Small Business Spotlight - Mourning Star Curio Shop in Tucson, Arizona!

 

I love visiting oddities shops anytime I am near one, so I was excited to check out Mourning Star Curio & see what they had in store for me. I love that it is tucked away in a cute historic little alley way of an old building, it almost feels like ducking into a train station waiting platform. The shop itself feels whimsical & the lighting and decor really helps add to the ambiance. 

They had a wonderful selection of products from a number of local artists. You can find prints, stickers, crochet plushies, jewelry, cups, taxidermy, insect specimens, and much more tucked away into this little shop. Although the store was a little smaller than I expected (width wise), the owners did a fantastic job with picking out the perfect shelves and displays to make the store not feel cluttered. 

It was lovely looking around at everything the shop had to offer. I ended up grabbing a pair of earrings and some delightfully scented incense and my daughter picked out a print she wanted. My mother & step-dad also ended up buying a few things while we were there. During check out I was able to pick out a free stone from a little dish she had on the counter, there was a nice assortment of moon and star shaped stones to choose from. She also put everything in a little gift bag with a little bit of tissue paper to keep everything in place. Next time I am back in Tucson, I am sure I will stop by again to see what is new! 

If you are looking for more adventures in Tucson type in "Things to do in Tucson" or "Things to do in Arizona" (You can also click the link) in the search bar of my blog.

💗This post is not sponsored. I love sharing awesome new spots I find with my readers!

Winchester Mystery House Review!

 

For quite some time I've wanted to visit the Winchester Mystery house in person, even way before the movie it was a spot on my list of places to visit. The history of the house is quite interesting & I've always loved things that are spooky/supernatural so of course it was on my list of places to see. We were finally able to stop by in December on a family trip to California, thus we were able to be there when it was decorated for Christmas. 

I thought it was interesting that they allowed guests to take photographs, but we were all told we couldn't film inside of any of the rooms. Our whole tour lasted about an hour, and it took us through about a dozen rooms in the house. The house is much larger than that, but a lot of the rooms are closed off to the public. 

The tour might not be for everyone, the ticket prices are a little high & none of the furniture in the house is original from when the home belonged to Sarah Winchester. However the furniture is from the same time period, after she had passed away her niece inherited all of her belongings so she kept what she wanted & sold off the rest. I didn't want to visit for the furniture though, I can to see the house itself. It's story and the way it was built is interesting and something we aren't likely to see again, so the tour kept us interested and we had a good time. 

If I ever happen to be blessed enough to build my own home, I would definitely want an indoor green house like the rooms she had built here. It would be nice to have a whole indoor space to take care of my plants and protect them from the elements. Speaking of plants, the property has a large garden which you can also tour. We weren't able to do that this time around because we were on a schedule but we did opt to buy a photography package. You were given some period friendly clothing to wear over your own & then the photographer takes you inside of the house to take some photos inside of the rooms. 

We 100% thought the photography package was worth it because not only did we get to take photos inside of some of the rooms you aren't allowed to enter on the tour, but the photographer told us quite a bit of extra information and history of the house. The gift shop was lovely as well, they had a ton of stuff to look at if you are waiting for your tour time to start. I picked up a few small souvenirs to bring home with me, but I was sad that all of the penny press machines and such were not working.  All in all, it was a lovely visit and I can cross this off of my to do list! If I had a chance to see more of the house and explore the gardens, I would come back again. 

If you are planning a trip to California & are looking for other activities to do feel free to type in "Things to do in California" in the search bar of my blog so you can find some other great activities in California. You can also click the "Things to do in California" link located on the right hand side of my blog/in this post.

🟊 This is not a sponsored post, we paid for this ourselves. I just enjoy sharing awesome spots with my readers. 

Terror Trader Arizona's Year Round Horror Marketplace!

