Must be the Season of the Witch!

Well it seems that Twilight has now finally faded away into the darkness...both literally and figuratively, and thank goodness for that!  Those pesky, angsty, sparkling wannabes they call 'Vampires' are finally out of our hair for good, and just in time for the 'Damsels of Darkness' to begin their reign.  Yep, there has most definitely been something brewin' the last few years with a noticeable increase this past year specifically....must be the 'Season of the Witch!  The last few years we've slowly witnessed a changing of the 'Occult Guard', so to speak.  Has anyone else noticed the unusual uptick in all things 'Witchy' this past year?  Well I have, and I do believe that Witches and Wizards are not only on trend this year specifically....but they are manifesting in the public psyche everywhere.  Yeah, Vampires are so yesterday....

But why Witches?  And why now?  In fact, all things of a supernatural bent seem to be gaining traction in America, and abroad.  But what of Witches in particular?  As an example of just how mainstream Witches and Wizards, (both good and bad) have become....
I present the sudden uptick of recent Witch/Wizard related TV programming:
1.)  Witches of East End
2.)  American Horror Story - Coven
3.)  Salem
4.)  Sleepy Hollow
5.)  The Originals
6.)  Vikings
7.)  The Good Witch's Charm (Hallmark Channel 2012)
8.)  The Good Witch's Destiny (Hallmark Channel 2013)
9.)  The Good Witch's Wonder (Hallmark Channel 2014)
10.)  The Good Witch Television Series (Hallmark Channel Debut 2015)

The Witches of Salem

American Horror Story - Coven

The Good Witch - Cassie Nightingale

The Beauchamp Family - The Witches of East End

And Witch themed Movies or Movies featuring Witches / Sorcery:
1.)  Harry Potter Series (Obviously, although not recent)
2.)  Oz the Great and Powerful - 2013
3.)  Brave (Disney - 2012)
4.)  Hansel and Gretel - Witch Hunters - 2013
5.)  The Lords of Salem (Rob Zombie - 2012)
6.)  Frozen (Disney - 2013)
7.)  Maleficent (Disney - 2014)
8.)  The Hobbit (2012, 2013, 2014)
9.)  The Conjuring - 2013
10.) Into the Woods - 2014
11.) The Bell Witch - 2013

Evanora, The Wicked Witch of the West - Oz the Great and Powerful

Maleficent

Gandalf the Grey - Lord of the Rings

And as if the Witches weren't already flying mainstream enough, it seems they've sparked a fashion trend as well. On the runways for 2014 you'll find a decidedly Witchy influence in the fashion offerings of designers such as:
1.)  Gareth Pugh
2.)  Anne Demeulemeester
3.)  Cushnie Et Ochs
4.)  Elie Saab
5.)  Yves St. Laurent

 

So what do you make of all of this Hocus Pocus? Do we find ourselves here in America, in the midst of a bonafide uprising of Witchcraft?  Or is the archetypal Witch just the Occult Symbol du Jour, destined to soon be replaced in the mainstream consciousness with the next Supernatural Superstar?  And if Vampires are just 'so yesterday', and Witches begin flying off our cultural radar again....what will be next to capture our fascination....could the 'Zombie Apocalypse' be just around the corner?
(Copyrights for all photos belong to their respective film studios, all rights reserved.)

Spooky MAY-hem in Florida!

Time for some SPOOKY MAY-HEM!

Well it's almost the end of May, and you know what that means right?  It means it's time for Spooky Empire's MAY-hem Convention in Orlando, Florida.  How dreadfully delightful that the Ghoulies have come to town.  They kicked off the 3-day event last night with a Day of the Dead Poolside Opener Party, complete with eats,drinks, music and make-up!  A most frighteningly festive way to get the party rolling and start getting in the mood for the upcoming Halloween season.  The Convention rolls back into O-town in October, just in time for the Halloween happenings, adding a Zombie Walk and Hearse & Creepy Car Show! 

