Category Archives: Uncategorized

Halloween 2021 Sneak Peeks

July 12, 2021 thefrightowl Leave a comment

So we flew through the first 6 months of 2021, had a pit stop on the Fourth of July, and we all know what comes next: HALLOWEEN!

If you’re like me, you’ve been eating up any Halloween news that you can find, from treats to movies to new decor. I’m so freaking excited this year. Maybe it’s because this will be the first Halloween since 2016 that I’m not either pregnant or someone’s primary source of nutrition. Whatever the reason, the excitement is almost too much to bear.

Like for real. I almost teared up when I saw Dollar Tree’s announcement for their mini Halloween garden line. May have had an almost panic attack. These are truths.

Anyway, since we’re in the transition period, I thought I’d just list what we’ve seen so far.

STORES

At Home is playing like a champ and already putting out their Halloween decor. My store is slowly getting everything on the shelves, but I was able to purchase a few skull decor items and a sweet Halloween garden gnome. I’ll be checking back this weekend (if I can even wait that long).

Spirit Halloween is slowly bringing out their Halloween line. Their YouTube channel released a teaser for The Graveyard Shift about 3 weeks ago, so we know they’re about to release something fun. Store locations aren’t quite out there yet, but we can expect them at least by July 27th, which is the date they list on their store locator.

Dollar Tree’s main page advertises Spooky Halloween Fairy Garden sets (mentioned above with my panic attack), and they look super fun. Very tempted to buy multiple sets for some repaints. And I say tempted, but what I mean is I’m definitely getting multiple sets. I’ve also seen a few other new items at the Tree this year on their website, namely some sweet see-hear-speak no evil skeleton figures and palmistry hands. They’re definitely going all out once again.

Home Depot is reportedly coming back with the must have 12-foot skeleton this year, except this time around, he’s got some skin and a pumpkin face. Looks pretty sweet. Their website says they’re still counting down to the release of all their items, but I’m on pins and needles for their announcement. We all know Home Depot has become a big Halloween destination point.

Michaels and Joann have both been quickly clearancing out their summer items to give them room for their new spooky decor. Both of my local stores are clearing aisles to make way for their Halloween wares, and I’m so excited. Just call me Jessie Spano. (Ugh. I’m aging myself.)

TREATS

We’ve seen a few sweet announcements – pun intended – for new Halloween-themed treats coming our way this year. General Mills announced their monster cereals will unite for Monster Mash, which looks like a tasty mix featuring Count Chocula, Boo Berry, Franken Berry, Yummy Mummy, and Fruit Brute. Skittles announced Skittles Shriekers, Cookies and Scream M&Ms are coming back! I’ll be adding to my workout routine for sure.

ENTERTAINMENT

Can I get a big round of applause for the Halloween Kills trailer?! It was released a few weeks ago, and I think it looks amazing. Jamie Lee Curtis and fam look super done with it, and it looks gory and intense as hell. Very exciting stuff. October 15, 2021 will be epic.

American Horror Story: Double Feature premieres on August 25 with their initial episode, Cape Fear. It’s always a wild ride, and I love seeing how weird and twisty everything plays out. Also worth mentioning is the new spinoff streaming series, American Horror Stories, which starts this week. Check out Hulu on July 15.

Fear Street: 1994 and Fear Street: 1978 have already premiered on Netflix, but we also have Fear Street: 1666 to look forward to this week! These movies are so fun, and I love the nostalgia involved. I was INTO that series in high school. So great.

That’s the rundown for now, but I plan on updating the site and this list as I see things come my way. I hope everyone is getting pumped! And make sure to follow me on Facebook for store decor pics and other fun things

Uncategorized

How to Prop Up Your Tombstones Quickly and Easily

October 4, 2019 thefrightowl Leave a comment

This past weekend, I set up my graveyard in preparation for the great month of October. I’m working on making some homemade tombstones, but currently, I’m using my store-bought, thin, foam versions.

If you have some of these (and I’m sure you do), you know they come with those small, flimsy ground stakes that break off if your yard isn’t muddy soft. I’ve long since abandoned these, so I thought it would be a good idea to post a quick tip about how I easily prop up a foam tombstone.

