Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Mourning Halloween Past


OK...is it my imagination or are all the Store Bought Halloween Decoration this year pretty lame??? Each and every year I look forward to purchasing at least one little 'silly' and cool item to decorate my yard or house with...this has been a tradition of mine for many years now...needless to say I have closets full of Halloween Decorations Past!! But this year...and for the first time ever...I have yet to find One Thing worth buying... to me it all looks like recycled body parts from Halloweens Past ... same legs, crawling arms and floating heads, tombstones and Giant spider webs, hanging corpses and glowing skeletons, talking this and screaming that's.... I AM SO BUMMED!!!
I know I live in a small town where the pickings are slim at best...but...I have journeyed to bigger cities and I find much of the same... Is anyone else finding this to be true??

It is almost like the 'companies' that produce these Ghoulish Delights have said..."Lets hold back and shoot for Christmas Decorations" .... Sniff Sniff.... how can they do this to those of us who wait for those special creepy delights ...if I don't find a decent 'Screaming thing' soon that screams something different...I will be forced to scream myself!!!
Which probably will be the case... this year ...instead of buying a new head or skeleton, spider or ghost...I will just do my own thing. Maybe I will have my'Ghoul Friends' over one of these weekends and have a ' Dr. Frankenstein Monster Creation Fest ' ...Create Your Own Spirit!

SooOooOoo... is anyone else finding it hard to locate good spooky stuff this year? Love to hear what's happening out there in the world of Halloween Decorations.

Until then...I will be forced to Mourn the Passing of 'Cool Halloween Goodies' from many moons ago..... and keep the search up....

Gone are the Goodies that brought me Joy


Left are the things that just annoy...


For Creepy Goodness I do yearn


Needful things please soon Return...


Hugs from Jodi (aka...The Seriously Bummed!)

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree Jodi....
There is a lot of funky plastic signs and bobbing witch heads....

There is one place I want to go here in Seattle called "Costume and Display" They go all out on every holiday.... Halloween is one of the big ones for them... If I find anything REALLLLLLLY cool I'll let you know : )
Pattee

rosanna said...

Hi Jodi, how funny! Here Hallowen is not a holiday. At most it can be an occasion for teens ( and some adults) to dress up. A carnival party out of season. This is a catholic country and we lack those celtic traditions.But we have our own and they are not so different. Over here we used celebrate with light. There was a special candle, made with a long waxed rope, which had to last all night long. This served to keep bad spirits off the house and of course there is a special devotion towards dead family fellows. Cemeteries burst with people the 1st November.
I used to carve a pumpkin for Matteo's delight when he was a child but now he does not care anymore.It's pity, I loved it.
BTW I am SURE that you can do much better than purchased stuff!!

Georgina said...

I couldn't help but laugh at your blog. I'm feelin' it too, sista!!! I did find this very strange looking skeleton, the skull looks fetal but the rest of the body is your regular, run of the mill, skelly. I'm just making my own things...have a couple of little wooden witchy/devil dolls, some skulls in a painted box and will put up my ornies on a Christmas tree that I'm going to spray paint black this week. I like your idea of having a little party for the weekend and making your own stuff...wish I could attend!! LOL

mieljolie said...

I know what you mean! My sis and I were just saying the same thing the other day. It is still a bit early, maybe they are putting the best stuff out last! Yeah, right.

Maybe, the reason is that they just can't compete with all the great work being put out by all the Halloween artist all around that are making such CREEPERIFIC things (I'm pathetic at coining new words). I've seen so many really cool OOAK things the past two years from groups like EHAG, HA31, AHQU and other groups. Buying handmade is great. Etsy.com may be the place to shop this year. If you haven't, you really ought to check out the awesome instant cemeteries that "crafterella" is selling.

We've always enjoyed making our own decorations. Especially at Christmas time. They always mean so much more to us. When our daughter was 2, (she's 6 now) we made tiny paper princesses out of colored tissue paper to decorate the tree. They are still the first thing she unpacks.

Mieljolie

Unknown said...

Hi Jodi,

I must admit, I too have noticed the trend towards bloodied anatomy bits as opposed to the Goulish yet happy delights that leave more to the imagination. I live near the heart of Hollywood and not even that brings more of a selection. Some of the best Halloween I've seen of late, I feel comes from right here, the artist's of EHAG, etc. I suspect it's up to all of us to maintain the vision of our early predecessors. Keeping the wondrously. charming, boogery and goulish in the realm of mysterious and old world fun. Fall leaves rustling and blowing across the paths, the hooting owl with peering eyes in the crisp evening air, and the glow of the distant carved Turnip and Pumpkin on the creaky wooden porch steps of the overgrown and rundown house. Is that scent in the air a brewing potion, or indeed apple cider? Ooooo... the thought....I can't wait! ;-) Deb

clairedulalune said...

