Hi! I’m Mandy. I am the Showroom Manager here at, what I like to call, the HMart. I am in love with the store and Halloween! This is my baby.

Everyday is always an adventure here at the HMart. It might only be a Wednesday but we get slammed for pirate costumes. “ARGG!” You never can tell what the day may hold for us. I like to say we get a fun and interesting crowd everyday and we enjoy the customers. We laugh a lot out here.

Our favorite question of the day is… “What do you guys do all day? Or what do people buy?” I simply say, we are here for ALL your crazy requests from servered arms to a superman costume for your poodle. No question or request will shock me anymore. I have heard it ALL!

Got the whole dress-up, trick-or-treat, carved pumpkins, and party the night away routine down? Maybe this Halloween you can spice things up a little bit and throw in some international flavor with the standard traditions and Halloween customs that you’re used to.

As my friends and I have made our travels around the world, we always make it a point to brink back a little culture with us in order to mix things up a bit. Having had the privilege to spend Halloween in other countries several times, I’ve been fascinated with some of the different traditions that our friends around the world have on the day of ghosts and goblins. Whether it be different costumes, foods, activities, or methods of bogeying down at night, adding something different to your Halloween always goes down smooth with family and friends.

Brazil and Mexico were two of my most enjoyable Halloweens and both contain some fun, and spooky, traditions to check out…

Brazil - Dia das Bruxas (Day of the Witches) is not an official holiday in Brazil but it’s being celebrated more and more in some of the larger cities. They do a lot of the standard costume parties and trick-or-treating that we do here in the U.S. However, their costumes are very interesting as their versions of the skeleton, witch, and other spooky Halloween figures were some of the best I have ever seen. They really stick to doing the “scary” thing down there and they do it right. They put a lot of work into making their costumes look as freaky as possible. And as always in Brazil, their holiday parties and barbecues are out of this world and the big grill-fest is one addition that I’ve inserted into my Halloween routine.

Mexico - Mexico does a standard Halloween as influenced by other cultures. What is really interesting and exciting there, is the subsequent celebration of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). This celebration occurs on the 1st and 2nd of November. It gets kind of freaky there with the tradition of going to cemeteries to communicate with the souls of the departed and building private altars containing the favorite foods, drinks, as well as photos of the deceased they visit. With the intent being to encourage visits by the souls of the dead and the fact that there is a very strong belief that this can and does happen, I must say it was an especially eerie night there. Some people believe that possessing “Dia de los Muertos” items can bring good luck, even going as far as tattooing images on their bodies. The main symbol there is the skull and skeleton, and they do some very freaky versions of those costumes. The focus on skulls and skeletons even goes as far as using what I found to be very tasty sugar skulls as gifts that can be given to both the living and the dead.

While I only tapped into a couple of different cultures with Brazil and Mexico, there are a ton of other interesting and enjoyable Halloween customs used around the world that aren’t found in the U.S. If you want your party or gathering to be one hell of a hit this year, mix it up a bit and throw in a little international flavor. You and your crew will be glad you did!

Now that my friends and I are well past our years of being rambunctious, hell-raising boys, I can confess to some of our Halloween mischief that will no doubt come back to haunt us as youngsters of our own set out on their own Halloween adventures. In doing so, I hopefully will regain some positive Halloween-karma and avoid some of the pitfalls created by being part of a wild and crazy crew of boys who saw Halloween as another opportunity to get ourselves into a bit of trouble while leaving our quiet little city shaking their heads come the morning after. Take note, as I will hook you up with bits of inside knowledge, thus providing a good opportunity to learn how to avoid being the future victims of Halloween pranksters…

“The Switcharoo” - This was a classic when heading into some of the wealthier parts of town. When king-size candy bars and other massive treats are the reward, one pass down the street just wasn’t enough. By resorting to the switcharoo, we could end up with a loot full of top quality candy by making a pass down the street, switching masks or other parts of our costumes around, and then making another round down the same street and loading up once again. Tip - When you’re going above and beyond with your Halloween generosity, you instantly become a target for the switcharoo. Pay attention to who is passing by your house and keep an eye out for costumes that are mixed and matched. For example, if you have a trick-or-treater that is wearing a Superman cape yet has a Freddy Krueger mask on, chances are he’s pulling a classic switcharoo.

The “Smashing Pumpkins” - Unfortunately, this bit of Halloween nonsense had nothing to do with the famous music group and everything to do with getting joy out of seeing a beautifully-carved squash explode on the city streets. The more elaborate the carving, the bigger target it became. Tip - As the night comes to an end and things start winding down, pull in your jack-o-lanterns or go ahead and put them in the trash. Don’t wait until morning, you may end up with a big orange mess on your driveway.

