Mardi Gras Travel Destinations on a Budget!

I just recently found this great travel blog that talks about travel destinations on a budget! Which is very timely these days: everyone wants to get away but no one has a lot of money to spend on vacations. The HostelBloggers.com website has some great features on Mardi Gras destinations and history. Check out HostelBloggers.com for some great Mardi Gras Vacation getaways on a budget!

According to the HostelBloggers.com website, the top 3 Mardi Gras vacation spots are:

1. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil


2. New Orleans, Louisiana USA


3. Venice Italy for their Carnival!


Here is something I didn't know:

Five Lesser Known Mardi Gras Celebrations

Aside from ‘The Big Three’, there are actually many other Mardi Gras carnivals held around the world, including
1) Nice Carnival in France
2) Carnaval de Dunkerque in Belgium
3) Spain Carnival (particularly the festivities in Tenerife and Cadiz)
4) The Germany Carnivals of Dusseldorf and Cologne, known as Fasching
5) Carnival of Trinidad & Tobago in the Caribbean
For more on these, take a look at our top 10 carnival destinations.

Mardi Gras Recipes and Traditions

Can’t get to Rio or Venice? Then celebrate Mardi Gras where you are! Try cooking a traditional Mardi Gras recipe such as pancakes, King Cake, or gumbo and then drink as many Mardi Gras cocktails as you can.

Then once the merriment is flowing, try some of these Mardi Gras traditions…
- Throw eggs and flour at each other.
- Throw water balloons at each other.
- Sing satirical songs.



Not in the mood yet? Check out this amazing video of Carnival in Rio Brazil:

Make sure to heed the tips for making the most out of Mardi Gras! Plan ahead of time and make sure that you dress the part! Whether you just want a simple mask or full costume regalia, we have what you need at www.MardiGrasCostumes.com.

Get in the Spirit For St. Patrick's Day!

We all need a little bit of good luck these days, so why not embrace the Luck of the Irish this St. Patty's Day and dress up?

Annies Costumes has something for everyone, whether you want to go big (or is it little?) in a full Leprechaun costume or an Irish Maiden dress:


Or maybe just accessorize for the day with hats, t-shirts, beads and other fun party decorations.

Irish T-Shirts, St. Patrick's Day hats and headpieces, Irish beads for St. Patty's Day and more are all available at AnniesCostumes.com



And of course, we can't forget an Irishman's best friend:

The Leprechaun Dog costume!

Win a Free Cupid Cutie Costume!

Many thanks to our friends over at The MomStart Blog. They are featuring our Cupid Cutie costume in a giveaway promotion for the next two weeks to celebrate Valentine's Day. Check out the MomStart Blog for details and your chances(s) to win!

Transformers Movie Trailer Super Bowl Spot

Transformers II Revenge of the Fallen is due out in theaters June 26, 2009. Their Superbowl commercial gives us one of the first new looks at this blockbuster film! The first Transformers movie brought us some of the coolest costume designs for kids that have been Halloween costume favorites for the last two years. Optimus Prime costumes and Bumble Bee costumes for kids have made the Extreme Halloween top Halloween costume list for both 2008 and 2007. Halloween 2009 will be no exception, the Transformers Halloween costumes are sure to be kids favorites once again this year!





The first Transformers movie was an action packed success. If you have not seen it yet, here is your chance to own it on DVD at a great price!

New Star Trek Trailer

The Super Bowl is, of course, known for its commercials, but especially exciting for me are the movie trailer commercials! I've already reviewed the exciting GI Joe Movie Trailer and now, I am pleased to bring you a new Star Trek Trailer!

I am a Trekkie at heart. I grew up watching the original series (well, reruns of the original series) and am proud to say that I can tell you which episode it is within the first 10 seconds of airtime. I am also a huge JJ Abrams fan, so bringing the two together is a match made in my Sci Fi Geek Heaven!

In the first trailers, we see Kirk and Spock and glimpses of Scottie, Sulu and Ahura. In this new trailer launched today, we meet Bones! Just makes you wonder what he is going to tell Jim he "is not" in this movie! And for your Trekkie viewing pleasure here you go:


Stay tuned to AnniesCostumes.com for new Star Trek uniforms available definitely in time for Halloween and hopefully we will have them in stock for the movie release, May 8, 2009!

