Grave Matters--The Good. The Bad. The down right Zombified. 2013 revisted & beyond

One distressing crew!

Hello Kittens, It's been some time since I've had a free moment to sit these old bones down and stretch my rotten fingers out to recap last years Invasion, talk about some updates and bring you some general zombified and horrifying news. It's officially three months until what should be Village Invasion V--just seems like yesterday when the Village Invasion was just a zombie baby of an idea. Who knew that it would become a giant event that for one night in October would take over the quaint and quiet Village of Saugerties, NY. ( or as I like to call it--sauGHOULties)  I've been interviewed by all sorts of folks, horror and non-horror alike, been in a TV pilot, been asked to be a TV host ( even though that still hasn't gone anywhere--still, it's pretty zomberiffic and quite an honor to have even been thought of in that way!) I've even been an extra in Blondie's newest video, Mother and got to use my most zombitastic make-up skills for the band and their extras. There's so much other amazing crap that's happened that it's totally mind blowing and I'm glad I can share it all with you here in the Crypt. So without further adieu I bring you my latest installment in Grave Matters--The Good. The Bad. The down right Zombified; 2013 revisited and what the future holds for the Village Invasion.

So many of the undead!

My dreadful self and a tiny minion.

1. Village Invasion IV this past October 19th was an absolute scream. There were SO MANY OF YOU with a giant tally of over 4,000 zombies dragging their oozing corpses up and down the streets of sauGHOULties, NY. Whoa--you all seriously outdid yourselves! The Carnival of the Dead theme was a total blast and it was a horrific sight seeing so many of you embracing your dark inner zombie-carnie-clown-freak-selves. It was especially heartwarming, ( Yes--it did warm this cold zombroad's heart) to see so many kids just having the time of their little zombie hearts! In fact, so much so it's becoming even more popular with the families than I could ever have wished! With all the technical issues and the rain (which dampened only a few spirits) all in all--a success! Sadly however, with anything that grows in size, it also grows in liability and organizing as managing and dealing with funding for something this large can get out of hand rather quickly. I've had the pleasure of working with several folks in the town who have taken the event to the next level for sure, and for that I thank them--it's been amazing! Unfortunately no one wants the responsibility and liability of dealing with something of this magnitude. It looks like the prior idea of just having a group of zombie lovin' humans shambling through to help support local businesses has outgrown its shuffling grounds. I'm still working on secondary plans and ideas and maybe soon we'll have some less than sub-par news. Stay tuned, Kittens!

The streets overflowing with shamblers!

Some of our Brain-tastic Volunteers!

2. Did you get your uber collectible and one of a kind t-shirt from the Village Invasion III and IV? No? Well you're in luck! If you'd like one from 2013 AND 2012--We have 'em. They're $10 and all the proceeds go to our Small World Playground Fund which is to help rebuild our playground that the Boys and Girls Club uses in the Village of Saugerties, NY. For more info or to order these stellar limited event shirts please email: captaincruella@gmail.com and I'll be sure to get you one of these epically stellar T's!

3. Did you know that Goblin came to New Haven, CT this December? Yes, they did and myself along with Brian Solomon from the Vault of Horror got to catch these guys perform some of their gloriously eerie music. Many of you horror fanatics have seen Italian terror maestro Dario Argento's Suspiria, which weaves a menacing tale of witchcraft as a fairy tale gone horribly awry, and if you haven't--stop what you're doing and go rent this right now! So for those of you who have seen it also know that the soundtrack laid down by Italian musicians, Goblin combined with Argento's brilliant use of lighting and cinematography, is well accompanied by their creeptacular sound. Somehow chimes paired with whispered lullabies means ridiculously creepy!

4. Killer TV: There's been so many great series running, especially on FX recently that it's been so hard to pull my favorites from my rotten memory. Here's a few that I've recently gotten myself hooked on and hope you're watching too:

Do you smell bacon?

The Walking Dead. Not much to say here except, "they messed with the wrong people." Thrilled beyond belief for next season. Lets hope they don't kill off anyone we've invested in too soon this season, shall we?

The Strain. Anyone watching this? Thoughts? So far--I'm pretty hooked. After a string of sickeningly sweet and romantic love vampire stories I'm all in for a gruesome tale that's based on what I'd like to think a vampire truly is, a disease.

