~ Sugar Plum Halloween Festival 2013 - Sept. 19-22, Buena Park, Ca. ~

 

My first show for this year...

 

Sugar Plum Festival 2013

 

Halloween

 

September 19th - 22nd

This year Sugar Plum is in a new location - same place, but new location - it's downstairs at the Buena Park Mall...

A lot of my old goodies made it to this show...oldies but goodies!

Sugar Plum is a priority show for me - they take such great care of all the vendors and customers...

I love Camilla who owns and runs these shows - she's so good to me and supports everyone at the show with her heart and soul!

 

 

My art dolls are right at the entrance as shoppers enter...

I'll be working the show both Saturday and Sunday - which is so much fun, but also bad...

Bad because as I entered into the facility today to set up I got a peek at the other creations other artists brought and made, and I more than likely I will be spending the money I make at the show!

 

Oh well!

Be sure to come and sit for a spell - enjoy the first of 3 shows for Sugar Plum Halloween and Fall!

 

Sugar Plum 2013

 

 

~ The Definition of WHIRLWIND ~

 

Webster's definition for whirlwind...

 

whirl·wind

noun \-ˌwind\

: a very strong wind that moves in a spinning or swirling motion and that can damage buildings, trees, etc.

: something that involves many quickly changing events, feelings, etc.

CloseStyle: MLA APA Chicago

 

Full Definition of WHIRLWIND

1

:  a small rotating windstorm of limited extent

2

a :  a confused rush :  whirl whirlwind

of meetings>

 

b :  a violent or destructive force or agency

 

 

 

 

 

Pretty much totally describes my life since January 2013. I keep trying to tell myself -  'I'll get there, I'll get caught up, on track, and be at ease with a daily routine...'

 

but I'm still waiting...!

 

I had planned to do a lot more art creations for the 4 art shows I will attending this year (first time that I will be attending 4!)...

 

But my mom got very ill, yet recovered - and we had to make arrangements for home care, changing daily...

 

 

 

 

I had no kitchen, literally - no appliances, no countertops, no sink - NOTHING - nothing but 4 empty walls, and emptying our pockets with every week that past - struggling to catch up financially and to be able to have an actual kitchen and put our home back together again,

 

My son came home for a brief summer vacation - we hardly saw him but worried about his mischievous night owl activities (he's a GREAT kid, but alas, he's 19 years old, AND KNOWS EVERYTHING, or so we hear),

 

 

 

 

I FINALLY got a job after almost 5 years of unemployment (with my OWN determination and efforts, not any help from the current government and administration) - I now work for Hallmark Greetings Cards as a Merchandiser - the hours work around my family, but I haven't managed to be able to clean house as well as I did before, and although hubby mows the yard the weeds remain and dead roses need to be clipped, I miss taking care of my home,

 

My mom became very ill once again, right at the time of training for my new job - and we were told she had 3 weeks to live - but in actuality it was 3 days from when I had my first and last visit with her with this last hospital stay. And so she passed away,

 

 

 

 

The first of 4 shows started today - Sugar Plum, Buena Park, Ca. -Sepmeber 19-22. I was unable to finish and bring any of my new creations -oh, a few little new things here and there - but not my art dolls or Dead Headz, so I feel very incomplete,

 

And I cannot seem to get enough sleep - I feel drained every night, and I get upset if it's because I'm getting older - because frankly, THAT REALLY SUCKS! I don't expect to stay 'young enough' to climb Mt. Everest, I really don't want to anyway - but it would be nice to not force myself to stay awake after the sun goes down,

 

 

 

 

Still I march forward, still trying and hoping that I will get myself together, get a routine, and be fruitful with all that I do and have to do...

 

So, yes, it has BEEN A LONG TIME, A VERY LONG JOURNEY, and I hope to post again often - but no promises will I make today. BUT I will say I am hopeful and will try to manage myself and maintain a balance, because I have to in order to have some sanity and to stay on track in following through with my dreams...

