Betsy Snow White Bibliophile

Tag: Level Up 2022

  • October 25- 27: October Bucket List, TBR and Book Bingo Check In!

    October 25- 27: October Bucket List, TBR and Book Bingo Check In!

    It has been a couple of days so, let’s check in on my October Bucket List, TBR and Book Bingo. I have already blogged about some of these events, but here we go:

    • Witch Walk 2022
    • Dark Market 2022
    • Carve a Pumpkin
    • Go to a Halloween Party
    • Celebrate our 10th anniversary
    • Attend Ren Faire at least once a weekend – It is the final weekend and once I hit October I have gone at least once a weekend.
    • Tales from the Crypt at Green Lawn Abbey – This is tomorrow night.
    • Finish and upgrade Mothman Costume for Faire – Got the final pieces on the way. Debuts on Sunday.
    • Read 4 books – I have read The Last Graduate, Pumpkin Pie, When Life Gives You Vampires and The Kiss Curse
    • Create a great basket for my spooky basket buddy
    • Have a fire and make smores
    • Send out Halloween Cards – Probably Hand delivering at this point. Shrug.
    • Complete the Lionarts Tarot Challenge for October

    So where am I at bookish Bingo:

    I got a Bingo thanks to The Kiss Curse! It put me over with people wearing disguises or costumes! This was genuinely fun.

    And the master video of Halloween Countdown for the 25th thru the 27th:

  • October 23 – 24: Spooky Basket

    I had previously mentioned that I was doing a Spooky Basket Exchange. Well, my buddy received their bucket on Saturday and I hope they liked it. I received mine on Sunday and I loved it. Behold the bounty!

    Popcorn!!!
    Light up kitty, mothman mug, horror bag and little wooden coffin full of pins.
    Poison Apple Mug
    Wooden pins: mothman, the craft and hocus pocus
    The ladies of the Craft wine glass
    Hocus Pocus spell shirt
    Halloweentown Shirt
    Little punkin
    Bandanas: most wonderful time of the year halloween and hocus pocus
    Skeleton headband, hocus pocus puzzle, and cute spooky kitty bag.
    The witch is in and Welcome spell bottle signs.
    Big comfy blanket with spooky blocks.

    I love every piece. Especially the pin of the Grand High Wizard from The Worst Witch…omg. And the poison apple mug. And the shirts…

    Here is the combined halloween countdown for the 23rd and 24th:

  • October 21-22: Witch Walk 2022

    On Saturday, at noon, several witches met at the gazebo in Goodale Park in Columbus, Ohio. We took a few pictures and then set forth to take a walk through the Short North.

    We proceeded to promenade until we reached The Eagle where we grab brunch and cocktails.

    My delicious Sandwich.

    After brunch we walked up to Prologue where I picked up two books:Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor and High Times in the Low Parlinent by Kelly Robson. I also got a cute bookmark and a whole bunch of stickers.

    Then my sister and I headed to Dark Market. They had amazing vendors, and Sacred Shimmy performed. Here is a video of Sacred Shimmy performing.

    I bought a bunch of different things. Several crystals, a spell frog, caramel apple body scrub made by my friend Heather, peacock quills, Mothman Earrings, and a big red hair flower with an anatomical heart. I could have bought so much more.

    Here is the extended cut of Halloween Countdown for 21 – 22:

  • October 19 and 20 – Creepy Reads

    October 19 and 20 – Creepy Reads

    Do you ever read a book and it isn’t necessarily scary but it just leaves you with a skin crawling feeling of creepy? These are not always horror books, but are the books that just keep you on edge and leave you uncomfortable even after the book is done. Here are some of the books that have done this for me:

    Mexican Gothic was one of my favorite reads for 2019/2020, but it absolutely left me with some major icky creepies. This is the story of Noemi who is sent to retrieve her cousin after she receives a missive from the cousin claiming that her husband is trying to poison her. She heads to High Place to find her cousin is quite ill, the house is covered in mushrooms, and everything about this home is creepy. I cannot recommend this book higher, but be prepared for the effects to linger.

    Geek Love is the story of a traveling carnival who goes to extreme lengths to create children who can fill their freak show. The book is so good, but just leaves you with this feeling of bleagh.

    Palahniuk was barely scraping the surface of wild in Fight Club and that is never more obvious than in Haunted. The plot is a “writers group” gets locked into a old Theatre and becomes a social experiment. I have whole scenes from this book that I will never forget. Not for the faint of heart, but a truly creepy read.

    The story of an adult man who “falls in love” with a 12 year old girl, gets rid of her mother, and makes himself the girl’s guardian so they can “be together”. Everything about this book is cringy, creepy and leaves you feeling icky.

    The one that started it all. I read this book at an age that was far too young, probably 10. Certainly I was not prepared for child abuse, starvation, incest, rape, and one incredibly graphic scene after being force fed castor oil. Yeah…not horror but horrific.

    This is my list of the creepiest books I have ever read. Have you read any of these? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you have books you would add?

    Here is the video for Halloween Countdown day 19:

    And from the 20th:

  • October 18 – Sisters, Podcasts, Sweethearts, and Faire Days

    October 18 – Sisters, Podcasts, Sweethearts, and Faire Days

    My older sister, Krystie, was in town the end of last week and the weekend. We went to dinner at Studio 35 Friday night to get to spend some time with her. After that I came home to record WTF Did I Just Watch Podcast with Jenny and Jean-Paul and fellow guests Randy, Jon and Char discussing the 1983 Stephen King joint Silver Bullet. It was a really fun and funny discussion of a batshit bananas film.

