Have yourself a meowy little Christmas!
Happy Caturday – December
Tag: holiday shopping
Spooky Indie/Small Businesses with Great Halloween & Horror Gifts
The Saturday after Black Friday is always Shop Small Business day. No supply chain issues. You help the economy. You help independently-owned and small businesses thrive. You find amazing, fangtastic gifts for your favorite Halloween and horror lover. Helping makes you feel good. Everybody wins!
In Burbank-Los Angeles, SoCal:
Dark Delicacies – If you’re looking for horror books, horror collectibles and memorabilia, and spooky novelty items
https://www.darkdel.com
Camp Horror/Bearded Lady’s Mystic Museum – If you’re looking for horror clothing, horror movie collectibles, strange vintage oddities, and spooky novelty items https://beardedladysmysticmuseum.square.site
Halloweentown Store – If you’re looking for Halloween costumes and masks, horror clothing, Halloween and horror collectibles and memorabilia, and spooky novelty items
http://halloweentownstore.com
Monster-A-GoGo/Kreepsville -If you’re looking for horror or goth clothing and spooky novelty items
https://store.kreepsville666.com
Local Boogeyman – If you’re looking for creepy T-shirts, horror clothing, horror props, and spooky novelty items
https://www.localboogeyman.com
Elsewhere in the US:
Bug Under Glass – If you’re looking for museum-quality insect shadow box art and frames
https://bugunderglass.com
Me and Annabel Lee -If you’re looking for Edgar Allan Poe and Victorian Gothic gifts
http://www.meandannabellee.com
Wicked Clothes – If you’re looking for spooky T-shirts and creepy clothing
https://www.wickedclothes.com
Darkside Displays – If you’re looking for Halloween and horror props, collectibles, and party supplies, and spooky novelty items
https://www.darksidedisplays.com
JPsHorror – If you’re looking for Halloween and horror collectibles and memorabilia, and spooky novelty items
https://jpshorror.com
Spooky Cat Press – If you’re looking for spooky gift wrap, prints, and stickers
https://www.spookycatpress.com/collections/gothic-gift-wrap
Etsy Favorites:
The Bewitching Cauldron – Spooky books and wares
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BewitchingCauldron
Blackheads Pups – Spooky collars for your pups
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BlackHeartPups
Creepy Candles – Spooky candles for your home
www.etsy.com/shop/creepycandles
DiabolicaBoutique – Spooky bath bombs and soaps
https://www.etsy.com/shop/DiabolicaBoutique
For folks in the U.K.:
October 31st Store – Halloween collectibles, housewares, memorabilia, and spooky novelty items
https://october31st.co.uk
Blackstar Ceramics – Spooky ceramics
https://www.blackstarceramics.co.uk
Dolly Cool – Spooky jewelry and enamel pins
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/DollyCool
Small businesses were chosen at random. Many I’ve purchased from in the past and they’re good people. All of them ship almost anywhere (check their website for shipping costs and details).
If you know of a local, independently-owned, small business that provides great gifts for Halloween and horror fans, share their link and location in the comments.
Book Gift Ideas for Halloween and Horror Fans
I’ve compiled a list of great holiday horror and Halloween books that your favorite Halloween and horror fan will love this Creepmas. I live in Los Angeles area so some of my suggestions reflect my current location, but free feel to check local bookstores in your area. Happy Holidays!
Holiday Horror:
We Bleed Red and Green by Jeff C. Carter
Hot off the heels of his October anthology We Bleed Orange & Black: 31 Funsize Tales for Halloween, Jeff C. Carter is back with 12 new tales of Christmas terror.
Secret Santa by Andrew Shaffer
There’s a lot to unwrap in this fun, festive horror set in the big, bad, cut-throat publishing world of the 1980s.
Nos4A2 by Joe Hill
Time-travel, immortal vampires and Christmas make for one terrifying tale for the holidays. When you’re done reading, check out season one of the TV adapation from AMC Channel on Amazon Prime.
