Happy Halloween

The Moon is full

The stars are bright.

The ghost and goblins

will be out tonight.

They will twinkle and dare

so be sure to beware

For it's All Hallows Eve!

Grungy Gourd Cart

11.5" Tall

To purchase email Melissa at:

valeriotedesign@comcast.net

• • • •

Happy Halloween Goodie Box from Laura Carson

**Please click on picture to see goodies close-up!**

The box and the 4 ATCs are all original works.

Here's a close-up of the spooktacular ATCs

My monthly swap group did a Happy Halloween Goodie Box 1/1 trade and my Treater was Laura Carson.  Thank you Laura for my amazing box, ATCs and wonderful Halloween supplies and ephemera.  I'm over the moon thrilled!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not to brag, but we're a really happy couple. We really look like we're having fun in our wedding pictures, even though my dress hem was caked in mud and it was freaking freezing -- everything was perfect to us because we had each other.

Well, today is our one year anniversary; more special than that, because after 5 years of commitment this is our first celebrated anniversary! Honestly, we've never had a date to commemorate before.

I'm excited about the creepy, the spooky, the costumes, the candy, the pumpkins, the horror movies, the EVERYTHING today... but the best treat of all is definitely sharing my favorite day with my favorite person.

I hope you're all having a particularly haunting Halloween, as we certainly are. Spend it with someone special.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Edgar Allan Poe ATC Swap - VPI Yahoo Group

One of my ATCs

From top left:

Wendy Robinson, Jan Larson, Teri Chinen;

Nancy Van Hoose, Marion Bockelmann, Gina Atkins.

Another fabulous swap.  Thanks ladies!

happy halloween

Happy Halloween!

Vintage Halloween Pin-Up Girls

Clara Bow

More cute Halloween pin-ups from the 1930s and 1940s...

CG #76 Challenge - Pumpkin, Avacado, Eggplant

http://gingersnapcreations.blogspot.com/2010/10/gc76-color-challenge-pumpkin-eggplant.html

All images by Moonlight Journey:

http://www.moonlightjourney.com/index.html

Vintage Witch Paper Hat, 1920s

Isn't this hat wonderful?  Such a fabulous, vintage piece. 

Sunday Postcard Art - Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos)

http://sundaypostcardart.wordpress.com/

For more information on this Mexican Holiday:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead

giant

Sometimes a tree just isn't big enough for more than one ghost. Giant tree ghosts: "There can be only one".

READY FOR HALLOWEEN DAY 30: This Time Last Year

October 30th last year I was a bundle of nerves and excitement. People were getting all the wedding details ready:

Our friends threw us the most amazing rehearsal dinner at their lovely home; it was so relaxed and fun, outdoors with a fire and great decorations:

Not to mention romantic lighting:

But the best part was knowing that I would be marring this adorable gentleman the next day:

My beloved husband. Such a good guy that he even consented to marry me on Halloween -- a day he cares about only for my sake. :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVE!

Vintage Halloween Open Theme ATC Swap - VPI Yahoo Group

(**Please click on picture to see the details close-up!**)

From top left:

Kris Dickinson, Mary Ann Severin, Laura Carson;

April Dudko, Kim Smith, Jan Larson;

Ingrid Pomeroy, Wendy Robinson, Kris Dickinson

Such a wonderful collection of Halloween ATCs.  Thanks ladies!

Theme Thursday - Blue

http://themethursday.wordpress.com/

Private ATC Swap, October 2010, Yahoo Group

(**Please click on picture to see ATCs close-up!**)

From top left:  Kris Dickinson, Michelle Carrier, Laura Carson;

Wendy Robinson, Connie Camp, Gina Atkins;

Alice Hyde, Julia Ziemann, Heather Robinson.

Such lovely work.  Thanks so much gals and Happy Halloween!

READY FOR HALLOWEEN DAY 29: Partaaaaaay (City)

We (my husband and I) spent the day piddling about, getting excited about Halloween. And if you thought you were just going to waltz into a Party City and get a last-minute costume, may I just caution you against it. That place is crazier than usual, even today at 11am!

But if you absolutely must, there is the scariest mask ever available for under $10:

I'm still a complete automatonophobe. A human-sized ventriloquist dummy makes me want to cry from fear!