And if you are not familiar with the Original Star Trek TV series, do your homework! You will not be sorry!

New GI Joe Trailer

I was extremely excited as were many other "Joe" fans to see the awesome first look at the movie with the first GI Joe trailer shown during the SuperBowl.

I found the trailer online at Collider.com



And check out this new shot of all the GI Joe characters in full costume!





How about Sienna Miller looking skin tight hot as a brunette "Baroness"?



Keep up with details on the GI Joe movie at IMDB.com.
The GI Joe movie hits theaters August 7, 2009.

Its 14 Days 'Til Valentine's Day! Do You Know Where or What Your Present Is?

Here's a great idea for a Valentine's Day present:

Something that both of you can enjoy. . .

A Cupid Cutie Costume!



We have a number of different costumes available that fit the Valentine's Day theme! Check out al the Valentine's Day costumes available at AnniesCostumes.com!

Check out Cheryl & Co for some fresh baked Valentine gifts!

Birth Mark Cover Up - As Seen on the Rachael Ray Show!

I am a huge fan of Rachael Ray and I actually DVR her day time talk show every day and watch it whenever I can. She cheers me up and always has such great guests and information. I was catching up on an episode from two weeks ago, which featured a recurring segment she has called "I Can't Stand My. . . " This episode, it was "I Can't Stand My Legs". One of her viewers has a wine colored birth mark on the back of her calf, and it has bothered her all her life and prevented her from wearing shorts and dresses. Rachael's buddy and cosmetics genius, Greta covered the birth mark with DermaBlend makeup, which completely covered the birthmark. Watch the video!

We here through our makeup site, StageandTheaterMakeup.com sell a very similar product: Kryolan Derma Color makeup. It is a fabulous product, covers birthmarks, covers tattoos, covers veins, covers blemishes and covers skin flaws of any kind.

Kryolan Derma Color has been around for years, its hypoallergenic and finally a solution for any skin flaws. Dermacolor will give your skin a flawless, beautiful, and vibrant appearance. This covers up anything and cannot be seen in person, up close or on TV and stage. Its very easy to apply with a sponge or your fingers and we recommend the setting powder to blend over shiny-ness and make the product smudge proof.

Megan Fox: The New Wonder Woman?

There has been so much speculation over who will don the Wonder Woman costume in the new Wonder Woman movie. This movie has been so long in the "works" some of the initial front runners are already likely too old to play the role and some new Hollywood talent has emerged. The photo-shop genius over at Wonder-Who.com came up with this amazing Wonder Woman poster with Megan Fox as IMO the perfect Wonder Woman! You can also see a step by step slide show of how they did it!



In the mean time, we all wait with bated breath for the real details. Hopefully they actually consult these guys for the costume design, because that is hot!

Hurry Up, DC! We are not all immortal you know, we can't really wait forever!

GI Joe: New Movie, New Costumes!

The new GI Joe movie has been long awaited by so many. It is definitely one of the most anticipated movies of 2009. While the only official GI Joe movie trailer out thus far does not have any actual scenes, it still is pretty exciting. Get to know who's who, the actors and the GI Joe characters:


If you were anticipating green army fatigues and non- anatomically correct action figures, you've got another thing coming! The costumes - errr, hmm hmm - uniforms in this film are slick, sexy and sure to be coveted this Halloween!

Win A Date With Wolverine!

Spice up this Valentine's Day by bidding on the chance to win a date with the X-man himself, Hugh Jackman. 

Hugh Jackman is offering a chance for one winner and a friend to join him for a meal on the set of his new movie.  The auction is to benefit the New York Restoration Project in an effort to restore New York City's parks, community gardens and open spaces. 

The auction is open until February 12th and the bids start at $5,000 on CharityBuzz.

Celebrating Hope and Freedom with a FREE Shipping Sale - This Week Only!

Picture from www.captainobama.com.
Home of the Captain Obama Superhero Toy!

We are celebrating and supporting our new president, Barack Obama!

The family here at Extreme Halloween support our country's new president and look forward with optimism. Help us celebrate hope, the future, and the freedom in America with our FREE Ground Shipping sale this week! This is a blog special and for this week only! Use coupon code FREEDOM during your online checkout to receive ground shipping for FREE. Minimum order to use the coupon is only $30.00 and this will expire next Tuesday, January 27, 2008.

