Tricks, Treats and Traditions

(Photo courtesy of Flickr)

Tricks

Trick or Treat? That is the question of the day. On Halloween, most people follow the tradition of simply loading up the kid's bags with sweet candy treats. However, there are some who get their thrills by playing tricks. When I was a little girl of five, my sister and I had our first glimpse of the spooky side. We were both probably dressed up like princesses, and we were going about our duty of collecting as much candy as possible. Our bags were beginning to get heavy when approached "the house". It looked like a normal house. Glowing pumpkins on the steps and a festive scarecrow on the front porch. We didn't think twice as we strode up the driveway. We climbed the front steps in anticipation of being greeted with candy, but instead were scared to death when the scarecrow jumped up and tried to grab us! It was our neighbor dressed up complete with a pumpkin on his head! We ran screaming down the driveway. I'm pretty sure we didn't go back up to get the candy!

Treats

Here is a twist on my favorite classic Halloween treat, Carmel Apple Cheesecake. Yum!

Traditions

Tradition 1: Every year on Halloween we made a big pot of hot chili. I think this tradition started in part because the chili warmed us up before going out into the cold.

Tradition 2: In the weeks before Halloween we trek out to the pumpkin farm and select the perfect pumpkin. We carve , then we line our masterpieces up on the hearth and admire our handiwork.

Tradition 3: After gathering candy, we would come home and dump out our stash on the floor. We'd then divide it by type of candy, and were on a constant sugar high in the weeks to come.

Have a happy Halloween!

Halloween Inspiration Board

Halloween is only a couple of days away. If you're throwing a bash, it's not to late to add a few special touches that will make your party even more memorable. Check out the links below for fun D.I.Y. ideas and inspiration.

-Ghoulish Glam Mood Lighting
-Halloween Spiderweb Cookies
-Pumpkin Treat Bags
-Spooktacular Bar
-Drill a Pumpkin
-Party Tub
-Spooky Stairwell
-Mummy Candy Holder
-Chocolate Rats

Festive Feathered Wreath

I recently saw this fantastic feathered wreath while perusing my Pottery Barn catalog. The look is dramatic and a bold statement for Halloween, and my first thought was, "I could make that...".

Step one was to dig this simple wreath form out of my Mom's craft closet. Any wreath form will work. A cheap styrofoam form would actually work best because they are light weight, and you can get these at any craft store.


Step two was to pull out the dress up box to get my old black feathered boa that I wore to a dance in high school. I never thought I would find a use for it again! If you don't have a boa on hand, you can get them at craft or costume stores. Wrap the boa around the wreath (you may need more than one to cover the entire surface).

Here is my wreath hanging on my front door. With Halloween right around the corner, this is the perfect way to greet all of those trick-or-treaters who will soon be here!

Pumpkin Wishes and Candy Dreams

Every year my family makes a trip to the local pumpkin patch and spends the afternoon selecting the perfect pumpkin. It's just not officially fall without a pumpkin sitting on my front porch. If carving pumpkins isn't your thing, you can still use pumpkins to decorate in many unique ways.

The top picture shows smaller pie pumpkins covered in a layer of glue and then covered in orange glitter. The sparkle adds a touch of glam to your tabletop. Setting them atop cake pedestals adds height and depth.

Wouldn't you love to have this display of painted pumpkins on your porch? The stacked benches piled with various sizes of painted pumpkins create a stunning display.

There are endless possibilities for decorating with mini pumpkins. Here they have carved a hole just big enough for a votive candle, and have placed a simple hurricane on top. You could also carve a smaller hole that fits a tea light candle.

(Photos courtesy of Martha Stewart, Jackaroo Love and Good Housekeeping)

Ok, so now for the Candy Dreams...

For the recipes, check out the following:

I Scream Ice Cream

Pecan Carmel Spiders

Scream Cookies

Ghoulish Gallery Giveaway!

I have a spooktacular surprise for you! Tim Turner, the owner of Ghoulish Gallery, is giving away one of his haunting portraits through Little Ant Design. All you need to do to win is visit Little Ant Design and leave a comment telling her which creepy character you would like to have haunting your walls.

While you're there check out the rest of her blog. It is incredibly creative and has a lot of great entertaining inspiration. Have fun!

Ghoulish Gallery

Those of you who know me know my love of decorating for the holidays. Boxes of decorating treasures are pulled out and their contents slowly find their places throughout my home. Before you know if, my home is transformed. It's something that I have loved to do ever since I was a little girl.

Halloween is no exception to the decorating fun. you know that creepy crawly feeling that someone is watching you? Well over at Ghoulish Gallery they have made that fear a reality. They have created these fun portraits that change ever so creepily when you walk by.

Isabella is one of my favorites. I would love to have her haunting my walls this season!

Another (less creepy and less spendy) way to add some ghoulish flare to your home is using simple frames. Head to your local thrift store and purchase a variety of frames in all shapes and sizes. You can get these often for as little as $1.00. Pop out the pictures and glass and spray the frame in a high gloss black spray paint. Arrange in layers over your fireplace or hang on your wall. For an added touch cover the frames in cobwebs. Instant drama.