Dream come true...with pics!

**MichaelMyers1** · 11-14-2010,08:00 PM

Well, this year was a big success for us as far as Halloween goes! We couldnt have been happier! The short version is since DH and I have been married (8 years), we have lived in houses with virtually NO TOT. First house, ZERO....this house we have been in now....6 kids total on the street, and four of them moved away....leaving two. So here and there we have had some neighborhood kids, and I have recruited friends, coworkers, etc to stop by. First year in the house, 17 total kids/adults, second year, 23 kids/adults. We didnt do anything formal-just a "Hey, we like to decorate for Halloween! So stop on by if you can to TOT" and we would always have snacks, drinks, lots of toys and full sized candy bars...it was a good time. So this year, we had our kitchen/laundry room/powder room gutted and remodeled and all new floors laid, starting mid sept-OCT 28

(talk about bad timing!!) I had been waiting to do this since we moved in the house, and this was a good time for us to do it financially, def NOT HALLOWEEN FRIENDLY...so we decided to have an Open House, Sat Oct 30. We sent out awesome invites, courtesy of Pdcollins!! We expected about 60 people....we had 86!! And then on Sunday for TOT we had 29!!! OMG I could not have been happier!! It has my dream to have tons of people come over for Halloween, dress up, enjoy the decor...the whole nine yards. Well, it happened this year!!!! 115 through the haunt total!!! We had an executioner set up, Body Toss Game, Haunted Cemetery, Hallowindow, Pirate Deck, Singing Pumpkins, Candy Buffet, Frankensteins Lab, Haunted Trail, lots of static figures and animatronics, and Inflatable Haunted House to go through. Not to mention lots of Beer, a Witches Brew with Dry Ice, lots of candy/toys, etc...It was a dream come true!! My DH owns a high end audio/video company and also plays in a band, so we had two projection screens, lots of sound, moving gobos with spider webs, foggers, the trees were uplit, ..it was amazing! And we got so many compliments....mostly "This is AMAZING, how do you guys do it, this is so professional..." And a lot of "I knew you loved Halloween, but this is INSANE" lol! One little boy said it was better than the childrens musuem haunted house (we live in Indianapolis, and its the largest in the country, so thats quite a compliment, lol!) Even my MIL, who is pretty religious and not so sure about my Halloween Obsession seemed to enjoy it....she even came from Chicago to see it all!! People were still talking about it weeks later at work!! So now that we officially have a following....the pressure is ON!! What to do next year, how can we make it different, better, more exciting??? I already have big plans...hopefully this is the start of a yearly tradition for us! Here a few pics to see, including the new kitchen...the rest are in the album Halloween 2010 Inside Decor...Outside decor and video to come next (once I figure out how to get the video off my camera, lol) For those of you with not a lot of TOT...there is hope...if you build it, they will come!

http://www.halloweenforum.com/member...ide-decor.html

**MichaelMyers1** · 11-14-2010,08:15 PM

a few more...

**Boo Baby** · 11-14-2010,08:51 PM

I'm so happy for you that you had a fantastic halloween MM. Your house looks fantastic, love the decorations and the reno's look amazing!!!

Next year you'll get more and more now that the word is out.

**LadyAlthea** · 11-14-2010,09:01 PM

first i have to say i ADORE that bathroom vanity!!!!!!

what great pics you have! I love the set up and can really feel your happiness from reading your post. thats what its all about!

one idea on stepping it up next year might be a costume contest, or have people bring a jackolantern for a contest or something. just a thought.

**Scatterbrains** · 11-14-2010,09:22 PM

Looks Great!!

Like you said, if you build it they will come....once the word gets out, they come back the next year to see what you've improved on...

**cinders** · 11-14-2010,09:31 PM

How wonderful for you! Its great that you finally got the TOTs and the guests for the party. I want your kitchen, and your bathroom, and that chandelier! Your home looks lovely and your decorations are great.