Halloween at Roger's Gardens

Never to disappoint, this years Halloween presentation at Rogers Gardens in Newport Beach is sure to please. Not the their best ever, but definitely a display to see, especially if you need to decorate for a party or to get party ideas. They used all sorts of techniques such as cardboard walls, in which they glue gunned small cars to. They hung clip boards on the walls to describe each section or to display verbiage/pictures. Cardboard was cut into strips and painted black

or a gun metal silver and then curled as if it was rod iron. This technique was used on the ceilings in a scroll fashion. And speaking of ceilings, they even used boxes that the merchandise came in, hung them upside down on the ceiling with the box tops open and stuffed animals or creatures coming out, on the ceilings. But, I think it is the merchandise

that they carry that is so unique and one would probably not find anywhere else that makes it such a "treat" to go through their "Funn and Gaems." The snake that would snap at you as your hand got close to it was a hit with my husband. He stood there for the longest time trying to outsmart the snake. This item is similar to the one with the hand in the center of the candy bowl that would come down and slap you if you went for a piece of candy. You could tell the snake was fake, but there was something about that fanged mouth coming at you that just

gave you the creeps. One of the rooms had Barbie dolls in their packages with creepy names on the boxes hung on the wall. Dolls everywhere. Baby dolls, Barbie dolls, plastic dolls, dolls sprayed black and then arranged onto a wall like melted baby dolls all charred.

Bethany Lowe products made a prominent presentation. I like seeing her items, but then if you have already purchased her merchandise no need to buy more since the items are so similar. Looking at this display section one would come to the conclusion that you already owned half that stuff - now you know how to display it this year. A new twist. There was a candy table with sweet treats such as decorated cookies and kits to decorate your own cookies. Jewelry. Unique pieces from Two's Company - a rhinestone spider necklace, broaches, and glass pumpkin necklaces with matching earrings and bracelets. The rooms were decorated with fabric covered walls in

stripes and polka dots. All in black and white. Table centerpieces includes fluted vases filled with black feathered plumes. They were beautiful. One plume was $6 and it would take a handful to make a good display so I had to pass. The feathered crows are still my favorite.

They displayed them with their wings wide open as if in "attack" or ready to to attack mode. I love Halloween and I love going to Roger's Gardens to see their Halloween display. From the moment I receive the postcard in the mail to the actual opening is like waiting for Christmas! Oh and if you were wondering what to do with your Halloween decorations or memorabilia that breaks or is too small to use - one of their artists made trees with these incidental items and has them priced at $400 and $500! (This is the last picture in the post). Looked easy to assemble. I might just make time to put one of these together! Happy Halloween!

Alegria in Sierra Madre on Halloween Night

This year for Halloween we decided to do something different. Each Halloween we have friends over and serve Chili and BBQ'd Pork Tenderloin. We usually dress up in costume and scare the trick or treaters as they come up to the door through the "fog" on our path. It is such a blast! Guests have to bring a pumpkin item so we end up with a variety of treats to taste. And to date no one has brought the same item yet. So it is always fun to see what people bring, this is making me salivate just writing about it! Well this year, since Halloween fell on a Saturday night we decided to do something different that the kids might enjoy and remember. We decided to take them to the famous Alegria Street in Sierra Madre...

The nights trek was a twenty minute drive, so we started to tell ghost stories in the car. WE each would contribute something to this progressive story. They were so cute. I should have recorded them! We finally made it up Baldwin in the train of cars. Now to find a place to park all or our cars together. That was a feat. Once we parked and hoofed it up to Alegria we were amongst hundreds of other treaters. The homes on this street go all out in decorations and pumpkin carvings. Grave yards line the lawns. Driveways are peppered with ghouls. Porches are strung with webs and creepy hangin' things. It is a sight for sure for us "older" treaters. The most amazing displays you will ever see of live pumpkins that have been carved into masterpieces...

Some homes put on a "show." There are flying ghosts on pulleys, two homes had photo opportunities - one had a live witch you can take a photo with, the other was a stationary creepy guy. One house served hot cider to everyone. You just needed to make your way up a long path filled with the most creative carved pumpkins. And the some homes have a theme.

