I'm digging up this thread because I wanted to document my experience with this 2014 gift swap and share some photos. Sorry it's taken me so long! You know... got busy with Halloween, distracted by Christmas, and it became one of those back burner things that "I'll get around to." Oops.
Lala already told you that we were paired for this swap, and she shared pics of her package of tricks and treats. A few comments to her comments...
Lala wrote:How do you know Ryan? As a baby photographer, I LOVE hand sanitizer. I have it everywhere, and I can't wait to show off my Halloween kind!
I had wanted a fan for my halloween costume but hadn't bought one yet. I was feeling it through the tissue paper and screaming "IT'S A FAN! IT'S A FAN"
That's too funny that you love hand sanitizer and needed a hand fan for your Halloween costume. I didn't realize I was so on target with those items. Pure chance or fate?
Well I'm glad you enjoyed everything. Thanks for sharing such great photos of everything.
You're right, this swap was like a birthday, Halloween and Christmas all mixed up. It's fun to get a mix of random cool items as part of a theme. And we all seem to love Halloween around here.
Now here are the photos of what I received. Right off the bat, I see a potential theme here. Zombie hands reach out from the address label, and the box was covered in BEWARE tape.
Let's find out what's in the box. "What's in the boooox!?"
Well, first I saw some spiders and bugs crawling about. Some "Zombie Outbreak" caution tape (which I later stuck on my front door) and even a severed hand to greet me. How polite.
One of the goodies was this Nightmare Before Christmas pad. The top part props up to hold the pen (covered in bats!). Funny thing... I have a very similar pad that was released the previous year. My other one is a slightly different design. And it was just running out of paper. Perfect time to have this matching replacement arrive. It sits beside me at my desk.
The zombie theme continues with this wind up toy. He's made of a soft jiggly rubber so his arms wobble as he walks. Love the vibrant colors.
Next we have this awesome gift box - it's a haunted house covered with cute monsters. The lid is the roof. So appropriate for the "House of the Zombie Pumpkins!" year.
So.... let's take a peek inside this little house...
A mouse was at the top of the box. He's got a light sensor, which triggered a squeaking sound when I took off the lid. Nice trick.
The house was also filled with candy. Blow Pops, Fun Dip, Pixy Stix, Skittles, Pop Rocks, Kit Kat, Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkins.
No joke, these are pretty much my favorite candies (as an adult and as a kid). Takes me back to my days of trick-or-treating. If this is the kind of candy I collected while door-to-door, I would consider the night a success.
Wait... there actually was a head in the big box. It was like looking into a mirror.
This zombie head is so cool. It's just lightweight foam, but has such detail in the sculpt and paint. He looks awesome.
And if you couldn't tell, his exposed brain lights up, pulsing different colors! Whoa.
Another decorative face in the package was this pumpkin. It might be my favorite thing I received. With his zipper mouth and cogs for eyes, this steam-punk-in is so unique and he'll be on display year round.
Finally, here's a group shot of everything together. A nice greeting card, and plenty of plastic bugs and skeletons that will come handy in my decorating.
Thanks again Lala, you did great with the theme of "zombie" and "pumpkins" and even "house." Perfect.
It was fun to see everyone else's photos too. So many cool things. I'm perhaps most envious of the foam mascot sculpture mesmark gave to paddy_babe, those Vintage Beistle cutouts Pagemaster1993 gave to vibhandaka, the manly soap chuckwagon got from Hottie McNaughty, the Corpse Bride figure zombombie received from Killer Klown, and that Monster High Skelita Calaveras Amandap80 gave to Raven.