The “Raid” - While many people find themselves unable to sit at home and hand out candy all night, leaving a bowl of tasty treats on your porch with a note saying “please take one” is sometimes just too much to resist for candy-crazed children. The likelihood that your candy will remain through the first couple waves of trick-or-treaters is slim to none. We called these homes “the jackpot” and left with handfuls (or more) of whatever goodness was put out. Tip - If you just can’t be home to hand out candy but insist on hooking up the trick-or-treaters, have a neighbor refill your bowl periodically and keep an eye on the children passing by.

The “I’m Way Too Old To Be Trick-or-Treating” - While I can honestly say this was never my cup of tea as far as Halloween mischief went, some of my closest friends were offenders in the worst way. They had a hard time resisting the lure of loading up on free candy to last them through the winter and would take to the streets on Halloween well into their high-school years. Tips - Acne, facial hair, and cracking voices are tell-tale signs that a trick-or-treater is well past his prime.

I hopefully haven’t violated any codes by revealing some of our secrets. It’s just now that I have children and am on the other end of the spectrum I’m trying to redeem myself in helping others to avoid some of the classic Halloween mischief. Halloween will be here before you know it, the pranksters will be ready to roll….. Prepare yourselves!

When college basketball ignites across the country, you need to get out there and support your team. We’ve lined up the top picks across the country with accessories, makeup and costumes to match your team colors and mascots. Whether your team makes the Sweet Sixteen, the Elite Eight, the Final Four, or stymies in the top 64, you’ll want to say you were out there cheering them on, in full regalia.

Note none of the products below are endorsed, certified or manufactured by the NCAA teams named below, and no official endorsement is implied.

1) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels, light blue and white

Will the Heels take it all the way (and stomp Duke and UCLA while they’re at it?) Copy this Tar Heels fan’s look using the colors from our IceFx Winter Vampire kit.

Here’s a Tar Heel foot to use as a guide.

Tar Heel blue wig

Tar Heel blue top hat

2) University of California Los Angeles - UCLA Bruins, blue and gold

The Bruin madness! If your bracket shows UCLA winning it all, check out our blue and gold below. (That other Los Angeles school is already out—surprise, surprise.)

Bruins blue boa

Bruins blue wig

Bruins gold glitter

Bruins gold pimp chain

3) University of Memphis Tigers, blue & orange

The top seeded Tigers look to finish in the Final Four. Go all out with super-deluxe, pro-quality tiger mascots. Choose from fierce or friendly. We also offer a budget version. Order now as all mascots are special order items and require two weeks lead time.

Tigers pride giant orange sunglasses

Tigers pride orange top hat

Cat ear and tail set (vinyl bodysuit sold separately)

Cat makeup kit

4) University of Texas Longhorns, orange

Go Horns! Texas is second-seeded and has reached the Sweet 16 four times in the last six years. The Texas A&M Aggies are still in it—are you?

Viking helmet

giant orange foam cowboy hat

horns

5) Kansas University Jayhawks, red & royal blue with yellow accents

The Jayhawks are top-seeded, and KU has one of the coolest mascots around. There are so many different ways to show Jayhawk pride.

Jayhawks blue makeup

Jayhawks pride red, gold & blue feather mask

Jayhawks pride red feather mask with gold accents

red eyelashes

blue eyelashes

6) University of Tennessee Volunteers, orange & white

The Vols are second-seeded this year, and coming strong out of their first tourney game. Can they beat Memphis and take it all the way?

Vols pride giant orange sunglasses

Vols pride orange top hat

Vols orange pimp costume

Vols orange boa

Vols orange & white wig

Vols orange & white tuxes (allow 2 weeks for delivery)

7) Duke Blue Devils

Even though the Devils are second-seeded, Henderson still had to save the day against Belmont with a last minute dunk. Polish up that Duke pride by combining a blue head and light-up devil horns.

Add Light up devil horns or devil tail, staff & bow tie to the True Blue Kit for true blue Duke pride.

University of Wisconsin Badgers, red & white

Cal State Fullerton gave Wisconsin more than they bargained for in round one, but the Badgers still prevailed. Wear red and white for the Badgers with the gear below.

Badgers red face paint

Here’s a W to get you started.

Maybe the refs are clowns; it sure ain’t the Badgers. Check out our Badgers red & white clown wig.

Badgers red feather boa

9) Georgetown Hoyas, blue and white, bulldog

The huge point spread in the Hoyas’s first tournament game has the rest of March Madness looking good.

This bulldog mascot will fire up the crowd. Note that this is a special order item; call for availability.

Hoyas blue boa

Hoyas blue wig

10) Stanford Cardinal, trees, scarlet & white

Stanford easily beat Cornell in the first round, showing why the Cardinal is number three seeded. But if the Cardinal survives to face UCLA, it’ll bring back bad memories of the March 15 defeat. Will Stanford prevail this time?

Cardinal red face paint

Shake it Stanford tree style with this grass skirt.

This costume becomes a Stanford Tree when you remove just a few things.

If things aren’t quite right on the court, this Cardinal & white angel & devil outfit fits the bill.

