Welcome Blog Tour Visitors!!

 Welcome Visitors from Mrs B's and Thank You Mrs. B for hosting this event every year!

Welcome to The Gothic Tea Society.  Please take some time to peruse our archives and make yourselves at home. There are lots of stories, history, art, fashion, events and fun in there- all with a spooky twist.  All of the Gothic Tea Society contributors have a love of the Macabre which is evident in our posts. Several of those who contribute to making the GTS blog as spooky as it is, have fascinating blogs of their own- so do check them out!

My name is Wendy, creator of The Gothic Tea Society. I am an 'Eldergoth' (over 40), Gothmom to two adult daughters and wife to my very own Mad Hatter! (my husband Jeff) and servant to 6 cats. I work full time for a large telecommunications company and yes- I wear all black to work most every day.
This blog is one way that I connect with the Gothic subculture of which I have been a part of for many years, posting not only stories and photos of interest but also promoting gothic and dark artists, fashion, music and events.  One of my other interests is photography, a passion I share with my husband.  We have an ongoing blog of our road trips which center on the odd, macabre, vintage and other sites of interest that we encounter on our travels. Please do drop by! You can find it here November Obscura. We also have many different photographs HERE on our gallery.

I thought I would share some photographs of one of my other passions- Dolls. I have quite a few of them, and as you can see . .  they are not your average dolls!  Many of the dolls in these photos are from Creepy Dolls , October Effigies , and Madame Talbot. 

Smaller Dolls from Madame Talbot, October Effigies, Creepy Dolls and a few of my Living Dead dolls.

Dr Nicholas Blood- Plague Dr. (Handy to have around when the Plague comes through every year)

This is Pio, she is probably the one that creeps most people out. She is about 3 ft tall and has a very knowing gaze. You would also swear she just moved every time you look at her.

This sweet girl has been playing in the dirt again!

This elegant lady is one of a few I have that have no eyes. But don't think that that means they don't know what you are up to!

This is my newest doll. She has such a big lovely smile! I love the tiny bats on her dress.

This is Sedona, she is the Matriarch of my doll clan- which is some 30 something dolls. The interesting thing about Sedona is that sometimes her face looks angry, and sometimes not. When she looks mad we all try and think about what could have made Sedona upset. You really don't want Sedona upset.

Thank you all for visiting and I hope you will drop by often!

Happy Halloween!

Goth Fonts

When you are writing your goth poetry in your dungeon, illuminated only by the screen of your goth laptop, do you ever think that arial is just not getting your point across? If so...



Goth fonts!

How Different Age Groups Celebrate Halloween

I thought this was pretty funny...probably a lot of truth to it!




How Different Age Groups Celebrate Halloween on The Oatmeal.

5 Scary Ways To Save on Your Halloween Costume

It's not really that scary..but I figure everyone can use money saving ideas. Yay money saving!


Check out the article here.

The 31 Days of Halloween 2010 Begins!

Ventura Ghostwalk!

I've been hearing about this for the last couple years. I even know a few people who have went and they say it's awesome! If you are in the area I would suggest checking it out. I know I am definitely going to try and do it this year!


Here's a little info from the site: :

"This is the 16th anniversary of Ventura County’s original Ghostwalk. Over the years, thousands of Ghostwalk groupies from all over California have walked the walk and come back for more.


Tours leave every 15 minutes beginning at 6:30pm - last tour begins at 9:00pm

Its continued popularity is due to the fact that we rarely present the same story twice, and its “ghostoric” location changes from year to year, influencing what stories we tell. The Ghostwalk is not a “spook house”, but a unique form of theatre in the streets, which embraces the tradition of great storytelling mixed with fun history that is suitable for the whole family (7 and older). All proceeds from this event go to help support the Santa Paula Theater Center.

It is about a one-hour walk by flashlight (please bring one). Tours are limited to 25 people - get your tickets as early as October 1st, as most tours sell-out. The tour is wheelchair safe, but due to the variable circumstances of the tours, there are some wheelchair limitations that may apply.

Since the Ghostwalk is a fundraiser, please bring a little mad money so you can buy some tasty goodies sold by our local youth groups. You can also pick up collectible Ghostwalk merchandise such as our ghostly embroidered Ghostwalk painter's caps and two collection booklets of this year's Ghostwalk stories as well as favored ones of the past. "


If you are interested, Check out their website here.

The Most Annoying Halloween Jingle EVER

WARNING: Do not watch if you suffer from a seizure disorder.

No, really.

A Very Merry Halloween to All

The Cat with Hands

Happy Halloween!

Haunted House

"Haunted House"- by Jack Prelutsky

There's a house upon the hilltop

We will not go inside

For that is where the witches live,

Where ghosts and goblins hide.

Tonight they have their party,

All the lights are burning bright,

But oh we will not go insideThe haunted house tonight.

The demons there are whirling

And the spirits swirl about.

They sing their songs to Halloween.

"Come join the fun," they shout.

But we do not want to go there

So we run with all our might

And oh we will not go insideThe haunted house tonight.

*snerk*

Vintage Halloween Party Invitations

As the days grew short and winds began to blow the fallen leaves about, an invitation to a Halloween party was a delightful surprise. Often delivered in secret after dark mysteriously appearing on the doorstep. Here are some examples of verses from such invites circa 1920 and earlier.

On a certain evening of the year,

We are all enveloped in awful fear.

