Spectacular spookiness that goes beyond October
Halloween is an every day of the year event for this Newfoundland family
It began with the excitement of trickor-treating, meeting neighbours, seeing spine-chilling or cute front yard Halloween displays and eating a lot of candy while staying up late with family in handmade costumes.
That love for the generosity of strangers, the community coming together, the transformation, and the celebration of the spookiest day of the year is why Elyse Sparkes, from St. John’s, N.L., has incorporated Oct. 31 into her lifestyle.
“I always liked Halloween and passed this on to my daughter, Lilly, who is just as crazy about this holiday. We like to live it 365 days a year,” says Sparkes.
NOT JUST A DAY
“We wear Halloween-inspired clothes all year long,” Sparkes says.
“It’s nothing for my kids to be wearing a Jack Skellington in the middle of July. We work on our Halloween projects all summer. And we have a cabinet of curiosities in our living room filled with skulls and hands.”
Even their home decor has a Halloween-style twist.
“My daughter wants her bedroom redone in a Wednesday Addams theme, so that’s my next big project,” she adds.
CREATIVE COSTUMES
And with the hot summer days behind and the early morning mist of fall, Sparkes gets into the season’s spirit with her best friend, Liz Howell, for a creepy outdoor photoshoot dressed in costumes and set between the colourful changing of the leaves.
“My parents often made our costumes, so their DIY designs inspired me to get creative and make my Halloween pieces when I left home. It’s a stress reliever,” she says.
“I take on one major project every year, so I’ve been working on a giant (like the 12-foot skeletons you can purchase online) Grim Reaper. Last year, it was a zombie pit and witches’ cauldron.”
SPECIAL PROJECT
The giant Grim Reaper, she says, is created from monster mud, combining drywall compound and paint.
“It makes everything look like it was made from cement, so you can add cloth to the piece and cover it in this mixture, and it will harden,” she explains.
Where do her ideas come from? “Sometimes I visit the dollar store and pick up materials, and then I get templates online and join forums where other like-minded people share their ideas, the materials they will use, and the steps to create the piece,” she says.
“I enjoy sourcing the materials and there’s a great sense of accomplishment once completed.”
FAMILY FUN
Sparkes says her kids join the fun, helping her create their display.
“We create a creepy cemetery with inflatable witches, hanging skeletons and smoke machines; it’s all stationary and everything must be done in stages,” she says.
“And I always get compliments from passers-by, the neighbours and kids love coming on Halloween to see everything in its full glory lighted up.”