Dracula's Pez

Happy Vampire Week! Halloween may officially be over, but the spooky fun lasts all year long here at Theresa's Halloween Wonderland. Let's kick off this month's theme week with an original art piece by Tyler Davis, entitled, "How Would You Eat Pez." Davis originally listed prints of the charcoal and gauche creation to his Etsy store in March of 2008. If I worked for the advertising department at Pez, I'd definitely be giving this young man a call!

Goodbye, Halloween 2016

Well, its gone. Halloween is over for another year. I tried to pack in as much Halloweeny fun as possible, but like every year, I still feel like I just didn't get enough done. I didn't go to enough attractions. I didn't watch enough spooky movies. I didn't blog enough. I didn't make the most out of the short, precious time that is the Halloween season.

I'm sure a lot of you Samhainophiles can relate---I always look forward to Halloween, but the coming of the actual October 31st date is mixed with a sense of dread. It feels like an ending more than a time of accumulated celebration. I always get really depressed and unmotivated around the end of October and into early November. Being depressed and unmotivated is especially hard during this time of year because its also one of our busiest, lol. So, I'm slowly trying to get through it, and I'm hoping that returning to this blog, as well as my paranormal blog, will bring me out of that post-season funk that I always fall into. At least there's one silver lining to look to....there's plenty of time to plan for Halloween 2017!

Luke's First Trick-or-Treat

Today my sister tagged me in this Facebook Memory that popped up on her feed, and I just had to share it with you all! This is my son, Luke, all dressed up for his very first trick-or-treat during Halloween 2010!

This wasn't Luke's first Halloween, however. When I was pregnant with Luke, the doctors gave us the estimated due date of October 31, 2009. I was thrilled at the possibility of having a Halloween baby. As things would turn out, that wasn't even close to what happened. I went into early labor with Luke at 28 weeks. My doctors managed to stop him from being born in August....but after a month-long stay in the hospital, I still ended up having Luke early. He was born on September 21, 2009, around 5 weeks before his projected Halloween birthday.

Due to an infection and some other complications from his premature birth, Luke spent some time in the NICU. When we were finally able to take him home, he was, for the most part, a fairly strong and healthy lil' guy. However, being born at the start of cold and flu season and having a compromised immune system, we were advised to keep in away from people as much as possible. So, when Halloween rolled around, I had to make the decision to NOT take him trick-or-treating. As much as I love Halloween, it was an easy decision to make, lol. Obviously, I wanted to keep my baby healthy, but since he was only a month old, he couldn't eat any of the candy, anyway. I resisted the urge to dress him up, and just put a cute pumpkin outfit on him. Since the start of trick-or-treat was fairly warm, I brought him outside for a few minutes to meet some neighbors he hadn't met yet, and then took him inside.

Therefore, it wouldn't be until Halloween 2010 that he'd finally be old enough to go out. We took him to Toys R Us where I paid way too much for a pirate costume, but it was adorable. We held up several choices of costume for him to pick from and he reached for the pirate. Unfortunately, that year was a little cold, so most of his outfit was covered with a blanket. Still, he got lots of lollipops that year, which he was allowed to have under strict supervision, and mommy got lots of other candy that he wasn't allowed to have, lol. He seemed to really enjoy the trick-or-treat process, and even managed to eke out some mumbled syllables that sounded enough like 'trick-or-treat' to elicit plenty of 'awws!' from people. It was, and always will be, one of my favorite Halloweens. 

Fancy Halloween Cookies

This are some darn fancy Halloween cookies! These would be great to serve at an upscale, yet spooky, dinner party....but who could have the heart to actually EAT them?! They're more art than food! Anyway, this example is from the Cookie Connection website, said to be inspired by the work of Arty McGoo and Sweet Ambs.

Marshall the Marshmallow Boy

Meet Marshall, the little marshmallow boy! In this acrylic painting on wood paneling entitled 'Marshall Meets Jack' (2011), the cute lil' puffy kid encounters a rather creepy jack-o-lantern. This work of art is from 64 Colors. Check out the Flickr page HERE!

Scareview Grave School

Friday, October 14th marked National Haunted House Day, a day dedicated to supporting all those spooky, gruesome, and just plain FUN haunted house attractions out there! Due to prior commitments, we had to hold off the celebration until the next day when we visited Scareview Grave School!

Touted as WV's premier haunted house, Scareview Grave School definitely lives up to its reputation! I've been to a LOT of haunted houses over the years, and I'm always thrilled with what Scareview has to offer. Located in St. Albans, WV in the old Fairfield Grade School, this haunted house attraction is hosted by the West Side Volunteer Fire Department.

