Happy Halloween!

Hello Ghosts and Ghouls!  I just wanted to pop in to wish you all a Happy Halloween!

This is also a little bit of a Throwback Thursday post.  This time last year, Eliot and I were actually down at Walt Disney World with my mother and brother for Halloween.  I bought our tickets to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party months in advance so we could celebrate Halloween Night with Mickey Mouse and friends.

It was obviously a bittersweet trip for all of us since my Dad was supposed to be with us.  We debated cancelling the entire thing after he died, but we all knew that we would probably need a little bit of magic at that point.  It was a pretty good night overall.  We missed Daddy so much, but we knew he would want us to have fun.

The photo from above was from when we first entered the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.  Eliot and I made new mouse ears specifically for the event.  I wore my new Torrid candy corn dress and the light up Mickey pumpkin earrings I ordered from another small shop.  We spent the evening getting a little candy, taking photos with some of the characters, and watching the parade and fireworks!

This year we don't have any big plans, but I'm sure I'll still find a way to celebrete!

Happy Halloween!!! 🎃🦇👻🕷 I hope you have a spooktacular day!!! °o°

Halloween Weekend 2022

Ok, ok... so spooky season is over and I'm definitely ready to move onto Christmas and all things holly jolly.  However, I snuck one Christmas merchandise post in during the spooky season, and I'm going to sneak one last Halloween post in before I totally move forward with holiday time.  Before I leave the 2022 spooky season in the past, I wanted to write up a quick recap of our weekend of Halloween celebrations!

Honestly, there's not too much to share but I had already set up the beginning of this post, so I decided to run with it.  I've already mentioned our Halloween day was pretty much a bust and that we had to postpone our Neighborhood Halloween Block Party.  

However, I still snuck in a little bit of Halloween this past week... 

Since I didn't leave the house Monday, I decided to wear something Halloween themed to my sewing class on Tuesday.  I opted for one of our candy corn colored Mickey tie dye shirts.  Over it, I wore my new Mickey candy corn sweater.  Finally, I topped the outfit off with a new headband from a small shop that I recently discovered.  It was a bit of a mismatched ensemble, but a lot of my new Halloween clothes were meant for colder temperatures and was pretty nice this past week.

Our Halloween Block Party was rescheduled for this Saturday.  Eliot and I were hoping to go, but everyone wasn't planning to start it until 3:30 in the afternoon.  The closer it got to the event, the more we realized that it would put us pretty far behind where we wanted to be on our drive home to Trenton.  (We had been planning to leave our house around 1 or 2 in the afternoon.)  We decided to skip the Block Party since we weren't going to be able to enjoy much before we'd have to get on the road.  

Instead, we were treated to a little bit of unexpected Halloween magic.  While we were gathering orders to get taken to the post office, one of our neighbors texted us to say that she sent her son over with a treat for us.  Eliot opened the door a few minutes later to find a plate of her homemade cookies decorated in various Halloween shapes sitting on the porch.  (Her Christmas cookies are a big hit... we literally quibble over who gets the biggest ones.)  I was touched by her generosity... especially when our plan was to drop off our candy and the kids prizes with one of our neighbors and be on our way.  

Then, we got another surprise.  Eliot and I packed up the truck and locked our house up before walking up our driveway to take the candy and gift cards over.  We could hear people outside setting things up at the end of our road.  We were surprised to find three of our neighbors, one of the dogs and one of the kids wandering around getting ready for the party.  We were able to stand outside in the gorgeous 72° weather talking with all of them and visiting for about 20 minutes before we said our goodbyes and headed on our way.  It wasn't a long visit but it was nice to say hello to everyone! 

Finally, I still have to finish watching all of my Halloween movies.  Eliot and I have been so busy that I haven't been able to cross a few off my list yet.  In fact, I just watched the Muppets Haunted Mansion this past Thursday.  I really enjoyed it and I'd forgotten how many Haunted Mansion references they packed into it!  We've kind of moved onto Hallmark Christmas movies, but I'm just going to run with it.  Holidays collide right?