Krampus: Shadow of Saint Nicholas by Michael Dougherty (Graphic Novel)
From the creator of Trick ‘r Treat, Michael Dougherty shares his Krampus vision in a new graphic novel form, filled with stunning artwork.
The Old Magic of Christmas by Linda Raedisch
Come check out the Yuletide tales of witches, elves and ghosts, Perfect winter reading. Keep an eye out for the new Audiobook coming on December 22, 2020.
Krampus’s Great Big Book of Yuletide Monsters by Amanda Woomer
Come explore the spooky world of Krampus and other holiday monsters in this latest book from author and paranormal investigator, Amanda Woomer.
Halloween Books:
Pumpkins and Party Themes: 50 DIY Designs to Bring Your Halloween Extravaganza to Life By Roxanne Rhoads
I know 2020 put a damper on our Halloween celebrations this year, which only means we should come back hard in 2021. This book is full of ideas and DIY designs to help get us ready for the perfect party next year!
Creating Your Vintage Halloween: The folklore, traditions, and some crafty makes by Marion Paull
What a fantastic way to learn all about Halloween traditions. This beautiful, fully-colored little book is a dream for vintage Halloween collectors and Halloween lovers.
The Halloween Kid by Rhode Montijo
From author and illustrator Rhode Montijo, follow along with the adventures of the mysterious masked defender of Halloween. Word around town is there’s an animated show in the works.
Other Horror Related Books:
The Lady from the Black Lagoon by Mallory O’Meara
This LA Times Bestseller, which topped all the 2019 ‘Best Of’ lists, uncovers the mysterious life of former Disney animator, Milicent Patrick, the only woman in history to create a Hollywood classic movie monster.
Graven Images: The Best of Horror, Fantasy, and Science-Fiction Film Art from the Collection of Ronald V. Borst (Hardcover), Introduction by Stephen King
I absolutely fell in love with this beautiful, bright, fully-color collection of vintage Hollywood movie posters. It’s a great read for film lovers and filled with the history behind some of Hollywood’s best classic horror and sci-fi movies.
Universal Studios Monsters: A Legacy of Horror by Michael Mallory, Stephen Sommers (Foreword)
Come explore the magnificent legacy of Universal Studio’s Monsters, learn all about the characters, their mythologies and get behind-the scenes insights into Hollywood’s golden age of horror.
The Spirit Guide: America’s Haunted Breweries, Distilleries, and Wineries by Amanda Woomer
I predict once this pandemic is over, travel will come roaring back to life and 2021 will be the perfect time for a paranormal adventure. This awesome read breaks down what to expect when you visit some of America’s most haunted bars, breweries, wineries and more!
Classic Books:
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (Poirot) by Agatha Christie
UNIQUE GIFTS FOR HALLOWEEN AND HORROR FANS
Looking to impress that special Halloween and horror fan in your household this Creepmas? Well, check out my list of oddball and unique, but totally awesome gifts! Remember to shop local and small business when you can this year!
BUY FACEMASKS! Protect your loved ones and help defeat this Covid-19 pandemic! Great stocking stuffers! With over 280,000 dead from Coronavirus, I’m advocating face masks hard this year. You can never have too many. Buy different kinds. Themed face masks are fun. Do it for yourself, your family, your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers, your school mates, your grocery store clerks, your favorite artists, musicians, celebrities, and complete random strangers. Staying alive is not a political issue! PLEASE WEAR A FACE MASK.
https://www.zazzle.com/halloween+face+masks
Scare Package from Creepy Co., $53.99-$109.99
I’m not sure this is a new idea but I love it! Creepy Co has fun 2 item or 3 item sets available featuring blankets, T-shirts, hats, socks, etc.
https://www.creepycompany.com/collections/creepy-co-scare-packages
Mezco Toys Presents Living Dead Doll, Elvira-Mistress of the Dark, now available for Pre-order, ships in July 2021, $52
The Queen of Halloween, Elvira joins the Living Dead Doll family. This is a must have if you are an Elvira fan or a Living Dead Doll fan.