 

As someone who is a fan of horror movies, spooky things & lover of Halloween I am so happy that Arizona has had a few horror & gothic style stores pop up within the last year or two. One of the horror themed stores here in Arizona is called Terror Trader which is a year round horror marketplace. You'll be able to browse & shop selections from a number of local small artists all under one roof. They are located at 941 W Elliot Rd Suite 3 Chandler, AZ 85225. 

Along with having a large variety of products to purchase there are also free photo opportunities with their life sized props including a coffin in one of the small rooms that you are able to stand in to snap a phot. There is also a small room which features a mini museum of oddities that is pretty cool to check out. 

Everything in the store was well organized & each local seller had their own little section that featured their products. You could find pretty much everything including trading pins, taxidermy, clothing, jewelry, props, masks and more. This spot is a great place to pick up a few creepy, spooky or awesome finds all while supporting not only Terror Trader but all of the local artists who sell their products in store. 

All of the staff were friendly when we were there, the store was easy to navigate. There were one or two small rooms that felt a little stuffy if too many people were in it at once, otherwise the store has plenty of space to roam around and look at everything. We enjoyed visiting & we will definitely be back the next time we are in the area to pick up a few more things. If you want to add another stop on your terrifying route, be sure to stop across the street to visit Spooky's Swirls where you can grab some horror themed baked treats and see their collection of props as well. 

Terror Trader also puts on events through out the year including larger pop up markets where vendors will set up their own booths and special horror movie nights at a local cinema. Be sure to check out their page to see what events are coming up, you won't want to miss out on their Spooktacular events! 

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page).

★ This is not a sponsored post, we paid for this on our own. I enjoy sharing new places we explore with my followers.

Creepy Crate October/November Review!

All of the horror/spooky/Halloween fans out there might be a little sad that Halloween is over, but that doesn't mean you can't have some surprise scares through out the year. Creepy Crate is a Horror & True Crime themed subscription box that ships out bi-monthly, in each crate you'll receive a horror or true crime themed book along with several other goodies ranging from clothing to household goods. You can purchase a single box for $39.99 or subscribe for 3 to 6 boxes at a time to receive a bit of a discount on the boxes. 

Let's dig into what is included in the October/November Creepy Crate. The book included in this crate is "Book of Knives" by Lise Haines which is a chilling summer camp tale or "The Angel Maker" by Alex North which is a tale of a serial killer. The digital book included is "Angel of Mercy" by Andrew Neiderman a story about a killer nurse and her twin sister. 

The other items included are a set of Serial Killer gift tags to adorn your presents this holiday season, each one features a different serial killer. Three paper masks which pay homage to the 1980 movie Terror Train plus three stretchy strings to add to the masks so you can wear them. Also included is a coffee mug that says "Worlds Greatest Stepfather" which is from The Stepfather. A light bulb shaped notepad featuring Parasite, a Orphan bumper sticker - which is a movie I haven't seen yet, but have heard it is amazing. As an added bonus I received a CastleRock keychain which is a double for me as I received it in my last Creepy Crate box, so they must of had extras and added them to this crate. I also love getting items that are not only themed but useful such as the keychain and notepad (I write lots of notes). This crate is a great way to discover products from your favorite movies & true crimes and also a great way to discover new films, stories and books you've never heard of.

🎃 If you are a fan of horror films - Which film would you like to receive a fun collectable item from?

Not everyone is a fan of horror films, or creepy things. So if you aren't a fan, let me know what theme you'd love to get a Subscription box of. 

Disclaimer- Creepy Crate provided a box for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase. 

October Beauty & The Book Giveaway!

 

Hello October! 🎃 Spooky season has officially begun, though many of us started buying some of the new Halloween décor last month getting us into the Halloween spirit early. Weather wise, it doesn't feel like fall seeing as how it seems to want to stay in the nineties here, so I am hoping it starts to drop soon giving us those nice chilly fall mornings. During October we have a spooky/Halloween/horror movie spree where we watch one movie a day leading up to Halloween, it has become a tradition that we always look forward to. Some of the movies we will be watching are of course zombie related, if you are in the mood for zombies too check out this list of zombie shows & movies, I put together last year with some of my favorites.

