A LITTLE HALLOWEEN

I didn't go overboard this year,

just a little Halloween here and there

my favorite bits and pieces

and one or two new

 a spider here and there

some silhouettes

but I did pull out ALL of the Halloween boxes

WAYYYYYY too many

I will be going through and getting rid of a LOT of stuff

One thing I WON'T be getting rid of  are the pumpkin lights

I've had them forever and put them up every year

everytime I see them

they make me smile

I've been collecting bottles here and there

old and new -

 for a witch's apothecary -

I have really creepy labels, too, but haven't had the time to print them and apply

.... still, these look fun even without the labels

Our glittery visitor came home last year

I wasn't sure about him, but my husband LOVED him

so he stayed

and he's growing on me

somewhere I have a top hat for him - probably in one of those boxes....

his friend came home with me this year - a new addition

and I definitely like him better

he's sparkly too, although I don't think you can see it in the photo

I found him at Rogers Gardens and

added the tinsel and pleated paper collar

and speaking of Rogers Gardens, we visited both the Halloween

and Christmas displays there

so I'll post the Halloween photos here -

and the Christmas ones in a later post....

there were sparkly cobwebs on old chandeliers,

vintage clothing, black roses and feather boas

old portraits and rat traps

skulls and tableware

and creations by folk artist Vergie Lightfoot

their displays were fun

and as usual, inspiring...

Vergie's moon face and pumpkin faces were my favorites...

all in all it was a very fun outing.

So I told my son, away at college, that I'd decorated a little for halloween

(You never know how important little things are to your children -

even when they are no longer little kids)

his reply was to please leave them up until he comes home for Thanksgiving....

So, I'm apologizing ahead of time to all Thanksgiving guests who may be startled by Mr. Glitter Bones sharing our table .... its for my boy - and he's my hero.

Happy Hallows-giving!

YELLOW AND BLACK: A WEDDING OPEN HOUSE

MEETING THE BRIDE

With the actual wedding taking place in Arizona
it was time for the groom's friends and family
on the west coast
to meet the bride and wish the couple well

on their life's journey

so we planned a little reception for them in

sunny Southern California
which wasn't very sunny,
the weather teased us with cold and rain until the last minute

but the day before the reception

the sun rose bright, warm and cheery

a good thing
 as the entire event was taking place
outdoors

the bride chose Yellow/White/Black for her colors

We turned an antique frame into a chalkboard

to hold a friendly welcome for the guests

and lead them to the back yard

where we set up long rows of tables and dressed them in black linens
with black chairs

we added tall candlesticks, towering votive candelabras and large beautiful lanterns

 and armfuls of flowers
sunflowers
mums

roses

stock

and these little globes of sunshine

this large grassy arrangement

became the centerpiece of the banquet tables

(the food was delicious, Victoria, by the way :) )

but my favorite were the lanterns

with a base of sunshine yellow flowers

and very tall tapers

the addition of the tall candelabras

 

set the tables aglow with light

more candlelight highlighted the dessert table

piled high with freshly baked cupcakes and favorite sweets

but the highlight was the photo wall
how adorable is this?

and what a cute couple!

 so adorable!

best wishes - Tyler and Kim!
it was so fun to decorate your celebration!