August is a bit early for Halloween shopping, however, it's perfect for a ghoul like me. Oh no, every single store is catering to my interests? What a nightmare! Lol, but just think about it: Clothes, kitchenware, house decor, blankets, horror movies playing 24/7, food and coffee, all Halloween themed. Everything you like, available at your convenience. I wish it was like that all of the time, it's a lifestyle :)
I had the privilege of looking around at a couple of stores for some cool stuff. I visited the Dollar Tree, Wal-Mart, Spirit Halloween, and Target with my mother. Some of the stores didn't have all of their stuff out yet, so I'd love to go back and revisit some stores.
We went to the Dollar Store first! That Dollar Tree location used to be the 99 Cent store; I remembered walking there from community college. I had these long time gaps between classes, so I was able to take these long-ass treks to the mall and stuff. That's the scariest thing about getting older and time passing, everything changes. Things can only exist in memories.
The Dollar Tree moves really fast! They put their shit out and then they're on to the next, so I was able to see everything.. My mom ended up picking up some kitchen towels, potholders, and a couple of decorations. They're all vibrant colors, it reminds me of vintage Halloween decor! I only picked up 3 packs of syringes and a pillow!
When I pick up stuff, I usually like to get more everyday stuff. If it's too Halloweeny, it feels a bit cheesy, you know? Like those black dressed with the peter pan collars? No offense to those who wear them, fuck what I think, lol. However, when I saw that pumpkin pillow, I had to pick it up! It just looked so classic, you know? I think I'm really in the mood for some classic Halloween decor this year. I got the syringes because I love those mixed drinks! I always want to make them for Halloween, but I never have the syringes.
Then, we went to Wal-Mart! They had their accessories out, and some pajamas, but they were barely putting up the rest of their stuff. I was going to get some accessories, but I couldn't justify paying $5 each for things I didn't absolutely love. The jewelry had the right idea, but they were a bit too costumey. I would've liked them more if they were more refined.
I ended up picking up a coffin shaped plate with a skeleton on it because I saw it online, lol. The plate was just very Tim Burton-esque. I know Tim Burton's stuff is overrated for a reason, but I'm still enamored with his film aesthetic. Then, I checked out the clothes to see if they had put out their Horror tees. They were not up yet, but the pajamas were! I immediately wanted the Mummy pin-up moomoo, but the image on it was that rubbery texture? I just know that would crack and become dingy the more you wash it. The next best option was the lilac pin-up pajamas. They are so cute, I think I like them more than moomoo. The bride of Frankenstein is there, so I guess it makes up for the mummy...
Spirit Halloween didn't open until 11 AM, so by the time we finished up at Wal-Mart, it was open! I've been waiting weeks to go, so I was excited! However, when I went inside I was a bit crestfallen. The store was a little disorganized and empty. I was looking around and trying to find all of the new stuff, but I couldn't tell what was new from the old.
Is it just me, or were there more plus size options last year? I wasn't able to find as many plus size options at that location, so I'm wondering if it's the same everywhere? Spoiler, I did visit another location and was able to find more options there, but I still feel like there aren't a lot this year? Has it always been that way? Or am I just tripping? I don't know, but big bitches like myself want to be slutty nuns too. I mean, the costumes are ridiculously expensive, so DIY is ultimately the way to go! Plus, it's more fun to put your costume together that way!
Anyways, I wanted 3 main things from Spirit: A corset, a Fiend mask, and a set of vampire fangs. I made the decision to pick up the corset because I view it as a substantial piece in my wardrobe. That thing was $30, but worth it. It's not a legit corset in the slightest, but I will wear the shit out of it. I wasn't able to pick up everything else because of the prices; I'm sure if I had saved my money from my previous transactions I'd have enough for everything but dayum.
What I did get, however, was a Ouija Board mint tin case. The mints inside were shaped like planchets. The mints didn't taste as strong as I'd like them to, but it was a nice gimmick! I wanted to pick up some ouija themed hair claws, but they were small and looked a bit flimsy. Spirit Halloween specializes in costume jewelry, but you can tell how cheap they look. I feel the same way about their accessories by the cash register, the jewelry is like the same quality as Wal-Mart's.
I didn't fully enjoy my visit there, but regardless, I still had fun. Feeling a bit dissatisfied, we made our way to Target. I saw online that Target's going with a vintage Halloween style for their decor; That seems to be this year's theme. Unfortunately, Target didn't have anything out except for a couple of things in the front and a small pop-up in between the food and shampoo aisles. From the front section, I picked up a mini eyeball tote and a mini cauldron pillow. I've been liking the cauldron motif as of late, so I really liked that pillow!
