Cabin in the City

Books, cats and midwestern charm.

Spooky Stuff

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Spooky Podcasts for October Nights

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The second October hits, I’m in full-on spooky mode. Pretty much everything I watch, read or listen to for the whole month will need to be supernatural, otherworldly or generally eerie. Sure, I’m interested in these things all year, but I like having a special occasion excuse.

One of my favorite ways to bask in all the glory of Halloween is to cue up some scary podcats. I’ll put these on as I stitch in the morning or on my way to work. It’s a great way to sneak in some haunted vibes in what would normally be downtime. Here’s what I’m listening to this year (and always):

Lore

Obviously! This is the essential spooky podcast if you ask me. Aaron Mahnke digs up unusual stories from history and tells them in a way that is at times tedious (I find he uses about ten words when one would do) but almost always spinetingling. I love how this podcast has exposed me to some of the lesser known haunts and legends of the world, and I like how they run about 20 to 30 minutes, perfect for a commute.

Here are my essential episodes:

  • Black Stockings: This is as good as Lore gets, in my opinion. A tragic story about an Irish woman and changelings.
  • The King: A story about an island off the coast of Mexico and how it was overthrown by a terrifying lighthouse keeper – and then how women took it back. I find this tale really fascinating. If anyone writes a book based on this story, let me know!
  • On the Farm: There aren’t a lot of concrete details about the Hinterkaifeck murders, but Mahnke doesn’t mind. He made a whole episode about it (and I gobbled it up whole).
  • Mary, Mary: I thought about this one for days.

Stuff You Missed in History Class

This was the first podcast I ever listened to. While it’s not categorically spooky, there are special Halloween-themed episodes every year. This is a great podcast for when you’re in the mood for creepy stuff but don’t necessarily want to be scared out of your wits.

Welcome to Nightvale

A pal of mine recommended this to me years ago. At the time I scoffed at the idea of a fiction podcast. And then I scoffed after listening to the first episode. But then I listened to about a dozen last year and loved it. Definitely weird in that Twilight Zone way (that’s a good way). I don’t have any recommended episodes here. Just start at the beginning and see how far it takes you.

• • •

I think that’s a pretty good start for anyone looking to jump into the scary podcast world! If you have any recommendations, let me know – I’m dying to hear them.

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Small Goals // October 2018

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September last for about five days, I swear. Let’s see how I did on what I thought were pretty relaxed goals.

  1. Get some California-cool pieces. Fail on this one! I ordered a Stitch Fix box but it was a flop. I ordered a few things from Mata Traders but they didn’t come in time! But I did get a Kindle for the trip and it made all the difference.
  2. Check out Cedarburg’s Wine & Harvest Fest. Done! I went with my mom and we had a great time.
  3. Host my Tupperware party like a pro. Done! We had a lot of fun!
  4. Hit the gym six times (or more). Ugh! I went five times. So close.
  5. Finish up all my stitching to-dos. I’ve still got two in the queue. Drat.

2/5. I feel like September was more stressful than I anticipated it to be! My goal was to be productive, but instead, I was overwhelmed a lot of the time. I need to chill out! So for October, I’m going to focus on some more relaxed goals. Yes, I still want to go to the gym and stay on top of my stitching, but I need space for fun stuff just as much.

Plus, October is one of my favorite months of the year. It’s 31 days where I get to embrace all the weird occult stuff I love. That means scary movies, creepy podcasts, wearing head-to-toe black and enjoying staying inside while the winds howl. So let’s get moving on October and Halloween-adjacent goals!

  1. List my Halloween hoops. I’ve got one productive goal on here. I’ve got two new Halloween hoops. Got to list them now!
  2. Start a new spooky series. Picnic at Hanging Rock popped up as a recommendation on Amazon for me, and I’m intrigued. Also, there’s a lighthouse-centric Ghost Adventures coming to the Travel Channel. It’s going to be awful but I will watch it. Also a scary Sabrina reboot is coming to Netflix. It’s a dream come true!
  3. Read something scary, creepy or thrilling (and finish it). I’m in the middle of Affinity by Sarah Waters right now (it’s a slow start), but I’ve really got my eye on The Witches of New York by Ami McKay and The End of Temperance Dare by Wendy Webb.
  4. Do something scary or spine-tingling. My friends and I visited Shakers (a haunted cigar bar in Milwaukee) for a quick drink one night. The waitress tipped us off to some regular tarot readings there. Maybe that’s in the future (or a ghost tour or a trip to Old World Wisconsin).
  5. Think of a fun and easy Halloween costume. I’m really angling for Bob and Linda from Bob’s Burgers right now. Let’s see if Michael will agree. (Also very open to being Gayle and Linda!)