American Horror Story, Coven. Great season with witches however I am getting tired of the same actors just changing up roles. I know I'm gonna get a bullet to the head here for saying it but, Jessica Lange--must you play the same character in EVERY season? Geesh. The last episode will always stick with me when actress, Lily Rabe, (who plays character Misty) gets stuck in "hell" with her having to be in biology class and repeatedly being forced to dissect a frog. I can completely relate, only for me it's being stuck in I-95 rush hour traffic, over and over and over and over. If you haven't caught any of these--you should, Captain's orders!

Rosendale Zombie Fest zombies doin' the two step shuffle.

5. Appears the Rosendale Zombie Festival will be happening once again in Rosendale, NY this September 27th. You can swing by the good Captain's zombification station again this season. Get there early! I'll be arriving a few hours prior to the zombie parade's initial launch in order to bloody up those who lack their inner zombie. After you do the zombie-shuffle, head back to the park for a costume contest to see if your zombification makes the cut all while doing the death-dance to local bands and DJs.Typically there's a killer screening of  horror flicks which rounds out your night of all things horrifying at the Rosendale Theatre later in the evening. Make sure to bring some canned goods as like with the Village Invasion--this event helps to restock the local food pantry! See you there, Kittens!




Looking forward to writing more in the future and for those who expressed interest in helping to keep the Village Invasion alive, please contact me, Captain Cruella at:
captaincruella@gmail.com

Here's to another horrifying zombified season! Viva la Zombie!

GRAVE MATTERS-What every zombie needs to know, KILLER EVENTS this 2012

Hello all you zomBeriffic ghouls and boils! It's great to be back talking to all you zomBabes and zomBoys in this latest installment of Grave Matters. I know it's been a little dry spell here for the Capt. however, I do hope you'll forgive this rotten wretch when I tell you why, dear kittens, it's been so quiet up in the crypt. I've been one busy zomBabe working my cadaverous fingers to the very bone ensuring that all you zomBie freaks and fanatics have one hell of a  good time. I've even dragged my human counter part, Brian Solomon of The Vault of Horror in to the oozing mix beyond the Village Invasion. Here's all the latest gory details:

1. Mr. Solomon, of The Vault of Horror, will be kicking off in style with his special 5th anniversary celebration with a killer series he's calling, Bedlam at the Bijou. The three part series launching on September 27th at the historic and lovingly restored Bijou Theatre in Downtown Bridgeport, CT is surely not something all you horror movie buffs will want to miss! So far it's September 27 with double feature Godzilla and Them, October 25th with Zombi and Last Man on Earth and on November 15th it's Nosferatu and Dracula 1931. I've been told that these are themed, with Q&A, special guests and even a costume contest on the October 25th night. Go check it out, celebrate in style with the Frank Sinatra of the horror world! For more information crawl on over to The Vault of Horror and the Bijou Theatre calendar of events page!



2. What's this? Another zomBie event on October 11th? That's right kittens, if you live in Connecticut and live close to Fairfield County be sure to drag your freshly dug carcasses on over to Downtown Bridgeport. We're celebrating the arts with food, music, specials and ZOMBIES! The whole thing happens out at McLevy Green and weaves its way through all of downtown where all the restaurants and spaces have been charged with the gruesome task of keeping the hoards entertained. Costume contests, drink specials, zomBie hula hoopers, give-aways, ambient and eerie projections by local artists on buildings and MORE. October 11th, Downtown Bridgeport from 7-9 pm so don't miss it!

3. The Village Invasion III is working hard to build a most zomBeriffic event this 3rd year. We've closed down the Village this year to ensure all you zomBies have full reign to terrorize the humans, (or the humans to hunt down the zomBies) as this year it's Humans Vs. Zombies and we're so excited to be finally growing up and out! Did you know that this year the Village Invasion is a charity event? We'll be asking you ghouls to donate a canned item upon entry to restock the Saughoulties food pantry and if you CAN't ( see what I did just there?) It's a measly $2 to help out our fellow food groups known as humans because after all who wants to eat a starving skinny human? There's music, outrageous specials, a costume contest, vendors and so much gory goodness one simply must come to experience what's becoming the premier tri-state zombie event ever created! We're still fleshing out our website but if you're a ghoul or boil who wants to vend their zomBie and horror wares please print this out and submit! Space IS limited so sign up now! See you there kittens, October 20, 2012 from 6-10 pm! Village Invasion and on twitter-#villageinvasion. SPREAD THE INFECTION.

