Happy Dia de los Muertos

Happy Dia de los Muertos to you all!  As the veil grows thin between the Spirit World and ours...it's the perfect time to commune with your ancestors.  Light some candles, get out your skulls and adorn the place with bright colored marigolds.  Serve up some of your late Grandpa's favorite foods and take turns remembering the things you loved most about the dearly deceased.  Celebrate Life and Death during this festive celebration. 

An All Hallow's Eve Story

The Halloween party was a splendid affair with glowing jack o'lanterns grimacing from every corner of the barn.  Festive revelers with their true identities concealed behind feathered masks and elaborate costumes, danced the night away to the hauntingly hip tunes of the Bone Janglers, with their skeleton painted faces and Grave Digger top hats. The table resplendent with every Fall treat imaginable, filling the air with the seasonal scents of pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and apples.  The scents mingled sweetly with the earthy smell of the hay bales and cornstalks that decorated the barn.  Yes, this was the Soiree of the Season and the perfect way for you to ring in All Hallow's Eve!
  

But alas, all good things must come to an end....and as the clock struck 12, the witching hour was upon you and it was time to make the short journey home through the woods.  It was light when you headed to the party earlier in the evening, but now darkness had fallen, and the path back home looked just a bit more ominous than it had on your arrival.  But no fear, as you have traveled that stretch of road many a time with no perilous results, why should tonight be any different.

After all, tonight was the most anticipated night of the year.  It was finally here...All Hallow's Eve!  The night when the veil between the living and the spirit world grows thin.  It's the time for young and old alike to don their disguises and take to the streets in search of sweet candy treats and devilish tricks!  And tonight the air is crisp and cold with a shroud of fog that has settled in to mask the unknown evils lurking in the shadows, those things that go bump in the night!  Yes, though the path is a bit more daunting than it had been earlier, the setting couldn't provide a more picture perfect ending to this enchanted night. 
 
As you gaze up into the night sky, you notice that the Moon is full and mysterious....an amber yellow glow illuminating the spindly bare branches of the late Autumn trees.  As you sink deeper into the wooded path, you begin to notice every little sound amplified around you.  The rustling of the air as it shakes the last remaining leaves from their branches, sending them to their yearly death on the forest floor.  There they will take their place in the cycle of life, their decaying forms making fertile the earth for next Spring's rebirth.  Oh how splendid the Autumn season is, you think to yourself.

Then suddenly, you feel a shiver run up your spine, and you get the eerie sensation that something or someone is watching you from the shadows. Your eyes are trying to adjust from the brightness of the moon above, to the black darkness of the woods around you, when you startle at the jolting screech of an owl overhead.  You look up and are met by the intense, icy stare of his big yellow eyes.  Whew, thank goodness it was only an owl.  
As you continue down the path, you can't help but remember the Tale of the Headless Horseman.  It had been a favorite of yours as a child, and oh how it had scared you so, to walk this same path back then.  Ha...the fertile imagination of childhood.  You don't believe in ghost tales anymore, you're far too old for such folly.  Ignoring your growing sense of unease, you see that you are almost at the forest's edge where the old covered bridge leads back to your sleepy little hamlet, tucked idyllically among the turning maples.  Ha...how silly to let that old tale creep back into your mind tonight and ignite that little flame of fear again.  You chuckle and think to yourself, that it's what makes Halloween so much fun anyway....to be a little scared.  No one is ever too old for a good ole fashioned fright!

Just then, you hear the unmistakable sound of a galloping horse coming from the dark woods behind you.  At first you think your mind and ears are playing tricks on you once again.  But as you strain to listen closer, it is unmistakably real.  You turn to look over your shoulder, but you see only darkness behind.  You turn back around and listen once more...the sound is most certainly real, and it grows louder, as does the beating of your heart.  You hasten your steps and can no longer deny the adrenaline coursing through your veins.  You dare not turn around as you begin to run towards the clearing as fast as your legs will carry you, your breathing labored by the inhalation of the cold dense air pushing hard and heavy through your lungs.  You race through the bridge until you safely clear the other end.  Then you lengthen your stride even more, and you run like you haven't run in years...not stopping until you have reached the door of your house, wheezing and huffing, and euphorically out of breath.  You've made it to safety to be sure, but now as you stop to look around, you realize there is no one in sight, you listen, but there are no sounds to be heard, save the occasional croaking of a woodland frog.  Your heartbeat begins to calm, and you grin at your own buffoonery. Man what a night....this All Hallow's Eve couldn't get any better if you had scripted it yourself.  And to think that you were actually scared like a child again....you can't help but to chuckle in spite of yourself, and you contentedly head off to bed yawning.

