This Halloween, Pumpkins Go Postal!

Jumpin' Jack O'Lanterns....It's almost Halloween!  Speaking of Halloween and more importantly, of Jack O'Lanterns....there is no better way to celebrate our favorite holiday than to mail out all those spooky cards and boxes of candy, signed, sealed and delivered with 'Jack-o'-Lantern' Forever Stamps!  These Pumpkin Postage Stamps are most pleasing to my Lil' Halloween Soul,...and are hands down my favorite stamps to come along since the Edgar Allen Poe Stamps of 2009 and the 2013 Harry Potter Collection!  

In fact, they are quite possibly my favorite stamps ever!  I mean nothing says Happy Halloween better than Grinning Jacks.  These beauties went on sale this week, and are going fast...go figure!  But the good news is, you can stock up on them and break them out again every October, because they are 'Forever Stamps'!  So in the immortal words of Edgar A. Poe...once bought at today's price, these festive stamps will be mail-able at that same price...."Forevermore"!  You can't beat that.

For your enjoyment, below is a collage of a few other spooky stamp offerings the US Postal Service has served up in past years...so which Halloween Stamp do you feel best epitomizes the essence of the Halloween Season?

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. 

2014 Halloween Industry Forcast & Trends

So I stumbled upon this Halloween Industry Magazine on-line that talks all about everything Halloween related for the upcoming 2014 season.  It touches on all the latest trends to look forward to in everything from costumes, make-up and accessories, to party decorations and outside yard haunt decor.  There is a palpable excitement brewing for the upcoming Halloween season this year due to the fact that Halloween will finally be falling on a Friday again for the first time in awhile.  A Friday Halloween equates into ever-more Halloween sales of all kinds because kids and adults alike will be able to extend their partying through the weekend....no school the next day for all the little ghouls and goblins coming down from their candy binges, and no work for the adults hungover from their creepy cocktails.  For that matter, a true Halloween Head could theoretically host an All Hallow's Eve Soiree on Friday night, followed up by a Dia de los Muertos Fiesta on Saturday or Sunday!

2014 Halloween Trends via 'Selling Halloween'

Black and White All Hallow's Eve Party

Dia de los Muertos Increasing in Popularity

So just what do the experts predict will be popular this year?  In costumes it seems that DIY (do it yourself) costumes have grown in popularity, probably thanks to sites like Pinterest and Etsy.  So with that, comes a desire for accessories to add to and complete a one of a kind  ensemble, rather than a ready made store bought costume that can only be worn once.  Accessories can be mixed and matched for use with other costumes and even regular outfits, as well as being used again at Renn Faires and theme parties, and for Cosplay and Larping. Licensed characters are always popular, but research has shown that buyers want more quality in their costume pieces and are also prone to mix and match styles and themes like "mixing a fantasy anime wig with vampire fangs and 60's fishnet stockings to make a unique costume."  And..........love em' or hate em', pet costumes are big, with 14% of 2013 celebrants dressing up their pets last year to the tune of $330 million dollars!!!  Wow...who would have guessed that?

Buyers Looking for Quality and Reusable Accessories

Halloween Costumes for Pets is Big Business for Retailers

This coming Fall, many indoor Halloween Parties will be hosted in the 2 weeks leading up to Halloween....so what themes are retailers looking to stock for 2014?  Well as to be expected, the tried and true colors of Orange and Black, along with Purple and Lime, are always the most popular colors.  And as for 'Icons', apparently Cats came in on top in one analysis, followed closely by Bats, Pumpkins and Owls.  Vintage Halloween is always a favorite decorating style and for good reason I'd say.  And although Ghosts and Pumpkins are also perennial faves, the industry experts have seen an uptick in Skulls and Skeleton imagery on the rise.  However, there was also an alternate opinion...that many people dislike frightening imagery, so the retailer in that market was opting for a softer look in their party goods.  What about you all....are you hard core or soft core Halloween Heads?