The new year has also rung in at Extreme Halloween with new, low, LOW costume prices at AnniesCostumes.com. We are having a blowout after Christmas sale at www.SantaSuits.com.

Not ready for Halloween yet? That's ok, we are here for you for all holidays and seasons in between!

Upcoming costume holidays and events:

Valentine's Day is February 14th and why not dress up in something real sweet for the holiday?

Mardi Gras is Feb 24, 2009! MardiGrasCostumes.com features costumes, beads, masks and novelty items!

Purim is March 10, 2009!Purim is a Jewish holiday celebrated by dressing in costumes.

St. Patrick's Day is another hot holiday for us, promote costumes, beads, hats, and more! St. Patrick's Day is March 17, 2009!

EasterBunnyCostumes.com features over 30 bunny mascots. Easter is April 12, 2009!

Also look out for a Renaissance Fair near you and be prepared to attend in full Renaissance garb!

Now Playing: My Bloody Valentine 3-D

This Valentine's Day, take your sweetie to see My Bloody 

Valentine 3-D! 

While you're in the V-Day mood, browse our selection of 

Valentine's Day costumes. 

February 14th is just around the corner, celebrate in style 

with Annie's Costumes!

What's Going to be Hot for Halloween 2009?

I know, its January, but this is the time of the year that costume retailers like us must make our ordering decision for 2009. Good thing that the manufacturers help us out with our decisions since they are in contact with the licensors who make the movies and tv shows that make so many costumes popular every Halloween.

You can also help us, take the survey at the top right of the blog and let us know what your most anticipated costume is for Halloween 2009. Or please leave your suggestions in our comments area.

Here is a cute video of the opening dance act of the costume fashion show that Rubies Costume Company put on for us. It may be early for Halloween, but its never the wrong time for dancing in sexy costumes, right?


Feeling Groovy?
Check out the newest designs in 60's retro costumes and leisure suits for men! This is a great couples idea, or a group costume idea for Halloween 2009! Start planning now and you will be ahead of the game for stress free Halloween shopping!



Stay tuned for details on what's hot for this Halloween!

Enter the Santa of the Year Photo Contest!

Now is the time everyone goes through all the photos they took during the holidays, so make sure to get your best Santa photos and enter them in the SantaSuits.com Santa of the Year Contest! You can enter multiple photos and prizes will be awarded for the following categories:

Santa of the Year (Grand Prize: $500 Extreme Halloween Network Gift Certificate)

Most Original Santa ($50 Extreme Halloween Network Gift Certificate)

Funniest Santa ($50 Extreme Halloween Network Gift Certificate)

Jr. Santa For ages newborn to 17 years old. ($50 Extreme Halloween Network Gift Certificate issued to Parent or Guardian)

Pet Santa ($50 Extreme Halloween Network Gift Certificate)

See last year's winners!

Hurry, last day for entries is Janurary 10, 2009. Winner will be announced on January 15th!

New Year Savings on the Extreme Halloween Network!

Happy New Year from the Extreme Halloween Family!

We are ringing in the new year with lots of savings!

Our After Halloween sale is still on with costumes up to 70% off!
See www.AnniesCostumes.com for details and links!

Our After Christmas Sale on SantaSuits.com is now up to 50% off.
See www.SantaSuits.com for details and links!

Start out the New Year with The Force on your side!
Discounted prices on all Star Wars costumes at AnniesCostumes.com

Is it Halloween Yet?

There are only 301 days left until next Halloween!

Get the best deals on your costume for next year by ordering now. Annie's Costumes is offering complete child costumes for under $25 and complete adult costumes for under $35. 

Where in the World is Santa?

Track Santa as he makes his way around the world this 

Christmas Eve. Ho Ho Ho!

Merry Christmas, Hapy Hanukkah and Happy Holidays from the Extreme Halloween Family!

From our family to yours, we hope that the holidays bring you happiness, peace and joy!

