Friday, July 31, 2020

At Home Halloween

Wow! It has been so long since I've typed up a blog! There hasn't been a lot of excitement for me to write about these past few months. I'm healthy and I hope you all are as well. Things have been slow, but a few days ago I got to have a jolt of excitement. The Halloween items are in at the At Home store! Being in there, taking photos, it felt great. I really didn't want to leave. But you can only go down the same Halloween aisles so many times, right?


So, while any new Halloween goodies would have been a breath of fresh air right now, I'm happy to say that At Home had a good selection. They had some general themes going, and I'll break this post into those themes. We'll start with the enchanted woodland theme that goes with the lady above.

Next we have a candle holder with some mossy knuckles on it. A few of the objects in this category looked like they'd been rotting in the woods for years.


Like this skull that has been on the forest floor so long that it has fungi growing on it!


A close up:


To my mind, these eyes fit in with the woodland theme. In part because of that woodgrain texture and in part because I can just imagine them rolling around in the woods.


This little cutie is something far different, but I think it could still be found in the imaginary forest I'm describing.


Next, we have the skeletons. Check out this amazing amount of skeletal goodness!


It's always fun each year to try and find some new ones. At Home did not disappoint. Every year, I think I've seen it all, but then someone cooks up a new one. I bet you haven't seen an Alien skeleton!

This seemed very Area 51

Or a gargoyle skeleton:


This electric eel was new to me too. It lit up, but it was hard to take a photo while pressing the light button. I thought the light was a fitting addition, given what it is.


I'm not sure what this little guy is. He seems like something out of Jurassic Park.


I'm sure I shared something like this last year, but it's so cool that I'm going to share it again. It looks like there's a hinge in the jaw.


This dragon skull is a nice transition into the next theme: dragons.


You guys know that I'm into spooky bottle labels. It's always fun to read the fine print on these.


"Caution: May cause a burning sensation on the throat area"

This light up dragon eye changed colors from green to red to purple. There are probably a lot of uses for this, although I'm not thinking of any right now. Maybe if you built your own dragon sculpture and used this as its eye?


And if you use your imagination, this is a bit of a dragon. A little one. I put a leafy placemat under him for one of those "natural environment" sort of shots.


I liked this lizard so much that I'm sharing two views of it.


Onto the candy-themed items...

I thought these ghosts were so adorable, especially the one with the mustache.




I've been thinking of making something similar to this. It's the kind of decoration you might normally think of for Christmas, except it would be in red or green. I was thinking how it would look cool to make a number of different large scale candies, like magnified trick-or-treat candy.


The jack-o-lantern cupcake in front of this gingerbread haunted house is so cute. Hmm... that could be another fun craft project: fake Halloween cupcakes. I'm getting some inspiration as I look through these photos.


At Home had a nice selection of Halloween inflatables.


This one is probably my favorite, but then I noticed myself saying that about a number of these.



Some of my other favorite Halloween inflatables were the dogs.


I thought this one had a bit of a Simpsons vibe with the eyes.


And a favorite Halloween-themed dog of mine: Zero!



I'll call this section Gothic decor. These items had kind of a vampire's castle vibe.

I'll start the Gothic section off with this yowling skeleton creature. I wondered who he was supposed to be. A zombie? A ghost? I took a look at the tag on him and only saw him described as "Gerald" 🤣 I just noticed the skull pattern on Gerald's shirt. It reminds me of a scarf I have.


Another dapper character:


I guess this is a skeleton king? Nice bottle opener behind him.


A closer view of that beautiful throne back:


A fancy, metallic pillow.



A tiny gargoyle creeping around behind some candleholders. He looks ready to pounce.


Cool stem!


I thought this dog actually had kind of a sweet expression. I could see this as a year-round decoration in someone's yard.


Love the eyes! I'm trying to remember if I've done this to a skull already with some craft jewels.


A spooky sorceress lady?




How awesome is this reaching hand ribbon? I don't know how I could use ribbon like this, because I feel like the design could be lost in a bow. I might prefer it on the roll.