Romance: A mysterious or fascinating quality or appeal, as of something adventurous, heroic, or strangely beautiful.

I often hear people lamenting about how the romance is dead in their relationships, that there isn’t any spark anymore, that it’s so predictable. Why is that? In a world where the phone you bought today is outdated by next week why are we allowing ourselves to still be running on Romance 1.0. Let’s be honest, today red roses and boxes of chocolate are the romantic equivalent of the Atari Game system or 8 track player. Granted, both worked well and were ‘the thing’ but that was over 20 years ago. Ladies and gentlemen, I think it’s time for an upgrade: a romance upgrade. And my recommended weapon of choice: lingerie.

Now, I know that some upgrades may seem a bit scary at first (I still have a slight heart attack when I upgrade to the latest version of iTunes fearful that I will lose my entire Neil Diamond catalog) but they are a necessity. Depending on the system you are currently running, I’d like to break the upgrade down into the following three levels.

Upgrade Level One: The Starter Kit
Basically, these are the bra and panty sets your mom never told you about. Why? I’m not sure. You’d have to ask her. Regardless, these are the sets that when you put them on they automatically boost your confidence and make you feel prettier. Speaking of boost, ‘the girls’ will get an upgrade of their own as these sets have a little bit of oomph built in. Nothing that requires you to purchase a stripper pole for your living room (see upgrade level 3) but just gives them a better view. Not up for a two piece? There are always teddies. It’s the lingerie upgrade of that favorite concert t-shirt of his that you like to sleep in. Keep in mind that you aren’t exposing anything more than you normally would, but between the feel of the satin on your skin and the touch of lace, you already may begin to feel a bit frisky. Just remember, subtle can most certainly be sexy.

Perhaps, after reading about the Starter Kit, you’re giving me a slight roll of the eyes and saying, ‘Puhlease, I wear those sets to work.’ Okay you saucy little minx, let’s take it up a notch. I see your bra and panties set and raise you a g-string (I’m in Vegas, we all speak poker). Everyone has to start somewhere and for you, I recommend Upgrade Level Two: Less is More.

Upgrade Level Two: Less is More
Very good, grasshopper. You have mastered the sexiness of subtly and are more confident than ever. Satin and lace are your new best friends and you’re ready to for the next big thing. Well, when you’re talking about lingerie, it’s not necessarily the next big thing as it may be the next littlest thing. Or maybe see through thing or tie up thing. Remember that show, ‘Let’s Make a Deal?’ and how everyone got all riled up when Monty Hall said “Let’s see what’s behind the curtain!”? Consider yourself a much sexier Monty Hall and your lover that extremely-anxious-and-willing-to-do-anything-to-see-what’s-behind-the-curtain contestant. Are you picking up what I’m laying down? Anyway you look at it, something is going to be peeking through that he’s not used to playing peek-a-boo with and he will love it. Give new meaning to a tug on the heart strings in a teddy with a pair of front lace up panties or side ribbon tied tanga shorts with matching bandeau top. Fishnets are fabulous and not just for your legs anymore. Bolder and sassier, you my friend are clearly on your way to becoming the next vixen of va va voom, the guru of grrr but most importantly, the master of your domain.

Now for a majority of people, Level Two is the pinnacle of their romance upgrading and that is beautiful! There are so many things that you can do on that level that your romance life will never get dull. But if you are still ready to take it up another notch, I’m happy to give you a little guidance. However, please note: the final upgrade level is not for everyone. It’s the most provocative, the most eye-popping and for some the most fun. It’s the reason for the phrase ‘you never know what happens behind closed doors’. The ladies of the upgrade level three know who they are so well that they are comfortable being somebody else. At least for a little while.

Upgrade Level Three: Master of Her Domain
Fantasies are like email accounts – everyone’s got at least one and you only share certain addresses with certain people. Level Three ladies know exactly what his or her fantasy is and will put on whatever is necessary to make it come to life. She’s the type that will send him naughty little texts throughout the day and then greet him at the door in nothing but a boa, a pair of heels and a smile. Maybe she’s been a naughty little school girl and he’s the disciplining headmaster. Whatever the role may be, she’s got a piece of lingerie in her treasure trunk of adventure to turn the fantasy into reality.

So where does this leave us? Well, no child in a third world country was fed, gas prices haven’t fallen and there will still be one guy out there who thinks roses and a box of chocolates is the end all and be all to romance. And while your phone may still be outdated, at least your romantic life is on its way to a serious upgrade.

Remember all the talks I had with my son about his Halloween costume? First he wanted to be a Superhero, but we weren’t sure which one. Then he thought a mummy was right up his alley - and I was all set to make his costume like I do every year! But alas, the Sunday before the big day, he stomped his foot and declared himself a VAMPIRE.

Have you ever tried to argue with a 3 1/2 year old? I can tell you it doesn’t work too well. AND, some of you may be wondering how a 3 1/2 even knows about vampires - its not as if they’re fashionable like Transformers. I can only surmise that his knowledge came from the many Halloween decorations we saw on our evening strolls through our neighborhood in the weeks leading up to the holiday.