 

On Saturday and Sunday, there will be a variety of spooky events happening, including horror movie film festivals, live shows and events, costume contest, horror art, and lots of macabre merchandise to procure for this year's Halloween Yard Haunts.  There will also be autograph signings and photo ops with some of your horror movie favorites, such as "Halloween" Director John Carpenter, Robert Englund aka Freddy Kreuger, Lana Parrilla the Evil 'Snow White' Queen from TV's "Once Upon a Time", Pat Carroll, the voice of Ursula in Disney's "Little Mermaid", and Nick Castle aka Michael Meyers from "Halloween"....just to name a few. You can check out the full list of attendees here!

The event looks to be a virtual Spook Fest full of all things Creepy and Cool.  For any of you Halloween-Heads living in Florida, or just visiting here on vacation.....be sure to check it out this weekend Friday-Sunday, tickets available at the door.  And be sure to catch the video below of Pat Carroll (aka Ursula) doing a reading of the famous intro dialogue from Disney's Haunted Mansion ride...you know, the one you hear when you are in the elevator waiting to go inside and the walls start stretching!!  She has one of the the best 'evil laughs' in the business!  Love her!
(All images © Spooky Empire, Halloween Extreme image © Ricky Brigante)

The Hallowe'en Tree Give Away #1

Okay....so I have some "Give-a-Ways" to do between now and Hallowe'en. I've actually been meaning to get to them, but September at the kids' new school has been chock full of events, preventing me from having time to do many posts. I always love to be around 'Halloween Town' here in the blog-o-sphere during the month of September because for me....this is the month of 'great anticipation'! October is just crazy busy with all kinds of wonderful Fall/Halloween activities. But September is when the Halloween goodies make their way into the stores and we get our first seasonal glimpse of our favorite holiday. Also, I decorate my entire house at the beginning of September, so I really start to get full on into Halloween mode during this month!
And that brings me to my first 'Give Away' for the season. As you have by now figured out, the name of my blog is 'The Hallowe'en Tree"! I chose that name based on my love of Ray Bradbury's book by the same title. I equally love Cartoon Network's "The Halloween Tree" movie that first aired back in 1993. It is available on VHS only, which really sucks acorns, because lets face it....VHS technology bites! And although my old copy still works.... it is now stuck in the VHS player that QUIT working at the end of our seasonal viewing this year! As thus, my beloved Halloween Tree video is currently stuck in there until we break the thing apart to remove it. But never fear...right before that tragedy occurred, I had made my husband record the VHS onto a DVD so we'd have a DVD version. For the life of me I don't know why they have not officially released a DVD version for purchase....as it is hands down the BEST Halloween Cartoon EVER in my 'not so wicked' lil' opinion! Bradbury narrated the movie and won an Emmy Award for it. And Leonard Nimoy is nothing short of spooktacular as the voice of the mysterious 'Moundshroud'!

So anyway....back to The Halloween Tree. I had watched the movie before I read the book and I fell in love for eternity. But then I finally read Ray Bradbury's book that the movie was based on, and I was thoroughly enchanted beyond words. His way of describing Halloween, and the history of the holiday, and the magic that it holds, was nothing short of incredible. I LOVE this book so much, and if there is ANY Halloween lover out there who hasn't read it.....then you are truly missing something special! So I wanted to give away a copy of "The Hallowe'en Tree" book by Ray Bradbury to one of my fellow Halloween Heads here in blog land. I wanted to get it to you early so that you could read it right away...before Halloween's arrival! I felt that if I waited until later in October, you might get to busy to read it. So I'm giving it away now. It's a quick read, we finished it over the course of one day while traveling in the car.

(These folks were "Halloween Trees" for Hallowe'en.....ha!)

So here are the rules: I'd like only those who have never read the book to enter because I want to introduce the 'magic' to someone new. And I want anyone who throws their name into my 'witch's hat' to REALLY want to read it. That's all! Just leave a comment saying that you'd like to be entered and I'll randomly draw a name out of the hat on Wednesday, and it will go out immediately, along with a few other Halloween goodies for good measure! "The Hallowe'en Tree" is not just the name of my blog, favorite Halloween movie, and book....but the 'Reading of The Hallowe'en Tree' has also become a beloved Halloween Tradition in our home, one that I hope my kids will always remember with fondness and pass down to their children!

