Until Next Year

So Halloween is finally done and I've posted my last blog post for this year, Halloween 2016 has been one of the most incredible journeys I've ever been on. I've began my very own spiritual path, experienced things I never knew possible and luck flew my way. I felt so close to ancestors, I prayed, I became a new person and even though it's not something I'm willing to discuss at this time I believe October is the most incredible magical month and if it's possible I think I even love Halloween a little bit more.

I just want to take this opportunity to thank every single person who's read my Halloween blog this month, it was such a random decision and although I didn't get to spend as much time as I would've liked to spend blogging I'm already drafting posts for next year and I can't wait to see you all again next October.

Blessed Be,
Lynda ðŸŽƒ

Halloween 2016

And so it ends.. Halloween has come and gone and I couldn't be more upset if I tried. I'm sure from my previous posts you've understood the reasons why I love Halloween so much and like every other Halloween this one has it's own story to tell.
Last year we celebrated Halloween twice, once in Carlow (which is a night none of us will ever forget) and once in Carrick where we had the best night of our lives.
The year before that was a usual little party in my house which insisted of great friends and Sam Smith and the one before that..well that year was the craziest Halloween I've ever encountered, a story not fit for blogs but this year was a little different than all the above because it was celebrated on the 30th and not the 31st so there actually wasn't any celebration on Halloween night.

What you can say though is we started celebrated hard and it began from October 1st. I started my Halloween blog and we began planning our little days out like Loftus Hall and Youghalloween, I missed out on so many amazing events due to work but I celebrated it from day 1 and I'm so happy we made the most out of the most magical time of the year... literally!!
 For me, this October has been the most intense one yet as I really took a huge leap into the spiritual side of things, what really affected me was when I realised that the veil between our world and the dead was at it's thinnest so I really reached out to my spiritual guiders and ancestors and the response I've gotten has been incredible. I don't want to go too much into it as it's a very personal journey but it's been surreal and I've taken so much out of this Halloween.

After all the fun events came and passed the main event was on the 30th of October when our SoberTober had come to an end and we decided to get back out on the bandwagon drinking again. One of my favourite things about Halloween is dressing up and this year I decided to think outside the box and go as a mime. As a rule I hate mimes, they drive me insane and their make up scares me but it was happening and I bought my costume from thecostumeshop.com which I found brilliant, it was free delivery and it arrived the very next day so I was delighted and would really recommend that website.


As much as I love dressing up I wont lie and say I'm a natural at makeup so myself and the girls got together early and began painting our faces and we only had a few minor breakdowns along the way. I tell ya if lads had to go through what girls had to go through for a night out then ladies nights would be much more popular believe me but when all was finally done it was time to break the six week drinking ban and enjoy ourselves...and that we did!!
I even endured twenty minutes of no talking during pre drinks and that for me, was not easy believe me!!
After we woke up on the Monday morning though we looked very different and definitely scary enough for Halloween without a costume and we quickly came to terms with the fact our Halloween celebrations had finally come to an end. I made my pumpkin cake, ghostly cupcakes, horedible hands and finished decorating and by that time then it was time to head to bed...such a sad Halloween night I know but what can you do when you live in a shoe?!
So that was my Halloween story this year, very different to my other mad years, I did Samhain blessings, honoured my ancestors and became very spiritual focusing less on going out and partying and it was great but next year??? Double party to make up for it!!
I hope you all had an amazing Halloween!!


My House At Halloween - 2016

Decorating the house at Halloween is something that's just always been done in my home, no questions asked we just always went all out for Halloween and this year was of course no different. Even though I am 21 and not 12 I've always said the one thing I refuse to give up is the Halloween spirit in me and it began on Saturday night when I began hacking into my pumpkin.
 I brought my dog Mursher outside and forced her to sit with me and listen to this is halloween on repeat for the 3 hours when I carved my two pumpkins we'll call them disaster 1 and disaster 2, only messing they were class (well until it started getting dark and I realised I was carving my hands and not the orange flesh of the pumpkin) but none the less they turned out fairly decent and I had a great evening bonding with Mursher in my cape getting into the Halloween spirit.

The inside of the house started bright and early on Sunday morning, Sunday was the day Halloween really kicked off for me and I started the day by putting on my black witches cape and playing my Halloween playlist... on repeat!! First things first I had to go through my four black sacks full of decorations which is actually my favourite part, I have a ridiculous amount, half of what I couldn't even stick up but I love opening the sacks and seeing what I've forgotten I still have, I'm like a child on Christmas morning.
The first thing to happen is every bottle gets a label, I love doing this. I think they look amazing especially if you're having a party. I bought my labels for €1 in PartyWorld but you can easily make your own and I'm sure you can find them in loads of Halloween shops but in my house they're on every bottle.
One area of my house that I'll always decorate is my hallway and this is one of my favourite decorations, this tree is up 24/7 with the lights attached and I think it looks perfect for Autumn especially with a little pumpkin and a lantern beside it.
The first place I always decorate is my sitting room and I start with the mantle piece. Black flowers always set the spooky theme. These are plastic ones that I bought in Euro Giant years ago for €1.50 and I still have them years on. As a matter of fact most items on this mantle piece are from the pound shop and I think it looks deadly. 
Especially with the lights off..
When it comes to the outside of my house I make that little bit more of an effort doing as much as I can to transform my house into the perfect Halloween scene, the pictures I took were from the day before Halloween so it wasn't completely transformed yet but you'll get the idea.
I always have a couple of tombstones scattered around the garden and I feel they look especially good in the day time (please excuse my pathetic excuse of a 'boo' pumpkin) 
Then there's my inflatable ghosts, these are such a goldmine at Halloween as everyone loves them. I used to have a eight foot pop up ghost and a witch splashed into a wall decorations but over the years this disappeared but the garden always looks well... or at least I think so!!