4. What better way to wrap this entire post up than with the very first zombie cruise--ever? That's right, The OOZE CRUISE sets sail on January 6th through the 13th. This is going to be one HELL of a slaycation, kittens. Do go to this website and sign up now. It's insanely cheap, you'll get to hang with other zomBie nuts like us and you'll get to enjoy warmer weather in the dead of winter. Now who doesn't like that? Did we also mention we'll be featured in October's issue of Rue Morgue Magazine?

As always kittens, can't wait to see you at any and all of these events we put together for your entertainment. Spread the infection, tell a fiend and viva la zomBie!

XOX
Captain Cruella

Village Invasion III and all the gory crap one can handle

Yes indeedy kittens, the little zombie social media project I embarked on in 2010 has grown up and is barreling down hell's highway at an amazing rate. With 2012 comes a new alliance, complete with a sponsor who holds close to his little black heart the same sense of community as I do. Much zomBie love goes out to Neil Smoller of the Village Apothecary, who owns two very successful, local, family-run pharmacies and believes keeping things local and supporting each other makes for a super glue-like bond.

With the support of local businesses, the tireless support of Brian Solomon's Vault of Horror, and Neil's collaborative brainstorming and backing, the world will certainly be quivering at our feet this October. With talks of billboards, radio spots, closing down the entire village of Saugerties, epic mailing lists, a food and clothing drive, specific horror related vendors, killer local music--it's like watching my zomBaby grow up, heading off to huge festival college. We promise to give you one hell of a time and uphold the highest zombie standards for years to come. I invite you to come out and celebrate all that's gruesome this 10.20.12 for what will inevitably become the most zomBerrific event  in the Hudson Valley!

Also, be sure to keep an eye out for the soon-to-be-launched Village Invasion website, as well as my blog, FB page and The Vault of Horror! The countdown begins with the humans locked in an epic battle against the zomBies. What side will you be on when the two collide?

Zombie takeover starts here. Village Invasion, Part II

What better way to round up 2011 than with the long overdue recap to the most zomBeriffic event on the East coast which invaded the quaint Village of Saugerties, NY for a second time this October. I figured I'd best be getting this out to the masses before the end of the year actually, you know, ended. So in my most evil fashion I bring to you--Village Invasion, part II!

A mob of dancing zomBies.

I'd like to thank all of YOU, the most zomBilicious bunch a ghoul could ever want, for coming out 1000 plus strong for scaring the life out of anyone you could and especially those who came out to photograph the entire death march through the Village of Saugerties. It was big, I mean THE BIGGEST I think Saugerties has ever seen when it comes to total zomBified take over and for this, I thank you from the bottom of my blackest heart. 



The mastermind behind it all.
Your zombie--Captain Cruella,
courtesy of JD Fielding Photography.



This year saw many new additions in particpating shops along side those who never batted a decaying eye to my first year zomBie insanity. We had Sugartown Vintage Boutique whose owner, Ms. Ashley Drewes, created special window decor complete with it's own zomBie fashion line and The Vault of Horror T-shirts. Sugartown also held a special screening of the Evil Dead, where Brian Solomon of The Vault of Horror hosted the whole horrific event. Main Street Restaurant, The Dutch Ale House and Brianna's Full Belly Deli concocted a plethora of dark and delicious delights that titlated the senses for humans and zomBies alike. Lucky Chocolates decked themselves out in full on gore with a butcher shop and a finger food section complete with chocolate fountain. If you didn't stop there, you really missed out!

General  Smoller and the CDC,
courtesy of JD Fielding Photography.