I had a few days to sew a black cape and such, but with the cookie-baking, pumpkin carving and trick-or-treat bag to finish, I didn’t have much time. Luck for me, HalloweenMart had last-minute express shipping. I ordered a cape and plastic fangs, slicked his hair back, powdered his face and dotted his lips with red gloss. Voila - a mine-Dracula.

No, I didn’t get to make the elaborate costume I usually do, but he was happy!

Now we’re working on our Thanksgiving centerpieces…

Nick Tosh here again. Those hellish fires going on in Southern California remind me of a recent adventure involving NASCAR races and mysterious infernos…

Crashing and burning is such a possibility that NASCAR drivers use a special flame retardant suit. Well guess who ole Nick needed to call up to get myself a stylish and realistic NASCAR driver suit? Well HalloweenMart.com of course…By the way, did you happen to see that spot on E! News Daily the other day? They had a pre-Halloween fashion show and they had some killer costumes including a smokin’ Playboy Bunny outfit.

Any way, I digress…Back to NASCAR costumes. I needed a distraction in this investigation, a bit of “eye candy” to help me sneak around the restricted areas of the racetrack, so I brought along a babe that I employ from time to time (let’s call her Trixie) who looked smokin’ herself in a sexy NASCAR get-up… Now mind you, no one was fooled that Trixie was a real bonafide NASCAR driver, as hot as Danica Patrick is, the real deal can not compete with the sexy costume.

While Trixie dazzled the pit crews I was able to snoop around for tell-tale signs of sabotage. To make a long story short someone had a bone to pick with the management of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and kept sabotaging racecars. Well once we exposed the saboteur Trixie and I got the VIP treatment…not sipping champagne in the Winner’s Circle but we made a lot of fans and drivers very happy campers.

Next time, we go to the ring at Caesar’s Palace….

Hannibal the cannibal Lecter
Fictional character in a series of novels by author Thomas Harris, the overly educated human-eating serial killer Lecter was made most famous when Anthony Hopkins portrayed him in Silence of Lambs.

Top Lecter quote: “I ate his liver with fava beans and a big chianti.”

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I met the cutest boy today! He’s an actor too and just so adorable. It was so funny how we met. I was leaving my audition, and I was checking my phone and texting my sister when smack, I ran right into a doctor in the parking lot of the office building.

And he was not just any doctor; he was a super cute doctor. I was sooo embarrassed! But he was super-nice and was like, “don’t worry about it.” But I felt so lame. He said his name was Jason, and then I asked him what kind of doctor he was.

Ok, embarrassed again. Jason was not a doctor; he was just on his way to audition for something too. I felt so lame since it only made sense…I mean why would a doctor be in the parking lot of Warner Bros?

I did not know what to say so I told him he looked just like a real doctor! He said he bought the costume on HalloweenMart.com. That was when we totally started bonding because I told him I buy all my costumes there too! We have so much I common. Then he asked for my number and we have a date for Saturday!

Last week I took my son to the bookstore. We were looking for books about his current obsessions - Egyptology and King Tut. We found some beautiful books and proceeded to go home and play “archaeologists” in the sandbox until the sun set.

While uncovering ancient treasures, we had the inspired idea that my son should be a mummy for Halloween! And since I love to create handmade costumes (my best so far are a bunch of grapes and a scarecrow), I figured I could easily do a mummy! I had grand visions of the whole family getting into the act with my husband as a Pharoah and myself as a lovely Queen of the Nile. I could even spray paint the cat black and carry her around the neighborhood with me.

But then my son said that not only would he like to be a mummy, but he would like to be a mummy in a sarcophagus. I had to explain to him that it would be difficult to get treats into his pyramid-shaped goodie bag if he couldn’t walk down the steet because he was lying in a coffin. He said we could carry him down the street like an Egyptian funeral procession. I’m a hands-on mom and all, but that’s a bit TOO hands-on…

So the countdown is on. I’ve got 14 days left to figure out the costume, make it and buy matching ones for us. Stay tuned!

Here at HalloweenMart, we’ve seen our fair share of really good costumes. But every year we still like to search the web to check out all the funniest, and sometimes a little inappropriate, masterpieces. These are some of the ones we enjoy.

Pets

These will get some great reactions from the neighbors…

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I have an audition today. For a play…the role calls for a “goth girl.” How am I going to pull that off you might ask? No I am not going to dye or cut my hair! I bought a wig HalloweenMart. So cool because I feel like totally transformed when I put it on.

I wore it out the other day, and you know what? It is totally true what they say…blonds do have more fun. I seriously felt like people treated me more like an intellectual with black hair than when I have my regular (or at least thanks to bleach and a good hairdresser) blond hair. I even wore the wig to work and people at didn’t even recognize me! My boss was so confused. He was like, “I don’t remember hiring you.”

