Am I Taking This Too Far???

Nahhhhh =)

Wish List 2010

Last year, I made a list of projects that I wanted to complete for Halloween 2009 and I completed most of the list, plus a bunch of extras. So, to get myself on the right track for this year, here's my 2010 list:

1. Toe pincher coffin, with slamming lid
2. Animate flying skeletons
3. Embelishments for crypt
4. Stingy Jack character w/ animation
5. Cemetery gate spider w/ animation
6. Homemade tombstones
7. Window facade with stained glass effect for both windows.
8. Pop up creature
9. At least one new ground breaker.

Animation is our main goal this year. Last year we had the little ghost in the crypt, but this year, we want more movement throughout the yard. I'm so excited about it all!

What?!?

Someone please explain to me how a Jack o' Lantern in front of a church is sacrilegious?

Mom saw my sketch this weekend and insisted that it was sacrilegious... 'because it is'.

I don't get it. Weren't Jack o' Lanterns carved to ward away evil spirits? I tried to argue the point, but she wasn't having it!

Plus, this is the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans... how much creepier of a town can you get? She'd flip out if she saw the Vampire Tour people doing a portion of their tour on the church steps.

I don't see the harm in the JOL in front of the church. Geeezzzzz.

The Beginning...

of my Halloween obsession =) I was 2 1/2 years old =)

Ready...

The turkey is gone, no more presents under the tree and the last of the firework wrappers are blowing away in the wind, and in the distance, I hear Halloween calling me back. Somewhere, deep in the pit of my chest, the warm, candle in the JOL feeling is flickering to life =)

I have small projects in the works now, but I can feel that creative hunger coming on, ready for me to start tackling bigger things =)

Soon... very soon >=)

I'm Really Trying Not To Be Scrooge...

but, I'm so glad that Halloween doesn't require awkward gift giving situations.

First of all, I STRESS over finding nice gifts for everyone. I hate that the season has put so much pressure into the "bigger, better" gifts, but I also hate giving someone a box of prepackaged summer sausages...bleh.

Then, my list grows, and grows, and grows... because I don't want to leave anyone out. Funny thing about a growing shopping list, it causes the bank account to shrink and shrink and shrink ;)

Then, there's the awkward work/"holiday" situation. It's all a matter of being politically correct and blah, blah, blah. I celebrate Christmas, but I would in no way be offended if someone wished me a happy Hanukah, Kwanzaa, Yule or anything else that is celebrated this time of year. I'd look at it as an oppurtunity to learn more about the different celebrations.

And FINALLY... there's the work gift giving situation. About 5 presents were left on my desk yesterday, three without names, one with just a first name and thankfully one with a first and last name. I though that the one with just the first name, was from a co-woker, that is in the cubical next to me. When I thanked him for the gift, he gave me a very confused and embarassed look and said, "What?".... apparently, it's from another co-work with the same name that I don't work as closely with and didn't expect a gift from...awkward!!!

TOO MUCH STRESS!

I miss Halloween =)

Knowledge

I'm very excited today, because a book that I ordered should be waiting for me, in the mail, when I get home. To get a better understanding of my beloved holiday, I've been digging around on the internet, reading about the ancient traditions, from which Halloween was born. After reading various articles about the festival, Samhain, I became very intrigued by the over-all concept of the traditions that the Celts followed throughout the year.

I'm not going to even pretend to be an expert on the subject, but just from what I've read so far, their beliefs and traditions seem to be so... orgainic... if that makes sense. They lived off of the natural world and their festivals/celebrations and their calender reflected that.

It all just seems to make sense, the way that everything that they did followed the natural flow of Earth. Uncomplicated and pure. Reading about it relaxes my mind.

In anycase, I think that the knowledge that I'll gain from reading more about Samhain, will give me a deeper, more complete understanding and passion (if that's at all possible =) ) for Halloween =)