Dave's Wine and Coffee Bar hosted the groovilicious Voodelic once again, this time rounding out their act with a black lite extravaganza and ghoulie Go-Go dancers. Inquiring Minds Bookstore hosted Hudson Valley writer and zomBie expert, Linda Zimmerman. The Hudson Valley Dessert Co. baked up brainy cupcakes and sported a most cadaveresque appearance which literally had the masses lined up and out the door. Another first timer, The Village Apothecary, got so into the spirit of things they handed out the antidote with nurses and zomBie hunter swat teams roaming the streets. They even had a most amazing store window display. I'm looking forward to next year Mr. Smoller...I say bring it on! We also had Vincent Price's,The Last Man on Earth, projected onto the Reis parking lot building thanks to the highly skilled and equally excited horror fanatic Perri Naccarato, owner of The Computer Guys, who really took charge of the entire thing. He even added his own town wide zomBified decor. Many thanks to Brian Solomon of The Vault of Horror and to Perry for their amazingly good taste in horror movies-- Bravo boils! If you were roaming the streets you also just might have wandered into the lens of  JD Fielding of JD Fielding Photography,who came out last year with snap happy fiend, Del Higgins. Many thanks for shooting some of the nights horrific happenings-- the images are outstanding!



The Vault of Horror's Brian Solomon capturing all the gore on video.
Courtesy of JD Fielding Photography.

Another addition was Tyrannasaurus Rocks! who set up and played at the Donlon Auditorium rocking out the night with a laser light show and one kick ass female drummer who guided us into a performance from the one, the deadly, the zomBie GaGa. There' only one word to describe her and that word would be--zomBilicious.The Donlon also hosted The Healing Tree Massage Therapy group who read Tarot for any who were brave enough to know what fate was in teir future. Many thanks to Alicia Viola and all who gave a donation and helped support my crazy world zomBification plans!

Saugerties has become a true destination for those who have a passion for the undead. The second annual Village Invasion has shown me that. The talent, dedication, and skill of amazingly grotesque appearance from an entire Village of people, ( even those who came from out of town!) that zomBies are here to stay. Keep bringing your dedication to the craft of being horrific, Kittens. I'll keep rallying the masses. Viva la ZomBie and here's to next year!

Thanks to Diane Sirios for this beauty. The Village Invasion II
best overall costume winners! This totally kicked ass. Keep up the stellar work!

The talk-nerdy-to-me zomBie group. You guys can talk brains to me
all day long. Thanks Jess Miron, you ghouls deserved best couple!

Tha Voo wants you! And the Zombies do too!

What does phosphorescent fishnets, black light reactive body paint, a north-meets-south funkified attitude and zombies have to do with each other? If you were to ask Little Earl Lundy from Hudson Valley band, Voodelic, he could probably tell you it's a lot more than you'd think.Voodelic's music has been described as spicy funky soul stew and believe me, if you've never heard of them or been to a live show, it is that and much, much more. Recently I had the pleasure to sit down and chat with little Earl, who is the formidable lead singer for Voodelic, about their future plans, their newest album Conjure, and of course about zombies.

One of the best shots of the night taken by uber talented, JD Fielding Photography!

 
Last year you performed in all your glory at Dave's Coffeehouse and Wine Bar. How was that experience for Voodelic? It's not everyday a band gets to perform in front of a packed house full of zombies.
Well, we've played for some packed houses and we've played in front of some real zombies. Last years Village Invasion was definitely a first for us! Here's hoping October 22nd will bring in another house full of zombies!

Where do you get your inspiration from, as you're currently the most unique band in the Hudson Valley.
Musically speaking, Voodelic's inspirations are a big ol' mix. There's funk and R&B, gospel, 70's hard rock, and a kind of psychedelic swamp. 

Whose idea was it to don crazy voodoo get-ups that react to black light? And do you guys think it's enhanced your popularity?
I'm afraid that would be my little obsession. I started messin' with the black lights 'round about 2006, and every year I've just added more and more. Last year I think we did four black light Halloween shows. I've learned a lot through trial and error. The costumes have gotten pretty--colorful . As far as popularity goes, folks really do seem to get off on the whole black light thing. Voodelic is an experience band anyway, and adding another layer to that experience lets the audience get a little deeper into--Tha Voo. 


How do ya'll describe your music? And when are we to expect a world black light dominated tour?
That question gets asked a lot. I don't know maybe, Southern-Gothic Funk? A black light dominated tour, huh? Well, I'm ready baby!  But I'm not sure the other boys would welcome that path, maybe if the money was right--HAHA!