 

 

 

 

So - it's Halloween time (well, for me it's year round - but for the general population it starts now!), and so it begins,

 

my life gets a do-over now - starting today...

 

Traci

In Loving Memory of My Mother

Betty Lou (Atkinson) Gatiglio

1939-2013

 

I have been absent for more than months - too long to recall, and I'm far to stressed to count - but it has been a very long while...

 

In January of this year my mother was hospitalized for a number of reasons - in the words of the 2-3 doctors that were attending to her in the ICU, "It's a mess" - and they literally did not know where to begin...

 

Her lungs, liver, bladder, and heart were all functioning abnormally and/or barely at all. Our expectations were not high, and neither were the doctors. BUT she proved us all wrong and was able to come home in late spring  - and we arranged home care and physical therapy for her...

 

We made it adamantly clear to her (as well as her doctors) that if she made no effort and did not progress with her physical therapy and other dietary changes, that her health would plummet once again. The doctors also informed us that she could plato at a certain point, and to be prepared if that be the case, because obviously there is no progression at the point - just downhill...

 

Early to mid summer she was struggling - more and more everyday. And once again her health plummeted, and she ended up in a facility that made every effort to try to get her to help herself, and also made every effort to make her very comfortable. It was then the doctors told us that our main goal is to be sure we make her happy as much as possible, because her body has reached the point of no return...

 

We surrounded her with photos of her greatest joys, her children and grandchildren - brought her food favorites, puzzles and yarning - little things that she loved to do (she was immobile). These little things seemed so small, but they brought her great joy, especially when we and  her grandkids made visits to see her (although it breaks my heart I could not get my son home from the Army to see her before she passed)...

 

 On one visit with my sister-n-law, my sis-n-law told us that my mother was completely fearful of dying and the unknown. My mother has always had her own ''ideaology' on who God is and what He does/doesn't do, even conflicting/arguing with God's Word. My brother and sis-n-law, as well as myself and my hubby are all born again Christians - and we are not perfect by no means, but we know what the Bible says, believe what the Bible says - and know we are forgiven for our sins and have peace knowing our names are in the Book of Life. Sadly, my mother, who was so stubborn to hear God's Word from her children, did not have that peace. And we feared she wouldn't respond to us once again to share the Good news with her before it was too late...

 

Then my beautiful hubby sat alone with my mom on our Saturday visit with her, shared his love with her, his concern for her fears, and lead her in the sinner's prayer, and she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior! Rejoice! She was at peace FINALLY, so much so that it was almost as if she knew she was now ready to leave this earth, and so much so that God was waiting on her all along - that she died peacefully in her sleep 3 days later...

 

We are deeply saddened, my mother's life was not an easy one - my father is not the easiest man to live with. I feel heart ache knowing that my mother never really got to be the woman she really wanted to be. But she is the woman who she wants to be now, and walks on streets of gold! And I celebrate that...

 

Now listen up all those reading this - because my mother's poor health that lead to her suffering and death was all avoidable. My mother should be the poster child for what happens to a body when it eats nothing but junk foods, salty and greasy foods, smokes half of your life, absolutely no physical activity whatsoever. She beat breast cancer twice, so she was definitely a fighter, BUT she would not change her terribly eating habits and made every excuse not to exercise. She couldn't even walk to one end of her house to the other. She gave up on herself because she felt it was to hard to change. I ENCOURAGE YOU, FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONES - MAKE THOSE CHANGES TODAY. You don't have to go vegan, you don't have to cut indulgences out completely, and you don't have to do a marathon - but take care of yourself, don't make excuses, and do so today. Yes, it may be hard - but if you change your routine and lifestyle, soon those changes will become second nature and you'll see the benefits quickly and reap them...

 

My mother had expressed this to me in tears lying in her hospital bed immobile, that she wished she could have made better choices. Don't wait to when it's to late to realize that changes made now can made a difference for your future...