Hey, I wonder what happens with red hair…Maybe that can be an experiment next week.

Hey y’all! I have the most exciting news: Today, I am a widow.

Rather, I am THE Widow, as in, the Widow Murphy, for the annual Paddy Murphy competition thrown every year by my favorite fraternity!

You see, Paddy Murphy was a Prohibition-era bootlegger and former fraternity brother who died fighting for his cause. Can you imagine a time when drinking wasn’t legal? Although I suppose you could also call that “high school”. Anyway, the fraternity now throws a week long series of events in honor of this event. There’s a funeral procession, a skit night, and at the end of the week, a formal, each of which requires the Widow to dress in the finest fashions the 1920’s had to offer! I have to represent, Y’all!

I ransacked HalloweenMart.com for all of my needs. I picked up the loveliest little flapper dresses – in red, for the formal, and black, for the funeral, fabulous feather boas,
and beads galore!

The only thing I couldn’t find online was a formal date, but that’s okay. That’s what Monday’s Moonshine Masquerade party is for. Wish me luck!

So I got it!! Yes, I got the tampon commercial!! Yes!! My parents are so proud!! I knew something had to happen soon. This is so cool because now I have a renewed sense of confidence when I go to my auditions. Maybe I will even be recognized. Like “Hey, isn’t that the chic from the tampon commercial?”

Maybe now I will get a boyfriend. Don’t get me wrong…I have plenty of dates, I just feel like none of the guys I go out with take me seriously. Like they think that just because I am blond and perky, I have no brain. I mean really, I do think about more than shoes and make up. I read US magazine and sometimes even People! I keep up with the news. I even read my email newsletters. Today I got one from HalloweenMart.com with some very interesting facts about the holiday including a 15% off coupon. Right on! Visit their site and sign up for their newsletters so you can get the coupons too.

Nick Tosh here again, private eye. Last entry we discussed the intricacies of the dog days of summer. Well here we are smack dab in the middle of fall and I needed a gig to get me out of Dodge. er I mean Sin City USA where it’s still as hot as Hades…

Well the phone rang and it was officials from one of the nation’s largest medical centers –Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. You might know it better as General Hospital.

Appaently around every autumnal equinox there are mysterious disappearances of body parts from the hospital and the coroner’s office. These officials did not know if this was some strange sort of satanic or druid practice or if it were some criminal venture so they needed old Nick’s help…

I called the hotline to my buds at Halloweenmart.com to help equip me, you see I needed myself some authentic looking Doctor Scrubs and some realistic looking body parts if I was going to get to the bottom of the case. I loaded up on fake body part props like a severed arm, a fake heart, some eyeballs, blue of course, come on this is the land of the beautiful people baby. And finished up with a severed foot and a cut off head just in case this was a case of freaks doing weird satanic stuff in the mountains…

Well, to make a long story short, it was a case of a seriously disturbed individual who was “building” a best buddy piece by piece…Grusome and frankly disgusting…that severed head was just too big of a temptation and right about now he is being transported by two of L.A.’s finest to their Twin Towers Correctinal Facility.
Hell, if it was good enough for Paris Hilton then it sure as hell is good enough for Norman Bates’ long lost brother. To be continued…

Guess what, y’all? We actually made our rush quota and now have 31 (mostly) pretty young things pledging our house! I knew it was going to be a great year!

I was worried for a bit when our National officer said that the foam boobs were inappropriate for a Rush skit. I mean, it’s not like the “bad parts” weren’t covered up! Fortunately, my Little Sis improvised with a pair of cantaloupes from the kitchen, and the girls all got the joke nonetheless I’ll save the foam pair for another party, I guess. Or maybe give them to Mark for this documentary he is making. Film class sounds like so much fun! I should see if he needs any help…

Anyhoo, now that we have these great new girls, it’s time to celebrate! Every year we do our Bid Day Party with the Delts, and this year we’ve agreed on a Mardi Gras theme. The new fraternity pledges will come to our house, sing to our new pledges, and then the girls may grant them beads only when they are satisfied with the serenade. Fun, right?! I just hope the girls don’t do anything stupid later for beads of their own. I’d hate for our house to get a bad rep on campus. Again.

I ordered the beads and feather boas off HalloweenMart.com – I wonder if I can set up a wholesale account at this point. I’ve used them so much this year, and it’s not even October!

I mean I know it’s only been two years since I graduated, but for some reason I feel like I am so much older than all those girls and guys that come into the bar. Maybe I am a tad jealous that I no longer can live off mommy and daddy – that I have to work to actually pay the rent. But alas, I know my big break is around the corner. I mean, just today I had a callback for a commercial! Kind of embarrassing to admit it was for tampons…but still, it is a national spot which means thousands of dollars!!! And the first legit thing on my resume. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Anyway…this week we are having like three events with this party promotion company at the bar. The theme is of course college football since all the games will be on (maybe that’s why I started missing college). I got the hottest cheerleading outfits at HalloweenMart.com! Hope to get event better tips than usual! Thanks HalloweenMart.com.

