A vintage image filled alphabet of fall favourites

My excitement over the fact that we are now, really and truly, into my favourite month of the entire year cannot be contained. I'm buzzing with more energy than if I just ate a semi-trailer truck's worth of the very sweetest Halloween candy (alas, I haven't had a single piece...yet!).

If you've been following my blog for a while now, a.) thank you immensely and b.) chances are you're well acquainted with how much I go utterly wild for all of autumn. Naturally including the gorgeous month of October, and its crowing glory, All Hallows' Eve, which will greet us again in about four weeks time.

To celebrate the start of the 10th month of the year - one of, if not often "the" busiest for our family, thanks to numerous events such as Canadian Thanksgiving, multiple family birthdays (including my sister and maternal grandma's), our wedding anniversary (Tony and I will be toasting twelve awesome years together on the 14th), and of course Halloween itself - I recently had the fun idea of listing some of my very favourite elements of the season.

I wanted to put a different spin on such however, to distinguish it from similar fall/Halloween centered lists, such as this one from 2013, and like a bolt of stormy fall time lightning, the idea struck me recently to do so by presenting such in the form of an alphabet.

This, in and of itself, tying into the start of the school year last month and the general air of all this academic that fills the early weeks of this season.

As it's Sunday and most of us are busy enjoying these final days of mild sunshine and accompanying warmth while they're still here, I didn't want this post to be a huge one by any means and have thus opted to list each entry - which speaks for itself, I feel - simply with with its name, a few further words at most, and an accompanying vintage image.

There are truly countless things to love about fall and this selection of twenty-six entries is the mere tip of the iceberg, but they're some of my perpetual favourites and one that I know are near and dear to many of hearts as well. So without further ado, may I present an alphabetical look at some of the best elements of fall.
 
1. Apples (especially candy and caramel ones!) 


2.Bats



3. Costume parties



4. Dinner, Thanksgiving (yum-yum!!!)


5. Eeriness (as in the general sense of mystery that fills the air as Halloween draws near) 


6. Fall leaves, in all their jewel toned splendor



7. Goblins, ghosts, and ghouls of every sort!



8. Harvest time



9. (The) Invisible Man



10. Jack-o-lanterns



11. Knits - sweaters, scarves, gloves, you name it!



12. Lighting candles on the nights grow longer once more



13. (The) Moon - crescent, harvest, full, any stage of this gorgeous heavenly element is all the more at home during autumn time



14. Nuts - very much including the seasonal gem that is acorns



15. (The colour) Orange



16. Popcorn being transformed into all kinds of sweet and savoury treats (very much including caramel corn and popcorn balls)



17. Queuing up on the first day back to school



18. (Hay) Rides in the crisp autumn air



19. Scarecrows



20. Trick-or-treating



21. (Carrying) UNICEF boxes to collect for charity on Halloween night



22. Vampires (and vampire movies)




23. Werewolves (and, likewise werewolf movies)

24. (The e)Xcitement of Halloween!




25. Yellow, orange and white - the traditional colours of that sweet fall time treat, candy corn!



26. Zombies

{To learn more about a specific image used in today's post, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}

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Which of these autumnal favourites strikes a particular chord with you as well? Are there others that would have take top billing on a list like this of your own? (And, naturally, if you do want to follow my lead and create your own fall favourites alphabet, please, by all means go for it - I'd adore reading your selection as well anytime!)

In a way, I want to say that this week is like the calm before the storm of epic activity that will unfold throughout the month, but in reality, it's already hopping with excitement, full days, and plenty of festive happenings - and you know, I really wouldn't have it any other way.

From my earliest childhood memories onward, October has been a busy, exhilarating time of the year and as someone who really loves to focus on family, tradition, and holidays, this month and its festive happenings brings me an endless amount of happiness.

I hope that it does the same for you as well, no matter what's on your (slice-of-Halloween-cake topped) plate this month, and that you enjoyed this fun alphabet post.

