Halloween has always been, and will always be, my favorite holiday of the year. I love that my birthday is all about me and my life’s progress, I adore the eccentricities I’ve grown attached to celebrating on Flag Day, and the spirit that Christmas exudes isn’t something that can easily be replicated, but Halloween is number one in my heart. I’m also a firm believer that Halloween is a month long (ahem, year long) celebration. I can never start celebrating early enough, and November 1st is always a bittersweet changeover for me.

One of the reasons I like this holiday so much is that people allow themselves to get silly. They wear ridiculous costumes and accessories and society accepts and welcomes it. I obviously wish this was the case year-round, but regardless of the (lack of) appreciation of my behavior, I continue to adorn myself with faux mustaches and trashy wigs on dates that don’t fall in October.

Costumes bring up the idea of taking on a different persona, and becoming them. Sure, maybe you’re just throwing any old outfit together for a party, but the foundation of this concept is undergoing a transformation. And just the way you can be anything you want for Halloween, you can be anything you want in real life. Use this opportunity to think about who you want to be. What is the best version of yourself? Become it! Make the goal that by next Halloween you will be so in love with your life that there won’t be time for jealousy of anyone else. (Although you should still dress up… Loving yourself and scary masks are not mutually exclusive!)

Keeping in spirit with October being a month-long celebration, I’m going to share some of the tricks I’ve treated myself to the past few weeks.

Happy Halloween from Uncustomary Art

pumpkin picking

Happy Halloween from Uncustomary Art

making sure the pumpkins get home safely

Happy Halloween from Uncustomary Art

attending elaborate costume parties

Happy Halloween from Uncustomary Art

costumes with a sense of humor

Happy Halloween from Uncustomary Art

… a real sense of humor

Happy Halloween from Uncustomary Art

carefully coordinated + themed costumes

Happy Halloween from Uncustomary Art

becoming the king of party himself

Happy Halloween from Uncustomary Art

creative costumes, channeling their inner Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetle–

Happy Halloween from Uncustomary Art

going to pumpkin carving parties

Happy Halloween from Uncustomary Art

and the drastic difference of before + after

Happy Halloween from Uncustomary Art

deciding to spray paint my pumpkin white + doodle on it instead of carving

Happy Halloween from Uncustomary Art

visiting pet cemeteries

Happy Halloween from Uncustomary Art

tons of orange + black crafts

Happy Halloween from Uncustomary Art

lifting off till next year…

Also of note:

 Halloween Street Art
 Halloween Hoopla
 Halloween Mail
 Bug’s Costume
 Trick Or Treat Playlist
Halloween Art Journal Pages
70 Ways To Celebrate Autumn

Not featured: Haunted House, apple cider, boys in dinosaur costumes, $3 orange shoes, Beetlejuice leggings, multiple viewings of Hocus Pocus + Addams Family (Values), giant box of scarecrows my great aunt sent me, + the Thriller flash mob (more on that one later)

So what are your plans tonight?! I want to know. Are you going to hand out candy? Are you going to a costume party? Maybe you need help picking your costume? Are you going to stay in and eat candy while watching your favorite scary movie? I hope you have an amazing day. It’s not just Halloween, it’s the last day of the month! Make October go out with a bang, you beautiful beast.