The fact that this event is hosted by the fire department is probably one of the reasons I love it so much. It really is a community event with proceeds going to a great cause. The admission price is extremely reasonable as well---it costs $10 per person, or $8 if you bring a donation of a non-perishable food item. Those food items are then donated to local food pantries. And for that price, you really get a great bang for your buck.

Like I said, I've been to many haunted houses, many with a much more expensive admission price, and they don't really measure up to what Scareview has to offer. The 20 minute walk takes you through a labyrinth of spooky scenes, covering two floors of the old schoolhouse. I don't want to give away any of the surprises, but many things that you find at more expensive for-profit haunts, you'll find here at Scareview. For an attraction that is put on by volunteers, every scene and every transition is well thought out, well staged, and well staffed---there are NO shortages of actors ready to pop out at every corner at you, which brings me to another really cool aspect that I love:

The scare actors seem to absolutely love and take pride in their work. The costumes are excellent, they stay in character, and they know how to entertain the crowd as you're waiting to enter the attraction. Back to the community aspect, many of the scare actors are students who are earning their school's community service requirement through work on the haunted house! How cool is that?

Pretty cool, if you ask me, lol. In fact, its all pretty cool. I don't really have any negative things to say about this attraction or how its ran. Everyone we encountered was super nice, there were excellent concessions available for fair prices, the house was fun and entertaining, and it was a great community event close to home. The wait time was a little longer than I'd like, but if you go early in the season or early in the evening, the wait time is usually no more than an hour. Oh, and did I mention that the building may actually be....haunted? But that's for another blog!

Until then, go check it out! It's open every Friday and Saturday through October 29th!

Halloween Obsession

I think I'm actually becoming MORE obsessed with Halloween as I get older! What about you?

Happy National Haunted House Day!

The second Friday in October is National Haunted House Day! Well...a group of dedicated haunters are at least trying to MAKE it an official holiday. If you're a fan of haunted house attractions, please consider supporting this initiative. The National Haunted House Day website has a list of ways you can show your support. I'll be showing MY support this Halloween season by patronizing some of the tri-state's best haunted house attractions---look for my reviews throughout the season, and stop over at Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State's Facebook page to let me know what YOUR favorite haunted house attraction is!

How Will You Die This Halloween?

Dude, this isn't even funny. According to this chart, I will die by being run over by a lawn mower by my own mom. If I would ever die by a lawn mower related accident, there's a 99% chance that it will be at the hands of my own mother. Recently, her riding lawn mower has been experiencing some steering problems. That combined with her already poor mower-driving skills is going to result in disaster. Just a few weeks ago, she almost killed HERSELF when she hit the light pole in her yard and flipped the mower over, jumping off just before being crushed. 

Happy HallOween!

How can something so cute be so crass at the same time? Anyway, we all need a off-color humor from time to time---Cyanide and Happiness has provided the perfect Halloween example for us! 

Ghoul on a Stool

Move over, Elf on The Shelf....This Halloween season, its all about Ghoul on a Stool! According to the product's website, "The Ghoul on a Stool™ is a Halloween story of a mischievous, fun, candy making ghoul who encourages kids to be kind and to do a good deed everyday. We not only want to teach your kids to be good, but to also do good. We hope you enjoy making new family memories with the Ghoul on a Stool™."

The cute little ghoul and his accompanying book on are on sale at the website listed above fro $19.97. So, for less than $20, you can start a wonderful Halloween tradition with your family, encouraging an atmosphere of kindness and community service. And, its still not as creepy as its Christmas rival, that freaky Elf on the Shelf thing! It's also available through Amazon and at Walmart.

Halloween Postage Stamps

Have you picked up your official United States Post Office issued Halloween Forever stamps yet?  Released Thursday, September 29th, these cute, yet spooky jack-o-lantern stamps were the first ever Halloween stamps issued in the US by the post office.

Paul Montanari carved each jack-o-lantern and then Sally Andersen-Bruce photographed them. Art director, Derry Noyes, supervised and designed the finished product.

“It is my hope that these stamps will rekindle special memories for everyone mailing or receiving postcards, letters and packages with these stamps affixed,” said U.S. Postal Service Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President Joseph Corbett in a press release.

All is Vanity

I love optical illusions in art. I especially love when the optical illusion involves a skull...like we have here in this famous piece, All is Vanity. It was drawn in 1892 by Charles Allan Gilbert and later sold to Life Magazine, which sold prints. You can read more about it at Deceptology! 