So our Halloween 2022 celebrations were minimal, but it ended up being better than I was expecting!  Plus, I feel like I got a good amount of spooky season enjoyment in.  I mean... we have been celebrating it since August after all.  At this point, I'm ready to wrap up spooky season so we can move onto my absolute favorite holiday of them all... Christmas!  Farewell spooky season!  We'll see you next year!!!  °o°

From Spooky to Jolly

"I don't want a lot for Christmas.  There is just one thing I need..."  

Right now, that's some holiday cheer.  The past few weeks have been a complete whirlwind of highs and lows.  It's been my very own rollercoaster ride.  And I want off.

The past few days, I've felt like I'm in a major funk.  Thankfully, if there's one thing that always cheers me up, and that's the holidays.  I think it's time to march into Lowes so I can stand in their Christmas tree display surrounded by twinkling lights.

This morning, I had to get up early for sewing class, but I made sure to start the day by listening to the anthem of Christmas.  It seems like Mariah has finally thawed out and is also ready to say goodbye to spooky season and hello to the holly jolly time.

And I'm here for it.  If anyone is looking for me, I'll be wearing my pajamas and dancing around our kitchen singing Christmas songs at the top of my lungs.  °o°

Halloween 2022

Happy Halloween Friends!  

It's been a long time coming, but Halloween is finally here!  It's a warm 60°+ outside today, so it doesn't particularly feel like it should be Halloween.  And sadly, Eliot and I are not really having a very spooky celebration around here...   

Our Neighborhood's Halloween Block Party had to be postponed due to one of our neighbors testing positive for COVID last week, so our big party scheduled for last Saturday will be taking place this upcoming weekend instead.  Unfortunately, Eliot and I will be leaving for Trenton right about the same time the block party is starting.  (We are going home for a quick overnight trip to help Mom and Dad out on Sunday.)  So we're probably going to miss most of the event Saturday afternoon and evening.   

I'm hoping we can at least pop out long enough to say hello to our neighbors, give someone else our Halloween candy to pass out, and drop off the prizes for the kids contests that we were in charge of getting.  Eliot and I have decided that we are not going to bother dressing up in costumes or decorating our car for Trunk or Treat since we'll be leaving before we probably even do that stuff.

Eliot and I have basically been celebrating Halloween since August, so I'm not too torn up about it.  Going to Disneyland and seeing the fireworks and spooky decor there was my Halloween highlight.  Still, I'm hoping that we'll get to enjoy a little bit of Halloween cheer.  Eliot wore his new Disneyland Halloween Spirit Jersey to work.  I might put on a Halloween movie later on tonight.  Eliot's trying to get me the last McDonald's Boo Bucket that we're missing.  We've already eaten most of the candy that was supposed to be for the Block Party, so we're going to refill that.  And since I'm staying home in my pjs today, I'm hoping to wear something spooky to my sewing class tomorrow!

It's not much, but it's something!  I'll pop back in sometime next week to fill you in on any fun Halloween activities or festivities that we were able to participate in!

Happy Halloween!!!  °o°

National Candy Corn Day 2022

Happy National Candy Corn Day!  As you may recall, a year ago today I admitted my complete addiction to all things candy corn.  This time of year is filled with orange, yellow and white products for Halloween, and this spooky season did not disappoint!

I look forward to the new candy corn merchandise each year, and over the past few years, it seems as though retailers have finally caught on to it's popularity.  Now, they are making tons of merchandise and cashing in on the sweet treat.  

This Halloween season, I've added a few new candy corn items to my collection and I thought that I'd share them with you today in honor of National Candy Corn Day!

The first thing I purchased this year was my candy corn Pair Eyewear Topper.

My next purchase was this Minnie Mouse Candy Corn Witch Sweater from Torrid.

