THRIFT STORE SHOPPING

Let me start by saying I've always had a problem with well-off folks like myself shopping in thrift stores. To me, these stores are intended for those who need the lower-priced alternative to regular retail. It's no exaggeration to say I've donated thousands of dollars of clothing and furniture for thrift resale to various organizations. The idea that those items end up in the hands of high-end designers 'repurposing' them tweaks my nerves a bit. Still, I have always sought to give where needed rather than sell my unwanted items, so I forgave myself today's roughly $25 in purchases. I think. It must still bug me or I wouldn't even mention it. Huh.

CLOTHES AND ACCESORIES FOR EVERYONE

As you can see, Mommy Skelly has a few new accessories, as well as having had her shoes zip-tied (I'll clip the ends and you won't even notice them). I am loving the head-scarf, and may appropriate it for myself after Halloween. I do have an issue with little newborn Shelly Skelly. Mommy's arms don't articulate inward as I had envisioned, to cradle the baby. I'm going to have to noodle a solution. I'm open to suggestion, as long as it doesn't involve purchasing a bassinette or cradle. Aside from cost, I don't want to store more stuff that is probably for a one-off display.

DADDY SKELLY

I shopped the boys' racks for both Daddy and Junior. Daddy's rockin' cargo shorts, a sleeveless rocker tee, and black boots. And, of course, his do-rag and mullet. I feel like he's missing something, though. Do you agree? A beard, maybe? I was thinking his mullet is so very long, I could trim it and maybe use double-sided sticky tape or leftover Command strips to attach the trimmed hair as some kind of facial hair. Hmmm? Gonna have to noodle that some more, too. Thoughts anyone?

I had to stop at this point, after dislocating Daddy's right arm (note to self: don't force it, cut the clothes!) and nipping a finger (mine!) with scissors. Junior is up next, and then September will be all about the staging of my front  porch for the display.

Momma Skelly

Not too much progress this week, with other chores to do. But I did get Momma dressed. Not an easy task; she's not super flexible! I need to tease up her wig and maybe add a bow. Oh, and strap her shoes to her feet, which reminds me to mention...

ZIP TIES!

These little genius thingies are your best friend for attaching one thing to another temporarily, or even longish-term. Zip ties (aka cable ties) are my go-to for putting garland on my railings at Christmas, and I currently have a few here and there outside, holding a hose caddy to a post, a solar panel to a gutter (for a small string of  party lights), etc.

Hope to get to a thrift store soon to dress Dad and Junior. Meanwhile, say hey to Momma.

We Have (most of) the Stuff!

Ah, Amazon.com, my go-to shopping zone! You’ve seen my shopping list – some oddball stuff you simply can’t walk into Walmart for. Not to mention that I think I did well, getting a lot of my props for under $60 total. I look for items that will (hopefully) last more than one season, but will help me keep a shoestring budget.

Before I detail those, let me tell you my thoughts on the ‘boarded windows’. I REALLY don’t want something bulky or expensive. I may or may not do something like boarded windows next year, or in future years. So what to do? I was all over Google, Pinterest… I finally had an interesting thought: I have all the cardboard boxes the skeletons and other stuff came in. I typically burn or recycle those, since I prefer plastic tubs for storage. So why can’t I paint cardboard for my ‘boards?  A gray base, some black for wood grain and knots… I have craft paints, and can get more inexpensively.

My only hiccup is fastening cardboard to my windows. I’m not sure how to fasten lightweight cardboard to my windows without damaging or leaving residue on my window frames, but have them be secure against wind. Anyone with suggestions?

In any case, that’s what I’m thinking right now. The cardboard can then be discarded in November.

So back to cool stuff I bought:

I needed wigs. Skeletons with hair are much funnier than bald ones, don’t you think? I wanted a beehive for Mom. I was thinking the kind with the flip, but I wasn’t married to that look. I ended up with this blonde beauty:

At about $15, this was by far the most expensive item I purchased.

Of course, Dad and Junior need hair, too. I wanted Dad to have a mullet, and Junior a bowl cut. Amazon delivered!

Junior’s Dumb and Dumber wig was less than $3!

Dad’s “Firebird” mullet with do-rag was $10.

Score! But I need more stuff. I want Mom to look a bit floozy. I stumbled on this little jumper I decided was perfect. Size was no consideration, of course, since it will be worn by a 5-ft skeleton.

A cheap skater dress - $6!

Of course, my Mom character would wear stilettos…

Under $7.50. They also happen to be my size, tho I can’t wear heels anymore. If I decide I won’t reuse them, I’ll donate them.

Of course, I got Junior his propeller beanie for under $7.

And while I was on a roll, I threw in a spiked collar for the smaller skelly dog for under $9 (it’s a Goth choker J).

Finally, I was still sure I needed a baby. That was a tough one, since skeletons apparently don’t come in infant sizes, just human-size, or little toys. I did fond this though. It’s a stress squeeze-toy, just about the right size. Hidden in a swaddled blankie it should do the trick, at just over $3.

I’m not done, of course; the guys have no clothes! I’ll solve that one next time, and also hope to start putting the characters together.

Time to Get STUFF!

Once I had the concept for my Halloween display fairly firmly in mind, it was time to put together a shopping list and start sourcing.

SHOPPING LIST (don't take this to the grocery store!)