Skeleton Cupcakes

For Skeleton Week's Foodie Friday post, I wanted to share these cute skeleton cupcakes from All Day Chic. You can find the full tutorial on the website, but these look easy enough. The best part...they use white chocolate/yogurt covered pretzels. I LOVE dipped pretzels, lol. 

The Skull of Hurricane Matthew

It's Thursday, and we're trucking right along with Skeleton Week here on Theresa's Halloween Wonderland! The topic of today's blog was actually rather unplanned, but those who study the creepy and unexplained know that sometimes a little synchronicity shows up in the least expected places!

Yesterday, my Facebook feed was flooded with an interesting news story. Meteorologists and scientists all over North America are closely watching Hurricane Matthew, which is expected to hit the United States. But what the weather map showed was a storm much scarier than anyone could have imagined. As the eye of the storm passed over Haiti, it took on a sinister appearance of a grinning skull in profile!

Obviously, this is the result of pareidolia. Our minds are hardwired to seek out patterns in random stimuli, and we're especially prone to trying to identify faces. With Halloween being so close, and the deadly destructive force of these types of storms, a skeleton face showing up so plainly is still quite an eerie phenomenon.

Stu Ostro, the senior director of weather communications and senior meteorologist at The Weather Channel posted the image above to his Twitter account, and according to Snopes.com, meteorologist Matt Devitt of southern Florida's WINK-TV posted and confirmed that a similar image from his broadcast was completely unaltered in any way. Please continue to keep those affected by Hurricane Matthew in your thoughts and prayers...and keep an eye out on those satellite images for any further anomalies!

Matt Devitt and Hurricane Matthew satellite image

Skeleton Jewelry

Today's Skeleton Week blog is all about skeleton/skull jewelry. When you think about it, the idea of skeleton jewelry is a little weird; you're adoring the outside of your body with what is INSIDE your body. It works, though! Skeleton jewelry is both beautiful and a little macabre. It's perfect for the Halloween season or year round. I've picked a few notable and affordable pieces from various Etsy sellers---go check 'em out!

From alwaysanchors

From TheGoblinCave

From 2MeanGirlsBoutique

From JStrendz

From Horribell

The Skeleton Dance

Welcome to the first ever Theme Week here on Theresa's Halloween Wonderland! This week, there will be a new SKELETON post every day! You might see some skulls and/or bones make their way in, but skeletons will be the stars of the blog this week! I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan of skeletons, but I do think they are a beautiful and interesting part of Halloween imagery, and incorporated the right way, can make any Halloween celebration extra spooky!

Today, I'm sharing a video that I've watched about a million times. It's the 1929 Walt Disney Silly Symphony classic, The Skeleton Dance. The music was composed by Carl Stalling, with sections borrowed from Edvard Grieg. It was Disney's first Silly Symphony production, and was animated by Ub Iwerks. For more info: Wikipedia

Skeleton Week: Van Gogh's Skull

Happy Skeleton Week! Since Halloween is fast approaching, I thought it might be fun to start throwing in a few theme weeks, starting with an underrated icon of the season: the skeleton! Each day this week, expect a new post dealing with skeletons, bones, or skulls....starting with today's art feature!

You've probably seen this image before, but did you know that its actually a painting by famed artist, Vincent Van Gogh? This oil on canvas masterpiece is entitled Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette. It is believed to have been painted during the winter of 1885-1886 while Van Gogh was attending art classes at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. Since 1973, the painting has been on a permanent loan at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Definitely check out the Wikipedia page for this painting for more information!

Jack Pumpkinhead

I love this picture! At first glance, it is VERY Halloween-y with the jack-o-lantern head guy. But, it really doesn't have anything to do with Halloween....

This is a still shot from the 1985 movie, Return to Oz, starring a very young Fairuza Balk as Dorothy. The movie is loosely based on several of L. Frank Baum's Oz novels and introduces Jack Pumpkinhead to the big screen. If you're familiar with the Oz books, you probably recognize this hilarious, yet chivalrous character. I really like the way he is portrayed here, and he does give off quite an autumn vibe!

Christmas Decorations Before Halloween

If you belong to or follow ANY Halloween Facebook page, then you've seen this meme---probably multiple times, lol. I thought it was pretty funny and sort of fitting for my own life right now. As Halloween enthusiasts, we are the ONLY house on our block so far to put up any outdoor Halloween decorations. However, some of the exterior decorating has been a comedy of errors. Last weekend, my boyfriend started stringing up our purple and orange Halloween house lights. Unfortunately, we were one strand too short. A busy schedule of scouts, baseball, and jujitsu hasn't left any available time to remedy the situation, so for a week now, my house has had an unlit, partial strand of what looks like Christmas lights across our facade.