It's a charming way to roundup some of the elements that one treasures the most about a given season and I'm now, quite literally as I type these very words, wondering if perhaps I should give one a go for winter/Christmastime, too. Definitely let me know in the comments below if you'd be keen to see such here as well.

My sweet and wonderful friends, from my heart to yours, I wish you each a gorgeous, thrilling and very merry month of October - which I can hardly wait to celebrate again with you from start to spooky costume clad finish!

Happiest Halloween Greetings!!!

Yes, that is a triple exclamation mark worthy title, because my excitement levels are pretty much off the charts right now, let me tell you!!! At long, long last the day that I have waited patiently through 364 others for has returned once more and I'm as giddy as hummingbird that got into a Halloween candy factory about it!

Soon costumes will donned, any last minute seasonal decor placed out, candles lit and put inside of jack-o-lanterns, the pitter-patter of equally exuberant children will echo through the bitingly crisp hair and crunchy maple leaf clad streets, and I will transform into my chosen character for the night (which I'll be sharing with you all here next week in a festive Halloween costume outfit post).

{Adorable antique Halloween postcard image via Suzee Que}

I know how busy many of us today and thus this isn't going to be a long post in the slightest. I just wanted to take a moment on my favourite holiday to wish you each, from the very bottom of my hearts, a marvelously merry, safe, fun filled, spooktastically awesome All Hallows Eve!

As you may have noticed being the last day of October and this entry appearing in place of it, I'm forgoing the usual end-of-the-month Vintage Link Love post because I know most us have way too much on the go to read through a bunch of links right now. I'll make sure to find some especially terrific ones next month to make up for skipping this one.

Speaking of skipping, I need to hop merrily along and get on with this thrilling, uber fun filled day, my dear friends. I will be posting again in a couple of days, as usual, and will officially be announcing (and inviting people to take part in) 2015's Vintage Secret Santa gift exchange next week, which I'm immensely excited about as well.

Right now though, it's time to slip into orange and black, whip up some more festive treats, and countdown the nanoseconds until tonight!

Joyfully fantastic Halloween wishes, everyone!!!

Halloween 2015 Edition of Flickr Favourites

{Lighting the Jack O' Lantern ~ Paul Malon}






{Burlington Hosiery, September 1959 ~ The Bee's Knees Daily}  


{Moon & Ominous Clouds ~ Lost My Headache}



{Halloween decorations ~ Kath in the Cupboard}



{Vintage Halloween Postcard ~ Susan Criser}



{Closed factory chemistry lab detail ~ Pedro Domingos}



{2010 Halloween Honeys ~ Missy}

{Vintage Halloween Parties ~ Old Halloween}

 

{Halloween kitten ~ Marie's Shots}



{Vintage Halloween Postcard ~ Rip The Skull}

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on its title to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}

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Oohhh, how I've eagerly come to look forward to penning the Halloween edition of Flickr Favourites each year! There are so many marvelously festive images to be had on that huge communal photo (and illustration) sharing site and this year's crop of All Hallows Eve ones is amongst my favourites highlighted in this post to date.

Halloween is always incredibly special to me - and many others the world over, too - but when it falls on Saturday, as it does this year, I can't help but adore it even more, because I'm reminded of the unbridled fun of my youth, when a Saturday Halloween meant that you could spend every moment of the day from dawn to midnight focused on the big day night itself - and without having to think about school the next day to boot!

It's been a long, long time since I was last a student, but I still get every bit as giddy about Halloween. The classroom parties of yore are a distant memory, but not the celebrations I (we) host every October 31st at our house for loved ones.

Costumes, scrumptious foods complete with more sugar than you shake an autumn leaf covered stick at all, handing out candy to trick-or-treaters, watching festive movies (camping, not scary, for me, please and thank you!) very much including my all-time favourite Halloween flick, Disney's Hocus Pocus, and listing to festive music all in a house decorated in no shortage of seasonal accoutrements, are all still the same sorts of things as back when I was little and I know that these treasured elements of Halloween will never change for me.

