Moonlight BEEN Satisfies Curiosity With Eclectic Art, Horror

CRESTWOOD, IL — There aren’t enough curiosity shops in the south suburbs, which is why we love Moonlight BEEN in Crestwood. If you’re looking for handmade monsters to put on your front lawn next Halloween, original art, baubles, oddities, BoHo, jewelry, anatomical hearts, hand carved wands, tumbled rocks, repurposed blow molds, fishing lures and thousands of other trinkets, you’ll find it here tucked in the back of this strip mall at 127th Street and Central Avenue.

Carrie Minet-Been, the mistress of twisted crafts and collector of doll limbs, who can knock off 20 voodoo dolls while watching a true crime documentary, opened her shop in May 2021. Since then, the store had been building a devoted following. Almost everything in Moonlight BEEN is repurposed or handmade, include the displays.

“My daughter will see me watching TV surrounded by doll limbs,” Been said. “She just shakes her head and walks away.”

As a kindergartner, Been would beg her father to let her stay up late to watch the low budget, classic horror and sci-fi movies on “Svengoolie,” now nationally syndicated and airing Saturdays on MeTV.

“I was always drawn to different stuff,” she said. “The first movie I recollect watching on ‘Svengoolie’ was the old black-and-white ‘Night of the Living Dead.’ I got an Alfred Hitchcock album for my First Communion, and I would listen to Alfred reading stories for hours.”

Growing up in Burbank, her parents decorated the yard for Halloween. Been didn’t become interested in art until she got older.

“I started doing Halloween ceramics with my grandmother. I learned how to paint from her,” Been said. “My mother was always pretty crafty, but she did needlepoint and cutesy stuff.”

Awakening the sleeping artist within, Been and her husband, Dave, started decorating their own yard for Halloween. Their “Frightmare On Forestview” in Crestwood, has been a mainstay on Patch’s annual scary yard tour.

“Our display just kept getting bigger and bigger,” Been said. “People were telling us to sell our homemade Halloween decorations.”

The couple started hitting the local craft shows and paranormal markets with their handmade and repurposed wares at. It was always in the back of their mind to open a store.

“Last year we drove by [the current location] and saw a big ‘for rent’ sign on what used to be a florist,” Been said. “We decided to check it out. It was perfect, we knew the area. It’s three minutes from home. I just turned 50, my husband turned 60. We thought, ‘let’s do it.’”

Moonlight BEEN opened its doors on May 15, 2021. Last October, she turned the strip mall into an outdoor Halloween market. She’s planning more events in the coming months. The store also showcases local artists and Tarot card readers. In addition to the retail trade, Been books private painting parties.

If you need an escape from the Super Bowl, Moonlight BEEN is hosting a Be Mine Bloody Valentine Party, from 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13. For $15, you can paint your own anatomical heart; $25 with a coffin. The party also features tarot, raffles and free DIY bloody Valentines. Register in advance at 708-228-8322 or email moonlightbeen@yahoo.com.

“You’ll get an anatomical heart that you can paint and decorate. I have jewels, glitter and all kinds of stuff,” Been said. “I also have a whole setup where you can make your own creepy valentine.”

Moonlight BEEN, 5561 W. 127th St., Crestwood, is open from 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 1 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. Keep with Moonlight BEEN happenings on Facebook and Instagram. The store shares the strip mall with Thirsty Beaver and, pretty soon, the new Beggars Pizza.