The Halloween That Wouldn't End

Halloween still hasn't arrived yet, but my family has already gone trick-or-treating (thank God). With these cold Michigan nights growing increasingly colder, I always jump at the chance to knock out the outdoor activities earlier in the month. Besides, once Halloween actually rolls around I can be home to pass out candy for all of the neighborhood kids--so its a win-win.

This year my son picked out his own costume. He was a vampire!

And oh what a cute little vampire he was!

 

 

His grandmother decided to do his make-up on the car ride over to our destination and it really stepped his costume up a notch!

 

 

He loved wearing his makeup :)

 

At the last minute I decided that I should be 'something' too. So I got some holly garland and some Christmas lights, stuck some gems on my forehead and called myself the Christmas Spirit. Lame I know, but it was very spur of the moment *shrugs*.

 

You can see a bit of the garland in my hair in this shot. My mom was Raggedy Andy and I thought she was just darling!

 

 

As always we had an excellent time at Crossroads Village and we even rode the old ghost train :-)

Ready to ride!

 

If you're ever in the area, Crossroads Village is definitely the way to go. Its completely family friendly and it runs the entire month of October.

 

Moving on.

 

This year we decided to try out Tillson Street in historic Romeo, MI--and I'm glad that we did. Apparently, it's a block of fun loving people that know no limits when it comes to Halloween décor. From old hunted pirate ships, extravagant castles, a dance party with people just 'dying' to get in, and even a Tillson Street Theater--it was all there on the block. If I didn't already love Romeo, this event would have won me over for sure. The collaborative effort of the neighbors to create something spectacular for all who venture out is truly something special.

 

I thought we were being smart by coming out the week before Halloween (Tillison Street attracts around 2,000 trick-or-treaters on Halloween night), not so. The streets were packed! The lines to see the homes were beyond ridiculous, so we opted to ride the street as slowly as possible in the car. But enough talk, here's the few pictures I managed to get:

 

Some of the homes were decorated more mildly. But nearly everyone on the block joined in on the fun.

The view was a bit obscured from the car, but you get the drift

 I think this one was my fav. This is the dead dance party I was talking about. The amount of creativity and skill that went into these displays is incredible, pictures could never do it justice. In real life the scene was better lit and of course a lot darker (the camera's flash lit things up a lot). Anyways, check out that chandelier in the tree :)

Here's a few of the dancers...

Another home showcased Pirates :) 

 This house was creepy on a whole other level, especially if you're not that into clowns

I mean really...

;-)



 I was extremely disappointed that I wasn't able to capture all of the amazingness on the block, but trust me when I say, it was a sight to behold. My little guy was happy so that's all that really matters.

To hear more about my adventures in Romeo when it isn't so spooky, you can go here. I Love that place. For a firsthand account of just what Tillson Street is all about go here, be sure to click on the gallery--really good pictures there. 

 

Now, these next few pics aren't about Halloween, but they are about fall. Every year I try to get a couple fall shots of my little guy. Here's this year's:

 

On the water

In the woods





 

This year I decided to take his pictures at Hawk Woods, a local nature preserve just a few miles away from home. My mom sent me a fall pic from last year (taken in my backyard) that she had edited into a magazine cover. I fell in love with it, my baby looked like he belonged.

 

Can we get this guy on the cover of a magazine, please? :)

 

And this is my newest favorite photo, just a random day at the park with my baby love :-)

 

If you've been reading the blog then you know that we've celebrated Halloween the entire month of October:

Week 1: Decorated the house

Week 2: Trick or Treating

Week 3: Tillson Street

& last but not least, this weekend, Week 4: It will be pumpkin carving and Halloween Night. Geeze! That's a lot, but it's all been well worth it seeing the smile on my little guy's face. So what about you? Know of a place that we should visit next year? I'd love to add it to our list, leave the details in the comments. Until the next time, Xo!