Spooky Small Business Saturday

Remember to support Small Business Saturday and shop independent or local shops. Below are only a few unique and reputable spooky shops independently owned and operated all-year long which I support and highly recommend for all your Creepmas shopping this year holiday season.

Local Los Angeles:

Dark Delicacies: https://www.darkdel.com

Celebrating 29 years, Dark Del provides a home for truly independent booksellers, movie memorabilia collectors, horror fanatics, and other spooky stuff in the greater Los Angeles region. The store is located in Burbank and often holds in-person signings and events. Del is also an awesome author and editor of works, such as Dark Delicacies horror anthology series and the suspense-western, The Survival of Margaret Thomas. If you live in L.A. area, stop by this weekend!

Mystic Museum: https://www.themysticmuseum.com/

Part oddities, part occult, part horror shop, part mystics museum, Mystic Museum is one-of-a-kind place for horror and occult fans. Taking up an astonishing three storefronts, the corner store is Camp Horror, an 80s horror themed shop that carries horror movie apparel, memorabilia and more.

Next door, the oddities shop, find rare, vintage and occult items for your arts and craft. You’ll barely notice that you crossed over to Mystic Museum, a place for goth decor, apparel, books, jewelry and more. Inside that shop is a door, where, for a donation, you can enter the parlor room that houses original artwork and vintage items celebrating curated themes throughout the year.

And, then, there’s the exhibit down the street…trust me, Mystic Museum is a kooky, dreamy, satisfying day trip.

Halloweentown Store: https://www.halloweentownstore.com/

I adore Halloween Town Store. Open all year long, this costume shop is a few doors down from the original main store, which carries everything from Halloween props and spooky clothing to original art prints and spooky, vintage, pop horror collectibles. Check everyone off your list in one visit.

Online:

Gingerbread Bag by Backstitch Bruja

Creepmas wrapping paper or Krampus Folklore Mug as seen below by Spooky Cat Press

Krampus Folklore Mug

Halloween Pumpkins Black Xmas Stocking by Working Class Punx: https://www.workingclasspunx.com

Poe Tea Set by Me and AnnabelLee Shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/MeandAnnabelLeeShop

Tiny Bryon von Battie or Tiny Ghostie keychain plushies by Elle’s Ghosties

International:

Haunted House Incense Cone Holder – October 31st https://october31st.co.uk/creepmas-haunted-house-incense-cone-holder/

If you live in Europe, or outside the USA and looking for an amazing Halloween shop, then, try October 31st store, owned and operated all year along by Spooky Wil.

October 31st is da domb! In addition to carrying some great stuff from artists and creators all over the world, Wil also produces original crafted art and merchandise and ships internationally.

October 31st also often carries out-of-print, discontinued, or rare Halloween or spooky collectibles that can’t be found in the US, sometimes at regular retail price. Yes, shipping costs are little high, but scalpers and secondary markets on Ebay or Amazon, are gonna charge mark up prices and charge for shipping too. You can reach out and interact with Wil beforehand, he’s super sweet, and he packs items with great care. Shop from Wil. Keep a good guy in business!

Hope your holidays are full of merry and fright! Happy Creepmas!

Monday Macabre – Haunted Haiku

Part II of A Haunted Halloween series.

fall to the bottom
curve of insanity
the haunted staircase

Haiku of the Week

Part IV and the conclusion of the Red, White, and Ghoul series.

praise to Uncle Sam
dropping bombs on their own
Americana

Haiku of the Week

Part V and the conclusion of May Mutant Monster series.

hunting the beast
following the blood trail
captured

Happy New Year, 2023!

Welcome, January! I don’t do resolutions because I can never keep any promises. Life simply gets in the way sometimes and adapting is name of the game. That’s not to say I don’t make changes. Truth is, I’ve been thinking of quitting this blog for some time, but later this spring will mark my blog’s 5th anniversary and I’m proud of my little creations. So, I’m going to stick it out another year and see where the road leads.