Well, here’s to easy, seasonal goals this month! If you’ve got goals, let me know! I love to see what everyone else is up to.

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On Embracing My Aries Energy

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I’ve always been reluctant to label myself as an Aries, despite by April 4 birthday (smack dab in the middle of Aries season). Everything you hear about Aries is competitive this, fiery temper that, and I never really related to those traits (or many other Aries signatures outside of impatience). Instead, I read my horoscope for my moon sign (Pisces) and generally considered myself to be an astrological reject.

But not anymore. I decided that whether or not I seem like an Aries, I am one, and I should embrace the energy that comes along with it. After all, as my sister tells me all the time, Aries is the superpower of the zodiac. Who wouldn’t want that?

Now, you might be thinking Lisa, first it was tarot, then you dabbled in numerology and now we have to hear about your zodiac opinions? Yeah. It’s the Pisces moon in me.

This dawned on me as I was walking into work the other day. I was dealing with some contractor issues which caused some conflict between Michael and me. Admittedly, I spent the ride to work crying to my mom and feeling sorry for myself, insisting there was nothing I could do to make this project go right. But I had to pull myself together. So I ditched the sniffling, walked inside and thought You are a bad bitch and a problem solver and you are going to make things go your way. That is some Aries thinking if I ever heard it.

So now I’m thinking that I shouldn’t shy away from the take charge, go get it energy. I need to embrace it and channel it in a way that works for me.

Plus, Jonathan Van Ness (of Queer Eye fame) is an Aries with a Pisces moon (thanks to @notallgeminis for that intel!). So if I can embody one percent of that energy, I’m down!

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A Bayfield-Adjacent Haunt [Spooky!]

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One last Bayfield post for you folks! Yeah, it was only a four-day trip, but we did a lot and why not share it! Now, let’s get into my last little story.

You ever have those moments when you just know you and your partner are a good match? Maybe they get you the gift you’ve always wanted or you both say the same thing at the same time. I had that moment as we were driving home from Superior and I saw an old schoolhouse. I thought that it would be cool to slow down and look at it, but I didn’t say anything. But I didn’t have to – Michael was already pulling over in front of it. Talk about soulmates, right?

Anyways, we got out of the car and poked our heads in pretty cautiously. I’m all for exploring weird places, but I didn’t want to barge in just in case it was a part of someone’s property nearby or other weirdos were also taking a look around. But as we peered around the corner, we saw the coast was clear. And I was pretty shocked to find that the place wasn’t empty!

Inside, there weren’t desks or anything like that, but it was pretty full. There was an old kitchen with a very vintage fridge, a few chairs, a pool table and a very spooky piano with broken keys. Obviously, Michael had to play it. He plunked away and had a little boogie going for a minute. On our way out, we gave the old iron merry-go-round a spin. Very Are You Afraid of the Dark?

The next morning we started to get our stuff together to leave, and Michael turned to me and said, “So what if we went back to the spooky schoolhouse so I could record a song?” I know Michael and this came as a very unsurprising surprise. So we packed our bags and headed back to Cloverland (I keep wanting to call it Cloverfield because it’s spooky).

The second visit was equally spooky but with way more bugs (just setting the scene here). Michael settled in pretty quickly and belted out an entire song he had written sometime in the previous 12 hours. I don’t know how he does it.

Truthfully, the song is too scary for me, and I mean that in the best way possible.

Anyways, these are the fun things we do on our trips: bookshops, islands, lighthouses and recording songs in spooky locations. We know how to have fun!

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Fall Feels + Spooky Sounds

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So far this fall has not been giving me the cool, breezy weather I’ve been craving. How can I don my favorite flannel shirt and boots if it’s 70º outside? How can I be expected to enjoy apple picking if I’m sweating at the orchard? But I decided that if Mother Nature isn’t going to provide fall feelings, I’d make them instead.

That’s when I dragged my Halloween decorations out and put some Fleetwood Mac on the hi-fi. It was finally fall.

I realized flipping through our record collection , that most of our albums made me feel nostalgic and cozy. I mean, we have a ton of Christmas albums and those are instant warm fuzzy-makers. But so many other albums made me think of windy fall days, hot drinks and just being inside my weird little cabin. (From fall and into the holidays is when my house feels most itself.)

