The voices told me to do it.....

The voices wanted a blog. So, here I sit, waiting for nuggets of wisdom and wit from them to type into this space. Unfortunately, they seem to have taken a nap and I got nothin'.

Just kidding. Sorta....

I've been wanting to create a blog for a while now, one that is separate from the assorted "spaces" that I pop into here and there, one that is "dead"-icated to just Halloween and the fun stuff related to haunting. I love reading blogs when I have the time. I have learned a bit from other people's blogs, gotten some insight into their methods and what drives them, and seen some really wonderful photography and websites thanks to blogs about them. I'd like to be able to do the same, to share a little bit of my own Halloween obsession and musings, and to possibly pass on some good information from other people to anyone who happens to read what I enter here.

With that said, I'd like to start off with a little about myself. My name is Deanna, and I am a haunter. I've loved Halloween ever since I was a kid. It's always been the highlight of the year to me, even more than "the-other-holiday-which-will-not-be-named". It's not that I have anything against "TOHWWNBN"; it's just not my thing. (Okay, well maybe I DO have something against it, but that's for another blog later when it's "that" time of year.) Halloween has always been about being creative, having fun, and celebrating. My sister, who is 3 years younger than I am, was born on Halloween. I can't think of a better day to have a birthday, and I've always been envious of that. We'd all go to my Grandmother's house and have her birthday party, then go out trick-or-treating with my cousins. When we all got older and didn't go to Grandma's, I'd be the one to take my 2 sisters out into other neighborhoods and we'd beg for candy for hours. I didn't stop trick-or-treating until I was 23 years old! My mom even went with us a couple of times. We were all small and petite, so we could all pass for teenagers.

When I was 24, we moved into the house I live in now. Having a child stopped my trick-or-treating for myself and eventually I was a mom pulling a wagon with my little one in tow. Until 1998 came along and I found the internet. I searched "Halloween" and found oodles of sites that were all about my favorite day. When I came across the Halloween-L, it was all over. I joined up and found a whole bunch of people who loved Halloween as much as I did, so much so that they talked about it all year long. In 1999, I had my first official Halloween party. I'd had small get-togethers before around Halloween, but those were for my ex-husband's birthday, which is October 30. This was my first REAL Halloween party. I made enough food to feed a small country, invited about 30 people, and decorated with the stuff I'd collected over the years. I made some tombstones for the front yard, and some dummies that scared my next door neighbor every time she walked out side and saw them out of the corner of her eye. Only 7 people showed up. On Halloween night though, the kids loved the little amateur display I had out in the yard. That made it all worth it, and the obsession grew.

I've learned SO much over the past 9 years since that Halloween. I've learned the joys of Monster Mud, Great Stuff, and Papier Mache. I've learned how to build things from what other people would consider garbage. I've found that I can make almost anything out of PVC and that thrift stores are full of treasures that can be turn into Halloween props and decor. I've learned how to create a website, run a forum, and use all sorts of tools on the computer. I've learned how to photograph at night, edit said photos, and get the lighting that makes the props stand out for the photos. I've learned how to use a variety of tools, power, air and hand, how to make my own tools in some cases, and even most recently, how to weld. I'm always learning new things about painting and finishing touches. I've gained experience in my cooking, trying new recipes and experimenting with old ones. I'm learning something new every day it seems.

Perhaps the most important thing that I have learned is that I am not a weak little housewife who has to rely on her husband for everything. This Halloween obsession of mine has taken me so much further than anything else in my life. I am so shy and I really am uncomfortable around people that I don't know or am meeting in person for the first time. I've always been a follower, not a leader. Thanks to my Florida Haunters, I'm having to learn to step outside of that cocoon I've been wrapped in my whole life.

I've met some of the nicest people on the planet, both on- and off-line. I've made friends and created bonds with people that I know I can count on when I need them and I know that I can be as dorky as I really am, and they'll still like me. :)

So, now that I've rambled on, I'd like to thank Jeff from Drop Gallow for his blog about me. I really don't think I deserve any special mention. Jeff, you are way too kind and I was really touched by your blog. Thank you.

And on that note, I need to leave the computer for a while. There's a pile of PVC that needs to be cut and some plywood that needs to be made into squares for our upcoming make and take this weekend. I hope somebody found this little blog at least a smidgeon interesting. ;)

Deanna