You awaken from your evening's slumber, and brave the frosty morning air as you take the dog out for his early morning walk, deciding to to take him back to the wooded path.  The sun has not completely risen in the eastern sky, so the brilliant colors of the glorious fall foliage are still muted and dark with shadows. The frost is thick on the brown grass and plants, and each footstep is marked with a decisive crunch. You can smell that old familiar Autumn smell that you love so much...the wood smoke wafting through the foggy morning air as the chimney fires are stoked in the surrounding homes.  As you begin to approach the trail, your dog begins to bark excitedly and runs ahead into the mist.  You lose sight of him in the fog, but you hear him growling at something in the woods ahead.  

 As you draw closer to the covered bridge, you're astonished to discover a flaming, grimacing jack o'lantern smoldering in the ashes and embers of the flickering flames.  You take a moment to absorb what you are witnessing when you notice the horse prints in the sand.  You look around cautiously as that old familiar chill runs right back up your spine, and the hair on the back of your neck stands on end.  Intrigued and slightly unnerved, you think to yourself that perhaps there really is some truth to those eerie tales that prevail in the area, those haunting legends that refuse to die.  Maybe, just maybe, you really do believe in spooks, specters and haints after all!  :o)

Tomorrow will be All Hallow's Eve once again my friends....Go forth and enjoy the Magic!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN and SAMHAIN 

Moonlight Drive by tmac0723 

Tree Spirits

The month of October is the month when the veil between the Spirit World and ours grows thinnest....especially around the date of Hallowe'en/Samhain.  So for today's Halloween Countdown, I wanted to share a couple of my own encounters with Spirits this past year.  Specifically, I am speaking of Tree Spirits! Maybe it's those Celtic/Druid roots and magic at play...but I frequently find myself in the presence of Tree Spirits when shooting outdoors near woodlands, forests and groves.  

This Autumn Maple stares at you with it's freshly cut eyes, and appears ready to grab you with it's outstretched arms!

It always happens in much the same way.  I'm  happily photographing away, when I suddenly get a 'vibe'!  It is a sense that I am not alone, when I know for a fact that there are no other humans with me.  That's when I'll stop what I'm doing and take a look around, to see which tree it is that wants to be acknowledged.  It's then that I discover what had previously been hidden from my view....the Tree Spirit, usually in the form of a face.  In these next two images I was still shooting as darkness was falling when I saw something that literally looked like a face.

Sometimes it's a rudimentary face, formed from the precise angles of knots and limbs and bark, that if viewed from any other point of view would revel no face at all. But on rare occasions...the face will actually look quite human in form, as though a person has been trapped into the tree itself.  One famous example of that would be how Nimue trapped Merlin in a Hawthorne tree by use of his own magic!  The photo below was one of the most eerie trees I've seen.  I didn't notice the VERY human like face on the tree while looking at it from the front.  It was only after I'd moved to the side of it and our light hit it, that I I saw  the very clear face.  I did a double-take and then bade my husband to confirm that I was seeing what I thought I was seeing.  We were both a little creeped out because the face looked so real. It looked as though a person had been petrified in the tree.  But then all the limbs behind it give it a more otherworldly creature like look.  Below is an even closer image so you can see the uncanny and human like detail. So just what is a 'Tree Spirit'?

In the Darkling Wood is a tree that captures Lost Souls.  Be careful not to touch it or your soul will take the place of the Trapped Soul, setting it free!

 "A Tree Spirit is a type of 'nature spirit' that is effectively the 'living soul' of the tree.  They are visible to those with psychic awareness, and appear in varying forms depending on what type of tree they reside in.  Tree Spirits are ghostly and other-worldly, often glimpsed out of the corner of the eye in a darkened wood or a flash of sunlight through the forest canopy. Primarily Tree Spirits act as the guardians and life force of the trees.  They are keen to share their wisdom on time, place and ancestry, as well as also being excellent healers as well."

And with that story there is also a warning to be heeded...."Tree Spirits are not entirely bound to their trees.  They can venture a short distance away, and legends tell of folk becoming unsettled in the forests at night, due to the Tree Spirits stirring and walking about the woods."
( https://suite.io/louise-heyden/1y1p2wm)

So next time you are alone in the woods, pay close attention to the trees around you, for you never know when that slight chill up your spine is alerting you to a Tree Spirit close at hand!

