HappyCakes Cupcakery Made Me Happy!!!

Ok,so here's the deal - we simply drove by this "bakery" on our way to Wal-Mart.

I'm abso addicted to cupcakes, so I had to go check it out, but the Bunny was fighting me hard on it. (I asked him to help me stick to my plan & he does his best)

The name sounded kinda familiar, so while the Bunny was in Wal-Mart & Lowe's

I do what I do best and hit google to find out WHY this name was soooo familiar.

And that is when I discovered that HappyCakes was not only a contestant 

(more than enough reason to go) 

but the winner of Season 2 Episode 21 of CUPCAKE WARS!

So with that ammo in place - I made my point and got to visit the cupcakery.

I'm totally bummed that I forgot to take a picture of the outside, but it's not much of a miss

cause it is simply one location in a strip mall strip from the outside.

But you walk inside and oh my goodness!

The yummy scents fill the air and you can almost taste the butter and sugar.

So that explains the butter scent!

So the menu is a bit different than any other bakery I've been to.

The have a flavor schedule and those are the cupcakes available on any given day.

So there isn't any "Hey hon - stop by HappyCakes and pick me up a German Chocolate" cause it might not be on the menu that day. Of course a smart consumer checks out the schedule and then decides on what to get.

Or you could be like me and go 

"Hmmm one of each and double the strawberry & german chocolate, please"

Hey don't judge me these little gems are $3 a piece (and worth every freaking penny)

or you can get one dozen (that's 12 for those of you not fond of math) for $29.

Today's offerings are:

Strawberry Cream

Brown Sugar Maple

Oreo Overload

Hummingbird

Vanilla Dream

Hot Chocolate 

German Chocolate 

Chocolate Indulgence 

Chocolate Tuxedo 

and Black Velvet

They get packed up so pretty in this very deceptive simple package.

Close up of the label cause it made me smile!

It was almost impossible to wait until we got back to the campground to try one of these.

Out of the 12 I got to sample at least a bite of three. 

I had a German Chocolate one that has simply transformed my idea of what this traditional cake is supposed to take like, the Bunny had a Strawberry Cream that tasted like sweetened strawberries & cream, while the Rents split a Hummingbird that was perfectly nutty and delicious.

If you are ever in the area - totally check them out - because they are amazing!!!

Vander Haunted Trail

Black out run

This was actually the cutest little clown ever, but the picture sure makes him creeptastic!

Usually I'm pretty good to go on these Haunted House/Trails/Etc

But tonight's just seemed to fall a little flat.

I'm not sure if it was because of the group we were in or

the temp or just the fact that it was mostly kids screaming

at you - but blah, not my cup of tea this year.

Darkside Haunted Estates

Okay people so look lively - well as lively as a haunted house can look. 

Welcome to DarkSide Haunted Estates

is one of the new ones we tried this year and OMG it was truly spectacular. 

First off - they had roaming characters at the front of the area which always makes the

experience more thrilling for me. For starters there was

One of boyfriends favorite guys - Jason.

And let me start off by saying OMG! He started the experience from the time

we pulled into the parking lot. He chased our car into the parking lot and then

tried to chase me around.

This particular picture was snapped right before he scared some poor girl in

the portapotty. She flew out the door and back to her car. Last time I saw

her it was tail lights out the parking lot. She left her friends behind.

And last I heard was refusing to come back for them.

I honestly thought this guy was a statue until I saw his hands twitching!

And that is the end of my pictures for this experience, but let me tell you about the rest of our night.

On site is a food truck - so you can get something to eat or drink while you wait.

And wait we did. (only downside to our experience really)

We waited in line for close to 3 hours to go on their newest attraction - Zombie Paintball!

But once we got in the wagon we had the time of our life!!

You are riding in a wagon pulled by a tractor (think hayride without the hay).

They stop once they get into the woods & you switch to the gunning seats

and away you go. There are various "stations" in which you shoot the zombies

(FYI the zombies are volunteers from the local JROTC)

The whole trip takes about 15-20 minutes and is truly a fun way to blow off some steam.

(This is a stock photo because I do not take photos while on the trail)

Because of the long delay at the Zombie Paintball - the staff was nice enough to keep

the haunted trail open for us.

I had an amazing time wandering the trail with the BF and interacting with the

actors all over the place. And I was truly astounded when I found out

that almost all of the actors are kids. 

For a kid powered house - this is truly AMAZING!!!! 

Much better than last night's debacle of a haunt.

Cost per person: $16 + depending on what packages you get/we did the combo for $30

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 ghosts (would have been 4.5 but the wait time for the hayride was horrendous)

Dollywood

SMrs Lillian Getting Ready To Read Us Llama Llama Red Pajamas

ollywood has this plan in effect that if you go in on a single day

ticket after 3pm, you can return the next day on

the same ticket. So that is what we did!!

The reason we wanted to split the "day" up was because everyone really

wanted to see the fireworks, but we had reservations for

Dixie Stampede for Saturday night.

This is all of our family ready to see the sights and enjoy the afternoon!