Just promise me you want go as Wizard Wanda. I'll have to get all 'sexifying something that isn't sexy is not okay for Halloween' on you. I've got a speech prepared, it's well-practiced, and you don't want to hear it.

Unless you want to go in a skin-tight skeleton getup. I'm okay with that -- skeletons are sexy. The fashion industry features them all the time in ads.

It's HALLOWEEKEND! I hope you're ready!

What are you Halloween plans?

the weight of water

The trees were built with rain in mind.

They knew a dry and calm final week in October would be too much to hope for. And they were right. It always rains in late October. Always. And they were ready. They had plenty of support. Or so they believed. They were standing for a day and a half when the meteorological gods noticed their presence and sent the deluge. They stood bravely as the rain and the wind intensified. They were resolute. Shuddering only occasionally, they stood firm. For a time, it looked like they would make it. They survived the first day of pouring rain. And the second day. But by the third day of relentless precipitation, they'd had enough. They were weakened. They were tired. They were broken. And they simply couldn't take anymore. They had been prepared for rain. Just not so much rain. Just not day after day after day of drenching rain. And wind. Let's not forget the wind. Saturated and sagging, they finally gave up and doubled over.

Fortunately, rescue arrived in time. They are now recuperating on the veranda. Under the watchful eye of the dead tree branches. Waiting for the rain to stop. Not sure when that might happen. Hoping to dry out and regain their former strength in time for a weekend appearance.

GC#73 Challenge - Gothic Elements, Mina Harker

http://gingersnapcreations.blogspot.com/2010/10/gc73chestnut-theme-challenge-gothic.html

Gothic images by Moonlight Journey:

http://www.moonlightjourney.com/index.html

Mina Harker from Bram Stoker's Dracula

ATC - GC#75 Challenge - Arches , The Ghost of Queen Katherine Howard

http://gingersnapcreations.blogspot.com/2010/10/gc75-random-redhead-challenge-arches.html

All images by Moonlight Journey: 

http://www.moonlightjourney.com/index.html

The ill-fated 5th wife of Henry VIII. 

READY FOR HALLOWEEN DAY 28: I Vant to Show You My Neck

I saw a vampire bite necklace on boing boing earlier this year. It was crochet, and oh-so-easy-to-make looking.

So I finally made one -- found the pattern in a simply adorable little book called Witch Craft by Alicia Kachmar. If you have little girls who can't decide if they want to be a vampire or a princess, btw... please get them this book. It will help lead them down the path to darkness by sugar-coating it.

Anyhoo. I didn't follow the pattern, 'cause that's how I roll. But making up my own version (which includes a row of single crochet stitches after making the little closure loop, as opposed to just a foundation chain for the necklace part) took me all of a lunch hour at work while chatting with my friends.

In fact, I think even a beginning crocheter could master this in just a try or two. The hardest part was finding thread in the two shades of red I was looking for!

Obviously, this still needs some finishing touches--like being ironed flat since I kept the pieces in a little ball in my pocket after the crochet work was done--but I'm excited to wear it with my everyday-wear this Halloweekend!

Vintage 1940s Halloween Picture

Not everyone could wear this blouse

scare-less crows

Once again this year, I took in a local scarecrow festival. And once again, no self-respecting crow could have possibly been scared. Probably not even a little nervous.

READY FOR HALLOWEEN DAY 27: Just Another Night at the Vampire Club

Ignore the anime (unless you're into that kind of thing ... I personally have eyes only for Naruto), but this song gets my little toes tappin'! Voltaire's The Vampire Club. It and Big Daddy Graham's Caterer's From Beyond the Grave are my favorite things going on Halloween Radio right now.

All of this, in part to tell you about a fun, fun song, and mostly to relay my favorite comment on a YouTube Video EVER:

Oh yeah. I will be liking those sparkly Halloween decorations at Target a lot more now that I will be thinking of them as being covered in "exploded sparkly vampire guts."

:)

Glamour Witch Picture

Isn't she beautiful?...and check out those vintage Jack-o-lanterns!

I believe this is Veronica Lake

last leaves

Took a walk through the neighbourhood yesterday to enjoy what remains of the autumn leaves . . .