Orange & Black Most Popular Color Scheme

Black Cats #1 Halloween Icon

Vintage Halloween Always Popular

Uptick in Demand for Skeletons & Skulls

Another hot trend, that I personally LOVE, is the Day of the Dead decor!  However according to industry experts, it tends to be more of a 'regional' trend with those on the West Coast and East Coast digging it more than those in the MidWest.  And apparently those of us who like it, also enjoy it as a year round aesthetic...thus making it a good seller in those areas all through the year. (I can personally attest to leaving some of my Sugar Skull stuff out year round in moderation.)  They also report that the Goth theme of Black and White is popular in costumes, thereby influencing its popularity in the party good sector as party-goes want to match the theme of their shin-digs.  They identified Zombies as a growing trend, with Witches, Tombstones, and Spiders good sellers as well. And lastly, anything 'Glittered" also sells well, much to the dismay and horror of the true die hard Halloween aficionados.

Day of the Dead Celebrations Going Mainstream

Black and White Goth Costumes on Trend

Witch Costumes Always Good Sellers

Zombies a Growing Trend

Breakdown of Top 10 Costumes for Adults and Kids

So there you have it....a synopsis of some of the tantalizing tricks and treats headed our way this Halloween Season.  So the big question is....what are YOU gonna be for Halloween this year?  Will you follow the trends or start a new fad?!  If you'd like to read more Halloween Industry Trend news, check out this link to Selling Halloween!
(All Images from Pinterest and Selling Halloween)

All Tricks and No Treats for Me This Year!

When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam,
May luck be yours on Halloween.

Hello Everyone....And Happy Halloween!  I hope everyone had an exciting September! I personally find September to be almost as much fun as our much beloved October.  September brings all the excitement of the first Halloween items haunting the store shelves, and the first delicious taste of the Pumpkin Spice goodies of the season.  I truly live for, and long for, the 1st day in September all year long, which is then followed by the Autumnal magic of my favorite month of October!  Ahh yes...October! A month of leaves aflame in color, gourds ripe for the picking, breezy days and crisp cool October eves, twinkling with stars and awash in the glow of magical moonbeams.  And of course the mischievous grins of Jack O'Lanterns glowing bright on Hallowe'en Night!

In fact, this year I had actually begun my Halloween Countdown planning early and I was so proud of myself. Since this is my first post this season, you probably won't believe me.  But it's true....I decided that I would not be caught coming up short of posts in this year's Halloween Countdown, so I began completing posts early in the summer and saving them for October.  And I'm proud to say that I actually had 10 of them finished and under my witch's belt before tragedy struck.  Yes, anyone who has followed my blog for the last 5-6 years knows that I never miss the Autumn Season and Hallowe'en here in the blogosphere.  I might be MIA the rest of the year due to real life taking precedence, but I always find my way home to my Halloween Town on the web, and my little Witch's Lair in the Halloween Tree by August or September.  I blow back into town on a magical autumn breeze and revel in the Halloween Frolic with all my fellow Halloween Loving Denizens!  And I always come laden down with gifts to share of photographs, crafty things, haunted tales, artwork and poems to celebrate the season.

But sadly, that was not in the ole' tarot cards for me this year, even in spite of actually being semi-prepared in advance for once!  No, unfortunately the fickle finger of fate, lay it's boney curse upon me and turned my world upside down.  In mid-August, my dear Mother suffered a stroke.  So I spent the rest of a sleepless, stressful August, and first part of September, in and out of the hospital and rehab with her.  Then due to extenuating circumstances far beyond my control....we had no choice but to move her into our home with us for good.  This meant the rest of September and now October have been inundated with that massive transition, with no real end in sight any time soon.  Two lives have been forever changed and I'd be lying to say that it's been anything but overwhelming, exhausting and all-consuming!  It was not something that either of us would ever have wanted, yet it is what we now must both endure.  I have hopes that time will make things better, and that once all the dust of sorting out the mess and combining our lives has cleared....that maybe things will get easier for us all.  And maybe by this same time next year...we will have gotten into a groove that we all can live with..  And maybe, just maybe....I will be able to once again embrace the season with the same positivity, exuberance and anticipation that I've always had for it....but that has eluded me this year!