Beware the Eyes of the Birch Tree...they are always watching!

All Image © W. Amdahl (all rights reserved)

Build It and They Will Come...Fall Festival

Okay...I desperately wanted to post about this two Octobers ago, but I didn't have the pictures the first year, and last year, life had other plans for our family and I couldn't participate in the Halloween Countdown.  But I eventually got it together, and it has finally made it as a post for this year's Countdown!  "Better late than never" is my motto anyway, so be it!  2012 was the 'inauguration' of something that I hope goes on for many more years to come.  As nothing gets me as excited for the Autumn Season as attending those quaint Fall Festivals up in New England, where there seems to be one on every corner.  

So imagine my utter delight at discovering my very own little Fall Festival just down the road from my house.  Yep....it was a tried and true, bonafide Fall Festival complete with Corn Maze, Pumpkin Picking, Bouncehouses and Punkin' Chunkin' into the lake.  Bare in mind here, that I do NOT live in the country by any stretch....in fact it could be called a 'suburb' at best, as grocery stores, banks and fast food restaurants are just a few miles down.  So the likelihood of this happening is about a gazillion to one.  But hey....I'm a devout believer in 'wishful thinking' and 'manifestation'....so I choose to believe that I somehow personally and magically, conjured up this little Fall Festival by sheer will, belief and determination!  And POOF....overnight my magical vision appeared in a big field down the road, that is privately owned by a local family who runs a Landscape business.  

I am assuming they just happen to love the Autumn Season too...so why not supplement their income by making use of their lovely property to bring a little Fall Magic to the residents of my town.  They planted corn and made their maze, they built little outbuildings for the farm stand to sell homemade breads and jams, they corralled off a big section to house all the pumpkins for sale, and they built a whole 'punkin' chunkin' apparatus on the edge of the pond.  They decked the whole area out with fall flowers, scarecrows and animated horror figures, and brought in an assortment of bounce houses for the wee folks.  True enough....the scale was a bit smaller than that of farms up north, but it was a fine effort indeed! Also I should note here that all I had with me last year was my iphone, so I took very few shots and they aren't good at all, but at least you can see proof that this manifestation did actually occur....the palm trees under the Corn Maze sign should be the clue that it's in Florida...ha!  

When I first laid eyes on it, the famous line from that Kevin Costner baseball movie 'Field of Dreams' sprang instantly to mind...."build it and they will come!"  Yes!  That's Right!  That's all we needed....someone, anyone, the FIRST one.... to just build it....and we will all come to pay homage to the glorious Fall!  And come we did....that little patch of land under the grand shady oaks was PACKED with curious townfolk every day it was open!  It filled my 'not so wicked lil' heart' to the brim, that all their hard work to bring a little seasonal magic to my town, was being amply rewarded with throngs of Autumn Revelers.  

They didn't charge an admission fee, but made their money through the sale of home made goodies, pumpkins, and tickets to the different events.  They had photo areas, and live music and even some local crafters' selling their wares.  All of that Autumn Goodness.... and I literally could have walked to it if I weren't so dang lazy.  So anyway, I just wanted to share my magical find, as they have been busy each year, making bigger and better upgrades to the property, putting in permanent play-sets and picnic tables etc.  Each year it gets bigger and better and the consistent crowds are proof.  I believe that this year's 3rd Annual Fall Festival is going to be even more stellar than last two.  October is the perfect month to conjure up your own Autumn Magic!  :o)

Jack O'Lanterns and Ghoulish Gourds

© Pinterest via Erin Bourassa

Jumping Jack O'Lanterns Ichabod...it's almost Hallowe'en!  My, my, my.... how the magical month of October seems to fly by so fast!  Wish it would linger for awhile.  Speaking of Jack O'Lanterns, for today's Halloween Countdown post I thought I'd share some images of my favorite Jack O'Lantern's that I've found on the internet.  I'm of the belief that every Jack O'Lantern, just like every person.....has their own unique personality!  And although I have never met a single Jack O'Lantern that I didn't love...I do tend to favor ones that have a mischievous, primitive or grimacing gaze to them.  And although I do love the traditional Orange Pumpkin, I must confess that I'm actually more smitten with the Green and White varieties, especially if they have lumps, bumps, stripes and warts!  Call me odd...but I can't help what I find fascinating, and for me....the uglier the Pumpkin, the more I seem to adore it!  So without further adieu...I present my favorite Ghoulish Gourds.

