It may only be November but the United States Postal Service is at the ready with this year’s holiday stamp designs.
Featuring a reindeer, a snowman, a gingerbread man and a toy soldier (similar to the nutcrackers of last year), the stamps, which were designed by Joseph Cudd of Greensboro, NC, come in booklets of 20 stamps for $8.80 (or a 5 pack of booklets with 100 stamps for $44).
This year’s lineup includes: Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, Roman Polanski’s Repulsion, Re-Animator, Shaun of the Dead, the original Friday the 13th, Night of the Living Dead and the area premiere of The House of the Devil [click for trailer - if you aren’t too scared!].
Yes, you read that correctly. There are 7 horror movies in that lineup. That means you’re seeing each movie for less than $3 each if you break it down.
In addition to the movies, there will be a costume contest with prizes and numerous horror movie trailers (new and old).
Tickets can be purchased now using PayPal or you can get them at the door. The first movie starts at 9:30 p.m. Don’t forget your pillows!
Also happening this weekend (Friday, Oct. 23) is the 13th Annual Horrorama at Englewood Cinema. Horrorama 2009 features Pumpkinhead, The Unseen, Tourist Trap and Nightmare and is hosted by Dr. Creep. The event will also have prizes and contests.
Tickets are $11 in advance and $13 the day of the show. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Gabriel Brothers stores have marked down their Halloween merchandise 30-50% off already.
I checked out the selection at the Beavercreek store over the weekend and found some nice decorations (including signs, airblown inflatables, a standing witch and cauldron and more). They also had a small selection of costumes and costume accessories.
Over the weekend, the costumes were up to 50% off and the decor was 30% off.
If you’ve never been to a Gabriel Brothers store, they can take some getting used to. They have a large selection of clothing (kids-teens-adults-plus), kitchen and housewares, shoes, seasonal items, rugs, and a newly added home decor area.
Sometimes I can go in and find absolutely nothing that I want and be completely unimpressed and other times it’s possible to spend quite a while combing through the clothing racks and walk out with a number of great finds.
It’s a little over 3 weeks until Halloween. Have you decided what you’re going to dress up as (or what your kids will be)?
If you’re making your own costume the time is now to get started on it. Better to have it ready in plenty of time than to be sewing or pinning items on at the last minute.
Given that most pre-made costumes cost anywhere from $15-$100+ it can be significantly cheaper to make your own from materials you already have or items you find at a thrift store.
This black lab costume placed at a past Halloween costume contest
I attend a costume contest and parade in Fairborn almost every year. Year after year, it’s not the store-bought costumes that win the top prizes. The winners are usually the unique, home-made ones.
If you need some costume inspiration just look around. Pop culture often dictates what the popular costumes are each year. This year it’s expected that Michael Jackson costumes (from various stages of his life) will be popular. Thriller anyone? Other movies and TV shows that might lead to some popular costumes this year: My Bloody Valentine 3D, Friday the 13th, Halloween, Monsters vs. Aliens, Coraline, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, G-Force, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Hannah Montana: The Movie, True Blood and Glee.
It’s the 1st of October and I’ve barely gotten started putting up my Halloween decorations. I’ve put up a few things inside, but absolutely nothing outside yet.
In the last few days I’ve spotted a few decorated homes in the area, but it’s been pretty minimal so far.
I usually like to have decorated by Oct. 1 so I can enjoy the decor all month long, but I’m feeling pretty behind this year. It takes a lot of work to get the decorations out and put up and I don’t want to go through all that work to enjoy it for only a few weeks.
How about you? Have you decorated or do you think it’s too early? Or, are you like me and just running behind schedule this year?
Bath & Body Works’ has “opened” their Halloween Shop, which they’ve dubbed the “Halloween Boo-tique.”
They don’t seem to have as big of a selection this year as they have in the past, but they do have a foaming, jack-o-lantern shaped soap dispenser this year in addition to the pumpkin “patch” shaped dispenser of their regular hand soap. Both are available in the Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin scent.
They’ve also got a pumpkin shaped bath sponge, soft Halloween socks in orange/black and purple/green and Wallflowers diffusers in pumpkin, haunted house and ghost designs.
Other scents for fall are: Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin, Leaves, Creamy Caramel, Pumpkin Patch, Spiced Cider and Vanilla Caramel.
Maybe it’s the economy — fewer employees, ordering less seasonal merchandise, trying to get the most out of the previous season — but it seems that many stores have been taking their sweet time getting out all of their Halloween merchandise.
Target, Wal-Mart, Dollar Tree and others are among some of the stores that I’ve seen drag out the set up for at least a few weeks leaving empty shelves just waiting for ghoulish delights.
But, at long last most of these sections are starting to take shape.
A recent visit to Target revealed a great selection of candy filling the aisles as well as the usual aisle of baking and other unique Halloween food and drink items including: spooky drink mixes, gummy eye balls and brains for your drinks, Halloween themed sodas (cans and glass bottled Jones sodas).
At last check, Wal-Mart was still putting stuff out but they did have a good selection of Halloween party favors out including: pencil packs ($2 for a package of 24 pencils — this is a better deal than most dollar stores have on Halloween pencils), wide variety of glow sticks and necklaces in all colors, flashlights and more items that are $1-$2 each.
What cool Halloween items have you found (or purchased) so far?
Tricks and Treats is a festive look at seasonal and holiday decorating, shopping and more. We will fill you in on fun and new decorations, holiday shopping, delightful foods, planning great parties and more.
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No, I didn’t miss the point. I agree with your point. I was commenting on the plum dumbness