Skully's Favorite Things

Oprah isn’t the only one with a list of favorites. I decided to put together my own list in honor of Black Friday and the next 25 days of shopping.

I hope you all stayed home today. I don’t see the sense in getting in a fist-fight with a total stranger to save $10 on a Keurig you’re going to hate by Valentine’s Day. 

So, in the spirit of staying home, all of these unique and classy gifts can be found online from the comfort of your home. 

You’ll never forget the looks on your loved ones’ faces when they unwrap these nearly one-of-a-kind pieces. Well, one-of-a-kind is probably a stretch … but I’m sure they’ll be the only ones in the neighborhood with these gifts … unless you live in some hipster locale, then all bets are off. 

 

For the Kitchen: You really can’t beat skeleton-shaped eggs. Get it? Beat? See what I did there? And you can’t have eggs without salt and pepper. That would just be un-American. 

Freaky Food Skull Egg Corral, $12 http://www.shopplasticland.com

Cracked Skull Boiled Egg Mold, $9 http://www.shopplasticland.com

Newlydeads Salt & Pepper Shakers, $17 http://www.shopplasticland.com

Day of the Dead Corkscrew, $19.97 www.crateandbarrel.com
Skull Timer, $11.99 www.worldmarket.com

Bone-y Brew Tea Infuser, $12 http://www.shopplasticland.com
Sweet Sips Sugar Skull Mug, $13 http://www.shopplasticland.com

 

 

For the Baker: Wondering how often you can use skeleton shaped cookies? I can think of several occasions right off the top of my head. Obviously you’ve got Halloween and Dia De Los Muertos but you can also use these for saying thank you to your orthopedic, for a job well done by your nursing student, or to remind your sweet aunt June to get her bone density checked. You could also send these cookies to someone you dislike with a cryptic message like, “Thinking of you.”

Spooky Sugar Skull Cookie Stamps, $12 http://www.shopplasticland.com

Gingerdead Man Cookie Cutter, $10 http://www.shopplasticland.com

 

 

For Children of All Ages: Nothing says come and snuggle me like a skeleton sock monkey. But seriously, this sock monkey is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.

For all you Lego fans out there, we got something cool and something creepy cool. Admit it, you want one. 

Skeleton Sock Monkey, $25 www.etsy.com or get crafty and DIY. 

Lego Skleton Storage Head, $29.82 www.ebay.com
Giant Dissected Lego Man, Price Unknown http://www.moistproduction.com

 

 

For the Lady in Your Life: Skeleton themed attire is relatively sketchy when it’s not the month of October but I think these pieces transcend fashion fundamentals … especially if your hairline looks like Eddie Munster’s.

I See Through You X-Ray Dress, $74 http://www.shopplasticland.com

Alexander McQueen Cable-Knit Skull Sweater, $1,085 http://www.neimanmarcus.com
Gray Skeleton Sweatshirt, $21.76 http://www.sheinside.com

Sugar Skull Handbag, On Backorder, http://www.shopplasticland.com
Haunted Undead Unicorn Tote Bag, $17 http://www.shopplasticland.com

 

 

For the Man in Your Life: We’ve got casual, we’ve got formal. Wearing skeletons at your ex-girlfriend’s wedding will certainly make a statement. It’s memorable.   

Homework Evidence T-shirt, $12 www.threadless.com

Gothic Wedding Neck-tie, $35 www.etsy.com
Silver Skull Cufflinks, $35 www.etsy.com

 

 

For the Home: Don’t knock it until you try it. Skeletal home decor can be very welcoming … especially when it’s handing you toilet paper. 

Skeleton Chair, $2,700 www.etsy.com

Sugar Skull Damask Shower Curtain, $22, http://www.shopplasticland.com
Skeleton Toilet Paper Holder, $17.10 www.amazon.com

 

 

For the Enthusiast: Then there’s this beauty. The name really says it all. The “Sensory Deprivation Skull.”

During Prohibition I met Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo in a speakeasy once and they were sitting in a contraption that looked an awful lot like this. Greta was drinking a scotch whiskey and invited me over to her house for a spaghetti dinner with her family. I’m telling you, salt of the earth.

But back to the chair. The “Sensory Deprivation Skull” is a chamber of sorts in which you can sit and essentially cut yourself off from the world. Sounds like the perfect gift for all my introverts. 

By Joep van Lieshout of Atelier Van Lieshout, the skull is comprised of reinforced fiberglass and is available in a limited edition of 10. So that one-of-a-kind gift you were looking for? Done. You’re welcome.

Because I'm Batman!

At least, I think that’s what Batman would say if someone asked why he had a skeleton on the back of his batcycle. Then he would use some kind of batgadget to save us all from a nuclear warhead. 

This is what playtime looks like around our house. My minions (all skeletons in our house smaller than me) get incorporated into a lot of different types of imaginary worlds. The mummy, which contains a skeleton obviously, has been camping with the giant white and black cats for two weeks now. In reality, it’s wrapped up in a Superman blanket with two stuffed animals sitting on the couch. And don’t you even THINK of trying to move them.

Other minions are dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” or sometimes “Smooth Criminal.”

Some minions are wrestling dinosaurs. Some are sliding down my boy’s winter coat sleeves and some are hiding in the laundry. Some are chasing the dogs and some are saving the world with Spiderman and Captain America. 

When I said my boy loves skeletons, I wasn’t kidding. As long as he’s got skeletons, he’s a happy boy. 

Wait … I take that back. Attitudes can change pretty quickly around here. One minute the boy is playing nicely, the second, he’s a highly stressed, emotional ball of tears. All because mom said she was going to put a beetle in his nose.  

I Hate the White Flaky Stuff

No, I’m not talking about dandruff. I think that would require me to have hair … or maybe a scalp for that to even be a concern.

I’m talking about snow. Now, before you start jumping to conclusions, I just want to say: Snow during the month of December is, for the most part, acceptable. It adds a certain, unexplainable, magical essence to my holiday season. Snow after December? No thank you. Snow BEFORE December? Umm, heck no!

Alas, I am but a slave to my boy (he is the sweetest kid in the world after all) and got drug out into the snow for a chilly morning of “fun.”

The boy is obviously having a great time (can’t you tell by that fake, painful smile?) but I got snow in places that are downright painful … like my eye sockets.

This is my attempt at going down the slide. Somehow I managed to completely miss the actual slide. I never said I was athletic …

Paging Doctor Ethan!

People joke around a lot that my boy might become a doctor one day. His love for skeletons does make a compelling argument. He’s got a few hurdles to clear though before we can think of med school … like conquering his fear of the potty (kid poops one time in the toilet and he can’t even look at it).

After the pediatrician checked him out and gave him the all clear, my boy tossed me up on the table and gave me a once over. I was told to add some Vitamin D to my diet this winter to combat the blues and to try a calcium supplement. Apparently he’s worried about brittle bones. Fair enough.