 Oh...and one more thing....because I would be remiss if I didn't give The Pumpkin Man his due each October....at the bottom of this post for your squeamish pleasure....please enjoy another rousing Annual Rendition of "The Pumpkin Man Dance"!

© Pinterest via Jay Knioum

© Pinterest silver-fish Hub Pages

© Pinterest via Kat DeBlois

© Ed Conroy

© susannassketchbood.typepad.com

© leya curiousbird.typepad.com

© marthastewart.com

© Skull-a-Day

© Martha Stewart.com

© Pinterest gypsymare.blogspot.com via Chadds Ford Great Pumpkin Carve

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this Hallowe'en Tree Jack!

And of course The Annual Viewing of the Pumpkin Man Dance!

Ghostly Dresses DIY Costume Tips

Today's post shares some Halloween costume tips straight from the costume designers from the old 'Ghost Whisperer' show.  At least I think it's old...is that show still on the air?  I love how these 'Ghostly Dresses' look worn and tattered, musty and old.  Just what one would expect a Ghostess to wear?  And their tips are simple enough for even the most novice among us to be able to implement and come away with some 'rottenly good' Halloween threadbare frocks!

Halloween costume tips from the 

'Ghost Whisperer' costume designer!

 
Practical tips for perfecting a Ghostly Wardrobe from the TV show Ghost Whisperer:

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR PERFECTING A GHOSTLY WARDROBE

Use old clothing or buy items from the local Thrift shop

*You’ll find great treasures and keep your costs low

Age the items by using pumice stones, sandpaper, paint or oil

*Different fabrics will have various results: chiffon ages wonderfully, while denim is harder to distress

Be eco-friendly by using safe products such as water-based paints, glues and glitter

Layer fabrics to create dimension and visual interest

*Try using dirt with glue to age the garment

Throw the dirt and glue on, let it dry and see what happens

Here are a few Ghost Whisperer trade secrets:
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR PERFECTING A GHOSTLY WARDROBE
Use old clothing or buy items from the local Thrift shop
*You’ll find great treasures and keep your costs low
Age the items by using pumice stones, sandpaper, paint or oil
*Different fabrics will have various results: chiffon ages wonderfully, while denim is harder to distress
Be eco-friendly by using safe products such as water-based paints, glues and glitter
Layer fabrics to create dimension and visual interest
*Try using dirt with glue to age the garment
Throw the dirt and glue on, let it dry and see what happens
- See more at: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1506854.php/Ghost-Whisperer-Costume-Designer-gives-great-Halloween-costume-tips#sthash.wbnSY1Fu.dpuf

Here are a few Ghost Whisperer trade secrets:
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR PERFECTING A GHOSTLY WARDROBE
Use old clothing or buy items from the local Thrift shop
*You’ll find great treasures and keep your costs low
Age the items by using pumice stones, sandpaper, paint or oil
*Different fabrics will have various results: chiffon ages wonderfully, while denim is harder to distress
Be eco-friendly by using safe products such as water-based paints, glues and glitter
Layer fabrics to create dimension and visual interest
*Try using dirt with glue to age the garment
Throw the dirt and glue on, let it dry and see what happens
- See more at: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1506854.php/Ghost-Whisperer-Costume-Designer-gives-great-Halloween-costume-tips#sthash.wbnSY1Fu.dpuf

Here are a few Ghost Whisperer trade secrets:
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR PERFECTING A GHOSTLY WARDROBE
Use old clothing or buy items from the local Thrift shop
*You’ll find great treasures and keep your costs low
Age the items by using pumice stones, sandpaper, paint or oil
*Different fabrics will have various results: chiffon ages wonderfully, while denim is harder to distress
Be eco-friendly by using safe products such as water-based paints, glues and glitter
Layer fabrics to create dimension and visual interest
*Try using dirt with glue to age the garment
Throw the dirt and glue on, let it dry and see what happens
- See more at: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1506854.php/Ghost-Whisperer-Costume-Designer-gives-great-Halloween-costume-tips#sthash.wbnSY1Fu.dpuf

'Ghost Whisperer' Costume Designer gives great Halloween costume tips - See more at: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1506854.php/Ghost-Whisperer-Costume-Designer-gives-great-Halloween-costume-tips#sthash.wbnSY1Fu.dpuf