https://www.mezcotoyz.com/ldd-presents-elvira-mistress-of-the-dark
Sam Statue Decoration, $39.99
Sam from Trick ‘r Treat movie is our Halloween hero! This 16” light-up statue decoration made of resin, sold exclusively at Spirit Halloween Stores is gorgeous.
https://www.spirithalloween.com/product/16-inch-light-up-sam-statue-decoration-trick-r-treat/178192.uts?Extid=sf_froogle
Legend of Sleepy Hollow Writing Gloves, $26
I think I’ve mentioned before that Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of my favorite literary characters and I adore these fingerless gloves from Storiarts. Great for a night of reading.
https://storiarts.com/collections/gloves/products/the-legend-of-sleepy-hollow-writing-gloves
Pawzuph Statue, $23.99
This hand painted polyresin statue named Pawzuph, a horned occult cat, is simply too beautiful for words. I feel like this little guy needs a legendary story to go with him.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/825728054/pawzuph-horned-occult-cat-figurine
The Walking Dead We Are the Walking Dead Black Mug, $15
After ten years, The Walking Dead Universe is still going strong, with two different shows on television right now, the final Season 11 of the flagship show, due out in late 2021, and planned spin-offs featuring our favorite characters. Plenty of more collecting to be had.
https://thewalkingdeadshop.amc.com/collections/drinkware/products/the-walking-dead-we-are-the-walking-dead-black-mug
Krampus Activity Book from Fright Rags, $10
Scary T-shirt afficionados Fright Rags now features officially licensed Krampus brand and this Krampus Activity Book is hours of fun.
https://www.fright-rags.com/collections/krampus/products/krampus-activity-book
MINIATURES
Halloween Miniatures make great gifts. They’re perfect for dioramas, terrariums, supplementing entire Halloween villages, or just all by themselves. Some name brands are expensive, but shop around to get best prices and discounts. Off-season is always a good time to buy. Miniatures make great stocking stuffers too!
Lemax Collection – Spooky Town Villages – Prices and Stores Vary
https://www.lemaxcollection.com/villages/spooky-town
Dept. 56 – Prices and Stores Vary
https://department56.com/
Miniatures.com
https://www.miniatures.com/Halloween-C41.aspx
The Little Dollhouse Company
https://www.thelittledollhousecompany.com/dollhouses-miniatures-furniture-kits/halloween-miniatures-c-9_375/
L.A. COUNTY LOCALS
Suggestions for my hometown peeps. Online ordering and pick-up available. Check website for store hours and other info. Facemasks are great stuffers!
Dark Delicacies – Large selection of horror books, signed CDs & Vinyls, clothing, purses, jewelry, horror memorabilia, horror Geeki Tikis, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab oils, horror facemasks, and other unique gifts.
Frankenstein Turntable Spinature, $25
https://www.darkdel.com/store/p1920/Frankenstein_Spinature.html#/
Horror Socks from Character, $10
https://www.darkdel.com/store/p1846/Horror_Socks.html#/
FACEMASKS
https://www.darkdel.com/store/p1735/Masks___.html#/
******
Bearded Lady’s Mystic Museum – Large selection of clothing, books, witchcraft supplies, tarot cards, divination, taxidermy, antiques, and unique gifts. Looking to get into witchcraft, but don’t want to be overwhelmed or intimidated? Then, this is the place to go!
Vampir Slippers, $38
https://beardedladysmysticmuseum.square.site/product/vampir-slippers/4111?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=13
Krampus Air Freshner, $5
https://beardedladysmysticmuseum.square.site/product/krampus-air-freshener-/4137?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=53
FACEMASKS
https://beardedladysmysticmuseum.square.site/s/search?q=face%20mask
*****
Halloweentown Store – Large selection of T-shirts, costumes, facemasks, replica vintage Halloween decor, novelty gifts, Funko Pop! Vinyl Figures, Wacky Wobblers, Iconz, Mystery Minis and more. Great place to find sold-out collectibles too.