And there you have it, a quick look at my house on Halloween. Of course there's so much more I could show you but I hope you've gotten some inspo from my house and next year don't worry I'll photograph everything!!!! 

Horedible Hands

If you come into my house on Halloween night something you're bound to see scattered around the kitchen are horedible hands and that's a given.
I've been making these for as long as I remember and they go down so well with trick or treaters (and my friends) each and every year, plus they're so simple and fun to make.
What you need:
-Plastic gloves (clear ones not ones with the powder in them)
- Smarties or something similar
- Popcorn
-Elastics 

I don't think anything looks more impressive on the kitchen table than these hands and like I said they're so easy to make.

1. Place the same colour smarties in each finger of the glove as the finger nail, I skipped this step this year as I completely forgot to buy them but you can use anything as long as it's edible and the same colour as the nails.
2. Stuff the hands with the popcorn, I made about fifteen gloves this year with four bags of microwave popcorn, but fill them up making sure you push the popcorn down into the fingers.
3. Tie the glove at the top/ neck of it. What I used this year were the little loom bands and they worked perfectly but any elastic will do. If you can't find elastic then you can just tie a knot in the top of the glove and there you have it.

Three of the easiest steps and kids love to make and eat these, something to keep them entertained for a while anyway!! 
Serve these along with my ghostly cupcakes and you'll be the most popular house in the avenue. 

Youghalloween 2016

Yes I've been in Halloween mode since October 1st but Friday evening is when it all kicked off to me as I headed to Youghal for my first ever Youghalloween. Previously on my post about things to do this Halloween I discovered this three day festival in Co.Cork and couldn't wait to see what Youghalloween spooktacular had to offer and believe me when I say it was an experience.
I finished work at 6pm on Friday and headed straight to Youghall with the three amigos Karen, Annmarie and Roisín. None of us were too sure what to expect but as I recently got really involved in the spiritual side and witchcraft I knew I had no choice but to attend and see some witches in real life and witness their practises, it was unbelievable to see how they practised their craft and showed it to everyone.
 I was still in my work clothes so couldn't get too dressed up but I did wear my cape (which I got in Tesco for €7 and am obsessed with) whilst the girls made a similar effort, I love the fact you were encouraged to dress up, it really made you embrace the Halloween spirit and I loved it.

The night kicked off at half past 7 and we got there around ten past, when I go next year I'll make sure to get their earlier as the place did fill up quite quickly but we could see perfectly what was going on. It was set on the mall beach and it was the perfect location I couldn't believe how beautiful it looked, my pictures do not do it justice I swear. They had the fire burning in the circle which was then used as the witches casting circle, the reason they light this circle of flame is to keep out the negative energies and only work within the light and with positive energies as all white witches do. It was within this castle circle that the witches soon gathered and did their opening ceremony and welcomed An bhean uisce. Being 100% honest with you before I went to Youghall I had not got a clue what An bhean uisce was and days later I still don't know the whole story about it. They do of course tell you the whole story but it was over a microphone and we were a bit away so I couldn't really make out what was being said but none the less watching the witches preform was amazing and it really affected me in a great way, I loved it!! 
The whole ceremony was absolutely breathtaking, the sparklers and flames were absolutely deadly and then it was time to welcome the bean usice home. She arrived on a boat and was met by the knights and witches of Youghall before being marched around the town.
The whole thing was just absolutely beautiful and really kicked off the Halloween weekend. I fell in love with Youghall that night and it made me appreciate Halloween a million times more. It made me miss the old Halloween, when it was genuinely really appreciated and loved but the work the community of Youghall put in is incredible and really goes above and beyond. The Saturday was an amazing day especially for children, with storytelling, wand making classes and haunted tours of the town. I realised it was an event that you can bring the whole family to, whether you're 7 or 70 you belong at Youghalloween. 
Unfortunately I had to miss Monday night and it was the night I wanted to be at more than anything because it was the closing ceremony and the witches were going to dance, there's a video that went viral of German witches dancing and the witches of Youghall were going to re create this.
From the videos posted on facebook they did an amazing rendition of the dance and it was on that night the ceremony came to a close much like this blog post. Summed up I loved my weekend in Youghall and I can't wait for next year... unbelievable.