Okay so my second day on the job, not as titillating as the first, but still wicked cool. I show up, which is more than I’ve done for any other job quite honestly, so we’re off to a good start. I’m feeling a little green around the gills by nobody’s fault but my own. Stomach is a little queasy but I figure I’m just going to patrol the Sexy Zone so no big shakes. Yeah. Not so much.

I stroll on into work with five minutes to spare, sunglasses on to block out any Nevada sunshine and hopefully ease this headache. I’m clutching a can of my favorite energy drink in an effort to kick start my morning and drown these butterflies that have seem to set up shop in my gut. So I clock in and Raven is right there. She tries to play it off like she is ready to put me to work, but really, I think she’s just looking to log in some Q.T. with the cutie. Crazy little minx is crazy for the Jinx!

‘Rough night, kiddo?’ she says with a sly smile that looked quite innocent at the time, but now looking back on it, was pure evil. She knew what she was going to put me through right from the get go and she loved every minute of it.

We leave the office and go down to the warehouse where there are boxes everywhere. We keep getting in new stuff literally every day so the warehouse crew is constantly filling orders and getting new products out to the store. Once it comes out to the floor – that’s the lingo us costume consultants use – we are responsible for pricing it and putting it up on the shelves. I did this a little bit yesterday with some costumes so I figure maybe the High School Musical costumes arrived or the shipment of sexy pirate costumes hit the dock. My vote was for the pirate costumes because I just didn’t feel like staring at that Chicken Corbin Bleu’s mug all morning long. But I digress.

Bottom line, there was no High School Musical.

There were no pirates.

Just body parts. Everywhere. It was like a freaking morgue exploded! Arms, legs, feet, eyeballs, everything - just sprawled out across the showroom floor. And these things are not like Cracker Jack quality kind of body parts. These things are so realistic that as soon as my eyes got a glimpse of the partially eaten hand, I gagged. I literally made an audible ‘glug’ noise. Now, I’m a guy and this stuff doesn’t bother me but today, it was bothering me. Raven totally heard me gag. I haven’t seen a head whip around so quickly since I watched the Exorcist.

‘You think you can handle this today? Or is your tummy just not up for it?’ she said. But of course she does it in that condescending voice which immediately means I can’t wimp out.

‘Yeah, I’m good.’ I say with as much confidence in myself as I can possibly muster. Internally, I know this is going to be a rough one but no way am I going to let her see me let a little severed limb or bloody brain get to me. Side note: those butterflies have now evolved into a small alien that is using my lower abdomen as a trampoline. Greeeaaaattt.

So I dive in and start sorting severed arms from severed legs. Severed arms with sleeves from severed arms without sleeves. Partially eaten hands and legs from skeleton hands and legs. I can feel Raven staring at me, but not in that longing for my touch kind of way, but more of a ‘I-wanna-see-this-guy-squirm’ kind of way. Witchy, witchy woman she is. So I keep plugging away all the while thinking about how I can torture my little sister with this stuff. Severed arm under her sheets, eyeball floating in her container of juice, cut off finger in the bottom of her bookbag. Good times, good times. During all my evil plotting I lose myself in thoughts of girlish squeals and shrieks of terror to the point of almost forgetting about my stomach alien. How quickly I was reminded.

Raven yells to me ‘You can take your lunch now if you want. That is of course if your poor wittle tummy can handle wit.’ Again with the condescending voice, but this time she punctuated it with a little chuckle at my expense. I give her my classic smile and head nod as if to say, “Tease me if you wish, but I’ve got it all under control’ and head towards the break room. As I walk through the door, one of my fellow costume consultants Stan advises me that he has some left over food in the fridge if I want it. I love my co-workers – always looking out for the Jinx.

Entering into the break room I head straight for the fridge. The usual break room delicacies reside in the fridge: leftover Chinese, spaghetti ohs, cold pizza and random Rubbermaid containers filled with something that was once somebody’s dinner. I grab the container marked ‘Stanley’, cop a squat at the table, fork in hand ready to dive on in. At this point, the alien has taken a nap and I’m going to sneak some food in there. Looks like Stan has left me some spaghetti and meatballs so I tear off the lid ready to devour the leftovers. However, instead of seeing a delightful conglomeration of spaghetti, meatballs and sauce, a bloody, disembodied heart is staring back at me. My gasp of surprise apparently woke the alien up and in turn scared him causing me to go running for the sink, where, how do I say?? Let the alien be free. Not fun.

When I finish saying my last goodbyes to my stomach alien, I turn around to find Raven and Stan doubled over with laughter. I, however, remain un-amused.

‘What was that for!?’ I bellow at them.

Finally, after wiping away tears from their fits of laughter and catching their breath, Raven looks at me and simply says ‘Welcome to the HalloweenMart team. We’re a real scream!” I smile, partially because it was pretty funny and a unique rite of passage, but more because I’ve already started plotting my revenge.

