Halloween Kid

I just sent this adorable book by Rhode Montijo to my niece,

because Halloween packages are
pretty much the greatest thing. ever.

and because it features two
of my favorite things: Halloween and Cowboys.

I found my copy at a Pottery Barn and was delighted by the rip-roarin' story of the Halloween Kid saving Halloween from goodie gobblin' goblins and a whole host of other shady, Halloween stoppin' bad guys. 
"Yee-ha-Halloween!" the Halloween Kid shouts!

Plus, the author totally rocks. He not only illustrates his own books, he also absolutely, totally loves Halloween and makes all sorts of Halloween art. Including--hello--a vintage-looking Halloween Kid lunch box. I want this =)

I'm a champion of this incredible holiday, and I'm glad to find I've got some help out there.

Top three reasons to get excited about Halloween:

1. COSTUMES--No big surprise the actor girl likes dressing up, I know. But Halloween costumes are more than that, they're a special tradition. Growing up, my mom always made our costumes. As we got older, we began to take a more active part in imagining, designing, and creating the costumes of our dreams. It was, and is, incredibly satisfying to create an entire character, to bring an idea to life and then show your friends what you accomplished whilst gathering candy and visiting with the neighbors. I am so grateful my parents often dressed up with us (and still do). They let us know it was okay to be silly and have fun, that you don't have to grow out of dressing up the way you might grow out of trick-or-treating. It's such a delightful, fun thing to plan and anticipate; my sister and I will talk about costume ideas all year long. Those ready-made, cookie-cutter costumes off the rack at Walmart may be best for some, but I am happy Mom took the time and money to create unique costumes with us.
I wish I had photos of us as kids!
I'm going to put in a call
and ask her to send me some.

2. PUMPKINS--pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin-scented candles, pumpkin-picking farms and hayrides, pumpkin-carving, seeing tiny pumpkins in the grocery store, driving past a wagon full of harvested pumpkins on the side of a country road (is the word pumpkin starting to look a little strange to you, too?). Actually, it's more than just pumpkins. It's the atmosphere of Halloween stuff. It's seeing goofy Halloween decor in the aisle at the store. It's attempting to realistically spread spider webs down the railing in your house to make your staircase look spooky. It's that Halloween card in the mail from Great Grandma "V" with $5 (this one is weird to Elizabeth--she never got Halloween cards, but we ALWAYS did. In fact, I've already mailed cards to all my siblings and my mother). It's the fact that we didn't just decorate our house--we transformed our house into a magical place. The neighbor who has a million Christmas lights blinking and flashing, an inflatable snowman in the yard and a glowing sleigh with a full set of reindeer on the roof through the month of December (you know this guy, right?)
--we are the equivolent during October.
Graves dug in the front yard,
a coffin with real bones peeking out
just inside the door,
and goulish pictures hanging on the walls.

3. GOOD, CLEAN FUN--this is the time when people host jack-o-lantern festivals, make apple cider, and tell classic spooky stories while frosting ghost-shaped sugar cookies. I have amazing memories of classic skating in costume, awkward middle school Halloween dances, hanging on to my friends while making our way through haunted houses, even being attacked by a candy-giving pirate on a Halloween cruise one year! In my family, we bust out the greatest movies at this time of year: Hocus Pocus, Lady in White, Wait Until Dark, High Spirits (randomly featuring Peter O'Toole, Liam Neeson, and Daryl Hannah). Nothing horrifying or evil, I don't dabble in that stuff--just the crazy, fun things like throwing a dinner party and making all the food
 resemble creepy ingredients from a witch's spellbook.