Things Liz Loves Halloween Haunted Review

This Halloween season has been an exciting one for me. I've been working extra hard on my shop, adding inventory, doing advertising and expanding my offerings. I've been working on my house, fixing up a few things in preparation for the coming winter. And most of all, I've been getting scared out of my wits. I've been on a visit to at least one haunted attraction per weekend since the beginning of October, visiting some of the most renowned haunts in Utah. While these haunts boast that they are some of the scariest in the US, I needed to know for myself, and I figure maybe some of you want to know too. So here's a review of two of the most well-known haunts in the state of Utah. Keep a lookout for more to come!

Nightmare on 13th
Nightmare on 13th is the most popular haunted attraction in Utah, and thanks to the national exposure it has received from being featured on the Discovery Channel, people from all over visit in hopes of a horrifying good time. The attraction features some of the latest in haunted house technology, a huge venue with three different themed sections and a giant cast of some of the only paid haunted house actors in the state. The lines for this place are insane, so people who buy their tickets online get a free VIP upgrade to skip the line and head straight in (people who pay at the haunt have to spend an extra $10 per ticket to skip the line, but with a 45 minute minimum wait time, it may be worth it). All this information coupled with a steep $20 per person ticket price led me to believe that this would be the most incredible haunted experience of the year.
Unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed with my trip to Nightmare on 13th. The long wait times didn't bother me as much as they might bother others, but the fact that we were pushed through the haunt crammed right next to a hundred other people, mostly rude teenagers, basically ruined the whole thing. It is impossible to get scared when you just saw that zombie jump out at the person in front of you. It was like being packed into an 800 degree pressure cooker of teenage snark. It was hot, sticky and not fun. I personally would not have minded a longer wait time if it meant that I could go through with just my group and not be stuck into a steady stream of people. I don't think anyone else that has attended that attraction would have minded spending a few more minutes in line to feel like the $20 wasn't wasted on a crappy experience. In the future, Nightmare on 13th will not be getting my business, at least until they work on their timing.

The Castle of Chaos
The other big name in Utah haunts is Castle of Chaos. Castle of Chaos has been named one of the scariest haunts in the US by the Travel Channel and has three different locations of terror to keep you quaking in fear. They offer a deal where you can get access to all three locations for $25, which saves you about $33 off the price of going to each one individually. I paid a visit to each haunt and even got to chat with the owner of the Castles. He told me that he takes pride in his haunts and wants to scare the pants off of everyone who enters one of his attractions, which is why the people working the doors at each attraction are required to have a 3-5 minute gap between groups. That way, you get to go through the attraction alone and really get lost in the experience. This is the difference that put the Castles ahead of the gargantuan Nightmare on 13th.

The Original Castle of Chaos
The original home of the Castle of Chaos is on 33rd South in Salt Lake City. The haunt has several rooms of terror, including a meat packing plant, a toy factory and a net maze with wandering, hungry zombies. The coolest feature this location offers is the Hands On Terror experience, where you can sign a waiver and wear a glow stick that allows the actors to touch and grab you while you wander through the haunt. The upgrade is absolutely worth the extra couple of dollars, as the actors separate you from your group, snatch you into dark and creepy corners and go all out to scare the crap out of you. This location is moving to Orem next year, but if they keep up with the quality of this year, it will be worth the trip.

The Castle of Chaos Redwood Road
The Redwood Road Castle of Chaos is in what used to be the Nightmare Mansion and has four levels of fear that are guaranteed to terrify. This location has a very similar feel to Nightmare on 13th, only you actually get to go through in small groups and get scared for real. They have a 3D level that tricks your vision, a mental hospital level that puts you into a seemingly dead end padded cell, and the actors are top-notch at this location. I actually screamed when one of the "mental patients" snuck up on me, and I pretty much never scream. The Hands On experience will be added to this location next year, and I will be one of the first in line to get scared.