Til next time compadres, get naked! We’ve got you covered.

When I was a kid, I watched Linda Carter as Wonder Woman, and my mom had a friend who was quite petite and who ended up giving me a pair of red patent leather boots that were perfect for dress up. To match them, my mom bought me Wonder Woman Under-roos and a crown and wristbands to complete the look. I would jump off my parents’ bed and twirl an invisible magic lasso.

That is the extent of my experience with super heroes.

But, being a connoisseur of the science fiction genre, by husband has instilled a great love and appreciation for super heroes within our son. At 3 ½, he can tell you who is a DC hero and who is a Marvel hero. He knows the origin stories of Superman, Batman, Spiderman and the Hulk. His favorite DVD to watch is old Super Friends cartoons. And today, Grandma bought him a giant Captain America action figure.

In fact, when he wakes up from his nap, his plan is to teach me about the origin of Green Lantern (hey, I’d like a power ring too – preferably one that whips up dinner!).

So of course, my son thinks that Halloween is the perfect time to try being a Super Hero himself. The only problem is he can’t decide which one he wants to be. I thought he had settled on Batman, but today he told me he thinks he wants to be Spiderman. Good thing I know that HalloweenMart has ‘em all – and quick shipping too!

Whew! That was some Football Feast! I’m pleased to say that everything went off without a hitch, although Mark’s idea for a “coconut contest” got called off by campus police. I guess they were tipped off to some video cameras in the bushes by his bedroom, because I overheard the female officer compare him to the pig on our spit. In any case, he’s on probation for the rest of the semester, so I’ll be working with his co-Chair, Dusty, for a while.

Now that school is in full swing, my next big project is Sorority Rush. Our Rush Chair, Ashleigh, is really pretty and sooo nice, and she does an AMAZING job of coordinating our Rush parties and getting the best girls to come back for Preference Round. My job is to come up with themes for the informal parties, and make sure that each one is as fun as any other event we do, even though no boys or alcohol are allowed. (Mission: Near Impossible! [JK!!! LOL!])

This year, I decided that our theme would be “Welcome to Hollywood.” I’ve never actually been to L.A., but when you read Us Weekly as much as I do (in fact, I wish they would change it to US Twice-Weekly!) you just start picking things up.

For the party, I’ve ordered a ton of props from HalloweenMart.com, including “trophy wife” jewelry, fake $100 bills, and even ordered a pair of fake foam boobs which my Little Sis will wear in our hilariously funny rush skit based on our favorite MTV show, The Hills. She’ll be Heidi, natch. BTW, what’s the deal with Heidi this season? What can she possibly see in Spencer? I personally think they are both as fake as her new boobs, and I really hope we don’t get any more girls like that in this house.

Okay, off to plan! GO, GREEK!

I made $200 tonight. Not bad for a Sunday. The guests were brutal though. What makes people think that just because someone is serving them dinner they have the right to treat them like they are not a person? Ugh. This “waiting tables” thing is getting old. Five nights a week and the occasional lunch shift. I want to be one of the celebs who have to slip in the back door and sit at the corner table.

When will my big break come? Doesn’t the fact that I went to NYU and spent my whole life dancing count for anything?

I do have a few good auditions this week. So far two commercials and one independent feature…a horror film. That one is tomorrow. The part I am going out for is the sorority girl who gets killed at the costume party. Whether or not I get the part I am excited. I got the cutest costume at HalloweenMart.com. I’m gonna be a go-go dancer. So hot, the casting people will definitely notice me! I have been practicing my lines…”Sure Jake, I do want to go walk by the lake with you.” Maybe this could be the part that gets me on my way.

I better go to bed and get my beauty sleep. Hope my roommate and her boyfriend are quiet in the morning. So annoying living with Mr. Trainer and Miss Hotbod. Do they have to do kickboxing at 6am in the living room?!

Two days ‘til school starts. I always feel like this is a bittersweet time of year – the sadness of leaving another summer behind, combined with the excitement of what lies ahead during fall. I hope that as my son gets older, he’ll feel the same way. In the midst of all our back-to-school planning and shopping, we took a few minutes to reflect…

Here’s what we’re going to miss about this summer: hours of running through the hose in the backyard; swim lessons at the local pool; growing tomatoes; making easy summer suppers like Caprese salad with said tomatoes; and swinging in the hammock and counting stars.

Here’s what we’re excited about for fall: a new class, new teachers and new friends; college football; collecting leaves; music lessons and Halloween.

Hey y’all! I’m so excited, because in only six days, I’ll be starting my senior year at Southern State U! I’m convinced that this is going to be the best year ever! Not only am I going to be living in the sorority house with 30 of my closest girlfriends, but, as Social Chair, I am awarded one of the biggest rooms in the house! Woo-hoo!

