Well we made it through another year of this holiday of madness they call Halloween!  Costumes, candy, decorations, pumpkins and parties; what a wild ride! 

My husband had a great time walking the kids around the neighborhood trick-or-treating while I had so much fun giving out candy at our house and getting to see some crazy and inventive costumes!  I hope all of you had a great Halloween this year.  However, this is not goodbye because Halloween isn’t the only time of year when costumes are needed.  How can we have Thanksgiving without Pilgrims, Christmas without Santa, New Years Eve without party supplies, etc…  You get the idea!  HalloweenExpress.com will be here for all your costumes and decorating needs ALL YEAR LONG!!! 

Check out some of these awesome costumes! 

At this age, I’m guessing she’s more dedicated to her bouncy swing than she is God’s work. 

Upon opening their picnic basket the couple was surprised to find the wine bottle empty.

With Raphael as best man and Master Splinter giving away the bride, Leonardo and April were happily married.  Nine months later…Toddler Mutant Ninja Turtle was born.

Now that’s Italian!

I’m not crazy about insects, but I do have a couple favorites; ladybugs and butterflies.  Did you know that if you find a ladybug in your house in the winter you will have good luck?  Children also love ladybugs.   I think it’s because they’re so colorful and easy to catch. 

Butterflies have the same affect on little girls.  They almost seem mesmerized when watching a butterfly in flight.  It’s true though, have you ever watched a butterfly as it lands on a flower?  Before you even realize it you’re staring at it amazed at how pretty and graceful it is.  

That’s why when it comes time to pick out what they want to be for Halloween, a lot of little girls want to be ladybugs or butterflies.  At HalloweenExpress.com you’ll find the cutest ladybug and butterfly costumes to choose from.   The colors, the wings and the overall beauty that goes along with these two “bugs” have little girls everywhere wanting to be one for Halloween.  The ladybug costumes look absolutely adorable on little girls!  For some really adorable toddler sized ladybugs, check out the Tom Arma Costumes!

 This Halloween let your daughter show how pretty and graceful a bug can really be!

Wow, how many times have you heard that line before?  Every time you hear any type of heavy breathing it’s always followed by that infamous line by Darth Vader in Star Wars.  I love it – it always makes me laugh!  However, did you know that it’s actually a “misquote”?  The line, from The Empire Strikes Back, was never actually said and is the most misquoted line in movie history!  The real movie quote was, “No I am your father,”  but I think the misquoted quote is so much better!  

No matter what the line,  no one is going to soon forget such great characters as; Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, etc.. from the more than six Star Wars films that have been released since 1977.  The most recent being Star Wars: The Clone Wars; an animated film that follows the Star War saga, was released in 2008. 

Since 1977 Star Wars costumes have always been a classic during the Halloween holiday.  You can never go wrong with a Darth Vader costume or Storm Trooper costume.   Want to have fun?  Go to your next Halloween party with a group of friends all decked out as  Star Wars characters. 

No matter your age, Star Wars costumes are the way to go this Halloween!  Don’t believe me?  Check out the ABC show, The View for great Halloween costume ideas.  This morning they had a catwalk of  awesome Halloween costumes on their show from HalloweenExpress.com; costumes ranging from Vader to Vampires! 

So stay away from the dark side and go to HalloweenExpress.com for all you Halloween costumes needs! 

 They have the largest selection in all the galaxy!

“To Infinity and Beyond”, gosh I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that over the years!  My son, Caden was obsessed with Toy Story and when he saw that they are bringing back Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in 3D, well he was beside himself.  He had a Buzz Lightyear costume for Halloween a few years ago and wore it everyday for a year until it practically fell off him. 

To be honest I’m kind of looking forward to it too.  My husband and I loved the Toy Story films!  I know a lot of parents that saw the movie with their children and liked it as much as they did.  Just seeing all the different toys that we used to play with as a kids was cool enough for me.  I laughed throughout the whole movie! 