The Carnival of Chaos
The newest Castle of Chaos location is in Riverdale and is the most family-friendly of the three Castle haunts. The Carnival of Chaos has three sections: the Haunted Midway, which is free to all and has face painting, tarot readings, aerial performers, an all-ages music show and a coffin ride; the Seven Deadly Sins section was a staple at the original location that has new life in Riverdale; the Carnival of Chaos 3D Maze is a trippy visual experience that is totally creepy but still fun for younger visitors. I hit this location twice, once with my kids and once without. Both were a great time and we will be visiting them for years to come. This haunt will get bigger each year, so expect new things to pop up!

Things Liz Loves isn't done with the Utah haunt scene yet! I have plans to pay a visit to at least 2 more haunts this year, so check back for more reviews. Ticket information can be found at the links provided. Happy Haunting!!!

Brand New Listings at Things Liz Makes

I have finally listed all of my full-sized Hocus Pocus spinning fibers, so hop over to the Things Liz Makes shop to check them out! I also have some Supernatural themed batts and Psych-inspired fiber and yarn listed, all of which are pretty awesome! Take a look at some of the lovelies that are currently for sale!

Review: The Rift Walker (Vampire Empire, Book 2) by Clay and Susan Griffith

The Rift Walker
(Vampire Empire, Book 2)
Written by Clay and Susan Griffith
Release Date: September 6, 2011
Publisher: Pyr (a division of Prometheus Books)
ARC provided by the publisher for a fair and honest review. THANK YOU!

Rating:  5 out of 5 stars



Summary (courtesy of Barnes and Noble):

Princess Adele struggles with a life of marriage and obligation as her Equatorian Empire and their American Republic allies stand on the brink of war against the vampire clans of the north. However, the alliance's horrific strategy for total victory drives Adele to abandon her duty and embark on a desperate quest to keep her nation from staining its hands with genocide. Reunited with her great love, the mysterious adventurer known to the world as the Greyfriar, Adele is pursued by her own people as well as her vengeful husband, senator Clark. With the human alliance in disarrray, Prince Cesare, lord of the British vampire clan, seizes the initiative and strikes at the very heart of Equatoria.
As Adele labors to bring order to her world, she learns more about the strange powers she exhibited in the north. Her teacher, Mamoru, leads a secret cabal of geomancers who believe Adele is the one who can touch the vast power of the Earth that surges through ley lines and wells up at the rifts where the lines meet. These energies are the key to defeating the enemy of mankind, and if Princess Adele could ever bring this power under her command, she could be death to vampires. But such a victory will also cost the life of Adele's beloved Greyfriar.
The Rift Walker is the second book in a trilogy of high adventure and alternative history. Combining rousing pulp action with steampunk style, the Vampire Empire series brings epic politcal themes to life within a story of heartbreaking romance, sacrifice, and heroism.

I absolutely LOVED The Greyfriar, the first book from this series, and The Rift Walker is an amazing follow-up that doesn't disappoint. Full review after the jump!

Things Liz Makes October Fiber Feature

October is just around the corner, which means it's time to give you all a sneak peak at the awesome fibers I'll be stocking in the Things Liz Makes shop. This is the first month that the shop is contributing to the Phat Fiber Sampler box, so the October fibers go along with the Phat theme for October: The Witching Hour. I plucked my inspiration from the most fabulous witches I know, the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus.

This animated version of the Hocus Pocus sisters is where I got my inspiration.

Have a look at the samples I'm sending to Phat HQ today:

"Amok, Amok, Amok!" - Sarah Sanderson

Sarah Sanderson is a silky little minx, and her fiber is too. The Sarah inspired colorway is a blend of fuscia Targhee wool, maroon Merino and nylon blend, pale yellow Tussah silk and a strip of black Merino wool to tie it all up. The full sized batts have the black blended right in, so it spins up together with pops of color, shine and darkness.

"I Smell Children..." - Mary Sanderson

Mary Sanderson is a soft, simple, no-frills kind of gal. The Mary inspired colorway keeps in line with this by being a no-sparkle workhorse sock blend of maroon Merino and nylon blend, natural chocolate brown BFL wool, streaks of vibrant purple nylon and black Merino to pull it all together. The black will also be blended into the batts for the full sized version of the colorway. This blend is super soft and resilient enough for sock yarn.

