Friday, July 28, 2017

Celebrate Halloween at Midsummer Scream this Weekend


UPDATE: Check out my recaps of the event for DAY 1 and DAY 2!

Midsummer Scream is a Halloween and horror convention and festival that will be held at the Long Beach Convention Center this weekend, July 29th and 30th! They will have spooky panels, classes, workshops, screenings, scare zones, vendors, artwork, and even a costume party aboard the Queen Mary! Are you going? I sure am and I cannot wait!

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Sneak Peek: Halloween 2017 at Crate and Barrel


Eeeeeeek Crate and Barrel has finally started listing Halloween decor online and they have some boo-tiful items! I love looking at their Halloween collections every year and they usually have some swoon-worthy stuff. They have some creepy-cute Halloween items online now, but I'm hoping more will be added soon!

For now, I really like the ones below (including a few repeats from past years):

Watch Now on Netflix: The Worst Witch (2017)


Netflix recently released the TV series The Worst Witch, based off the series of books (said to be the inspiration behind the Harry Potter series) by Jill Murphy first published in 1974 and most well-known for the 1986 made-for-TV film starring a young Fairuza Balk and featuring an unforgettable Halloween musical number by Tim Curry. There are various other film and TV adaptations, but I've only seen the 1986 version, which has a sweet, quirky, and cheesy charm.

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Sneak Peek: Halloween 2017 at Sur La Table


Sur La Table has started sprinkling their site with orange and black! It doesn't look like their full collection is up yet, but they do have a few things. They tend to carry mostly cutesy kitchen Halloween items that usually aren't my jam, but some of their things are so sweet that they put a smile on my face no matter how much I fight it!

Here are a few of their Halloween 2017 products that I'm digging:

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Most Anticipated Midsummer Scream Presentations


Midsummer Scream is just a few days away and I can't wait for the second year of this Halloween convention (read my coverage of last year's event)! This Halloween convention features thrills and chills via mini haunted attractions, spine-tingling performances, special FX makeup demos, classes and workshops where you can build your own Halloween props, special celebrity guests, spooky vendors galore, a Saturday night costume party on the Queen Mary, and tons of presentations about the season's upcoming haunt attractions from premiere amusement parks like Universal Studios Hollywood's Halloween Horror Nights, Queen Mary's Dark Harbor, Knott's Scary Farm, and many more!


I've been looking through their schedule of events, and there are just so many exhibitors, panels, performances, haunts, screenings, celebrities, classes, and even adoptable pets to see over the course of two days on Saturday, July 29th and Sunday, July 30th. I don't know how I'm going to do it all, but I started jotting down all the presentations and performances I can't wait to check out. I thought I'd share my most anticipated Midsummer Scream presentations with you below:

Sneak Peek: Halloween 2017 at Pottery Barn


There isn't much of a Halloween section up on Pottery Barn's site yet, but it seems like they are slowly starting to add pieces. Right now, they have a few new items up as well as some from previous years. I've been keeping an eye on any new items that pop up, and I think they are getting closer and closer to revealing their new Halloween 2017 collection. For now, I wanted to share Pottery Barn's Halloweenie products that have caught my eye so far:

Monday, July 24, 2017

Sneak Peek: Halloween 2017 at Big Lots


Big Lots usually starts stocking their Halloween items in-stores pretty early (usually in late July or early August), so I didn't think to check their website for new items until a reader kindly suggested I do, and I am sure glad they did, because they have a preview of what to expect in stores!

It also looks like they have several dupes of what Target is offering for Halloween this year, including an animated crystal ball and haunted TV.

Here are some of the neat things they should have in their stores soon:

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Only 100 Days to Halloween!


I don't know about you ghouls and boils, but I am freaking out that there are only 100 days to Halloween!! It just seems to be going far too fast, and in a way I hate countdowns because they just re-emphasize how little time is left to celebrate the glorious Halloween season!


Let's face it, for Halloween fiends like us, Halloween is so much more than just one day a year, and while I celebrate it everyday, there is just something special about the actual Halloween season when you are surrounded by lovely autumn decor and everyone has the spooky spirit!