So needless to say, this is the very first chance I've had time to log on over here and provide an explanation as to why I haven't been online.  Since I literally exist the whole rest of the year...solely for the autumn months of September and October....I've found it rather depressing to be incapable of tapping into the excitement that this time of year usually brings. It hasn't been for lack of trying mind you...as I did reluctantly break out the Halloween decorations, and we've watched a lot of my favorite Halloween movies, and somehow even managed to still take our annual New England trip with a LOT of help from our relatives, who agreed to stay in our home with my Mom while we were gone.  But even in the midst of the most glorious Autumn Foliage we've seen in New England in a long time....I was just too depleted physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually to tap into my usual seasonal excitement....and it's left me feeling rather down I must confess. But that doesn't mean that my favorite season of Fall, and my favorite holiday of Halloween is completely lost....it's just been majorly hijacked and hampered by life's ruthless twists and turns.:o(

So I have missed everyone here so very much, and I send out heartfelt wishes to you all for a most Magical All Hallow's Eve!  I didn't want to come completely empty handed, so  I'm posting a few Autumn Photos from my collection.  They are filled with the familiar black and orange colors that epitomize for me....the most spooktacular season of the year!  I sincerely hope everyone has been enjoying all the fun the Fall Season and Hallowe'en Holiday has to offer, and I hope to be able to share in the Autumn Revelry with you all in full next year, since life had other plans for me this time around! Hope to see you all around the Hallowe'en Tree this time next year, if not sooner!

PS...And just so I can officially keep calling it the "Annual Viewing"....I am posting the disturbingly fun yet so awkward and creepy  "Pumpkin Man Dance Video below! At least I was able to keep one tradition alive and kicking (literally) this year!  Enjoy.....or not! ;o)

Day of Dearly Departed Souls!

Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them.

~ George Eliot

So yesterday and today, November 1st & 2nd, is when Día de Los Muertos is traditionally celebrated.  And although I've never been to an event, I sure would LOVE to go.  So this year as I was lamenting my failed attempts at making Halloween happen to my liking...I decided to see if there were any Day of the Dead celebrations in our area that I could attend to appease my hurt feelings.  Well of course there's not...no surprise there, go figure!  There was one museum that had some small something or other, but that's pretty much all I could find.

Until.......I expanded my search to the entire state of Florida.  Then I found something that really caught my interest and looks like BIG fun.  Unfortunately, I discovered this on October 30th and that was just not enough time to get our ducks in a row to head down there today, October 2nd.  It's the South Florida, Day of the Dead Celebration in Ft. Lauderdale.  This is the event's 3rd year, and apparently it grows ever more popular each year.  There are all sorts of fun events going on in the City Arts District which has several streets blocked off for the event.  Here are some of the Fun & Fabulous Festival Offerings...

* Giant Skeleton Puppet Processional and Parade 
* Day of the Dead Art Exhibitions and Market 
* Community Ofrendas and Calaveras Skull Mask exhibits 
* Day of the Dead Film Festival 
* Hearse/Art Car/ LowRider Auto Show
* World’s Tiniest Skeleton Parade Floats & Kazoo Band
* Landscapes of the Dead Exhibition  
* Live Music at the Bone Yard Bandstand
* Circus Bizarra Side Show, Midway and Funhouse
* Memento Mori-Go-Round
* Great & Prescient Fortune Tellers Vladmir Plotzsky & Madame Glo
* Cupcake Burlesque
* South Florida Pirates & Ghost Ship
* Animale Mexotica
* Skeleton Street Circus: Trapeze, Stilt Performers & Cirque Performances  
* Mr. Bones Heckle Puppet Show
* Calaveras Mask Making
* Live Skeleton Body Art and Face Painting
* Kid Zone and Petting Zoo
* Calaveras Cantina Food Trucks (Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina, Peru and others)
* Day of the Dead Crafters Market
* Costume Photo Booth
* Exotica a Go Go Day of the Dead After Party at the Mai Kai Restaurant
* Day of the Dead Shimmy Shake Review at the Green Room Nightclub


I don't know about you...but I REALLY want to hit this up next year.  The only I'd like better is if it were being held in a Cemetery...but beggars can't be choosers.  So I'm going to plan for it in advance for next year.  And I think it will fall on a Saturday next year too, so that would be even better.  My only decision is do I want to take the kids to let them experience something cool from another culture, or do I want to go with just the hubby or some friends and really let loose...ha!  I need to start looking for Day of the Dead make-up tutorials on You Tube!