"I Put a Spell on You" - Winifred Sanderson

Winifred Sanderson needs no introduction. After all, of all the witches working, she is the worst. The colorway inspired by the black-hearted Winifred is high contrast and sparkly, perfect for an art yarn. The blend includes bright green Targhee wool, soft blue baby alpaca, fiery orange Firestar and a strip of black Merino wool, because you can't have Winifred without some deep dark evil inside. As with the other colorways, the black Merino will be blended right into the full sized batts.

I had a ton of fun making these colorways, and I can't wait to get the full sized batts finished up and posted in the shop. If you love the colors and fibers but don't spin, there will also be a spinning service listing that you can snag at a discount with these batts to have your own custom Hocus Pocus yarn. If you want to get your hands on a sample sized Sanderson Sister, swing by Phat Fiber and get on the list to be emailed with the box drop date. You'll also get your hands on samples from a ton of other awesome fiber artists, all with the fun Witching Hour theme. Full sized batts will be listed in the shop right around the time of the box drop, so look out for them!

Shameless Plug - Vote for Me!

Hi guys! Just a quick post to ask you to pop over to Ravelry and cast a vote for my yarn to win the Firefly themed Spin-Along contest in the Dyet Yarns group. My entry is the Earth That Was colorway, which is a lovely deep green with blue and cream accents You have to have a Ravelry account to vote, but accounts are free to sign up and the community is a lot of fun. So hop over to the contest thread and vote for Liz! The voting closes on September 9th, and that's my 6th anniversary, so it would be an injustice for me to not win. I'm just saying. Thanks bloggy friends!

Time Travel Tuesday: Hocus Pocus

What's this? A new Time Travel Tuesday? That's right, we're back, and with some serious awesomeness. This week, we're going to take a look back at one of the most fun, cheesy and entertaining Halloween-themed movies of my childhood, Hocus Pocus.





Hocus Pocus
Released in 1993
Rated PG
Starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz, Thora Birch and Vinessa Shaw

My adoration for this movie was recently revived when I started looking for inspiration for my October contribution to the Phat Fiber Sampler. The theme is "The Witching Hour," and in true Things Liz Loves style, I wanted to pull my inspiration from either a movie, TV show, book or song. Then I remembered this little gem, and it was perfect. The over-the-top colors, the silly dialogue, the family-friendly yet interesting storyline...everything in this movie is an ingredient for awesomesauce. Bette Midler even sings! You can't beat that.

A little bit of "Where are they now" info...Bette Midler retired after her last run in Vegas in 2010 after decades of Hollywood success. Sarah Jessica Parker went on to become wildly successful in Sex and the City. Kathy Najimy does a lot of TV now, including a run on the law comedy Franklin and Bash. Thora Birch went on to star in some film fixtures like American Beauty and Now and Then, and currently has 3 films in production. Vinessa Shaw has been busy since Hocus Pocus, acting in films like The Hills Have Eyes and 3:10 to Yuma. Omri Katz left acting in 2002 to pursue hairdressing in LA, and later moved to Israel with his family. And another character from Hocus Pocus found success later in life as well. Remember the boy turned immortal cat that helped the kids fight the Sanderson Sisters, Thackery Binx? That boy, Sean Murray, currently stars in the successful CBS series NCIS as Special Agent Timothy McGee.

If you're feeling nostalgic or you're looking for a Halloween movie that you can watch with your kids, Hocus Pocus is a good one to pick up. Put it on your Netflix DVD queue or pick it up from Amazon.

Things Liz Makes: New Phat Fiber Contributor!

Hi guys! Just posting to let you all know that my shop, Things Liz Makes, has been approved to be a contributor to the Phat Fiber Sampler Box! I will be contributing fiber, yarn and patterns for your spinning and knitting pleasure. Check out the Phat Fiber website and look for my samples in the October sampler box!