LET'S DO THIS!

This is the day that can truly bring out the worst in people! So you need to be prepared. Here are a few tips that might help save the day, and your sanity.....

We all know Black Friday offers the best holiday season shopping deals, but they only come to those who are prepared and in the right place at the right time. Here are some tips to help you make the most of the sales and discounts so you get the most bang for your buck.


Do Your Research


If you are planning on making a special purchase of a big-ticket item based on a Black Friday sale, it is important to remember to check consumer reports and read consumer reviews of the item before you decide to make the purchase. If the product is bad, just because you got it for cheap doesn’t make it a good deal. Take the time to make sure it’s a quality product and worth getting up early or staying up late for the price cut.


Browse the Deals Before You Go


Thanks to my site, you can get a good idea of what deals will be where well before Black Friday shopping starts. Knowing which retailers are going to have what on sale and when before the big day will help you decide where and when you want to go, will help with budgeting, and will help you see who you have left to shop for. As you browse the deals, make a list with the product, who it’s for, the price, the location, and any special hours for the sale.


Compare Prices Before You Head Out


Shop around to see what the average retail price of an item is before you leave, so you can go to the store that is offering the best deal. Check to see what usually comes with the item you are looking for, and what the store is offering. Many stores offer”stripped down” versions of products, which means you will have to spend money on accessories. Take time to see what accessories you will need to determine if the deal is really worth it or not.


Bring Ads with You


Bring sales ads with you so you can have them available if you need to call a store out on their “lowest price guarantee.” Most stores have a policy that will allow them to match or beat a lower advertised price, but will require you to show the ad as proof to process the price difference. Generally speaking, the store policy will not apply to online advertised deals, even in the case of the store website due to online only deals, but you can always print the web page where you saw the deal with the advertised price and give it a shot.


Use Store Credit Cards


I’m not saying go out and max your cards. You will still have to practice budget savvy shopping and make regular payments to avoid hefty interest charges, but many stores offer extra discounts and warranties if you make purchases on your store card. This, when paid in full as if it were cash, can offer extra savings benefits.


Early Bird and Night Owl Specials


Many stores advertise early bird deals, generally between 4 and 11 a.m., to help draw in the crowd, but also offer night owl specials between the hours of midnight and 4 a.m. to draw in the crowd that doesn’t like to get up early, but would rather stay up late. Cashing in on these deals is not only a good way to beat the crowd, but it’s a good way to guarantee the getting will be good, because typically, once the deals are gone, they are gone.


Familiarize Yourself with Store Policy


As stores are becoming stricter on return and exchange policies, knowing the store policies before you go can help you decide where to shop and what places to avoid. Most stores are now starting to charge a restocking fee and closing the return window, so customers do not have as long to return a product. The amount of time you have to return something is important since you’re buying nearly a month in advance. Having a receipt is also very important, because no receipt often means no return.


Don’t Forget the Gift Receipt


Many stores are printing a gift receipt so you can include a receipt with the gift in the event of return or exchange, without divulging how much money you spent on the item. While many stores do this automatically for holiday season purchases, it is important to ask for one so you can be sure to have it for the recipient

WARM & TOASTY

With most of us feeling the chill in the air, we know that winter will soon be here. And you want to make sure you keep warm and toasty, but still look spooky chic, am I right? I just loooooove this pom-pom Graveyard Beanie!

Here's some fun hats and socks from those freaky freaks at Vampire Freaks.com, that you'll definitely want to add to your winter wardrobe!

The hats are $22.99 on sale right now, and the socks are 7.99 and 8.99 per pair! Not a bad deal, and they're super spooky-cute!

Not only do they have awesome hats and socks.... but you can find some really fun handbags, shoes, boots, dresses, and tee shirts, too!

The prices and selection are great, so be sure to check out their store, before all the Black Friday madness, so you don't miss out!

