A Smattering of Halloween Horrors and Delights

I just wanted to share this random sampling of some pictures that I feel highlight some of the highlights of my life of late. Some of these items are "delights" and some are "horrors" (okay, most of the ones of me are horrors, and the ones with other people in them are delights.) I mainly just wanted to show off how weird I am, and also how cool my friends are! Here goes...

First on the list of horrors is this specimen, Horror #1:

This year I dressed up as the Mad-Hatter, inspired by my good friend Johnny Depp in the upcoming Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. This one is a "horror" for multiple reasons. Reason #1: just look how pale my skin is! And reason #2: just look how yellow my teeth look compared to how pale my skin is! Below is the finished product:

This is also a "delight," however, because the dear Jen Bloomfield took so much time to help me with my costume and make-up, etc. Pretty much 90% of the costume came from her... inspired by her brain and half the costume was actually provided by her family's costume closet! For that reason, I must give credit where credit is due.

Now, look how delightfully happy this Halloween was. I got to spend it with my sister Annie, who came all the way up from Arizona, and these delightsome people (above, from the left: Annie Mooney as Galinda, Sara Beth Johnson as a Gypsy, Katie Bloomfield as Cleopatra, and Jen Bloomfield as Alice).

Okay, now let's move on to item #2:

This was found at the stake Halloween Party Friday night. I just love this pic. First of all there's Randy, at his best - doing his amazing Kip impersonation; and then there's Anna Hawkins as a Care Bear; and finally, if you look closely you can see the inseparable Jason and Jordan Mann in their ninja costumes... very stealth!

And I just can't move on without putting a little more spotlight on this man: Randy Gilliland... please observe the glasses, the cheesy smile, and also the mustache... it was real, people! He grew that out for his Halloween costume. That's dedication for you right there. Cheers to Randy for pulling off the best Kip ever (even better than the real thing because he brought some sick dance moves to that party)!

Now come item no's 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7:

Also found at the stake party, from the left: Brooke Theis, Justin Seipherd, Dan Thuet and Alex Hale (also featured below as the brave Peter Pan, who coincidentally dives off the high dive in the same position!)

Then, of course, is the extraordinary impersonation of Audrey Hepburn, played by the lovely Emily Stoddard.

Item #8:

Above is the pumpkin I carved this year, with some inspiration and help from my two roommates David and Robert Hyer at family home evening.

Item #9:

After a nice drive through the canyon, Jen and I were stopped at a red light behind this specimen. You can see through my streaky windshield a fake foot and hand sticking out of this person's trunk! Truly a "horror" but a brilliant one at that! I lol'd pretty hard when I saw it!

Item #10 was Hogwarts:

The Hartman family turns their front yard into Hogwarts. Yes, the famous school of witchcraft and wizardry! The festivities and the opportunities there were endless! Here I'm posing as a magically enchanted Hogwarts portrait. There was also a platform 9 3/4; sorting into houses by the sorting hat; magic wand testing; the casting of patroni and the dark-mark; butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks; lessons on how to get rid of a Bogart; divination by Professor Trelawny aboard the Knight Bus; floating candles; the Marauder's Map; Dursleys; Hagrid with his motorbike along with all sorts of Hogwarts regulars that you could meet and even receive an autograph from. But, the best of all attractions was QUIDDITCH! Kids got to practice their quaffle-shooting skills while bludgers were thrown at them from a barrage of beaters!

Truly a magical night. And I figure the only way to adequately describe the magic of the atmosphere created at the Hartman home that night is it was basically Disneyland for Harry Potter fans! Seriously the "happiest place on earth" especially when you interact with the little kids who were so into it that it just got you excited too! I was very pleased to have been able to be a part of the magic by being on the cast as Cedric Diggory.

Last, but not least, is Horror #11:

I saved the most frightening horror for last! I had started to get pains in my back in the mornings, which I thought odd because I usually sleep very well... like the dead! However, upon inspecting the underside of my creaky bed, I found this! This is what I had been sleeping on for 2 months! A bunky-board with 5 broken slats!!! Scary huh! So my roommate Kevin and I went and picked out a nice non-creaky, and non-broken one at R.C. Willey and it has made all the difference!

Thank you for enjoying this smorgasbord of really good memories from one of my favorite holidays ever. I think you are all a delight.

Love, Daniel