I would have preferred to shoot this puzzle on the coffee table in our library, but that room is getting an overhaul and is unavailable.

How I adore the attention to details, such as these faces in the molding located in the 4 corners of the frame.

While this is a sturdier collectible, I don’t recommend dropping the blocks in the puzzle as my 11 year old assistant did. No harm done here, folks.

Here are the six different scenes you can make with this puzzle. I love the wallpaper and adding the 40th logo was a nice touch, I thought!

Here are the specs for this piece:
Title: Haunted Mansion Tabletop Block Puzzle
Artist: John Mauvezin
Medium: Mixed Media
Edition Size: 300

As Giddy Girlie mentioned in the comments of my last post, there were some pieces from the Haunted Mansion 40th event still available at Disneyland as recently as the last weekend of February. And thanks to my dear, dear friend, Guy the Ghoul for sending me this perfect housewarming gift.

I’m in love with this piece, which is so appropriate with Valentine’s Day around the corner.  Seriously. I love to hold this coffin in my hand, and run my fingers across the tiny details of the molding, the claw feet, the tassels.  The tiny magnetic candle holders push me over the edge, though. You can remove them and set them next to the coffin, or put them on the coffin and feel that pull of the magnet lock them into place.  Its the most delightful quality to this limited edition collectible.  The coffin offers an eery green glow with the touch of a switch, and with the turn of the key, the hands push the coffin lid up and down ever so slowly.  If you didn’t get your bony fingers on this piece at the Haunted Mansion 40th event in 2009, then have fun bidding for it on eekbay.

Oh, and Internet, don’t be hating the dusty outline of candlesticks on the coffin lid. I’m just keepin’ it real.

It has come to my attention that in my spam purge, some of my existing comments were also deleted and I was unable to send private emails last week to the following: MG13, Serenity Jess, Halfbeard and Darker Image.  Please accept my apologies.  If you try to leave a comment in the future and have trouble doing so, please email me at carrie@hauntedmansioncollectibles.com so we can get it straightened out!

And Congratulations to Charlotte!  She is the lucky winner of the handmade Oogie by Karl.  And Karl, thanks again for paying it forward.

Now…I’m so excited to introduce our first Fanmade Friday guest for 2010.  In the crazy, fast paced and often nonsensical prosing on Twitter, Mouse of Zen tweets stand out with refreshingly simple, yet captivating lines about one of my favorite subjects, Disney.  The author of Mouse of Zen, J.B. Conway, writes haikus, hundreds of them, all about Disney.  So of course, I had to inquire about my favorite ride, the Haunted Mansion.  Last year, in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Haunted Mansion, MOZ released a series of Haunted Mansion Haiku and teamed up with yours truly to combine his haunting refrains with some of my favorite photographs.  The results were pretty exciting!

My pen name is J.B. Conway & go by “Brad” to family & friends. J.B. was my grandfather’s name & I decided to use it for the name tag on my police uniform along with my “author” name of choice. Been in police work since 1998. Before that, I was a “sandwich artist”, LOL!

How did you first come to writing Haikus?  Why that format?

After 9/11, I began writing poetry in reference to how mad the incident made me feel. After about 100 poems into the book, I came across some haiku & began to write my own for the book. I wrote 205 haiku & enjoyed the process of trying to write something rather powerful in such few words, I had several published in various haiku “e-zines” that were well known for rather good haiku. I am after a similar feeling that gave me by attempting to get some of my Mouse Of Zen haiku into Celebrations magazine for the 1000s of Disney fanatics to enjoy!

There seems to be a big leap from your first book of poetry, Crime Scene Lyrics, to your new Mouse of Zen project.  Why the shift?

Simple. “Crime Scene” was prechildren & “Mouse Of Zen” was postchildren! Wanted to create a “database” of how Disney me me feel after bringing our children there for the first time in 2006. Something my kids could share with their own children off in the future!