I ended up riding the Tennessee Tornado with the riding group

(aka Theresa, Lucas, Emily, Sarah & Dad)

The Fireworks were amazing and I loved the musical component.

Day 2 - And it turned out to be a day for Bunny & Me!

Everyone else went out for breakfast, but we had a relaxing meal at the cabin

and then headed to the park early.

(I do so LOVE LOVE LOVE my one cup Bella coffee maker when we have electricity)

This is one of the signs at the entrance to the park.

I love Dolly's use of butterflies. (art journal inspiration)

Mrs Lillian getting ready to ready us Llama Llama Red Pajama

I must say Bunny looked totally appalled when I suggested we go listen

to Mrs Lillian & Cluckie tell a story,

but he ended up loving it

(even if Mrs Lillian did pick on him)

We spent an enjoyable morning combing through

the shops & demos of Craftsman Valley as

roller coasters & thrill rides just aren't Bunny's thing.

Just me and the Bunny goofing off with the selfie cam as we make our way

around the park. 

Hollywood Wax Museum

This is my take on the Hollywood Wax Museum in Pigeon Forge TN

So I had to yell at the BF, he was trying to take a snarly picture with Marilyn Monroe - say what?

BF with James Dean

Okay, so we had an abso blast here, but if you are looking for

realistic looking wax figures, you may want to go some where else :)

Evidently SEVERAL of my Facebook friends just can't get over the

"bad" wax to get the amazing time we had.

Now that being said, we had the most AHMAZING time!

My only complaint, they set it up so you can take pictures with all the wax figures

but most of our pictures didn't turn out well because the lights

on the figures are just so freaking bright that it is impossible to take

good pictures!

Vander Haunted Candy Walk

Okay, So I don't have kids (everyone knows this) but that doesn't mean I don't keep track of kiddy things. And when I find them I generally steal borrow a kid or teen from one of my friends or my nephew. This particular weekend Little Man was OOT, so I grabbed Star's youngest Squish (actually she came too :) )

Let's just say - this event was a big old success. The wonderful people of Vander Haunted Trail gave out over 500lbs of candy in the first 30 minutes and totally got more candy on site in less than 20 minutes. And while we were waiting in line, there were a ton of other things for the kids to do. Bouncy houses & face painting & games. And the very best part - it was totally FREE!

Squish as a Minecraft Creeper!

Panic Attack Haunted Attraction

Panic Attack Haunts

So I was cruising the net trying to locate yet another haunted house for us to go to & I stumbled on this one. OMG - so freaking worth the trip, you just don't even know!!

Ok, so we got down to the site early, no big, we are patient people (most of the time lol) so we get our tickets and get in line and the freaks come out. First it was a pair of creepy clowns that seemed to have a 6th sense when it comes to a victim, they were rentlessly attacking a chick that was evidently terrified of clowns.

So I was good until this ogre looking creature came out. At first I just turned my back to him, but evidently he caught on to what I was doing, and started like seriously haunting me. At one point, I swear, I could honestly smell his breath. YUCK!!! Well evidently he was actually a vampire, but he looked liked the ogre from Lord of the Rings.

After about 45 minutes in line, we finally got into the house and OMG it was soooo worth the wait. This attraction is absolutely amazing. It has scares for everyone! And it was high quality - makeup, costumes, and props. There were spiders and snakes, a yeti, SNOW!!

2012 Haunted House Round 1

Okay so last year, BF & I did a haunted house or trail every weekend in October and since we had so much fun we decided to do it again. Maybe next year, we'll see if we can't get involved in an acutal ghost hunt. LOL. So this year, since we were down at the beach already, we decided to check out this one:

Now I for one must say that I was a bit leary when we got here, I mean - it's a transformed store front in a strip mall. Can you say cheesy? But I was very impressed with the interiors. They have 5 attractions & a discount for the combo pass. For $25 you get to see:

■Haunted Factory Tour - My favorite part about this attraction, was watching everyone freak out over the gas masked dummy being a real person - it was freaking hilarous.  Evil millionaire built his factory on the backs of hardworking people, causing death & destruction. So some of the factory workers took matters into their own hands & sealed all the doors (leaving a ton of their fellow workers inside) and set fire to the place. Not much affected me in this part (see note down below about keeping your fingers to yourself) except for this was our after 10p event & I was a little shocked to hear all the F bombs roaming rampart.

■Psych Ward Tour - (its added to the end of the Haunted Factory Tour FYI) Dude now this part creeped me out major. There is one guy in there & he is supposedly gutting a victim and holy crap, I swear he was about ready to take another one out of our group. He just looked scary freaking creepy!!!!

■The VOID - this section freaked me out. I am not usually afraid of the dark, but combine dark, creepy, sparks, and a passage way that feels like it is shrinking and man oh man - wig out time. Didn't help matters any that the creepy girl crawled off the bed and up the wall after me.

■The 3D Fun House - Squirrel is your guide/tormentor through this maze of 3D paint and drop walls and she will totally giggle you crazy. Out of all of them this was my favorite, but then I kinda like going oh shiny - squirrel!!!!

