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May Magic and Mischief
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And goodbye, May! I feel like I was just in your inbox a moment ago, gabbing about April, yet here I am, a month filled with hopeful thoughts and already moving on to the next.
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May was full...of Winchester passions! I not only got to enjoy celebrating Halfway to Halloween by doing a flashlight tour on May 10th, my family treated me to a picnic in the Mystery House gardens on Mother's Day. What a treat! As if that wasn't enough Mystery House mischief, I also worked on a huge project with the house as an inspiration.
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There was another Winchester visit queued up in the form of a stained glass class, but my body had other plans. Still, I think the fates were at play because on our way back home from the Urgent Care, we got to witness a whole goose family with a gaggle of goslings (like 12 babies!) crossing the street on the crosswalk. What a fun moment of urban nature to witness! And somehow, it felt like some sort of sign I was supposed to see...Ever have something that happens to you and it just lingers in your thoughts even thought it was somewhat insignificant?
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Back in January I was feeling the woes of social media. I was certain - no more social posts! It was time to move on and let my social activity fade into obscurity. Y'all gonna laugh at me. I was looking through old videos for blog post things...and it reminded me how much I adore doing the countdown challenges. So I decided I'll keep using my Instagram for those. Now...when will I do a new countdown - who knows? Maybe I should countdown to Sarah Winchester day! Bring some awareness to this lady I've come to greatly admire. Regardless of what the theme may be, I think it will be very fun to repurpose my Instagram account in this way.
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Not exactly what you were hoping for from this email? I bet you wanted to know what I'm weaving behind the cobwebs. Just scroll down for juicy previews of what's been on my creativity plate under the "Weaving Behind the Cobwebs" section.
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Life Adventures & Blog Posts
May 2025
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May magic and mischief were all to be had at Sarah Winchester's beloved Llanada Villa this month. The historical landmark kicked off celebrating the halfway mark to Halloween early with three Saturdays of flashlight tours from April 26th through May 10th. We attended their final day of the celebration as a family as my Mother's Day wish. Then, we skipped off to a picnic in the gardens on Sunday afternoon, complete with a delightful spread from Winchester's catering partners, Smashing Dishes. It wasn't intentional, but it felt like I was making up for the months I was unable to go this year and last. What can I say? I'm obsessed with this place and very fortunate I am currently in a position that I can visit when able.
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For blogging, I played catch-up. Sharp-eyed subscribers may have noticed my blog post links from March didn't work. If you look now, those links are working. Holidays with the Historian was so much fun to write about, but I struggled hard to not go overboard with details. Meanwhile, the Japonisme Centennial Speaker was my least favorite one of all the ones I attended and it was challenging to write about without oozing disappointment. Thus, I really dragged my feet on completing both of them even though I had said they were up. Whoops!
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May Highlight: Halfway to Halloween Flashlight Tour
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My recent blog post sums this experience up best, but as a bonus, I have the complete uncut tour (minus the first 5 minutes - oops!) as an exclusive goodie for email subscribers.
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In a short summary, I found the Halfway to Halloween half of this evening to be a bit underwhelming. They advertised Halloween-themed drinks and treats, but what was available didn't exactly leave me impressed. The drink I got was a straight up old fashioned served with a cup of candy. Erick's drink was just a margarita with a gummy bear stick garnish. As for the treats...it was Cafe 13's typical food flare with funny names like "Monster Nachos". Alas, I must be too spoiled with food artists like Deadly Sweet Co.
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In redemption, they did have a corner of the courtyard set up with some of their Halloween props and backdrops for photo ops. If you are unable to attend during Halloween season, I can see this being very appealing for guests.
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The evening was not a complete disappointment. The flashlight tour was a blast! I have never done a tour at Winchester quite like this one and it was great that children were also welcome. Usually, the flashlight tours are not for children under 12, so bringing them along was a wonderful treat.
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May Highlight: A Llanada Villa Garden Picnic for a Mother's Day Tea
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When my husband, Erick originally asked me what I wanted to do for Mother's Day, I said I wanted to go to a tea room. It had been a while, but when Winchester Mystery House announced their flashlight tours, I changed my mind to that. Then, the week before, they shared that visitors on Sunday could pre-purchase picnic baskets for two, garden tickets included. So I begged to do that too.
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Calling these a basket for two was a bit of a stretch in my opinion. The food was delightful, but some items only came with a single serving, even though they were advertised as being meant for two people.
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Do I regret ordering them? Absolutely not. However, I would most likely skip preordering them. When we arrived, we discovered that they had the baskets on display at Cafe 13. I would recommend skipping the pre-order to opt seeing it in person and decide on if the price-tag is worth it.
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Goodies for Gossips
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I hope you enjoy all the fun things I load into these emails. However, it crossed my mind that email newcomers may have missed out on something here or there. Plus! I lam a sucker for secret pages and passwords. My fellow Candy Corn Crew should know this well! Explore my treat page link which is exclusive to my email subscribers. It is filled with all the goodies I have tucked away in emails since 2024.
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Use the password
GossamerGossiper
to access.
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Who Else is Hanging in My Web?
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- A Spooky Little Fun Sized Spring Issue
At the start of this month, Spooky Little Halloween released her fun sized spring issue. I am a sucker for a spooky spring so this issue was so much fun to thumb through. As a cranberry lover, it was so exciting to see Miranda spookify picnic season with this underappreciated fruit. I cannot WAIT to try her recipes!
- A New Daily Boo
New boos are in store from Your Best Halloween this Halloween season with a new book in progress and a stellar new look to their email newsletters that have me excited for some daily boos! Don't need daily boos? They've worked out a weekly option too.
- Scare-cuterie Cookbook
At the start of the year, Ghoul at Heart announced that her first cookbook will be releasing this August. What perfect timing to prep for hosting this spooky season! Be sure to preorder to cook up some scares this spooky season. I cannot wait for my copy to arrive!
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Mood Check
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Library Hauntings
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Boob Tube Chills
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What I'm Weaving Behind the Cobwebs
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Three new cocktails within a week? Who even am I? A ghoul motivated by someone else's deadline. Surprise! I've curated a cocktail menu inspired by the different rooms of the Winchester Mystery House. Making them the second time my cocktails will be featured in a printed publication!
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These colorful cocktails are set to debut exclusively in the 2025 issue of Spooky Little Halloween - the Magazine. I am so excited to see how Spooky works these into her colorful spread. (The 2025 subscription is still available, but I'll be sure to share the link once orders for the full-size magazine drops!)
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I had hoped to snap some pics on Winchester's grounds of these drinks, but a weird body reaction foiled my plans. But who knows? Plans change all the time and sometimes fate aligns some magical moments.
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How many times did I say "Winchester" in this email? First person to reply back with the answer will receive a special treat from my most recent visit to their gift shop! You may be wondering, do I collect goodies from the Winchester gift shop just to give away? Yes. Yes I do.
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