The next day, I went to the nail salon with my mom to get our nails done. I was in dire need for a Mani/Pedi, my nails were too long and my dead skin was building up on my hands and nails. I know that sounds crazy; Why aren't you taking care of your own nails?? I do need to learn how to upkeep my own nails. However!! I don't usually keep my nails so long! They grew out pretty fast from the last appointment, which is good because they were thinning out with each drill (they use the drill to shave off the gel polish).
I had been getting the builder's gel to protect my nails from the drilling. I do love how nice my nails look with it, it looks like acrylic. I feel like the last couple of sessions really helped my nails grow, so I decided to forgo the builder's gel. Plus, it took so long for the nail tech to build the gel up and then paint my nails, especially when you need a base for the glitter!!!
I really wanted red cat eye nails, but I ended up choosing glass gel? It looked better on the display... When I requested it, the nail tech got a bit scared! I don't think she worked with the polish before, lol! It needed a silver base coat for the effect I wanted, so when she applied it, it like shriveled up? It pooled up? She did 2 coats and it did cover the silver, but it doesn't look great, lol! My left hand looks a lot better than my right hand! I blame the polish, not the nail tech!
Anyways, the nail tech did very well with my nails. I have impacted toenails and my finger nails curl into my skin. With the builder's gel, my dead skin really built up around my fingernails. This might be TMI, but she really got up in there, lol! I needed my toenails trimmed real bad, the corners of my nails were digging into my skin. If I didn't have a thick layer gel on my nails, I would've trimmed them myself. So! Big relief!!
My nails are fine, I can kind of see how the gel is supposed to look like glass. It's not my favorite and I won't be requesting that technique/polish again, lmao!! But from far away, they look nice. The color is a warm red, it looks like blood! I don't think the nail salon has a lot of neat red colors, I don't like Red glitter because it reminds me of Christmas or the fourth of July. I might do another red color next time, if not, I really love blue/indigo. That color has been really appealing to me as of late!
After that, my mother and I grabbed some Dunkin' since we didn't get to eat breakfast. I got my second Pumpkin Spice latte of the season, as well as a bacon-topped avocado toast and some hash browns. I asked for loaded hash browns but they gave me normal ones instead :/ It was okay though, the toast and coffee usually mess up my stomach, and the cheese probably would've set me off.
I asked my mom if we could stop by the thrift store! I really wanted to look at the books and movies, so that's where I immediately went! I was looking real hard at the movies on the shelves, but I didn't find shit. I ended up encountering an unattended cart and I took a look. Low and behold! That's wher all of the horror films were hiding. I only grabbed 4, the other's were Prom Night (2008) and Friday the 13th (2009).
Even though I am a fan of 2000's horror, I didn't really care for those films, lol. Dead Silence (2007) was such a score, as was House of Wax (2005). House of Wax's soundtrack goes so hard, I miss that about the early 2000's. One Missed Call (2008) is so shit, lmao, but the film poster has always stuck with me. The Quiet (2005) is a strange film, trigger warning in advance if you decide to watch it. I've been reading some reviews about the film having some Gothic elements and tones to it, and I have to agree. I feel like if the film had been pushed, in every aspect, it would've been a good Gothic horror film.
I looked around some more and found this really beautiful top. It's vintage and looks like something an old lady would wear to a winter wedding, lol. Or a New Year's Eve party. The top is covered in sparkly blue/indigo sequins. My arms and torso are a bit too long for the top, but it still fits! There are slits on the sides that end at my waist, so I need to find out what kind of bottoms I can wear with it. Here's a video showing how shiny it is, since you can't really tell in the photo.
We ended our outing with a trip to another Spirit, as I previously mentioned. This location was so much better, 100%. It was better in every way, lmao. I can't wait to go back again this Monday. This location is where I found a bit more plus size options. It's still not a lot, lol. But, the likelihood of me purchasing a $60+ costume from there is none. If I'm being real with you. It's just better to make your costume from the ground up, it's more personable.
That was my Thursday and Friday, lol! I did go to my cousin's football game Friday night and I saw my family :) It was nice to see everyone and neat to see my cousin play. It restored something in me. I felt really happy being around them. I'll finish up this post with an outfit pic from that night! I felt like a pin-up, Gothabilly vibe :)
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