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A July Bursting with Sentiments
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I started working on this newsletter early this month as July did not hold back on the punches. Let's just say it kicked off with many emotions. My comfort everything has been "KPop Demon Hunters". From the story to the songs, I'm hooked. And the climax song has been the melody pushing me forward through these stressful times myself and my family are going through. Especially the following verse:
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We're shattering the silence, we're rising, defiant
Shouting in the quiet, "You're not alone"
We listened to the demons, we let them get between us
But none of us are out here on our own
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Everyone has their own burden and often times, I feel silly venting my stresses or nuances of life in this newsletter. However, it has been a a comforting thought knowing that you are there on the other end still here, waiting for the next time I reach out in your inbox. I am so thankful for it and I have come to look forward to putting these monthly newsletters together each month. Typing these have helped manage these stresses.
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So what's up with me this month? On June 30th, our work, my grandparent's Montessori school, which would hit 50 years of operation in 2026, received a notice from it's landlords that we needed to pay all of our back-rent by July 10th. Due to several poor decisions from both our schools' administration (my family) and our landlords, there is no way to pay back the sum of money owed to remain in business. Some of you may have saw on social media last year when I put out a call because of our low enrollment. As it stands, the school does not have enough to even close out our books by the end of July. Because of the "joys" of a family business, our administration is going to be selling my grandmother's home in order to pay out the staff for the remainder of our days worked. In case you weren't aware, myself, my husband and our two children have been living in my grandmother's house as caretakers while she is in a special Alzheimer's care program in Ohio. This news is leaving myself and my husband out of jobs and needing to move out of our current home by July 31st (aka tomorrow).
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Needless to say, it has been a bit overwhelming, stressful and rather upsetting with how everything was handled. However, it is a relief to no longer be living with the unknown of it all, which is what we have been doing literally since last July. To top the cake, there are additional stressors to deal with that comes with moving, like getting the kids set up for a new school district and navigating new jobs (or unemployment) in addition to settling into new living accommodations and updating all of our personal information with our new address. For now, myself and my family don't exactly have the time to fully grieve over these many losses and changes happening in our lives. I have been a dervish both at work and home. It has been go time for us since July 8th and hasn't let up. As a blessing, we have been so fortunate to have family looking out for us, offering to step in where they can so we can make as smooth of a transition as possible. Erick's brother helped us move the bulk of our stuff into storage this past weekend and his mother and step-dad have graciously let us move in with them while we try to land on our feet.
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Amidst all of *gestures vaguely* this, we are going to kick off the new school year with the littles by attending Midsummer Scream in August. At the beginning of June, I applied at random to do a press pass and at the end of June, among all our turmoil, I received the exciting news that I had once again been approved for one! Although we have been debating about attending Midsummer all year due to the state of the unknown, when we got the news, we decided we would just do it. We need the escapism.
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If you will be attending, please respond to this email! I'd love to know who we might run into in August and I'll have loads of leftover goodies to give away of both Sips & Spirits and Candy Corn Crew. If there is a particular treat you would like, let me know and I'll bring it along with me.
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Life Adventures & Blog Posts
July 2025
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I did it! I FINALLY got my mixology certification completed! It only took me two years to put in the time to complete it, but I am now an officially certified mixologist! 👻🥂👻 It was the top thing on my list of a thousand things I wanted to accomplish while we were off of work the first week of July, and I didn't finish it that week, but as this month comes to a close I can claim those rights. I am so proud of myself; no longer do I have to say I'm a self-taught mixologist. Woo-hoo!
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July Highlight: Winchester Garden Brunch with the Vogel Victorian
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When we did the haunted high tea back in March, my mom shared how envious she was of us attending and I thought, if it ever returned to Winchester, I would see what I could do to get her to attend one.
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Well, they announced several garden tea parties for the weekend of the 4th and invited my mom to join me. It was such a treat to have a little down time where we didn't have to focus on our livelihood crumbling around us. It was the perfect short retreat.
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I'm so glad I was able to do this for her and it was a true treat considering how neither one of us will probably be able to do many events like this for quite a while...
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July Highlight: Oddities & Curiosities Expo
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We were joined by the fabulous Señor Scary and we got to catch up on our lives as we explored the curiosities in the hall. It was exciting to see both new and old faces amongst the vendors since it had been a while since we'd done spooky shopping.
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Let me tell you, I've put off attending this expo for several years just because I felt like I couldn't go if I didn't have the money to spend. However, knowing we wouldn't have the space for new pieces, I was able to moderate myself quite well. I only picked up some tiny trinkets for my pin board and snagged several business cards to support at a later time.
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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. 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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- New Tiki Mug from Carrie Anne Hudson
I am so excited for Carrie's new black cat tiki mug she is releasing this month. I know I will be picking one up at Midsummer Scream in August, but she will also have them at Tiki Oasis. If you love Halloween and Tiki, you will NOT want to miss out on this adorable mug!
- 2025-2026 Halloween Calendar Pre-orders are open!
HallowWoods launched preorders for his new calendar this month and I cannot wait to get mine in person at Midsummer Scream. Eek! Nothing like keeping up with Matt's wonderful seasonal pieces throughout the year. I cannot wait to see what else he'll be selling on the vendor floor.
- Honestly, I haven't been keeping track of everything going on in the spooky community so if there is something that is catching your eye, reply to this email and let me know!
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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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Midsummer Scream is JUST around the corner and I'm going all in with a new countdown challenge! As always, this is a creativity challenge. Approach it however you want; photos, videos, music, interpretive art. The choice is yours! I'm considering treating this like a scavenger hunt and fulfill each prompt while I'm at the event. But you can treat it however you want. I'll be dropping the countdown this Friday on my socials and on the blog. Start prepping now and don't forget to tag me!
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Working on what I hoped wasn't going to be my final spooky seasonal mantle was bitter-sweet and I never actually got proper photos or video of it like I wanted. Moving into my in-laws will most likely mean that my decorating days will be on hiatus for a while. I will still probably try to spruce up our bedroom space, but I'll have to see how my in-laws feel about pushpins in walls. Facing these realities has left me in a creative rut, but I will still be trying my best to create whatever I can.
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