavored everything. (I say cinnamon because pumpkin is way overrated and I want to bring cinnamon back. I said what I said!) 

Halloween is big around here. We even have a black cat, which the dog thanks us for on a daily basis. (Maybe!) My apartment is all decked out with ceramic ghosts, jack-o-lanterns and black cats all over. There’s pumpkins everywhere!! We even have a small Halloween tree. Pretty much anything Hobby Lobby and Wal-Mart have to offer in the way of decorating is in my home. (Yes, I’m a Wal-Mart girl!) 

So, in the spirit of the season, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite Halloween movies/series sure to put the ghost in your TV and make you sleep with the lights on a night or two. Don’t worry – I’ll help you choose ones to watch with the family and which ones to wait until the kiddos are in bed. (These are in no particular order)

  1. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown – Definitely fun to watch with the kids. No jump scares. Just a boy with his blanket in a pumpkin patch. I’ve loved this movie since I was a child and, at 55 years old, I still watch it each year. I believe in the Great Pumpkin.
  2. The Haunted Mansion (circa Eddie Murphy) – Another one that’s fun for the whole family. Gather on the couch with the biggest bowl of popcorn you can and enjoy! Only one jump scare and lots of laughs. 
  3. The Haunted Mansion (circa Rosario Dawson) – I’ve only seen this one once so I can’t remember if there’s any jump scares. It may be too intense for the super younger crowd. Strong themes of grief and loss but much closer to the actual Disney World ride. Very enjoyable. 
  4. The Craft – Not recommended for tweenagers or younger, in my opinion due to some very intense scenes. Witchcraft is a major theme in this story but this is a cult classic that cannot be ignored at this time of year. 
  5. Poltergeist – Not recommended at all for kids as there are a few jump scares and scary scenes. Also, the subject matter is way over their head. However, it is excellent to watch with all the lights off at night. Go ahead, I dare you!
  6. The Haunting of Hill House – This is a Netflix miniseries. I wouldn’t recommend it for tweens and younger. Some teens may be able to handle but there are strong themes of addiction and suicide. There are ghosts EVERYWHERE, lots of jump scares and it’s an incredible story. Keep a box of Kleenex available for the last episode. 
  7. The Haunting of Bly Manor – Another Netflix miniseries again not for the kiddos. Themes include LGBTQ+ among others. Several jump scares but the backstory is my favorite part of this whole series. Every good ghost story starts with a good story of something tragic that happened in the past. This delivers that history quite well!
  8. Crimson Peak – Now, as a story, this isn’t high up on my list. However, if you’re looking for gothic romance/horror, this delivers. It’s a visually beautiful film with a little ghost story sewn in. Some minor gore. There’s also some nudity and a quick sex scene so not for the younger crowd at all. But – Tom Hiddleston. Need I say more? 
  9. Twitches 1 and 2 – Let’s get back to stuff the kids can watch. These two cheese-soaked Disney movies are super campy but loads of fun. Strong family themes and excellent for post trick-or-treating on Halloween night. You know, after the costumes are all put away for another year and the candy has been thoroughly checked. Safety first! 
  10. Hocus Pocus 1 and 2 – More fun for the family. I honestly was skeptical about Hocus Pocus 2 but it was absolutely adorable! There’s even a black cat that talks. If that’s not fun, I don’t know what is! 

Of course there are others that I didn’t include but are just as worthy, like the entire Harry Potter series but these are really my top ten watches. (Harry Potter is something I watch year round.) Not a Halloween goes by that I don’t curl up on my chair, with my fluffy, fleece tie blanket and a mug of tea and tuck into these movies. 

Happy Haunting! 

BTW – This idea was shamelessly stolen from my sweet sister, Liz, over at http://dippedinsparkles.blog/

Posted in Crochet

Shelby’s Blanket

Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

I no sooner finished Emilie’s blanket and got her married and all settled when Shelby asked me for a blanket for her bedroom. She wanted red/white/black colors. I went through a few Pinterest posts before settling on the one I chose which was a simple granny square blanket.

This was created using Red Heart Super Saver yarn in cherry red, black and white with a 5mm crochet hook. Each square is 18 rounds and I made 16 squares. I sewed them together and used a granny square stitch as a border. It’s huge! And she loves it! As always, I washed the blanket in Woolite in order to soften up the yarn a bit. Low heat, of course.