Creepy Ghost Stories

http://www.freakingnews.com/Ghosts-Pictures--2503.asp

Whether or not you believe in ghosts, one activity to engage in around Halloween if you have the ability and the nerve, is to listen to ghost stories around a campfire with your friends. Although not necessarily an activity to share with children (proceed with caution), for adults, it can be quite fun. There are several online resources that have free podcasts dedicated to this purpose. One of my favorites is American Folklore, an online story index that have several creepy categories and links to podcasts. It has everything from spooky Halloween stories, to tall tales and myths to folklore. The site also has a category for children so you don't necessarily have to keep this activity adult-oriented.

http://www.americanfolklore.net/spooky-stories.html

Another online site to explore is Halloween Ghost Stories. In addition to featured stories including urban legends, they also have dark poetry.

http://www.halloweenghoststories.com/

Who knows? Perhaps you will be inspired to write your own spooky story or poem that you can share.

Halloween Party Games

http://www.necroford.ru/forum/Themes/default/languages/Tags.english-win1251.php?news=scary-halloween-party-ideas

What would a Halloween party be without some sort of game? The first thing to keep in mind is that the game should be appropriate for the age of your guests. No one wants to play a kiddy game at an adult party and vice versa. I guess that goes without saying, however, I guess you never know who's reading this blog. Anyhow, on the Party Games tabs are some neat links to sites that share age-appropriate Halloween games including mystery murders, gross food identification games, and the old standby, Bobbing for Apples.

Next year at my first masquerade formal dinner party, I think I am going to try a murder mystery theme to entertain my guests or maybe a scavenger hunt among the tombstones in my haunted back yard. Hmmm....

Great Haunted Houses

  

            http://www.fearfinder.com/

Every Fall a free publication entitled "Fear Finder News" is published that features the scariest places and haunted houses to visit in Michigan and surrounding states including Ohio and Indiana. The 40-page newspaper is chocked full of advertisements for haunted houses, forests, and corn mazes and also features a county-by-county tour guide with maps so you can plan the ultimate fear road trip with a group of friends. The paper also has Halloween articles including some about special effects and how to create them with makeup or using other materials. If you live in Michigan, look for this free thrill seekers guide to Halloween events next Fall or download it for free from the following link. If you don't live in here, there may be similar publications around your neck of the woods.

http://www.fearfinder.com/

Great Halloween Movies & Books

http://www.impawards.com/1999/sleepy_hollow_ver1.html

I love watching great scary movies the month of Halloween. One movie I have traditionally watched every year on Halloween since its video release has been Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow" starring Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci. Some others include classics from Alfred Hitchcock such as "Psycho" and "The Birds." On the blog page for movies and books I will be talking about and sharing those media works that I have viewed and/or read both good and bad. I also want to hear what others have to share and what they do or do not recommend.

Halloween Crafts

http://choosemoose.com/category/primitive-halloween

Being "crafty" around Halloween takes on a whole new meaning for enthusiasts and not just for witches. Whether you're creating your own tombstones, invitations, or decorations (just to name a few), the satisfaction of creating something yourself or for others is something every fan of Halloween should experience. My favorite category of Halloween crafts (and decorations) are the primitive examples. Halloween is the one time of year that the more creepy and primitive the craft project is, the better it is. Although many creations may appear to be simple, the amount of work and skill that are required is deceptive. On the Halloween Crafts page, I will be sharing my favorite primitive works, ideas, and links to free and paid patterns that make holiday crafting fun and booooo-tiful.

Halloween Art

http://graceuncensored.com/v-web/b2/index.php?m=200710

Over the past decade, the Halloween holiday has grown in leaps and bounds and has inspired some wonderful collections from modern artists. Some notable collections include such artists as Dan DiPaolo, Debbie Mumm and Lori Mitchell, all of whose limited edition Halloween art continues to be both highly anticipated from year-to-year and becomes more valuable as it grows in popularity. Additionally, the value of vintage Halloween collectibles from postcards to treat buckets has grown exponentially and a wonderful variety can be found on auction sites on the Internet as well as from estate sales and garage sales. On the Halloween Art page I will be sharing photos of both modern and vintage collections and links to some sites where they can be found.