So today on Día de Los Muertos, don't forget to light some candles and honor your relatives and ancestors who have passed on to the other side!  They may be gone, but they are never dead until they're forgotten....so don't forget to remember them today!  After all, the veils are thin and maybe their spirits will see fit to drop in and celebrate the day with you!   
Happy Día de Los Muertos!
(All artwork © South Florida Day of the Dead Celebration)

Halloween 2012 Recap and Apology!

Well the New Year has begun for some.  All Hallow's Eve sets the great wheel of time in motion and with it the old year dies and passes away, while a new year full of opportunities is born.  So with any New Year, I feel I should reflect on what I learned.  So I will give my Halloween Recap in today's post.  And this is a long post because I need to provide myself a record of this year.  Why am I recapping now?  Well because for me this October was somewhat of a FAIL, at least in some respects.  For instance, before the month ever arrived, I was already swamped with obligations involving work, school and volleyball.  I had intended to do lots of crafting and prepping for the upcoming Fall season during the hot summer months but alas the summer was wrought with needy family members, sickness and relentless volleyball activities.  So I got nothing done and was already starting out behind schedule. :o(

I must also now confess and apologize for being a complete failure with the Halloween Countdown this year.  I never want to skip out on it because it is an important part of my Fall ritual, but this year I was unprepared and quite a failure.  Actually, I thought I was doing good, with 5-6 posts already done and ready to go.  However,  I had to use those while on vacation since I can't work from up there.  Also, I've had a bit of a time getting used to the new blogger changes which I do not like.  So when I got home from vacation, I had no posts done, and VERY LITTLE time to work on them.  Usually, I have at least SOME time, to get something whipped out each day....but not this year.  It was very difficult to find the time, and that was causing me a good deal of unhappiness and anxiety.  So there are many days with no posts, and all I can do is apologize for coming up short.  I vow to do better next year.  I am going to prepare a couple of posts each month and save them, so they are ready to go for next year.  I had so much stuff to share too, lots of great photos from my travels, poems and art, etc.  So I hope that I will be more on my game next Halloween season, and I hope that I can be forgiven!

I don't know about the rest of you, but September is almost more fun than October for me.  September is Pre-Halloween....the build-up!  The month of anticipation and preparation.  But I was barely able to do anything because of all the other requirements coming from the school and sports.  I've never been a big sports fan because I'm not athletic, but this year I grew to loathe them!  They truly believe that the sport is the ONLY thing that should matter in your life. So needless to say, our annual Autumn trip to New England in the middle of the VB season did NOT go over well.  But I told them last year that it was an annual event for us and we would ALWAYS try to take it at that same time.  So that drew in some negative energy.  And as a result, I am seriously rethinking our involvement. 

(I don't know about other folks, 

but this is what I see when I look at a Volleyball!)

Then the Florida Highschool Sports Association, in all their UN-infinite wisdom, scheduled a play-off game on Halloween night!  NOT because the week was packed with games and they had no choice....NO, there were NO OTHER GAMES scheduled for any of the 4 other days that week....NONE!  Just one on Halloween night!  WHO DOES THAT CRAP!  Obviously there was someone who dislikes Halloween making those decisions, and they decided to ruin it for everyone.  I intend to write them a very stern letter about this too.  So my son was upset because he thought he'd have to miss Halloween for his sister's game.  But we agreed that she'd have to go on her own with the team instead of us taking her. I can't tell you the negative effect this had on my mindset this year.  I was so bummed, that I almost couldn't get out of my funk to even pretend to enjoy anything else.  But on a positive note (depending on your perspective), as the fickle finger of fate would have it....her team lost when they shouldn't have, and they were out of the playoffs just before Halloween!  So the rest of us were quasi-happy, and we all got to be home for Halloween.

