Business is Booming and I am Tired!!

But good tired!!

I know y'all don't want to hear another blog on why I've been such a very bad blogger and blogging friend. But its good news this time! I have been really working on trying to get Bentley House Productions up and running and I guess I've done something right!

I got my first order off of Etsy this past week and I am just over the moon about it! Plus I have 2 custom orders that I am working on at the moment. Plus lots and lots of plans!!! Those of you doing Alice in Wonderland tea party scenes.... stay tuned for chairs, chairs, chairs!!! (hopefully they'll be coming soon!

Plus I've got a few side swaps going (kate.... I'm getting started this week!! promise!!) (oh and Jayne.... your piano bench will be coming soon!) Phew!!

I can't tell you how upset the Addamses are at me right now as their mansion has coming to a grinding hault! Its just sitting on my desk collecting dust at the moment (not that they mind too much - they like dust).

I need to do something for them soon.... because its not really good to get on the bad side of the Addams Family.... I am thinking I might make some of those lovely skull candelabras like Tabitha did. She sent me some beads and instructions for it so I have NO excuse!!

OK - well thanks for everyone for still staying tuned to my silent blog! You guys are awesome!!

The Addams Family: An Evilution (Book Review)

Hello All,

Well I am very honored to write this post. A publisher from Pomegranate Communications (click here for their website and purchasing info) contacted me about writing a review for a new Addams Family book after she found my blog!

She sent me a complimentary copy so that I could read through it. Oh boy... what a treat!! If you are at all interested in the Addams Family this would be a great book for your collection! It's entitled, "The Addams Family: An Evilution" by H. Kevin Miserocchi (Illustrations by Charles Addams...of course!).

Because of the new Addams Family Musical that just came out, this book was put together to reflect on the beginnings of this odd family. I have looked up a lot of information for my project but I found some things in this book I hadn't read anywhere else.

There are descriptions of each character as they were developed by Charles Addams, put together as a family, and notes on how he named and described each one for the famous Addams Family TV show.

A couple tidbits you might find interesting from the book: It talks about how the Addams 'Family' didn't really start as a family! They were all separate characters that ended up coming together in a beautiful way. This book will show you where they first showed up in Addams' work.

*My Morticia admiring a piece of furniture that she says must be in the mansion!

Another little tidbit..... the book explains the origin of 'Thing' (or 'The Thing') which I didn't think was in any of Chas Addams' cartoons.... but he is. But there's the secret! He used to be more than just a helping hand........

*Thing showing me that he did indeed exist in Charles Addams' cartoons. My bad, Thing.

And that's it... you'll have to get the book if you want more!

....Oh, duh, I forgot the best part! This book has some of the best of Charles Addams original cartoons. I can't tell you how page by page I was gaining more and more inspiration for my project! There are more cartoons than words so don't think this sucker will take you long to read..... but you might be caught up for hours looking at the beautiful illustrations!

And the best for last: Here's an amazing cartoon showing the woeful Wednesday putting a black wreath onto her doll house! How perfect!

Thank you all for reading this review! It's a great book that I will be visiting over and over!

-Ara

*Cartoon images © Tee and Charles Addams Foundation / Courtesy Pomegranate Communications

Off Topic: Quick Apologies

Hi Everybody,

Just wanted to say sorry for not being able to keep up with everyone's blogs for the past two months or so!

You'd think that leaving my day job would give me MORE time on the internet... but apparently not! See at my desk job... I was in front of the computer for 9 hours straight.... and your blogs were the only thing that kept me sane!

Now I am in and out of the house (substitute teaching, running errands, cleaning house, etc...) and I am not at the computer near enough! I really miss reading everyone's blogs everyday and I am trying to set up a schedule for myself so I can do that BECAUSE you guys in blog land are super important to me!

I've been trying to catch up every now and then but please excuse me if I miss something while I figure out my schedule!

Coming up soon.... an Addams Family Book Review (kind of a history of the family)! Exciting!!

And then hopefully some minis when I can get back to that! (once again, you'd think I'd have more time... hahaha)

Hugs, Ara

Off Topic: Piano for Jayne

Good morning all! Just wanted to share my other half of the swap I had with Jayne... I am not as quick as she is so mine went to her a few weeks after I received Cleopatra for my Addams conservatory!

I asked Jayne what she would want as a return swap and she mentioned her Pickled Vicar Project! Perfect!!! If you are not sure what it is please visit her blog here..... but to summarize (and correct me on anything I get wrong, Jayne) it is a pub that is in an old church building!! How perfect!