P.S....I've uploaded Pt. 1 of the movie from You Tube. It's about 15 min. long, if you watch it and would like to finish out the movie, just plug "The Halloween Tree" into YouTube and look for the other parts posted by user "halloweenclassic"! You can watch the entire movie and not miss anything. It's become very hard to even find the VHS versions for a decent price anymore, so this is one way to enjoy it for free! Here is a link to the listings for those other parts.

Frighteningly Fantastic Fashions

This is a post that will undoubtedly appeal more to the females than the males, because it is 'fashion' related. But it is also Disney related, and Harry Potter related, and quasi-Halloween related too. So therefore, I believe that if you are secure enough in your 'manhood', you could at least appreciate the cleverness of what this gal has done. Men may not appreciate the style, or the perfection in the accessories...but the creativity should earn high marks. And although they're mostly translated for females, she also offers many 'fashion translations' for both male and female. To see the 'male' versions, you'll have to check out her blog. (The first image above is Dr. Facilier. My favorite character from Disney's "The Princess and the Frog." And the one below is the Mad Hatter, my favorite character from Tim Burton's "Alice In Wonderland.")
So my daughter stumbles upon this girl's blog and shares it with me. The girl is Leslie Kay, and I honestly don't know who she is, or even exactly what she does, other than this particular blog of hers. But I can safely assume that she is highly creative, loves fashion and is a huge Disney Fan. Her blogs are LaLa Couture and Disney Bound, and I can only tell you emphatically that you should go look through them, because they are really a treat. (The next set is Tim Burton inspired, with translations of not only Mr. Burton, but also Jack Skellington and Sally from "The Nightmare before Christmas.") So what is this all about? Well it's sort of hard to explain, but once you see the pictures (which she creates in Polyvore, by the way) you'll instantly understand. Remember how I did the Color Collages where I translated 'Color Schemes' to images that reflected that color scheme? (and I will continue these as we draw nigh to Halloween) Well she does something similar by taking Disney movie characters, and translating them through fashion collages. Have I lost you yet? Well you won't be lost once you view the images. She has done an incredible amount of work, and if you can think of a Disney character, or movie, or even a particular ride, land or hotel on Disney property.....then she has probably translated it into fashion. (Just look how clever this little 'Cruella DeVille' ensemble is....a Disney Villain translated into wearable fashion, and as thus, also into a unique piece of art.)Now they are all incredible, but of course being the Spooky Lil' Gal that I am....I gravitated right to the Harry Potter Collection, and other assorted Disney Villains, as well as The Haunted Mansion. And the only real way for you to understand her art...is to view it. So take a look at some of my favorite selections. But do yourself a favor and go stroll through the rest of them on her blog....especially if you have a love of fashion and an eye for details. (Check out her translation of my favorite Disney attraction, 'The Haunted Mansion' below. Now those are outfits to 'die for'!)
(And last but not least, are a few of my favs from her Harry Potter Collection below.) Don't see your favorite HP character here....don't fret, because she has them ALL, even down to translations of the 'Golden Snitch' and the 'Screaming Mandrake Plants'. And if your favorite Disney character was 'Nemo' or 'Eeyore' or 'Peter Pan'.....never fear, she has done them all, and is taking requests for more to do. She even has "Star Wars" translations! I love these so much, and I totally wouldn't mind sporting one of these fashion forward ensembles this weekend. Would you wear some of these, and if so, which one do you like best? Speaking of weekends...hope yours is magical!

