The Very First ‘Pumpkinseed’//October 110th, 2021

If you ask me my earliest memories of things related to Halloween, there are many.

The initial thing that comes to mind is my first year trick-or-treating, at age four. I have vivid memories of my pumpkin costume, a hand-me-down from my cousin, and being coaxed out from under a table and into the magical world of Halloween, that would become my world from that moment on. I often catch myself wondering if that’s where my specific obsession with pumpkin people originates from.

I think a lot about those classic McDonald’s Halloween pails, served with a Happy Meal inside. A small collection of them existed in my home before I was born, and I played with them like toys before I’d ever even experienced Halloween. Each one had a name and a personality (my favorite being “Katta”, the witch) and would often leave me with a craving for French fries (or a milkshake, in the ghost’s case) when I was done playing. One day soon, those guys will get their own post here.

There is one vague memory that’s sat at the back of my mind for awhile, though. Like the pails, my parents had many things around the house from before I was born. And the Halloween item that I actually have my very earliest memories of playing with, was actually a small pin the shape of a pumpkin. But this wasn’t just an ordinary pumpkin, either. It had a little string on the bottom, and when you pulled it, a smiling ghost declaring a friendly “Boo!” popped out from inside, wearing the top of the pumpkin like an oversized hat.

It’s one of those things I never really consciously thought about anymore, but the memory was always just there, hazy in the back of my mind, that my first experience with Halloween was with this interesting little relic that I found among a bunch of tiny toys that my parents kept in a little bucket under one of the lamps in the living room when I was a toddler. Every so often I would see it in my mind’s eye, a blurry vision of a little plastic pumpkin and the smiling face of a ghost.

I only started actually thinking more about it recently, after discovering ScaryRigged, a shop run by a lovely lady named Heather, that specializes in vintage Halloween jewelry. This shop has become my absolute favorite for Halloween jewelry. Everything has so much character. I often keep an eye on it for updates, and one day, lo and behold, in Heather’s Instagram story, there was the pin from my youth, that had been nothing but a hazy memory for so long.

It’s such a strange feeling, when these little relics return to my life. I didn’t know the first time I ever held this pin, that my life would one day revolve around all things relating to Halloween, but this truly was the first real piece of that puzzle. Up until I saw this for sale again, I was wondering how accurate my memory even was, but when I hold this in my hand, I know I’m holding the first little pumpkinseed that helped me grow into the pumpkin that I am.

What are your earliest memories of Halloween-related things? I would love to know!

Stay spooky, my friends.

Pumpkin Guts: Devil’s Night//October 277th, 2024

I was recently given the opportunity to check out a new, independent Halloween short film called Pumpkin Guts: Devil’s Night. (Picture from IMDb) I first became aware of this film through the Instagram page , and to say I absolutely knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I’d love it, would be an understatement. I can always tell when a piece of media is truly going to radiate Halloween, in the way that will transport me through whatever month we’re currently in (in this case, probably the most disgusting July on record) and into Halloween night itself. When I was offered early access to this short film, I could not have been more honored. Even though I’ve built up somewhat of a following within the Halloween community, it still amazes me every day that people finally truly see and feel what I’m trying to create; that my love of Halloween finally means something and brings some joy and comfort to others like myself, and that anyone, especially a filmmaker, would trust me ...

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’...

How The Halloween Community Saved My Life//October 226th, 2024

In 2018, I thought I was dying. It wasn't a health scare, at least not a physical one. I was losing myself. 2018 was a truly transitional time for me. At the time, I was living with my parents, along with my boyfriend at the time, who I'd been with for over a decade. They say you never know what the next day is going to bring, and April 2018 was proof of that. Around the middle of the month, I made the decision to end my relationship, for several reasons, one being complicated feelings I had for someone else. I was in the process of figuring all of that out, when, not more than a week later, my father abruptly decided it was time to retire, put the house up for sale, and move to Florida. I don't do well with change on a good day. But dealing with all of this at once was rough. I was facing a breakup, a possible new relationship, and suddenly potential homelessness, all at once. (If you know me at all, you'll understand that moving to Florida was never a con...

Katie Pumpkinhead’s Pumpkin Patch

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