Halloween Decorating and retro M&M's 2025

Happy October!

The inside of the house just got spookified!

I'll be working on the outside decorations this weekend.

Nothing new on the hutch buffet this year.

Sam and I noticed M&M's went 

retro Halloween this year!!

This year's mix is a simple blend of classic black and orange,

not quite as colorful as their previous "Cool Ghoul's" mix with its

lime green and purple added to the orange and black— but 

I'm still grateful that M&M's chose

to offer a special Halloween blend at all. 

It still brings a festive pop of spooky fun in the

ol' Jack-o'-Lantern candy bowl!

I tried something new with the 

Annalee Candy Corn Elf this year,

I "velcroed" the Hallmark Halloween 

treats tray ornament to his hand.

I must say, it looks like it was 

made to do that!  A perfect fit!

Back in early August I practically flew into my local 

Cracker Barrel to hunt for their elusive Dracula 

with Coffin Salt and Pepper Shaker for $7.99. 

I'd first seen him last year on Cris the Girl's You Tube channel, during one of her Halloween hunts.  

I was determined to track one down myself.

But alas, luck wasn't on my side last year, my 

Cracker Barrel turned up fang-free.

This year I had better luck, 

I nabbed one the first minute I was in the door,

IN AUGUST!?!

along with a couple of grave stone

shakers for 99¢ each!

They rattled their way right into my collection.

I enhanced the skull with bigger eye sockets and a better

shaped nose hole using a Sharpie.

In mid September Sam and I found this 

delightful little ghost candy bowl

at HomeGoods for $14.99.

It was hand forged in India!

I love tapping the bowl, it makes a beautiful 

ringing noise.

I filled it with monster foil 

wrapped Hershey Kisses.

It compliments the silver ghost nicely!

I've been on a hunt this year at Dollar Tree.

They offered a great tin standee

of a retro-ish skeleton

holding a frightened Jack-o'-Lantern.

the only problem, they sold out 

extremely fast, Here's hoping

 they'll be back next year.

Over all, it is shaping up 

to be a pretty good 

Halloween season.

Thanks for stopping by

and Happy Haunting!

 

A Bunny, a Cabbage and a bit of Disney Magic at Easter

Spring is in the air and Easter is just around the corner.

I've unpacked all my Easter collectables and

arranged them across the house–each piece adding a

cheerful note to the season.

The Metlox lamb cookie jar, full

of Easter charm is front and center again.

I've written about him before in my post on the Metlox Poppytrail 

animation origins HERE

This year I'm especially excited to welcome another 

Metlox family member to the Easter Hutch Buffet.

No, not the Metlox Strawberry Basket I featured recently.

This new arrival is tucked into a cozy corner among 

the vegetables, eggs, flowers and chicks:

a leafy green cabbage cookie jar topped with a playful bunny–

dressed in a dark red jacket that makes him look like he 

hopped right out of a vintage storybook.

Any resemblance between this bunny and

Disney's Thumper is purely coincidental–officially, at least.

Still, it's a fun coincidence considering one of Metlox's art directors

once worked for Walt Disney Productions.

The best part? This adorable piece was a

 birthday gift from Samantha.

She found it on "Mercari" – paired 

with a set of Metlox cabbage salt and pepper shakers–

for $87.29 (originally listed at $125.00).

These pieces date back to the 1960's to early 70's

Finding one in perfect condition, especially without 

a chipped bunny ear is no easy feat.

But this little guy is flawless.

So why did Sam choose this gift?  

Not only had I admired it as a classic Metlox piece,

 but I also spotted it recently in an unexpected place–Walt Disney World's new Tiana's Bayou Adventure ride.

I saw it on Disneyfoodblog.com's post covering the new ride.

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In the queue, guests pass through Tiana's office, then 

into her once bustling kitchen,

beautifully staged for her big party. 

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Among the vintage décor and freshly made beignets

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is a pantry filled with antique kitchenware.

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and there, in the back, sits a familiar sight:

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a cabbage cookie jar with a red jacketed bunny on top.

Some say it's subtle nod to Br'er Rabbit, a character from the old

Splash Mountain log ride that Tiana's Bayou Adventure replaced.

Whether it's an homage or just a charming coincidence, it was 

enough to make me fall in love with the piece all over again.

Now that it's part of the Ozark collection, it

brings not just a touch of spring and Easter spirit–

but also a bit of Disney magic–to my home.

Thanks for hopping by

I hope you have

Happy Easter!

Big Albert is in the House

I'm excited to share a special 

new addition to the Ozark Collection:

 The Big Al Tiki Mug!

Originally released at Walt Disney World in July 2022,

this mug was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original 

Country Bear Jamboree –

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a classic, and long-running animatronic show

that has been delighting park guest for generations.

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The mug was beautifully designed by the creative duo, 

Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily, 

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capturing all the charm of Big Al,

one of the show's most beloved characters,

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Big Al was originally imagined by Disney legend

and Imagineer Marc Davis in the late 1960's,

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Here's Davis's original concept sketch of Big Al,

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and here's something fun: Davis modeled the 

character after his friend and fellow animator, Al Bertino.  

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Here's a couple of great photos of Al acting out a scene with Marc 

as they "imagineered" these characters to life for the show

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Big Al became known for his somber but humorous, off-key rendition of 

"Blood on the Saddle", originally voiced by Tex Ritter.

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Today, in the latest version of the show, 

Country Bear Musical Jamboree

 Big Al – now voiced by Mac McAnally –

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tugs at heartstrings with an emotional 

and humorous rendition of Remember Me 

from the movie Coco. 

He gets so caught up in the song that he begins to 

cry unable to finish before the curtain closes.

It's a perfect example of Disney magic: a character who 

can make you laugh and feel something all at once

For me, Big Al holds a special place in my heart–

He became my favorite character after 

my mother purchased a Big Al storybook for me

while on our trip to Walt Disney World in '73!

source • Hear the story here

I've been following Kevin and Jody's work for a long time,

Not long ago they had a question on their Instagram page,

They posted a pic of an in-progress sculpt and asked followers 

to guess what it had turned out to be in 2022.

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Lots of guesses rolled in, and a few folks got it right.

When they revealed the finished sculpt the next day,

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I was intrigued.

I loved how it looked like carved wood.

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the hat was designed as a removable lid.

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I thought, What a wonderful mug!

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At the time, in 2022 it was selling for $49.99, but I 

completely missed out on getting one new. 

That Instagram post ignited my interest, though, and 

after a quick search online, I found a few for sale.

I ended up buying one from a seller on 

Wal-Mart.com for $44.50 and Free Shipping!

Get one here while they're still available!

If you're a lucky hunter, I've found proof on the web, they've shown up 

in the Disney Character Warehouse for as low as $19.99,

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 but, due to distance, I won't be going there anytime soon.

Never the less, It feels great to finally 

have this mug in the collection. 

It's more than just a collectable – it's a reminder 

of Disney creativity, nostalgia from my childhood, and 

reminds me of how these stories and characters continue 

to evolve while still touching our hearts.

Thanks for stopping by

and happy hunting!