Hot Topic and Her Universe came out with a bunch of candy corn items.  Naturally, I gravitated towards the Disney stuff first.  I got this Candy Corn Disney Dress.

I also got this year's version of the Disney Candy Corn Hooded Sweater.

Later in spooky season, I had Hot Cash to use so I bought this Candy Corn Tank Dress from Hot Topic.  It's a bit chilly in Maine this time of year, but it will be great to layer! 

I also had to get this Candy Corn Sweater Vest from Hot Topic.  I absolutely love argyle prints and sweater vests, so this was also a no brainer!

Mid-October, I got a happy surprise when I got an email notification that the Harvey's Candy Corn Tote Bag was back in stock.  I had literally just gotten out of the shower, so I hopped into my bathrobe, ran downstairs to my laptop and ordered it on the spot.  I had signed up for the restock notification back at the beginning of September when it was first released.  It was literally right before our California trip, so I skipped the release since I didn't want to spend money.  As soon as it sold out, I signed up for the restock just in case I'd get selected for it.  Thankfully, by the time I got the email, I had money available so I got it!  It's the perfect handbag to go with my candy corn outfits!

Finally, my favorite addition to my collection this year is my new Candy Corn Jeweled Headband by Brianna Cannon.  I just discovered her shop a few months ago and I'm totally obsessed.  This knotted headband is cute, fun and fashionable.  I love all of the jewels and how sparkly it is!  This will look great with all of my candy corn outfits!

As you can see, I have got quite the collection of candy corn cuties in my collection!  I absolutely love everything and I can't wait to start putting outfits together!!!

Happy National Candy Corn Day!!!  °o°

Fun Find: Disneyland Halloween Videos

Frightful Friday Friends!  Eliot and I have been crazy busy this week, so today, I thought I'd pop by to quickly to share a few videos with you.  After spending some spooky time at the Disneyland Resort out in California a few weeks ago, I thought it would be fun to share some Halloween footage from the west coast!

Instead of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, the west coast features the Oogie Boogie Bash over at California Adventure.  The event seems more geared to adults to me, although I'm sure there are still plenty of children that attend.  The Oogie Boogie Bash features different special attractions such as a popular villain experience.  There is also a different parade called the Frightfully Fun Parade which you can view below.

I love seeing the different floats over at Disneyland!  This definitely features more of the spooky stuff and villains versus the cheerful Boo To You Parade at Magic Kingdom.

The next stop on our Disneyland Halloween tour is none other than the Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay.  This is one of my favorite parts of the holiday seasons at Disneyland.  They do such an amazing job every year!  The video below actually shows you everything from the outside decorations, to the Stretching Portrait Room, to the ride queue to the actual ride!  It feels like you're really there!

The final stop on our tour is the Disneyland Halloween Screams Fireworks Show.  I love to finish a Disney day watching the fireworks.  Thankfully, Eliot, his mother, my family and I were able to see the Halloween fireworks once during our trip... However, we were viewing them from halfway down Main Street so we had a totally different experience.  This video shows all of the projections on the castle really well.

And there you have it... my super quick tour of a few spooky highlights at Disneyland Resort during Halloween Time!  I hope you enjoyed our quick trip out west.  

Have a Happy Halloweekend!!!  °o°

Magical Merchandise: Local Halloween Finds 2022

Halloween season is winding down... and that's probably a good thing because all of the stores are starting to look a bit holly and jolly!  Holidays definitely collide this time of year, but before we move onto Christmas, I've got one last Halloween merchandise post to share with you!  Like last year, I've collected images of the products that Eliot and I have found in our local stores... so let's check it out!

TJ Maxx, Marshall's and Home Goods

TJ Maxx, Marshall's and Home Goods are all owned by the same company and we have various stores located around us.  This year, I've decided to group them all together because it's easier than trying to remember which location had what!  These stores are the ones that Eliot and I have regularly popped into every few weeks since things started appearing late summer.  From Ellsworth and Bangor back in July, to Biddeford, Portland and Windham, we've been to a bunch and seen a ton of stuff!