~Disneyland's Haunted Mansion-Special Effects!~

We are back exploring inside Disneyland's The Haunted Mansion...

Today we learn about some of the special effects inside The Haunted Mansion ....

Rotating Busts

The bust effect, patented by Disney, was achieved by creating inverted busts: they actually recede into the wall. A combination of dim lighting and optical illusion makes the busts appear to stare at the passing guests. A similar effect is used in the Hollywood Backlot section of Disney California Adventure. 

Endless Hallway

The endless hallway has a mirror placed at the end of it that fools the guests into thinking they can see twice as far down it as they actually can. The mirror has a scrim over it which serves two purposes: first, to make the corridor appear to stretch away into the mist, and second, to deaden the reflection of the candelabra - the back of which is painted black - in the mirror.

The Seance Circle

The Leota effect is accomplished through digital projection of an actress (Leota Toombs)'s face onto a head sculpture with features of the actress. At Tokyo, the movement of the cable-suspended sphere is synced to the projection via computer-control (what Anaheim had originated), while in Florida the projector is located inside the Crystal Ball. In Tokyo, when the projection is not correctly synchronized with the movement of the bust, Leota's crystal ball rests in a cradle on the table.

The other floating objects in the room are held up by fishing lines.

Constance Hatchaway, the singing busts in the graveyard, and the Ghost Hostess are also created using the same projection technique as Madame Leota's.

Ballroom

The ghosts in the ballroom are commonly believed to be holograms. However, all the ghosts in the ballroom scene are created using a clever variation of Pepper's Ghost, an illusion invented in the mid-19th century. The version of the illusion in the Haunted Mansion works like this: a row of columns in front of the mezzanine are supporting gigantic panes of glass, which are nearly invisible to the guests. The "ghosts" are merely the reflections in the glass of audio-animatronic figures, located in rooms above and below the mezzanine, where the walls are painted entirely black. The audio-animatronics for the ghosts that appear on or near the floor are located below the mezzanine, while the audio-animatronics of the ghosts which appear near the ceiling are located above the mezzanine. None of the reflections are at the guests' eye level, since that would require the audio-animatronics to be located in a place visible to guests.

This scene was designed for the most part by Marc Davis, who designed all the humanoid spooks and portraits. It is the largest example of the Pepper's Ghost effect in the world.

Other Ghosts

Disney used other techniques to make the graveyard ghosts appear to be ethereal. They are made of mostly translucent or transparent materials, which glow in the ultraviolet light that is used to light their scenes. They are made to appear blurry and indistinct through the use of scrims mounted between the guests and the ghosts.

The Crypt

The mirrors in which guests see the hitchhiking ghosts are actually two-way mirrors. The ghosts are audio-animatronics in a room behind the mirrors. They move along in sync with the Doom Buggies, and weak lights shining on them allow them to be seen through the mirrors.

The Hatbox Ghost

While Disney has claimed that the infamous Hatbox Ghost was removed from the ride during the first few days it was open due to being "too scary," it is believed that it was in fact the special effects that sealed the ghost's fate. The disappearing/reappearing effect could only be done through the use of strategic lighting, that once placed in the ride with ambient lighting, could no longer function. The effect was supposed to make it look like the ghost's head would disappear and then reappear in the hat box the ghost is holding. Though the ghost was briefly in the attraction you can still find plenty of Hatbox Ghost merchandise including pins and big figs.

Tomorrow we learn about the soundtrack for The Haunted Mansion...

Fellow Students Will Be Remembering Blaine Asam Today

Today many of the students at Woodcrest Christian School will be remembering Blaine Asam wearing the color blue.

The staff at Woodcrest had grief counselors on campus last Friday, and more than likely have grief counselors again today to help and support those students who may be suffering from this tragedy.

Blaine's death is an absolute complete tragedy - but for the consideration and for the privacy of the family, I will not share the details of his death.