What was it like playing at Mountain Jam? Were there any brushes with greatness that really stuck with you? Playing Mountain Jam was magical. It was certainly the biggest stage and the biggest crowd we've played to, plus it was an incredibly beautiful day. The problem was waking up the next morning and realizing it wasn't gonna happen again that day.

It's been almost a year since the last Village Invasion, what have ya'll been up to?
Well, we went back into Millbrook Sound Studio and started recording stuff for a second album. Paul Orofino, the owner and engineer there, is just an amazing cat to work with. He's very intuitive with a great set of ears.

Considering we have a certain thing in common as the band Voodelic has it's fingers deeply embedded in New Orleans style voodoo folklore and early zombie culture also derives from that same ilk. Would you consider Voodelic and the Village Invasion a perfect match? And is your preference the George Romero flesh eating zombies or the Haitian voodoo revenge type zombies?
Why yes Cap'n, I certainly would! I don't know if it's a match made in heaven or hell, but it's a good'n for sure. I do not wanna ruffle any zombie-type feathers (as I'm pretty sure this audience is all about Saint Romero's sacrament), but the Haitian voodoo/Mississippi hoodoo zombies is my thang!

You're calling your gig on the night of the Village Invasion II-Crawl of the Dead, Night of the Living Voo is NOTLD your favorite zombie movie and if not, what is?
Of the modern bio-hazard zombie flicks, I'm a big fan of Danny Boyle's vision in 28 Days Later. Of the Voodoo variety, well, The Serpent and the Rainbow ... was a great ... book.

What can we expect from Voodelic in the future?
I don't do no scrying baby! The future can be a dangerous and unlucky subject but as for Voodelic's immediate future? I see black lights, LOTS of black lights!

Killer photo courtesy of Del Higgins Fine Art Photography!

Voodelic is playing this year at the Village Invasion II-Crawl of the Dead at Dave's Coffeehouse and Wine bar on October 22nd. Be sure to stop in, shake your booty, and tell'em the Captain sent ya! If you can't make this most zomberiffic event, ( I can't imagine what better things a corpse would have to do besides dance your pants off to the glorious sounds of Voodelic) You can boogie down these other nights!

10/10-FREE show at Club Helsinki in Hudson, NY
10/22-Night of the Living Voo, BLACK LITE SHOW
10/28-Oasis in New Paltz, NY - BLACK LITE SHOW
10/29-The Fernwood, Palenville, NY - BLACK LITE SHOW
11/28-FREE show The Bearsville Theater, recorded for Vassar Radio!

Grave Matters II

It's that time once again ghouls and boils for a brainy babbling of epic proportions from the one, the only, the very dead Captain Cruella of the Carnivorous Cadavers. There's quite a bit on my mind this time so grab a cocktail, sit back and enjoy the slimy slippery slope!

• The Village Invasion II-Crawl of the Dead is in full on promotion mode and I'm delighted to tell you about the additional shops opening their doors for your corpses to shamble through this year. The Dutch Ale House, Main Street Restaurant, Inquiring Minds Bookstore, Sugartown Vintage Boutique, Dave's Coffee and Wine Bar, The Hudson Valley Dessert Company, Partition Street Wine Shop and the list just keeps growing! I'll be presenting a map once again and giving shout outs to the shops, pubs and restaurants participating in this years Crawl. In these online mentions I'll be talking about what they'll be offering to all you ghouls and boils with detailed information about their devious plans. I'll also be discussing the gifts I've been fortunate enough to receive from online and local merchants who love all things horror, and what treats are in store for the winners of the costume contest. ( And I'm always willing to accept more! Hint, hint...)  I'm also embarking on a very special donation drive for those who were flood victims from Hurricane Irene. If you weren't aware, some towns were completely washed away by the deluge here in the Hudson Valley and has left many homeless and even townless! I'll be setting up a donation drop box at select locations with all the details of how you can help and what items are needed most, so keep checking in! As always, we'll be crossing our rotten fingers for good weather as I've been planning and plotting with Brian Solomon, of The Vault of Horror, and Perri Naccarato of The Computer Guys, some movies to be projected on the Reis Building in the parking lot where the Crawl will begin. Speaking of The Vault of Horror, be sure to visit Cruellas Crypt along with his blog to see what horrendous plans he has up his sleeves for this night. It's sure to be gorrific! See you in Saugerties, NY on October 22nd at 7 pm, Kittens! And as always, Viva la Zombie!

