Theresa's Halloween Wonderland

Saturday, April 4, 2015

A Halloween Poem

Happy Saturday! I found this beauty over on the Celebrate Halloween Facebook page.

Friday, April 3, 2015

We've made it to another Foodie Friday!

I don't know about you, but Betty Crocker I am not. I absolutely hate to bake; I find it messy and time consuming, and just not at all something I enjoy. However, I do love having Halloween parties and serving up really clever themed treats. That's why today's post is dedicated to a few of the yummy Halloween goodies that you can make without ever having to turn on the oven! That's right...take some store bought cookies, and decorate as little or as much as you like for a cute treat that will make people think you're channeling Martha Stewart.

These witch hats are super easy. Buy a package of Keebler Fudge Stripe cookies (or any generic knock-off with a chocolate coated round bottom) and flip 'em upside down. Get a package of Hershey kisses and attach with icing. You can then add sprinkles, bows, or any other embellishments, or leave as is. Adorable, creative, and no baking required!

Sure everyone loves Oreos, and there's nothing wrong with picking up a bag of Halloween Oreos, pouring them into a fun bowl and calling it a day...but if you want to go an extra step, consider these spider Oreos! Candy pieces, such as M&Ms, make great eyes, and black rope licorice gives it that final...kick. If you can't find black rope licorice, use pretzel sticks! From Betty Crocker.

Are spooky ghost cookies more your thing? Buy a package of Nutter Butters. Melt a bowl of white chocolate chips or candy melts in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring between zaps until melted. Dip the cookies in and let dry on waxed paper. Use black icing or brown/chocolate candy pieces for the eyes and add a mouth if you wish. Delish!

From Sandy Toes and Popsicles

Thursday, April 2, 2015

A Vintage Ohio Halloween

Did you enjoy Halloween in West Virginia, a vintage collection of photographs from the Mountain State? If so, you're sure to like today's Throwback Thursday post as well. The Ohio Memory Project has an awesome collection of searchable documents, including newspaper archives, historic photographs, and other primary sources. Of course I had to search the photos for 'Halloween' and was pleasantly surprised at the results! Here's a few of the photos I found!

This first one is really intriguing. Apparently, it wasn't in poor taste in Worthington, Ohio, circa 1950 to dress up as HITLER for Halloween...so long as you were doing it to express a popular belief that the Nazi dictator really wasn't dead. More information can be found HERE.

Here are some slightly more acceptable costumes. These contestants are awaiting the judges' decision in a Halloween costume contest on October 30, 1937 at Edgemont Elms in Dayton.

This final picture was taken at a Genoa Halloween party around 1900 Although the party-goers have largely decided against wearing costumes, the jack-o-lanterns are spot on!

* More Halloween photos from the Ohio Memory Project archives! *

Just a Brief Hiatus!

After a brief hiatus, Theresa's Halloween Wonderland is back, ready with plenty of new articles, artwork, recipes, and other Halloween goodies for all of you out there. Honestly, I don't have an excuse as to why I haven't posted anything in nearly a whole month...except that I've been bored and lazy, lol. I apologize....but cannot guarantee it won't happen again, so please just bear with me.

This beautiful work is called Halloween Ghost, and its by artist Tom Shropshire. You can find out more about it and purchase a print HERE.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Tiptoe Through the Tombstones

Do you love the history, the art, and everything else about cemeteries and tombstones? If so, you're a taphophile! But, if you have a crippling fear of anything associated with graveyards and burials, you could be a coimetrophobic. Wanna guess which one I am?

Mikael Bertmar/Getty Images

Monday, March 9, 2015

Young Frankenstein

Werewolf? There, wolf!

I watched Young Frankenstein this weekend, if you couldn't tell! While this isn't a horror movie by any stretch of the word, its definitely a great movie to watch around Halloween. The 1974 Mel Brooks classic starring Gene Wilder and a host of other comedy legends was shot entirely in black and white, giving it a certain old world creepiness. Added to that atmosphere is the fact that much of the lab equipment used by Frankenstein's grandson in the movie was actually created for the 1931 film, Frankenstein. If you haven't seen this one yet, go watch it right now!