Courtesy Macy Blackwell
Macy Blackwell, The Southlake Queen of Halloween
Every October, a witch came to life in Macy Blackwell’s childhood home.
Not the broomstick-flying, spell-casting kind, but a plastic one with glowing green eyes and a laugh that could make your skin crawl. She rocked back and forth in the corner of the living room, cackling into the night like she knew exactly when you’d turn the lights out.
Most kids would’ve begged their parents to hide the thing in the attic. Macy? She loved it. The witch became a fixture of her Halloween memories, equal parts creepy and comforting, carving out a permanent place in her imagination.
Years later, her mom gifted her the same decoration for her birthday — a move that might sound cruel if you didn’t know Macy.
“It’s my favorite birthday gift of all time,” she says.
That small, glowing figure embodied the magic of Macy’s childhood Halloweens, a reminder of the sights, sounds and smells that made the season unforgettable. For Halloween in Indiana wasn’t just a night – it was an event.
“My grandparents would come over and we’d always have soups, sandwiches and appetizers,” Macy recalls. “We would run out to hit a few houses, come back home to make a plate and then head back out with our friends and neighbors. My mom would always put on a ‘spooky sounds’ CD and enjoy scaring the kids as she passed out candy. I can still smell the pumpkin candle she would have burning.”
Those early nights — equal parts cozy and spine-tingling — became the blueprint Macy carried into adulthood.
By the time she and her husband moved to Southlake, a place where homes (and holiday displays) are larger than life, she was ready to scale up her Halloween vision. The nostalgia remained, but now she had the space and the inspiration to make it bigger and bolder, drawing from pumpkin patches, Disneyland’s spooky displays and seasonal festivals. Pinterest boards served as her creative safety net whenever she needed a spark.
Her Southlake neighborhood, known for spirited decor and friendly one-upmanship, became the perfect stage. She often would cruise past dazzling displays, feel inspired by what she saw, then make a late-night Home Depot run for one more skeleton or fog machine to top off her own ever-expanding display.
“My favorite decorations are sentimental items,” Macy says. “I love having something no one else has and being able to customize it to my design preference. Studies show you’re more likely to love something when you make it yourself.”
In 2019, Macy was creating content for her family — two daughters, Lux and Thea, and husband Cory — but when she shared her DIY Halloween decor online, something clicked. She quickly earned the unofficial crown of “Queen of Halloween.” Her social media presence exploded. Today, she boasts more than 4 million followers across platforms.
Her approach to DIY remains grounded and attainable. She loves mixing thrift-store finds — vintage clocks, eerie oil paintings, antique dishes — with things you already have at home, such as candles, branches from the yard or stacks of old books. Candy corn, orange M&Ms and caramel apples become décor that’s budget-friendly, festive and edible.
“Once you pull together some of these pieces, add those final touches like cobwebs, a decorative skull, a crow or some faux spiders,” she says. “But if you think of the core elements that make up the fall and Halloween season, you’ll realize you can find most of those items in your own house.”
These days, Macy’s seasonal investments are on another scale entirely. She estimates she spends six figures annually on Halloween, between massive décor setups and an elaborate annual party. There’s “no budget” once fall arrives, and she even rents a specialized storage unit to house oversized skeletons and Christmas trees.
But despite the spectacle, she keeps her content accessible. She still posts Dollar Tree DIY tutorials and simple recipes that busy parents can recreate. And though her skeleton-suit-and-heels outfits are made for the camera, she’s candid about the behind-the-scenes reality.
“If the cameras aren’t on, you’ll find me decorating in sweatpants with no makeup and a messy bun,” she says. “But if we’re filming, you can bet I will be on a ladder tying pumpkins onto my porch garland in a skeleton suit and heels. At first, I got some funny looks from the neighbors, but I think they are used to me now.”