HOLIDAY PROJECT: GOTH CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS

So, tell me, what's a Goth to do, when they're searching high and low for some really cool goth-inspired Christmas ornaments, for the holiday tree? Well, you can search the www and check out every store in town.... or you can make them yourself!

If you're looking for inspiration for your goth-side, you need to meet The Queen of Goth, Mary Rose. She's a pretty cool goth chick, and has some amazing, crafty ideas. Like these Christmas ornaments, and here's the scoop on how you can make them, straight from Mary Rose at The Everyday Goth.com herself.....

Polymer clay would be a good place to start. You can mold whatever you like (that is within the realm of your ability), stick an eye-pin in it, and then hang it by a ribbon. Personally, even with my limited artistic ability, I think I could make (very round) bats, spiders, bones, coffins, fleur dis lis, headstones, keys, icicles, and more.

If you're the type of person that has CDs of your favorite music hanging around, string those up on the tree with ribbon. Best of all, they reflect light from string lights so your tree will look twice as sparkly. Besides, since you don't have to punch a hole in the CD to hang it, you can take the CD down after you're done with the Christmas season and keep it year round.

To use up some of your ribbon/lace collection, start tying them in bows around the tree branches or onto smaller ribbons for hanging. Or, you can them around the tree as a garland if you have that much ribbon.

If you saved any small wooden shapes from craft stores around Halloween time, now would be the time to slap some paint (or marker or glitter or Mod Podged scrapbook paper) on them, punch a hole through them, and hang with a ribbon. If you want to you can give them some Christmas style or just stick to plain Gothic (although I think one of those bats painted with red and white stripes would look just darling.)

If you prefer the traditional round Christmas ornaments but hate the usual color schemes (and the exuberant prices of non-traditional color schemes) you can pick up some plain ornaments and have at them with paint. There are lots of ways you can do this, from spray-painting the interior of clear balls to swirling paint in circles and even to painting patterns on the outside. Once the paint is dry, feel free to decorate the exterior with sequins, beads, or glitter.

Lastly, if you're interested you could take clear Christmas ornaments and fill them with gothy things. Stuck for ideas? Here are some of mine:

• Black feathers
• Glitter
• Ribbon
• Beads
• Miniatures
• Fake Pearls
• Dried/fake flower petals
• Small animal bones
• Fake spider webs from Halloween
• Shredded pages of Goth novels
• Rolled paper
• Pieces of fishnet

Thanks, Mary Rose! Your goth style is truly inspiring! Now it's time to start on those crafty projects, and be sure to check out her blog, The Everyday Goth.com!

WE ALL SCREAM FOR HOMEMADE PUMPKIN ICE CREAM!

 

So many pumpkins, and so little time to use them all! Well, this is one of my absolute favorite ways to celebrate all things pumpkin! How about instead of the traditional pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, we start a new tradition with some home-made pumpkin ice cream at this year's holiday feast?!

 

This devilishly delish recipe comes from that crafty couple at The Savvy Saving Couple's blog! The recipe is pretty easy, and I guarantee it'll make you the holiday hostess of the year. (Yes, you'll need an ice cream machine) Check it out....

 

Here are the ingredients:

• 1 can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 & 2/3 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2/3 cups of brown sugar

Here's what you'll do:

In a mixer, or large bowl mix all your pumpkin ice cream ingredients until well blended. Add the mixture to your ice cream machine, and blend until you reach a soft serve consistency.

This recipe serves 8 people, and if you're not ready to ditch the pumpkin pie, this ice cream would make a wonderful addition. Add a dash of cinnamon right on top, and it'll be pretty as a picture.

Enjoy!

LET'S LIGHT THIS BABY UP!

Happy Friday, my dear Halloweenies!

'Tis the season of holiday shopping, and as I'm flying around the web, I've found some nifty gift ideas for some on my shopping list, and for me, too! That's always fun....

