Need some Christmas Cheer? Having trouble getting into that Holiday spirit? Try the Party @ Display & Costume Christmas showroom to lift your spirits. I know mine were lifted when I walked though with my video camera and took the following quirky ‘walk around video’. I have to say as with most instances, the video does not do justice to the real thing! So come on in if you need a good dose of Holiday spirit.

Party @ Display & Costume revamps this showroom every year so it never looks the same year to year. Come back next year and you likely won’t recognize it from the video (although it will still be awesomely festive and colorful).

Party @ Display & Costume has two locations with Christmas showrooms. The Seattle Store (11201 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle 98125) is in the video. Our Everett location (5209 Evergreen Way, Everett 98203) also has a wonderful Christmas showroom.

Party @ Display & Costume December 2011 hours are 9am to 8pm Monday through Friday, 9:30am to 6pm on Saturday, and 10am to 6pm on Sunday. They are open Christmas Eve, but closed Christmas Day.

The question of whether artificial Christmas trees are better for the environment (or not) has not really been settled. On one hand, they last year after year but on the other hand, a certain “carbon footprint” is required to manufacture them and dispose of them. So ignoring the “better for the environment” issue, what are some other advantages that artificial trees have over live trees?

Safer than Live Christmas Trees – Probably the biggest advantage is their safety. Today’s artificial trees are made of fire retardant materials and are actually fairly difficult to burn (even if one were to try). Live Christmas trees on the other hand, will burn very easily. This is especially true as the year draws to an end and the tree has dried out in a home environment. Every year end we read stories about terrible house fires that started with or were somehow made worse by a live Christmas tree.

They Last Year after Year – Another advantage to an artificial tree is its life span. If you purchase a high quality Christmas tree, you can expect to have it for a decade or longer if you take good care of it. That is really quite a run for the money when you think about the hassle and expense of buying live trees year after year. Even lower quality trees will last for many years. However, if you are going to make the investment in a tree, make sure it’s a good high quality artificial tree. The word ‘investment’ as used there, implies that you will want it to last for many years if not decades.

No Messy Cleanup and Disposal After Christmas – Who likes vacuuming pine needles up? Live trees drop pine needles all over the floor they sit on. This problem gets worse as Christmas draws closer. And when you go to take them down, you generally have a big pine needle mess to clean up. Needles don’t fall out of an artificial Christmas tree and take down is a snap. And of course with a live tree, you need to worry about disposing of it properly each year.

Easy to Store and Move – Artificial Christmas trees are easy to setup and take down. Furthermore, they are easy to store in the attic or a closet until they are needed again. When you buy your artificial tree, make sure you save the box! This will provide a box for storage and will also make it easier in the event you have to move.

Artificial Christmas trees are not for everyone. Some people still like the look, feel, and smell of a live Christmas. Oh did I mention you can buy pine scent for your artificial tree? But if you want a tree that will last year after year and is easy to handle and set up, consider a good artificial Christmas tree.

Spring is here so must be Easter!
Soft, fluffy bunnies, pastel baskets filled with delights, scavenger hunts and brunch. Easter is both a spiritual and familial time for many and a welcome to spring weather. Bunny suits, baskets, sweets, cards and tableware ready just for you.

March 20th, 2011 is Purim

The holiday that observes the deliverance of the Jews from the Persian Empire is a time of celebration and merry making. It is also a time for gift giving, helping the less fortunate and the playful re-enactment of what might have been an otherwise unhappy event. Joyful celebrations also include mask wearing and costume masquerades.
Check out our great selection of wearables like masks, beards and hats along with noisemakers in many shapes and sizes!

April Fool’s Day: A time for jokes and gags.

Horribly realistic looking Vomit? Puppy poop or Kitty crap? Squirt Ring or Squirt Flower? Hand Buzzer? Severed body parts? Bug in “ice?” Questionably flavored “candy?” Whoopie Cushion? Remote Controlled Fart Machine? You get the idea! From Classic to Kooky, our Jokes and Gag section will have your and your friends in stitches!

Sakuracon, April 22-24th, 2011.

We are happy to announce our partnership with Sakuracon and will be assisting them with their Cosplay coverage via Q13 the Friday morning of the convention! Check out our full page ad in this year’s Sakuracon Program Book featuring Cushzillas!
Seattle’s largest Asian Pop Culture Convention begins Easter weekend at the Washington State Convention Center. Who could miss the sudden wash of colors from so many costumed attendees? Also known as “Cosplay” Costume + Play, it is one of the most noticeable activities at this long going convention. Want to join in as your favorite Japanese Anime (cartoon) or Manga (comic book) character? We’ve got wigs, fabric, wire, paint, accessories, make up and other craft materials to get your costume off the ground. www.sakuracon.org

On a more serious note:

ANCEA/Sakuracon has partnered with more than 30 other local groups including the Japanese Cultural Center to form the Seattle-Japanese Relief.org in order to assist with the tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan. If you wish to help please visit their site: http://seattlejapanrelief.org/

In Store Event!

You’re invited! We will be hosting our Second Annual Employee Art & Talent Exhibition at our Seattle store! On Saturday, April 9th from 7pm-930pm visit our Seattle store and check out the hobbies and talents of our amazing staff. Photographers, painters, crafters, make up artists and more! Some of our employees will even have their wares available for purchase. We hope you’ll celebrate with us! Light refreshments will be provided and the store will be open for business.

The importance of the final paint job can not be overstressed. A proper finish can turn plastic to gold, cardboard to armor, embarrassing to magnificent. The proper props, costumes, set pieces, etc. start out life as a base material that is light, heavy, cheap, or sturdy depending on your needs & budget. Upon constructing the framework or base to your project, you then apply the details fleshing out the illusion. Finally you apply paint and accessories. In this post I’ll give you a few short tips about painting. (more…)