But with all my good plans, I got pretty much NOTHING accomplished this whole season.  I did put up the Apothecary and most everything inside, but not until the first of October.  I usually have it all up by Labor Day.  And the front yard had nothing in it at all until 3 days before Halloween.  That doesn't usually happen either. So I shall take stock of what I was able to accomplish and enjoy.  We did go to New England and Zipline, and the weather was so cold; there were actually a few small snow flurries while we were there.  We did go to Salem, (aka HalloweenTown) and  because we went later in the season, the color down there was really beautiful.  We went to the farms and ate apple cider donuts, fresh apples, hot spiced cider and pumpkin treats a-plenty.  We watched several of my favorite Halloween shows, including Disney's Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Halloween Tree, The Good Witch and a few others.  We had lots of autumn breakfasts filled with pumpkin donuts and pumpkin coffee.  We got to do a small 'Corn Maze' and do some small scale 'Punkin' Chunkin' too! 

AND....for the first time in a while, I was actually able to carve my own pumpkin this year!  In years past, we always have a big Pumpkin Carving Party which means I am working my butt off attending to the needs of all the party guests.  And as such, I am unable to sit down and actually enjoy the festivities myself.  That's the burden I choose to bare as the Official Halloween Cheer-Meister in my area.  And with the kids' new school schedule, and the relentless onslaught of our daughter's Fall Volleyball schedule, we have been unable to host a big party for the last two years.  The high school actually scheduled all the Homecoming activities for the last week before Halloween this year, with a Saturday night Homecoming Dance on the night we usually have our party.  CURSE THEM!  And of course our daughter wanted to go, which made a big party impossible!  (Have I mentioned how incredibly distraught I am over the havoc the school continues to wreak on my month long Halloween Celebration?!)  So there was no party of course, but there were a few days left before Halloween.    And the weather here was quite chilly and autumn perfect, so we made hot Potato Bacon Cheese soup and carved our Pumpkins...just the 4 of us!  So I actually got to get my hands down in the pumpkin guts and carve that baby myself, which was a complete joy for me!  I sprinkled their lids with cinnamon, brought them all inside, and lit them up to add to the ambience.  Here they are...nothing spectacular, but it sure was fun!  (There are only 3 because my husband just helped us with the hard parts that we didn't want to do...ha!)

And finally, All Hallow's Eve was upon us....WAY too quickly, but it arrived at last.  We had 14 family members over to the house.  The weather was fantastic this year and was cool enough for Chili and cornbread muffins.  We had pumpkin chocolate chip bread, spiced cider, ghost cupcakes, and smores. The kids were decked out as zombies and a witch doctor.  The Golf Cart got a few new additions this year....notably, one of my Skeleton crew decided to hitch a ride on the roof....yes, beware of hitchhiking ghosts skeletons!  And he was quite the talk of the busy streets.  We even had people taking pictures of us which was a little disconcerting...ha!

Also we were told, that next to the Haunted House, we were the best house in the area and people were stopping to take photos of themselves and their kids in front of our Graveyard, Man-eating Spider and Lord of the Harvest Scarecrow.  So that fills my wicked lil' heart with much happiness and makes it all worth it!  :o)

We live in the back of the neighborhood.  And what's so magical about our little area is that the day before Halloween you'll see very little stuff in any of the yards (except ours), and the streets are empty except for the kids who live back here. Sometimes I even wonder to myself if this is the year that no one will show up or bother with Halloween.  But it never fails....a Magical Halloween Wind blows in overnight and come 7:00 pm on All Hallow's Eve, this place has mysteriously transformed into Halloween Central.  I am SO LUCKY to live right here.  And I'm not talking about just our neighborhood as a whole, which is really huge....but back in our section, where the night really comes alive...or DEAD!.  Yes, THIS is where the Magic Happens!!!  I've said it a bunch, but my neighbors never disappoint.  And our area's reputation has grown so big, that we now have city police posting no parking signs on the grass down the main entrance into our 'hood'!  

