Zombie Shelter

I won a giveaway for a Zombie Shelter sign, zombie stickers and buttons from Zombies & Toys. I entered a giveaway on their blog around Halloween and as a fan of the genre, was so excited to win. I put the sign above my studio door just for fun. Maybe someday I should paint a zombie horse for Halloween. That would be weird, wouldn't it?



I was lurking around the old St. James Episcopal cemetery Lancaster, PA last week and found three intriguing graves. I thought it was nice that someone put a pumpkin on this one belonging to a 3 year old, poor thing. The epitaph was really neat too.


I really enjoy finding old gravestones with skulls or winged children. I got lucky here finding one of each! The skull with the hourglass is one of my favorites.

Halloween Night Mare

We went to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire today and it was all decked out for Halloween. Right before the main gate, they had set up the ultimate night mare. I had to snap a few shots going in and coming out when it was dark. I would LOVE to have this in my yard! The eyes lit up, the head moved, there was a smoke machine and the moon was nearly full - how cool!

On the eve of Halloween...

O let Us cast Dull Care away

Again be Children for a Day

Witches Goblins have their sway

Tis Hallowe'en lets Joke and Play

-from a vintage postcard

I'm playing in the graveyard. Can you spot me?

More Halloween decorations...

As I've said before, I love decorating on the cheap. Yesterday I took black constructions paper and cut out mice to stick all over the house. I cut out a witch flying on her broom with her black cat, she looks great in the front window. I made some ravens, bats and owls too! Here are some decorations around my house. I can't wait until Saturday! If anyone has any good recipes for Halloween food, let me know.

Haunting the Kitchen

Still working on adding some spooky decorations to my house. Since I don't have a lot of extra money to spend I'm always looking for decoration on the cheap. This morning I made some spooky jars with labels from Love Manor. They have tons of label designs on their flickr page that you can print out. My printer was running out of ink but I think it gave the labels a cool effect. I also burned the edges of some and affixed them to various jars with Modpodge. Inside the jars I added candy corn, old twigs, oily water and plastic snakes. It was a lot of fun. On one bottle I dripped some candle wax to cover up the writing. Thank you Stephanie for sending me the link to these labels!




Above the stove, I've changed my usual cheery art with three photos I took in New Orleans in St. Louis Cemetery #1. Some Ichabod and Screaming Pumpkin Ale, a bottle of Vampire wine and Zombie Zin for my Halloween party, black cat tile was a gift from my friend Carolee of King of Mice Studios, cool "BEWARE" blocks from TJ Maxx, and glow in the dark & glitter skulls that were 60% off at Jo-ann Fabrics.



From my father in law, who may actually love Halloween more than I do, although not by much, is the flying skeleton I've been coveting for years. He looks great above the kitchen sink!



I'd love to see links to your Halloween decorations so post a link in the comments section if you have one!

Flowers in the Graveyard

My mom and I were on a weekend adventure in Bucks County and we stopped by a beautiful cemetery in the morning to take some photos. Here are a few. More on my other website, The Mare's Tales.

Go time...

Yes, it is almost go time. I can almost smell the burning pumpkin flesh! Tonight is the first night of the Chadds Ford Great Pumpkin Carve and I will be working on #21. Still haven't finalized my design, it's between Death on a pale horse and a raven for Edgar Allen Poe. I really want to do the raven but I think someone did something like that last year.
To see some of my past pumpkins, please click here. To see some other carver's pumpkins, click here.
My since 2004 my designs have won Best Overall twice, Best Halloween once and Best Carving once. I go in to the challenge with no expectations of winning, just the thrill of the carve!
My pumpkins have also been featured on Martha Stewart's website and The This Old House website. Here is one of my favorites!

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

My favorite Halloween tale, hands down, is the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I love the characters, I love the villian (he's my buddy), I love the time period and setting. The short story is awesome, I love the cartoon, the movie with Johnny Depp rocks!
The Hessian soldier makes his way into a lot of my artwork and someday (in my dreams) I hope to be known for my Sleepy Hollow art (I know, I have a way to go). Still trying to work the Headless Horseman into a not so spooky children's book in the near future.
And someday, hopefully not too many years away, I will visit the town of Sleepy Hollow, NY. I am dying to go to the graveyards!

I just completed one of my largest Sleepy Hollow pieces and wanted to share. I think the Hessian's horse is the ultimate nightmare!



The chief part of the stories, however, turned upon the favorite spectre of Sleepy Hollow, the Headless Horseman, who had been heard several times of late, patrolling the country; and, it was said, tethered his horse nightly among the graves in the churchyard. -Washington Irving




On mounting a rising ground, which brought the figure of his fellow-traveller in relief against the sky, gigantic in height, and muffled in a cloak, Ichabod was horror-struck on perceiving that he was headless!--but his horror was still more increased on observing that the head, which should have rested on his shoulders, was carried before him on the pommel of his saddle!
-Washington Irving



Some fun links for you...
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

The end of the Disney Sleepy Hollow where the Horseman is chasing Ichabod.

A couple that made a lifesize Headless Horseman in their yard!

Sleepy Hollow Tombstone Prop (I want this!)

Sleepy Hollow Movie Fanlisting

Dear Annie

We miss thee from our home dear Annie.
We miss thee from thy place.
A shadow o'ver our life is cast.
We miss the sunshine of thy face.
-epitaph on gravestone of Annie H. Landis
age 19 yrs, 8 mo, 22 days
died May 18, 1907 East Petersburg, PA



It's no secret I love to walk around graveyards. I'm usually not interested in graves that date before 1900 but the epitaph on Annie Landis' grave made me a little weepy. Poor girl, only 19 years old. Didn't have the chance to marry or have children. I imagined her mother writing the words to go on her grave in tears.

So far this is my favorite grave in my town of East Petersburg, PA. Nice skull.



And only a weirdo like me brings a jack be little pumpkin to the graveyard.