Potential

We had two dying trees cut down today, which really leaves a HUGE space to try and stage for Halloween.  I'm kind of at a loss about how to control yard wanderers now, and where to put Samara's well, which I am determined to put together this year.

The workmen also left me a good-sized pile of firewood for my daughter, who lives in VA.  She'll come down for the party and Halloween, and probably take a trunkload back with her, but it's mine to use in the meantime.

There must be something I can do with it.   Make a path with the logs? Just move the pile and use it as is to hide something? Faced with all I need to do between now and the 30th of Oct., it needs to be something simple. 

Any suggestions?

Giveaway site

Mr. Macabre is having awesome giveaways of banners and greeting cards you design yourself--go check it out!

http://mistermacabre.blogspot.com/

Tombstones

Some of these have been posted on my other blog, but here are some great tombstones from local cemeteries.  There are all kinds of fonts, carvings, bas relief carvings, shapes of stones to be copied.

You could carve a hand pointing downwards instead.

Beautiful leaves, and lovely stone.

More leaf placement.

I don't know what you'd call this shape:

Very elaborate.

Love the curves of the top and the dove.

Banner, books, arches--all carved into one stone.

Gorgeous obelisk

Different colored rose added to carvings

This one lies flat on the ground but has some sort of leaves as well as an outer border.

Creepy inscription

Simple lines with flowers in the corners

Different shape

The inside of this reminds me of police badges

Difficult to see, but very elaborate

Almost completely worn down, but I like the vine growing over the top.

Husband's name, but not the wife's

Very shallow carving

Textured obeslisk

Scroll and flower

Odd outside stonework with marble insides

The hand again, but look at the fonts and baseline.  Also the discoloration.

Another obelisk, this time from Woodmen of the World.

Twin headstones for Irish twins, who also died within 2 weeks of each other.

Their parents,  with lovely carvings there, too.

Old shape, carving, discoloration

First name carved on top, with more info and carvings below.

I'm not up to much of this skill level yet,  and will not be making my own tombstones this year, but maybe next year. 

Nature's decorations

First shown on my other blog, I think this will make a great model for making a hot glue gun spiderweb, a la msolek

Don't you love the giant spider logo in the middle?

Maybe it was her signature.

Windows

Our house has two windows that face the front yard: the kitchen window and the sewing room window. The sewing room window is not really a problem, but the kitchen lights are on a lot, and that can interfere with the uneasy feeling you want your ToTs to experience.

This year, we're having a costume party on Fri. night, with the inside of the house being loosely done as The Masque of the Red Death--After the Party.  In Poe's story, the rooms are lit from without, not within.   The orange room, blue room, etc. have lights shining through colored panes of glass.  I can accomplish some of that with colored spotlights in the yard shining through the windows, but my victims guests will want to see my yard, so I need to leave some mood lighting out there.  Also, the window treatments must be changed on Saturday morning before the ToTs come around. 

Enter the cheater treatment:

I bought this 2-paneled window cling from Fright Catalog a few years back and it's remarkably effective.  Here it's shown in the sewing room windows, but Saturday morning, I'll be putting this up in the kitchen window.  Mood and time problems solved.

Wally World has cheap black sheets in their bedding department.  Take out a few stitches at the hem on either side and you have quick curtains.  It takes 4 twin-sized sheets on our wide windows to be an effective light-blocker, but station a black light below window sill level, add some old white gloves, white tulle or netting, and a couple of cheap white plastic masks, and another quick mood-setter is born:

In past years, I've also taken a spring-loaded shower curtain rod and mounted it just inside the front door, with another pair of twin sheet/curtains hung on it.  This blocks out the television and computer screens and light spilling from the kitchen.  One year, I strategically placed another black light to the side of the front door, put on another set of old white gloves, poked my hands through the curtains and beckoned the ToTs up onto the porch.  Some refused to come.  Hehehe.

It's really pretty spooky here at night, since our street is a  dark one.  We live on a corner, and there are no houses across from us or beside us for about three lots--and the next ones are just around a curve.  The house on the opposite corner faces 90 degrees away from us, and he either leaves home or keeps the lights out.  I'm sure these techniques wouldn't be as effective if we had lots of neighbors or street lights.

My dream is to someday have enough to fill the entire front and side yards.  I think I'm going to have to live a long time....

Why

Not everyone shares my delight in scary movies and all things Halloween--and I don't want to alienate some of my Scraps readers. Hence, this blog. Those friends who do love Halloween, Stephen King, and being deliciously frightened will find their way over here. 

There is a plethora of Halloween how-tos on the web.  As a beginner, I am simultaneously intimidated and inspired. If there is a profile for Halloween enthusiasts, I'm sure I don't fit its parameters.  I am a 58-year-old woman, just a beginner in the whole home-haunting, prop-building community.  Heck, I'm not even in the community--just living on the fringes, peeking through the black iron gates, eyes wide.

My husband thinks it is childish, this fascination with Halloween. Paralyzed on his left side and in chronic pain, he is unable to participate, and sometimes I think this is the reason for his seeming indifference. No matter.  He loves me and he indulges me in this pasttime, and that is enough.

So I will post photos of my meager attempts at props, decorating, past Halloweens, and links to terrific sites--most of which everyone probably already knows and visits.  And I will return any visits, answer all comments, and welcome you into this humble little blog.

Oh, and the title?  Well, I am a night nurse.