Yes, they come from far and wide.  Masses of people....the 'nubile young', the 'roudy raunchy teens' and the 'older than dirt' alike!  They come in by car, foot, bike, tractors, hayrides and this year....even a BUS!  I kid you not, a small bus towing a hay wagon filled with people behind it....showed up to trick or treat.  Part of the draw is that SO many houses decorate and give out good candy.  Part of the draw is the throngs of costumed revelers themselves, and then part of the draw is the house on the last street, that puts on a REALLY GREAT small scale Haunted House, with props and costumed characters to rival Universal.  In fact, I'm pretty sure they must have ties to somewhere...cause those props cannot be found at the Spirit stores.  They do tons of lighting, music and fog out front, and the scares start in the yard and go through the downstairs of the house and back out.  I LOVE THOSE PEOPLE!  They are my heros!  It is SO MUCH work, and they do it without fail every year, and it's all free!  They let masses of complete strangers into their home...(I'd never do that...uh uh, no way!)  And they do it all for the love of Halloween!  And because they do....I LOVE THEM!  

And can you believe, that we don't even know them personally?  I have no idea who they are. They live right around the corner; so you'd think I'd go over and introduce myself to them.  But I choose not to know them, because I prefer the mystery of it all.  I like how it's a regular house of people the rest of the year, but on Halloween Night, and ONLY Halloween Night....it magically transforms into a Haunted House!  So I choose to let them remain a mystery to me.  And this year, as we went through the house, they actually got me pretty good....someone came from behind, and scared me so, that I screamed out loud and almost mowed down the kids trying to get out the door....ha!  :o)

So as I reflect on this past Halloween, I am torn by the emotions I've felt.  Unhappiness at nothing working out like I'd planned....tempered and soothed by the sheer joy of the night itself, which was nothing short of Spooktacular as always.  And in the end, I guess Halloween Night itself does trump everything else when it is as perfect as it was.  So with that, I will end this excruciatingly long post that was admittedly done to help me reconcile my mixed feelings about my favorite month of the year.  I do hope everyone had a most Magical Halloween, thanks for letting me share mine with you! :o)   
(All images © Wendy Amdahl (all rights reserved)

Happy New Year

Well HELLO my spooky friends! And a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all! Oh how I've missed you while I've been away. As you may recall from my last post on 11/11/11....I was awaiting transport from my mother ship to return me to the planet from whence I was spawned, and said celestial excursion was to have unfolded at precisely 11:11 pm. And as you can surmise, I have henceforth returned to this great green orb you all call home, to enlighten you to the myriad of wonders in the worlds beyond. And to deliver to you the mucho elusive 'meaning of life'!

Sadly....my transport into the crevices of outer space never transpired. Nope....11:11 came and went with not so much as a single 'bat signal' from my mother planet. Zippo, zilch.....nada! Quite frankly the date itself was SO uneventful, that I could not even bring myself to crawl onto my blog and confess that I'm still stuck on this 'bat-shit' crazy planet with the rest of you. I just hoped for more, ya know?

But alas, I've been left with nothing to look forward to now. Unless of course you want to count that Dec. 2012 Mayan Calendar DOOMSDAY thingy, and the end of the world as we know it! But honestly....who, but only the most miserably downtrodden and morose of us, would really be looking forward to a date like THAT?!!!

So, it looks like it's back to the same ole', same ole' grind of life as I knew it. And the only good thing I can say, is that with the dawning of a new year, comes the renewed sense of anticipation and optimism that comes with counting down the months to Hallowe'en once again. So now that I've gotten those other pesky year ending holidays out of the way....I am looking forward to kickin' around Halloweentown with you guys and ghouls.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season....whichever holidays you chose to celebrate! Looking forward to the New Year ahead!