Trick ‘r Treat Vinyl Record, $105
http://www.halloweentownstore.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=HS&Product_Code=WAX105&Category_Code=Vinyl_Records
Ouija Mystifying Mints, $5
http://www.halloweentownstore.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=HS&Product_Code=CANDY117&Category_Code=Mints
FACEMASKS
http://www.halloweentownstore.com/page/HS/CTGY/Face_Masks_Fabric
*****
Monster-A-GoGo, featuring Kreepsville 666 The “Original Scare Wear” – New location in East L.A. (Melrose closed), clothing, purses, accessories, pins, collectibles, Hexmas, and brand names such as Elvira, Vampira, Vincent Price, and more!
Haunted House Purse, $54
https://store.kreepsville666.com/collections/new-and-restocked/products/haunted-house-purse
Elvira Macabre Mobile Men’s T-shirt, $25
https://store.kreepsville666.com/collections/gifts-under-25-00/products/elvira-macabre-mobile-mens-t-shirt
FACEMASKS
https://store.kreepsville666.com/collections/face-masks
*****
Traditions – Traditional homemade style and replica holiday themed vintage décor, wreaths, figurines, ornaments, home and garden, tableware, Bethany Lowe, Kathrine’s Collection, and more! Collectibles and other items sell out quickly!
Jack O’Lantern Topiary $150
https://www.christmastraditions.com/product/TJ7743.html
Black Cat Jack with Pumpkin $15
https://www.christmastraditions.com/product/TPH7812a.html
MERRY CREEPMAS!
Gifts for Classic Monster Lovers
Every Sunday until the week of Christmas, I’ll post a gift giving guide for Halloween and horror fans. From cool collectibles to offbeat gifts, check out these awesome gifts I came across, featuring the classic Universal monsters.
Ravensburger Universal Monsters Horrified Board Game – Target/Walmart ($30)
Universal Monsters Funko Mystery Minis – Amazon/Various Stores ($7-$25)
Holiday Horrors Monsters Ornaments – Trick or Treat Studios ($19.99)
Universal Monster Geeki Tiki Mugs – Entertainment Earth ($19.99)
Universal Monsters The Creature From the Black Lagoon and Frankenstein’s Monster Bottle Stopper Box Set – Toy Wiz ($29.99)
Dracula Puzzle, Pocket Size – Wiz Head ($12.95)
https://wizhead.com/site/product_detail/MON-22-P
Universal Monsters Socks! Art by Sara Deck – Fright Rags ($12)
Invisible Man Vintage Mug – Tee Public ($11)
Phantom of the Opera Bookmarks – Film Cells ($9.99)
While Film Cells does have its own website and store, they’re only selling the Universal Monster bookmarks via Amazon
The Mummy – Classic Universal Monsters USPS Stamp replica pin / tie tack – Boris Karloff – Postal Brass ($8)
Universal Monsters art print, Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, Wolfman, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Horror art, 11 x 17″ print – Paul Maitland ($15)
LINKS TO OFFICIAL LICENSED CLOTHING COLLECTIONS:
https://www.hottopic.com/pop-culture/shop-by-license/universal-monsters/
Tips for Handling Post-Halloween Depression
Well, it’s happened. Another Halloween season has come and gone, and it’ll be 11 long months until our favorite holiday comes back around. Post-Halloween Depression is real. There never seems to be enough time to do all the things we want to do during the month of October. While it’s easy to fall into the trappings of woulda, shoulda, coulda, guilt never brought back Halloween any sooner. If you have a serious issues, get help. Young folks, talk to someone. For reals. Maybe you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. This is the loneliest time of the year and it doesn’t have to be.