Santa's March for Record - 14,000

Fernando Veludo, AFP / Getty Images

More than 14,000 people dressed as Santa Claus marched in the annual Santa Claus parade in Porto, Portugal, Dec. 14. The group aimed to break a Guinness World Record with the feat, and to raise money for charity. The crowd was singing and dancing from the afternoon until well after dark. Although the weather was against them (cold and drizziling) 14,200 showed up to march out of 17,400, everyone involved donating 1 euro to needy children. According to the Guinness World Records web site (http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com), the previous world record for the largest gathering of Santas was set last year in Derry City, Northern Ireland, where a total of 12,965 people took part dressed up as Santa or Santa's helpers.

Having your own santa march or pub crawl? Check us out www.santasuits.com buy 10 santa suits get the 11th free!!!

Festive NY Giants Fan Kicked Out of Game

Sondra Fortunato, the New York Giants' most iconic fan, was kicked out of the Giants' December 7th game versus Philadelphia. She was asked to leave because she brought signs and a bag to the game. 

However, her skimpy wardrobe may also have played a role in her ejection from the game.  She showed up in a santa costume, complete with fishnet stockings, a bathing suit bottom and high heeled boots! 

Whether Sondra was asked to leave the game because of her costume choice or what she brought to the game, out-do her this Christmas with your own Sexy Santa Costume from Annie's Costumes.

Dr. Acula Dies at 92

Forrest J. Ackerman, writer-editor who coined the term "Sci-Fi," died Saturday at age 92.

He began his career by editing the first movie monster magazine: Famous Monsters of Filmland, referring to himself as "Dr. Acula." Ackerman also created and wrote the stories of Vampirella and Jeanie of Questar. 

Above all, Ackerman loved collecting horror memorabilia. He collected some 300,000 items in his lifetime, including books, movie stills, posters, props and masks from Sci-Fi, horror and fantasy films.

In 1954, Ackerman coined the term "Sci-Fi" after hearing "hi-fi" mentioned on the radio. 

A documentary of Ackerman's life, made by Forrest's friend, John Sasser, is underway.

New iPhone Application for Comic Book Enthusiasts

ComiXology is now avaliable for download on the iPhone and iPod Touch for $3.99.

ComiXology is a website featuring information about the comic book market, including new releases, social networking, weekly columns and user ratings. 

The ComiXology app extends this information to iPhone and iPod Touch users via a different interface. The app allows you to browse all comics, review descriptions and covers of recent publications, read articles and subscribe to a weekly podcast on your phone or iPod.

Hugh Jackman Wears His Movie Costumes for Sex!

WOW! What a headline! I came across this article this week and not sure if it falls under TMI or HOT!

Evidently, Hugh Jackman's wife likes for him to bring a little piece of his work home with him!

Excerpt from the article:

The 'Australia' actor - who has two adopted children with wife Deborra-Lee Furness - often keeps his outfits from films including 'X-Men', when he played sexy mutant Wolverine

, to impress in the bedroom .

Hugh - who has been named the Sexiest Man Alive by People Magazine - said: "It's easy with my wife. She loves the idea of me coming home in costume because it makes her feel like she's having an affair in a good way.

"When we met, I was cast as a prisoner with tattoos and she'd say, 'Don't take your tattoos off tonight!' and I'd be like, 'All right!' But what works best with her is the stockbroker look."

Looks like Hugh Jackman will have a new Wolverine costume to take home and play with soon. X-Men Origins: Wolverine premiers May 1, 2009 and will be the start of a costume filled summer at the movies, with Star Trek, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince to follow, just to name a few!

Holiday Sale at SantaSuits.com

Save big this holiday season with our 15% OFF sale going on now at SantaSuits.com!

Use coupon code SANTASALE to save 15% off of your order of $50 or more.

Hurry, this sale will end soon!

Delivery in time for Christmas is guaranteed and a Christmas costume or outfit for kids or adults will definitely brighten up everyone's holiday!

SantaSuits.com features Santa Suits for every size and every budget. Currently in stock over 50 different styles and sizes of Santa Costumes in sizes for children all the way up to 3XL adult sizes.

Is Santa Wearing His Suit?

What would Christmas be with without Santa in his Suit? We have stocked up on Santa Claus' clothing and everything you will need for the ideal Santa costume. From coats, pants hats, gloves and more there is an entire website filled with everything to help Santa get dressed this Holiday season.