I love Halloween & this time of the year! Pumpkin Patches, Haunted Houses, Mini Carnivals, Spooky Decor, Pumpkin Spice and the start of cooler weather, I love all of it. Of course, this month's Beauty & the Book giveaway is going to be slightly spooky themed for all of my fellow spooky lovers. Blog wise, I will have some great new reviews ranging from delicious treats to exciting board games to play. I will be working on some new giveaways as well so keep an eye out for those. As always thank you to everyone who frequently stops by my blog & supports me by interacting with my content.

I always enjoy gathering the goodies for my beauty and the book each month, I like picking up some of my personal favorite brands along with grabbing some new to me brands to include as well. This month's giveaway includes two books! You will get a paperback copy of "Unmasked; My life solving America's cold cases" along with a moth adult coloring book. Also included in this month's giveaway are the following goodies:

❤ Ioni full lash set
❤ Ioni 'Werewolf' blue mascara
❤ Ioni 'Mrs Jekyll' eyebrow kit
❤ Covergirl Black lipstick
❤ L.A Colors eyeshadow palette
❤ Black eyeshadow stick
❤ Face mask x2
❤ CBD shampoo/conditioner sample set
❤ Under eye patches
❤ Wet n Wild eyeshadow
❤ Three Harry Potter "Wand" makeup brushes
❤ Moroccan Oil protective spray
❤ Maybelline lipstick in red
❤ Kat Von D "Cake" eye liner pencil
❤ Dragon Pen
❤ Two Halloween Glitter bottles
❤ Gem face sticker
❤ The X-Files nail file
❤ Frankenstein's Monster + The Bride drink coasters
❤ Spider sun catcher
❤ Amika re-usable skull bag  

One lucky winner will win it all! When I notify the winner it will be via yahoo under my blogs previous name so it will come from Burningmoonproducts @ Yahoo.com so please make sure to add it to your approved list or be sure to check the spam filter on the email address you enter this giveaway with. I had to re-pick a few winners a few giveaways ago that didn't respond to emails or my IG message letting them know they won so new winners were selected for those giveaways. 

This is open World Wide! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the notification email! This giveaway is hosted by ME.

This giveaway ends on 11/02/2022

Giveaway entry question: Leave a comment answering at least one of these questions.

1. What is something fun & Halloween related you are looking forward to this month?
 2. If you plan on dressing up, what are you doing as this year?
3. Tell me what you would like to win the most from this prize pack.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can complete as many entries as you want, there are several one-time activities and daily activities that can earn you more entries into the giveaway. Be sure to keep an eye on my site & social media pages for more giveaways headed your way.

Creepy Crate August/September!

 

Guess who recently received their August/September Creepy Crate? Me! That's who. If you've been a reader of mine for a while you are very familiar with Creepy Crate by now & if you are new to my blog let me tell you what Creepy Crate is. Creepy Crate is a true crime & horror themed bi-monthly subscription box, boxes can include clothing, household goods & more plus they always come with one physical book + one digital book. Each crate typically has five or six physical items alongside one digital gift, you can purchase a single box for $39.99 or subscribe for 3 to 6 boxes at a time to receive a bit of a discount on the boxes. 

I've seen a lot of horror movies & I've read through quite a few cold cases in the past, but there is so much out there that there is still plenty to discover. That is one of my favorite things about this crate is that you will often find a mixture of themes you are familiar with and new thing to discover. 

This months physical book is "Number One Fan" by Meg Elison, some crates could have also received "They Drown Our Daughter" by Katrina Monroe instead. The copy of number one fan is actually a copy that is a uncorrected proof & is not available for sale, which means it could be slightly different from the final print and that there won't be a huge number of people who own this version. The digital book included in this months crate is a book called "Knife Fight" by David Nickle. 

