The Big Day

Today is the Day of Days, The High Holiday. 

The Reason this blog is here.

Halloween.

Carved 7 pumpkins and completed many of my final prep in the last few hours. 

The largest Pumpkin I carved was a 25 pounder, and his smile is nearly two and a half feet wide.

I also completed my second round of Witch Jars. This one is a round with Labels.

You see my witch likes to recycle. 

She takes the Labels from the smaller containers she purchases and sticks them on Jars she likes to use for storage, when she runs out of the component she puts the Jar in the pile of used Jars that are moldering in a corner of her abode. She doesn't like to throw them out.

They get REAL dirty after a while.

Image By Strublay

Image By Strublay

Image By Strublay

I had to have this one. Its a Lemonade Flavored Laxative. Makes me giggle.

Image By Strublay

I worked pretty hard to try to make the Labels and the outside remains match.

Glycerin is typically a clear liquid so I kept the jar very clear.

Image By Strublay

When I get Ideas from other Haunters I like to give credit.

I don't have a grave-yard, so no headstones. Labels For Jars and Potions and Herb Mixes have to work instead.

This year I am using a lot of witch Jars, so I'm giving credit to Rot for the idea.

"Monsieur Rot's Plant Animation Powder (DO NOT USE NEAR GRAVES!)" 

Shoulda' done it in French, but hey.

The more ideas I get from the Halloween Community, the more labels will bear the names of the community members who came up with the original idea.

Oh and this one smells awesome, because the plant animation powder stand-in is cinnamon, which has been rubbed on the glue prior to the glue drying.

Image By Strublay

The Rules of Halloween: hand out treats, and ALWAYS check your candy.

I hand out Full-size candy bars, this year with Owl Cards (Which essentially say: Happy Halloween, Brush Your Teeth! Visit My Blog and the Forum PLZ) with Clip art from The Graphics Fairy Blog.

See that on the Right??? 

YEAH.

SMARTIES.

It's my Back Up.

I HAND OUT SMARTIES AS MY BACK UP!

*Indignant Strublay* 

What'chu gonna do 'bout it?

Don't Hate. Smarties are awesome.

Haters.

Image By Strublay

The Eye of the Beast, freshly cut.

So Kids, Remember the Rules: Wear A Costume, Hand Out Treats, Always Check Your Candy, And NEVER Blow Out A Jack O Lantern.

May Your Day be filled with preperation and your evening filled with Fear. 

Above All Else: 

Have a Happy Halloween.

~~~~Madame Strublay~~~~

Trick 'r Treat, WHY DIDN'T I SEE THIS SOONER?!??!???!

Found on http://moviepenguin.blogspot.com

Finally saw it!

What a work of brilliance, I want to live in THAT town. Beautiful.

Honestly, the houses down the street and the festival, and the music, and the intricate stories... 

It just blends together in this confection of a Halloween movie that embodies the fear, humor, and.... I can't put this any other way... texture of Halloween perfectly. 

 I really really really love the character of Rhonda and every one of her Jack O Lanterns. I suppose I identify, especially with the obsessive element of Halloween. I respect a character like her, the kids called her an idiot savant, but those were kids and kids can be very very cruel. I'm always one too pull for misunderstood, socially inept misfits like her:

Found on http://moviepenguin.blogspot.com

Those little pricks who played the trick on her COMPLETELY DESERVED it.

Sam is the best mascot for Halloween ever. 

Found on http://moviepenguin.blogspot.com

A child, thats not a child, goes around ToT'ing, and enforcing the rules of Halloween, violently. 

Instills fear, laughs like a kid.

He honestly is cute at some points in the film, terrifying at other points.

Kills with candy, and will stop hurting you if you give him chocolate.

PERFECT.

Just the thought of that character makes me grin.

I love this movie.

Candy, Candy, and more Candy.

Found on Flickr, Image By DeathByBokeh

Apparently there are people out there who would not miss Smarties if they dropped off the face of the planet. 

But. But.

I LOVE THEM!

Found On Flickr, Image by Laurel714

Found On Flickr, Image by Antigone78

Halloween in Japan

So, Halloween is gaining ground in Japan, how do I know this? Well my comrade Lloyd recently had himself a trip to Japan, and the first thing he talked to me about when he returned? The slowly growing Halloween displays that were already up before our Labor day. If I can get his memory card for a I'll post his couple of pictures to that effect, but for now: Flickr.

Found on Flickr; Image By apc33 

Japanese Kenji-o-lanterns! (Kenji is a really really common male name in Japan, and the Joke was taken from the photographer) 

 

Found on The Anime Blog 

PUMPKIN POCKY?!?! WHY OH WHY HAVE I NOT HAD THIS AWESOMENESS?!?!!!

Okay, so I'm not a gigantic fan of Pocky, and we have all of... oh... 6 places here in town to obtain it, so no, this awesomeness would not be easy to find. But if I find it, I'm trying it.

Lloyd picked up souvenirs for all of us during his trip, little things, but they are cool to have, and he gave me two: the second was a capsule mini bust from the anime Hellsing, the first however, is remarkably more up this blogs alley:

Image By Strublay

Its a Halloween punch ball! I love the font. It makes me smile. lol

I won't be blowing it up, since I cant stand the smell of latex, but i plan to keep it for my collection of Halloween ephemera. 

Oh and fun fact: there is no way to say Happy Halloween in Japanese, so you'll always see Happy Halloween written in English on Japanese websites, candies, or packaging. 

if you want to see the makers website, which in of itself is cool, go here

Its official, I want to experience one Halloween in Japan. 

Expect to see more international posts, because this is fun.

Of sliced grins and sweet treats

 

Found on Flickr; Photograph by _bkw_

This is from the same group that did the first image in my last post, and I found out that these images come from the Hudson Valley of New York, from the Van Courtlandt Manor. This event is called the Great Jack o' Lantern Blaze, and it features 4000 hand carved pumpkins, check out the site for more info, and if your out in New York Get your arse down there! The Great Jack O' Lantern Blaze 

Found on Flickr; Photograph by Gus.K

What a beautifully creepy face. I used to be a fan of ornate mad masterpieces of pumpkins, but in recent years a scary face sliced in to the front of a large, dark orange pumpkin is so much more satisfying.

Found on Flickr; Photograph by Thecupcakery Girl.

This is what its all about, candy.