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   TERRIFYING is the best way to describe the most amazing Halloween scare I have ever experienced, thanks to the Enzian Theater's frightening Swamp Walk. I think the video speaks for itself! Every turn, every step, every eye catching aspect, was enough to make you shake in your shorts and scream for your life. I, personally, am a big wuss when it comes to scary movies and haunted houses. So, needless to say, this was definitely an experience to remember!

I highly suggest visiting this event and seeing it for yourself. You will not be sorry! It ends on Halloween night at 2am so get there before it's over! If you want to truly be scared and possibly even make it hard for yourself to fall asleep later that night, then hurry over to it! Aside from the Enzian being an amazing venue for any event and interacting with their amazing staff and volunteers, you can't go wrong when adding in some horrific touches of Halloween here and there - in a Swamp Walk, no less.

We are so excited to have been a part of this! Like I said, the video speaks for itself. We debuted our horror film acting skills, though it was not hard to do when there were maniacs, zombies, demons, and clowns hiding in a pitch black forest with huge intertwining vines and 100 year old trees. Really helps in those moments when you truly must tap in to your fears and release it on camera :) Happy Halloween to all! Get to the Enzian's Swamp Walk right away! ;)

   I have purposely stayed away from haunted houses since I was a little girl because I have seen way too many horror movies. We kept hearing on the radio, all over TV and flyers for the Hollywood style haunted houses and scare zones at the Orlando theme parks and Destiny and I just knew we had to do something about this.

We then heard about the Enzian’s Haunted Swamp and knew we had to steer Orlando in the right direction to get their local spook on. As soon as we read the description of the Haunted Swamp we were already scared out of our minds because it is in a real swamp, not a Hollywood set with props… this was 100% real. We were nervous and anxious all week beforehand, but the day of the swamps opening on Friday, October 22nd at 8:30PM, we were a wreck!

We arrived and were immediately holding onto each other and shaking in fear. The line to enter the swamp was marked by a real hearse and a stretcher. Going through the swamp is done in very small groups but we were lucky enough to be paired Thomas and Terry Thorspecken. You may recognize some of Thomas’s very famous sketches.

We started making our way through the swamp as we were shaking and sweating. Each corner was a new maniac and scarier than the one before it. I truly felt as if I was in a horror movie and was actually being hunted, this made us run and scream. This ended up in me falling twice and elbowing Destiny in her lip, making her lip bleed and my elbow bleed from falling and jabbing her in the teeth accidentally.  Immediately after we made it though, we collected ourselves in the bathroom and then left. We were so scared and needed to calm down and have the footage to prove the Haunted Swamp at the Enzian is no joke and is the best Halloween event in Orlando!

   Yellow Dog Eats was definitely a delicious, mouth-watering experience. The environment and decor is enough to entertain you. The food - even better! They are known for their BBQ and cole slaw, although they also have a wide assortment of side dishes, salads, wraps, sandwiches, pastries, and beverages. We left this establishment with full and happy bellies. If you are in the Orlando area and are looking for a fun environment that's not afraid to make unique food creations, then you should certainly stop by Yellow Dog Eats! Yum :)

   The Be Local GAB Girls went to Yellow Dog Eats for lunch! We work in Winter Garden and heard about this great off the beaten place dive famous for pulled pork, cole slaw and their peanut butter and jelly. The food was absolutely fantastic but the experience wouldn’t be complete without the indie and 90’s rock music and the beautiful outside rustic garden area to enjoy your food. It is definitely a great place to come to relax and get out of the normal hustle and bustle from all of the other mainstream diners or fast food for lunch.

Purple Day is tomorrow and was inspired from the It Gets Better Project.  The It Gets Better Project has become the key message of the anti-bullying/anti-homophobia movement. It stemmed from the LGBT youth who have committed suicide in recent weeks/months due to homophobic abuse in their homes and schools.

Purple Day represents Spirit on the LGBTQ flag but goes beyond just acceptance for homosexuals. It is a message for ANYONE who feels harassed for being different and that being who they are is OK! A message for all  youth  to understand times will get better and that they will meet people who will love them and respect them for who they are, no matter their sexuality or any other reason people may pick on them for just being different. 

We encourage you to wear purple tomorrow! We will be and if you have kids please, pass on this message that being different is OK.

Please also visit this link http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-10-17/joel-burns-interview-on-his-viral-hit-it-gets-better-speech/ to read about Texas councilman Joel Burns  own brush with suicide, his city's homophobia. This is a very powerful video and one you're going to need tissues for.