We also helps those who are attending themed holiday events with selecting the perfect outfits. Everything from naughty to nice costumes, including Mrs. Claus, elves and reindeer.

BUY 10 SANTA SUITS GET THE 11TH FREE!

Have a group Santa event? If you are having an event and need multiple Santa Suits for a great price, we have the deal for you!
Running of the Santas?
Santa Pub Crawl?

We are running a special on our 6 PC Ply- Flannel Santa Suit - Standard Size. It sells for $32.95 and for a limited time, buy 10 Santa Suits and get the 11th Santa Suit Free!

The 6 PC Ply-Flannel Santa Suit includes: Red pullover jacket w/ white fur trim, red pants w/ pockets, boot covers w/ white fur trim on top, black belt w/ 2x4" buckle, red hat w/ white fur trim and gloves.

That is 11 complete Santa Suit costumes for just $329.50!

See http://www.SantaSuits.com/santas.htm for details!

And if this particular Santa Suit does not fit your needs, we have over 50 Santa Suits to choose from! Also see our Santa Suit Description Guide for help in selecting the right Santa Suit for your needs and budget!

Gifts for Children who like to Dress Up

Thinking of the perfect gift for a child with all the imagination in the world? Do you know a kid who is always "playing pretend" and dressing up in characters' clothes?

Annie's Costumes has the perfect gift for children who like to dress up. Tons of our popular Halloween costumes are already at discounted prices and we have an entire page dedicated to little one's dress up gear.

Browse our selection of baby, toddler, child and teen costumes including animals, Disney characters, popular movie characters, superheroes and more.

Twilight: Breaking all Kinds of Vampire Rules

Twilight is the first motion picture installment of Stephanie Meyer's vampire series.

The strange thing is, these vampires don't have fangs. In fact, not a single fang is shown in the entire movie.

Even stranger is the fact that the vampires in the movie have a giant cross in their house.

With all that, it doesn't even seem wrong that these vampires can go outside during the day - Stephanie Meyer has effectively redefined what it means to be a vampire.

Check out the Trailer:

Thanksgiving Weekend Sale Going on Now!

Save 20% off any order from SantaSuits.com. Use coupon code TDAY on orders $50.00 or more. Have a great holiday and happy shopping! Hurry, sale ends December 1st.

Costumes are not just for Halloween. SantaSuits.com features a great selection of Christmas costumes.

Santa Suits for any wallet and any size, up to 3XL

Mrs. Claus, Santa's Helper costumes

Elf costumes and more

Reindeer and Snowman mascot costumes

Christmas Costumes for Kids

Christmas Costumes for Babies and Baby's First Christmas Outfits

Biblical Costumes for passion plays and Manger Scenes

Happy Thanksgiving from Extreme Halloween

The Extreme Halloween family is thankful to our customers for their support, we thank our staff for all their help and we are most thankful for having a family that can work together!

From the Extreme Halloween Family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!

Halloween Costumes in Movies Quiz

See if you can remember who wore Halloween costumes in which movies in this Halloween costume movie quiz from AMC.

The quiz asks about the Halloween costumes worn in Donnie Darko, E.T., The Addams Family and other popular movies. Good luck!

Dress Up Thanksgiving in a Different Way

"Its More fun in Costume" and that goes for Thanksgiving too. Add a little holiday magic to your Thanksgiving feast and dress up in costume! AnniesCostumes.com is featuring great dress up ideas for Thanksgiving:

Pilgrim Costumes

Native American Indian Costumes

Colonial and Early American Costumes

And, of course, the star of the show, the Turkey Costume!

Costumes are available in all different sizes for the whole family! Whether you want the period costumes to re-create the first Thanksgiving or just to be a little festive, Annies Costumes has what you need!

Fast shipping and quick service guaranteed so that you can get your costumes in time for Thanksgiving Day!

Star Trek New Movie Trailer

May 2009, the final frontier will be explored anew!


I expect nothing but greatness from JJ Abrams re-mastering of a masterpiece!

AnniesCostumes.com still has some older version Star Trek costumes, uniforms and masks available both for kids and adults.

We hope to be bringing you new Star Trek Uniform Costumes in time for the May 2009 release of the new JJ Abrams Star Trek Movie!

Every Pumpkin Counts

Halloween is only a few days before Election day.