The 3D movie will only run in theaters for 2 weeks at two different times.  The first is October 2, 2009 and the second is February 12, 2010.  Both of these are in preparation for the release of TOY STORY 3 in Digital 3D on June 18, 2010.  Wow, we definitely can’t wait for that one to come out! 

Disney Pixar did such an amazing job with Toy Story!!  Even though it’s a computer animated movie, the characters are brought to life with their own funny and quirky personalities.   Of course the two main characters are Woody, the cowboy and Buzz Lightyear, the space ranger.  Here are a few other great characters that you couldn’t help but fall in love with.

• Mr. Potato Head
• Jessie (cowgirl)
• Hamm (the piggy bank)
• Bo Peep
• Rex (T-Rex)
• Slinky Dog

I even loved the army men in the beginning of the movie as they completed their covert mission of parachuting downstairs to find out what toy Andy got for his birthday.  The whole movie was a blast! 

This year Toy Story costumes are going to be all the rage with children and adults alike with the 3D movies coming out.  Oh did I forget to mention that since adults love the movie so much they also love the costumes as well.  What a great idea for a couple costume – Buzz Lightyear and Woody OR Woody and Jessie.  They’re perfect and sure to win you first place in any Halloween costume contest!

Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my… 

As parents we’ve all had our share of seeing our children running around on all fours roaring like a lion pretending to be king of the jungle.  Children, especially boys,  love to pretend to be the big bad animals they see on television or in the movies.  Girls are usually a little more low key leaning toward the lady bugs, butterflies and the cute kitty cats.

Disney movies are a great inspiration to children when it comes to animals.  The Lion King, Bambi, Dumbo, Jungle Book and 101 Dalmations are just a handful of great Disney movies that portray animals in a way that make children fall in love with them.

A trip to the zoo lets your child’s imagination run wild with thoughts of elephants, tigers, pandas  and giraffes.   If your child loves animals, then wouldn’t an animal costume be the perfect Halloween costume for them?   When my son was young I dressed him in the cutest elephant costume I had ever seen.  It was adorable and everyone that saw him thought he was the cutest thing ever!

So this Halloween let your child pick from hundreds of the cutest Halloween animal costumes you’ve ever seen at HalloweenExpress.com.  They have every size available from infant and toddler to child sizes so there’s something for everyone!

Every year at Halloween kids and adults alike are trying to find out what the hottest trends are in costumes!  What is the number one costume for sexy costumes, funny costumes, couples costumes, kids, teens, adults, toddlers…even your pet has his own Top Costumes for 2009 list!

• What are the cool and popular costumes?
• What will everyone be wearing?
• What is the number one costume in every category?

Well, look no further!  HalloweenExpress.com has the answers to all these questions and more!  With a simple touch of a button you’ll have everything you need to make the right decision on that perfect Halloween costume right at your fingertips.

Here is a list of the categories you’ll find:

1. Top 10 Kids Costumes
2. Top 10 Teen Costumes
3. Top 10 Toddler Costumes
4. Top 10 Baby Costumes
5. Top 10 Sexy Costumes
6. Top 10 Funny Costumes
7. Top 10 Couples Costumes
8. Top 10 Plus Size Costumes
9. Top 10 Pet Costumes
10. Top 10 Halloween Masks

So this year surprise your friends with your outstanding “knowledge” on what’s hip and cool this year when it comes to Halloween cotumes!  They’ll be coming to you with all their “what should I be for Halloween” questions and you’ll know just what to tell them.  Don’t worry, it will be our little secret!

In the coming weeks I’ll do blogs on each indivdual category so that you’ll see just how much fun the Top 10 Lists are!

It’s that time of year again!  Last year we had so much fun with the Tom Arma Baby Photo Contest that we’re doing it again this year!

In November 2007, Halloween Express and Tom Arma joined together making  Tom Arma Costumes available exclusively from Halloween Express retail and online stores.  This is great for Halloween Express but even better for every parent out there that is looking for the most adorable children’s costume to put your precious little one in this Halloween.

