Memorial for John Wolfe: Season of Shadows

  

I have been very blessed to know some amazing bloggers, but one who was very dear to my heart was my good friend, John Wolfe. He ran the blog Season of Shadows and embodied all things vintage and true Halloween. He would begin early in the year designing elaborate home haunts and sharing on video how he went about designing them. He did lots of volunteer work and was always available for anyone. He sought to understand the spiritual and the other side. In fact, as he was dying, he said he would contact me through EVPs. And, he asked me to write his memorial which I did and he read it and approved of it before his passing at much too early an age in his 30s. Each Halloween, I will post his memorial here. Halloween is his season, his paradise, and I miss him something awful every October. I'd like to share him with you now -

Real Escaped Lunatics Versus Urban Legends

 

Urban legends often include escaped lunatic asylum patients, such as "hook" story and "Bunnyman."

super Creepy European Pagan-Themed Costumes

  

Natural elements to make Halloween costumes means giving an Old World magical vibe. We know the usual characters of Halloween - Frankenstein, witch, vampire, etc. What we NEED are self-created personas in an Old World way using goods around us to look very homemade and creepy.

Michael Myers Crush!

 

Michael Myers.

I don't know if it's a genuine crush, but I've held a fascination for this character from the 1978 film, "Halloween."

I'm pretty sure that it stems from it being the first horror movie I saw in the theater that captured the boogeyman theme and his character being so silent and stalking that he terrifies the reptilian part of the human brain. 

I also like tall boys.

Horror Memes

 

The magical day of Halloween is approaching and we're diving into the horror movie library to get our scary on. Here's some memes that pay homage to our love of horror while making us chuckle.

Ways to Use Halloween Pumpkins

 

Real pumpkins and plastic pumpkins both - they abound this time of year. Start thinking about new ways to use them this Halloween. 

Grab a Blanket! Short Horror Films on YouTube

 

In case you are in the mood for chills and creeps, here's some nonfiction and fiction short films to give you a variety of chillbumps. Grab your blanket and tuck in your toes...  

Halloween Candy Tampering: Urban Legend or Fact?

 

October 31st is noted as All Hallow's Eve or Halloween.  It's believed Christians took this festival concept right from pagan origins of the Celtic Samhain celebration. There is much debate on how this holiday began, but it has become a most popular time for children to get candy and adults to put on costumes and watch scary movies. The basics are the same; scary decorations, costumes, parties, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, Jack O'Lanterns, apple bobbing, trick or treating, and horror themes. America has done Halloween up more than any other country, celebrating it full force with horror movie marathons to Haunted Attractions and huge parties.

Decorating Windows for Halloween

 

contact paper cut in various shapes

Utilizing windows for haunting effect is a huge boon. Many times, the effects are on the inside of the window so if you go to work or are away, you don't worry about someone messing with your hard work.

Ghost Trains, Hobo Horrors, and Train-Hopping Bigfoot

 

Ghost trains, horror on the tracks, unsolved ghostly inhabits of train tracks, and hobo culture: Today is all about the scary side of trains - 

How to Make a Haunted Mirror

 

This technique I came up with is extremely cheap and easy to do. I got creative and after making this mirror (above), I made more - 

How to Make a Scarecrow Head

 

Enjoy this how-to on how to easily and very cheaply make a scarecrow head.

Funny Pet Costumes

 

You know it's irresistible. You dress up yourself, you dress up the kiddies, but some of us can't help looking at our pet as a potential Halloween prop. Here's some of the more hilarious ones - 

Haunted Shirley Doll

 

Even though I have let Haunted Shirley go, I find curiosity about haunted dolls is pretty common. Here's a fantastic article by  Roger Marsh (one of my favorite researchers). Be sure to follow him on Newbreak - he has info and insights not seen anywhere! 

Haunted Dolls article by Roger Marsh (LINK) 

I hope this gets ya'll in the creepy Halloween mood. 

Dream Places to Have a Halloween Party

  

Halloween parties are fun times for music, food, and costumes, but what if you could have the ultimate Halloween party? What kind of location would you pick? 