Support your candidate by carving a Barack-o-Lantern!



Stencils and inspiration are available at Yes We Carve.

New Halloween Hall of Fame Inductee! (drum roll, please)

Academy Award-nominated director is recognized for his contribution through movies that have promoted Halloween and inspired costumes over the years

The Halloween Hall of Fame, an organization dedicated to promoting Halloween by sharing fun facts and other information, recognizes those who have contributed through music, movies, designing Halloween costumes and much more. This year, they have selected Tim Burton to be the next inductee into their Hall of Fame. The Academy Award-nominated director is recognized for his spooky film work including, "Nightmare Before Christmas", “Edward Scissorhands”, “The Corpse Bride" and many others.

Mr. Burton has produced several multi-million dollar movies that have inspired top selling Halloween costumes like “Batman" and "Planet of the Apes". Mr. Burton is joined by the existing hall of famers who have contributed to promoting Halloween and include Vincent Price, Lon Chaney, Jr., Bobby (Boris) Picket, Bella Lugosi, Elvira and Fred Gwynne.

“Tim Burton’s movies have had such an impact on the inspiration of the next greatest Halloween costumes. Due to his amazing vision, each one of his movies sets off a frenzy of ideas and demand for the next Tim Burton movie-inspired Halloween costumes,” said Harold B. Maxwell, Founder of the Halloween Hall of Fame. "The fact is, Halloween is fun, and we are so pleased to include a film director who shares our love of Halloween."

Each year, the Halloween Hall of Fame board recommends nominees and a new member is then selected by the public. Each nominee is added to the Halloween Hall of Fame website where the public votes. Just before Halloween, the votes are tallied and the public is then informed of the winner. Tim Burton won this year by a 20% margin, with John Carpenter coming second.

About The Halloween Hall of Fame

The Halloween Hall of Fame is an organization dedicated to honoring people who have contributed to the popularity and fun of Halloween. In fact, the Halloween Hall of Fame provides the history behind Halloween, Halloween trivia, customs, traditions, safety tips and current trends. The Halloween Hall of Fame board of directors is made up of Halloween industry professionals and those who support the holiday of Halloween.

Top Halloween Costumes for Infants

Annie’s Costumes offers a variety of baby Halloween costumes for parents looking to make their baby’s first Halloween memorable.

Annie’s Costumes, the Internet’s largest retailer of Halloween costumes for infants, announced their top Halloween costumes for your baby. The list has been created from sales of the 2007 season and demand for the 2008 year. A baby’s first Halloween becomes a very big event as everyone shows off the little pea in the pod or strawberry.

“The selection of Halloween costumes for infants is probably the toughest to judge and is why we leave it up to the consumer to help make this decision. Each one of them is adorable which makes it too tough to judge,” said Shari McConahay, Marketing Director for Extreme Halloween. “The best advice I can offer to people is to shop early. Many of these top costumes sell out fast and then people always struggle to put something together.”

The company has been ranking the top Halloween costumes for infants for over 10 years. They have an entire list of top Halloween costumes for your baby, kids and yourself in adult sizes. As always the most popular costumes depend on blockbuster movies and TV shows that are popular for the year. These costumes will make your baby’s first Halloween a memorable event as they are all dressed up indifferent Halloween costumes.

About Annie’s Costumes

Online Halloween costume shop (www.AnniesCostumes.com) has been providing Halloween costumes for infants, costume accessories, and related products for shoppers since 1996. Annie's Costumes provides classic Halloween costumes for babies, adults, teens and kids including all the costume accessories for, gothic fashions, theater makeup, costume wigs, magician supplies and more. To see the adorable costumes for your baby’s first Halloween visit.

Sexy Princess Leia Costumes in High Demand This Year

According to a recent press release, one of the year's best selling Halloween costumes, following the sexy costume theme, is the Princess Leia Slave girl costume. Annie's Costumes is increasing stock of this sexy costume idea to keep up with the high demand. According to the release, the Princess Leia costume is joining the likes of Elvira, Batgirl, and the Wicked Witch as some of the most popular women's Halloween costumes in history.