The first item to pop out of the box as it is the largest & was right on top is a Frisbee that reads "Bates High School Class of '76" which is a souvenir inspired item from the movie Carrie. Carrie 1 & 2 were some of the first horror movies I watched & I have always enjoyed them so this was a neat item to receive in the crate. We will keep it with our park/camping stuff to use when we go out. The second largest item in this box is a 'Salem's Lot' water bottle. 

Also included in this crate is a car shaped eraser in the form of a 1958 Plymouth Fury which is the eveil car itself in the movie 'Christine'. A sew on patch shaped like a gravestone that reads "George Stark 1985-1991 Not a very nice guy", this was one I wasn't familiar with as I haven't read a large majority of Stephen King's work, but when I looked it up, I was surprised by the crazy tale I found. You can also read it here if you'd like. Last but not least is a fun Castle Rock keychain! I loved the first season, but I have been slacking and need to watch the second season to see what happens. 

Is there a product in this month's crate that stands out as your favorite? What is a horror movie or a true crime you'd want a keep sake of? 

Disclaimer- Creepy Crate provided a box for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase. 

Creepy Crate June/July Crate!

 

I always have a spooktastic time when my Creepy Crate arrives. Being someone who has always enjoyed spooky & horror themed books, movies and more these crates are perfect for me. Creepy Crate is a true crime & horror themed bi-monthly subscription box, boxes can include clothing, household goods & more plus they always come with one physical book + one digital book. Each crate typically has five or six physical items alongside one digital gift, you can purchase a single box for $39.99 or subscribe for 3 to 6 boxes at a time to receive a bit of a discount on the boxes. 

I have received several Creepy Crates in the past & I haven't had any major issues with any of my boxes. I only had a small issue with one box where a plastic cup smelled a bit funky. If you'd like to see what they had in previous boxes or read some of my other review, you can type in "Creepy Crate" in the search bar of my blog to see the other posts. Let's dig into what was in the latest crate I received.

The two books included was a physical copy of Helltown by Casey Sherman. It is a true crime novel based off of the Cape Cod serial killer in the 1960's. Also included was a digital copy of The Spirit Wood, which is a horror fantasy about a women in the woods. 

Another true crime item included in this box is the shirt featuring the Hex Hallow house, a real house in Stewartstown, Pennsylvania that was the center of a true crime in the 1920's. Prior to seeing this box I did not know what the Hex Hallow house was. This is part of the reason I enjoy these boxes is because I often find new stories or movies I didn't know about & are crazy to learn about. In this particular case a townsfolk was convinced their new neighbor had put a curse on them and it all went to hell from there. 

Also included was a cute small green yarn voodoo doll keychain which reminds me of the game Unravel 2 which features small yarn creatures as the playable characters. Growing up I always enjoyed watching the Final Destination movies, although like many I still refuse to drive behind or too close to trucks carrying lumber, metal poles, etc because of this movie! So it was nice to see a luggage tag included based off a plane crash in the movies breifly shown at the end of the first movie & shown in Final Destination 5. 

This box came with a Ghost hunt weekend voucher which sounds like it would be an interesting experience to take place in, but sadly all of the opportunities & tours they offer are all based on the East coast so I don't think I will get any use out of this. Sometimes the items in the box can be a hit or miss as it is with any subscription box and that is okay with me because I always know someone else who would be more than happy to receive what ever it is that I don't like. Last but not least was a curse of king tut hand fan, this is a nice sturdy hand fan that looks nice, my daughter enjoys how it looks so it is now her fan. 

What is your favorite item included in this box? For all of these who love Halloween & Spooky things, have you bought anything fun at the store lately?

Disclaimer- Creepy Crate provided a box for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Monster art by Johnathan Paine.

 

At the end of May I did a review on the brand Not Another Rubber Ducky, in the review I spoke about the creator Johnathan Paine. Johnathan Paine is a 3D character artist whose name you have seen in a number of movies & may not even have realized if you aren't someone who frequently pays attention to the credits. He has worked on films such as UP, Cars, and more! Now you can own a piece of his signed artwork through his Etsy shop called Me and My Monsters. He sells a number of greeting cards & art prints featuring his creature artwork. His studio is located in Canada, but my package arrived quickly and in excellent condition. 

