For as long as I can remember, I have always enjoyed Halloween. As a Tulsa transplant (I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and moved here seven years ago just before 9/11), I feel I have infused my neighborhood with some quality decorations and spookiness. Last year, 2007, we actually had our first adult Halloween party, as the oldest child had now gone to OSU for college ... we figured it was fair game to have our own party, so we started planning months in advance last year.
Lighting is so very important. It sets the moody to create the creepy, scary, or otherwise "what was that?" mood! What haunt is complete without a cemetery? We created 99% of our tombstones ourselves and have added to the collection over the past few years (we used to have to have "kid" oriented parties because our youngest daughter's birthday is November 1 - and she loves Halloween!). Creating them out of housing insulation, cutting the lettering with a Dremel, then painting them was the easy part! Coming up with some of the sayings was not difficult for some, but difficult for others. We have some crazy ones!
The cemetery is in the front yard. Lit by black lights and blue flood lights, it sets the mood for an interesting trip through the gravestones. This year, we opted to place gravestones all around the yard, lighting them just right so all could be read, placing glow-in-the-dark bats on some (lit by black lights, of course).
As you round the corner this year, we have a corner dedicated to our witches. What would Halloween be without witches! We have an animated witch that will greet you, but also a headless witch whose head rotates above her body. The cauldron mists and has flame underneath.
New additions to the graveyard this year include pirates, bony cats and dogs, and Michael Myers (in chains, don't worry!). Even Chucky makes an appearance.
Spider webs abound ... but be careful ... you can't see the spiders ... you never know where they might be hiding.
Once inside our home, which of course is lit with special lights all around, you will come to the laboratory/autopsy room. Complete with a "surgeon" cutting up a dead body to a creation that can remove it's own head! There's even an old crone around the corner that just might give you a fright. Lots of laboratory specimen bottles, cauldrons, surgical instruments and body parts abound.
Another room in the house is dedicated to our Haunted Halloween train garden. This year, we had to scale down in size just a bit, so there is actually no train this year. However, the spooky town is complete with gravestones, witches, and more of it's own. Creepy and very cool.
In this time of poor economy, decorating is probably not on many people's minds. But we enjoy this time of year (and our grandkids do too, of course). We certainly don't mind people coming to take a look at our spooky haunt -- just beware -- you might wind up stuck in the webs.
Note: The photos shown here are from Halloween, 2007. Halloween 2008 is MUCH better (and the story, above, goes with Halloween, 2008). Hope to see you soon!!!!!