Tom Arma is known as “The Armani of the Kiddie Costume World”, so you know his costumes have to be amazing.  The time and devotion put into each costume of heirloom quality design will make you see just how beautiful these costumes are.

Don’t forget to check out the 2009 Tom Arma Toddler and Baby Photo Contest as soon as possible.  Be sure to get your baby’s picture taken in an “animal themed costume” and submit it to Halloween Express for a chance to win.  Good luck!

From lions and lady bug costumes to frogs and flamingos, Tom Arma Costumes are one of a kind!

How many times have you heard the lyrics, “Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?”  Wow does that bring back memories of sitting in front of the television and actually enjoying learning something, even something as simple as counting.  Who can forget Count Von Count and his “number of the day” segment where we would count along with him and his pipe organ.

Did you know that Sesame Street premiered on November 10, 1969, and is the longest running children’s show on American television.  Plus, it is one of the most watched educational shows for children in the world!  I loved watching Sesame Street as a child and my children didn’t miss an episode when they were younger.

Who can forget such great characters such as; Big Bird, Bert and Ernie, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster and Elmo!  All of these muppets are just as popular today with children as they were decades ago.

Children love Sesame Street and children love Halloween!  Why not combine the two and have your child dress as one of their favorite characters in Sesame Street costumes.  HalloweenExpress.com has everything from children’s costumes to teen costumes when it comes to Sesame Street.

Well, it’s finally here – Memorial Day week-end, the un-official start of summer.  The official first day of summer is June 21st and is called the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year.  I would definitely much rather have the longest day of the year during the summer months than the winter.  Those months seem long enough as it is!

Memorial Day weekend brings with it picnics, parades, festivals and something the kids all love – a day off school!  Sales are bigger than ever this weekend with everything from cars to clothing being reduced in price.  Great time to get out there and get those bathing suits and flip flops.

The weather is finally becoming hot here in Kentucky.  We’ve had enough rain the past month to float a battleship, but finally a few days of sun, sun and more sun.  It’s going to be a beautiful Memorial Day weekend.

Don’t forget with summer comes school closings and the kids will be looking to you for ways to keep them busy during the day.  Kids costumes are a great way to bring out their creative sides and put those imaginations to work.  Disney costumes are really popular and so are superhero costumes!  Create a fun and learning environment for your kids this summer simply by letting them open up their imaginations!

May is one of the most popular months for weddings.  Brides-to-be are running around making sure all the last minute preparations are in place hoping for a smooth wedding day with no problems.  The grooms are just hanging out not really worried about anything at this point.  That’s why thankfully the brides take care of all the planning; arranging the invitations, finding a dress, picking out tuxes, ordering flowers, deciding on bridesmaids, the cake, music, food and last but not least the honeymoon destination. 

Most women would rather do it all themselves then have to brow-beat the groom into making decisions.  Of course, it’s a known fact that if a man planned the wedding and reception it would most likely be beer and a barbeque!  Although after some of the weddings I’ve been to, that wouldn’t be a bad idea.  Sometimes less is more!

Women dream of their wedding day from the time they’re little girls.  I think that’s why it’s so much more important for the woman than the man because she wants everything to go perfectly, just like she’d dreamed.  The flowing white gown, beautiful flowers, lovely music and the man of her dreams waiting at the alter. 

Little girls love to play dressup and pretend they’re the beautiful bride walking down the isle and looking gorgeous.  Bridal costumes are a huge hit for little girls not only at Halloween, but all year as well.  Pretend weddings are held in the basements and bedrooms of every little girl all over the world. 

HalloweenExpress.com has everything you need to give your little girl the best dressup bride costume she has ever had.  She can play pretend in it over the summer and then wear it to go trick-or-treating on Halloween.  Fairytale bride, blushing bride, elegant bride and  the blissful bride costume are just a few of the adorable kids costumes you’ll find at Halloween Express.