Shivers of Delight

Today my husband and I are headed to New Orleans to celebrate Halloween. I'm so very excited and will be posting photos of our trip on the Shivers of Delight Facebook Page . Please check it out. In the meantime, I'm giving you my Spotify Halloween playlist . I created the playlist for a party back in 2011 but add to it every year. Tonight as you have a cocktail or two and carve your pumpkins, think of me.

In an earlier post , I showed you the shrine I have made for deceased family members and pets. It's very simple. Since, Halloween is really all about celebrating the dead I thought I would post a few of my favorite art shrines. I have a Pinterest board where I've started collecting them. Paula Guhin Paula Guhin MicroJivvy Julie Liger-Belair Nunnsense on Etsy Michael deMeng Michael deMeng I'd really like to start working on some myself. I even have a book, Crafting Personal Shrines by Carol Owen, that I keep on my shelf to remind me that this is something I need to do. Maybe after everything quiets down. Carol Owen

You have probably seen some of Joshua Hoffine's unsettling photos of childhood fears. They made the internet rounds last fall. I saw some of them and was intrigued. He uses his own children for his work and sets up each photo like a movie scene. I love the storybook feel to the photos. The first photo of the child going down the basement stairs reminds me of my own basement a little too much for comfort. I think I might have to purchase a copy of this one. I would hang it next to our basement door - as a reminder. Check out Hoffine's website and blog for more of his photos. Hoffine's 2013 Kickstarter campaign to finish his film Black Lullaby , based on the photo series, was funded and premiered at the Horrible Imaginings Film Festival in San Diego last week and won first place for Short Film: Surrealism or Experimentalism. Hoffine's daughter was once again the star. I hope I get a chance to see this at some point. Happy Halloween!

This past weekend my husband and I threw our annual Halloween party for friends. I'm too exhausted to post so I'm just going to leave with you some photos of our decorations pre-party. I hope you enjoy them!

How can an artist just disappear? I came across these wonderful clay figures on Pinterest one afternoon. The unfortunate thing about Pinterest is you can't always find the source of the photo. Sloppy pinning, people! After a little digging I discovered the websites Triangle Nose and PaulyWally . I think the artist's name is actually Paul Wallace. Unfortunately they are both out of date so I'm still at a loss. I dig and dig, but nothing recent appears. Pauly Wally, where are you????

I finally had an opportunity to sit down and watch a scary movie this week. I chose The Woman in Black because it didn't look too scary. I'm a chicken. It got to me though. Ever since reading Salem's Lot by Stephen King I have had a fear of floating faces in windows. This movie has lots of them. Beware. The movie hit all the right spots for me. It was just scary enough to make me gasp and almost spill my wine and the set design was gloomy-gorgeous. There is a great deal of interest in women in black right now. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has just opened the exhibit Death Becomes Her: A Century of Mourning Attire . I can't wait to see this. Read about the exhibit and other deathly beautiful attire in the New York Times . The article also talks about the Morbid Anatomy Museum' s The Art of Mourning exhibit of Victorian hair art and death photos. I saw that exhibit this summer and, while small, it was fascinating. Definitely worth a visit if you're in t...

So, yesterday, I was loving the cool octopus chandeliers and today I stumbled on the creepy hand lamps by the Erenberg Studio . Well of course, one thing leads to another and I discover the studio is now located in Peekskill, NY just a hop, skip and a jump away! The Erenberg Studio has both antique and new lighting fixtures. They definitely have an industrial/steampunk/Burton appeal. I love these. While I was wandering through their website, I discovered that the designer, also has another website called Radio-Guy with all kinds of unusual vintage and antique items. The site categorizes items as medical, radios, scientific, tools, other, masks, new, vehicles, and museum. There is plenty to explore here. No prices are listed so I think you have to contact him directly. Here are some of the things that interested me. Both sites are definitely worth exploring during a coffee break today.

I think the Steam Punk movement (is it a movement?) has really brought the octopus some new respect and attention. Those lovely tentacles are everywhere.  I especially like how they have been used in chandeliers by two metal artists: Adam Wallacavage and Daniel Hopper .  Wallacavage's chandeliers are dayglow bright and look like they might actually come down and strangle you. Adam Wallacavage Adam Wallacavage Hopper's octopus chandelier is delicate and elegant. This octopus might ask you for a dance. Daniel Hopper Hopper also has a flytrap bbq that I have to sneak into this post. It's very Tim Burton. Daniel Hopper But I digress, back to the lovable octopus. If your budget is more like mine. Perhaps we can quench our octopus desire with this lantern from Noble Bear Furniture .

I'm reading The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury right now and I can't get the image of a tree decorated with pumpkins out of my head. It would be so beautiful to see that. I don't know how I would ever convince my husband to get out the tall ladder and help me hang lanterns, let alone pumpkins, all over the tree. Then, I'd have to figure out a way to light them every night. Well, it's something I can dream about. In the mean time, I found a few photos on Pinterest to keep my dream alive. From a site with s pooky wedding ideas The source for this photo has been lost, but it a bit more practical. From BHG.com vintage halloween

I was looking through photos of my Halloween decorations over the years and was amused by how our fireplace mantel has changed from year to year. Maybe you'll find something you like to inspire your decorating?