Articles and Ideas September, 2009
Nothing seems to evoke the spirit of Halloween quite like a graveyard in the fall, especially in New England.
The New England fall season is crisp with chilly air in the mornings, and a hard, penetrating light which makes the brightly colored leaves of the trees blaze across the landscape. These blazing trees, slowly losing their leaves to fall’s inevitable march towards winter, often stand guard behind the wrought iron fences and stone walls of the graveyards.
These silent sentries, amongst ...
Posted in 'How to' Halloween | 1 Comment »
Some people choose Halloween costumes that are classics and have been around forever and will continue to stand the test of time. Other people choose a trendy Halloween costume related to current events, politics, or popular characters of that year. But nothing dictates Halloween costumes more than which blockbuster movies were released that year! Here is a list of the most popular Halloween costumes of the past five years.
2004 – The year 2004 was all about Spiderman with 2.15 million ...
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One of the most enjoyable aspects of the Halloween holiday is the preparation for the holiday itself. Driving around neighborhoods to observe and appreciate decorations is one way to get in the Halloween mood, while another is to visit various cemeteries, graveyards, and burial grounds.
Older communities have a wealth of final resting places for the dead, and at least one with appropriate Halloween ambiance can be found. When a cemetery has been chosen for further examination, ...
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Today’s Halloween Haunters have no idea how hard we had it way back when, before special lights made just for Halloween, strobe lights, and fog machines were part of the scene. I remember when I had to travel to Sleepy Hollow uphill both ways on a sway back horse in 3 feet of snow!
No, really, Halloween was always fun in the "good old days" because to create a really scary "set", like a stage, you had to be able to ...
Posted in 'How to' Halloween, Yard Haunters | 2 Comments »
Halloween can be a frightening experience for your dog or other pets. From the constant ding of the doorbell, to the many people out and about, and all the little hands that inevitably reach for him, there are many things aside from ghouls and goblins that can frighten your pup. Compound that fear with the reality that some dogs are skittish or anxiety-ridden, and well Halloween is right up there with fireworks and thunderstorm.
Instead of dreading the day, use the ...
Posted in Halloween | 1 Comment »
Okay. True confession. Yes, I love to be creative and come up with homemade costumes. It makes me feel like Woman, hear me roar. But let there be no mistake! Sometimes, I have to go with store-bought. Gasp. Horrors. Shame. But really, sometimes store-bought looks awesome:
As much as I try to be Holly Homemaker, sometimes time just doesn’t allow for it. That’s when ...
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This is a story of fiction based on many local myths and legends in my area. The time frame, towns, roads, rivers and likewise the relationship to the names and actions of the old Bergen County names used in this story are purely factitious. I am, through my mother’s side of the family, related to most of the Colonial families of Bergen Count, so indeed do them no discredit. This is a story.
- Bradley Shane
Rain dripped from the front peak ...
Posted in Myths & Legends, Poems & Short Stories, Stories, Myths & Legends | 3 Comments »
Want to make a Halloween decoration that will make your neighbors double take every time? How ‘bout one that even creeps you out from time to time?... I thought you might say that… Let’s get started on the haunted merry-go-round, with ghosts!
What you’ll need:
Scissors
White garbage bags
Hanger
Black permanent marker
Fishing line
Sowing needle
4 Pop cans
Toilet paper/newspaper
Scotch tape
Rubber bands
Black/White paint (optional)
To begin, cut the top third of the pop cans off. Save the tops. ...
Posted in 'How to' Halloween, Crafts | 5 Comments »
Ok, moms and dads, push the children from the room and close the door. We gotta talk. Done? Good. Look, its about scarring the kids. Not scaring the kids, though that would be fun, but scarring the kids. I’m not calling the Division of Family services; in fact, I want you to scar the kids… not for life, but just for Halloween.
I think I have a pretty good idea how you’ve been doing it up ‘til now: You’ve been going ...
Posted in costumes | 1 Comment »
It’s Halloween! Would you like to spice things up? Make things a little scary? Make your neighbors wonder “What is that creepy thing”? With just a quick touch of glowing red LED eyes, your hum-drum Halloween decorations instantly turn into the scary, creepy, evil things that go bump in the night.
The glowing eyes trick is easy to install, and so affordable; it won’t be your pocket book screaming in terror on Halloween!