The general autumn decor:


Doesn't that wall of autumn leaves make you feel happy? And I love an owl perched in a wreath.



Pretty realistic, hey?



And now for the cool and uncategorized...

Groovy, Space Age pumpkins, which I just noticed were labeled "Cool Cats":


There were a few other retro "Cool Cats" designs. There was a little house that was so hard to photograph, but I did manage to get an OK shot through one of the windows. If you're into the artist "Shag" than you'll probably agree that this is pretty Shag inspired.


And these are I guess evil Tiki guys? Or sorta melted candle faces missing the wicks? Now I'm wishing that I'd looked at how these were labeled.


Candy corn trees, which are another craft on my to-do list. I figure they could be simple enough to make using some white mini Christmas trees.


:)



Hehe. Just try not to sing the song as you read this.




Well, I hope you guys enjoyed my first trip to the Halloween shelves this year. It was a fun and safe trip since At Home is basically a massive open store without many people in it. So I felt able to linger over the Halloween shelves in a relaxed way. Another thing that helped me feel relaxed was that I was wearing a mask filled with lavender essential oil. Some of you who are up on your plague doctor history will know how they filled their "beaks" with lavender. Now, there was a morbid reason for this, but I'm thinking it also helped them feel more relaxed. That's what it's doing for me, anyway.

Flower Plant Sticker

So during our current "plague" I'm using drops of lavender and geranium essential oil on the inside of my mask, instead of the loose dried lavender flowers the plague doctors used. It has such an effect on me. I am just merrily gliding around stress free, more or less gassing myself with these oils. Especially with the heat, it's really steaming up the scents. So that's a tip for you guys. If you have some essential oils in the house, I suggest using them in your masks. I mean, if you're wearing black fabric masks like I am. You wouldn't want to stain a lighter mask or drop oils on a paper one.

Now, I just need one of those plague doctor sticks to keep people away, right? 😉

19 comments:

  1. That's some cool stuff! I've never heard of the store before. Looks like we have a couple in MA but they're not nearby.

    I think that Jurassic skeleton is a frilled lizard. It does look like a Dilophosaurus from JP with the neck frill but it looks slung low to the ground like a lizard.

    Glad to hear things are going well out your way!

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    1. Dex ~ Yeah! I was pretty happy with their selection. I did wonder if At Home was just a store that was local to us. Well, if you ever find yourself near one of the stores in MA, it's worth going in. There's a neverending amount of home decor in there.

      I looked up the frilled lizard and I think you're absolutely correct about that! They look threatening enough in the photos I'm looking at here. Maybe that's because my mind is still in that Jurassic Park mode, but they look ready to attack!

      And thanks, yeah I think things are going as well as can be expected for anyone about now. I'm inconvenienced somewhat but I can't really complain. I hope you're doing as well as possible too! :)

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  2. I will not be spending much time perusing Halloween items in stores this year so I will have to enjoy it vicariously through you blog. I love that zombie hand ribbon and the candelabras with the gargoyle.

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    1. Lady M ~ I'm guessing you won't be perusing for safety reasons? Thankfully, I'm feeling pretty safe covid-wise in the stores now. It helps to go when there's basically no one in there too. I hope to have some more Halloween store posts to share. Jo-Ann's and Tuesday Morning are starting to get their Halloween stuff out.

      Oh yeah, I love that ribbon too. I'm not sure how it could best be used, but it looks cool as-is. And that candelabra/gargoyle pic could be labeled "Things may appear larger than they actually are." ;) But yeah, they had some good metallic Gothic items in stock.

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  3. Awesome I really like those Trick or Treat boxes "Did someone say Candy" is really fun. Glad to hear your healthy stay safe!

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    1. Bob ~ Yeah! I liked that candy box a lot too. I could picture it holding a flower arrangement actually. Maybe with some little fake candy corn involved? I am happy to be healthy and safe and I hope you are as well. :)

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  4. Nice selection there! haven't seen a lot out around here yet but Im sure things will start popping up soon. Thats funny with the lavender- I will have two give that a try. hope you are doing well during this crazy time. I'm really afraid that our pumpkin fest in Bay View might get canceled this year. everything else seems to be getting canceled. My nephew just moved into a house a block away from there and we were going to use it for our base haha!