The coolest thing that we came across was this Animated Mickey Mouse.  I've never seen him before, even from people online.  He was more expensive than we wanted to pay, but it was really cool to find!  (Maybe he'll be on sale after Halloween!)

They had a few different Halloween and Fall blankets.  I got the Mickey pumpkin one!

As always, they had a large selection of door greeters.

There was also a bunch of kitchen stuff at many of the stores.

They also had Halloween planters.

This Vampire Mickey sign was at a few and perfect for decorating outside.

I really loved the Mickey soap dispenser than these cute snow globes.

One of my favorite finds was this Mickey Pumpkin candleholder!  I looked everywhere for him last year but I never found him.

I was also pretty pumped to find the Mickey Pumpkin mug.

Finally, we also found this year's new Minnie Ghost Mug. (We also found the Mickey Pumpkin cookie jar and the Mickey Mouse decorative pumpkin, but I was so excited to find them that I scooped them up before I could even take a picture of them!)

Christmas Tree Shop

Eliot and I don't go to the Christmas Tree Shop often, but they do occasionally have some great treasures there!  A few weekends ago, I needed to go to Michael's so we popped next door afterwards.  We found a few Halloween kitchen items.

They also had a few Disney Halloween items in their garden section!

Burlington

Eliot and I also don't go into Burlington that often, but since we were checking a bunch of other stores out, we decided to pop in there as well.  They had a few cool Disney bath sets that would work for both Halloween and fall.

We might have to go back to get this set of towels to go with our Disney fall shower curtain that we bought last year!  They'll be a great match!

Spirit Halloween

I actually haven't been in Spirit Halloween this year, but Eliot popped into the Biddeford store while I was next door at Michaels a few weeks ago.  While there, he took a few photos for me of things he thought were interesting.  First, he got a photo of the Hocus Pocus costume section.  I love the Sanderson Sisters costumes!

They also had a large Hocus Pocus display.

There was also a Haunted Mansion display.  It's exciting to see this outside the parks!

And finally there were a few more Haunted Mansion items on an end cap.

Walmart

Eliot and I went to a few different Walmarts where we found various items.  I was most surprised to find so much Disney Halloween jewelry from Claire's.

They also had a pretty big display of hair accessories.

I spotted a Disney Halloween cookie kit.

There were also some cute Mickey and Minnie plushies that jumped into our cart. 

They had an assortment of villain inflatables.

There were also some other Disney ones like Mickey, Minnie, Stitch and Miguel.

Finally, they also had a few door greeters including the much sought after Sanderson sisters.  (I should note that this years' version were smaller than the original ones!)

Kohl's

We swung by Kohl's once because I heard that they were stocking some Disney stuff in store.  By the time we got there, it was really picked over and Christmas was taking over, but Eliot and I did find this cute little Mickey pumpkin that came home with us!

Lowes

Finally, Eliot and I went into Lowes a few times this Halloween season.  We first went back in August (right when everything was first put out) to buy the Hitchihiking Ghost door greeters.  Then, a few weeks ago, we bought the Mickey Mouse Pumpkin Pop-Up Inflatable and Stitch Inflatable.  Here's what the overall Halloween display looked like.

Here's another closer view of some of the display.  (You can read more about Lowes Halloween items here and the Haunted Mansion collection here.)

That's most of the Halloween merchandise that Eliot and I have found over the past few months!  If you're still looking for some spooky items for this Halloween season, we have seen stuff that's still available!  So don't fret quite yet!  There's still plenty of time to get your creep on before it's time to get holly jolly!  °o°

Magical Merchandise: Other Online Halloween Finds 2022

Happy Monday friends!  Today certainly feels like fall here in Maine.  The weather is overcast and rainy, and the temperature is only going to get into the low 50's.  The leaves are all changing into various shades of fall colors and they look stunning.  And it finally feels like it's spooky season!

