Velcome to my Hallowe’ens Past pages …
I started decorating my dad’s place [aka: the Mad Dr’s] in 2000. The first 4 years we had over 100 kiddies each year and the last 4 years we’ve had over 200 kiddies each year. Every year I have carved at least 2 pumpkins … one year I carved 4 real ones and a fake one. We also make sure to take photos from each year – always used a digital camera.
Back then it was “simple” … now it’s a bit more “involved” … lol
However there are 3 décor bits that have been up since I started decorating … the orange light curtains, a big black spider web and a big animated spider that are in the front window downstairs.
Since the start I have decorated the front door with either gargoyles or velvet ribbons [black , orange , black & orange , purple] each year – sometimes both – until this year when I did a black wreath with an orange ribbon that had a triple bow.
In 2000 there was … a black coffin … three tombstones tall [pet werewolf, Dracula, Mummy] … a couple of store bought vinyl signs … a crashed witch … The coffin and tombstones were made by me and the rest was store bought … All of the photos were dark except one of the two taken of my cat Shadow and I … the other one of my cat and I was much darker than the rest – especially in the upper left area of the photo … the crashed witch is all but blacked out from the photo.
In 2001 … same décor as last year minus the vinyl signs … this year though I added a plastic skull and hands … two more tombstones [Addams and Jack Skellington] … two “sign” posts that listed spooky towns and places from Sleepy Hallow and Transylvania to the Luna C. Asylum and Bat Alley … a set of big gargoyle images which I used to decorate the door … The tombstones and signs were made by me … All but three of the photos came out “dark and grainy”. The three that came out clear were throughout the set.
In 2002 … same tombstones as last year minus the pet werewolf one and the spooky towns “sign posts” otherwise the only thing that changed was a new black coffin … this one came out looking a bit like a sarcoffogus … Only two photos that year came out different … one was really dark whilst the other has a ‘ghost fog’ all throughout it.
In 2003 … same tombstones as last year minus the pet werewolf one and the spooky places “sign posts” otherwise the rest was the same … The only thing different in the photos this year was one had an “orb”.
In 2004 … this year I went with the Mummy and Dracula tombstones I had made plus the crashed witch … there were a few new bits though : 2 plain RIP tombstones … a light up plastic RIP tombstone … a ‘reaper ghoul’ hanging out in the woods … I bought the mask, hands and costume all separate but made the body for the ‘reaper ghoul’ … Five of the photos came out dark … one of the dark ones has something in the upper left corner … the other 3 photos came out clear – I was in 2 of the clear photos and one of them shows my eyes really shiny red and my fingertips look elongated.
In 2005 … there was a change in the décor for the spookier … used the two plain RIP tombstones , light up plastic tombstone , ‘reaper ghoul’ in the woods , spooky towns “sign post” and crashed witch out in the yard again … whilst new bits were a celtic cross tombstone , a Vlad Dracul Tepes tombstone , a wooden coffin … The coffin was made by me … this was the last year of the crashed witch … it was also the last year of the ‘reaper ghoul’ as someone stole his face and hands plus tore up the costume … Of the photos – four were kind of dark … three had “orbs” [one of which I was in] … another of me showed my eyes shiny red.
From this point on I have been limited in what I do because of people ruining it by having stole and destroying things. My dad and I would do more if we could get a fence around the property … more night vision cameras would be a bonus.
In 2006 … there was quite a change in décor for the creeper … ‘old faves’ were the celtic cross tombstone , Vlad Dracul Tepes tombstone , one of the plain RIP tombstones and the wooden coffin … everything else was new : a big head skeleton , a skeleton chained to a wall tombstone , a Victorian skeleton lady in a black lidless coffin , a fogger , a gargoyle tombstone with red eyes that light up , a grim moon tombstone , wooden signs lamp post , a skull in a cage , a ghoul in the woods , a fake happy faced pumpkin … The signs were a mix of spooky towns and spooky places made by me … the wooden coffin underwent a change from natural to black … the coffin for the Victorian skeleton lady was made by me … the new ghoul was the same costume but a new mask which had red eyes – as the hands and face from the other were not found anywhere [still haven’t found the hands anywhere for that matter] … Half of the photos were dark or had “orbs” in them … in one photo that had me in it my eyes were shining yellow.
Last year [2007] … there was another change in the décor for the “too spooky” … the ‘old faves’ were the black wooden coffin , celtic cross tombstone , skeleton chained to the wall tombstone , Victorian lady in coffin , grim moon tombstone , wooden signs lamp post , tall red eyed ghoul , happy faced fake pumpkin … the new bits were : a small cauldron of real dead flowers , a hanging witch , a Victorian lady breaking up from the ground , a moss covered cross, a fancy skull tombstone , a gargoyle tombstone , a blank skull tombstone , a kid-ca-bob , a chained Monster in the Box , a Marcus the Carcus guy , a rickety old faded black wooden fence … The kid really was on a moving rotisserie that had a flaming cauldron underneath … the Monster Box was remotely activated … Marcus was a guy normally put on the ground that fades light to dark … the kid , Monster and Marcus guy were made by my dad … the fence and signs for the post were made by me – another mix of spooky towns and places for the signs plus I carved a Grim reaper design into a funkin … All of the photos turned out clear … five had “orbs” in them … between the photos of the “orbs” is one with ‘ghost fog’.
This year [2008] … and again another change in the décor this year – still on the “too spooky” side though … ‘old faves’ were the wooden coffin , Grim funkin , Victorian lady ground breaker , hanging witch , tall red eyed reaper , Victorian lady in coffin , skeleton chained to wall tombstone , fancy skull tombstone , gargoyle tombstone , moss cross tombstone … the new bits were : werewolf in chained crate , 2 treaters [ghost & skeleton] , vampire cat , haunted estates yard sign , twin gargoyles tombstone, twin reapers tombstone , reaper with bats tombstone , gargoyle and skull tombstone , reaper guy , “scarecrow” , hands in shackles hanging from the signs lamp post … This year we left off the signs and two vintage lights from the signs lamp post – obviously … the werewolf in crate, scarecrow head and treaters were made by me whilst my dad put together the shackles … I used a harvest flower bouquet of dying flowers on the coffin this year … instead of my usual ribbons or gargoyles on the front door I hung a black wreath with an orange ribbon on it … for the garland this year I used black and silver spiders instead of black and purple bats … Of the photos this year – three came out dark and four had “orbs”.
This year marked a year of firsts. This was the first year I swapped out the front window decor from the plain big black web to a 4 foot orange light up web with 2 light up spiders in the center of it. This was also the first year I was too sick to do any real decorating ... I had the front window lit with the new web, a carved pumpkin sitting on the front steps lit up as well as my usual black wreath hanging on the front door and black garland hanging over the front steps - I went back to the purple bats this year. Though it was a bit nippy out and I had minimal decor I still had 85 kids show up. I am going to make up for it next year with new characters and decor as well as a few "old faves".
