Halloween Tag

Happy day, dear reader!

Fall finally feels “here”! I love cool crisp mornings, and sweaters and boots, and I really love Halloween. It’s always been one of my favorite holidays. Even before it became the colossal money making behemoth that it is in modern America. (And spreading around the world…) I was gadding about on the interwebs and ran across a post from a few years ago on storybookapothacary.com that caught my eye. Thank you, Tianna, for the theme and questions! I’ll be tagging Sarah of Get Real Image, Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, and Megan of The Scuremama. Come play with me!

What’s your favorite Halloween movie?

I’m lame. I like It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. I don’t like slasher movies, but do LOVE Sweeney Todd. Go figure. Lost Boys would have to be in the running, too…

What age did you stop trick-or-treating?

I was supposed to stop? I was so excited when our oldest was born, and had an excuse to go trick-or-treating again. Not a good reason to reproduce, but definitely a perk!

Favorite Halloween costume you’ve ever dressed up as?

It might be the year we dressed as Gomez and Morticia…

Did I mention that we put my mom in a wig to be Grandmama?

I have fond memories of a princess costume from my childhood… a light blue bridesmaid’s gown that my mom took in for me. I was broken-hearted when it wound up with a licorice stain on the front. What? I don’t even eat licorice. The biggest blow was having to wear my ski jacket over it to go trick-or-treating. That was ALL WRONG! (I grew up in Wisconsin.) The ski jacket ruined the “look!”

Will you dress up this year? If yes, as what?

We are going to be a psychedelic witch and warlock for trick-or-treat. (Don’t want to scare the kiddies.) But we went as Alex and Pete from A Clockwork Orange to the Haunted Eye Ball. Sorry the picture is a little dark, but then again, so is the theme.

Do you enjoy haunted attractions?

Nope! Don’t like the scaries or stress. I raised three sons. That’s enough people jumping out at you, and hiding rubber snakes and spiders in your underwear drawers. Done.

Vampires or Werewolves?

It depends. Vampires are ultra-cool. The Twilight ones don’t do it for me, but Anne Rice’s vampires do. Although… Werewolves have better songs, and an awesome movie. Thank you, Warren Zevon and Werewolves of London. Hmmmm. That might be my favorite Halloween movie. Hmmmm!

Do you prefer to make or buy your costume?

Make! Why would you buy a costume? Although I remember wanting the ones with a mask as a girl… The blue princess I mentioned above had one of those plastic masks. Only time I’ve ever been a blonde!

Michael Myers or Freddie Kruger?

Neither, thank you! I’ll take Sweeney Todd!

Favorite Halloween candy?

I have to choose? Probably Almond Joys and Tootsie Rolls. I love Peanut M&M’s, too! When I was a classroom teacher, students would bring me their unloved Almond Joys the day after Halloween… Happy, happy, joy, joy! (Now I have to buy my own. Sigh.)

Do you decorate your house for Halloween?

Yes! There’s a 5 foot tall skeleton in a red bow tie sitting in our dining room as I write this. Yes, it is the same one from above. His name is Slim. Since our grandsons have come along, we’ve gone back to less scary, and more colorful Halloween decor.

Yes, those are firefly lights running up his spine. We have a surfeit after the wedding rehearsal dinner, so it will be a very sparkly Halloween!

Halloween costumes that you dislike/hate?

Slasher movie characters and the full head rubber masks of real people. One of the scariest sights I ever saw was Richard Nixon showing up on my doorstep asking for candy.

Have you ever repeated a costume? What was it?

I’ve been a witch quite a few times, because I have the grooviest witch costume ever! My mom made me when I was a girl. It was full length then, but I can still wear it today with black leggings. It’s yellow and black patchwork with black ball fringe. Totally 1970’s! I’ll Insta a pic of it on the big day…

No, the corset was not part of it when I was a girl, but I bought that for a steampunk ball we attended a couple of years ago. I think it might be fun with the witch!

Do you believe in ghosts?

Not ghosts, per se, but I have seen and heard some pretty inexplicable things in my day!

Do you enjoy scary movies?

Nope. Same reason as above. Don’t like the stress. My husband has nail marks in his arm after we see suspenseful movies. If they have a lot of humor in them, like Werewolves of London, or Mars Attacks (Not a Halloween movie, but lots of silly costumes.) then I’m okay.

Favorite Halloween treat that isn’t store-bought candy?

I love caramel apples… Especially the ones rolled in peanuts. The kind that have your orthodontist screaming in terror when they show up in the grocery store! I had braces for about 12 years, so I indulge every year to make up for lost time.

Favorite way to spend Halloween day/night?

Halloween is our wedding anniversary, so hanging out with my husband, having a glass of wine, enjoying the trick-or-treaters and their costumes, handing out candy, and visiting with family are all good!

How about you? Do you “do” Halloween? With fervor? Or grudgingly? If it’s not a thing in your country, do you wish it were? Let me know, or answer any of the above questions in the comments below… I love to hear from you!

Stylishly yours,