Here are my favorite fall albums currently in my collection.

Rumours by Fleetwood Mac 

A classic! As a child I loved Fleetwood Mac and would jam out to “Don’t Stop” whenever it came on the radio. Everyone knows Rumours, but I don’t care. Just listen to “Never Going Back Again” and tell me it isn’t the prettiest.

Unicorn by T. Rex

Michael shared this album with me years ago, and I instantly loved it. It’s psychedelic, hippie ren faire goodness. Plus with songs about black cats, owls, wizards and alchemists, it’s a Halloween no-brainer. This one is probably a tough sell for most people, but I highly recommend the track “Cat Black” for starters.

Tapestry by Carole King

This is such a mom album, a really great mom album. Filled with classics “You’ve Got a Friend” and “Where You Lead,” it really pairs well with gusty winds and falling leaves. Plus “So Far Away” fills me with that sort of melancholy nostalgia that fall can bring – in a good way.

His 20 Greatest Hits by Harry Belafonte

I love the movie Beetlejuice (obviously). You’ve got Alec Baldwin at his absolute dreamiest, Winona Ryder as style queen Lydia Deetz and an amazing soundtrack! I’m tempted to buy the actual album because the Danny Elfman score is top-notch (and it’s the perfect accompaniment for pumpkin carving), but half the fun is all the Harry Belafonte tracks. I mean don’t tell me you don’t think of this scene when you hear “Day-O!”

What are your favorite fall albums? I love hearing what puts people in that fall state of mind.

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Spooky Hoops // What’s New in Kaminski Handicraft

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It’s no secret that I’m all about spooky things here on this blog – or embroidery for that matter. So it’s not really a surprise that I’ve combined the two for a few scary shop updates at Kaminski Handicraft.

My first hoop is a real pride and joy piece for me. I dabbled with a new text style and new colors to make this Beetlejuice hoop. As a kid I loved Lydia Deetz, so this one is close to my heart. Plus, I feel like the red rose fabric (major heart eye emojis) and metallic black hoop scream Lydia.

For those looking for a more obvious Halloween-theme, I obviously had to tap into my 90s childhood for a Hocus Pocus hoop. It’s really a shame that this one doesn’t photograph that well, but I think it’s bewitching nonetheless. Bonus: the fabric glows in dark. Super cool.

And of course, Halloween would not be complete for me without some X-Files references. For those of you keeping track, Michael and I won a costume contest last year dressing up as Mulder and Scully. We’re way into it. And I’m way into these hoops! You can find them here and here.

For those interested parties, get these hoops now! I ship them out pretty quickly (within three days), but who doesn’t want to celebrate Halloween sooner than later?

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The Stars Align: Tarot Art Show

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Once in a while, the universe does me some wonderful and mysterious favors. And more rarely, the universe does me some wonderful, mysterious and coordinated favors.

Proof? A few months back, I wanted to get a little more serious about my interest in tarot. I had been envisioning embroidering tarot cards for some time – as a for fun, witchy woman sort of thing – but didn’t really want to go at it until I knew more about tarot readings and what the cards symbolize. I expressed some interest in this to some friends one day – less than a week later I got an email from my local yoga studio advertising an upcoming tarot workshop. That’s some great timing.

But then just a few days after the class, I was mindlessly scrolling through Instagram and I saw that an artist I follow, Lesley Numbers, posted a final call for artists for her art show. Her tarot-themed art show. HOLY SHIT.

Talk about the stars aligning, right?

Lucky for me, Lesley still had cards available to assign. Through the powers of divination and random assignment, I was given the Knight of Cups. I obviously took this as a sign and immediately googled its meaning. Just like drawing the Fool, it turns out the Knight of Cups had some relevant messages for me. The Knight of Cups can symbolize energy and drive (but in a controlled and peaceful way) as well as creativity. Ummmm… is it just me that sees that card as the perfect parallel for this project? Tarot is real, everyone.

With this assignment and metaphysical encouragement, I got to work embroidering my most complex project yet: the traditional Smith-Waite Knight of Cups. It took about 40 hours to complete (and some really sore fingers), and I think it turned out really well! I’m pretty proud of this one.

Some of the really lovely cards on display in the Bubbler inside Madison’s Central Library.

For all you locals, you can see my work in-person, along with cards from 150+ artists, at The Bubbler inside Madison’s Central Library now through the end of April. And if you’re really into this idea, you can attend the opening on Friday, April 14 – there will be other works on view, including some from Lesley Numbers herself, the library’s artist in residence. You can find all the details about the event here.

