Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Bratz Movie Releases August 6
Last Day!! Blog Reader Special Coupon
It is kind of like a Christmas in July Sale, but it is also a Halloween in July Sale because the discount will be applied to any of the products on our 13 different websites in the Extreme Halloween Network.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Kowabunga Box Office, Dude!
Friday, July 27, 2007
Who Wants to Be a Superhero? (Again)
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Get a Virtual Costume at SimpsonizeMe.com
If you have not seen this great new Internet toy yet, you HAVE to visit http://www.simpsonizeme.com/. The marketing geniuses at Burger King and The Simpsons have come up with yet another ingenious idea in viral websites and viral marketing. So, if you check out http://www.simpsonizeme.com/ you can upload your own picture and become an animated character from The Simpsons. Have fun becoming a virtual resident of Springfield!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Costumes from “Hairspray” Film on View in Manhattan
July 14th, 2007
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Join the Harry Potter Bandwagon!
For many Harry Potter fans, today could not arrive soon enough. They were anxiously awaiting the book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, so that they can finally read about the boy wizard's fate. Well, I haven't read it yet, so no spoilers allowed!
I am just so completely amazed at all the articles in the news about Harry Potter release parties and I am very happy to see how many of the parties and gatherings include Harry Potter costumes. Both kids and adults can participate in Harry Potter look alike contests, Harry Potter costume contests and parades. Many of the festivities around the country start late on Friday night, leading up to the midnight release deadline.
Here's whats been happening with the Harry Potter Craze Around the Country:
Barnes and Noble Booksellers nationwide will be participating in the world's largest Harry Potter Costume Party in honor of the final book in this remarkable series.
KANSAS CITY, MO:
The KansasCity.com website article headline reads: "Celebrate Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows with a parade, movie screening and parties everywhere"
With so many crucial questions to be answered in the seventh and final installment, booksellers don’t dare let a copy slip out before the 12:01 a.m. release early Saturday.
As in previous years, to keep folks distracted until they can get their hands on [the new book], local bookstores and libraries will host Potter parties through midnight Friday. Among them:
•Kansas City Public Library’s Harry Potter Extravaganza: No seats remained as early as July 15th for the Plaza branch library’s transformation into Hogwarts Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But you could still watch the marchers from Reading Reptile bookstore and the library lead a candlelight vigil and death march around 11 p.m. in honor of Harry, including a jazz dirge band, funereal litter and Death Eaters. Do they know something we don’t?
•Rainy Day Books’ Harry Potter Party: The party kicks off at 8:30 p.m. with a presentation by the Kansas City Wizards (how appropriate) at Legends 14 Theatres in Kansas City, Kan. The latest Potter flick, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” plays at 9 p.m., followed by a prize giveaway, ice cream and the book’s release.
•Barnes & Noble’s Midnight Magic Costume Party: Show up in your finest magical threads for a costume party including prizes, Potter merchandise, craft stations and, eventually, the book.
•Borders’ Grand Hallows Ball: Among the events, beginning at 7 p.m., are a Great Snape Debate, costume contest, Harry Potter Spelling Bee, Potter Prize Patrol and awards for king and queen of the ball.
MARQUETTE, MI:
The Mining Journal Online reports: There was a Harry Potter costume contest on Friday as part of the “Celebrate Harry!” Downtown Marquette Harry Potter Festival. The contest is open to all ages. The seven costume categories will be Harry, Hermione, Ron, Magical Creatures, Villains, Students, and Hogwarts Inhabitants to include professors, ghosts, et cetera. At 7:15 p.m. participants will join the Grand Wizard March from the Commons to the Masonic Center on Washington Street, for judging and awarding of prizes.
SEATTLE, WA:
The SeattleTimes.com talks about their local "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" book-release events. Bring wands, lightning bolts and maybe a few tears to celebrate the release of the seventh and final book in the "Harry Potter" series. Local libraries will kick off with events through next week, culminating with bashes Friday night. The book will be sold starting at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. Then they go on to list their local events starting last Wednesday all the way up to midnight on Friday night!