I'm sure our neighbors think we're absolutely insane. Not only did I start with the outdoor decorations in mid-September, but now we have unlit, sagging (some of our light clips needed replacing as well) lights that for all intents and purposes LOOK exactly like Christmas lights, lol. Oh well. At least the inside decorations look absolutely fabulous!

Anyway, more on topic with this meme...when do YOU put out your Christmas decorations? I won't let my boyfriend even start on Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving, which is pretty hypocritical of me since I start decorating for Halloween in August. Let me know in the comments when you start decorating!

Spooky Halloween Chili

Okay, so I don't actually eat chili. However, I know plenty of people who love it, especially on a cold, wet, rainy fall day. Today IS a slightly cold, and super wet and rainy day here in the tri-state, making a spooky chili dish perfect for today's Foodie Friday post!

Ya'll know how much I love REALLY simple ideas for giving food a creepy Halloween feel, and you can't really get much simpler than this. Make a pot of chili like you normally would (or find one of thousands of recipes online), and cut out fun, Halloween shapes from slices of cheese. A variety of Halloween cookie cutters are available this time of year at just about any store for only a few dollars. The photo and recipe for this variation comes from Parents.Com and is included in a slideshow feature 'last-minute' Halloween dinners!

Halloween Doormat

Boo Y'all! I wanted to stop in and share my new doormat with you all! For the past few years, I had a haunted house scene doormat. At the end of last season, my boyfriend threw it out, saying it was in REALLY bad shape. At the time, I was really upset. I loved that doormat and thought we could get away with at least one more season, lol. Turns out, it was a blessing in disguise. Since I needed to replace it, it gave me a reason to buy this lil' ghostie doormat, which I'm totally in love with. I found it at Walmart in the Halloween section for $9.97!

Where Does Candy Corn Come From?

Candy corn is just nasty....and this proves it, lol. Although, if you ARE a fan of the tri-colored sugar spikes, you might want to check out my previous blog about how candy corn is made! 

Healthy Halloween: Veggie Trays

Usually my Foodie Fridays involve less-than-healthy options for Halloween themed breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, desserts, and even cocktails---but sometimes I like to provide a healthy alternative to the traditional sweet and sugary treats of the season! Today, I'm sharing a few ideas for Halloween veggie trays. Veggie trays are a great way to offer a healthy option at Halloween parties and gatherings, and can even be incorporated into a family snack tray. Here are some options:


I love how quick and simple this idea is. De-gut your pumpkin, and just slide the container of dip right into it. Add your favorite cut veggies and you're done. For a Halloween party, you could take the creativity a step further with a fun platter and added touches, such as some olive spiders!

Source: One Little Project

Nothing screams Halloween like a Jack-o-Lantern, and the adorable icon of the season makes a great shape for a veggie tray featuring MY favorite cut veggie, carrots! Again, you can really put your own mark on this creation, using various veggies for the stem, vine, grass, etc. Get creative! 

Source: Mom Endeavors

If Jack-o-Lanterns aren't your thing, or you want something a little spookier, how about a cauliflower skull? I like this option because it allows you to have a variety of veggies available without having to worry about making them into something specific, lol.

Source: Mommy on the Money

As a paranormal investigator, I HAD to include something that features a ghost! This one is similar to the cauliflower skull, but instead is a lil' ghostie made of cauliflower on a bed of other veggies. I seriously might need to make this one!

Source: Mommy on the Money

Happy First Day of Fall, Y'all!

It's September 22, 2016...which can mean only one thing:  It's the first day of autumn! Happy First Day of Fall, y'all! Although, it doesn't really quite FEEL like fall around here, with temperatures expected to reach in the high 80s, and possibly low 90s today. Also, not counting Sunday, we've had quite a dry spell around here lately, which usually means the leaves aren't going to be so brilliantly colored again this year.

But, the important part is that autumn IS finally here, which means the push to Halloween is really here. Have a wonderful day and a wonderful season everyone!

Pinup Witches Volume 2

This Glamour Witch is actress Joyce Holden. Photo taken in 1950. Happy Witchy Wednesday! 

