#9 of 31 Days of Halloween: Pop-Up Halloween Stores

I hit my first pop-up Halloween store before it was even October this year. One took over the old Babies-R-Us near my daughter's orthodontist office and when we spotted it, we shared a gasp of delight. It almost made up for having her braces adjusted.

Mostly, I hate shopping. But shopping in a Halloween store is a totally different thing. Even when I can't buy anything, I get such delight from looking at the wares and imagining the possibilities.

The one near us is especially nice, selling both the cheapy costumes that are just a kind of plastic you tie on and things that are nicer, more like real clothing.

I bought my girl a Sally dress AND a Wednesday Addams dress because they were too too perfect.

We spent a long time in the props section, examining fake weapons and odd accoutrements and imagining who we might become if we were to put them on.

They'd even put together a little haunted house area out of their animatronic and motion-sensing wares. We took turns cuing them to growl and spin and glow at us and laughed in delight when they were able to startle us.

Yeah, I could spend my whole paycheck in a wonderland like that. Maybe it's a good thing they're only around a few weeks a year.