Hard-Core Halloween

One of several differences we've noticed recently about Pitt is that Halloween is a BIG DEAL here. And by big deal, I mean that people go all-out with their outdoor decorations. It seems that bigger, more, and (in my opinion) tackier is better. Now, I'm all for being festive, though I happen to lean toward the more "fall harvest-y" decorations - pumpkins, corn stalks, mums - (if any) for us. But I have never seen decorations like I've seen here! I've taken some pictures to document said decorations, but let me tell you, most of these pics do not do them justice. There are also some interesting things I've spotted but haven't been able to get shots of. So, if you will, join me on a stroll through our neighborhood...

#1 - Inflatables - These are HUGE here. Apparently, you're not cool unless you have a giant inflatable (or two, or three...) in your front yard. I have to be totally honest: I am not a fan. Take a look at some of the ones we've caught:

This was the first we saw. Doesn't it just make you feel warm and fuzzy inside?

I know this is dark, but it's a "biker-ghost" with sharp teeth riding a motorcycle. I must say, I've never seen anything like this...

Much easier to see in the daylight. Arachnophobia, anyone?

This house wins the prize. They have 5 (yes, 5) inflatables that are up and running day and night. We're talking moving parts, music, the works. I wonder what their electric bill looks like?!?

This is the same house. The monster in the middle is playing the organ, and the zombies and brides of Frankenstein on each side spin.

.

#2 - Graveyards - It's also popular to make your own headstones here and transform your front lawn into a graveyard. Often the stones have little rhymes on them, such as: "Here lies Fred. He lost his head." Our next door neighbor has a few of these, but here is a house that wanted the trick-or-treaters to be really freaked out:

#3 - Car Decorations - We haven't seen a ton of these, but I thought it was worth mentioning. Brett and I were driving past the mall the other day and had to do a double-take at this car. When we realized what it was hanging out of the trunk, I made him change lanes and follow the car up to the mall so that I had time to get my camera out of my purse for a pic. We found it odd that a Mercedes would be sporting this kind of decoration...

#4 - "Projector Art" - I tried to get a shot of this, but the lighting at night made the image all blurry. So, basically people (at least 2 in our neighborhood) have projectors in their lawns that throw huge images up on the sides of their houses. One says, "HAPPY HALLOWEEN!" with the moon, bats, etc., and the other is an ugly witch stirring up a cauldron. (Important to note: The witch house is right down our street, and they actually have the projector running year-round. Before Halloween, they proudly displayed a giant red cardinal on the side of their house. So, this type of decoration is not limited to holidays. Joy.)

#5 - Miscellaneous - I don't have any pictures to post for this category, either, but let me give you an example: One street down from us, someone has a little fake well in the front yard. There is a corny little witch statue standing by it, as well as two enormous (think the size of a small dog) rubber rats. One is crawling on the ground, and the other is standing on its hind legs. The creepiest thing is, both of them have their mouths open and have fangs (yes, fangs) bared and their tongues just slightly out. When I walked by the house the other day, I could have sworn I heard them hissing at me. C'mon, who puts stuff like that in their yard?

.

Now, I must admit, despite my shock, awe, and sometimes disgust with the Halloween decorations I've seen this season, they have definitely given Brett and me lots of laughs. It's all part of learning a new life in a new place...

.

And apparently it has taken moving to a new place for me to experience, for the very first time, something that I'm pretty sure most people my age have done at least once: pumpkin carving. That's right, it only took me 27 years, but I finally carved a pumpkin. We had our friends Dave and Jess over last night and got our hands dirty scooping 'em out and cutting 'em up on our back porch. Here are the fruits of our labor:

.

Dave's Pumpkin: Super-Intricate Spider Web

Jess's Pumpkin: Dopey Face

Brett's Pumpkin: Pregnant Witch (I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult...)

Kyndal's Pumpkin: Friendly Ghost

Brett's and mine are sitting on a ledge in our front bay window, and, for this year, are serving as our only Halloween decorations. Now, they're not too tacky, are they? :)