You can imagine that this much water is never a good thing.

• Exciting news! You might have seen several posts about the Vault Keeper and I about us traveling to NYC to be in a pilot for a television series. Well it looks like things are moving right along and you might end up seeing our faces on yet another medium--cable television! Many thanks to Double Wide Media for the camera time and to the uber talented Kevin Maher for asking us to participate. He either thought we were perfect for it, or just perfectly nuts. Check out this photo for the promo! -Faints-

• The Rosendale Zombie Festival in the quaint little town of Rosendale is nearly upon us! My best ghoulie, Lara Hope, convinced me that a zombifying booth was in order. So this year I'll be there with my very own SFX table. Come drag yourself to my booth, say gaaaaaargh! and for $5 you will get the whole gory treatment! Booth opens at 11 am. So get there early and pick up a Village Invasion II flier and keep on spreading the infection!

• If you follow my daily zomBie shenanigans I'm sure you're more than aware of my human counterpart and Vault Keeping partner, the brainy half of the Terror Team, Mr. Brian Solomon, who just so happens to be participating in the ridiculously hilarious Kevin Geeks Out, Rip-off Cinema! at 92YTribeca on Thursday, September 15th at 8 pm.  Here's a paragraph I pulled from his Facebook page talking about the event, if this doesn't make you want to go...you're just not fit to eat! Kevin Geeks Out is the comedy-variety show hosted by writer-comedian Kevin Maher—a confabulation of vintage film clips and videos, new finds, guest experts, games and curiosities. To geek out with Kevin you don’t need to be a geek, you just need to love cool stuff This month, Kevin Geeks Out about Rip-Off Cinema, chronicling the “knockbusters” that attempt to capture the magic of E.T., King Kong, War of the Worlds and other big-budget blockbusters. The two-hour cultural cavalcade includes trivia, snacks, prizes and guest speakers presenting rare film footage and TV clips you won’t find on YouTube or Netflix! I've had the opportunity to brain storm with The Vault Keeper about the Halloween rip-offs he'll be covering, and let me tell you...it's not to be missed! You can buy tickets here and we hope you drag yourselves out and mingle with us!

Eat Your Heart Out for Valentine's Day at Sugartown Boutique!

There's a reason I chose Saugerties, New York as the site of both of my recent zombie-themed extravaganzas, the Village Invasion and the Ghouls' Yule. It's quite literally one of the coolest towns in America, and there are always interesting things going on there. One of the things that makes it so special is the unique flavor created by all the local businesses in the area.


One such local business is Sugartown Vintage Boutique, owned and operated by Ashley Drewes. It's a funky establishment located in the heart of town, and I'm proud to announce that I'll be appearing there on Sunday, February 13 for a special event known as "Eat Your Heart Out"! There will a photo shoot happening, and a makeup demo given by your truly, so come down if you have the chance. In the meantime, I took some time out to chat with Ashley all about her store and the upcoming event...

Captain Cruella: First of all, thank you for taking the time out to chat with me about your fantastic little place.

Ashley Drewes: It's my pleasure!

Cruella: As someone who is a former shop owner, I'm always interested in finding out what exactly drives someone to open a shop. So why Sugartown Vintage Boutique, and WHY Saugerties?

Ashley: I grew up in Saugerties. It's my home, and I always wanted it to be cool. But it was actually always really boring. I left town at my first opportunity, but when fate brought me back, I knew I had to make the most of it. And lucky for me, Saugerties has started to get really cool--even being rated one of the top coolest small towns in the country! There's so many new shops and restaurants. And I wanted to be a part of it, this cool change. The name Sugartown was born from Saugerties.
When many of my contemporaries left Saugerties, the people they met out in the world couldn't spell or pronounce "Saugerties" so I often heard Saugerties lovingly called "Sugartown." I thought "that's perfect!" Because it reflects my love for this town, and it's kinda groovy.

Cruella: What's been the biggest challenge in running this shop so far, and how have you tried to market yourself so you can stand out in the crowd of boutiques in "Sugartown"?