I love the haiku you wrote about your daughter eating a Dole Whip. Not only do I see her sitting there with her sticky face, but I can also picture you, watching her, soaking in the moment. Does your poetry come to you in the moments, or is it more a reflective process?

I write the “Mouse Of Zen” haiku based on memories of our family trips. Recently, I have found myself enjoying brilliant WDW photography & writing something “on the fly” based on the photo. This past trip in September 2009 was the first trip we have been on since I created the “Mouse Of Zen” so I wrote around ten haiku that was more of ” in the moment”.

How many Disney haikus have you written?  Do you have a favorite theme within Disney?

The first MOZ book has been completed and that will consist of 300 haiku. I have already started the process of writing the next 300 for volume 2. Think I am about 12 into book #2!

How many Disney parks have you visited?  Do you have a favorite?

Only been to WDW but would like to go to Disney Land one day. Due to finances, parks outside the United States will probably always remain a dream of mine. Epcot is my favorite park of WDW!

Speaking of favorites, do you have a favorite haiku you’ve written?  Can you share it?

I don’t recall an exact favorite haiku but it seems my favorites seem to be the ones based of memories of my children!

When can we expect your Mouse of Zen book to be released? How can I get a copy?

The book will be avaliable within the next couple of months. I plan on offering signed copies of around a 100 limited run. If there is demand for more “signed copies”, I will gladly increase that past 100!

reprinted with permission – © J.B. Conway

If you would like to learn more about his Mouse of Zen projects, you can find him on Twitter, Facebook and of course, www.mouseofzen.com

Every time MOZ’s  ”Disney inspired, mouse-size poetry” pops up on twitter, I’m instantly transported into my own personal Disney oasis.  Even if its just for a moment.  I can taste the dole whip, smell the churros and popcorn, feel the magic of Disney.  I’m really honored J.B. joined us today for Fanmade Friday.  I know I can’t wait to get my hands on his new book.

]]> http://www.hauntedmansioncollectibles.com/2010/02/fanmade-friday-mouse-of-zen/feed/ 1 http://www.hauntedmansioncollectibles.com/2010/01/hope/ http://www.hauntedmansioncollectibles.com/2010/01/hope/#comments Sun, 24 Jan 2010 00:21:09 +0000 Carrie http://www.hauntedmansioncollectibles.com/?p=765 *tap tap tap*

Is this thing still on?  Anyone still here?

I don’t even know where to begin, but I must first offer my sincerest apologizes to Kreepy Karl and the people who showed him some love.  I’m sorry doesn’t even begin to make up for my disappearing act, no doubtably  leaving everyone to wonder what the hell was going on, and most certainly annoying all those who participated.  Karl was so gracious to offer his prize and even contacted me about sending out the prize before Christmas. I’m not sure how I’ll make it up to everyone, especially Karl, but I will.

Let’s start with an explanation of the events that unfolded over the past 3 months.  Its ridiculous, really.  The day of my last post, my husband was laid off from his job.  He had only been working with the company for a year, and efficiencies were made, and he was the first to go.  I was devastated. We were just beginning to get back on our feet from 2008 when the rug was pulled out from under us…again.

But then something amazing happened. Overnight, my photography business took off.  Before I knew it, every weekend in November and December was booked with family photo shoots.  I never worked so hard in my life, but I was loving it!  I was struggling with homeschooling my kids during the week, processing pictures, getting to photoshoots, and updating blogs. That’s when it happened.  I was careless, perhaps tired, and certainly stupid.  I was trying to do everything on my own.  When it comes to the internet and blogs, I really don’t know what I’m doing.  I fill in the blanks and hope for the best. Well, I tried to do something to help cut back on the huge number of spam comments I get and I’m guessing that’s where I went wrong.  I couldn’t find my blog.  It was there on the internet, but I couldn’t access it.  I didn’t back something up right, or I messed something up with the FTP.. I dunno.. I’m clueless, really.  But I couldn’t get what I needed.  And I was tired, and scared, and distracted with my growing photography business and finally admitted defeat.  I just sort of walked away from it.