One of my favorite gifts to give are candles. Most people love 'em, and there are so many different kinds of candles on the market now a days.... so I get pretty excited when I find something new!

Check out these amazing little babies from Witch City Wicks! Great name, by the way....

These are hand-made, all natural soy-based wax candles, in lots of assorted scents. They range in price from about $6 to $20, so they're a real bargain, if you ask me! They've got some really interesting ones, like this Wolf Moon from the BLACK COLLECTION. (Please note: most of this collection have sold out, but I'm sure you can inquire when they'll be available for the new year)

The "House of Wax" collection is a diverse range of alternatively-themed candles with ornate, decorative labels that compliment the theme of each individual scent. Like "Holy Ground", "Bite Me", and of course, we all need the "Séance" candle!

There are lots of great scents to choose from, which include some classics like, Fall Harvest and Lavender Rosemary. They also have a "Curiosities" collection with label art work is inspired by modern curiosities and nature, like Opium and Rosewood Musk.

 

And we can't forget about the guys.... they've got scented candles just for the men like Black Leather, Driftwood, and BACON!

 

Today might be a good day to get a jump on your holiday shopping! Have a frightfully fantastic weekend!

 

GOTHIC & GORGEOUS

We all like to have fun when we're decorating, right? I know I love to have unexpected surprises around every corner of The Manor. And it's stuff like this that just makes me giggle with delight!

Check out this amazing cabinet I found at Jimmie Martin.com, it's absolutely gorgeous! This Black Cocktail Cabinet is just stunning, isn't it? Now this particular piece has been sold.... but you can always copy this gorgeous gothic look.

Using some black enamel paint to cover the outside of the cabinet, and a nice pop of bright color on the inside, would just make your guests swoon when you open it!

You might want to hire an artist to recreate the candelabra design on the outside, or if you're pretty crafty, you could make a template or stencil, and do it yourself! And while you're at it, why not use some glow-in-the-dark paint to really make it something special!

But if money's no object, and you'd rather contact Jimmie Martin directly, you might be able to hire him to make one just for you. It wouldn't hurt to ask now, would it?

MOURNING GLORY!

I received an e mail from one of my faithful Halloweenies, Allison.... who was on a recent trip to the UK, and was asking if I knew anything about a big trend going on over there, called "Mourning Jewelry". Well yes I do, as a matter of fact....
              

Most of us associate jewelry with happy occasions like weddings, birthdays, and Valentine’s Day. But many folks are wearing jewels these days that symbolize quite the opposite. What exactly is "mourning jewelry"? According to The Jewelry Insider at Jewelry.com here's what they say....

Mourning jewelry is apparently all the rage right now, according to TrendHunter, and with vampire chic taking over our pop culture – from Twilight to True Blood – it’s no wonder. So what is mourning jewelry exactly?

The earliest examples of mourning jewelry were found in Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries. Black and white enameled heads or skulls were often set into both rings and brooches and worn to signify a period of mourning after the death of a loved one.

The jewelry category reached its height of popularity in England with Queen Victoria after the premature death of Prince Albert in December 1861. Black jewelry soon became a must-have accessory, as thousands of Brits sympathized with their grieving Queen.


In the United States the use of mourning jewelry increased with the outbreak of the Civil War, which included the emergence of hair jewelry – lopped off locks given to loved ones by soldiers who went off to war, often worn as pendants or in closed lockets.

How interesting, and you learned something new today. Now let's go make it a faBOOlous mourning, shall we?

LET THE SHOPPING BEGIN!

 

It's that time of year again, and Black Friday will soon be upon us!

 

And if you're looking for that something special for a "Game of Thrones" fan, or to add a little royal pizzazz to your own castle, check out this really cool Castle Dragon Iron Wall Sconce by Design Toscano!

 

They've replicated this distinctive sconce from an original heavy ironwork torch discovered in a medieval Italian village. This authentic foundry iron dragon will hold your two pillar candles and add marvelous European flair to your own castle's entryway or flanking one of our distinctively heraldic tapestries. Candles not included.

