January 2008

How To Make Halloween Last a Bit Longer...

Hi Everyone!

It is hard to believe that it has been over a month since Halloween. We have just had our first ice storm of the season and I am now being nagged by family members to put up the Christmas tree. Apparently, they don't know Winter doesn't start until December 22nd! I don't know about you, but I am just not ready to trade in my Orange and Black for Red and Green! So, here are some tips to help you make Halloween last a bit longer!

Gather all of your witch decorations into the kitchen - you have heard of Kitchen Witches right! Tell everyone "The more witches you have, the more good luck they bring!"

Keep all of your skulls and skeletons out and tell everybody you are taking an anatomy course and they are your study aids!

Quietly replace any rotting pumpkins with 'faux' pumpkins and proclaim "I can't throw them out, they haven't even started to rot yet!"

Purchase a bunch of fake leaf garlands in fall colors (usually found on sale at this time of year) and take the leaves one by one and glue them onto your now bare tree branches - be careful not to let your neighbors see you!

Marry a Harley Davidson enthusiast, they are usually very agreeable to an Orange and Black decorating scheme!

Answer your door while holding a bowl of candy and try to guess what the person is dressed up as. This is particularly fun when the person knocking has no sense of humor - but just remember, most police men do NOT like being referred to as "that guy from the Village People".

And lastly, one of my personal favorites; make up your own words to popular Christmas carols so that you can sing along. This is wonderful entertainment at company Christmas parties! Don't worry if you aren't good at making up words - you can find Halloween words for most of the songs online, and here is one I wrote just for you! Sing to the tune of Frosty the Snowman...

Jack O the Pumpkin
Was a scary vegetable
With jagged teeth and a gnarled stem
And two eyes cut out by hand

Jack O the Pumpkin
Is a frightful guy they say
He was made to glow
But the kiddies know
He'll scare them stiff one day

There must have been some wick left
In that old candle set to light
For when they placed it in his gut
He began to glow real bright

Jack O the Pumpkin
Was as bright as he could be
And the story goes
He just glows and glows
His spectral stare is spooky

Jack O the Pumpkin
Knew the night was about to end
So he said let's roll
And we'll find a bowl
Filled with candy round the bend

Down to the village
With a gleaming in his eye
Rolling here and there in the chilly air
Yelling, "I smell pumpkin pie!"

He scared them all both big and small
With his face of fire light
And once each year on Halloween
He became the King of fright

Jack O the Pumpkin
Saw his candle had burned down
And what had been
His sinister grin
Was now a darkened frown

Flickery flick flick
Flickery flick flick
Look at Jack O Glow
Flickery flick flick
Flickery flick flick
Scariest guy I know

If YOU have a favorite way to make Halloween last a bit longer, stop by our Halloween Artists blog and let us know!

Till next time,
Jan

About the Author:
Jan Pierce is a Chester County, Pennsylvania artist who creates one of a kind folk art treasures. Her current and future projects include miniature paintings, paper mache sculpture, lampwork bead jewelry and anything else that happens to capture her interest! She has graciously agreed to contribute a column for us in her "spare time". Visit Jan here on HalloweenArtists.com or on her website at MoonhallowVintage.com.

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