Costume Ideas

http://www.geardiary.com/2009/07/23/inflatable-rodeo-costume-guarantees-your-kids-wont-trick-or-treat-with-you-this-year/

What would Halloween be without costumes? It always amazes me how creative individuals can be with costumes and how incredible some of their special effects make-up can be. From babies to kids to adults to pets, some people take months to prepare and don't give a thought to how much it costs. I've always been a fan of theme costumes among couples and some of the trendy inflatable outfits are too hilarious for words! On the "Costume Ideas" page I will be sharing ideas, photos, links, and how-to's with all of my favorites...enjoy!

All About Pumpkins...

http://kimandjason.com/blog/2008-10-29/halloween-happiness.html

To me, there is nothing more iconic than a pumpkin around Halloween. Whether they're big or small, round or oval, or just plain deformed, I absolutely love everything about them! However, this has not always been the case. My family never really celebrated All Hallow's Eve so I never carved pumpkins as a kid. In sixth grade one of my classmates further ruined the pumpkin carving experience for me when, during a class project, he ate the rind...pumpkin guts and all! YUCK! After that the very smell of pumpkin guts would invoke the dry heaves and make my skin crawl. That feeling continued into adulthood until one day when I had the opportunity to visit a pumpkin patch. I don't know exactly what happened that afternoon, but being surrounded by acres of pumpkins inspired me both artistically and emotionally. Now I look forward to carving and finding new and unique ways to create jack-o-lanterns and use pumpkins in decorating. There is a page in my blog dedicated to everything great about pumpkins including carving instructions, patterns, photos, and links to free pumpkin patterns. I'm always amazed at the talented carvers that are out there and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do.

Halloween Recipes

"Eerie Eyeballs" from http://superpunch.blogspot.com/2008/10/spooky-halloween-food-ideas.html

I have created a page dedicated to some very cool Halloween recipes I have discovered and continue to discover. Not only are the recipes delicious, but they are visually appealing too. From creepy and downright gross to "awwww, isn't that cute," these recipes will go a long way to entertaining yourself and your guests for Halloween. Most of the recipes I am posting are those that I plan to use for my my formal Halloween costume dinner that I'll be hosting next year for the first time. I encourage my readers to try the recipes and let me know what you think, and to also contribute some recipes of your own.

Decorating for Halloween

http://www.yardhaunter.com/halloween_graveyard.html

One of the things that I particularly enjoy about Halloween is the decorating both inside and out. Over the past five years, Halloween has grown in popularity and unfortunately so has the prices. However, with a little research creating decorations doesn't have to be expensive. The best way to get great Halloween decorations at incredibly reduced rates is to visit retail stores the day after the holiday. If you get there early, you have a much better selection and can pick up items 50-75% off. I like to do a lot of window shopping the month before Halloween and keep notes about the items that I like the best and where they're at. Of course, this doesn't guarantee the items will be available afterwards; however, you'd be amazed at some of the deals I've gotten on expensive items. The downside is that I have to wait a whole year to use them, but if you're patient, it's worth the wait.

Under the Indoor Decorations and Outdoor Decorations pages, you'll find a few of the creative craft ideas that I have found helpful (and inexpensive) that will help build your Halloween decorating inventory. Not only will they add spookiness to your decor, but they won't leave your wallet in a "horrific" state. I know, that was pretty scary humor, if I do say so myself.

Dani's Halloween Ideas

This original painting, "Water and Light," is by my good friend, Johnathan Roberts.

Welcome to my Halloween blog! I've designed this blog so that I can share all of the things that I love about Halloween including decorating ideas, recipes, artwork, collections, and all of the wonderfully creepy things that make up this popular holiday. I'll also be sharing plans for next year and the numerous projects I'll be working on individually and with some of my wonderful and talented friends. I hope that others will both comment and share their unique ideas about what they enjoy about All Hallow's Eve, as well.