I do want to share my deepest condolences to the entire Asam family - both set of grandparents, and for Kylie, Blaine's younger sister. There may not be any words anyone can say to comfort you right now - but I hope knowing that there are so many that care for you and thinking of you supports you in some possible way.

I will say this is a complete tragedy - I feel so heavy hearted. 

Makes what I felt to be big issues or problems in my life seem so minuet and invalid - and they are.

Please pray and think of the staff and students at Woodcrest Christian School today...

And please continue to pray and lift up the Asam Family - especially Kylie...

Sympathy To The Asam Family

Today I will only be posting my heartfelt sympathy to the Asam Family.

Their son, Blaine, graduating 8th grade in 1 week, preparing to start high school with excitement and and expectations for his future was killed tragically last night.

Blaine went to the same school as my daughter, and was in the same grade. His death is a complete shock and is the 3rd death this year that this school and community has had to endure. 

On January 18th of this year a tragic accident involved two seventh graders, Haven Penman and Kylan Allen. Kylan's grandmother had been driving them to a church event when they were struck by another vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed (the driver was under the influence and survived) . Haven and Kylan's grandmother were killed instantly and Kylan lay in a medically induced coma for a week before she passed on.

We haven't heard the details regarding Blaine's tragic accident.

I will post more information if the parents are in need of donations to help them through this extremely heartbreaking difficult time.

But right now, today, and every time you think of this post or of Blaine and his family - pray for them. They need support, strength, and love.

Hold your children tonight, and never let go...

~Batman Parody of The Haunted Mansion Stretching Portraits!~

Harlie, The Joker, Poison Ivy, Batgirl, Night Wing, and Batman...

Clever!

~Exploring Behind the Scenes of Disney's The Haunted Mansion Backstage Areas~

Behind The Scenes

Backstage Areas

Today we explore the backstage areas of Disney's The Haunted Mansion...

The show building houses a number of backstage areas unseen by guests. One of the easiest ways for cast members to enter these parts of the attraction is by entering a small, shed-like protrusion behind the facade. 

Inside this shed is the entrance to a cast member break-room and a staircase that leads down below the berm, making a left turn into the attraction's control tower. This small room (about the size of the conservatory) is hidden between the unloading and loading areas, seen only by handicapped guests who must ride all the way through to the loading area. 

Another way into the show building from within the park is through a door in one of the queue's crypts. This leads down several staircases into the portrait hall. Near the tower, a pair of stairways leads beneath the Doom Buggy track and into a passageway that travels between the loading area and the graveyard, below the endless hallway, and behind the ballroom.

 On the other side of the ballroom, several large maintenance and equipment rooms can be found.

The show scenes themselves are only convincing when viewed from the path of the ride; exploring these areas quickly reveals the fact that they are built much like movie sets in a sound stage. For instance, the wood that the ballroom walls are built of is easily seen from backstage. 

The back of tombstones also shows plastic, spray paint, etc. The top 8 feet (2.4 m) or so of the building are separated from the larger area below containing the ride. Numerous air conditioning ducts pass through this attic of sorts, which can be accessed via a caged ladder on the north side of the building. The tops of the large, squarish indentations in the sides of the building mark the floor level of this attic space.

It is worth noting that at Disneyland, the Haunted Mansion and Splash Mountain show buildings are very close to each other. When the Doom Buggies face the back of the graveyard, adjacent to the ghostly band, guests are looking at the building's northwest corner. Just a few yards beyond the back wall is a similar but smaller building housing Splash Mountain. Guests evacuated from Splash Mountain during a breakdown will verify that the Haunted Mansion show building is virtually indistinguishable from the Splash Mountain building, and that the two have only a few yards of pavement between them.

Because of the Magic Kingdom's different layout, the Haunted Mansion show building is instead located next to the one that houses It's a Small World. This version of the ride takes place within a similar building, though this one is larger and entirely enclosed by other areas of the park. This attraction differs from the original in that the ride takes place at the same level as the mansion itself. 