'Ghost Whisperer' Costume Designer gives great Halloween costume tips - See more at: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1506854.php/Ghost-Whisperer-Costume-Designer-gives-great-Halloween-costume-tips#sthash.wbnSY1Fu.dpuf

'Ghost Whisperer' Costume Designer gives great Halloween costume tips - See more at: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1506854.php/Ghost-Whisperer-Costume-Designer-gives-great-Halloween-costume-tips#sthash.wbnSY1Fu.dpuf

The Dark Hedges - A Haunting

Well, it's the most spooky month of the year again....the perfect time for some of my favorite things like Jack O'Lanterns, Legends and Haints.  And truth be known some of the present day Hallowe'en customs that we celebrate here in America have their origins in the magical land of Ireland.  So I thought it was the perfect time to share a little story about an eerily beautiful location that comes with it's own 'Ghost'! It even has a sinister sounding name....The Dark Hedges!

The Dark Hedges are located in Northern Ireland in Ballymoney, near the village of Armoy, along a stretch of Bregagh Road.  What makes this stretch of road so unique is the picturesque Beech Tree Canopy that covers the stretch of road leading to what is was formerly known as Gracehill House. Gracehill House was a Georgian mansion belonging to the Stuart family in the 18th century.  The family planted the Beech trees that line both sides of the road, to serve as an impressive landscape feature for visitors coming up the long driveway to the mansion.  And there they've grown for over 300 years.

What makes The Dark Hedges so stunning,  is how they've grown across the drive towards each other,  and have entangled themselves in such a way to form a lovely Tim Burton-esque canopy over the road.  They form a long, naturally arched tunnel in which the light and shadows play in a most beautifully haunting way.  The gnarled branches seem to be a bit foreboding in appearance, while at the same time quite breath-taking to behold.  The old trees appear as though  they may come to life at any moment and pluck you right up with their gnarly branches.  So it's no wonder that a 'Ghost Story' is inevitably attached to this magical site.

Local legend speaks of a supernatural specter that haunts the hedges along the road.  She is known as "The Grey Lady".  She is rumored to be the restless spirit of a former maid that worked at the mansion who had died of mysterious circumstances centuries ago.  The apparition has been spotted gliding along the side of the road and vanishing as she turns the corner past the last beech tree.  Still others believe her to be a lost spirit from an abandoned graveyard rumored to lay hidden in the dank, dark earth of the nearby fields.  But the best tale is the one that takes place on All Hallow's Eve.

For on Hallowe'en night, when the veils between the spirit world and ours grows thin....it is said that the Grey Lady herself is joined on her nightly walk by the tormented souls of those other restless spirits buried beside her in the forgotten graveyard.  Nothing like a lil' Hallowe'en Awakening and Midnight Processional to get the blood racing and the heart pumping, eh?!  I don't know about you...but I don't think I'd be brave enough to venture down that spooky stretch of road alone at night, especially on All Hallow's Eve! 

Orange Tree Photo Wallpaper from Next Trip Tourism
Dark Tree Photo © Bob McCallion (all rights reserved)  Image can be purchased here!

Crafty Costumes!

Halloween is always a painful reminder of the one skill that I wish I had, but sadly do not and will never possess....sewing.  But never fear, all is not lost on the costume front because I am industrious and willful when it comes to accomplishing something I set my mind to.  So I have come to fancy myself as the McGyver of Halloween Costume Construction....armed with liquid hem, safety pins, string, glue and anything else laying around the house!  That's all the ingredients that were needed to conjure up some costumes for my chitlins through the years.  My only requirement and self-imposed expectation was that they had to somehow manage to stay in one piece until All Hallow's Eve drew to a close.  

I will not lie and say that my kids have come away from my costuming endeavors unscathed.  For it is true that they have endured the occasional pricking of a safety pin into their flesh, or allergic reaction to some make-shift adhesive, and possibly even a mild case of chaffing and heat stroke on particularly hot October eves down here in Florida.  But I say...no pain, no gain...nothing great ever comes easy.  And besides...temporal discomfort beats showing up at school and parties with the same over-done mask and boxed costume as three other kids....right?!  Alas, I have been quite pleased with my efforts to add that lil' spark of something special to their Halloween celebrations over the years, and the kids love being a part of the process.  Which is just another great thing I love about my favorite holiday!