I recently received one of his funny zombie greeting cards & an art print of Lonely Lionel who is a creature from the black lagoon. The greeting cards are 5 x 7 with a blank interior & comes with a white envelope. The cardstock used it thick, sturdy and the print looks fabulous on the front, full of color and fine details. It looks so nice, it is almost a shame to gift it or write in it because you'll want to keep it looking the same. The back of the card has a bit of info on the artist printed on them so whomever you gift it to can learn about the artist behind the print. The zombie is a little zany which adds a lot to his personality, he looks like a zombie that you might see as the role of a pet or friend zombie in a animated movie verses just being a crazed brain eater. Your card will arrive in a protective sleeve to keep your card looking crispy, clean & vibrant ready to be gifted.

I absolutely love lonely Lionel, the art print has a lot of fine details shown within the creature itself & in the background. This print also arrived in a protective sleeve and also had a protective sheet in front of the photo so nothing rubs off onto the plastic of the protective cover. The art print looks like a photography taken under water, I had bought a frame for it, however I had bought the wrong size. Once I get a proper frame, I can't wait to have this hanging up on my wall with my other slightly spooky home decor. Inside of your package, you'll also find special instructions on how to care for your print & frame it properly, so the ink doesn't get smudged or ruined. As a bonus the print has been signed & dated. So if you are a fan of his art, or are looking for a unique gift for a loved one stop by his Etsy shop to see what he has in store for you.

Disclaimer- Me and My Monsters provided the products mentioned above for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Not Another Rubber Ducky (Spooky Toobers) Review!

 

Rubber ducky you're the one, you make bath time lots of fun. Does anyone else have the sesame street song pop into their head when they think about rubber ducks? Do you also think that rubber ducks are just for kids? There are plenty of adults who collect rubber ducks, there are so many different variations of how they look, it is fun seeing them all. Well now there is a new bath time toy line that celebrates those who like the slightly spookier yet cute supernatural creatures. I want to introduce all of you to a fun brand called Not Another Rubber Ducky that sells floating bath toys that look like various well known supernatural creatures, they are called Spooky Toobers. This is a fun line for kids and adults alike.

How cute & fun do these creatures look floating around on little inflatable tubes? At the moment they have four different creatures to choose from, you can purchase Frankie, Drac, Wolfie or Mummy for $14.99 each. Each toy is free of phthalate, BPA + lead and each one is sealed with a bit of weight inside to keep them floating upright. They are great for the bathtub or in the pool. These cute monsters were designed and created by Johnathan Paine, whose name you may even recognize. He is a digital character sculpture, character modeler & now toymaker - some of his work has been shown in The Incredibles, Ratatouille and UP.  Along with this collection of devilishly cute toys he also has an Etsy shop where he sells cards & prints of some of his creature artwork. I will cover his Etsy shop and some of his work on another post.

My kids love these Spooky Toobers, they might not be at the age where they play with bath toys anymore however they are looking forward to having these on their shelf with their other collectable figures. Each character is unique & show cases both designs and personalities that fit each character such as Wolfie who can be seen howling while floating around on his tube. 

Their little feet sticking over the side of the inflatables are adorable, they all seem so relaxed, enjoying the water. It makes you want to get in a floatie and float around the pool too! My favorite out of the four is a two way tie between Wolfie & Drac and my kids can't decide which is their favorite either due to all of them being pretty awesome. I like that there is no hole in the bottom like typical rubber ducks have, thus preventing any water from getting trapped within which makes it to where it will not grow mold inside. They are perfectly balanced, they can be pushed across the tub or pool, they can be spun and twirled and will still stay floating upright. 

Do you have a favorite out of the four? 

Disclaimer- Not Another Rubber Ducky provided the product above for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.