In addition, no berm separates the facade from the show building; the back of the mansion has a visible, above-ground connection to the main warehouse. To avoid exposing backstage to the guests, WDI uses trees and other rides to hide the building from view.

Tomorrow - the Special Effects of Disney's The Haunted Mansion...

~A Giggle With Some Truth!~

~Disney's Haunted Mansion-Behind the Scenes~

 Today we have a view back scene of how the Disney Imagineers creatively planned space management for The Haunted Mansion...

Behind The Scenes

Building Layout and Space Management

The original Disneyland Haunted Mansion required clever space management in a theme park that has always contended with a lack of space. 

When the New Orleans Square area was added in the early 1960s, there was no more room in that quarter of the park for large attractions. 

The Imagineers therefore placed the bulk of the two major attractions — Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion — outside the park's earthen berm. 

The famed "stretching rooms" were implemented simply so guests could be moved underground and outside of the park without them knowing. 

Most guests do not realize that the portrait hall is actually an underground passage leading under the berm behind the mansion facade.

 As they enter the loading area, they pass beneath the Disneyland Railroad's tracks and into a vast, approximately 37,000 square feet (3,400 m2), soundstage-like show building located outside the park boundaries. 

Painted dull green like most Disneyland show buildings, this 35-foot (11 m)-tall facility is roughly rectangular, with a front section that is covered by the berm and through which the train tunnel passes.

 Guests may catch a very brief glimpse of the building while riding the tram from the Mickey and Friends parking structure, or by boarding the Disneyland Railroad at the New Orleans Square station and facing backwards in the train. 

However, the show building has no visible above-ground connection to the themed façade within the park.

The show building extends an additional 10 feet (3.0 m) below the backstage ground level, though much of the attraction takes place around ground level. 

The layout of the track is convoluted, but it's essentially a clockwise loop that runs through the outer areas of the building. 

Smaller scenes such as the conservatory and parts of the attic lay outside the loop formed by the track, but most of the major scenes take place on the inside of this loop. 

This leads to some interesting spatial relationships between them. For example, the organ in the ballroom is back-to-back with a number of crypts in the graveyard, and the back of the loading area shares a wall with the endless corridor.

Tomorrow we learn about the backstage areas of The Haunted Mansion!

~NEW RELEASE MONSTER HIGH DOLL AVAILABLE-HEADLESS HEAD MISTRESS WITH HORSE!~

ATTENTION MY FELLOW MONSTER HIGH DOLL COLLECTORS!

A NEW RELEASE MONSTER HIGH DOLL IS AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW AT TOYS R US WEBSITE:

THE HEADLESS HEAD MISTRESS WITH HER HORSE!

HURRY WILL SUPPLIES LAST!

CLICK THE FOLLOWING LINK TO TAKE YOU TO HER PAGE:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=19180486&ab=TRU_Header:Monster-High-Headless-Headmistress-Bloodgood-Doll:Family

GOOD LUCK!

~A Little Giggle-And So True!~

~The History of Disney's The Haunted Mansion-Contributions from 'Madame Leota's Daughter'!~

Today we meet a WDW Employee who created and designed the cemetery at WDW and plays the Madame Leota in today's Holiday Mansion, as well as whose mom's name was used and played the original Madame Leota!

Contributions of Kim Irvine 

Leota Toomb's daughter Kim Irvine, now working at WED, created a rarely seen pet cemetery, once clearly visible to those entering the foyer through the side door reserved for handicapped guests and their parties. Since a wheelchair ramp was added to the front of the mansion, guests rarely see this area. This pet cemetery was popular with the few who saw it, so WDI created a larger one in the normal queue around the time the new ramp was installed. Kim Irvine, bearing a strong physical resemblance to her mother, also played Madame Leota for Haunted Mansion Holiday.