Witch-Themed Movies

 

Here's my suggestions if you're in the mood for a witch-y marathon!

Blanket Fort Fun!

  

You are never too old for a blanket fort to curl up in and watch movies, make out with your significant other, or read a good book. Reignite your childlike enthusiasm for adventure and creativity. 

Build a blanket fort! Pop some popcorn. Have a movie marathon. 

Bayou-Themed Halloween Patio Party

  

A bayou-themed patio for Halloween has  been a long-time dream of mine. I began to plot out how to do this - 

Ways to Use Autumn's Apples

   

Autumn and apples - a match that is divine! A crisp, organic, locally-grown apple has a flavor that no store bought apple from some other state can compare to. If you can just get some locally grown ones to eat, you will feel rewarded beyond belief. But, apples aren't just for eating at this time of year. Let's see what you can do with a bushel  - 

What to Do on a Dark and Stormy Night

    

Nothing like a dark and stormy night to give you the atmosphere and mood to stoke the fires of mystery. Even if your power isn't out, just turn out the lights in the house and let the lightning illuminate the creepiest corners - 

Bring on the Autumnal Atmosphere

 

It's crazy how in the winter, we daydream about beaches and swimming pools, but the minute it turns fall, our minds are on chilly noses, sweaters, bonfires, spiced cider, and the coming holiday of spookiness - Halloween. 

Let's go! 

Decorative Crafts Using River Rocks

 

Painting river rocks and using decoratively is such a beautiful art. And, if you use glow-in-the-dark paints, you can make a garden path that comes alive - 

10 Things to do With Autumn Leaves

 

Admittedly, there's no autumn leaves here in Phoenix until around Xmas time. 

Glow Stick Crafts for Halloween

 

Great craft for TP hoarders of 2020

Halloween 2022 and glow sticks! This is a seriously cool and economical way to take your parties and decor to a whole new level.

Halloween Crafts Using Twigs

 

Enjoy using something free to decorate - twigs!

100 Male Halloween Costume Ideas

  

There are so many costumes available to men. Often times, they assume the holiday is all about the ladies, but oh what a man's costume can do for a girl's heart rate!

Here's 100 ideas - 

100 Female Halloween Costume Ideas

  

mermaid

If there's a chance you plan to go out and dressup or simply have a romantic evening with your loved one, there are so many costumes to consider. If you aren't going out, consider at least getting decked out and doing a photo shoot to add to your library of fun life pics and crazy things you did. 

Gigantic Halloween Decorations

  

12-foot skeleton from Home Depot

also on Amazon 

I noticed this year at Spirit Halloween store that they embraced the gigantic animatronics even more than the previous year. The previous year, local stores mentioned that the gigantic clown sold the first day they were open and they needed more. 

Does size matter when it comes to Halloween figures? 

Old-Fashioned Jack O'Lanterns Are Still the Best

 

The fine art of hollowing out a pumpkin, carving a face, and lighting a candle to go inside has become a competition yearly among the most artistic, but still the only thing that truly unsettles are the jagged-toothed ones of our youth.

What Your Favorite Horror Movie Says About You

Horror movies really come down to three categories. We could push it and say suspense/thriller and SciFi can also be horror, but let’s just talk straight-out horror genre—found on the aisle at the video store. Take a look at your collection and see which type you seem to have the most of:

Gothic No-Gore Horror Movies

  

For those who aren't into slasher gore and shock factor, but enjoy the dark, atmospheric, storytelling of a good gothic horror movie, I have a list for you! 

Sit back and enjoy knowing you won't be grossed out and you'll have a plot and haunting score, darkness and stormy nights to satisfy your romantic tastes.

I'll even tell you what it is I adore about each one to see if it matches your own romantic movie-watching needs.

How to Make a Vintage-Looking Halloween Mask

  

Halloween masks of the 70s and 80s were plastic store-bought variety, but prior to that, folks made their own masks often times. Some of the masks they came up with were very unsettling. I believe they are much scarier than any "realistic" werewolf and clown masks of today.