Fall, 2012

It's been a great while since I last posted, so I figured since we are halfway (or more) through summer, it was time for a new blog. I am already beginning to notice the usual signs of Fall showing up! JoAnn's Fabrics has put out fall leaves and flowers, and Michael's not only has these as well, but also black crows, owls and pumpkins. We are coming upon our favorite season. I expect our favorite holiday to appear in stores any time now, and as usual, I can't wait!!!

Halloween at Bath & Body

Just yesterday, I was searching for a room spray that I saw at Bath & Body Works two years ago and absolutely fell in love with. I lucked out and found my fragrance ('Fireside'), and also discovered that Bath & Body Works also carries an assortment of fun little Halloween stuff! They have some cute candles, soaps, plug-in room scents that come in several different spooky characters, and even lotions in Halloween-themed bottles. You get a wonderful array of fragrances to choose from such as: Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin, Creamy Pumpkin, Caramel Apple, Pumpkin Patch, Autumn, Leaves, and Spiced Cider.

I never would have thought to look for Halloween stuff at Bath & Body Works. It's great to know that I now have another place to add to my list of places to shop for Halloween goodies!

http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=11893243

Halloween has come to Michael's!

It's come quite early this year, it seems. I don't remember Michael's putting out Fall and Halloween stuff before July, but they sure did! I walked in the other day, and to my surprise, I saw Fall leaves and black crows in one of the aisles. They also have Halloween banners, wall clingies, ribbon and bows, and autumn flower bouquets. It always makes my day when the first signs of Fall pop up. Fourth of July may be a fun time to have a party or a barbecue, but nothing beats Halloween time! We have a little over three months to go!

Less than six months away...

...from Halloween, that is! :) I was pleasantly surprised when I was channel surfing earlier and saw that 'Halloweentown' is on two different channels tonight- the Disney and Family channels! A Halloween movie playing in June was certainly the last thing I was expecting to find. Even though I own all but one of the 'Halloweentown' movies, it was still kind of exciting to see it listed on tv tonight. I realized that we are now less than six months away from our favorite night of the year, so maybe that's why they decided to show the movie. We are actually only about four months from October now. Wow. The year seems to be passing by pretty quickly. Our weather here in northern California has been very fall-like lately, so by the time the Harvest month really gets here, it will probably seem like we didn't get much of a summer at all. I don't mind, really. It won't be the end of my world if summer feels a little shorter this year. I also know that in about another month and a half to two months from now, Fall and Halloween will begin showing up again in stores all over. We really don't have too much longer.

'Halloween Nation'

I was very excited yesterday when I was browsing amazon (which I often do) for Halloween books and I came across a brand new one! It isn't even out yet (will be released next month on April 15), and I am already anxious to get my claws, er, I mean, hands, on it. ;) I clicked on the "Look Inside" link and read to my heart's content. It isn't another "how-to" instruction book (plenty of those out there already), or another book about the history of Halloween (as much as I enjoy those!). Rather, it seems to be somewhat unique from other Halloween-themed books in that it discusses the question of 'why' Halloween is so popular, not only with kids, but with adults. It includes interviews with some well-known people in the Halloween industry about why they love Halloween like they do, and why they believe the holiday seems to become more and more popular with adults as the years go on. I think it looks like it's going to be a very interesting book, and certainly one I intend to purchase. I might even go ahead and pre-order it. It will provide me with a nice way of passing some time and satisfying my Halloween sweet tooth until October gets here. I am always on the look-out for new books or magazines to add to my collection, and I have a feeling that this one will be a great addition!

Halloween Cravings

March 4th. Halloween is about seven months away now. The halfway point will be upon us before too much longer. I love to think of it like that because it makes it sound like it's not as far off as it really is. I'm always surprised at how quickly the months following Halloween seem to go by. Last year around the six-month mark, the Disney Channel was showing some Halloween shows, like 'Halloweentown I and II', and 'Mostly Ghostly: Who Let the Ghosts Out?'. I remember being so excited to see Halloween on television in May! Even though I own the 'Halloweentown' movies, it was still fun to see Disney showing them that time of year. It was sure proof that Halloween was halfway here.

In order to bide my time waiting impatiently for Halloween to arrive, I started thinking of ways that I could somehow celebrate it during the rest of the year. I loved that Michael's and JoAnn's Fabrics kept holiday stickers and scrapbooking supplies on the shelves year-round, so several months ago I decided to put together a Halloween scrapbook. I had never done scrapbooking before, but I loved the idea of creating spooky scenes with all sorts of stickers, stationary, etc. It would satisfy my "Halloween homesickness", if you will. It was my way of "decorating", I suppose you could say, since I knew how bizarre it would be if I brought out Halloween decorations when it wasn't even close to October! (Although, it wouldn't be unlike me to put them up inside the house, and in particular, in my room. I love the idea of falling asleep to the eerie glow of a jack-o-lantern all year long.) I bought just about every sticker and background I could find and did my best to create the coolest looking Halloween scenes. I was even able to make one of my faves, 'The Great Pumpkin'. Linus sits in his pumpkin patch waiting anxiously, while Lucy, Charlie Brown and Sally go trick-or-treating. I decided at the last minute to add in a few photos of me from Halloweens past.

My scrapbook is already almost full, and I've already decided to start another one after this one is completed. I can't wait until October starts getting closer and the stores start adding new stuff. I had never thought much about scrapbooking before, but I'm finding that I actually quite enjoy it. I might even make one for Christmas!

Another one come and gone

Well, folks, I can't believe it, but Halloween 2010 has already passed us by. It seemed to come and go so quickly. I was driving by Michael's tonight and I thought to myself how I will miss all the Halloween stuff. I have to wait a whole other year to see it all again, and that's always kind of a depressing thought. I get really excited for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but there's something special about Halloween that fills me with excitement like no other holiday. My Halloween decorations are still up because I haven't had the time to take them down. Tonight, I turned on the orange lights strung around the deck 'cuz I still want to have the feel of Halloween around me. I will be taking everything down in a day or so and packing it all away again until next year. Funny. I almost feel like I'm saying goodbye to an old friend. Luckily, the Christmas stuff will go up before long, so things won't look too empty. I put one of my faux jack-o-lanterns that I carved this year on top of the dvd player on the dresser. I figured I'd enjoy its spooky glow once more before I put it in storage. I used a pattern from Zombie Pumpkins called 'Patch Master' on it, and I really love how it looks all lit up. I love scarecrows. This one is truly sinister.

Farewell, Halloween. I will look forward to your visit next year!