Ashley: My biggest challenge was figuring out my niche. And truthfully, I don't think I've found it yet. So my next attempt was just to please everybody. I wanted to have a shop that was accessible to men and women of all sizes, and also to have unique gifts and accessories. And I wanted it to be affordable. I wanted to feature the creative talents of my friends and local craftspeople. And I think I've started doing all of that, and as time goes on, my inventory grows to continue meeting those goals.

Cruella: Impressive! I know I loved all the items I've acquired at the shop so far, and I can't wait to shop there again!

Ashley: Thank you!

Cruella: You are most welcome ghoulie! So talk to me about "Eat Your Heart Out" being held in your shop on February 13, and tell me what was the reason and the inspiration behind it all.

Ashley: When I was a kid, my favorite thing was to have a "dress up party." And I still to this day love getting dressed up with my friends for various events, and then having those photos as proof that I clean up nice! I thought what better way to introduce my store then to invite the world to come in and try on all the funky threads. Having you in attendance to do a makeup demo with Rock A Betty is just the most delicious icing on that cake. And having a photographer there means flattering photos for all.

Cruella: I am truly excited to sink my teeth into the makeup demo and clothe myself in some new threads for the event!

Ashley: Me too! You'd make a great mod zombie!

Cruella: Surely you jest ghoulie, and the boutique no doubt will help me achieve this look!

So for the record we have a photographer, Mr. Jd Fielding in attendance to shoot for several hours, McKinsey from RABB with make up samples, Brian Solomon of the Vault of Horror coming to cover the event, as well as myself doing makeup demonstrations and clothing modeling.

Ashley: Yay, Brian's coming!

Cruella: So much going on from 1 pm to 3 pm! And I know, this motley crew of "events" folks is quite outstanding right? What else can one expect on this day from the SVB?

Ashley: Well, there will be an opportunity to sample the LEAP Organics Skin Care & Soap line sold at Sugartown--the only shop in the area to carry this line, in fact!

Cruella: Zomberiffic!

Ashley: Also, I've been knocking on my neighbors' doors here in Saugerties, to see if any fellow shop owners have samples, coupons, etc. to add to the mix--truth be told, it remains a surprise even to me what we'll have to give away!
But I promise everyone's going to have a blast, and walk away with a sweet treat or two from Sugartown!

Cruella: NO doubt this will be one fantastic event. So now that you've been open for a few months, tell me what's in store for the future of SVB and where do you see yourself going from here?

Ashley: Well, February 26 from 7-9 there will be a concert and art show featuring some amazing local musicians and one very talented artist, Angelina Peone (also a Saugerties native). The winter months (being a bit slower) are a great time to collaborate with other creative people, and I have the perfect space at the store to have these kinds of events. I think this is going to be lots of fun, too. By spring, I plan on having an even larger inventory, and I'm excited to say I'll be featuring postcard prints from my friend David Radovanovic, a Saugerties photographer and graphic designer.

Cruella: It’s such a great area filled with so many talented people, and it’s really wonderful to see shops embracing the local talent for their inventory.
I want to thank you for taking time out of your schedule to chat with me, and I also want to direct people to your Etsy site because even if you DON'T live in Saugerties, NY you can STILL purchase items from a really fun person from a really fun store. Hats off to you, Ms. Drewes, and let it be known you're totally solo in your endeavors. Another hard working ghoul I hold close to my cold black heart.

Ashley: Aw, thanks, Cru!

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Welcome to My Insanity... AND to the Ghouls Yule

It's beginning to look a lot like zombies! They're in every store...but the scariest sight to see is the zombies that will be on your own front door....

That's RIGHT! I'm at it once again. Am I totally out of my mind? YES! Nevertheless, I'm tirelessly working my fingers to the bone on the Ghouls Yule--coming to Saugerties, New York on December 11.

The event is shaping up nicely, and I'm asking all the unique boutiques and great shops in the village to stay open later for a little holiday shopping. After you've bought that special ghoul the perfect gift, be sure to swing into the restaurants and pubs for some dinner and drink specials with a delightfully dark twist. Live music is in the works for multiple locations, and ghouls of good cheer will be out roaming the streets to celebrate the season.

Be sure to dress in your ghastliest and join along in the festivities! Keep checking in on Facebook, and my new blog for daily updates and further information. I look forward to another zomberrific time, and can't wait to see all of you again! Viva la zombie!