Pumpkins Scream In The Dead Of Night

So, what are we up to at the House Of Blackwood? More of the same.

This year, we'll have the Victorian parlor and seance room, which will play host to the amazing Madame Pamita: http://www.madamepamita.com/fr_index.cfm ,

The Museum Of Haunted Objects And Oddities, a witch's hut, a tribute to Mr. Creeg's house, (from the Trick R Treat film), and our first Cemetery and Dia De Los Muertos altar. Oh, I almost forgot the spider's lair. Mostly because I want to...

Friday night was like Christmas. We found some amazing pitchforks at Urban Home. I was planning on using them for my scarecrow's hands. Only nineteen dollars. Really. No, I don't know why they were in Urban Home.

Beauteous.

Mr. Blackwood's terror!Dog has feet and is undergoing the paper mache process, made all the better by http://pumpkinrot.blogspot.com/ 's post on the master of the medium, http://www.papermacheman.com/

This is our first cemetery, so we've been working hard on our head stones.

There are tons of tutorials out there on making them. The only thing I can add is that everyone I have seen has been "carving" out the styrofoam. It gets to be tedious and it doesn't look as nice. I've been using an ice pick and a wooden knitting needle and simply indenting, or pushing the foam down in lieu of cutting through it.

Also, for those of you that may be artistically challenged, or feel that way, the regular October issue of Martha Stewart's mag has a piece on graveyard art. It's lovely and simplistic with plenty of close ups on the artwork itself and from an art history perspective, very interesting.. If it helps, keep in mind that pretty much anything can be drawn from a straight line and a curve.

If you have a Trader Joe's in your area they have been stocking some great foliage from the spooky side of the garden. Various carnivorous plants, "pumpkin trees," a number of black leafed houseplants, orchids and flowers. I plan on adding these to our witch's hut. I think our puppy's new bestie is the venus flytrap. They have a lot in common.

Last night we caught HGTV's Halloween Block Party. I was skeptical, but the show proved to be well worth the watch as I came away with a few useful additions to the interior decor. Here's the premise:

Three families join forces with today's hottest lifestyle experts and event planners, Michael Russo, Kelley Moore and Eddie Ross, to go head-to-head in creating the best Halloween bash this neighborhood has ever seen! The sophisticated Haunted Mansion design is a grown-up affair, while Hansel and Gretel is all about the kids. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow design inspires a classic, stunning event that proves you don't have to spend a lot of money to throw the coolest bash on the block.*

I have to play Mary, Quite Contrary here. The cash outlay on the Sleepy Hollow party was obviously in the range of "lots."

Back to stenciling the seance room.