They are to that day as presents, turkey, and Christmas carols are to December 25th, which - wow - come to think of it, is precisely two months away. Fabulous as that season is unto itself, I'm in no hurry to get there yet. At least not until November 1st, when the Halloween decorations come down the Christmas season plans and decorating start in earnest shortly thereafter.

Nope, right here, right now, it's all about the cobwebs and scarecrows, candy apples and merriment of this fabulously festive autumn celebration. These playfully eerie elements will always, no matter if I live to be a hundred years old, bring out the kid in me and make me delight, in much as the same way as I did when I was knee high to pumpkin, over the spooky fun that All Hallows Eve!

What are you looking forward to this Halloween, my sweet dears?

Halloween 2014 edition of Flickr Favourites

{Goblin on the moon ~ Wyld_Hare}


{1954 Halloween Fluffy Frosting Ad ~ Neato Coolville}


{Vintage Halloween Ephemera ~ Suzee Que}



{Dracula ~ X-ray Delta One}


{Wrigley's Spearmint Gum Halloween Ad ~ Neato Coolville}



{Candle ~ Flood G.}



{Redbook cover Oct 1933, Bobbing for Apples ~ Genibee}



{Vintage Halloween Witch ~ Suzee Que}



{Happy Halloween ~ Carlin}



{Witches, Goblins and Ghosts ~ Neato Coolville}

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on its title to be taken to its respective Flickr page.} 

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Boo!!! Did I scare you? I hope not, because I've always been more of a fan of the cute and charming side of Halloween than the nightmare inducing horror filled one. That isn't to say I don't enjoy a bit of a startle under the right circumstances (say like a haunted house), but overall, I'm more apt to carve a smiling face on my jack-o-lantern than a grimacing, frightening one.

If, like me, you're a massive fan of all things Halloween, you're probably on the edge of your (rickety antique) seat for next Friday! At less than a week away now, there's so much to see and do and enjoy before the big day gets here. Much like as with Christmas, Halloween has never, and will never just be a one day event for me. Yes, technically, the big day is the 31st, but prior to that I genuinely love the anticipation, the planning, the sweet treats (candy apples! caramel corn! pumpkin pie!), and the excited thrill of anticipation that fills the ever chillier autumn air.

I wait for these last few beautiful, exciting days of fall each year in a way that I can honestly say, as much as I love certain other holidays and special events, any other. They make me feel like a child again, bursting with wide-eyed wonder, a shiver running up my spine with each creak in the floor boards, every ghost story told, and the each little sound that went bump in the night.

There is a magical merriment to this time of the year, regardless of if you observe Halloween on not. Fall is at its zenith, decked out in a regal gown as rich as any brocade ever woven, of jewel toned leaves and fields so golden they rival the sun. The nights are getting shorter, but the days haven't been reduced to mere hours quite yet. The world smells of damp earth and apple cider, straw and root vegetables. We can still feel warmth in the light, but there's that distinct nip of winter's impending arrival in the air as well and the two swirl about like miniature candy bar wrappers waltzing merrily in the air.

If I had the incredible power to control the seasons, this period would be at least a couple of months, instead of a few brief weeks, if we're lucky, long. And yet, just as quickly as I write that, I can't help but wonder, isn't part of the inherent appeal, charm, and deeply embed beauty of mid-autumn the fact that it is, like sighting a ghostly apparition, such a fleeting moment?

It might just be, you know, and that's the all the more reason to savour it, like you would your favourite Halloween treat, while it's here. Soon, all too soon, we'll be up to our eyeballs and earlobes in sweaters, down parkas, and Christmas decorations once again. Let's take a moment today, and every day for the next little while, to stop and smell the pumpkins, so to speak, while they're still here and give thanks for the all of the fun, fancifulness, and truly wonderful elements that make the Halloween season one that is so appealingly unlike any other.