    From the moment you walk into the Stardust Video & Coffee Shop, your eyes are kept busy admiring all of the awesome decor and wide range of art work draping every wall. The ambiance was tastefully vintage as well as creative. I loved it! There was an old-school photo booth there and anyone could have their photos taken and then hang them on the wall with the plethora of others. There were celebrity autographed portraits of the stars who have visited Stardust. There were oil paintings, personal polaroids, drawn art, and framed abstracts at every corner. The decor was very indie and underground.

They serve amazing teas and coffees, pastries, and hot, delicious food. There were 2 separate areas to sit and enjoy. One area had a private stage and piano, for local acts and poets to come and share their talents on the stage. The other sitting area was a huge room with its own bar, nooks to sit inside of and take in the artistic surroundings, as well as an incredible selection of VHS and DVDS that are not only 'for rent' but are movies everyone can appreciate. All time classics and favorites :) The staff were all cool people and very helpful. 

I can definitely say that I have never experienced a place such as this. I highly recommend that everyone visit the Stardust Video & Coffee Shop if you're in the mood for good food, tasty drinks, an entertaining array of decor and memorabilia, favorite movies, and some local talents and performances. You'll be happy you did. ;)

     Stardust Video & Coffee is a full buffet for the senses. Your whole body tingles with excitement upon entering. Immediately, you are greeted by food, warm coffee and teas, baked goods and other assorted goodness. Once you have quenched your inner hunger for some good grub, the art on the wall becomes alive with weird portraits to scenery, vintage looking things to even Little Miss Bacon and a Rooster. It all seemed to tell a story of community, fun, creativity and passion. I could feel the soul and the beat of Orlando all around me.

Their movie collection is insane. I couldn’t begin to even look at all of the movies that they had. They have everything from indie movies, old movies to any movie anyone could ever want to watch. They also have board games and books that called to my attention. As soon as I noticed the community stage, I desperately wanted to come back on a poetry night or any night when the stage was in use.

We went on a Sunday morning and I couldn’t think of a better stop for a day like Sunday. Its random quirkiness fit right at home with me and I can’t wait to come back. The randomness of Stardust inspired the photo of us holding a garbanzo bean can we found. This reflects the feel good awesome nature of this coffee house everyone should experience.

  Art is definitely one of the things I love in life. So when we decided to make a Be Local appearance at the Twelve21 Gallery's Sweet Wild Art Show, I was very much looking forward to it. The art that they had on display reflected a wide-range of taste and talents. I enjoyed viewing abstract canvas paintings of animals and emotional poetic art that was sketched onto paper. There was also a unique quilt that had different lines of poetry lining the blanket which was a nice touch to see among the vibrant and innovative art pieces.

The artists were there to meet and greet. They were friendly individuals who seemed very excited to show their masterpieces to the intrigued and art-passionate crowd. There was also an assortment of delicious pastries and drinks, as well as memorabilia and t-shirts for sale. The art itself, was also on sale for purchase. There were quite a few items that I wanted to walk out with, but we were on a Be Local mission and I didn't want to take away from anyone else who may have wanted those beautiful paintings. Maybe next time then? ;)

All in all, this art event was worth the visit. Supporting your local community is vital to the economy. It can also introduce you to some incrediblle non-mainstream places, whether it's a restaurant, festival, charity event, or art gallery supporting local artists. Sharon and I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this event. After all, who doesn't love a good piece of art?

 The main goal of our Be Local project is to support the community in any way possible. When we got word about an art show featuring local artists, we knew we had to support them.  The Laughing Samurai, a creative agency, donates their space frequently to display art from local artists and coordinates an entire show. At night it is no longer known as the Laughing Samurai, but as the Twelve21 Gallery.  The show “The Sweet Wild” runs from October 8 until November 5  and this allows their studio to always have some art hanging on the walls... lucky them ;)

Walking into the gallery I was greeted by llamas… yes, llamas were everywhere. Well posters of them anyway telling me I have arrived to “The Sweet Wild”! I was overwhelmed when I first walked up the stairs and into the art gallery. Each wall had something different on it than the wall before and a lot of different mediums were used.  I saw quilts, canvas’s, a suitcase, strings tying two art works together and paintings so striking I had to stand in front of them and stare at them for a few minutes to absorb them.

One of my favorite parts of this experience was to look at the people looking at the art. It is truly a captivating experience and my words or our video cannot quite capture the essence of this show. It is a must see and I suggest you get your butts down there as soon as possible and support your local artists while enjoying some of the most creative art you will ever see.