The (Very) Post-Halloweeen Post - 2014

The general all-work-and-no-play theme of 2014 (and yes, it does make Emma a very dull girl indeed) was still pervasive during the Halloween festivities, hence the tardiness of this post.

My decorating usually includes a faux cemetery scene in the living room, as you can see from the photo below of Phoebe playing her role as the "Graveyard Cat".

This year though, with the exception of the Jack-o'-Lantern that I carved (top), lack of time meant that I just made use of bits and pieces that I have out all year long.

I was thrilled to note that this was the first year that Australia had Halloween-appropriate films being screened on television in the lead-up to All Hallows' Eve and on the night itself. Huzzah! We are making progress!

We also had a nice trickle of trick-or-treaters come to the door again this year and the kids all seemed pleased with the little treat bags I had prepared for them.

After a bit of a party dinner, Danny, James, Phoebe and I sat down to enjoy Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow. The last few years, I have carved my pumpkin to look like the Sleepy Hollow Jack-o'-Lantern scarecrow. I had every intention of mixing things up this year and carving a Jack Skellington face... but as you can see (top photo), I couldn't resist sticking with old faithful.

I was also fortunate enough to receive some wonderful Halloween treats from dear friends on the other side of the globe: 

Yvonne of the Winter Moon blog celebrated Neil Gaiman's All Hallows Read (an initiative with the purpose of encouraging the giving of spooky books at Halloween) by generously gifting a number of her buddies here in Blogland with packages that not only contained a delightfully dark novel, but other charmingly macabre goodies. I was the lucky recipient of Neil Gaiman's Stardust, plus a cornucopia of bats, snakes, spiders, creepy chocolates, vintage horror movie postcards and Jessie Larson art cards.

Then Debi of Puddleduck Grange and Easel & Quill blogs sent me one of her beautiful, original paintings.

Thank you both so much lovely ladies! ❤

While we're still on the subject of Yvonne, she has just started selling some of her beautiful photography and artwork as prints and homewares on the Society6 website. She has some fabulous designs, like the ones below, in her Winter Moon shop there.

It seems that Blogland is bursting with excitement and activity at the moment because gorgeous friend Magaly Guerrero released her latest book, Blooming Howls. I have only recently come into possession of a hand-me-down iPad (from sister to parents to me), and Magaly's Blooming Howls was my first ever digital book purchase.











I hope everyone had a spooktacular Halloween! And now it is time to brace ourselves for the onslaught of the Yuletide season.

I'll leave you with a cartoon of my beloved Addams Family by Charles "Chas" Addams.

"Suddenly, I have a dreadful urge to be merry."