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    1. The October Boy ~ Yeah! I was pretty pleased to see that early and expansive Halloween section. Now I'm wondering how much the other stores might have out.

      Absolutely give that lavender a try! Putting a few drops in my mask has made a big difference for me. I'm actually looking forward to putting it on now. :) Shopping became a relaxing experience. Knowing about the plague doctors was the reason I even thought to do it.

      Yeah, I think I am doing the absolute best a person can right now. The weather got more comfortable so I'm enjoying being out gardening. I've missed going to some festivals, but I've gone to some stores and the library in the safest way possible. I'm just trying to think of this as a time to learn some new things and concentrate on being healthy.

      Oh yeah, I don't know what to think about Halloween this year. I'm wondering what's going to happen with trick-or-treating! In a way, I see how the pumpkin festival could sort of work. If the pumpkins were still put up on display but maybe there isn't a big crowded event with music? I don't know. Some outdoor activities like farmers markets are still going around here. I guess we'll have to wait and see, like with so many things. Oh, and you were prepared with your nephew's house and everything! Yeah, I'll be watching for news on the event.

      I hope you're feeling well too! Are you growing any pumpkins this year?

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    2. Thanks Justine- feeling just fine as can be and yes I did plant this year. vine borers are back but I have about 15 decent sized pumpkins growing regardless, some starting to turn orange already!

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    3. The October Boy ~ Good! I mean good that you are feeling fine, but not good about those vine borers. I don't think I've ever had to deal with those, but I've read enough about other people's problems with them.

      Wow! Your pumpkins are ahead! In typical fashion, the pumpkins planted themselves over here. And... never in the most convenient of places. I tried to move some plants to a pot, wondering if I might end up with small pumpkins that way. Sort of the way it works with goldfish in different size bowls. ;) And a massive pumpkin plant snuck under the radar and is going to town where it began. We'll see. I'm just seeing the starts of little gourds growing.

      I'll be watching your blog for some pumpkin progress!

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  5. What a spread! They're certainly thinking ahead.

    "Gerald" actually reminds me of someone, but I just can't call to mind who it was.

    I'm not surprised that that alien ended up as a skeleton. Ho couldn't have been very smart since all the space where his brain was supposed to be would have been taken up by eyeballs.

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    1. Infidel ~ Yeah, they are! As far as I know, At Home is the first store to have their Halloween stuff out. I think I may see some of the craft stores bring out Halloween decor this week. I'll be keeping an eye out!

      Yeah, Gerald reminds me of someone too. He does feel like a character out of a movie, but I can't place it. Maybe he's a combination of a few characters. I tried googling some images of old movie villains I was thinking of, but I haven't found a match yet.

      Ha! I can see what you mean there...

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  6. Came back to Blogspot to find every page re-directing. Guess I need to figure what happened while I was gone!

    The ribbon would look amazing around a clear votive candle holder. A flickering battery tea light would backlight the hands.

    Compromised immune system so I am very sad to not be out Halloween shopping this year. Going save a lot of money this year. We haven't been in any store since March. Thanks for sharing the spooky pretties!

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    1. Old Fashion Halloween ~ Every page is re-directing? That's weird. I'm sure that will be the case for me too. I should try looking at some blogs. I'm kind of newly back on here after taking a break. I was shocked to see that I hadn't blogged since April! Blogger does seem to have made some changes to the site. I remember seeing something about those changes taking place in August.

      Good idea for the ribbon! Flickering light behind the hands would look really good. I just couldn't imagine the hand pattern layered over itself in bow form.

      You're far from alone with the compromised immune system. Many people haven't been out at all. I was talking to someone the other day who hadn't been in a store since March either. She has been doing curbside pickup and was wistfully dreaming of going into a Target. I think she's not taking any chances because of her little kid. There are a lot of reasons. I'm fortunate enough not to have any extra health concerns, but I'm still avoiding people the best I can while out. You know, going to stores at times when I will basically be alone and literally running away from people when I see them. Haha!

