Shivers of Delight

Well, we're really in the thick of it now.  If you're like me, your eyes are probably as glazed over as two giant pumpkin donuts and we still have four days until Halloween! That's why I'm backing off on the Spooky Events calendar for this week. I don't think I want to add anything to our long lists of things that need to be done before Halloween. If you came here really hoping to get some suggestions read further for some very simple ideas and head over to Ghoulish Days - otherwise close your browser and enjoy the season.  I'm not specifying any dates or times (sure, today is National Pumpkin Day- but we celebrate that all year long.) Enjoy a Halloween relaxation story/guided meditation designed for kids - this old witch likes it too. It's called The Friendly Witch and you can listen to it on YouTube. We all deserve 20 minutes to just relax. This is the perfect season to be a kid again.  Eat some of the candy you purchased for trick-or-treaters. Yes, you ...

Sandra Arteaga 's art dolls have stepped out of old horror movies. Not the ones where people get slashed, but the old Hollywood movies of vampires, werewolves, and witches. They're spooky, a little creepy, kind of cute, and perfectly Halloween.  Werewolf Girl Invisible Girl Witch with Mandrake Root Wall Hanging Haunted House Werewolf Baby Gremlin Hour Arteaga also has paper dolls and prints in her shop. Don't you just love the detail in their faces?!

Are you getting to that point in the Halloween season (just ignore that ridiculous opinion piece in Slate) when you don't know how we got to just 5 days before Halloween and nothing is finished yet? I'm looking at having to redesign an outdoor Halloween party into an indoor party due to rain forecasts and not sure if anyone will show up because of the damn pandemic and well, just ugh! Even our costumes were designed to wear outdoors. 😭 Then I see some beautiful piece of Halloween art and realize I can do this. I am the bringer of Halloween to my hive and I won't disappoint. I'll just let the magic of Halloween take over (plus a lot of low lighting.) What made me relax a bit? The beautifully embroidered pendants by Sarah Buckley . Usually Buckley has lots of floral pieces, but around Halloween she releases some skeletons and skulls.  I have a skull pendant purchased a few years ago from Buckley and get so many compliments on it. There are just a few Halloween pieces in ...

I feature mostly whimspookal Halloween items on this blog, but every once in awhile I see something a little creepier that just makes me sit up in my chair. The faux taxidermy spiders from Lifelike Spider Art makes me want to giggle and run away all at the same time.  First of all, these spiders are big, much bigger than you're going to see on your ceiling while you're lying in bed. I love the giant brooch and the huge spiders in this shop.  And remember: She who kills a spider, bad luck betide her. Tarantula Brooch Plush Sleeping Spider   Posable Small Spider Hair Clip Spider Giant Posable Spider Spider Backpack I think this would make a wonderful gift if anyone wants to buy me that sleeping spider...

Kelli Martin's shop Whimsies Handmade is stocked with Halloween witches, scarecrows, and pumpkin people dolls made of cloth and clay. Whether you call them folk art or primitive style they're a delight. I just love the outfits they wear and these art dolls are tall- almost 20 inches! Primitive Scarecrow Halloween Witch Pumpkin Lady Halloween Witch Pumpkin Man Scarecrow I really need to add one of these to my collection once my bank account replenishes!

  Don't panic. We still have 11 days till Halloween! Now is the time to really sink in and enjoy spooky activities that make you happy. You won't get everything done, you never will, and that is okay. Wednesday the 20th Animal Transformations: Selkies, Werewolves and Witch-Hares , online event with The Last Tuesday Society, 3pm EDT, Donation Profs and Pints Online: Encounters with Ghosts , 7pm EDT, $12 Friday the 22nd (1966) It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown  airs for the 1st time Saturday the 23rd Art from the Strange Land of Beelaungeen Shop Update, 12pm EDT Sunday the 24th Curious Coffins and Haunted Dolls by Dr Louise Fenton, online event with The Last Tuesday Society, 3pm EDT, Donation It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown , on your local PBS station Monday the 25th Halloween Hill Studio Shop Update Scrimshaw Pottery Shop Update Costumes, Rituals and Pageantry: Halloween & Mexico's Day of the Dead , online event with Morbid Anatomy, 7pm EDT, $8 Ever...

This is it! Today is the start of the 13 Days of Halloween. By my count, today is day one of Halloween and we have 12 more to celebrate. I'm going to try to really focus on enjoying the season from here on out.  Tonight I'm going to go to the movies (which I rarely do) to see The Addams Family 2. I'm not that into horror, but I do love whimspookal. Tomorrow I'm going to a lecture about Lizzie Borden's attorney who lived less than 30 miles from me, and on Thursday I have a ticket to watch the virtual live performance   by Jared Mezzocchi called Someone Else's House  about growing up in a haunted house in New England. I tell you all this to hold myself accountable and hope you have some fun plans going forward. There is still time to purchase amazing Halloween art (though we never really stop, do we?) and I would hate for you to miss out on the spooky art dolls by Aleece at Creepy Cute Doll Works . I own two of Aleece's pumpkin figures and they're absolute...

It's a Macabre Mix Monday with a variety of pieces from a mix of Halloween artists. Make sure you visit their shops to find more delights.  Halloween Cat Girl by Joanna Bolton Halloween Witch from Myriam Powell Designs Vampire Bat from Toys by Nina Mara Frankenstein Art Doll from Waggledance Art Corpse in Coffin from Ancasta Workshop  Poukie Pumpkin Doll from Atelier Mary Khaos I'd be thrilled to have any one of these pieces in my collection! I just need to replenish my coffers first. It's been quite a Halloween shopping season.

It's been awhile since I featured any spooky miniatures. It's such a big category on it's own! Earlier this summer I purchased a miniature one-room cottage from Facebook Marketplace and had grand plans of turning it into a Witch's cottage by Halloween.... then we adopted two kittens. The kittens think the house is their's and until they get a little bigger I think I'll need to wait on my project. Oh, and our cat Scooter also put in a claim. Scooter Aunt Hazel and Uncle Rufus So, I'm putting off on buying any miniatures right now, but don't follow my lead! The miniature art dolls from Julia Moiseenko of Juliola  are simply fantastic. You'll also find lots of miniature accessories in the shop that will look dandy in any spooky doll house. Pumpkin Boy with Little Pumpkin Toy Pumpkin Girl with Skeleton Toy Pumpkin Boy with Vampire Toy Pumpkins with Mushrooms Skeleton Doll Big Witch Cauldron Oh gosh. Maybe I do need to start buying now and saving for late...

As soon as I saw the mugs by Mary Habib I pictured myself in a forest cottage enjoying a cup of coffee with a cat curled on my lap while jewel-toned leaves drifted to the ground. These wheel-thrown mugs are each unique and any witch who enjoys a cuppa will love them. The shop is Meraki Designed . Pumpkin Patch Mug Witch Flying High Mug Fall Owl Mug Cauldron Witch Mug White Pumpkin Patch Mug Harvest Mug Several of the mugs can be made to order in a variety of sizes and colors. There is a large selection so visit the shop while you have your cup of coffee!