While all that may sound like fun and games to you, however, I have my work cut out for me! Less than a week after I return, we’ll have our annual Season Opener Football Feast with our brother Fraternity, and I’m in charge of making sure everyone gets in the spirit. Since nothin’ says “welcome” like a little down-home barbecue (and, okay, an excuse to show off that summer tan!) I’ve decided that this year’s theme should be a Luau. Hu-la-la!

Good thing HalloweenMart.com offers costumes and accessories year round! I was able to order flowered leis and grass skirts for the entire house, and they’ll be shipped just in time for my arrival. The only thing I haven’t figured out yet is where to buy coconuts in bulk. Mark, the Fraternity social chair, mentioned something about having a “wet coconut contest”, but I guess I’ll let him figure that one out.

Okay, gotta “rum!” LOL!

They call it the dog days of summer. Well here in Sin City it’s hotter than Hades. Most people think that they call it the dog days of summer because poor dogs hunker down in the sultry weather and find relief in any patch of shade they can find. But, the origin of the term comes from ancient Roman times as explained here.

Anyway I digress. You might wonder what a private detective has to do with a leading provider of costumes and related products. Well I took a page from Sherlock Holmes’ playbook in using disguises to track down evidence and keep an eye on my marks. HalloweenMart.com keeps me well disguised for a variety of assignments.

That reminds me of that one case where I needed to keep tabs on a sailor with a gal in every port. The dame that hired me was distraught and convinced that her sailor boy was playing himself a game of hanky-panky while he was away at sea. He traveled to several exotic ports of call including Guam, Greece, Italy, Bahrain, Japan, and a little place called Texas…

Yep, that one assignment helped launch the Tosh account with HalloweenMart.Com…that and my fondness of a guy named Johnny Walker.

And so, it might be the dog days of summer but it’s never too early for this private dick to be thinking about costumes…

Nick Tosh, Private Investigator

My name is Jinx, and at the strong urging-slash-nagging of my parents, I’ve recently acquired a jobby-job. Searching for a job isn’t the most fun thing in this city, but I figured any place whose billboard on the doorstep reads ‘Get Naked! So We Can Dress You Up!’ has got some potential. So I am now officially a ‘costume consultant’ at HalloweenMart. You’ve probably seen it. It’s that massive place on South Decatur next to the 215? Can’t miss it.

Anyways, I started work today. Well, more like orientation. Ya know, the usual ‘fill this out, sign here, here’s the time clock, payday is on Tuesday, yadda, yadda, yadda.’ But I realized that I am going to have a pretty sweet gig here. Here’s how my first day went:

9:30am – Show up for work. Some pretty cute chick shows me where to go. I think she was checking me out, but honestly who doesn’t check me out? I’m just saying. I’m just putting it out there.
9:45am – 10:45am – Miscellaneous paperwork that you don’t care about.
11am – This is where the fun starts.

So my ‘tour guide’ for the day is that cute chick. Not my boss but she’s been there a while so she’s gonna show me the ropes, right? So, Raven – that’s her name, I can’t make that stuff up – starts walking me up and down all the aisles talking about the different kinds of costumes. Check it out: there are seriously like thousands of costumes in this place. There’re the classic costumes like Star Wars and Grease and Superheroes and probably a hundred other things that everyone’s been or wanted to be in their lifetime. Man, just in my life I’ve been Michael Myers, Darth Vader, Raggedy Andy (not by choice mind you) and Superman (I rocked the tights). But then we hit the comedy section and I almost busted a gut laughing at this stuff. Knight to Remember?! The Hot Dog Vendor?! I think I picked out about 10 costumes just for myself.

And then it happened.

We entered into the ‘Sexy’ zone.

I couldn’t utter a word when we cruised this section. Just like Keanu in his best film, all I could say was ‘Whoa.’ Seriously, it was hot chick after hot chick in smoking hot costume after smoking hot costume INCLUDING Hef’s girlfriends! All I can say is Adam I would’ve taken more than the apple and hey LG83246 I’m not feeling so hot, but I bet you are! LOL! I think Raven got a little annoyed with me, but whatever. I swear I saw her roll her eyes when I offered to spend the rest of my shift ‘tidying up’ and ‘familiarizing myself with the inventory.’ What can I say, I’m a hard worker like that.

Alright friends, it’s time to make like hockey and get the puck out of here. It’s back to work tomorrow and Raven mentioned something about body parts. And honestly, after today, I can’t wait to see what she means.

Until tomorrow, get naked! I’ll dress you up.

Welcome to Trick or Treat, HalloweenMart’s new blog featuring a diverse cast of characters blogging about the mundane, the exciting or whatever enters their silly little minds. Please feel free to comment on your favorite characters or on characters that are being left out of the fold.

Make sure to read often and follow our twitter group, where characters will keep you constantly updated on the reality show that is their lives and give you clues about how you can win all sorts of prizes from HalloweenMart as we count down to the big day.

So Trick or Treat often and find out what’s in these guys’ bag!