Friday, July 21, 2017

Watch Now on Netflix: American Fable (2016)


This fantasy thriller was a film I had very much been looking forward to seeing since I saw the trailer. Its portrait of rural Americana in the 1980s tinged with a fantasy atmosphere appealed to me partly due to the fact that I grew up on a rural ranch and seemed I would identify with the young lead. It also looked beautiful and the fantasy elements made me even more intrigued.

Sneak Peek: Halloween 2017 at Cost Plus World Market


I have been stalking Cost Plus World Market's site for quite some time waiting for them to start posting Halloween stuff, and I'm happy to say they finally have! They already have a good selection of Halloween and Dia de los Muertos items up on their site, and I can't wait to see their entire 2017 collection! Nothing is available for purchase yet, but keep checking back for when their autumn items go on sale online and expect them in-store around September.

Check out some of my faves from what is currently listed online now:

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Sneak Peek: Halloween 2017 at Williams Sonoma


Halloween things are starting to pop up all over online, including Williams Sonoma! Their full Halloween collection isn't up yet, but they do have a few treats up and several caught my eye. These won't be in stores until probably late August or later, but for now you can start scheming which items you'd like to buy or just let the images inspire that Halloween spirit.

These are the Williams Sonoma Halloween items that are my favorites so far:

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Watch Now on Netflix: XX (2017)


I am so behind on my Netflix recommendations, please accept my apologies! Netflix doesn't seem to be releasing many new horror movies lately, but there are still some gems to be found. I recently revisited the horror anthology film XX, which was added to Netflix streaming not too long ago. This horror anthology is unique in that each segment is directed by a woman and each story is told from a female point of view. I had seen it previously but remember being underwhelmed. However, I decided to give it another shot and actually liked it a lot better the second time around!

Sneak Peek: Halloween 2017 at Target

Target's Halloween 2017 Nocturne Collection

UPDATE: The collection is now in stores! Check out what they have in-store HERE and HERE!

Target is notorious for torturing Halloween fans and dragging out their roll-out of Halloween goodies to stores every year...I'm sure this year will be no different but it will be worth the wait!! Just check out these amazing Halloween items that they will be carrying this year (some are already available for pre-order on their site!):

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Sneak Peek: Halloween 2017 at Pottery Barn Kids


While Pottery Barn's site doesn't have any Halloween items up on their site yet, their Pottery Barn Kids site does have a few new items and they are just too cute not to share! Even if you don't have kids (like me), there are some products I wouldn't mind owning, including some adorable officially licensed Peanuts items!

Check out my faves so far below:

Monday, July 17, 2017

Imperfect Produce Box Review


I recently signed up for my first ever Imperfect Produce box after deciding I wanted to try a produce subscription box to save money and trips to the grocery store. I researched several services offering subscription or CSA boxes in my area, and decided upon Imperfect Produce because they are fighting food waste and supporting a more sustainable industry by offering "ugly" food at a discounted price. This "ugly" food is simply produce that would usually be discarded due to having too much of it or due to imperfections. Rather than just tossing it, Imperfect rescues it from farms and offers it to the public at discounted prices. This way less food is wasted, and people can get nutritious, delicious produce directly from farms in a subscription box for less! How could I not get behind that?

Imperfect Produce offers several sizes and varieties of boxes. You can get organic boxes, veggie-only or fruit-only boxes, or a mix of both, and a variety of sizes is offered for each category of subscription box. You can adjust your box preferences at any time, and with every box you have the option to customize the box and decide the frequency you want to receive it (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly). For my very first box I ordered the small organic box to be delivered weekly, which runs approximately $14 to $19. I was lucky enough to receive a referral discount code from a friend, so I saved money on my first box (if you want to save money, too, here is my referral link which will score you $10 off your first order!).

Saturday, July 15, 2017

Sneak Peek: Autumn 2017 at Michaels


I popped in to Michaels yesterday to see if they had any of their Halloween items out yet (I swooned hard over their collection last year at this time!) - unfortunately, nothing much is out yet, but they DID have a bunch of general autumn decor and a few Halloween arrangements.