Then the ridiculous happened.  I kid you not, when I say everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.  At the beginning of December, Sam was called in for a promising interview, and the day of his interview our car died. Like dead DEAD! We are a one car family and were rescued by a friend, barely making it to the interview!  He got the job, but now we had no car.  Our dear friends loaned us a car for two weeks, while we searched for a used car that would fit our measly budget.  The day our friends asked for their car back, I had a break down.  I was so grateful for their help, but I felt completely hopeless!  We didn’t have a car and my husband had to get to work the next day.  Then we got a call from Human Resources at his new company.  There was a problem with his employment…. Did I mention that I was having a breakdown?

While all this was going on, the following happened:

Our drier broke down.

My Mac Book Pro crashed.

Someone wiped out our checking account, by stealing our bank card number from the bank.

We had $.03 in the bank and no Christmas presents for our kids. Again, if it were not for our friends, we would never had made it.

A week before Christmas, my grandfather died. He was 82. I wasn’t terribly close to my grandpa, but my mother was and she was devastated.  She stayed with us during this difficult time.

The day before we had to return the car to our friends, Human Resourced called my husband and said he coudn’t come to work until he turned in social security card, which my husband had lost sometime ago. I didn’t see the furlough as a blessing, but then again, we didn’t have to worry about how Sam was going to get to work. While he was off,  we found a car and the next day, his card came in the mail.  He was back to work!  Things were going to ok!

A few days later, I started feeling some pain in my lower abdomen and got the chills and a fever.  I thought I was getting a fever. It made sense, afterall, I was worn down from all the stress.  By the 4th day, I was in so much pain I ended up in the ER.  They diagnosed me with Diverticulitis and put me on bed rest and a liquid diet, and tons of antibiotics for the infection.  I had a photo shoot in a few days.. I had to get well.  I wasn’t well, but went on the photo shoot anyway.   A week later I was back in the ER. This time I postponed my shoot, with my client’s blessing. (I really have the best families!)

While I was recovering, my husband fixed the drier, fixed my Mac, fixed my blog and let me cry on his shoulder then entire time, never once showing me his own fears and doubts.  He even tried to take over as the learning coach for my kids when I was really swamped and overwhelmed in the weeks prior to Christmas.  I’m so thankful I married my best friend.

I know this post is the longest, most ridiculous post ever.. but I had to share it.  I’ve missed this haven tremendously!  The Haunted Mansion Collectibles was my fun world.  I lost sight of it when it seemed like the real world was becoming too difficult. I’ve had lapses in my posts in the past, but this time was different.  I really let some friends down.  I am so, so sorry.

Let me just say that with all the gloom and doom of the past 3 months, we survived.  It didn’t feel like we were going to, but we did.  My photography paid the bills while Sam was unemployed and our friends were there to help us with meals and presents and support and prayers.  I’m really quite lucky.  I’m not very graceful during difficult times, but I’ve learned that life is still full of Grace.

I hope to begin 2010 with a renewed sense of hope and I’m still very much committed to my little ol’ blog that survived during my absence.  I am so thankful to each and everyone of you who continued visiting the blog and sent me emails to check in on me.  I hope you understand now why I didn’t respond.  But I’m back now and feeling stronger than before.

I will be personally contacting all the commenters for the last Fanmade Friday contest via email within the next week.

If you’re a regular reader of the blog, thanks for taking the time to stop by and for continuing to read this big ol’ mess of a post.

And thanks for not giving up on me, even though I was ready to.  It feels good to have hope again.

PS.  In the midst of trying to control the 2000+ spam comments, some real comments were probably deleted. If you try to leave a comment and you are denied, please send me an email and I’ll have my new blog assistant figure out how to un-spam you.

Ya’ll have fun tonight…and try not to lose your head.