To read more, see
http://www.anniescostumes.com/sexy_halloween_costumes.htm

Halloween Latex Masks may Determine our Next President

VS

Since 1980, Annie’s Costumes Best Selling Presidential Candidate Mask has Foreshadowed the Election


With the Presidential Election around the corner, consumers are buying up latex Halloween masks in the likeness of their favorite candidate. This is no new trend. Every election year, presidential Halloween masks are top-sellers in the costume industry. Not only are these latex masks a popular Halloween item, they have been very consistent in determining the winner of the Presidential Election.

Since 1980, the best selling Presidential Candidate Halloween mask at Annie’s Costumes has been the candidate that wins the election. This means that we actually may know who our next President is by Halloween. Latex masks, the Barack Obama mask and John McCain mask, are in high demand this time of year and retailers are doing everything they can to keep them in stock.

Not many political analysts have been able to successfully predict every election from 1980 to today, but Annie’s Costumes did. We will soon see if Annie’s costumes will maintain their track record of predicting the President based on sales of latex Halloween masks.

As of today, the Presidential race is close, according to Halloween mask sales. Barack Obama and John McCain masks have been selling quite evenly, with Obama having a slight lead. There are only a few days left until Halloween, so if you feel strongly for one candidate, buy their mask and you may be contributing to their success at the election.

Jack-O-Lantern Stencils

One of my favorite Halloween traditions is carving a pumpkin.

A perfectly carved Jack-O-Lantern is the second item on my Halloween list, right after the perfect costume.

Some of my favorite stencils can be found at Zombie Pumpkins. They feature stencil galleries including Tim Burton characters, movie villains (including The Joker), superheroes and other popular Halloween characters.

Get carving!

Clever Halloween Costumes That Help Battle Breast Cancer

Annie's Costumes has announced it has teamed up with the Frozen Pea Fund allowing shoppers to purchase an online halloween costume and help the battle against breast cancer. Online Halloween costumes sales from the “Think Pink” selection include clever costumes like infant pea in a pod, witch costumes, sleeping beauty, pink bunny infant costume, and many more for children, adults, men and women.

World of Warcraft Blizzcon Costumes, Masks & Makeup Kits

Looking to dress up like your favorite World of Warcraft character for Blizzcon? AnniesCostumes.com has got what you need to make a more than respectable appearance in this year's Blizzcon costume contest! So stop by AnniesCostumes.com/World_of_Warcraft_Costumes.htm and know that it won't take load of gold to get what you need for Blizzcon and Halloween too!

Annies Costumes is proud to carry official and licensed World of Warcraft costume masks and makeup kits:

Tauren Mask, Orc Mask, Forsaken Undead makeup kit, Night Elf makeup kit with ears and Blood Elf makeup kit with ears.

While shopping online, you can also pick up assorted robes, prop weapons, Medieval and Renaissance period garb, makeup and wigs. Annie's has costumes and accessories to match your imagination and character creation!

Blizzcon is just around the corner October 10 - 11th, 2008 in Anaheim, CA and we have rush shipping options and guarantee fast shipping to assure that you get your costume in time.

Nightmare Revisited

Danny Elfman has given the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack a revamping.

The Nightmare Revisted CD features the original songs covered by popular artists.






Track Listings:
1. Overture - DeVotchKa
2. Opening - Danny Elfman
3. This Is Halloween - Marilyn Manson
4. Jack’s Lament - The All-American Rejects
5. Doctor Finkelstein/In the Forest - Amiina
6. What’s This? - Flyleaf
7. Town Meeting Song - The Polyphonic Spree
8. Jack and Sally Montage - The Vitamin String Quartet
9. Jack’s Obsession - Sparklehorse
10. Kidnap the Sandy Claws - KoRn
11. Making Christmas - Rise Against
12. Nabbed - Yoshida Brothers
13. Oogie Boogie’s Song - Rodrigo y Gabriela
14. Sally’s Song - Amy Lee
15. Christmas Eve Montage - Rjd2
16. Poor Jack - Plain White T’s
17. To the Rescue - Datarock
18. Finale/Reprise - Shiny Toy Guns
19. Closing - Danny Elfman
20. End Title - The Album Leaf

Happy October Halloween Trivia!

Halloween Trivia: Did you know?

* Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy in America.

* The first jack-o'-lanterns were made out of turnips.