SALT LAKE CITY, UT:
The Salt Lake Tribune headlines: "Penchant for Potter parties? Take your pick". The release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows will be celebrated by libraries and bookstores with parties and contests all around Salt Lake City. Events included:
•Muggles Chess Tournament for children 5-16
•Fun events at their Main Library include: earth-bound Quidditch; classes on herbology, potions, defense against the dark arts, charms and the history of magic; face-painting; fortune tellers; wand-decorating; fantasy writing workshops; and an astronomy class taught by the University of Utah's Astronomical Society.
•At their local Hastings Bookstore Magician Christopher Fair will perform and there will be a Golden Snitch hunt, costume contests for adults and children, wand-making, refreshments and prizes.
•At the University of Utah Bookstore People will be sorted into different houses as they arrive. Other activities will include wand-making, a Diagon Alley replica, Harry Potter video games, trivia contests, indoor Quidditch, face-painting and a coloring contest.
•Activities at another Salk Lake City Bookshop, The King's English Bookshop, include the Sorting Hat, wand-making, face-painting, fortune-telling, magic shows and snacks at the Leaky Cauldron.
HAGERSTOWN, MD:
The Herald-Mail.com website reads: "Washington County Free Library is hosting a late-night party Friday to celebrate the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the final book in the best-selling series. Come dressed as your favorite Harry Potter character and enter the costume contest. The evening kicks off at 8:30 p.m. with a showing of the film "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." Pizza and other treats will be served during the movie. A party after the movie will include a Harry Potter trivia contest, costume contest, Bertie Botts Every Flavor Bean-tasting contest and more. At the stroke of midnight, the library will give away 10 copies of the new book as contest prizes, delivering copies that were prepaid, and begin a dramatic first chapter read-aloud from the newest book.
SAN FRANSISCO, CA:
The San Fransisco Cronicle's online website: SFGate.com lists so many Harry Potter festivities, parties, costume contests, trivia contests, games, dinners, breakfasts and miscellaneous events, I can't even list them all here, so visit their website for a look at all the creative Californian Harry Potter celebrations that went on there!
MIDLAND, TX:
Well, they say everything is bigger in Texas, and evidently, the Harry Potter parties and celebrations in and around Midland are no exception to Texas' larger than life rule of thumb. Over 800 are expected at the local Barnes and Noble's costume party and at the Midland Libray, they are planning to party all night long with a lock-in where children can spend the whole night partaking in different Harry Potter events.
CHICAGO, IL:
The Windy City's DailyHerald.com reports about its city's "All Harry's Eve" celebrations, costume parties, games, events, parades and festivities in another long list. See their website for their list as well as their "All Things Harry" page!
Well, if this has not been a nationwide of Harry Potter Hysteria, then I don't know what would. Personally, I just think that it is amazing that the imagination of one J.K. Rowling can inspire all of this. Not to mention how awesome it is that she has single handedly brought back reading in a world where kids have so TV, DVDs, video games, and computers as possible book deterrents. It is too bad that she has opted to end the Harry Potter series of books, I hope she decides to write more in the future!
Friday, July 20, 2007
Blog Tag - I'm It - One Thing I Learned at Affiliate Summit Miami
I pretty much got myself into the game by requesting to be tagged, with my "pick me" pick me" tactic. But then when I was tagged today, I realized part of the game is to tag other bloggers, but since I wasn't there, I don't know anyone else to tag other than those who have already been tagged. Even though I wasn't at the Affiliate Summit in Miami, my company was being represented by my colleagues at TenGoldenRules.com.
I learned what a difference a cool give away item can make in helping to attract affiliates to your booth! You know, the "Free Bees" or "Gimmies" or "Chotchkes". Jay Berkowitz and Kathryn Katz helped coached me and helped me pick out the coveted laughing pens that we ordered and had customized and, as I'm told, they were a big hit. Hopefully, all the Trick or Treaters who come by getting them just to get stuff will also consider signing up for the Extreme Halloween Network Affiliate Program. There are plenty of times I have gone to a booth at a trade show either because of a free giveaway that I wanted or a contest and then realized that the company really had something great to offer. I never would have known if it weren't for the fun free bee they offered.