So I thought the Halloween Countdown would be the perfect time and place to share some of my 'not so handy' mad creation skills. And in hopes that I can inspire even the most 'sewing-challenged' among you to give 'homemade' costumes a try...I can also attest that my kids have even miraculously won a few costume contests along the way too!  Who would have thunk it??!  So you'll be emboldened to know that ineptitude and total lack of viable skills....are no opposition to imagination, determination, a little magic, and the love of Hallowe'en!  :o)   So, do any of you hand make your family's Halloween costumes too....or am I the only inept and deranged glutton for punishment?

 

Still can't believe I actually sewed this Mermaid outfit myself.  She couldn't do anything but sit with her legs out straight, ha...but it was perfect because she couldn't walk yet anyway, and she never crawled at all before she walked.  So it worked, and she won the baby costume prize at a Halloween party we went to!

 

I created this Cat in the Hat costume with a few individual store bought items, some felt and safety pins.  But my most favorite part was the clever little fish in the plastic fish bowl idea. I enlarged an illustration of the fish from the book, glued him on the inside of the plastic bowl, drilled some holes in the fish bowl, and tied on some rope.  Then she used it as her candy holder while trick or treating.  And she won the costume contest too. It was that fish bowl that sealed the deal!

I think I'm most proud of this Scarecrow costume because it was a lot of work and turned out so cute!  I actually managed to figure out how to sew straw onto the collar, cuffs  and bottoms of those overalls...denim is tough and raffia is a pain...but the end result was worth it and it didn't itch like real straw!  I can sew as long as it's mostly in a straight line, but it takes me about 2 days to read the instructions on how to run the sewing machine before I can even proceed.  I'm not a big fan of sewing, but I sure wish I knew how!

Yep the Scarecrow outfit  held up well and was unisex....so I saved it and made my son wear it a few years later.  My favorite part was the big realistic looking crow sitting on the straw hat...everyone really loved that little detail!  In fact, I think I am really more a detail girl anyway...someone else can sew the main outfit, and then I'll come along and add in all the details!  I need a costume design partner to work with.

Cave Boys and Girls!  I decided I was going to go for a duo costume choice this time, so I didn't have to create 2 different costumes.  The cave kid idea was the perfect choice, and easy to do!  I also didn't feel like undertaking another sewing attempt, so I just cut out rudimentary patterns ala Fred Flintstone, and safety pinned those frocks together like a mad woman.  They actually held up well too, with the exception of some minor injurious pokes and pricks of the pins here and there!

Okay...so I don't sew or do costume make-up well either.  Here, they are a French Mime, a Blonde Vampire which is just ridiculous, and their friend the Zombie.  This was obviously not my finest hour for costume design or make-up and I'm not ashamed to admit it.  But they did color coordinate nicely, so at least there's that!

 

So last but not least...here my son was a Witch Doctor and I bought that gauzy suit from the store and added skeletons, skulls, teeth and makeup.  And he actually looked pretty cool.  My niece is on the left and she was a Zombie Princess.  Her Mom had been practicing on the head wounds and rotting flesh for weeks, and she did a great job to.  But my niece's immersion into the character with the deadpan expression and zombie walk was hysterical....ain't Halloween fun?!! 

All Images © Wendy A. (All Rights Reserved)

Pumpkin Carving and Poe - Muppet Style

Thought the Halloween Countdown was a good time to go 'back in time' and visit the The Muppets on Halloween!   

First up is the Muppet Halloween short... 

"Zero Mostel reads Poe"...in honor of today's Winners of The Halloween Tree, Edgar Allan Poe Book Give-Away!   

Laugh along as the comedian's fears are "counted and compelled", so they can "quickly be dispelled"! 

And next up is the Swedish Chef who's looking to carve himself up some Jack O'Lanterns and turn them into tasty Pumpkin Pies....but the Jacks have a plan to stave off the massacre.  See who claims victory in this Halloween themed retro short...viewer discretion is advised.

"Swedish Chef Carves Pumpkins"!

Edgar Allan Poe Book Give Away Winners

Fantastic Image © 2009 RIEN (All Rights Reserved)

The winners of the Illustrated Edgar Allan Poe Unabridged with Pop-Up Illustrations are:

1.)  Vraie Fiction
2.)  Oddworldian

If you guys will send me an email at artfulgypsy@cfl.rr.com with where you want your VERY COOL Edgar A. Poe Book mailed...I will get them right out to you!  And thanks for taking part in the give away, I know you will dig this book! It has really great and creepy illustrations and the Pop-Up Art is extremely intricate and detailed!  :o)