By now, it feels like we've been celebrating Halloween forever.  This is definitely the disadvantage to Disney starting it so early in August.  By the time we're actually ready for Halloween, I'm ready to move on to all things holly and jolly... but I digress.  The merry season will have it's time, and I'm trying to enjoy the rest of spooky season!

I've only got two more Halloween merchandise posts planned before we'll be switching gears to the holidays.  This week, I'm scooping up all of the remaining things that I haven't tucked into another post.  There have also been a few late comers to some of the collections that I've already shown you earlier in spooky season.  So let's dive in!

Hot Topic

Hot Topic had quite a few other Disney Halloween products that wasn't part of the Hocus Pocus, Haunted Mansion or Her Universe collections.  First we have this Winnie the Pooh Window Gel Clings set of our our favorite willy, nilly, silly old bear.

They also had a cute Winnie the Pooh Eyeshadow Palette... 

... as well as a Stitch Eyeshadow Palette.

I really love this cute Pumpkin Stitch Bag from Loungefly.

These Stitch and Angel Sneakers would look really cute with it!

You could even match with these Stitch socks!

There's also a Pumpkin Stitch Blanket.

I think this Mickey Blanket is super cute.  And I really like the candy corn colors!

They also had Mickey and Minnie Window Gel Clings.

My favorite thing from Hot Topic was this Mickey Travel Cup in candy corn colors.

And finally, I was surprised to see that they had a few items for the kitchen!

BoxLunch

BoxLunch also had items that weren't in their Hocus Pocus or Haunted Mansion collections.  I think my favorite is this Mickey Pumpkin Make Up Brush Holder set.

They have had these Mickey PJ Pants for quite a while now.

I like these cute aqua Mickey Pumpkin Socks.

They also added a few park accessories like these Mickey Pumpkin Mouse Ears.

And also they had these Mickey Spiderweb Mouse Ears!

Ok, so it's not Disney but I'm switching gears a little, I had to include this adorable Snoopy Halloween Loungefly.  The pumpkin even lights up!

This Pumpkin Stitch Loungefly has been popular the past two years.

This year, Her Universe came out with this cute Mummy Stitch Bag.

There's also a cute Stitch Door Mat.

And a Star Wars Door Mat.

I think this little Star Wars Spoon Rest is absolutely adorable!

And it matches this cute Star Wars kitchen set!

Her Universe Haunted Mansion Collection

Earlier this spooky season, Her Universe came out with their huge Her Universe and Hot Topic Disney Collection.  Then, they followed that up with a few epic clothing items in their Hocus Pocus collection.  I assumed that was all we were getting, until they just dropped a Haunted Mansion collection a few days ago on both their website and Hot Topic!  (I guess they've gotta keep us all on our feet!)  Let's check it out!

First, we have some Haunted Mansion Sweatpants and a matching Sweatshirt.

Here's a better view of the Haunted Mansion Sweatshirt.

I like this Haunted Mansion Button Down Shirt.  It would be perfect for Eliot!

I love this Gargoyle Cloak.  It's already sold out in a few sizes at Hot Topic!

I also really love this Haunted Mansion Maid Velvet Dress.  I love the embroidered details on the bib, as well as the cuffs on the sleeves.

This Haunted Mansion Flocked Wallpaper Mesh Shirt is really cute too!

Finally, if you've been looking for a Haunted Mansion Wallpaper Sweater, now's your chance!  This is very similar to the Torrid one, but the pattern is a bit larger on it.

Unique Vintage Halloween

We're taking a break from Disney for just a minute so I can share some of my favorite items from Unique Vintage.  They're one of my favorite places to shop; they always have great holiday clothing.  I love pairing these with my Disney stuff!  I mean, wouldn't this Fuzzy Pumpkin Sweater look great with some of these other looks?

This Halloween Fair Isle Sweater is another cute look you can dress up or down.

I really liked this Halloween Windowpane Sweater.