Baby's First Halloween

If you have a little one celebrating his/her first Halloween this year, this might be an idea to try! To me, it sort of looks like a baby trying to escape a pumpkin womb, lol. What do you think? Would YOU make a pumpkin like this?

Stacy Hone Halloween Art

It's been awhile since I shared a piece of Halloween art! I found this lovely, yet untitled piece by Stacy Hone of the Etsy shop, PaintingsOfPeace. The original 11''x14'' acrylic painting has been sold, but please check out her shop for more wonderful, original pieces of art!

Vampire Movie Marathon

This past weekend, my boyfriend and I had an impromptu Vampire Movie Marathon! It started when I was going through the newly added movies on Amazon Prime and found Interview with the Vampire. Since I hadn't seen it in YEARS, I loaded it up and sat back for some 90s vampire nostalgia. Man, Louie might have been a whiny lil' you-know-what, but he was quite easy on the eyes! It was a trip down Memory Lane that lead to a few other choices in weekend viewing.

*Near Dark (1987)---I had never seen Near Dark, starring Bill Paxton, Jenny Wright, and several other names you may recognize, but my boyfriend had fond memories of this 80s vampire favorite. When a cowboy falls in love with a female vampire and is given the opportunity to prove himself to her 'clan,' plenty of insane hijinks ensue. I don't think this movie is billed as a comedy, but it definitely had some comedic moments, and Bill Paxton, while actually a fairly minor character, steals the show with his personality. Pretty violent, but not unnecessarily gory, this movie was a nice, safe choice for our Vampire Movie Marathon.

*NightLife (1989)---Following Near Dark, Aaron picked the next film as well. This one WAS billed as a comedy, and is not to be confused with several other movies of the same name that came out around that time, lol. The NightLife WE watched was a made-for-television movie that aired on USANetwork and is a quirky comedy about a Mexican vampiress, a doctor, a previous lover, and the greatest maid EVER. Even though the whole film takes place in Mexico, the only Mexican speaking character is a police officer, which I thought was just as amusing as the heat-packing, ass-kicking maid that stays loyal to her vampire mistress. It's sort of a cute love triange-type story as the vampiress struggles not only with trying to adjust to life in the 20th century, but to juggle a new love interest and a clingy ex. This is available on YouTube if you want to give it a shot. It's obviously not a cinematic masterpiece, but there's some witty dialogue, and a proper amount of cheese to make it worth the effort.

*The Lost Boys (1987)---After Aaron went to bed, I was still awake enough to continue on with the
marathon. I chose a childhood favorite, The Lost Boys, since Aaron isn't a huge fan of this movie. It has been a few years since I've watched it, but I still love it as much as ever----and still giggled whole-heartedly at the shiny saxophone player and his movies. I also spotted Kelly Jo Minter for the first time! I had only recently made the connection she was in it, but unfortunately her main speaking part was cut from the final version. As a side note, I can't wait to meet her at ScareFest this year, as she was my favorite actress in another childhood favorite, Summer School. I also noticed something else for the first time; young Kiefer Sutherland looks EXACTLY like young Joshua Jackson. The resemblance was so canny that I took to the internet to see if they were distantly related or something. I don't think they are, but plenty of other people had the same idea, apparently.

Anyway, that concluded our short Vampire Movie Marathon! I got in two classic childhood favorites, and was exposed to two new to me films that I proudly now pass on to you for recommendation. There are a ton of other great (and not so great) vampire flicks out there, and I may add in a few more before the week is completely out...so let me know what YOU would recommend! What are your favorite vampire movies?

The Perfect Pumpkin

Picking out the perfect pumpkin is a major life decision. I want to take them ALL home with me, but I usually go for one that's a little crooked or a little splotchy or a little weird. What type of pumpkin do YOU look for at the pumpkin patch?

Horror Movie Flowchart

One of the many fun things to do as Halloween approaches is to cram in as many horror films as possible! In the days leading up to October, I like to save my actual 'Halloween' based movies, and ease into the season with some of my favorite horror. If you're looking for some inspiration on what to watch, check out this handy flowchart! Based on what sub-genres you're interested in, it'll give you some suggestions.  Oh, and sorry about the chart going off the page...I wanted to make sure you could see all the spooky goodness!

Old-Time Radio Halloween Shows

I love listening to old time radio shows and there are plenty of spooky, regularly scheduled programs to choose from. However, I recently stumbled across a YouTube channel that has specially curated a list old time radio's favorite Halloween specials! The channel, OTR HalloweenHolidaze, offers hours and hours of both holiday specific programming from the golden age of radio as well as a sampling of some of those year round mystery and horror favorites.