    Saturday we headed down to the Ohio Renaissance Festival once again. It was romance weekend. I barked for Wench Collecting before gate and for about 40 minutes after open. People were eager to play which is always exciting. Once inside we decided to try the new ramen place Dante’s Third Circle. I got mine Tingly Tongue spicy, and Seth got Why did you do this, lol. It was pretty dang good. We bought some boozy cakes at Let Them Drink Cake and bought a friend a pendant from my friends at The Wired Viking. At 2:15 the Wenches met for a photo.

    We had some amazing conversations with our fellow ORFans and left basically at close and headed home.

    On Sunday Chris, Niki and the Niblings came down to Ren Faire as well so I took a break from barking, but still got collected quite a bit. I bought a beautiful felted flower from A viking Wife. Seth and I decided that in honor of our 10 year anniversary we would take part in the mass vow renewal that happens on Romance Weekend.

    Photo 1 courtesy of Stephen Kohus

    The ceremony was very sweet. The officiant quoted Neil Gaiman. I cried (not that this is shocking). We found family again and ran around a bit until it was 2:15 and time for the wench picture.

    I met several new wenches, and talked to some I never get to talk to. It was really nice. Niki also decided she wants to be a wench! So we are going to work on that.

    More faire photos from Romance Weekend.

    I knew I had a podcast to record later so we headed out so I had time to watch Dracula and get ready to record. So watch out for GGG to cover the Bela Lugosi classic soon.

    Monday we had dinner with my Mom and sisters again because Krystie needed to head home to Oklahoma Tuesday. We got a family photo while we were together.

    Halloween Countdown for 14, 15-17 and 18. Tomorrow starts my double countdown.

  • October 13 – A Wonderful Gift and Book Bingo

    October 13 – A Wonderful Gift and Book Bingo

    My sister made me an amazing gift and gave it to me this past weekend. She used one of the horseshoes removed from her horse, Arlo. 

    As to where I stand on bookish bingo…no bingo yet, but I am hopeful.

    And the Halloween Countdown for the 13th:

  • October 12 – My October Bucket List Review

    • Witch Walk 2022
    • Dark Market 2022
    • Carve a Pumpkin
    • Go to a Halloween Party
    • Celebrate our 10th anniversary
    • Attend Ren Faire at least once a weekend
    • Tales from the Crypt at Green Lawn Abbey
    • Finish and upgrade Mothman Costume for Faire
    • Read 4 books
    • Create a great basket for my spooky basket buddy
    • Have a fire and make smores
    • Send out Halloween Cards
    • Complete the Lionarts Tarot Challenge for October

    I have added a couple of items and I am working on some of these but one is down.

    Halloween countdown for the 12th:

  • October 11 – Taking down the Christmas Tree

    October 11 – Taking down the Christmas Tree

    The last couple years with plague, school, work, wenches and life have been difficult. I often felt stretched beyond my limits and the result of that was my Christmas tree staying up since I put it up in December of 2020. Part of it was that it had my favorite ornaments on it which made me happy to look at but part of it was just that at any given time I simply did not have the energy to take the tree down.

    Yesterday, the tree came down. I was doing a general clean up and I said, that tree is coming down today. So I took all the ornaments and put them in the tote that had been sitting by the tree since 2020 just waiting to be loaded back up with ornaments. I disassembled the tree and put it away. I swept the area where the tree had been.

    Today it feels like a weight I did not realize I was carrying was lifted off my shoulders. The tree is down. And I think I will put up the pink tree in its place this year. But I finally had the energy left to do this simple, but necessary task. What other simple things have I been neglecting for myself while filling other baskets with energy. All I know is that the Christmas tree is down. And I feel great about it.

    Also, today Angela Lansbury died. I loved her in so many films, shows and plays. Here is a collage of some of my favorite roles of hers clockwise from top left: As Eglentine Price in Bedknobs and Broomsticks, as Nancy in Gaslight, as Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd, as Princess Gwendolyn in The Court Jester, as Aunt Adelaide in Nanny McPhee, and as Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote.

    Halloween Coundown for day 11:

  • October 10 – I got a Book Box in the Mail!

    I follow several authors on TikTok one of which is Katelyn Brawn aka @atomicapplepie. She announced that there would be a book box for her book Pumpkin Pie so I jumped at the chance to support someone I follow and bought the box with the hardback book cover. I decided to record a video of the opening and then I will describe the contents.

    Video of Book Box unboxing

    Aside from a hardback copy of Pumpkin Pie I received: a bracelet made by the author, a tube of bath soak, a honey soap, a pumpkin spice honey lip balm, honey stix, a beautiful fairy book mark and author themed tea in Henry David Thoreau which was apple based and sounds delicious. Oh, and a recipe card for the pumpkin pie made in the book.

    Overall it is a super cute box, I can’t wait to make some tea and read my new book.

    I realized that I forgot to post my Halloween Countdown for yesterday so I clipped them together and here is day 9 and 10:

    Days 9 and 10 of Halloween Countdown.
  • October 9 – Fall Adventure on the way to a Bridal Shower

    October 9 – Fall Adventure on the way to a Bridal Shower

    My Mom, sister Traci, aunt Gayle, and I were on our way to North Canton for my cousin’s daughter’s bridal shower and we were running a bit early. Then we saw a sign for Groovy Plants Ranch. And suddenly we were headed off the exit and heading that way.

    They had some of the most beautiful displays of pumpkins and gourds. I was excited to find that they were reasonably priced as well. I grabbed a large white cindrella pumpkin and another almost pink smaller one. I also picked up some cute little ceramic mushrooms and a bumper sticker for on my van.

    Behold the beautiful fall bounty!!