With another incredibly Halloween holiday behind me for the year, I almost went into a little bit of a depression. But, the thing that I love the absolute most about Halloween is the fun get togethers, the holiday atmosphere and especially dressing up in costume. Besides that, if I can’t blog about costumes, I might have to take up another hobby, and with so many, it would likely have to be some sort of exercise related hobby and no one wants that. Okay, actually you might want that, but I’d prefer to avoid those workout clothes! At any rate, I’ve decided to dedicate my passion for costumes year-round, so I’ll be posting about seasonal and other holiday related costumes ( I know, if it’s not Halloween…).

So, this post is dedicated to our next national holiday: Thanksgiving. You may not think of it as an opportunity to dress up, but it is. You could let all of the kids attending your holiday soiree act out the first Thanksgiving for your guests, for instance. Or have an uncle dress up in turkey costume to greet your grandkids as they arrive. Schools and teachers are always on the lookout for people to help out during class holiday parties and just think of the hit you’ll be if you arrive at your son’s kindergarten class in full pilgrim gear. Kids love it and sometimes they learn a little something, too.

This year, why not make your Thanksgiving all the more festive with a little extra holiday cheer from an inspired costume.

Happy Holidays!

Emma Rae Curtis is a costume/dressing up/makeup & accessories expert. She mainly writes about Halloween but also about all things costume and dress-up related.

As spirits roam the neighborhoods at night,
Let loose upon the Earth till it be light…

~Nicholas Gordon

Halloween Eve has finally arrived and I can honestly say that I think this year’s festivities are going to go down in the history books as the darkest, most intensely celebrated wickedness yet. I guess you could say I’m a very excited about it. As I make the final preparations for my Halloween spectacle this evening, my thoughts turn to the real stars of the holiday. The classic villains that exist to frighten the daylights out of us once a year. [Insert a maniacal Vincent Price laugh here.]

the rest of the year I prefer hard facts, scientific evidence and logic, at Halloween, half the fun of the thing is our collective descent into the realm of our darkest fears.  A place where ghosts walk the streets, monsters wait under beds to grab our ankles with icy fingers and the threat of a death-kiss from a vampire is always just minutes away. With such foreboding of both delight and terror, it’s going to be dreadful getting to sleep tonight. Ah well, I’ll sleep when I’m dead, as they say. Actually that’s doubtful since I’d be more apt to do do something much more entertaining, like come and haunt all of you…

Which brings me to our fears…tomorrow, my suggestion is to live it up as though you hadn’t a care in the world, but you’ll know the truth. You’re just as scared as the rest of us are. No point in hiding it.

Tomorrow, I suggest we all take the opportunity to express those cold, dark poisons, those fears we can’t escape…. you may not make it through the night without a delicious fright anyway, so the best course is to let that adrenaline coursing through your veins take hold and scream at the thing that scares you most.

Happy haunting my pretties!

Emma Rae Curtis is a costume/dressing up/makeup & accessories expert. She mainly writes about Halloween but also about all things costume and dress-up related.

In the small town I grew up in, there was a nice little neighborhood, and in that nice little neighborhood,was a vacant home lot that was partitioned off from the rest of the area by large metal walls, and naturally, this peaked the curiosity of the people in the area.

Rumor had it that a couple had lived there and the house was vacant too long after the family moved away so the city fenced it up. But that didn’t explain the why the land was never sold, or why the fence was so high. Being a teen in a too-few-things-to-do city inspired some interesting forays for myself and my friends. And one chilly fall night, we dedicated ourselves to finding out the mystery. I almost wish we hadn’t, since it’s so horrible, but these urban myths and legends are what ghost stories are made of…

Once upon a time, in the history of a very small city in the middle of the United States, there lived a young little family, a mother who made cookies, a father who worked for the  postal service, and a three young kids, each with their father’s chocolate eyes and their mother’s soft, blonde curls.

These were back in the horse and buggy days, and their home was just one of a few houses built in the area. One night the young family traveled to a community harvest party they’d been looking forward to for weeks. There was music, dancing, food and drink and they had a wonderful time. When they finally made it home, they were as exhausted and happy as any young family could be. The couple tucked the children in their beds to sleep, and went outside for a walk to enjoy some quiet moments together under the starry sky. Still slightly drunk, the husband grabbed his young bride by the hand and swung her into a midnight dance under the stars… they were so happy and having so much fun they didn’t notice the smoke coming from the windows.

Unfortunately, the evening would end in tragedy. The small fire they’d left burning escaped its hearth and the house caught fire. The couple tried desperately to put it out, but with no fire department, no running water and a home made of wood, the home and their sleeping children perished. Heartbroken and distraught, the couple refused to rebuild or to sell the property. In fact, they left and were never heard from again.

As time passed,  the young city made a vow to respect the wished of the couple, and left the property untouched, save for a 10 ft. tall metal fence barricade. The couple had no descendants, so the city kept its promise, and the barricade stayed. At times, the neighbors in the houses that sprang up around the lot said they heard children playing, or laughing, and sometimes crying. There was a tree in the center of the lot that grew and grew, and someone made a swing for the ghost children. At night you could hear it moving back and forth in the wind, almost as if a child were playing on it.

By the time my friends and I made our way to the lot, it had been over a century since the house had burned. We’d heard the stories and had to see for ourselves. Late at night, we took turns standing on each others shoulders…the tree, yes, it was there and it was massive, but the swing was broken, just one chain still attached it to the branch. Interestingly, there were antique-looking toys strewn about the lot, a doll, a tricycle and what looked like a broken stroller. Some were new, as if locals were trying to appease the children. After those of us who dared to look had seen enough, we turned to leave, but not before a chided us for disturbing their spirits.

We swore we could hear the echoes of children laughing as we walked away….