Cauldron Punchbowl

I really like it when my holiday decorations are also practical objects, like this tabletop cauldron from Victorian Trading Company.

It's 11" and made of ceramic. They refer to it as a punchbowl with ladle, but I think I'll use mine to serve mashed potatoes or chili. I might even add a wire handle to mine using some #9 wire from the hardware store.  The total cost for this cauldron with ladle and lid, including shipping, was $46.90. To get yours, click here. To see thumbnail-sized photos of all 349 Victorian Trading Company Halloween offerings, click here.

Butterbeer Recipe

Would you like to sample some of Harry Potter's Butterbeer?


This is from Amy Small who says she's tried many Butterbeer recipes, and this is her favorite.


1 can of Cream Soda (A&W, Mug, Jones etc.)
1 teaspoon of Rum Extract (imitation rum extract is in your grocery store for $4, or try ordering pure online)
1 teaspoon of Butterscotch Extract (probably need to order online)
1 tablespoon of Brown Sugar
1 cup of Vanilla Ice Cream

It's delicious and very frothy and it looks just like beer.

Note that both of the extracts can be ordered from Amazon. I bought 4 ounces of both from OliveNation via Amazon,, and with combined shipping it came to $21.66

The "Charmed" House- Halliwell Manor

The house known as Halliwell Manor from the "Charmed" TV series


This is the house that was used for the exterior of  Halliwell Manor in the television series "Charmed", which ran from 1998 through 2006. In the series, the three young Halliwell sisters used their witchcraft to battle evil.
It is a real house, not located in San Francisco where the TV show was set, but rather it is at 1329 Carroll Avenue in Los Angeles.

The roof sports a weathervane shaped like a whale. The roses and hollyhocks in the front garden were out of bloom on the day I visited (Valentine's Day 2011.) The house was built in 1887 and was the first of several Victorian houses in the neighborhood to be designated as a historical landmark. Locally, it is known as the Innes house, as it was built for shoe store magnate Daniel Innes, who was also a Los Angeles city councilman.



The "Charmed" TV series starred Alyssa Milano, Holly Marie Combs, and Shannon Dougherty. Here's a still shot from the series showing Shannon looking out the door:

The same front door on the real house:



The house was used on the cover of this "Charmed" book, which is more than I can say for Shannon; she was eventually replaced by a new character played by Rose McGowan:


The house is shown faintly in the background on this book cover

The house is only 2 doors down from the "Thriller" house:

The house in between the "Charmed" and the "Thriller" houses is this yellow one at 1337 Carroll Ave. It was used in Season 2 of  "Charmed" as the home of next-door neighbor Dan Gordo, who became Piper's (Holly Marie Combs) love interest:

1337 Carroll Ave, known locally as the Foy house

Here's the spooky house to the right of "Charmed", at 1325 Carroll Ave- and it's for sale! The cost is about a half-million dollars:

1325 Carroll Ave

If they were filming "Thriller" these days, they'd probably pick that house. Only a small part of it seems to have been rehabbed. And it has two lovely poisonous white Angel's Trumpet (datura) plants in front.

The street has had a variety of hitching posts installed in front of the houses, including this swan-styled one in front of the "Charmed" house:



Only the exterior of the house was used for filming. The interior was shot on a sound stage and does not match the floor plan of the real house. The current owner has been quite accommodating, letting people see the interior on occasion. Once a month, the Los Angeles Conservancy conducts walking tours in the neighborhood (make reservations here) and sometimes the "Charmed" house has opened its doors as part of that 2 and a half hour tour.
Some other houses in the 'hood:

But not all of Carroll Avenue is so picturesque. Consider the flat-looking paint scheme on this poor house, and think of how you would re-invent it:

Carroll Avenue is in an area of Los Angeles called Angelino Heights. There is a small lake within walking distance called Echo Park Lake, or just Echo Lake, that has tall geyser-like fountains, paddleboats and a lot of geese, ducks, and palm trees. One of the geese (named Maria or Orange Bill, depending on who you talk to) has bonded with a few humans, including members of the band OK Go when they filmed this music video entirely at the lake. She can be seen following them around, especially in the video's last half. Echo Park Lake is to be drained for a $64-million makeover soon. Frequent lake visitor Dominic Ehrler has also bonded with the goose, and he says of her: "They're supposed to collect the birds and truck them to another lake. I plan to follow her there, because when you have a friend like this you don't want to lose her." Awww!

 So that is our lucky "Charmed" house- hope you thought it was magically delicious.

In honor of St. Patrick's Day (and because my Dennis officially became an Irish citizen a few weeks ago -14 months after he applied), here are a few pics of Halloween Town's latest holiday window display:





The "Thriller" House

Remember this scene in Michael Jackson's "Thriller" music video? Where the girl runs into this house to flee Michael and the zombies? The video wasn't shot on a fabricated set. This is a real house on a street that's chock full of beautiful Victorian houses. And you can live there, too, as the house 3 doors down is for sale.  Here are more shots of the Thriller house, taken on Valentine's Day this year:

The "Thriller"  house in 2011

The porch cover of this 1887 home needs repair, but the owner has been making renovations. The 200-year old Moreton Bay fig tree (Ficus macrophylla) is a beautiful accent and provides much needed afternoon shade. Happily, the tree shares protected historical landmark status with many of the homes in the neighborhood. There is also a large sago palm, and the steps of this home are flanked by standard red roses, and a white rose hedge- unfortunately out of bloom during my visit- lines the driveway. There is a large carriage house in the back of the property. The Thriller house address is 1345 Carroll Ave. in Los Angeles. The best time to visit is just past noon on Thursdays, when the street will be free of cars due to the restrictions for morning street sweeping.

The lot is not very wide, but goes back pretty far

Moreton bay fig tree

Here is a view down the street to the east:

The house across the street exhibits hints of Halloween with 2 pumpkins on the steps and a crow on a bench. Their lightening rod even looks like a pumpkin.

1324 Carroll Avenue

And the house next to that one has a reaper peering from the tower window

A grim reaper surveys the street

The homeowner, passing by, told me Carroll Avenue is "the best for Halloween. We got a thousand people last year." That house also has a nice front garden with roses and the powerful heavenly scent of jasmine vine (Jasminum polyanthemum) filling the air. I find it ironic that such a garden-y house would have a grasshopper design for their weathervane (not shown).

1320 Carroll Avenue had one of the best gardens

Carroll Avenue has had all utilities placed underground, period street lamps added, more houses moved to lots here, and an interesting variety of hitching posts added along the street. More pictures of houses across the street:

1330 Carroll Avenue

1344 Carroll Avenue

This beauty, on the corner, had one man touching up the paint near the doors. When he finishes painting, he probably has to start all over again.

1300 Carroll Avenue

Here is the view of Los Angeles from that same corner. It's something like the view they'd see from their rear upper windows:

View of Los Angeles sky scrapers

Since it was Valentine's Day and we were a bit thirsty, Dennis and I partook of some purple-colored Love Potion No. 69. I'm not sure we would try it again, but we both finished our bottles.

 Next on the agenda was a visit Halloween Town (2921 W. Magnolia, Burbank) to shop for a hat and some jewelry. The store windows are always interesting. I didn't attempt any photos inside. (This post explains why.) I noticed that behind the cash register area, the monitors from their security cameras did include scans of the sidewalk outside and they had probably seen me snapping away, so next time I'll take pictures on the way out, not as I go in.

Stayed tuned for the next post, about another famous house.