So I tried to think of what a church building and a pub might have in common.... and of course I thought of a piano! Early last year I had built an organ for Lurch with working keys so I just duplicated the same design for this piano. These keys work as well (Murph is demonstrating in the last photo).

I tried to make it look like an instrument an old church lady would play... but now all faded and dusty and with wood cracks and warps!

Jayne is pleased with it so I am too..... but dumb me forgot the piano bench! Off to work on that! haha!

Get your tickets for the Addams' Living Room Tour.....

That's it ... don't push now ... everyone get in line and get your ticket for a tour through the Living Room of the Addams Mansion.

Now, remember folks that the mansion is still being built... as you will see as you walk through, there are several columns missing and the lighting has not been installed. However, you are just in time to see the finished stairway that has been custom built for the Addams'. Also, Mrs. Addams has placed items just for this showing so they may be enhanced or moved in the future.

Alright... who's first.... yes you. Alright, please enter through the door and you'll find your tour guide, Mrs. Addams herself.....


***Creeeeeeeeeeek***** The door slowly opens


"Ah...Welcome", says Mrs. Addams as she finishes putting out her last vase of freshly dead roses. "Welcome to my home. Come in.... and watch the Polar Bear rug, he hates guests."

"Hookah? No? Well it is rather early in the evening for smoking. I'll ring Lurch for some Lady Fingers. We just got in a fresh batch. Please sit."



"My family is doing quite horribly, thank you for asking. They are out collecting swamp gas for Pugsley's upcoming Science Project."

"So as you can see we're still in the process if making the mansion our home... several things still look a little too 'new' and 'clean'. Also, we've lost our moose head for the fireplace, Gomez has been hunting for a replacement for weeks. Its been a slow process but we Addamses love suspense...."


"Well thats the end of the tour" *A snapping noise from the corner of the room*

"Oh Thing, how thoughtful of you, but the upstairs study isn't quite complete. Gomez's desk has not even arrived yet."


"You will have to come back for the tour of the rest of the house..... no, you will not have to re-buy your ticket, you have a lifetime pass. Lurch has bagged a few lady fingers for you for the road, enjoy."

Off Topic: What happened to Texas?

So.... I thought I lived in Texas.... but we just had a record breaking snow fall!! 9 inches is the greatest amount of snowfall here in one day in recorded history and it happened yesterday!

Now I know some of my Canadian friends are thinking... ha! 9 inches... no biggy. But you have to remember that snow is so rare here that none of us own snow shovels, snow boots, salt trucks, ice scrapers.... sleds.... ear muffs!!! Its cold for us and we're upstream without a paddle. (And yes we did use a blow-up mattress today as a sled to slide down the side of a highway embankment.... sledding Texas style :)

Plus power is going in and out here so I apologize if I miss a few posts... not sure when we will have constant power back!

Anyway... here is a pic of my dog Audrey running in the snow with my hubs! I hope everyone is staying warm! Brrrrrr.....

Cleopatra and Morticia United in Miniature!

Those of you that watched and remember the Addams Family TV show (the black and white one) might remember little miss Cleopatra. She is Morticia's beloved African Strangler. (And for those of you wondering I have no idea if an African Strangler is real). Cleopatra was raised by Morticia from the time she was a little seedling. Morticia actually had Cleopatra before she even married Gomez so they have quite a tight bond. Here you can see them in the new conservatory together (ignore the unfinished windows) smiling at each other! I think Morticias avoiding a 'hug' though...Cleo was handcrafted by the oh so talented Jayne of Tallulah~Belle Originals! Jayne contacted me asking more about Cleopatra and said she was interested in trying her out! Well in a panic of excitement I offered to do a swap with her (because no way would I be able to resist the Addams Family plant made by one of the best mini-plant-makers out there!) and she agreed. I am working on her swap as we speak but I won't say what it is yet!

Thank you so much Jayne! She is just the most perfect picture of what Cleopatra should be!! And Morticia is thrilled so that has me thrilled as well! These pics just don't show off the detail that Jayne puts into each one of her creations!! Cleo is perfect in everyway! She is already taken up as alpha plant and has all the other plants shaking in their pots! Here you can see her ruling in her new atmosphere, isn't she a show-stopper??:

Also in the Conservatory you can see a few bottle and potions made by Kate of The Whittakers Miniatures! Also on the back wire shelf you can see a little Venus fly trap chowing down on a lump of meat made by Christina Pardy.

And finally a quick portrait of the Queen of the Conservatory!! Morticia's off to make her favorite meal to welcome her to the Addams Family Mini-mansion: Yak Meat Balls! Yum!!