The Home Page: Happy Haunted Homes and More
Santa Barbara Rings in Spooky Season
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Spooky Santa Barbara
Boo! Happy Sunday and Happy Halloween. I don’t know about your neighborhood, but as I traipse around town doing my usual errands, it feels like a lot of locals are getting into the Halloween spirit this year, with ghosts, goblins, and pumpkins aplenty. The house above, on Clearview Road, is one of the most elaborate that I’ve seen, complete with a spooky saloon sporting swinging doors — also known, appropriately, as “batwing doors.”
Halloween in a Hurry
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If, on the other hand, you haven’t festooned your front yard with even one plump pumpkin, never fear! (Heh heh. See what I did there?) There are tons of super-easy decorating ideas to get you in the spirit … even as late as today! Think doorway, mantel, yard, walls, and more in this gathering of 75 DIY ideas that’ll make your house the spookiest on the block, including the tomato-cage ghosts shown above, with detailed instructions here. If all else fails, fall back on the traditional “Why yes, those spider webs ARE intentional!”
This edition of The Home Page was originally emailed to subscribers on October 31, 2021. To receive Sarah Sinclair’s real estate newsletter in your inbox, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.
Pumpkin Power
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Lest you think your last-minute pumpkin needs to be mediocre, take a gander at this creative list of 58 pumpkin-carving ideas and alternatives. Remember, this is the holiday where throwing a sheet over your head is an acceptable outfit, so don’t be scared — today is the best day to carve, paint, or play.
Making a Haunted House Your Home
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If you’d rather buy than DIY, check out this collection of spooky houses for sale From a thousand-year-old castle in Ireland to the Perryopolis, Pennsylvania, house that portrayed the home of Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs; the entire ghost town of Uptop, Colorado; and heavily spirited mansions in New Orleans. This list is enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine — let alone actually living in one of these haunted homes!
Scaredy-Scout
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Scout does not like costumes. The pic above — from several Halloweens ago — is one of the few times I tortured her into dressing for the season. If we were to ask Scout? She definitely got tricked, no matter how tempting the treat.
Flip through this week’s issue to find tons of spooktacular information, including local ghost stories and Howl-o-ween events starting on page 31. Here’s to more treats than tricks!
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