Even though the bulk of their Halloween treats weren't out on shelves, I still loved seeing all those lovely autumn shades of orange, yellows, and reds. Knowing that autumn is right around the corner soothes my soul and I always get so giddy seeing autumn decor show up in stores.

Of course I will keep checking for Halloween decor at Michaels, but in the meantime check out the pretty autumn decor they have on shelves now:

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Sneak Peek: Halloween 2017 at Kirkland's


I've never been to a Kirkland's, but I got excited when I saw that they had started posting some Halloween products online! I was surprised to find that there were some store locations in SoCal (though none near me), and after perusing their new arrivals section bursting with autumn decor, I just may need to take a trip out to one of their store locations once they start stocking Halloween items, because some of their stuff is cute and at decent prices!

While we're waiting for their items to hit stores, I did find a few on their online store I liked, even if they are more on the cutesy side. You can check out what I'm digging from them below:

Monday, July 10, 2017

Vixen's Halloween Clothing Inspired by Ben Cooper's Vintage Costumes

Sneak peek at Vixen's vintage style skirts and dresses inspired by Ben Cooper's
Halloween costumes - Image from Vixen by Micheline Pitt's Facebook page!

Micheline Pitt's clothing label, Vixen, has partnered with Ben Cooper to create unique novelty prints based on the iconic Ben Cooper Halloween costumes from the 1950's to the 1970's. The prints will be featured on vintage-inspired swing dresses and skirts, sweetheart dresses, pencil skirts, and more! They are available for pre-order on Vixen's online store now, and depending on the style will be in-stock by late July or late August!

Check out the adorable Halloweenie prints below from Vixen's online store:

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Watch Now on Netflix: Okja (2017)


I finally mustered up the courage to watch the Netflix original film Okja - I heard it could be a very emotional film, so this past Friday night I curled up on the couch with some popcorn, my cat Havoc, and plenty of tissues. Now, I normally stick to recommending horror movies to watch, but since this film was so powerful (and contains some horrific elements) I think everyone should watch it. More on my thoughts on it below.

Saturday, July 8, 2017

Sneak Peek: Halloween 2017 at Grandin Road


Grandin Road has posted a sneak peek of some of their Halloween 2017 items! They have always had some boo-tiful designs and products, but to be honest they run a little too pricey for me. Plus, the company does not have the best reputation in the haunt and Halloween community as they have reportely used independent Halloween artists' designs as "inspiration" for their own creations without giving proper credit (I wrote a little about that HERE and HERE). It's just something to keep in mind, especially since their items tend to be on the expensive side.

Despite the issues I have with them, they do have some neat things. Here are some eerie items from their 2017 preview that caught my eye:

Friday, July 7, 2017

Summer Goth Playlist


We are now in the agonizing throes of summer. It always seems that as soon as July 1st hits the temperatures and humidity spike up and I'm left feeling hot and gross for months. I'm already longing for cooler days and nights! While temps won't cool down for many months (even our autumns here in SoCal are hot and searing), I stay cool with a collection of summer tunes. Even when I'm wearing all black on a scorching day (I will never not wear black), these songs make the torturous summer slightly more bearable.

Thursday, July 6, 2017

Sneak Peek: Halloween 2017 at Pier 1 Imports


Sneak peeks of Halloween 2017 are starting to pop up online, and one of the first places I've spotted new treats is on the Pier 1 Imports' website. I've been eyeballing their site for a while now, and it seems like they are adding new things every day!

Some items are available to order now online, but most won't be hitting actual stores until July 31st. Here are some of my favorite Halloween items I've spotted so far on Pier 1's site:

Monday, July 3, 2017

How to Have a Spooky 4th of July


Hope you are doing something spooky for Independence Day, but if not there is still time to plan something for tomorrow! As for me, I'm keeping it creepy by carving some melon-o-lanterns, watching some scary summer movies, and grilling up some vegan noms like the Beyond Burger. If you are still looking for ways to spookify your patriotic celebrations, I have some fun recommendations for you below!
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...