■The Mausoleum (A multi-level, crawl-through attraction!) - I was unable to go through this one, as it is impossible to crawl with a broken finger, however BF says it was a good one.

I honestly think my favorite part of the whole thing was the photo attraction in the gift shop, but that could be because the couple running it were just entirely too sweet. (Not exactly what you expect at a haunted house, but still fun).

Quick little side note: if you go after 10p these attractions go rated R so be prepared for adult lanuage and supposedly they grab you. But I never got touched. lol.

A word of warning for everyone going to out to spooksvilles this Halloween season - don't stick your hand in a coffin or a box while you are inside unless a guide tells you to feel something. A girl in one of the groups behind us evidently thought it was a good idea to stick her hand inside a crate gag (I'm unsure if someone was inside pull the latch or if it was hydrolic) and the lid slammed down on her finger smashing her ring and causing her a great deal of pain. Now you would think that I would have a bit more sympathy due to having just smashed my hand in a car door, but personally, I think she is a tweedle and should have known better than to stick her hand in a box in a creepy room.
Sorry there aren't any pictures, but most houses frown on flash photography inside and as stated earlier, this one isn't much to look at on the outside.

Clayton Fear Farm

OMG - if you are in NC during the month of October you must must must check out Clayton Fear Farm - it totally rocked. You get 7 attractions for $25 and it is worth it.

This year they had

1. Fear Farm Academy - Seymour Phear’s plan to home-school his 12 brothers and sisters has gone horribly, horribly wrong. Report to the headmaster’s office at once; your punishment awaits! See the twisted teachings of the anatomy class and, if you have the stomach, sample today’s mystery meat in the cafeteria – Pork? Turkey??? Everyone gets teased a little bit in school, but this has gone way too far
   
2. The Black Hole - HOLD ON TIGHT! Experience a dizzifying adventure into the abyss, where no living being has ever been . . . and no one on the other side ever wants to go. Unlike the heavens, those aren't stars spinning around you.
   
3. Fear Forest Haunted Hayride - Experience the longest 20 minutes of your life. If generations of the Phear family no longer lie in the cemetery, where are they? Crawl on board a 40-foot hay wagon for an exploration into a part of the farm where few outsiders dare to go . . . and even fewer return. NOTE- the Haunted Hayride starts around 7:30 or dusk.
   
4. Slaughterhouse - WARNING: KEEP ALL LIMBS IN CONTACT WITH BODY! See for yourself where the Phear Farm children developed their skills for meat processing at an early age. But beware! ... they also developed a taste for flesh beyond what they grew on the farm.
   
5. The Farm House - A room-by-room tour through this not-so-typical farmhouse offers insight into why the family rarely had visitors. Amid the screams and howls, sleep was not an option . . . and an invitation to dinner might get you to the table, but not necessarily in a chair.
   
6. A Walk In The Dark! - For years the locals wondered why the family cemetery out past the cornfields never grew any larger. Generations of family members were buried there, but no one realized they were using the same plots. So what happened to the bodies that were there before? Be careful where you step . . . you may find out.
   
   
   
   
7. Corn Maze - 5 acres of total cornfusion, bring your own flashlight or we will be selling glow sticks. Give yourself plenty of time to get through one of the largest corn maze in Eastern North Carolina. Yep - that's my Bunny in the middle of the maize maze. LOL.

Pirate Voyage

Lucas was very excited to go - he wanted to dress like a pirate, so Theresa brought along his Jake suit. All the pirates at the show thought he was simply adorable. There was a preshow - not much there just some singing & such but a yummy drink to be had.


Four Course Pirate Feast
Voyager Creamy Vegetable Soup
Buccaneer Bread
Half O’ Roasted Cackler (Chicken)
Captain BBQ Pork
Cob O’ Buttery
Pirate Herb-basted Potato
Apple O’ Me Eye Pie


And let me tell you - what ever the cost of this show it was TOTALLY worth it. I've been to Dixie Stampede & Mediveal Times in the past - but this show is amazingly amazing. If you have the time & are looking for an entertaining night with good food, good fun, and wonderful entertainment.

Ripley's Aquarium

So I've got some family in town this week - one of my cousins & her husband came down to visit with my grandpa (he's getting near the end I hate to say). My mom got upset cause they are taking their only vacation this year to come down and visit GP (which is more than most of his grandchildren have done). So she decided that she was gonna treat them to a short daytime trip for some fun - trip to Myrtle Beach got planned & planned quickly. Mom invited me & BF to tag along so we did. Me with great anticipation!!







So given - we go to Ripley's Aquarium - after all it's Lucas' favoritest place on earth. So this was my first trip to the aquarium I must say that I loved it. There's tubes that you walk in so you are actually walking inside the tank & 481, a hands on area (technically a couple - one for horseshoe crabs 486 & one for skates), learning stations, divers feeding fish, & tons of other fun.













There were some stunning plants outside but I could only get a couple of shots.

Lucas wanted to feed the big fish - so we walked around back & got some fish food out of the machine - tossed it down and WOW the fish were almost walking on each other to get to the food.