It's hard not to love the Halloween holiday. For me, the memories of costumes made for me by my mother (the mouse costume, complete with ears and tail, was a particular favorite); Trick or Treating with my older sisters and friends; the carving of the pumpkins and the toasted seeds in my lunchbox; and yes, I'll admit, the candy.

All of these memories can be immortalized in a beautiful watercolor painting with a call to The Haunted Studio. Turn to page 58 to meet the "Painter of Dark™" Lewis B. Lehrman and see a showcase of his amazing talent.

We have an issue full of Halloween memories, haunted houses and spooky stories sprinkled throughout our regular features on restoration and home tours. Don't miss the cover story's home tour of Olana House, the masterpiece of interior design by New York Hudson River artist Frederick Edwin Church. The sweeping views through arched windows, bold colors and Victorian details provide a unique insight into the mind of one of America's most loved painters.

Another of America's famous talents is Edgar Allan Poe, and we at Victorian Homes are pleased to wish him a happy 200th birthday this year. And to celebrate, we have reviewed In the Shadow of the Master, a collection of essays and classic Poe tales written by some of today's greatest mystery writers and edited by the great Michael Connolly. We've also thrown in a few of the Victorian era's other great Gothic tale writers, including Bram Stoker, who gave us the most famous vampire of them all: Dracula.

Also in this issue, we must say a fond farewell to Heritage House. This final installment in our "Upstairs Downstairs" series shows us a look behind the scenes into the more private areas of a Victorian home.

Even in California, we get a chill in the air when autumn approaches, and I definitely love a good fire—so much so that we've included our Editors' Picks of the best fireplace accessories, starting on page 10.

We hope you enjoy the issue! I'm off to finish my costume and continue reading all the spooky tales to get myself prepared for Halloween.

Faithfully,
Jennifer Myers, editor-at-large

Don't forget to check out the new forums:
Cottages & Bungalows
Romantic Homes