Blogging hasn’t always been easy. Last year was a dismal time. I have not been able find the balance in work-to-home life after the pandemic. The first two years of blogging seemed promising. Then, I realized there was another Halloween Haiku writer who returned from a long hiatus and insisted in creating a competition. It was awkward and weird. Totally killed my inspiration. I ignore that person and exist in my own space because my haiku are original. I never claimed to do anything first, especially where a 3,000 year-old art form is concerned.

My real enemy is social media. I added “horror” to my blog name to differentiate between any other halloween haikus, no matter when they started. I thought I would gain more followers doing that. The unpleasant reality is my blog is a little too niche, even for fans of Halloween, horror, or haiku. Thus, I’ve failed to make any kind of mark. I don’t have the time to keep up Halloween trends, nor the skills to run entertaining or informative social media accounts. If you’ve noticed, I stepped back from Meta (Facebook) and Twitter altogether. While I’m happy to be part of The Samhain Society, it seems my lot in life is to always be the square in a circle. But, hey, this is no pity party. I am GenX. Being alone ain’t nothing new.

So, here I am, giving blogging in 2023 a chance. This year I’m going back to basics, just writing haiku. Halloween and horror haiku to be specific. Trying something new though, all my haiku will connect to tell a story that fits a monthly theme. Actually, I did it in December 2022. Every Monthly Haiku Corner, I will announce the theme and give readers a little background blurb. From there, a tale will unfold week after week and by the end of the year, I should have 12 different micro stories, told in haiku format. Occasionally, I’ll post some other stuff too, a horror movie list for those looking for recommendations, a Friday Fright Nightcap here, a Wicked Art Wednesday showcase there, but mostly, it will be all about the Halloween and horror haiku.

I wish everyone all the best this year. May 2023 be good to you. Be safe and have fun. May you find love and inspiration this year, and of course, good health, joy, happiness, and prosperity.

Haiku of the week

Monday Macabre is all about the scares during the October, but this year, we’re tapping into the psychological fear of dystopian Halloween horror.

Humans wear the scariest masks. Their desperate power grabs will not only destroy our beloved holiday, but civilized society along with it.

scary masks of death
nuclear Halloween
trick or treat no more

Poe Sundays – Extraordinary Tales

Every Sunday in October is Poe Sunday, the day we celebrate the Master of Macabre, Edgar Allan Poe. This year, I’ll suggest the best movie adaptations of Poe’s work.

Raul Garcia writes and directs this dark animated anthology of Edgar Allan Poe’s most beloved gothic tales, featuring both new voiceover and original pre-recorded narration from horror’s most legendary actors and directors. It’s colorful surrealist animation and perfectly ghastly for Poe lovers to watch on Halloween night.

Poe Sundays – House of Usher

Every Sunday in October is Poe Sunday, the day we celebrate the Master of Macabre, Edgar Allan Poe. This year, I’ll suggest the best movie adaptations of Poe’s work.

Atmospheric and spooky, House of Usher may be the best most faithful Poe story adaption that director Roger Corman ever created. Vincent Price, Mark Damon, and Myrna Fahey, earnestly chew through Richard Matheson’s screenplay so well, gothic drama oozing out of their pores in every scene, until that thrilling legendary cinematic end.

Haiku of the Week

It’s been 90 years since the fall. Food is scarce and crops are bad. A short life is still life. How long does it take for the soil to return fruitful harvest after a nuclear holocaust? What lengths should a farm go to to protect what’s theirs?

poisoned stalks of corn
90 years after the fall
the scarecrow

Monday Macabre is all about the scares during October, but this year, we’re tapping into the psychological fear of dystopian Halloween horror. My haiku is inspired by this ghoulish robot scarecrow.

Jenkins the Scarecrow by Oleksandra Shchaslyva

Artist: Oleksandra Shchaslyva

To view more of her stunning art, please go here: https://www.artstation.com/schastlivaya

Monthly Haiku Corner – July

Happy July 4th! Believe it or not, there are still many spots in world’s oceans that have not been explored. We still do not fully understand ocean’s wildlife and what hidden dangers may lurk at the bottom of the deepest, darkest trenches of the sea. Our theme this month is creatures of the deep. Be careful where you swim.