So, the lesson learned today, is get free stuff!!?? No, not really, the lesson learned should be check out booths at the shows, it only takes a couple seconds but the company info could be invaluable.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Hot Makeup Items This Summer!
Tattoo Cover Up - Have a special event and don't want your tattoo to show? This stuff really covers tattoos and makes them invisible!
Final Seal - Spray over makeup to keep it in place through sweat, water and just about anything!
Nurturing Force Blotting Paper - Helps to preserve moisture removes shine, dirt, oil, perspiration and helps to unclog pores while preserving makeup with HDTV quality precision.
Splash Mineral Makeup - Flawless, beautiful cover, blush and eye shades.
DermaColor by Kryolan - Designed to correct skin imperfections or discolorations whether they are accidental, dermatological, surgical or congenital origin.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
‘Harry’ Conjures Up Big Audiences
Monday, July 16, 2007
Harry Potter Box Office Magic
MSNBC.com reports: "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" took in $44.8 million in its first day, the best single-day gross ever for a movie on a Wednesday.
That included $12 million from screenings that started at midnight Tuesday!
USAToday.com reports: Box office for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix since Wednesday's opening: $140 million.
Domestic: $139,715,157 42.0%
+ Foreign: $193,000,000 58.0%
= Worldwide: $332,715,157
Opening Weekend: $77,108,414
4,285 theaters, $17,994 average
More Harry Potter News by the Numbers-
Books:
121.5 million in print in the USA for first six books. First printing for seventh and final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: 12 million.
And according to the Motley Fool website, As of July16, 2007, Amazon.com alone has received over 1.3 million pre-orders for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The company guarantees release-date delivery to anyone who orders by noon on July 17th, so expect that number -- updated hourly on its Muggle Counter -- to keep inching higher. Globally, Amazon has received more than 2.1 million pre-orders.
Merchandise:
$18.8 million spent in USA on cookies, candy, gum since June 2002. Dozens of products available, including bookmarks ($3.49), Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans ($3.99), Harry Potter action figures ($12.99), Harry Potter's wand ($5.95), the Sorting Hat ($39.99), and Harry Potter Costumes (starting at $19.95).
Harry Potter theme park:
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be built on 20 acres within Universal Orlando Resort's Islands of Adventure theme park. Opens in late 2009.
It is so easy to get lost in the world of Harry Potter, it is fascinating, mystical, magical, captivating and one of the best written stories I have ever read.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Top 100 Halloween Costumes for 2007!
See Our Costume Picks for Halloween 2007!
Visit ExtremeHalloween.com to see our picks for what costumes will be the most popular this Halloween. We have chosen the top 100 costumes in different categories and sizes. Not sure what you want to be this Halloween? Hopefully this will help narrow it down for you! It may only be July, but many of the most popular Halloween costumes are already in stock; make sure to get yours before its gone!
We make this list every year, so you can see links to the past years' lists. You can also take our Scary Halloween Survey and tell us what your favorite costumes are this year.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Home Made Transformers Costumes!
Some people are so creative! I am truly amazed! These guys are far from "dorks" in my book, more like creative geniuses! WTG!!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
AnniesCostumes.com at Affiliate Summit Miami
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Dress like a Cow and get free Chickin!
Chick-fil-A Awards Free Meals to Cow-Dressed Customers on
Cow Appreciation Day
ATLANTA – For the superstitious, Friday, July 13 could be an anxious day, but for the bovine-minded, it could be a lucky day. As part of its third annual Cow Appreciation Day event, Chick-fil-A® is offering a free combo meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner) to any customer who isn’t “too chicken” to visit any of the chain’s 1,300-plus restaurants fully dressed as a cow on July 13.
