Well that sounds like it was awesome. Googling pictures to get visual ideas.
Further back than I can remember. I'm an October baby, so birthday month. My mom's an artist too, she always made mine and my sister's Halloween costumes until I started making them myself and she always went all out. Our house was always decorated. In the time leading up to Halloween we always did arts and crafts, baked goods, played Halloween music. It was a whole affair. We'd drag my dad into it whenever possible.