Oh, and I also wanted to share the most bizarre strory to hit Hollywood in a while, in case you haven't been watching the news coverage. You're not gonna believe it, but apparently Beyoncé sought the services of a 'Witch' in her not too distant past, and as we all know....magic ALWAYS comes with a price! Looks like it's time for the new mother songstress to pay up! Watch the video below for all the juicy details! ;o)



Blue Ivy Taken By Evil Witch Who Gave Beyoncé Her Beautiful Singing Voice

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.

What Color is the Autumn Equinox?

"The hazy, cloudless skies of Indian Summer.
Leaves scurrying down the street before the wind.
The cold shiver from an arctic blast.
Indian Summer.
The last warmth of the sun.
Chilly mornings and glorious warm afternoons.
The Harvest Moon. The Hunter's Moon.
The Rainy Season.
Dry cornstalks clattering in the wind.
The touch of frost on grass and window pane.
The smell of burning leaves."
~ Keith C. Heidorn

It's official....The Glorious Autumn Equinox has arrived! Autumn People unite and rejoice, for our time has come once again. It may not quite feel like it in your neck of the woods, it sure doesn't feel like it here in Florida. BUT....there are probably tell-tell signs if you look hard enough. For instance here, I've noticed that it is starting to get a bit darker, earlier. Not much, but just enough to alert me that the days are starting to change. There are also a few acorns in the trees, but not as many as last year, which leads me to believe that maybe we'll have a milder Winter down here this year. And the squirrels are busy as usual. But I'm curious what kinds of signs you folks are starting to get in other areas of the US and abroad. What color is the 'Autumn Equinox' anyway? I believe it is a myriad of splendid earthy colors that correspond to nature's brilliant Fall Display. I ask these questions because it gets me stoked to read about the many ways Autumn is making its presence known. I also ask because, I was reading a blog where people were sharing reports of the differing signs of Fall they are all seeing where they live, and I came across an entry that really made me grateful that I don't live in Medicine Wheel, Arizona. It seems that the 'Old Timers' there have their own wisdom about what event heralds Autumn's approach, and it is the march of the Tarantula Spiders crossing the road. Yep...when those big hairy spiders start crossing the roads there....it means Autumn is on its way! SAY WHAT?!!!! TARANTULAS?!!!! And I thought having small spiders, lizards and the occasional garden snake was bad! WHO in their right mind would want to make their home where even 1, let alone many tarantula spiders roam around freely? That sounds more like the arrival of a frightening Halloween to me! Who needs decorations when you have the real thing? Yikes!

But alas...the most beautiful season is finally here again. It's time for the harvest, and the changing leaves, the apple stands and the pumpkin patches. It's time for corn stalks and scarecrows and birds migrating south. It's time for crisp breezes, rustling leaves and sweaters and scarves and boots. It's time for pumpkin bread and apple cider and hay rides and bonfires! Has there ever been a season so splendid as Autumn? I think not! And so the season begins my Autumn friends, and so does the Countdown to Hallowe'en! I am throwing my name into the proverbial cauldron pot, for participation once again in the Halloween Countdown this year. Not sure I can manage a post every day, but I will do what I can to spread Halloween cheer throughout cyberspace. I will be sharing my usual mix of art, photography, poems and Color Collages like the 'Autumn Equinox' one above. And I look forward to sharing the season with all of you. So do tell....are you seeing any signs of Autumn where you're at...inquiring 'Autumn People' want to know!

Hallowe'en Fireworks!

Well it's July 4th and to me that means FIREWORKS! However, I thought Hallowe'en Fireworks would be even better, and the perfect way to bridge the gap between summer and the upcoming Hallowe'en season. And who better to deliver on Halloween Fireworks than Disney!

Thought these were some frighteningly fabulous firework images. Sorry to say I'm not the one who had the pleasure of taking them, but they certainly deserved to be shared. Hope everyone has a wonderful day and please be safe. ** And remember...should you lose any limbs while lighting off your fireworks, be sure to preserve them for use in this year's Hallowe'en display. Muwahahaha!

HAPPY 4th of JULY EVERYONE!© Photo 2 - Gene Duncan / Photo 5 - Express Monorail

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)