Haunt Your Own House

Okay....so I had mentioned lucking into the 'Halloween' find in the Romantic Country magazine. But I forgot to mention one other thing I found in there. Right next to the 'Halloween' article was a 'shout out' so to speak for something that I thought was really cool. The title read, "Haunt Your Own House". So of course that got my attention and I read on.... Introducing Lewis Barrett Lehrman. A most terrifyingly talented Artist who creates commissioned paintings for Halloween lovers like you and I! The concept is so fantastic....he will custom paint a 'Halloween' themed portrait of your house decked out in full spookiness. It is a collaborative effort between you both, and relies on your input into what you want to see in your finished painting. Just provide him with photos and details of house, family members, costume choices, pets and desired spooky items.
If you already live in a great Victorian home or Salt Box house....you just forward him photos to use. But what if you live in Apartment 3B in Jersey, but still long to have a painting that brings your most vivid Halloween Visualization to life? No problem, let him know what you have conjured up in your mind's eye, and he will create the Halloween painting of your dreams (or nightmares). Feel free to add in whatever tickles your fiendish lil' fancy and makes the scene complete for YOU. Your desires are his specialty. From costumed family members, pets and trick or treaters....to witches, graveyards, autumn trees, full moons and jack o'lantern.....he can make it happen.
I went to his website HauntedStudio.com and what a treat for the Halloween soul! You MUST go over there and scroll through his Gallery....incredible stuff. Some is commissioned work of clients' real homes and barns, while others are the scenes that people dream up. He paints them in fairly large formats, and you can even buy limited edition reproductions of some of his existing work if a custom painting is not in the budget. Each one is so unique, and totally conjures up the most fantastic Halloween memories of your childhood. As I viewed each one, I found myself wishing I could just step into the scene and be there for real. They are all enchanting illuminated night scenes that evoke that spooky autumnal atmosphere we love about All Hallow's Eve! And you can even sign up for his monthly E-newsletter, "The Halloweenist"! You just gotta admire someone whose job it is to meticulously immortalize your fondest Halloween memories for you in an heirloom art work. I'm going to start saving my pennies for one of these beauties!
All Images © Lewis Barrett Lehrman (all rights reserved)

The Witch, The Cat and The Owl

There is nothing I enjoy more than stumbling upon wonderfully Magical and Creative things by sheer accident and/or dumb stroke of luck. So tonight I went on YouTube in search of something and there I found a sampling of "recommended" videos that I can only presume came courtesy of the YouTube marketing department. How creepy nice of them to invade my privacy monitor my viewing habits so that they could recommend further viewing material for my enjoyment. But lo and behold, the first video I see has a cartoon Witch on it, so of course I had to take a look. And I'm so happy I did too. For what I found is a cartoon that I can honestly say I've never even heard of before tonight. Now I'm sure there will be those of you who've known about this for ages, especially my friends in Europe....but this is the first time I've seen it, and I wanted to share, just in case anyone else has been in the dark since the 70's.

Meg and Mog is the story of a Witch (Meg), her black striped Cat (Mog), and their friend Owl. With 3 of my favorite things represented (Witches, Cats and Owls)...I knew I'd just have to love it. Apparently, Meg and Mog was a children's book series written by Helen Nicoll, that was first published in the 70's. It was later made into an animated pre-school series, which aired in the UK in 2003. It's a cute little cartoon, but what I enjoy most, is the very basic animation style of Jan Pienkowski. Meg is a well-intentioned Witch dealing with the not-so-good results of her spells. Mog is her talking striped cat, and the 3rd character is a talking Owl. The actual story is somewhat weak, but considering the intended audience was pre-schoolers, I guess I can't complain. The Meg and Mog books appear to be available on Amazon, and the Halloweeny art really gets me in the mood for the upcoming season. I am posting Episode 1 for your viewing pleasure, and a link for Episode 2. Happy Hump Day! :o)

Episode 1


Episode 2 - Meg and Mog Espisode 2

You are Cordially Invited to my MidSummer 'Faerie Day' Soirée!

Well today is officially 'Fairy Day'! So what does that mean? It means "It's a day for fairies, magic, and wishes to come true. For one day, put aside the cynicism of the modern world, embrace the possibilities of the unknown....and believe in fairies!" So please excuse this brief detour off the path to Halloween....and spend a day immersed in the magic of the Summer Season. Regularly scheduled Halloween Obsessing will resume shortly! ;o)

Do you believe in Faeries? I do of course, but then again I also believe in Ghosts, Leprechauns, Father Christmas and The Great Pumpkin. Ah heck....I'll believe in anything if it adds a little magic, creativity and wonderment to my world. So today is the perfect day to join in the celebration of the Faerie Folk!