This is the time when witches take flight,

And cats prowl round in the dead of night.

So 'bout eight o'clock we'd like you to meet,

In the first white house on Maple Street.

... The Witches

If you don't reply without delay

Bad luck will follow you to your last day.

In the name of the spooks I've come to ask,

If sheet and pillowcase and mask

You'll don on Halloween at eight,

And sally forth to meet your fate.

But remember - let none know

Where you have planned this night to go,

You'll be expected rain or shine

Where swings the jack-o-lantern sign.

A Halloween party there's going to be,

And we want you there as sure as can be;

There'll be joy and laughter by the ton

Please say you will come and join the fun!

A big black witch and a little red devil,

Are planning a regular Halloween revel.

Come at 8 o'clock up my dark walk

Wear a costume and don't dare talk.

Come, Jack-o'-Lanterns, gather,

And Jell-o'-Lanterns, too.

Meet at the Witch's Hollow

And taste the witch's brew.

The password's "flying broomsticks,

Cat's green eyes, me-ow"

So if you would be jolly

Just come, we'll show you how.

Dr. Hans Holzer, The original Ghost Hunter

Dr. Hans Holzer PhD,(January 26, 1920 – April 26, 2009)
Often called "the original Ghost Hunter," investigated thousands of ghost and haunting cases, and wrote more than 145 books on the supernatural. Having earned his PhD from the London College of Applied Science, he spent over five decades traveling the world to obtain first hand accounts of paranormal experiences, interviewing expert researchers, and developing para-psychological protocols and terminology such as 'sensitive' and 'beings of light.' Holzer's influence on today's researchers is far-reaching; many of the theories we have today about ghost phenomena are due to or heavily influenced by his work.

"Ghosts: True Encounters with the World Beyond is a gigantic volume, documenting almost 200 cases of haunted houses, ships, castles, and just about any place imaginable! The cases are far more complex than just your average white-sheeted ghoul in the attic. Holzer examines the differences between "real ghosts," who reveal themselves to living people, and psychic impressions, which occur to many witnesses, always at the same time and place. There is also solid advice for interpreting paranormal signals--and even photographs of ghostly apparitions."

I've pretty much read the entire thing, Awesome book! I recommend it.

Halloween's Gone by. . .

Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos

21 year old Maria Elena Milagro "Helen" de Hoyos was a celebrated Cuban beauty in 1920s Key West. But when she fell ill, her mother took her to see Dr. Carl Tanzler who diagnosed the young lady with terminal tuberculosis.

Tanzler, despite being old enough to have been Helen's grandfather, fell in love with the exotic beauty and refused to accept her death in 1931. In 1933, after two years of mourning beside her mausoleum had proved insufficient, Tanzler stole Helen's body from its grave and took it to his home, where he went to great lengths to reconstruct the rotting remains. He dressed the corpse, gave her new eyes of glass and replaced her decomposed skin with silk cloth soaked in wax and plaster of paris. He had also inserted a paper tube into the corpse's vagina so that he could commit necrophilia.

Tanzler's crime was not discovered until 1940, when Helen's sister Florinda heard unsavory rumors concerning the doctor and confronted him. Helen's carefully tended remains were put on display for a short time at the Dean-Lopez Funeral Home before being interred once more in an unmarked grave at a secret location to prevent further desecration.

Criminal charges against Carl Tanzler were eventually dismissed, and he died in July of 1952. A life-sized waxen effigy of Helen was found in his home, her beautiful face recreated using the deceased's actual death mask.

Coffin it up!

Check out this wonderful site! These folks specialize in coffins of any size for any purpose! Thanks to Shellhawks Nest for bringing it to our attention! Go to the site HERE

Candy Corn

This is one of the first candies I associate with Trick or Treat. We used to get little decorated paper bags filled with it. Now it is pre- packaged in individual servings for safety. Here is a little wikihistory on candy corn.

Candy corn is a confection popular in the United States, particularly around Halloween. Created in the 1880s by George Renninger of the Wunderle Candy Company, the three colors of the candy are meant to mimic corn. Each piece is approximately the size of a whole kernel of corn, as if it fell off a ripe or dried ear of corn. The candy is usually tri-colored with a yellow base, orange center, and white tip, although the color combinations may vary. The yellow, broader part is the top, while the white point is the bottom. The most common alternative color scheme, called "Indian corn", is white, orange, and brown, and is sometimes associated with the Thanksgiving holiday.
The National Confectioners Association estimate 20 million pounds of candy corn are sold each year. October 30 is National Candy Corn Day. Although regular candy corn is most popular at Halloween, it is available year-round.
According to Brach's Confections, Inc., the top branded retailer of candy corn, each year Americans eat enough Brach's candy corn that if the kernels were laid end to end, they would circle the Earth 4.5 times.


Candy corn is made primarily from sugar, corn syrup and honey. Originally, candy corn was made by hand. Manufacturers first combined sugar, corn syrup, and water and cooked them into a slurry. Fondant was added for texture and marshmallows provided a soft bite. The final mixture was then heated and poured into shaped molds. Three passes were required during the pouring process, one for each colored section. Few changes were made to the process or recipe, and machines were quickly invented to perform the tasks formerly done by people.

Trick or Treat!

Skeleton in the Closet

Louis Armstrong - 1936

More vintage Halloween Fun

Vintage Mourning Attire

I would totally wear this to work.

Is that wrong?