Skeletons Out of The Closet: Halloween 2019

Well, I missed out on posting this in October, but the biggest Halloween celebration for me happened post-Halloween on November 2nd in Provincetown. This was my second annual visit, thanks to my awesome friend who co-owns a house there.

If you've never been part of a parade before, Halloween in Provincetown is a must, and you can wear any type of costume, wave just about any flag, and few people will look twice. Well, actually, they might look at you a lot, and take your picture, too.

The town is brimming with characters... and character. The fun and excitement are definitely contagious. Fortunately, the Weather Goddesses had mercy on our costumes this year. It didn't rain. No wind. All fun. (Cool temperatures, though).

Let those skeletons out of the closet...

In addition to every type of costume you can imagine, houses and businesses were decorated with many clever Halloween details, including an abundance of skeletons.

Guess he chopped up more than just the grass.

He even mows (and glows) at night.

At this same house...

"I'm dying to relax."

Let's go shopping...

The antiques here are really really OLD.

Dudes, wanna dance?

Is my make-up running? Is my hair dreadful?

Some of the waiters in this town have been serving for a long time...

And, they'll serve just about anyone...

Don't look now but there are zombies everywhere...

And a few nightmares before Christmas...

Hmmph! Let those sharks just try and find me here.

Let the parade commence...

Since you're dying to know, my costume this year was a fairly specific 1980s mashup of the punk band Plasmatics and the movie Liquid Sky.

Add feather boa for warmth...

 

More pattern, please...

These boots were made for stompin'...

I pretty-painted my face. Unfortunately, last year's cheap CVS makeup kit didn't have any green, purple or pink left, so I had to go with blue, red, and silver instead...

Checkmates...

My friend wore a most unusual "Abominable Snow Woman" costume...

HBO was in town filming people in their costumes, possibly for a promo, for a show called Mrs. Fletcher. Naturally, me and the Abominable Snow Woman wanted a piece of the action...

My absolute fave pic from the whole weekend.

Here are a few of my favorite costumed paraders, spotted throughout the night doing various naughty-scary things...

Two creepy clowns - RUN!

Hail to the bloody Pig People.

Swine Before Swine.

This unicorn was actually smoking a cigarette,
which made me think he wasn't for real.

Tippi Hedren's crazy great aunt?

All those skeletons I saw were dead, but these "bushes" were very much alive.

I did see someone with a shrunken head a la the film Beetlejuice, as well as this shrunken Pilgrim Monument in someone's yard the next day...

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Back at home, I did some Halloween decorating, as I do every year. This time I put up a third black tree, this one on top of my new bedroom console.

 

Other new items this year include this light-up mini village, the Missoni candle, the light-up "A Happy Halloween" box, and the spider web runner.

For the kitchen, I added a black spider web tablecloth layered over my vintage harvest tablecloth.

Until next time, I wish you all...

Brimfield Antiques Show, September 2019: Carnival Rides & Candlesticks

September means hurricane season, even in New England. Fortunately, we were spared from any severe winds and drenching rains, so this visit to the Brimfield Antiques Show went off without a hitch.

This time we ventured further afield than usual, exploring more of the outer dealers that we haven't visited for quite some time. It was almost like brand new territory, and the treasures I unearthed were fun and interesting, as always.

My first find was a black leather belt with silver buffalo nickels interspersed on the uniquely stitched outside.

For some reason, it looks brown in the photo, maybe because I shot it on a charcoal grey chair? In real life it is definitely black. Serendipitously, I already had the buffalo head belt buckle from the 1970s, so it complements this piece quite easily. This was a nice bargain at just $10.

The inside label says, "HANDMADE, Colorado Leather Goods, Colorado Springs."

My next bargain was a metal waste basket (just $6), probably from the 1970s, that is now in my bedroom in my "orange corner." I especially like the orange coral color, and the trellis and grapes pattern in black with purple accents. The back is solid orange with no design. The bottom of the piece has an embossed circle that says, "J.L. Clark, Rockford, Ill., USA. The yellow price sticker inside says, "$1.27."

One man's trash is this man's new vintage waste basket.

It's never too early to dream about Christmas, and sure enough, I encountered a few little finds to add to my display this year.

I found this group of children's Christmas 45rpm records for $1 each. I especially like the colorful sleeve graphics. I think I might prop these underneath my aluminum Christmas tree come December.

All five record sleeves have the same back. Three are copyrighted 1961 and two are 1959.

I also scooped up these snowman chimes out of a plastic bin of Christmas decorations – for just $2. They're probably from the 1960s or 1970s, in the original box. I'm planning to give these as a gift, though their tacky charm might only appeal to me, so I may end up keeping them.

My other cool find of the day was this wrought iron floor candlestick with a painted white distressed finish. I can't tell if the paint is recent or not, because the distressing looks too even and strategic to be that old, though the dealer told me it was very "old." In any case, I love the detailed curves of the piece, and it was just $30. It's a great space saver at 26" tall by 7" wide at its widest point.

The top will fit one pillar candle. I currently have it displayed in one corner of my hallway.

The elaborate base has an acorn finial in the center, and the piece stands evenly on three little round feet.

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Every Brimfield show has its share of unusual oversized items, and I encountered quite a few this time, including a carnival kiddie Ferris Wheel.

And a "Step right up" circus bike...

And this cool sign, which once had light bulbs on portions of the front...

For your thoughts...

Hope I didn't get too lost in nostalgia.
Until next year's Brimfield shows, it's time to...