I have heard about the sad decorations from other blogs. I live in the UK and they don't celebrate it as much. In fact they have christmas goodies in the stores already and not one bit for halloween! I couldnt believe it! I would love to go to the US for halloween, all the decorations are amazing!

julie campbell said...

Yes its unbelievable but here in the Uk we have shelves full of xmas decorations and advent calendars !
The halloween stuff we have is not great with lots of singing skeletons and funky dancing frankensteins...........
I think you should have a spookfest and make some fab decorations with your friends, I would love to see what you make !
julie xxx

Karin Corbin said...

The companies who make decorations have to decide more than a year in advance what they are going to make and how much of it they will manufacture.

The economical decision for a company trying to stay alive would have been no new designs and don't make too much of it or they would have to take a big loss. Of course there is not much new this year. The companies would have gone under if they did that as few people can afford to buy non essentials. Rich folks generally do not decorate their lawns and houses with dime store stuff. The companies who make decorations know exactly what the household economics of their customers are and they have responded in kind.

Karin Corbin said...

Hey Patee, I am heading to Display Costume in Seattle in the near future. I need some miniature fish netting for a project. Wave if you see me.

Robin's Egg Bleu said...

San Diego is a pretty big city and I do not find any of the pickings here terribly enchanting either.

My sister and I used to throw a pretty good Halloween party every year and make her house a 'real' haunted house.

But the outside decor has been abandoned because of the blatant lack of respect and abuse of todays youth, destroying everything in their path, and even right in front of you while they laugh and walk away.

That's when I started working in a real haunted house (The Whaley House). Unfortunately, they've now got those same disrespectful 'guests' who wreck it for everyone.

Gosh, don't parents teach their kids manners anymore?

Cody Goodin said...

I hear all of your comments and have to agree. My partner works at a party/craft/costume store here in Cincinnati and even they have lost some of the cool things. I make most of my own decorations too. I like to recycle stuff and experiment. It is from my old theater days in college where we used to put on a haunted house to raise money. The amazing imaginations of all the artists I see on line blows me away too.

You could always do a Halloween exchange with a few creative firneds to aquire something new.

Patty Benedict said...

GREAT discussion Jodi! I start hunt for Halloween items year round at yard sales. BUT the new Halloween items at stores are OK...more Skulls and skeletons.The price of the new decorations are also way cheeper then last years!
I treat myself to Halloween candels at the Cracker Barrel little gift shop! A lot of people don't know that the Cracker Barrel Restaurant has a pretty good little gift shop...nice sales!
I'm having a party this year sooo I'll share photos after I decorate.
Bugs & Hisses
Patty

Creager Studios said...

Hi Pattee...

Thank Goodness you are noticing it as well...for a minute I thought it was just me! OoOoOo that place in Seattle sounds Wonderful... I know there is something very much like that in LA...but I can't get Richard to drive me over to check it out...drat!
Let me know if there is anything really COOL there...

Hugs,
Jodi

Creager Studios said...

Hi Rosanna..

So Great to see you...have been really loving your postings on your blog.

Halloween is a very big Holiday here second only to Christmas...and a close second at that! People tend to decorate weeks in advance sometimes leaving things up throught the year...QUILTY!!
Pumpkins are such a wonderful part of the holiday ...and I still carve one each year...old habits are hard to break...carve one for yourself!!

Hugs,
Jodi

Creager Studios said...

Hi Georgina...

I think I saw the same skelly you did...LOL! I like the idea of spray painting an old christmas tree black and putting up ornies... I do have a small black Chrsitmas Tree in my Nightmare before Christmas display..it has small NBC ornies displayed...ahhhh makes me happy!
Not sure my friends here in town are as excited about Halloween as I am..maybe I could trick them and say it is a fairy party...then spring the goulish stuff on them...hee hee hee!

Hugs,
Jodi

Creager Studios said...

Hi Mieljolie..

So you are finding the same thing to be true.. hmmm must be everywhere...

I agree...Hand Made...Home Made are Best by Far...but I would never place beautiful Artist Made Goodies outside...they are treasures to display inside...I basically look for 'stuff' that I don't care if it gets a bit messy over the season outside...
When I was in EHAG (when it all began) I marveled at the treasures that group had to offer...each a beautiful art piece.

Hugs,
Jodi

Creager Studios said...

Hi Deb...OooOoooo you described the feel for Halloween perfectely...
You are so right...the best Halloween fair is that of True Artists...but those treasures are to be keep safe inside and treated as Art... I was thinking more along the lines of outside sillies that are good enough to decorate and give the feel...and not worry if they got a bit messed up...