I love how elegant this Pumpkin Cardigan look with the swirling pumpkin vines.

This Fair Isle Witch Sweater is super cute too!

This Pumpkin Pinafore Skirt may not be Disney, but it's popular choice of guests at the parks!  The reviews are filled with Disneyland's Main Street Mickey Pumpkin photos!

This Spiderweb Sweater would go well with so many of my Disney outfits!

I absolutely had to have this Purple Witch Hat Sweater.  It's not traditional Halloween colors and I thought it was fun!  I got it on sale and it came a few days ago.  I love it!

Finally, we're getting back into the Disney theme with this Black Flame Candle Shirt.

Cakeworthy Disney Collection

Cakeworthy brought back a lot of their stuff from last year, but they also added a few new items to this year's line up!  I've already written about their Hocus Pocus and Haunted Mansion collections, so today I wanted to show you the Disney stuff!

They brought back this popular Mickey Mouse Ghost Dress.  I finally got it this year!

They also brought back their Mickey Mouse Spiderweb Dress.

And they re-released their Mickey Mouse Pumpkin Button Up Dress too.

Then, they added this new Mickey Mouse Vampire Crewneck to their offerings.

There's also a new Mickey Mouse Vampire Crossbody Purse that already sold out!

I really love this Mickey Mouse Pumpkin Cardigan.  I didn't buy it since I decided to get the Haunted Mansion wallpaper sweater, but this is on my radar for next year!

My favorite new item was this Mickey Mouse Pumpkin Bucket Purse.  It reminds me of the McDonald's Boo Buckets that I loved so much as a kid, but it's Mickey!!!

Torrid Other Things Added

Torrid also added new items after I wrote my original Torrid Disney Halloween post back in August.  I've already written about the Hocus Pocus and Haunted Mansion items, but I wanted to show you a few more pieces they've added recently.  First, we have the Disney Villains Skirt that they snuck into that email but hadn't released as of my first post.  I think it is really fun and cute!

I absolutely love this Cruella de Vil Dress!  It's subtle yet fierce!

They also recently added this Cruella de Vil Sweater.  I think I might have to get this.

Last week, they snuck in this new Haunted Mansion Dress.

This isn't officially Disney, but I thought this Mermaid Costume was a fun addition.

They also have some Mickey Spiderweb Undies.

And finally, they also added this Minnie Dress last week!  I might need to get this too!

Lowes

Last but certainly not least, we're taking a peek at what Lowes had to offer.  I didn't even realize that I hadn't already posted about these until this weekend when Eliot and I went shopping and we stopped in Lowes.  I usually do an entire post just on their merchandise, but since I was trying to do it by theme, I haven't touched on these- but you can find their Hocus Pocus and Haunted Mansion items from them at those links.

I'm always excited to see what they have for Halloween and Christmas!  I was excited to see a few new things, as well as some new twists on old favorites!  My favorite twist was on the Mickey Ghost from a few years ago.  This year, he's tie dyed fun colors!

Eliot and I love the hanging inflatables so I was happy to see a new Cheshire Cat one!

They also made some Mickey and Minnie Airdorables.  We bought a few Minnies since we already have a few of the Vampire Mickeys from last year.

They also made these cute Mickey and Minnie Blow Molds that we had to pick up!

They made Mickey and Minnie Skeleton Inflatables this year.

The very popular Giant Mickey Pumpkin Inflatable got a darker ear makeover this year.

Eliot fell in love with this Stitch Vampire Inflatable so we had to get him.

Finally, my favorite new item was this Mickey Pop Up Pumpkin Inflatable.  He literally pops up out of the pumpkin and he's so cute!  Eliot and I also went back to get him!

And I think that's basically everything that I've found online!  I hope you have enjoyed these last Halloween merchandise finds!  If anyone adds anything else... Well, there are only three more weeks left of spooky season.  Let's hope that this is everything they are planning to release otherwise they're cutting it really close!  

Happy shopping and happy haunting!  °o°