Happy Birthday To This Blog!//October 92nd, 2020

I have never really been one to celebrate New Year’s. In fact, up until last year, I always found the idea of a whole blank slate stretched out in front of me to be somewhat ominous. Facing the unknown can either be exciting or scary, and I think, on some level, 2020 turned out to be a combination of the two. It was definitely not a typical year, and many of the long-term goals I had for myself didn’t pan out due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control, but it did have its high points as well as lows.

It’s hard for me to believe this blog will be a year old tomorrow. I came up with the idea to start blogging at some point in late 2019, but got frustrated every time I attempted it. I also already had a failed Halloween blog under my belt from around 2015-ish, which ultimately became nothing but a boring collection of hauls, and led to me buying things I didn’t really want, just for the sake of having something to talk about. But, while I may not have the legions of followers that some other bloggers do, I can honestly say I’m truly happy with everything I post here and am proud of myself for sticking with it over the past year.

(This picture was taken last year, immediately after publishing my first post.)

It does surprise me sometimes, to see how many followers I’ve gained on social media in the past year. 2020 was a huge year of growth for me in the Halloween community, and I’m so grateful for that. If you had told me twenty years ago, when I was the only person I knew who got depressed when November first hit, that I’d eventually find my niche, I’d likely have thought you insane, yet here I am, excited every day to see what new, spooky things will be going on online, and more inspired than ever to share my stories. The fact that people, no matter how many or how few, enjoy hearing my stories and memories of Halloweens past, or value my opinions on movies, and even tell me I have a gift for writing, astounds me every single day. One thing 2020 has brought me is a new sense of faith in myself in that regard, and more motivation to embrace my creativity than ever.

Of course, we can not talk about this blog and what it’s brought me in 2020 without acknowledging how it was ultimately a post here, read and shared by the right person at the right time, that brought me my ultimate hoy grail Halloween item, that I’d been searching for since 1999.

I know it may sound crazy, but sometimes I truly don’t think there will ever be a more astounding feeling than looking up at my wall and seeing her there, finally a real, tangible thing and not just a blurry screenshot I took for the sole purpose of proving her existence, both to others and myself. I had truly dedicated so much time and energy to searching for her, I never thought just randomly deciding to tell the story on this blog could be the way to actually find her. One thing 2020 taught me, thanks to this particular experience, is never to give up. Things can happen in strange ways that you don’t expect!

I’ve definitely expanded my collection a lot in 2020 and look forward to doing more of that as time goes on. From the end of 2019 until now, I feel like I’ve really found my personal aesthetic when it comes to decorating, collecting, and even my wardrobe, and it’s fun to see how things come together as I discover more and more.

In 2021, in addition to sharing nostalgic stories and prose, and doing more Halloween and horror related reviewing, I’m also hoping to expand a little more on the characters I’ve created for my Halloween dolls and characters. I have so many ideas, it’s just a matter of organizing them and converting them into profiles and little stories. I wrote many “pic fics” during my doll collecting days and hope to do that here as well, now that I know what truly inspires me. I think 2021 has the potential to be an awesome year creatively.

So, if you are reading this, thank you. I am truly so grateful for the friends I’ve made this year, the artists I’ve discovered, and just to have made it through these strange times in general. I know 2021 won’t be a cure-all for the craziness we’ve endured in 2020, but it will be interesting to see what surprises it has in store.

Stay spooky, my friends, and best wishes for a Happy New Year...or better yet, a continuing perpetual October.

I'm Not So Sure About This Social Media Thing//October 94th, 2026

I started this blog six years ago on New Year's Day. I had been through some major life changes in 2018/2019, and really found myself along the way. I felt as though I really had cemented a place for myself within the Halloween community on social media, and often, when I would caption my posts on Instagram with snippets of memories, or a specific feeling that maybe not many others could understand, I would get comments and messages from new friends and followers, complimenting the way I wrote, sometimes even asking for more, and so, the idea to start a blog again was born, and, silly as it may sound, I am very proud that I've managed to stick with it as long as I have. Long work hours, personal problems, bouts of anxiety and depression....none of that has ever fully stopped me from coming back and doing what I love. But, lately, I have been feeling a little off about social media in general, and that's something I really would like to talk about, as I feel it taking a to...

Tales From A Walk: April 5th, 2026; AKA Easterween/Creepster/Zombie Jesus Day, Etc.

Someone asked me once When do you stop mourning the previous Halloween and start looking forward to the next one? That's always been a hard question for me to answer, as I am always looking back or looking ahead, depending on the situation. I often see what was, and what will be again, simultaneously. But today, I went for a walk. Probably my first full walk since Christmas time. That last walk, the remnants were still there. Though it was a different holiday entirely, I still met some rotting pumpkins, and some dead leaves clinging to their brittle branches. Then two back to back winter storms came in February, burying us in two feet of snow both times. I don't know that I've ever felt more like I was in alternate reality, or farther away from Halloween. Today was different, though. When Easter comes, you hear all this talk of spring, and new beginnings, and that sort of thing. And I guess it never really hit me how that can apply to Halloween as well. Wal...

Here’s Where The Story Ends//October 337th, 2020

Everyone has moments in their life when they feel like giving up. That feeling of “This is never going to happen, so why keep trying?” Sometimes it relates to a thing that would be trivial to anyone else, sometimes it’s about something more life-altering. But, we’ve all been there. I have moments of discouragement with this blog. Times I’ve told myself, “No one cares”, or “No one will read this”, etc., but I continue on, for the joy of it. And sometimes, something amazing happens. If you haven’t read my previous post, Have You Seen This Pumpkin? , I would strongly suggest doing so before continuing on with this story. The short version is, I saw a pumpkin in someone’s window when I was twelve years old, and have spent the last twenty-one years trying to find it for myself. When I published that post, I wasn’t expecting much of a response. I was really just hoping to hear someone say, “Yes, my family had this pumpkin when I was a kid!” Or “I once saw this in a neighbor’...

Katie Pumpkinhead’s Pumpkin Patch

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