This trick is very simple, but first you need ...
Posted in 'How to' Halloween, Yard Haunters | No Comments »
THE EXPERIENCE
Walking down a dark street
Lit with candle flames
Knocking on a strange door
Being asked your name
Creatures roaming everywhere
Giving you a fright
Oh, it must be Halloween
The very best’est night
HALLOWEEN MEMORIES
Memories of days gone by
Jack o lanterns glowing
Trick or treaters everywhere
With pure excitement showing
Friends and family gather ‘round
Party times then abound
These are things that we hold dear
Building memories year by year
SLEEPY DAYS
The rustle of dry leaves under your feet
The distant smell of fire
Oh ...
Posted in Poems & Short Stories, Stories, Myths & Legends | No Comments »
How to Build this Spooky Effect For Your Yard Haunt!
It’s Halloween, and your big bright orange pumpkin sack is full of luscious candy. You decide to hit that one last house on the left in hopes of finding something really good. As you walk up to the porch, you feel something is not right; it’s just too quiet here. Then fear takes hold as you start hearing the rustling of leaves nearby. You turn around - Nobody is there!
How can ...
Posted in 'How to' Halloween, Yard Haunters | No Comments »
Looks like play dough? Check. Smells like candy? Check. Great for Halloween? Check. Tastes great? Yummy! Edible play dough is such a great thing. Kids can play with it and eat all they want (because there is no sugar, and they will get their fill quickly). The recipe is quick and adjustable, and even better it can be used with 'butters' other than peanut butter!
Playdough Ingredients
Making home-made play dough is simple:
1 cup creamy peanut ...
Posted in Party Tips, Recipes & Activities, Recipes | 1 Comment »
Sure, anybody can make paper snowflakes - but how about paper cobwebs for your Halloween decor? Ba ha ha, don’t stare too long at your creations, you may find yourself hypnotized and giving out too much trick or treat candy. Or worse yet- the chocolate trick or treat candy!
Here's how to cut out your own Halloween cobwebs:
8-1/2 inch paper squares (or whatever size squares you have available)
Safety scissors for kids
Small plastic spiders (from a craft or dollar store)
This project ...
Posted in 'How to' Halloween, Crafts | 1 Comment »
Looking for that perfect Halloween costume you can easily craft at home? The secret is to create a costume that is engaging, somewhat humorous, and very different from the usual fare. We’ve all seen the witches, fairies, and miscellaneous monsters ad nauseum! Creating this costume, however, ensures you will proudly strut your stuff on All Hallows Eve, garnering compliments and rave reviews from just about every other reveler you might meet. My daughter won a ...
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Update: I've created a Facebook group on this:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=161340510725
If you think this is a great idea, please join our group and send pics of your Halloween party.
Hope to see you there!
Everybody loves the spooktacular good times of dancing to great tunes at their favourite Halloween party. And the lurking lunatics at ScreamingScarecrowStudios are no different - in fact, in order to make sure there is enough dance floor space at our Halloween party we move all the ...
Posted in Halloween | 7 Comments »
A snake den is a great way to set the Halloween mood - it is cute and creepy at the same time so everyone will enjoy it! They are very quick to make; you can make one for everyone in your family, and the whole neighborhood. This is a fun project for the kids to do because the knitting spool is small enough that it can be held easily.
Knitting up Some Snake...
Posted in 'How to' Halloween, Crafts | No Comments »
Halloween is a time for giggles and guffaws. A time for kids and former kids to join together in fun appreciation of the autumnal season. With this in mind, here are some easy games for kids both young and old alike.
Word Search
Universally regarded as one of the most fun puzzles around, word search puzzles are now easy to create on your own. There are a number of educational sites like http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com that allow you to ...
Posted in Parties & Activities, Party Tips, Recipes & Activities | No Comments »
For younger children in particular, the long wait until October 31 can be relentless. Try a Halloween Advent calendar to increase the anticipation of the Big Day! As the mother of two children, I am a firm believer in the idea that going with the kids' excitement, rather than against it, makes for a happier holiday season. Add Halloween Excitement By Counting It Down! This project is easy to make and fun for the whole family.
The project can be ...
Posted in 'How to' Halloween, Crafts | No Comments »