Artist Made is ALWAYS BEST!!! After All...it is 'real' artists that the BIG companies Hire to create for them...

Hugs,
Jodi

Creager Studios said...

WOW Claire... Christmas Decoration Goodies ALREADY!!!! UGH!!! Here in the states a sad thing has happened over the years...as a child I remember so vividly we celebrated each of the holidays individually ...Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas...now, Thanksgiving is lumped in with Halloween and Christmas with Valentines day...UGH! I miss the Thanksgiving decorations and that whole feel...

Hugs,
Jodi

Creager Studios said...

Hi Julie...

WOW...Christmas in England Already...ZOWIE! I am sure ours will start soon as well...

I think I will try to gather friends for 'Fiend Fest' I did buy a whole bunch of paper mache skelly masks that I was thinking of hand painting and putting on ETSY...maybe this would be better..I will post pictures if this gathering takes place...

Hugs,
Jodi

Creager Studios said...

So true Karin... Ecconomics do play a large role in all of this...

OoOoo you mentioned Dime Store Stuff...that took me back to the 50's and I remember going to Woolworth's Five and Dime and seeing tables full of the classic Halloween Decorations for 5 cents and ten cents...up to a wopping fifty cents for the Bigger stuff...of course back then was not considered 'classic'...LOL
WOW...to be able to go back for 20 minutes...it would be fantastic!!

Hugs,
Jodi

Creager Studios said...

Hi Cody...

Right you are..things have changed so much. And the best items are hand made ones... Heck, maybe next year we could start a small 'Halloween Exchange' between artists...that would be FUN!!

Hugs,
Jodi

Creager Studios said...

Hi Patty...

WOW...you are the only other one that I have heard talk about 'Cracker Barrel' Gift Shop...we have one of those up in Kingman, AZ and YES YES...they have some pretty cool stuff, forgot all about it...OK, that's my quest to get Richard into the car 'for a LUNCH I must have in Kingman...at..oh let's see...at The Cracker Barrel' do you think he will be onto my 'plan'???

Thanks for the heads up...
and Yes garage sales are a wealth of stash for Halloween...I must start checking those as well...

Hugs,
Jodi

Marcie Hart - A Work Of Hart said...

I agree Jodi! Really lame stuff in the stores this year. Nothing beats the old Halloween stuff from the 30's and 40's in my opinion! Love it all!

~JL said...

I need to drag out my stuff from the attic, most of what i have is handmade. Years ago i collected old styrofoam ice chest tops and carved in them and then painted them to look like tomb stones, this was back in the late 70's early 80's before all the Halloween tomb stones were available. I also stuffed a old plastic glove and painted the outside to loOK like a zombie hand coming out one of the brick planters that are on the walk way coming towards the front door, we have a three foot brick wall that encloses a small courtyard which i would put the tombstones, with a skull some bones scattered here and there with moss, leaves and large tree limbs gathered and saved, some leaning up against my roof eves to the ground with spider web intertwined, and i have cut out large black card board silhouettes of banana spiders(they have a great outline) hanging in the webs, they are about 2.5' to 2.75' feet cross... pretty scary when you are about 3 to 4' yourself.

I would have a big black cauldron outside on a simulated fire with dry ice... i would dress up as a witch, and had made a styrofoam sign that looked like concrete naming the cemetery after my road, and a sign on the lamp post, stating beware of the witch ahead.

I carve free hand at least three large pumpkins, each year. i use to get a lot of people that would always come back into the neighborhood that use to live here just to see what i came up with next, this is one of my favorite holidays... we can be silly kids again, amazing what you can create out of a black silhouette, using cardboard and low green lighting...it cranks up the iMAGiNATiON. *G*

Creager Studios said...

So Right you are Marcie...Older stuff is sooo much better...

Wish I could afford the original goodies...but the Newly made recreations of those classics are even better...

Hugs,
Jodi

Creager Studios said...

WOW Joanna...I really like the way you think and create... now that's imagination! I too have many hand made goodies from days past... and all those great memories to decorating the house and amazing the neighborhood kids..

LOVE LOVE LOVE this time of the year...
Hugs,
Jodi

Creager Studios said...

Hi Robin...

Boy ...you are soooo correct when speaking of youth today and their great lack of manners and respect...reminds me of many 'adults' that I see too...gee, wonder where the kids learn it!!!lol...

The Whaley House.... WOW...my dream place to visit...one of the most Haunted Places in the US...and you worked there...How COOL is that!!!lucky girl...

Hugs,
Jodi