* Samhainophobia is a fear of Halloween. (Samhain is what the holiday was originally called.)

* In Ohio, Iowa, and Massachusetts, Halloween is often referred to as Beggar's Night.

* The largest Halloween celebration -- the Village Halloween Parade -- is held in Greenwich Village.

* Former First Lady Dolley Madison is said to haunt the White House Rose Garden.

* The most popular costume of 2005 was Spiderman.

* The first official city-wide Halloween celebration was held in Anoka, Minnesota in 1921.

* Americans eat about 26 pounds of candy every year ... each. That explains why my jeans don't fit.

* According to the U.S. Census, there are 108 million housing units in the U.S. That's a lot of trick-or-treating!

* The biggest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds.

* Americans spend $6.9 billion on Halloween each year.

Jonesing for more Halloween stuff? Check out Annies Costumes Halloween Movie Trivia Game!

Think Pink Costumes for the Cure in Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Clever Halloween Costumes for an Extreme Cure Benefiting the Frozen Pea Fund

Annie's Costumes Allows Shoppers to Purchase an Online Halloween Costume and Help the Battle Against Breast Cancer

October 01, 2008 – Annie’s Costumes, the Internet’s largest retailer of Halloween costumes, announced a clever new fundraising initiative to help fight in the battle against breast cancer. For the entire month of October, customers who purchase selected Halloween costumes online, including pink bunny infant costumes, pink power ranger costumes and even pink pet costumes, will have a portion of the purchase donated to the Frozen Pea Fund.

In connection with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a portion of the sales of selected Halloween costumes purchased online will be donated to the Frozen Pea Fund, a charity started by Susan Reynolds, best known for popularizing using a bag of frozen peas in her bra for pain relief. This clever idea uses pink Halloween costumes to promote awareness for Breast Cancer.

“Hearing about this amazing charity touched our company and family in so many ways. We are so happy to be teamed up with a great group of people and to help fight this deadly disease,” said Shari McConahay of Annie’s Costumes. “Thanks to our many generous customers, we have been able to help charities raise money and make an impact in the fight against breast cancer.”

Online Halloween costumes sales from the “Think Pink” selection include clever costumes like infant pea in a pod, witch costumes, sleeping beauty, pink bunny infant costume, and many more for children, adults, men and women. For the entire collection eligible for the donation, visit http://www.anniescostumes.com/thinkpinkcostumes.htm.

Annie’s Costumes Introduces World of Warcraft Costumes Featuring Night Elf Makeup and Character Masks

World of Warcraft (WoW) Costumes allow gaming enthusiasts to dress up like their favorite WoW characters for Halloween or Blizzcon.

Dania Beach, FL (PRWEB) September 26, 2008 – Annie’s Costumes, the costume industry’s largest online retailer for Halloween costumes, announced that they’re now carrying World of Warcraft (WoW) costumes. The WoW makeup kits and character masks represent favorite character classes, such as Tauren, Orc, Forsaken, Night Elf, and Blood Elf. Over the next several weeks, World of Warcraft fans and players will be able to access the official World of Warcraft masks and makeup kits on AnniesCostumes.com through a special link on the World of Warcraft game login screen and www.WorldofWarcraft.com.

World of Warcraft is a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that’s played by millions of gamers around the world. Players band together on a daily basis to adventure through the WoW game world, forming friendships, slaying monsters and engaging in epic quests. Now these gaming enthusiasts can dress up in World of Warcraft costumes for Halloween or Blizzcon, a popular gaming conference that celebrates the World of Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo franchises.

“We love World of Warcraft so much, that we pushed and pushed to make sure that fans had access to these awesome products so that they could gear up for Halloween,” states Shari McConahay, Marketing Director for Extreme Halloween. When asked which WoW costumes that she thought would be the most popular Mrs. McConahay replied, “Definitely the Blood Elf and Night Elf makeup kits. They’re popular characters on WoW and with the makeup kits it’s easy to create a unique World of Warcraft Blood Elf or Night Elf Costume.”

Annie’s Costumes also offers a variety of fantasy Halloween costumes and robes that go great with the World of Warcraft masks and makeup kits. After getting dressed up in their World of Warcraft costumes, enthusiasts can pick up their Halloween prop weapon of choice to make their WoW costumes complete.