Get Ready...

I have Halloween on the brain. Not only is my office littered with projects to do, I am reading a spooky book for book club next week (has anyone read this?! Holy Holmes, eh?). This time of year is so fun, even if I am over ambitious and underachieving. Soon I should have fruits of my labor posted so you can see what I've been up to but until then- I MUST share the glee of this years display at Rogers Gardens. It's in Newport and it was the one place I wanted to stop while we were there for Disneyland. Yes, yes - I realize that, as a courtesy to you, I put a collage of family photos together of our trip so as not to bore you with tons of pictures. But this is Halloween. It is so very serious. And obviously more important that family memories because I am sharing these images with you one by one. :) Skip now if you don't like the holiday. Read on if you can appreciate it. Tally Ho!
Rogers Gardens is an extravagant and beautiful nursery and outdoor store with a few small enclosed buildings that contain housewares, yard decorations, etc. At Halloween they transform one of these rooms entirely and it NEVER disappoints. They really 'get' it and have some great effects and ideas that I keep tucked away. So here is your little tour of the place:

In the back corner of the store was this old wheelchair. How creepy is that thing-just sitting there? Uh---Changeling?? And nearby was an old stuffed chair and lamp, little side table with oddities, empty and bare, facing the dark back wall shelved high and full of old televisions turned on displaying static. Um, yeah. Again-uber creepy. Uh...Poltergeist?
This was from the potion/lab area. I thought the skeleton chandeliers were cool.
After making Halloween award ribbons last year, I have noted any others I come across. I may try my attempt (and probably fail miserably) at some of this ribbon folding nonsense...
Last year at the store they had elaborate dining tables set up with black dishware and the tables were covered in all these great, black ceramic busts. This year they were up on a shelf, all mummied up. If you don't have busts, just give Benadryl to the kids and use them.
Some cool paper mache styles and face ideas...
I was very impressed with this part. A table with a make shift laboratory, complete with electricity buzz and friction sound effects, slow blinking strobe lights, and hoses that came down from the ceiling into the water tubes/vials making things bubble.

Thought this was a cool hat. And Patch girls, note that this would be a cool way to use the skull masks?
There were piles of glittery stuff everywhere but I liked these little coffins the most. Small, glass glittered skeletons were rested on moss in little white paper boxes. And WAY overpriced. So I'm funna make me one.
Old dolls painted gray. I mean, ALL gray. Hair, clothes, eyes, everything. Very very eerie. Last year they had an old black victorian stroller near these dolls that was motorized to rock forward and back invisibly. Dude- it was spooky, folks.
And lastly, cards running along wire arches to look as though they are flying invisibly. Cool effect. Last year they did this with books a lá the "Ghostbusters" famous library scene.