One turning point came in 2021, when Macy posted a DIY pumpkin arch over her porch — an $800 project that felt like a gamble. The payoff was massive: the post went viral, driving rapid growth and engagement. By then, Cory was able to leave his firefighting job and join her full-time in content creation. Together, they built a team and shifted from affiliate income to brand partnerships, which now account for more than 90% of their revenue.
In the early days of Macy’s content creation, her income came primarily from affiliate links — sharing products she loved and earning a small commission when followers purchased them. It was a way to monetize her growing social media presence without compromising the approachable, relatable style that had drawn her audience in the first place.
As her following swelled, Macy’s business model evolved. Today, brand partnerships make up the majority of her income, a testament to her influence and savvy. She collaborates with home décor brands, fashion lines and lifestyle companies, carefully selecting partnerships that align with her aesthetic and her audience’s values. Rather than pushing products, she focuses on storytelling — showing how a seasonal piece or everyday item can enhance life in a real, lived-in home.
Macy has also diversified beyond Halloween. While fall remains her signature season, she leverages other peak moments throughout the year — from Valentine’s Day and spring entertaining to back-to-school and the Super Bowl. Each seasonal pivot allows her to showcase her signature DIY flair, easy recipes and décor skills in a new context, keeping her audience engaged and broadening her business’s reach.
This strategy has allowed Macy to turn her creative passion into a sustainable enterprise. By blending highly visual, shareable content with targeted partnerships and strategic seasonal timing, she’s built a business that thrives year-round. And yet, despite the scale, she maintains the hands-on, approachable ethos that made her beloved in the first place.
Her everyday posts range from approachable fashion looks to quick weeknight recipes, easy décor hacks, wellness tips and even family-friendly travel guides. One day she might be showing her followers how to style a Target sweater three different ways, the next she’s tossing together a five-ingredient pasta bake that busy parents can replicate after soccer practice.
The through-line is always the same: making life a little more delightful for families who don’t have hours to spare. Her tone is warm, playful and real, a balance that makes her followers feel like they’re checking in with a friend rather than scrolling through an influencer’s feed.
Even when she’s not staging giant haunted house displays or glittering Christmas wonderlands, Macy’s brand stays true to its mission. She creates moments of joy — whether that’s a cozy candlelit dinner at home, a thrifted vase brought back to life with a coat of spray paint, or a stress-free family road trip itinerary. In an era where influencers often chase extravagance, Macy’s everyday lifestyle content reminds her audience that the best memories come from a mix of creativity and simplicity.
That balance is what allows her brand to thrive beyond seasonal spikes. When Halloween decorations come down, her followers don’t go anywhere. They stick around for the recipes, the styling tips, the relatable chaos of family life and, of course, the promise that come September, she’ll be back in full fall force.
But in Southlake, where “over-the-top” is almost the norm, Macy also thrives. The town’s festive competition doesn’t intimidate her; it motivates her. She even admits her family’s 2023 house hunt revolved partly around which property would best showcase her decorations.
“When house hunting in 2023, one of the big things I thought about was how my Halloween decorations would look in the house, and where I was going to put my Christmas trees,” she says. “It was such a tough choice. I think we looked at eight houses before we found the right one.”
And she doesn’t just decorate — she entertains. Her adults-only Halloween parties, complete with two bars, a light-up dance floor, a DJ, styled photo ops and themed bites, have become legendary among friends and neighbors.
“There are so many family-friendly fall events in the area, it was a blast to have one night where the adults could let loose and have a great time together,” she says.
From that rocking witch to Instagram fame, Macy has become a creative powerhouse. Her brand blends nostalgia, spectacle and accessibility, and she now runs a business that spans content, partnerships, events and storytelling.
And it all started in her childhood home in Indiana.
“I can still feel tingles in my spine when I think about Halloween afternoon prepping for the big night as a kid,” she says. “The excitement of those nights are what influenced me to recreate those memories for my own family during the season, and what I want to inspire others to create for their families as well.”