For me, Halloween takes up almost all of October. For the past 6 years, I have been decorating a beloved local dive bar for almost all of their holidays festivities and parties, so in addition to finding a costume and carving pumpkins for the house, I run around like a crazy person trying to find the best decorations at the best price possible.
This year I scored some big plastic chains and energy-efficient LED string lights, as well as super-sized spiders and some pre-carved pumpkins. I usually carve the pumpkins myself, but I figured that they last longer and save me a heck of a lot of time. A friend helped me carve out the small pumpkins that get used on the bar top which was a lifesaver. Usually I do this by myself, as I am a control freak (this year I had some wicked PMS, too!) and don't like biting someones head off for something that is really not that big of a deal, but he knows me pretty well and took all of my moods in stride. The biggest hit of all were the "pull-back mice" Jackie found while we were in Target. She got some for her cats, I got some for the bartenders to freak people out with. Pull it back & let it go, and they go scurrying across the bar just like a real mouse, skillfully dodging pints of Guinness and sometimes even changing direction all on their own. I'd say they were thoroughly enjoyed by all. Losing a few was unavoidable, but I really had no hope of keeping those for next year anyway. Of course, a couple got smashed or taken apart "just to see how they work". Boys.
Real pumpkins in foreground with plug-ins in background, and a pull-back mouse
Every year I have the thought to buy things for the following year the day after Halloween when everything is super cheap, but two things usually hold me back. The first is a hangover. Even when I wake up feeling somewhat functional November 1, the second reason comes into play - a totally chaotic and overstuffed storeroom that makes it near impossible to find anything that is stored within its walls. Even the brightly colored storage bins bought specifically for holiday decor are hard to find, as they are buried under mountains of empty beer boxes, avalanches of free t-shirts, and piles of liquor company giveaways. It doesn't even take all year to lose them, either. I'll go in to that storeroom next week and not find one trace of Halloween, except for the random string of hokey plastic pumpkin lights that doesn't even work but has been so intricately wound around four boxes, a mirror, a shelving unit, and some liquor bottles that it was deemed too risky to move... four years ago. I do not know where Gary hides it all, and I don't care, as long as he can unearth it again when needed. Can you blame me for not wanting to buy ahead? The chances of finding everything are slim as it is, and who need to drive themselves nuts looking for a bag of half-priced spider webs? I have dreams about cleaning that storeroom. I have begged them to let me lock myself in there for a week and just organize. I have even promised not to throw anything out, but it's useless. I can only cross my fingers and hope we'll be able to find the "new" stuff again next year.
Chains, LED lights, and everyone's favorite web... dust on lamp was included with bar's existing decor!
Spider webs and large spider
As much as I love the preparation and celebration, I am relieved it's over. Any perfectionist that has tried to fill every wall of anywhere with those stretchy nylon spiderwebs knows what I'm talking about. I took a stroll around the 'hood and looked at what a crap-ass job some of the neighbors did in order to begin to appreciate my own work. Then I went back, had a tomolive martini, and started knitting. When I looked up again, the lights had been dimmed and to me, the bar looked awesome.
The pictures were taken after the bar had cleared out Halloween night, and all decorations had gotten a little wilted after being played with all week long.
Yes, I knit in a bar. I actually do some of my best work in there.
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