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The Fool

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Happy belated New Year, friends. I’ve been away for a bit, but I can assure you it’s because I’ve taken up lots of new habits (like trying to bring my lunch to work everyday and not eat every French fry). I’ve also been focusing more on general goals, like spending more time doing things that make me happy and aren’t hours of Netflix.

That is precisely how I ended up taking a tarot class at my local yoga studio. I’ve always been interested in all things new age-y, supernatural and spooky (see here, here and here), so taking this class really wasn’t a big stretch. I was sort of hesitant at first because no one really needs to take a tarot class, but no one needs to spend hours making plastic canvas houses either. So I signed up. I’ve been interested in learning more about tarot for a while but never got too far into my internet research – besides I learn better in-person anyways.

I hopped over to Tosa Yoga on Friday the 13th – a full moon – and sat down to hear what Erika Schreck of Turtle Healing Energy had to say. And I was totally enlightened.

After some basic introductions and an overview of the deck, the instructor had us all ask ourselves What do I need to know right now? as we picked a tarot card from the deck fanned on the floor. As I approached, I saw an end card and was like nah –not the end. But then she called out, “First choice is best choice!” Makes sense for an intuitive sort of craft like tarot. Turns out it also made sense for me!

I drew, as the title will tell you, the Fool. I definitely had sort of a aww really? moment about it. I drew the Fool out of all the 76 cards? But since I was completely uneducated about the whole tarot deck, I had no idea how appropriate this card was.

Erika came by and gently explained its meaning: Fool is the start of the tarot deck – it’s numbered as zero – and the Major Arcana (the cards that are not Wands, Swords, Pentacles or Cups) is essentially the journey of the Fool. This means that the Fool is the start of something – though I may not know exactly what.

She went on to say that if I don’t know what direction to head in, it’s a good time to listen to myself, the world and try to learn a bit more before I start forging a path. That piece of wisdom really struck a chord with me. For some time I’ve been searching for something new – whether that’s opening an Etsy shop, exploring a new career path or maybe none of those things – so hearing that I could be on the cusp of something (rather than stuck) really lifted my spirits.

Truthfully, the whole class lifted my spirits – not just pulling a card that spoke to me. Sitting in the studio for a few hours on a Friday with a bunch of like-minded women really tapped into a few things I love most: learning, sisterhood and all things magical and mysterious. Maybe that’s a little something I needed to learn before I start my journey.

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The Truth Is Out There

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It is! And by truth I mean “the perfect costume.” That’s right – some real 90s nostalgia, X-Files style. I can’t get enough of this Scully and Mulder getup. It’s too funny to me.

xfiles_1

Michael and I have never been ones for couples’ costumes for no real reason at all, but now being married, we figured it was time to take the leap – provided we had the right kind of couple-y costume. Well, Mulder and Scully is the perfect couple costume, so we embraced it fully. Yes, I’m wearing a long 90s lady blazer. Yes, Michael is wearing pleated suit pants with a cuff. Yes, we wholeheartedly researched what type of ties Mulder wore. And, yes, I was the one that so lovingly styled Michael’s amazing 90s ‘do. I love it all from the flashlight to the phony badges.

xfiles_4

And turns out other people love it too – we won the costume contest at the party we hit up last weekend. Turns out other people want to believe too.

xfiles_3

P.S. You can find our matching Scully and Mulder pins (though they are hard to see) here.

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It’s In the Cards

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Hey, kittens! I’m back from my (incredibly long) hiatus. I assure you it’s for a good reason. See, for the past few months I’ve been working on applying to, interviewing for and starting a new job. Yay!

Now, I had been keeping my eye out for new opportunities for a while, but nothing was really materializing. I wanted to stick to writing but wasn’t sure if I wanted to stick to retail. Since this was weighing on me so heavily, I shouldn’t have been surprised when I had my cards read back in New Orleans this fall that the topic of career popped up. The reader said to me, “Nope. What you have is not for you. You’d do well in the medical field.” I love to believe in this sort of thing, but I was having a hard time with that one. The medical field? I’m not a nurse. I’m pretty sure that sounds crazy boring. 

Job

Well, December rolled around and a pal of mine emailed a job posting to me. The company he worked for was hiring a copywriter. And the company? Wouldn’t you know it, they sold medial equipment.

And here I am now with a brand new job that I’m totally digging – a totally new field, cool people and all the Cherry Coke I can drink. Cheers!