Happy Halloween from Kathmandu, Nepal!

This lion hat, which I picked up for $4 in Lukla last week, is my contribution to Halloween 2013.

While I wouldn’t trade my RTW trip for anything, it still stinks that I can’t be in two places at once. Because if that were possible, then tonight I would make sure one of my halves was in Toluca Lake, California, to celebrate Halloween with my nearest and dearest.

Here’s my sister and me, four years ago:

During the summer of 2009, my dear friends Kelley & Irving introduce me to Toluca Lake — a neighborhood of quiet blocks lined with ornate homes, many of them housing celebrities. We often walk here after work and on the weekends. It doesn’t feel like Los Angeles; instead it reminds me of my childhood in New England. And year after year we celebrate Halloween here together, gathering at Kelley & Irving’s condo for a potluck (mostly cookies, cake, and sugary pumpkin goodies) and then donning costumes for our annual walk around the neighborhood.

Marc Cherry (creator of Desperate Housewives) organizes a giant display on his front lawn every year.

This year’s theme is “Rock & Roll Hall of Freight,” featuring skeletons dressed up like Dolly Parton, Britney Spears, and Elton John, among others.

Most of the homes go all-out with elaborate decorations, lawn ornaments, special lighting, projections, fog, and music. A bunch of these homeowners work for the nearby studios (Warner Bros. and Universal are just around the block) so for many these kinds of displays are just an extension of their day jobs!

We turn up at Steve Carell’s house to find this sign:

Here’s a sample of treats I’ve made for our potluck… this first photo is pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting (check out the insanely simple recipe).

And these are my pumpkin whoopee pies (here’s the recipe). They are SO GOOD and I don’t think I’ve made them since 2009. I’m due for another batch.

In 2010 I spend October 31st in Halong Bay, Vietnam. But I make up for it by celebrating weeks before with friends at Universal Studios (which is adjacent to Toluca Lake). We gather for dinner at Saddle Ranch, then spend several hours running from zombies and lining up for haunted theme park rides like “Jurassic Park in the Dark.” We have a blast.

And while they kept it under wraps, Timmy & Erika found out some exciting news that very day… they’d have a little trick-or-treater of their own next year!

A few photos from Halloween Horror Nights 2010:

Randomly, a few weeks ago in Kyoto I saw advertisements for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Japan. The world is a small one. (You’ll want to check out that link.)

The following year (2011) we gather again at Kelley & Irving’s. This time THEY have exciting news — Kelley’s pregnant!

And little Sophie was our excuse to go up to houses and actually get candy this year. Up until then we were just a group of full-grown adults walking the streets on Halloween. Thank you, Sophie, for sharing your candy!

And this year I bring my DSLR to take better photos.

Normally this is a very quiet neighborhood, but tonight the streets look like this:

This year Marc Cherry’s theme is “Funny Bones,” with skeletons dressed up as famous TV comedy characters, like the Golden Girls and Lucille Ball.

This Ghostbuster goes to work on a lawn display of floating ghostly figures.

Rick Dees is known for handing out a generous supply of candy bars. There’s even a red carpet leading up to his front gate.

Here’s the selection. Pretty impressive, right?

Here’s a handful of my favorite Toluca Lake Halloween photos, all taken in 2011:

In 2012, Bethany and I meet up with Kelley, Irving, and their newest addition Adele (that links to our Moorpark pumpkin patch visit last fall — very cute photos). After a stroll around the neighborhood we grab dinner at Paty’s diner on Riverside Drive. It’s a quiet night, but it might be my favorite Halloween to date.

Marc Cherry picks a superheroes theme this year:

No matter how old I get, this is a holiday I’ll always celebrate.

Are you an adult who still celebrates Halloween? Do you dress up at work, like my sister does every year (as the Golden Girls, Nancy Drew, Sherry Lewis, Angela Lansbury…)? Get this — she’s featured on Buzzfeed TWICE on their list of Halloween costumes of TV icons. Congrats, Beth! Can’t wait to see how this year’s costume ranks!