The channel is still being regularly updated and so far I've listened to shows from the 1930s to the 1970s. Most are less than half an hour long, and some are quite a bit shorter, making these the perfect thing to listen to while doing chores, relaxing, or driving to work. They're also perfect for sneaking in some Halloween cheer when you don't have time to watch a full-length movie. Go check 'em out!  Here's one of the episodes I recently listened to---its a little longer than most:

CBS Radio Mystery Theater Halloween 1976

FREE Halloween Ebook!

If you have a Kindle device or the Kindle app, you can download a copy of Ruth Edna Kelley's 1919 classic, The Book of Halloween, for FREE through Amazon!

Unfortunately, this digital version doesn't include any illustrations or photographs, but its a great historical glimpse at both the history of my personal favorite holiday, and the games, recipes, and traditions that were popular at the time of the book's publication. There are also a TON of poems.

Some of the material about the history of how Halloween evolved into an American favorite can be a little boring and tedious to get through, but I promise it is worth it. A really fun read for a really fun time of year!

*GET YOUR COPY FROM AMAZON HERE*

Haunted House Humor

Ha! I know what it's like growing up in a haunted house, and its not all bad. In fact, its pretty cool most of the time. I still love going to haunted house attractions, though, every Halloween season. Each year, I try to hit at least one or two. While they don't scare me, or even really startle me anymore (which may be a direct consequence of living through an actual haunted house, lol) I love them for their creativity and energy. The people who work/volunteer for these places REALLY enjoy their work! What are some of YOUR favorite haunted house attractions? Let me know below in the comments.

Grim Reaper Cake

For today's Foodie Friday blog, I wanted to share another awesome Halloween cake with you all! Over the years, I've been honing and refining my own personal Halloween decorating aesthetic...and recently I've really begun to embrace the classic black and orange motif. There's just something about black and orange together that evokes a sense of nostalgia. To me, it just screams vintage Halloween.

So, I instantly fell in love with this cake, especially the little haunted house. I'm not a HUGE fan of the Grim Reaper, honestly. I much rather would have seen a classic ghost figure or something, but it is well done, and does look pretty cool.  I wasn't able to find an artist/baker for this cake, so if you know who it belongs to, please let me know and I'll properly credit them.

Hehehe, I actually found this image on Pinterest, which in and of itself isn't that funny, but the fact on what it was classified under IS. I found this image in a collection of ideas for someone's TWO YEAR OLD daughter's Halloween birthday. Yeah, this would make an awesome birthday cake, especially for someone reaching one of those milestone 'over the hill' birthdays, but I'm pretty sure having Death on a two year old's birthday cake sends the wrong message, lol.

Welcome, September!

Wow, is it really September already??? This year is flying by, which is a good thing! It means Halloween will be here that much faster. Since we're starting the official countdown, I thought this photo was quite fitting. For a couple of weeks now, I've already been seeing the pumpkin flavored goodies creeping onto store shelves....and I have a feeling that things are going to definitely pick up. Hehe, last year, I admitted the fact that I am NOT a fan of pumpkin spice anything, let alone any type of pumpkin spice coffee beverage. I was accused of not being a true white girl, which is slightly ironic since my recent AncestryDNA results back that up!

Terrifying Tacos!

Halloween may fall on a Monday this year, but that doesn't mean you can't serve up some spooky tacos for a Taco Tuesday Halloween dinner! In my home, the Halloween celebrations last throughout the month of October, so some version of these will definitely be making their way into our lives in the weeks leading up to the big day. 

Food.com brings us this quite basic example of a basic crunchy shell taco. To achieve the spooky eyes, a few dollops of sour cream garnished with sliced black olives are strategically placed. Even though I personally can't stand sour cream, I think this version is the most likely one I'll try! 

Betty Crocker also has created a spin on the monster taco idea. Instead of the classic shredded cheese, an artfully cut slice of American cheese serves as a the teeth, and a tomato slice acts as the tongue. Cute!

I've seen this next example a few different places on the web, including the site, Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom. Just make your favorite taco, and add a spider made of olives as a garnish for an instant Halloween vibe. Hehehe, I think using the whole olive in this position makes the spider look a little more like an octopus, so I'd probably tweak that a bit myself if choosing to recreate this dish! But how cute is that little spider? He could be added to several different dinners for an instant transition into Halloween dining!

And, that does it for spooky tacos. However, if you a big fan of Mexican food like I am, don't fear! I have several more ideas coming up for you in the coming months!