Like this Spanish Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos , display. Complete with the hanging lanterns and skeleton display. One was a pumpkin house, the Parkers Pumpkin Porch as it read on a wooden sign secured to the top of the front door. Several homes were grave yards. One was a cacti mecha! The owners decorated their cactus plants with beaded necklaces and clothing. It is odd to describe - one had to see it in person to appreciate...

And it would not be Halloween if we did not see Michael Myers. This Michael loved the fact that I was taking his picture. He ended up posing for several. I liked the ones where I have him behind the group of people and you can see his face, as if he were following us... I don't think he was a "kid" either. He seemed like a "older" person. Creepy...

And I included this picture so you can get the idea of the number of people that come here for Halloween. The street is closed off. They bring in a porta potty. Police are visible. And the parking is difficult. The hords of people that line the sidewalk and streets are many! Some bring their oversized dogs? I observed one dog large enough to be a "bear" growling at a baby carriage. Hello! Why are you bringing a dog to an event that will be filled with children? Oh my! Crazy! Oh and do not come here with the idea of getting lots of candy. The boys were sorta disappointed that they did not get much. But that is because this street attracts over 3,000 people during the night. It was fun for them to atleast experience this treat once!

Cal Poly Pumpkin Patch

This is the Pumpkin Patch at Cal Poly Pomona. Every year on the third weekend of the month they open this field to the public and have a "Pumpkin Harvest." There are booths, music, samples, displays, activities for the kids and of course this awesome pumpkin patch with every size and shape pumpkin you could possibly imagine! The Agriculture Department of this college sponsors this event. It was so much fun to go to when the kids were younger. We would select all of our pumpkins and take our "Halloween Photo" here. Now with the kids sporting schedule it has not worked out for us to be available at the same time. So Jackson and I go. I enjoy everything about October. The changing of the leaves, the weather change, the colors, the decorations on the homes, the pumpkin pies and cookies, soup and all the pumpkin carving! I can not believe the month is almost over... I loved it!

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Halloween..!

It's getting creepy! Very spooky around town! I just love it when people get into this holiday (if you will) and decorate their homes all haunted! Our neighbors decorated their house for their Halloween Party. They even had one of those carriages driven by a headless horseman. The house with the witch I found while driving around Claremont. Loved the witch! Too scary. She looked so real.

When I was young people did not decorate their houses like this. I can only imagine the memories that my kids will have. I just remember trick-or-treating with hoards of kids and using a pillowcase for the candy. Not the dinky candy that is handed out now. The big bars... oh my! Popcorn balls and cider were handed out. We treated for hours.... it was such a crazy night. Can not wait. I think I am more excited than my kids!

Roger's Gardens Magic Room

Every year I try to make it down to Roger's Gardens to see their Halloween "Shop" of Horrors and when they open up their Christmas Wonderland. I missed the Halloween this year and was only able to capture the tail end of the display. (It opens late August and I was there on Columbus Day). The pictures do not do the room justice, it really is simply the most amazing display I have ever seen - and I say this every year! Truly a group of gifted display artists put this menagerie of horrors together into a cohesive treat. The display had a wall of photo's that would follow you or turn into a creepy pic if you turn your head a bit. I bought some of these. Way creepy! Vintage photo's of people from the 1800's. Some would turn into vampire's or display the way they died.

The Roger's Gardens display had a lab - complete with bubbling blue water in the lab flasks. A chandelier made from "heads," a creepy doll that was dusted in white looking into a mirror. A wall of clowns, a magic room with floating cards and vintage magic tricks. And of course the famous marionette "Andy" who spoke as he sat on a stack of books welcoming you as you entered the magic zone. And you had to see the vintage wheel chair! Just looking at it was scary....

I love Halloween! I love this creepy stuff. I love the displays people put together at their homes. I love Knott's Scary Farm and Halloween parties. I love spooky movies and the spooky music they have now to play on Halloween. I love the Winnie the Pooh CD. "Which witch is this?" and the movie "Hocus Pocus." Love those costumes! Fun, fun and spooky fun!