Friday, October 31, 2025

Happy Hallowe'en...Happy Samhain....

{Fog/mist descending around the outbuildings a few weeks back} 

Halloween is here. 
I almost typed "finally," but caught myself.
The truth is, I never want Halloween to come.
I just want it to always be October.

Perhaps that is why I never actually finish my decorating or preparations for Halloween?
In any event, I wanted to at least pop in to say I hope you are wrapping yourself in the last of autumn...the quiet spirit that seems to descend and envelop the landscape and the rooms we pass through.

I had hoped to share more of my "preparations" for the holiday, but the days slipped through my hands. 
I count it as a good thing this time of year, though, as I know I was hearing the crunch of the leaves beneath me, smelling the mellowing earth fold into itself and watching the moon dance.

I will leave you with a very abbreviated version of some of my (real...unlike the faux-vintage treat boxes in the last post) vintage Halloween treasures.
Most of you know that I generally embrace a primitive/colonial style.
But when it comes to Halloween, I can't help but let vintage in.
I have an October soul and those colors, those graphics, those echoes of simpler times are irresistible. 

One of my main weaknesses: Pulp paper/papier mache Jack-o-Lanterns:



I have battery-operated candles in many of them, so they twinkle at night. 

Two of my favorites:
{Who doesn't love a cat face??}

{My only "two-faced" jack (he has a face on both sides)}

And I have a penchant for vintage noisemakers...
This year I displayed my horns mostly among the jacks but think I'll re-think that next year.


Dye cuts and honeycomb:



Vintage candy tins and boxes (and who doesn't need a case of embalming fluid??): 


Oh...there's more... 
Vintage Halloween books, framed vintage Halloween sheet music, 
pulp paper owls, Gurley candles, and....
I'll leave it at that...and this for now. 

I've only a bit more than 2 hours before October draws its final breath.
They say the veil between this world and the other thins then and, perhaps, it does. 
The shadows here have darkened and the sounds of this old house have quieted as if listening for something I cannot yet hear.
 But each year I gather more ghosts so I think I, too, need to listen.

Wishing you light in the dark corners of the night.
Happy Halloween.

9 comments:

JustGail said...

Our house seemed to get pretty quiet last night too. I was attributing it to the lack of wind after several days of being very windy, maybe not? You have a wonderful collection. As with Lauren's, no matter how many times you post it, there's always something I hadn't seen before.

Nancy said...

Thank you for sharing your very special Halloween treats! All so jolly, but your photo of the mist and fog is hauntingly beautiful, and thus my favorite. Happy November! November reminds me of "somber," and I love that, too, after the energy of October...

Prims By The Water said...

It was quiet here last night as well. We will need to check the cameras at our store for any ghostly activity. LOVE LOVE LOVE all of your jacks and cats and noisemakers. I so wish I had your collections. They are so wonderful and fitting for this time of year. The picture of the fog said it all for this time of the year too. Janice

Saundra said...

You and Lauren have quite a nice Halloween collection and a few years ago wished I did too. Tho my decorations weren't old I stopped putting them out because they had to be put back, lol. Gave them away and now only have a few seasonal hooked pieces which I didn't put out this year either. Because ... they have to be returned to their place. Thank you for sharing yours and providing me with some Halloween spirit.

Anonymous said...

Your pumpkins and noise makers definitely took me back. We only had one paper mache pumpkin growing up and not sure which sibling it wound up with (if it survived). No tangible spirits came by last night. Our hood is all over the hill. Hibernating is now where I will be.

Betty said...

That last anonymous was me..oops.

NMK said...

Oh Love all your Halloween treasures ! I never saw those wonderful old cany tins , they are so neat !!!
November to me , means stick season , no more leaves on the trees until April ....

Rugs and Pugs said...

Color me jealous! So many wonderful papier mache Jacks ( and the cat and double sided one…argh!). And your noisemakers put me to shame. Plus all the other things you shared that I have none of…and the things you didn’t share.
But seriously, your collection of Halloween goods is simply amazing and displayed to perfection.

Anonymous said...

I love your collections just amazing!!
I think your right October is the best month of the year. We had a lovely October here and sad to see it go. Now on to the darkness which is my biggest complaint about winter.
As far as ghosts the lights have strangely flicker. We always ask who is there? I would faint if I got an answer.
Cathy
Acorn Hollow