 

Features:

• Holds votive candles
• Iron construction
• Hand finished
• Castle collection
• Overall: 16" H x 9.5" W x 8" D          
• Back Plate: 3.25" W          
• Overall Product Weight: 9lbs

They're on sale for $62.90 with FREE SHIPPING until Nov. 19th, on Wayfair.com! To purchase, or for more information on these beauties, be sure to click here!

HAPPY TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA DAY!

Triskaidekaphobia  is the fear of Friday the 13th, and today some people will be so paralyzed with fear they simply won't get out of bed. Others will steadfastly refuse to fly on an airplane, buy a house, or act on a hot stock tip. It's Friday the 13th, and they're freaked out.

"It's been estimated that $800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day because people will not fly or do business they would normally do," said Donald Dossey, founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina.

Among other services, Dossey's organization counsels clients on how to overcome fear of Friday the 13th, a phobia that he estimates afflicts 17 to 21 million people in the United States.

Symptoms range from mild anxiety to full-blown panic attacks. The latter may cause people to reshuffle schedules or miss an entire day's work.

When it comes to bad luck of any kind, Richard Wiseman—a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield, England—found that people who consider themselves unlucky are more likely to believe in superstitions associated with bad luck.

"Their beliefs and behavior are likely to be part of a much bigger worldview," he said. "They will believe that luck is a magical force and that it can ruin their lives."

Wiseman found that one quarter of the 2,068 people questioned in a 2003 survey associate the number 13 with bad luck. People with such feelings, he found, are more likely to be anxious on days like Friday the 13th and thus more prone to have accidents. In other words, being afraid of Friday the 13th could be their undoing.

Ominous Number
So how did Friday the 13th become such an unlucky day?

Dossey, also a folklore historian and author of Holiday Folklore, Phobias and Fun, said fear of Friday the 13th is rooted in ancient, separate bad-luck associations with the number 13 and the day Friday. The two unlucky entities ultimately combined to make one super unlucky day.

Dossey traces the fear of 13 to a Norse myth about 12 gods having a dinner party at Valhalla, their heaven. In walked the uninvited 13th guest, the mischievous Loki. Once there, Loki arranged for Hoder, the blind god of darkness, to shoot Balder the Beautiful, the god of joy and gladness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow.

"Balder died and the whole Earth got dark. The whole Earth mourned. It was a bad, unlucky day," said Dossey. From that moment on, the number 13 has been considered ominous and foreboding.

So to celebrate, let's all stop by and rent "Friday the 13th" and make a date with Jason Voorhees at Camp Crystal Lake tonight! Happy Triskaidekaphobia!

WHAT A TREAT!

Well.... We did it!

We've got another successful Halloween under our belts, and it's time to relax. And I hope that everyone is still basking in the spooky glow.

Now, if you're like me and I know you are.... you still have a cauldron-full of candy around the house. I've gotten lots of questions on what to do with it all. Well, you can always donate it to a local shelter, senior citizen center, or food bank.... they're always grateful to have a few treats they can distribute.

Or you can keep it tucked away in a safe place, for when you need a little something sinfully sweet. Let me suggest the first thing you need to do, is take it all and separate it (just the mini chocolate stuff like peanut butter cups, Snickers, KitKats, etc.) into little Ziploc bags, and flatten them out, and store in the freezer. Trust me on this.....

You'll thank me, when it's a cold, stormy night, and you wake-up around the witching hour, and your sweet tooth is calling. Just go to your little stash and take out a piece (just one!) and it'll work like magic!

That's your "Tip of the Day", now take today to enjoy what you've accomplished. You did a great job this year, and everyone was in awe of what an amazing Halloween Hostess you are! Congrats!

And don't worry, with only 354 days until next Halloween, I'll have plenty of ideas to keep you busy, all year long!