KIRKLAND, Wash., Sept. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Brew up happy Halloween memories this year with these tips from the experts at Costume Express, a creator and retailer of costumes for the whole family. Additional ideas are available online at http://www.costumeexpress.com/Halloween . Set a spooky scene with these frightfully fun ideas: -- Get creative with pumpkins -- add glitter or sequins for a glam gourd, or paint a funny face and use as a whimsical topper for your scarecrow -- Place dry ice and hot water in a witch's cauldron (available at CostumeExpress.com) to create spooky fog -- Add ambiance with a CD of spooky sounds Brew up some creepy cuisine -- These recipes are designed to "stick to the ribs" of any skeleton: -- Spider Cake: Prepare your favorite chocolate cake in 2 round pans. Layer, and spread chocolate frosting on the sides, vanilla on top. Make several concentric circles of chocolate frosting on the top of the cake, and drag a toothpick from the outer circle to the inner circle at approximately 6 different points to create a wispy web design. Craft a spider by placing a chocolate donut near the cake's center and adding eight licorice legs. Use gumdrops for eyes and candy corn for pincers. -- Witch's Brew: Combine 12 whole cloves, 6 whole allspice berries, 3 cinnamon sticks, and orange peel and place inside a square of cheesecloth. Bring ends of cheesecloth together and tie off. Pour 2 quarts apple cider and 1/4 cup maple syrup (optional) into a large pot and simmer with spices for 3-5 minutes. Remove spices and serve in mugs with cinnamon stick garnish. Plan ghoulish games to keep little goblins busy before trick-or-treat time: -- Batty Race: Decorate 2 baseball bats with construction paper bat wings. Line up 2 teams and place the bats about 25-30 feet away. When you announce "Go Batty!" the first player from each team must race to a bat, hold the handle while touching the opposite end to the floor, put their forehead on the bat, run around the bat 3 times (keeping forehead on bat), and speed back to the next player. The first team to finish wins! -- Sticky Web: Draw a spiderweb on cardboard and cut Velcro(R) sticky-back tape (available at most fabric stores) into strips to match the length of each web line. Stick the hook side of the tape onto the cardboard (to make sure you're using the correct side, see if a cotton ball sticks to it). This game is played much like darts, so assign point values to each section of the web. Glue on several plastic spiders for decoration, and hang on a wall. Players take turns throwing cotton balls from a designated distance. Select a score for everyone to aim for and play until someone has accumulated enough points to reach that number. Capture memories with these tips from the portrait professionals -- The Picture People ( http://www.picturepeople.com/ ): -- Sometimes a frown, a wail, or even a sleeping baby can make a great photo -- don't shy away from capturing a variety of expressions to showcase your child's personality this Halloween -- Use a Halloween prop, such as a jack-o-lantern or treat pail, to add fun and dimension to your photo -- Get the family involved -- include grandparents in the photo or dress siblings in coordinating costumes Contact Meghan Hardy, Costume Express, at (425) 250-1064, ext. 148 or . DATASOURCE: Costume Express CONTACT: Meghan Hardy of Costume Express, +1-425-250-1064, ext. 148, or Web site: http://www.costumeexpress.com/ http://www.picturepeople.com/

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