      I hope to have some more Halloween store pics for you soon. You'll be able to do some vicarious window shopping. :)

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  7. Something happened since I was last here in May. Put in a request to the Blogger forum for help.

    I was looking forward to an amazing Halloween with a full moon. Now, I just hope we all survive it. Our neighbors are healthy in their 30s with 2 small children. They both had the virus and the husband was very sick.

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    1. Old Fashion Halloween ~ Did you hear back from Blogger? I never thought to ask them for help, although there have been many times I could have! I'm not surprised to see a Blogger glitch by this point... Here's a weird one. I can post a blog post using Opera but I can't comment as myself. I have to use Firefox to leave comments if I'd like my own photo and name to appear! I can't make any sense out of that.

      Oh, you and I are going to survive this Halloween. I can tell you are incredibly vigilant. And I've been joking that this is my time to shine, because all the paranoia and cleanliness I had going before will now be put to good use! Yeah, we're going to see that full moon on Halloween. But sadly, a lot of people won't. I can't believe the chances I see people taking. There are some people where I am who act like they've never even heard of the virus.

      I'm sorry to hear about your neighbors. Are they pretty much symptom-free as of now? I'm wondering what is going to happen with schools opening this fall. They are going in-person where I am and that's terrifying to me. There is an online option, but not everyone is going to be able to do that. I don't have kids, but I can only imagine how scared I'd be to send some to school. I'm hoping for the best. It's just hard to watch dangerous events that are out of your control, right?

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  8. Read this late and will get back to you tomorrow. 😀

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  9. No, they said someone in the forum usually responds with 24-48 hours. I might have stumped them with this problem. I read and post directly on Blogger.

    Yes, open defiance of mask wearing and not even believing in the virus. Since we all can't follow the rules this virus will be with us for a long time. With no federal plan to get supplies, testing, and a strategy it will get much worse in the fall.

    She recovered quickly only I think he is still struggling with side effects. They have to watch out for blood clots, neurological damage, and all the new symptoms that people have even after recovering.

    Yes, my husband teaches at a university and we will know on the 14th if he is being let go for next fall. It is possible his entire department could be shut down. No summer work only he is employed for this school year. Have no idea if they will go back or if it is all online. Hard to get students to pay thousands of dollars in tuition to stay at home for online learning. The plan will depend on how much testing can be done and what the governor allows. So many logistics and just getting enough PPE for everyone is a challenge. I just spent several hundred dollars on enough N95 masks, face shields, and a case of Purell for hubby if he has to go back in the fall. Paying 7 times the retail price on 3M N95 masks. K-12 is online for the fall and no sports until next year.

    No federal plan and when we have a safe vaccine it could take a year or more to ramp up enough doses for everyone. Hard to hold on to that hope only that is all we have right now.

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    1. Old Fashion Halloween ~ Oh, I know. There's just so much. And it's pretty obvious at this point that things could have gone better. I could get pretty angry if I let myself think about how many people have unnecessarily gotten sick or died. In part because the protections weren't there and in part because of their own/someone else's choices. It's pretty maddening and hard to watch. I keep hoping that more people will take notice of what's going on and take some precautions. I have noticed a big uptick in mask wearing around here. I think some people were slow to catch on or get a mask, but they're getting with it. The open defiance, though... You know, I'd have liked to have thought that with something like this we could all work together. I do think the vast majority of people care, though.

      Oh yeah, the side effects. Some younger people are kind of blowing this off like "Oh, if I get it I won't get too sick" etc. But there are side effects for them too. And I wouldn't want to potentially worry about those health concerns the rest of my life.

      Oh, things are up in the air for you and your husband then. Is he in a hands on type of department? I have wondered how some subjects will be taught online. I wish the best for you guys. It sounds like you are definitely prepared supply-wise should he go back.

      Yes, we have hope and our own brains. And it sounds like you are using yours. :) We're just going to have to stay patient and vigilant for a while more.

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