When I was a young girl, my Grandmother used to take me to the library. Oh how I loved to spend the day at the library, because it wasn't just any old library....no, it was a magical portal to the lands of enchantment. It began to occur to me that 'magical' books always seemed to find their way into my eager lil' hands. Oh I didn't actively know to seek them out mind you...I just happened upon them in my searching, as if some magnetic force was drawing us together.But there were 3 special books that I never forgot. One was a book that taught you how to cast spells. And the other two were 'Faeries' and 'Gnomes' by Brian Froud! I read and studied those books from front to back, and I whole heartedly believed that every last word and picture was 100% real! I remember one day in particular when I read about Faerie Rings and Oak Trees....and I became convinced that I would be able to find signs of the Faeries beneath the big old Oak trees on our property. So I set out with my tools and my book....and I spent the day hunting, and waiting, and wishing very hard that I'd find one. Although admittedly I was also a good bit scared at what I would do if and when I actually stumbled upon them. The years have blurred my memory some, but I'm quite certain that I was successful at locating signs that the Faeries were indeed close at hand, and I'm pretty sure that I almost caught sight of one or two.
Yes, I loved those two books SO WELL in fact, that I gave up my Library privileges entirely. For I refused to take the books back to the library. The fines kept piling up, and their threats of revoking my library card finally became a reality. But I didn't care. As I just could NOT bare to part with those books after being exposed to all of the magical secrets they'd given up to me. And of course it never even once dawned on me that the books could be found anywhere else other than the library. So I became a "Literary Fugitive" of the County Library System until many years later when I finally married and was able to change my last name! But the criminal record was but a small price to pay for entrance to the Enchanted Land of the Faeries!

So to celebrate this most auspicious of days today, I invite you to a Midsummer Faerie Féte! Come join in the revelry and merriment as we wave a fond farewell to Spring
and embrace the Summer Season with open arms.
Please come take your seat at our Garden Fairy Table.
(And feel free to click on the images to view them larger!)We have a splendid lil' spot set especially for you,
with fresh ferns from the Fern Grotto!

Our Midsummer Buffet is filled to the brim with fresh herbs and vegetables straight from the garden, and many delectable treats, sure to satisfy any Faerie's sweet tooth.

Ahhh...Midsummer! All Faeries know that Midsummer offers up Mother Nature's sweetest and most succulent Fruits of the Season. Faerie Berries are a feast for the senses and they come in a kaleidoscope of colors to please the palate and the eyes!

One of the most scrumptious ways to serve Faerie Berries is in a
Perfectly Pink Raspberry Punch. Cool and refreshing on those balmy Summer Days!

Let's not forget the Sweets and Treats, as it's common knowledge that most Faeries are born with an insatiable 'sweet tooth'! We have mini Lemon-Blueberry and Chocolate Muffins
that are just perfect for snacking.

Or how about some dainty little Faerie Cakes....
petite and sweet and perfect for Pixies!

And a Faerie Birthday Cake topped with the plumpest of strawberries, and candles for wishing. Yes, even Faeries believe in the power of 'Wishes'!

Oh, and don't forget my personal favorite....Toadstools! But these aren't just any ole' Toadstools! For these are baked with a smidgeon of Faerie Magic and a pinch of Pixie Dust, mixed in with sweet Merengue and Deep Dark Chocolate!
So Yummy and So Cute!

With bellies full and the Faerie Festivities drawing to a close, it's time to bid your fellow Faeries adieu! For Twilight is falling fast and the Fireflies are starting to twinkle their lights in the Hedgerow. But no Seasonal Solstice Soirée is complete without a Pretty Pixie Party Favor to carry home! And what better way to transport yourself back to the Realm of Faerie, than a lovely scented Butterfly Candle in the Fragrant Flower Scents of Lavender, Honeysuckle, Gardenia and Sweet Pea!

Yes it's true that Midsummer presents the perfect opportunity to embark on a Flight of Fancy in the spirit and celebration of the Faeries who Enchant our Gardens, and usher in the Seasons of the Year. And who wouldn't love to attend a Festive Midsummer Celebration filled with the Mirth and Merriment of a Fine Faerie Feast?! Both Young and Old alike can appreciate a Magical Escape into the Realm of Imagination and Wonder!

So this has been the perfect day to embrace the Faeries with our open hearts
....but more importantly with our open minds!

All you have to do is BELIEVE!

"Tula, vasa ar' yulna en i'mereth.
Lissenen ar' maska'lalaith tenna' lye omentuv!" (All Images © Wendy A. 2011)