• Skeletons: Three, to be Mom, Dad and Junior.
• Skeleton dog
• Since Grandin Road had been an inspiration to start this process, I naturally went there to shop these items
• Wigs, because skeletons with hair are just funny
• Clothing
• Shoes of some kind
• Accessories/props: A beer for Dad to hold, propeller beanie for Junior...  Oh, and we need to add a baby somehow. Hmmm.
• "Boards" for the windows
• Atmospheric stuff: webs, Spanish moss, music, lighting

GRANDIN ROAD

Honestly, I'm not trying to plug this particular online retailer, but they are a good source for quality Halloween props that stand up to time a weather. Use whatever source you trust. I wanted props that would last a number or years, but not break the bank (no point in saving money on something if you'll have to re-buy it next year). I was pretty excited about my idea, so I did end up splurging on not one, but two skeleton dogs. Why not? They have ear-bones! Too funny...

The boxes arrived today, and I was dismayed to see the shape they were in. Pretty banged up. :( I will note that the company's packing is very poor.  Nothing at all in any of the boxes to protect the contents! Fortunately, things seem OK. The smaller of the two dogs does have a lose rear leg. Since they're on with screws, I'll see if I can tighten it before I decide if it needs to go back. For now, though, here is the new family:

And that is where they are right now, posed around the house. Hope the pest control guy doesn't need to come in; he may be judgy. The dogs can sit upstairs until Halloween, and the skeletons have loops in their skulls, so I'll probably hang them in an upstairs closet for now.  OK, bring on the lame puns...

Next, budget-shopping more of my list.

Planning a Halloween Tableau

HALLOWEEN, ANYONE?

If you’ve searched out this blog, I hope it’s because you love Halloween and scary fun. If not, keep calm and search on; this is not the blog you’re looking for.

I’ve always loved the freaky fun of Halloween, ever since my Dad built us our first cardboard box coffin prop for the front yard. I was probably six or so, nearly 50 years ago. Since then I’ve put on haunted houses at my office, decorated my yard with massive gothic arches (Hubby carpenter supreme!), and dressed as everyone from Jack Sparrow, to various (male) coworkers. I’m a girl, BTW. Hey, I like a challenge.

Several years ago my husband and I decided to sell our home and downsize to a condo. I haven’t been able to really get into Halloween since 2010. I now live in a new home in Sweet Home Alabama, with a big porch, lots of land, and not one damned reason why I can’t get back to enjoying Halloween.

As I started thinking Halloween, I also thought I’d like to share the process. This blog will hopefully entertain, stimulate your imagination, and get you into that spooky spirit! Let’s just hope my concepts end up looking good, or this will be a major ‘net fail!

THOUGHT PROCESS

That implies I actually had one. Honestly, my Halloween display idea, and this blog, were inspired by a mind wandering while the weather was too hot to be out gardening. It’s hot in Bama, folks. Hot and muggy. Hot and muggy with NO BREEZE. I may adjust eventually adapt but, this being my first Bama summer, I had retreated to the air conditioned heaven of my living room and, while idly doing jigsaws or coloring, let my mind wander. Suddenly I remembered Halloween! I think it was a Treehouse Masters episode that triggered it (shot in Upstate NY, my old home. Ish.). And the noodling began. ‘Noodling’, from the German:

noo·dle²ˈno͞odl/

noun

informal

noun: noodle; plural noun: noodles

a stupid or silly person.


a person's head.
Origin
mid3 18th century: of unknown origin. The sense ‘head’ dates from the early 20th century.


OK, for me it means idle thinking that may or may not blossom into an actual project.
I remembered a favorite Website, grandinroad.com, that carries awesome Halloween décor. My first thought was one of their prefab figures, specifically…



http://www.grandinroad.com/life-size-venetian-victoria-figure/halloween-haven/lifesize-figures/374015


But then I thought, WTF? They have plain skeletons, and I CAN DO ANYTHING I WANT. And the noodling revved into high gear. Next up, THE CONCEPT; fleshing out my ideas.

THE CONCEPT

There is no telling where the mind will go while noodling, which often includes mahjongg, coloring and, yes, usually alcohol (for me!, not recommended!) My twisted brain ran through several sample dioramas before settling on a haunted, condemned house with a deceased family happily waving to visitors from the porch. So, what would that look like? First off, this idea works for me because my new Sweet Home has a full porch across the front. What you come up with should be informed by the space you have to decorate, and maybe the style of your home. I have a farmhouse sort of home, so I decided on a down-home family theme. Second, honestly, with the right props I could do anything, but hey, it’s my first time out in years, and I was feeling the Southland.
Noodling… Noodling.  Mom and Dad, for sure. A son. A dog! Grandin has skelly dogs! Happy little dead family! Time to sketch it out…



I am no artist, and you don’t have to be, either. The important thing is to get the idea down in a way you recognize, and make notes on details. Note here that Mom is in a beehive wig and dress, Dad in a beater, and son is wearing a propeller beanie. I also added a note to include a baby. I included notes on details like Dad’s mullet, boarded windows, and the dog holding the boy’s lower leg. That one may take some consideration. It means destructing a perfectly good skeleton. We’ll see. It’s August 1^st. I have time. So do you, but planning now will help you create a scaryvelous display!
Time to start some base-shopping. Need to purchase the central elements to my display, and must-have details. More on that next time!