May I Introduce Myself?

Eight years ago, I realized I wanted to share my love of Halloween with others. I had never blogged before and quite frankly, I hadn't really read many other blogs either. I told myself that I would just start writing and if I got bored I would stop. Well, 8 years later I may have slowed down blog posting a bit, but I'm still as passionate about Halloween as I ever was.

It's been a long time since I introduced myself to my blog readers and social media followers, so here goes. I was born long enough ago to remember watching episodes of the original Dark Shadows tv series while hiding behind a chair in my parents' tv room. This strategic location - also used to watch the cartoon Scooby Doo - illustrates my utter fascination with the spirit world and my complete lack of understanding of how a television worked. 

In middle school and then high school, I made my own Halloween costumes from things we had around the house and imagined what it would be like to attend a Halloween party like the one I watched in It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. (I swear I learned to dance watching Charlie Brown specials- it's why my ankles are in such bad shape now.) I never got to attend a Halloween party like that, but the image stayed with me and I've been trying to recreate the magic of it for many, many years. I actually have made my friends bob for apples except it was in a bucket in my kitchen sink and they were bobbing for tiny liquor bottles.... 

       

In college I was the one who had friends in my dorm room with lit candles (definitely not allowed) and a Ouija board at Halloween. In grad school I started hosting pumpkin carving parties. 

When I met my husband I introduced him to my love of Halloween by insisting that we dress in costumes (he a Spooky Priest with horns and me, Little Bo Creep with an inflatable sex-toy sheep) and wander around Athens, GA where I was living at the time. A friend captured our first Halloween together in a photo and gave it to us at our wedding a year later on the day before (you guessed it) Halloween. We began having annual Halloween parties every year after.

I never really considered myself a Halloween art collector until I discovered the world of Etsy and the ability to purchase Halloween art year round. It took me a few years to work up the courage, but I finally made the solo trip to Michigan in 2015 for Ghoultide Gatherings, a magical show of Halloween artists I had read about. For the first time I felt the magic of Halloween that I had been searching for since Charlie Brown got a rock. It was life-changing. I was now an official Halloween art collector! I had a purpose. The art show is now called The Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween and I hope I'll see you there this year- you don't want to miss it.

The Shivers of Delight blog changed a little and started focusing more on Halloween art and artists during the eleven months of the year I wasn't actually celebrating Halloween. As much as I hope you find it fun and interesting, it really is a way for me to keep track of all the amazing artists, events, and ideas that bewitch me. It's true, I do have a horrible memory. 

I never could have imagined the wonderful friends I would meet through blogging and that I would find a community of warm, Halloween soulmates with dark souls and laughing hearts. Lots of people love Halloween, but the set gets smaller when you feel the need to talk about it year round. Thankfully Miranda at Spooky Little Halloween must have been feeling a bit disconnected too and reached out to me about joining her new group of Halloween Bloggers, eventually called The Samhain Society, in 2017. This group has been a source of support, knowledge, and camaraderie. 

I think the Shivers of Delight blog posts may be a little less frequent in the next year. Social media is so much faster and far-reaching for sharing posts about my favorite artists, but I hope to keep the blog going with things I make for Halloween, parties I host, and adventures I go on that have a spooky element to them. I let you know about new posts on my Facebook page and Instagram feed. 

We're less than 100 days away from Halloween! I hope we connect either in person or virtually and share our joy of Halloween soon.

Thank you for being a part of my circle!