Now, for those who have the deluxe tombstones that you’ve lovingly made yourselves, you might have built in some PVC pipe inside the tombstone to set on rebar. Or maybe you have your tombstones attached to wood bases or some other genius, sturdy set-up.

Those methods are all great, but if you’re stretched for time, there are easier ways to make sure your tombstones aren’t going anywhere.

This method might not be popular, but it’s crazy easy. And I’ve had some success with it the past few years. It’s very simple. All you need are bracket sign holders and outdoor duct tape.

Start by laying your tombstones face down on the ground.

2. Place a bracket on the back of the tombstone, keeping the bottom cross bar in line with the bottom of the tombstone.

3. Place strips of outdoor duct tape across the top, middle, and bottom of the bracket.

4. Place another strip vertically over your three pieces of duct tape in the center.

5. Place two more strips of duct tape vertically on each side of the bracket over your existing duct tape strips.

That’s it! You’re all done. It might not be pretty, but it really works. And I cannot stress this enough, MAKE SURE YOU USE OUTDOOR DUCT TAPE. The regular stuff just does not work for any type of weather conditions. If you notice all the previous tape marks on the backs of these tombstones, that’s when I didn’t realize outdoor duct tape was a thing and was just using the regular stuff. I finally got smarter.

Do any of you have a quick tip to set up a tombstone or make an easy Halloween decoration? Let me know in the comments. And if you like this post, make sure to share it on Facebook and Pinterest. I’d really appreciate it.

Halloween, Product Review, Uncategorized

2019 Halloween Merchandise Review: Joann

August 26, 2019 thefrightowl Leave a comment

As foretold in my previous post, I am back with another Halloween merchandise review. This one is for another craft store I’m quite fond of: Joann.

I give Michael’s the win over Joann in terms of cool indoor decor, but Joann does have some good items. They have a wide variety of craft and strangely-decorated pumpkins (I especially like the guy below with the teeth), and their animal skeleton game is on point. I mean, just look at the chicken! And the eel! I love them.

Now, if you’re looking for a reasonably priced skeleton, I would go somewhere else – probably Home Depot or Lowe’s – because their normal human skeleton is quite expensive. They go on sale frequently, though, so you can still probably get a good deal on one if you just have to get your skeletons there.

One place Joann definitely has an advantage over Michael’s is the fabric selection. Michael’s doesn’t carry fabric (at least the ones I’ve been to don’t), and Joann has a really great selection of costume fabric. I’m not the type to make my own costume, but if you are, check it out. They have everything from cutesy stuff to bloody, shredded fabric, so there should be something for everyone. You can also buy patterns for costumes there!

I’m also quite fond of the selection of food craft goodies Joann carries. They have a pretty big line of Wilton Halloween products -sprinkles, candy melts, cupcake holders, treat bags, candy molds – you name it. They also have that sweet Jack’o’lantern cake pan you can see in the pic above and a gingerbread haunted house kit. Super fun for kids.

While Michael’s might be more my thing in terms of decor, I do think Joann’s selection this year has some merits. They always have really fun pumpkins and new types of animal skeletons, and their fabric selection is pretty great. So what do I think are the best finds at Joann?

Favorite Finds at Joann

Foam Body Parts: I think this is the first year I’ve seen this. Joann usually has foam craft heads or busts, but this year they have a full skeleton! In pieces, of course, but it would be fun to get this and make it your own.
Stone Skull Planter: I collect skulls. I love skulls. I anticipate this will be part of my collection. Just look at how cool it is!
Vintage Framed Art: My husband and I actually said we liked this a lot at the same time, which doesn’t usually happen with Halloween stuff. I just like the cool vintage look to the print. It would look great on my wall (and probably will).
Yoga Skeletons: These are a repeat from last year, but I freaking love them so much. In fact, I loved them so much last year that I dragged my sister around Fort Worth, TX to find them. They weren’t at my local store, and since we were going to be in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for a BTS concert (which was AMAZING, by the way), I had to stop on our way back to pick these cute little guys up.
Roasted Pig Skeleton: I haven’t really seen many pig skeletons, and I love that this one has an apple in its mouth. Super cool.
Rooster Skeleton: Like the pig, I think this is the first chicken skeleton I’ve seen. He might make his way into my collection, too.
Bone Pumpkin: I love all the cool pumpkins that Joann has, and this was my fave. It’s just really unique and very my style.

