Boo (that’s the sound of Halloween approaching)!
When it rolls around each year, I find myself nostalgic for the youthful experience of trick or treating, listening to spooky music, and watching Disney channel Halloween movies while stuffing my face with the night’s spoils. Celebrations haven’t looked like this for a while, but this year has pulled me back to sweet memories and tested my creativity with how to get into this spooky season.
Since I know I will be getting into the spirit by indulging in a night in, here are a few ideas for creating a haunted Halloween evening in your own room:
- Get the lighting right: Whether it is a string of fairy lights or the colored light of a diffuser, set the mood with some dimmed and dramatic lighting. I have never heard of a Halloween movie or book where it was well lit!
- Light a candle: In addition to the ways they contribute to lighting, I really enjoy adding a scent to my room during all seasons and circumstances. My favorites are Book Lovers Soy Candles from Frostbeard Studios, a company who makes uniquely scented candles based on books and bookish experiences. They even have a fall line with scents like “Pumpkin Juice,” “Spooky Stories,” and “The Inklings,” which are perfectly autumnal. If you’re interested, check them out here: https://www.frostbeardstudio.com/collections/seasonal
- Pick a Spooky Read: Since I often get nostalgic for my childhood Halloweens, I am reminded of a book series I felt to be eerie and goosebump inducing. The Land of Elyon fantasy series by Patrick Carman follows Alexa Daley, a young girl mystified by what lurks beyond the walls of the town of Bridewell. Said to keep the town protected from unspeakable evils and magic, the walls taunt Alexa, eventually leading her to explore what lives outside and ultimately get wrapped up in a struggle between good and evil. When I was younger, I was frightened at the danger of Alexa’s and Bridgewell’s destruction; I even had to put the book down and take laps around my room to prepare for the next chapter! To reread it now would surely reveal it to not be as scary as I remember, but it might serve to reignite the Halloween spirit of my inner child. If you don’t feel that Patrick Carman’s books are the kind of fright you need in your night, check out some other horror novel that cultivates a Halloween thrill and pairs well with your ambience!
- Make a seasonal beverage: You’ll want some refreshments while you read, so be sure to make yourself something creative. I personally think that making some homemade butterbeer sounds rather delectable, so I will be heading over to https://www.pastryaffair.com/blog/2011/7/14/butterbeer.html to check out the recipe!
Hopefully some dramatic lighting, spooky scents, a terrifying novel, and a creative beverage is the recipe for an exciting and literary Halloween night. Happy haunts!