Monday, December 25, 2017

Twas the Night Before Christmas By Nancy Drew


As Told by Nancy...

'Twas the night before Christmas when all through the Drew house
Not a creature was stirring, not even Togo or a mouse
The Stockings were hung by the Crowley clock with care
In hopes that St. Nickerson would soon be there

Carson and Hannah were nestled all snug in their beds
While visions of mysteries danced in their heads
And Togo in his dog bed and I in my night cap
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter
Away to the window I flew with my flashlight
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash with a fright

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to sinister suspects below
When what to my mystery-loving eyes should appear do you suppose?
But a sinister fellow in ill-fitting clothes!

With a shadowy figure in a getaway car parked at the street
I knew in a moment I must be quick at my feet
More rapid than roadsters I took to the roof
As the dastardly villain was ready to spoof

And he whistled and shouted and called his hidden cronies by name
Now Stumpy, now Gombet, now Semitt and Mason
On Topham! On Shorty! on Felix and Dixon!
To the top of the porch, scale the Drew wall!
Now break in, break in, break in all!

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly
When they meet with an obstacle; mount to the sky
So up to the porch and the back door the villains flew
Unaware of Nancy, Hannah, and Chief McGinnis too

And then in a twinkling they saw on the roof
the heroine and famous sleuth of this little spoof
As the dastardly villains began to turn around
Down the wall scaled Nancy with a bound

She was dressed all in blue from her pumps to her cloche hat
And her clothes were all tailored with the finest of this and that
A bundle of sleuthing tools she had ready to sleuth
She would interrogate them all until they told the truth!

Her eyes how they twinkled, her dimples how merry
Her cheeks were flushed like roses, she sensed she should be wary
Her smart little mouth was on the verge of a retort
But she held herself in check unlike Hannah who was more course and short

The handle of a broom Hannah held tight in her hands
As she waved the bristled end at the sinister robber bands
She put on a stern face and with a quick shout
Chief McGinnis appeared ready to round up thieves running about

McGinnis was chubby and plump--a right jolly old police chief
And Nancy grinned when she saw him then set to off to catch a thief
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
He gave the dastardly villains visions of dread

He spoke not a word but went straight to his work
Filled his police car with villains, then turned with a jerk
Nancy and Hannah appeared with the last of the bunch
Hannah poked and she prodded, the broom sure packed a punch

McGinnis sprang to his car, to his men gave a whistle
And away all the thieves were transported like the down of a thistle
and Nancy and Hannah heard him exclaim ere he drove out of site
Happy Christmas to all and to all a peaceful villain-free night!

The End

-----

Written by Jennifer Fisher, www.nancydrewsleuth.com

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Nancy Drew Halloween Party - 2017 Drew-O-Ween


This year's annual Drew-O-Ween Nancy Drew Halloween Party was based on the classic Nancy Drew book The Mystery of the Tolling Bell, where we held our 17th annual Nancy Drew Convention in Maine this past October to celebrate this book. I combined the theme with witches and so we had a bewitching time as many witch silhouettes abounded as did glowing witch hats hanging from the trees! The porch was decorated as if the witches were in the Tolling Bell Cave cooking up something sinister in their cauldron as Nancy silhouetted in the window spied the ghostly cave ghost with his jeweled bell as bats flitted about. Madame was on hand to greet  guests sporting her crystal ball to foretell their spooky futures. Witches, skeletal cats and other night creatures greeted guests as they entered the party to find tricks or treats.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tolling bell books graced the tables sporting the three different cover art as a mix of palmistry and fortune decor blended in with sinisterly sweet snacks like Reese's PB Cookie Cups, Rick Krispie Treats with cupcake picks made from our Nancy Drew Party Kits, and a PB cream cheese Reese's ball to spread on yummy cookies. The menu included homemade lasagna rolls,  parmesan chicken, salad and cream cheese and olive/beef tortilla pinwheels. Brewing up some fun was Madame's Sleeping Potion Punch.

 

Witch legs in pumpkins greeted the guests along with goody "bag" Nancy Drew silhouette cauldron's filled with witchy delights like Hocus Pocus socks, witchy notebooks, witches fingers, magnifying glasses and lots of candies. 

 
 
 
 

I decorated my collection with a few spooky skulls, skeletons and vintage style decor lurking among the shelves of vintage and modern Nancy Drew books.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Guest activities included a crafted black letter N with Halloween and Nancy Drew baubles and then we took Sleuth Dean's Mystery Title Generator and created our own synopses of Nancy Drew mysteries based on our personal titles which was lots of fun and humorous! Clever costumes included Tori and Karen's Nancy Drew outfits from the original Tandy Tolling Bell cover and the Froken Detektiv Norwegian cover. We rounded things out with our Nancy Drew treat container gift exchange which is always sure to delight!