Pottery Barn Halloween 2025

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Memories Of Halloweens Past

The next entry in this fun blog series is really something special.  It comes from MikeC(jasonv123), and I'm really grateful that he shared this one with us.

"I’ve been meaning to write my submission for Memories of Halloweens Past, and after last night's events I just had to write this up. Years ago, when I was young, we would go out trick or treating, and I was typically a vampire in those days.  After my parents took me out trick or treating, we would stop by my grandmother’s house as my last stop. She always had these old vintage pumpkin lanterns along with ceramic jack o lanterns that she would decorate with. She would always give me a zip lock bag with candy and a few dollars in it. What I wouldn't give to go back in time and see her and her decorations one more time!  Years ago, you posted the same pumpkin lantern she had and after some research on eBay I found one for 40 bucks.  After my grandmother had passed away some years back, we couldn’t find her Halloween decorations.  Well, last night, we went to a Halloween party of my mother’s friend Helen.  Her parents and my grandparents were best friends.  After some time checking out Helen’s Halloween ornaments and decorations, I noticed a small skull lantern like my pumpkin lantern. I picked it up and was checking it out when she walked up and said, 'That was your grandmother Martha’s.'  I started to tear up and I was thinking of something to say.  She said, 'It’s yours now.'  I immediately cried!  I thanked her over and over.  After we got home, I took the old batteries out that have pretty much destroyed the internals, but that’s OK - I’ve got a small flicker led tea light powering it now."

Thanks, Mike!  This was great to read on the week of Halloween!  Thanks so much for sharing!

For anyone interested in submitting, you can email me at pumpkinrot @ gmail . com (remove the spaces, of course!)

Noir Dark Spirits

Back in February 2023 I blogged about a Scranton, Pennsylvania bar/restaurant called Noir Dark Spirits.  The gothic atmosphere looked to be off the charts.  Since that blog post, Noir moved to a new and larger location.  On Saturday we took a road trip to see if something called Noir Dark Spirits could live up to all the expectations we placed upon it.

It did.

Located in the old lobby area of the historic Ritz movie theater, the bar appeared to be one of those places you'd see in a movie or an old 90's series about vampires - one of those places you'd wish were a real thing.  A real gothic vampire bar.  Something with gloomy red lighting and long dark shadows wherever you looked.  There were alcove booths along the wall, each table with a metal plaque in the center listing one of the seven deadly sins (our table was Pride). 

We ordered our first round of drinks:  The Emperor for me (their version of an Old Fashioned [with a flaming sugar cube]) and for Jenna - The Confessional.  The friendly server informed her that the drink would be served in a small black confessional box.  Upon its arrival, we were told, Jenna would have to confess a sin.  The cocktail arrived in a tiny gothic church-shaped box, glowing red from an LED tea light.  The beautiful drink was bubbling with the help of some dry ice.  The presentation was flawless and hilarious.  

A sin was confessed.

We ordered some more drinks and some eats:  the Devil's Board (a really tasty charcuterie board) and the Phlebotomist Dough Injections (dough skulls stuffed with three cheeses and served with syringes poked through the eyes...syringes filled with marinara diavlo).  The second round of drinks arrived, and you could spot Jenna's from across the bar.  Called The Re-Animator, it was glowing green from a tiny glowstick hoop and bubbling frantically like a potion Grandpa Munster would make Herman drink.  

For dessert - a delicious raspberry cheesecake skull, with a thick outer layer of hardened white chocolate.  It came with a metal mallet...  so you can bash your dessert's head in.  

Despite the theatricality of the cocktails and food, they were actually quite good.  Everything was.  I think I was a little worried it would be style over substance in there.  Every aspect of our visit was a blast, and the best way I could describe it would be that it's like having the option to attend a really hip Halloween party literally whenever you chose to do so.  The mood, the atmosphere, and especially the music, make Noir Dark Spirits a really special place.  We wish it were closer than a couple hours away, but I have a feeling we'll be having this particular Halloween bash about two or three times a year.  It really was that good.

Below are some photos Jenna took, and definitely CLICK HERE to see some more images and a couple of neat videos over at her Instagram.

Click here for their website.

Halloween Pizza

When a favorite pizza joint decorates like they're on a sitcom's Halloween special.

Ace Of Shades

For all your Haunted Mansion needs...

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Signs Of [Halloween] Life

Looked out the window last night and saw some green and purple lights strung along the hedges of a house at the end of the block.  Got that excited feeling realizing It was coming.  Was thinking I'd be the first house with lights up as I'm going to hang them after work today.  So this is a very promising sign.  

Please, Neighborhood, go crazy this year.

Pretty please.

Party City Halloween 2022

For me, the Halloween shopping season starts when I visit Party City.  I wasn't disappointed.  Lots of neat stuff and reasonably priced.  Their fog juice was TEN DOLLARS CHEAPER THAN SPIRIT HALLOWEEN'S JUICE(S)!

And the cooler weather really helped.