If you think you got a handle on it and you’re just looking for ways to squeeze the spookiness outta the holidays. Here’s a few helpful tips:
Find Your Tribe
Life is simply too short not to hang with people who don’t engage your interest, inspire your creativity or support your vision, even if it’s just turning your front yard into a cemetery every October.
Halloween groups on Pinterest, Reddit and Facebook are great places to find likeminded fans. Commiserating with others helps us not feel so alone, and trust me, you are not the only one who cannot bear to watch Freeform’s sugary programming on repeat for the next two months.
Shop ’til You Drop
Don’t put away that credit card just yet because shopping for Halloween items is even better after Halloween. This is the time when stores are blowing out their stocks and have slashed prices from 50-80% off. Spirit stores, Michaels, Joanns and World Market, just to name a few, all have big sales still going on. Never underestimate the power of retail therapy.
Scare up Your Next Halloween
There’s no time to cry when you’re a notebook deep full of ideas for next Halloween, and next year is gonna be a doozy. Halloween 2020 will be on a Saturday, there’ll be a full moon and that’s also the day we set our clocks back. Sounds auspicious already!
Let Autumn Linger
I don’t understand why people insist on rushing into Christmas when we have the beauty and wonder of the harvest to celebrate. Pumpkins, scarecrows, fall leaves, much of what we love about Autumn is what we love about Halloween, and nothing is better than natural spookiness of fall.
You can always decorate with autumn lights and harvest candles. Hang a fall wreath on the front door or somewhere over the mantle. Instead of the Christmas tree, put up an autumn tree during the month of November. Check out this fantastic autumn home decor from All for Fall & Halloween member Megan Sanders:
Photo courtesy of Megan Sanders/ ©Megan Sanders
Photo courtesy of Megan Sanders/ ©Megan Sanders
Photo courtesy of Megan Sanders/ ©Megan Sanders
Photo courtesy of Megan Sanders/ ©Megan Sanders
Give Thanks to Dark and Moody
Maybe you’re one that needs to feed your gothic soul all twelve months outta the year. Well, Wednesday, keep your striped socks on, because it’s quite easy to flip the holidays to satisfy our love for all things dark and brooding, as seen here in this incredibly beautiful dark holiday photography:
©thesavvyheart.com
©deardesigner.co.uk
©gempicker.com
©HouseofFraser.com
©meandannabellee.com
©meandannabellee.com
For more photos like these, check out our Dark and Moody Holidays board on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/halloweenkristy/dark-and-moody-holidays/
Celebrate Bad Santa
Of all the bad Santa origin stories in the world, Germany’s Krampus is the clear winner. The half-goat, half-demon, schnapps loving, children whipping, horned god of the witches is the most recognizable of all holiday bad boys and has been depicted in numerous way, but the consistency has always been his long twisted horns, a long tail, snake-like tongue, razor-sharp claws, and black hooves for feet. Additionally, he often wears a long heavy coat, wrapped in heavy chains, with some type of big bell attached.
Krampus ©Brom
Krampus in my Stylus ©theJeffster
Krampus the Yule Lord ©SpikeJones
Krampus is bad cop to Santa’s good cop. He carries a bundle of birch branches for whipping naughty children and stuffs the really, really bad ones into a basket or sack that he takes home to torture, drown and eat.
How this devil ended up as Santa’s evil sidekick is a mystery but he’s the only one celebrated internationally, even has his own designated night, Krampusnacht on December 5th
Embrace the Spooky Side of the Holidays
Krampus is more proof that Halloween and Christmas go together like peanut butter and jelly. Artists, creators, and movie makers have been genre-bending and making the holidays scary for decades.
From twisted Santa histories to spooky holiday tales, there are plenty of the dark or supernatural elements to admire or revere during the holiday season.
So, dry your tears and get to planning, cuz the holiday scares are just beginning. Put some fangs on your snowman or hang some bloody reindeer antler bones on your front door and your relatives just might behave on Thanksgiving day.
Halloween Horror Haiku 