Last year’s Cow Appreciation Day celebration – and the resulting turnout – confirmed that Chick‑fil-A has a strong following of customers willing to go to great lengths to show their appreciation for cows (not to mention, to receive a free combo meal). More than 4,000 customers visited Chick-fil-A restaurants throughout the country dressed in cow-themed costumes, complete with black-and-white spots, furry ears, cow bells, and homemade sandwich boards with their personalized renditions of Chick-fil-A’s “Eat Mor Chikin®” Cow messages.
Highlights from the NCA National Convention
The opening night party theme on Saturday was "Under the Sea": Be a sensation as a creative crustacean! Our friends at Spotlight Costumes in Pittsburgh, PA loaned us the King and Queen Neptune Costumes that my husband Myke and I wore. (Pics coming soon!).
Sunday night was "Bal Masque", this year's Showcase Competition. And what a competition it was. There were 19 different entries from costume shops around the country showing their best work and awesome creativeness. Floyd Nash (from Dillard School of the Performing Arts) and I modeled costumes entered by Kim Brown at Spotlight Costumes. The costumes we modeled won three awards: #1 masquerade costume (as voted by the audience), a memorial award for sewing and construction of the costumes, and Floyd won the memorial award for our makeup, which he applied.
Monday night was the annual auction, where we raise money for the NCA. By the way, the NCA (National costumers Association) is a non profit organization made up of costumers from around the world. Members are either costume professionals or independent costume shops who rent and/ or sell costumes. Annies Costumes and Extreme Halloween have been members of the NCA since 1989. The NCA has brought us so much, both in our professional and personal lives. We have learned so much from our piers over the years and the camaraderie and friendship is unbelievable. The only way to understand is to join, if you are a costumer or an independent costume shop, you don't know it, but your family is waiting!
So convention wrapped up Tuesday night with our closing night party, The President's Banquet. This year's theme was A Banquet by the Bay. The Grand International Award was given out to the costume pair called the Fairy of the Forest and Wizard of the Woods. These costumes were truly spectacular!
I know I have told you about the night time events, but the days are filled with activities too! There are many classes, including one I taught about internet marketing tips and tricks. We also have business meetings, when we carry on the business of the organization and vote on important issues. There are also gatherings for membership forum and shop talk and my favorite event at conventions: The Creative Style Show. For this event, 10 shops are sent the same box of material, trims and notions and the audience gets to see the 10 completely different but equally awesome costumes that started out as the same box of STUFF. Of course, we no longer have a sewing facility or costume designer on hand, so we don't make costumes for this event, but it is so thrilling to see what different designers from different parts of the country come up with using the same materials.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Doh! 7-Eleven now Kwik-E-Mart
Monday, July 09, 2007
Transformers Movie Conquers the Box Office
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Take Our Halloween Costume Survey!
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Happy Fourth Of July!
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
New Harry Potter Movie's World Premiere Wows Japanese Fans
According to an Associated Press article on Harry Potter's world premiere, Japan rolled out the red carpet for the world's most celebrated wizard Thursday for the premiere of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,'' the fifth movie from J.K. Rowling's mega-hit fantasy series.
Hundreds of young Japanese fans, wearing Harry Potter costumes and holding magic wands, screamed as Daniel Radcliffe, who played the teenage Harry, appeared as white smoke spewed on the stage."Order of the Phoenix,'' which opens in the United States on July 11 and in Britain the next day, is directed by David Yates, a Briton best known for the multilayered TV thrillers "State of Play'' and "Sex Traffic.''
After this movie, the next Harry-related frenzy will be the publication of the seventh and final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,'' on July 21.
Monday, July 02, 2007
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN!
I have a habit lately of starting drafts of certain topics and not posting them until they are finished, sometimes a few days later, so please scroll down to check out previous posts, I don't want you to miss out on any great deals!
Happy Blog Surfing!
Shari : )
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Blog Reader Special Coupon
Enter JULYBLOG in the coupon field during online checkout to receive 10% off of any order over $30.00 in July 2007. It is kind of like a Christmas in July Sale, but it is also a Halloween in July Sale because the discount will be applied to any of the products on our 13 different websites in the Extreme Halloween Network.
Cannot be combined with any other offer and expires July 31, 2007.