From the Coffin Table to the Dead as a Doornail Doorknocker, everything gets the ghostly touch

A dear friend of mine from Los Angeles laughingly informed me earlier this month that I'm known as the "Queen of Halloween" among our friends.  Two things, in particular, strike me as interesting regarding this undeserved, but appreciated title.

The first is that, for as much as I love Halloween, I don't do gory.  I don't even really do scary.  Eerie, and spooky and mysterious are fun - but I have never enjoyed being scared.  And I have never understood the appeal of focusing on all of the evil things people do to one another.  So to have adult parties that avoid grisly visages and STILL garner a queenly caption, is to me, a great compliment.

The second reason the reputation took me by surprise is that, for a holiday that is increasingly expensive, I have rarely spent more than $25 on anything Halloween.  
 All-Hallows Eve is the country's second largest retail holiday (the first, of course, being Arbor Day), and celebrations seem to now focus on the newest and most awe-inspiring props (read: expensive) to dazzle neighbors and friends. While I love that result, I can't stomach the price tag.  My goal is to achieve that same jaw drop through creativity and detailing.  My joy comes from overhearing a guest exclaim over a little particular, "Oh my gosh, did you see this?!!"

The devil, it seems, is in the details my friends.

Unsavory Savories are cooked up by the witch in residence.  Hey, wait a minute...

And there is always evidence of my macabre sense of humor

Happy Haunting!