All in all, I say at least take a trip to your local Joann and see what they have to offer. Who knows? You might luck out and get there when they have a really good sale.

So what do you think about Joann’s stuff this year? Hit or miss? Let me know if the comments!

Movies, Uncategorized

Horror Movie Streaming

April 29, 2016 thefrightowl Leave a comment

I love horror movies.

Surprising, I know.

I have quite the collection, but even I run out of things to watch from time to time. That’s why I was so excited to discover that there are actually streaming services that specialize in horror movies. Yeah. That’s a thing.

Now, there are a few of these streaming services out there. Let’s look at the 3 I’ve found.

FRIGHTPIX

Frightpix has one big thing going for it. IT’S FREE. The movie selection isn’t great, but there are a few hidden classics in there – namely The Last House on the Left, An American Werewolf in London, and Suspiria.

The rest are mostly B-movies, straight-to-DVD types (*cough*Poultrygeist*cough*) that are good for a laugh but don’t have any real substance. Regardless, check out Frightpix if you want a quick, cheap horror fix.

SCREAMBOX

Screambox is pretty cheap at $3.99 per month (or $2.99 per month with an annual membership), and it has a few gems in there – Scream 2, The Hills Have Eyes, Hellraiser, and The Prophecy series just to name a few. It also has the full Masters of Horror series, which is pretty great. It might have been more of a selling point for me if I didn’t already have them, but if you don’t, it’s definitely a plus.

SHUDDER

Shudder is more expensive than Screambox at $5.00 per month, but this is the one I ultimately chose just because of the selection it offers. It’s got a wide variety from classics like Nosferatu to newer, critically-acclaimed horror like Let the Right One In.

Movies can be browsed in alphabetical order, or they can also be browsed by collection, such as Comedy of Terrors, Monster Mash, and A-Horror. The A-Horror collection was probably what sold me. I love Asian horror movies like Shutter and Audition, so the fact that they had their own section made me smile.

So if you’re looking for something to supplement your horror collection, my recommendation is a subscription to Shudder with a side-order of Frightpix.

How do you satisfy your horror cravings? I’d be interested to know what others think of these services. My experience so far has been positive, so I think I’ll keep Shudder around at least for now.

Movies, Uncategorized

Coming Soon 2016

April 11, 2016 thefrightowl Leave a comment

movie-theatre-fi-CarlosSillero

Do any of you go through the ‘Coming Soon’ page of IMDB and get really excited about all the horror movies coming out? I do, and this year is no exception. This is what we have to look forward to:

MOVIE TITLE	RELEASE DATE
The Conjuring 2	June 10
Clown	June 17
The Shallows	June 24
The Neon Demon	June 24
The Purge: Election Year	July 1
Ghostbusters	July 15
Lights Out	July 22
Don't Breathe (AKA A Man in the Dark)	August 26
Patient Zero	September 2
Before I Wake	September 9
When the Bough Breaks	September 16
Delirium	September 30
Underworld 5	October 14
Ouija: Origin of Evil	October 21
Boo! A Madea Halloween	October 21
Rings	October 28
The Strangers 2	December 2
Bye Bye Man	December 9

I don’t know about you, but I’m really excited for The Darkness, Conjuring 2, Lights Out, and Rings. I believe I screamed a little when I found out a new Ring movie was on the way. Here’s hoping it’s a lot better than the second one.

Also, if you haven’t seen the movie short of Lights Out, I highly recommend you click the link and check it out. Go ahead. Do it now. I’ll wait here while you do.

Did you love it? Yeah. Thought you might.

Break out the popcorn. I’m ready for the movies.

The Fright Owl