HAPPY HALLOWEEN - Decorating for the Party

With Halloween here, I just had to share my FAVORITE idea this year found on Pinterest (don't you just LOVE Pinterest?) but originally from Better Homes and Gardens...

How completely awesome is that?  AND there is a tutorial of sorts...find it here on my board.

I love a natural look - I love fall colors - I love garden urns.... 

and this arrangement had it all going for me.  That black urn really makes this, don't you think.

I would do this for my fall decor!

From Mary Carol Garrity - (you have only to check out her books to see why I love her). 

This from her now famous shop - too far away for me to visit - Nell Hills.

So, pumpkins, right?

Love them, but what do you do with them AFTER you go all out and decorate with them?

I know you will say make pies, or toast the seeds... 

but my gag reflex kicks in the minute I touch that inner pumpkin slime...

I'd love to have a big statement like this, but I'd have to do it in funkins

and then...where to store it all?

For the funkin manufacturers out there - (faux pumpkins)

could you make some that look like this?  I would snap those up so fast!

For me, its all about Halloween - 

I kicked off an annual party last year for my clients and friends.

so....

Here's my second annual Black Hat Society party decor 

(costumes were optional, but hats of any kind were mandatory!)  

THE MANTLE

This year I found adorable felt skull garlands at Home Goods.  The skulls needed something to help them stand out against the white mantle, so I bought cheap plastic ivy and spray painted it matte black.

I added these battery operated orange mercury glass lights at the last minute 

(made a huge difference)

(also found at Home Goods)

These garlands....so cute!

Everything else remained as it was - with the exception of adding the crows and the Halloween candles.

THE HALLOWEEN TREE

This was my favorite thing last year, and I loved it so much I had to do it again this year.  I stuck curly willow twigs in styrofoam in an antique urn and decked them out with a variety of lanterns and mini crows.

I can't tell you how happy this tree makes me every time I walk into this room and see this riot of color and craziness.  

MR. SKELLY

He was on the mantle last year, but this year Mr Skelly was happy to spend his time on a small chest in front of the window - draped with bittersweet - atop a wooden planter.

THE KITCHEN

Not a lot of decorating space in the kitchen - but these little ceramic jack-o-lantern votives found a spot on the cook-top hood

and I managed to bring some color to the island with a 'crow and floral' arrangement.

I don't remember where she came from - but my silly jack-o-lantern doll lights up the corner of the kitchen.  I love that she's completely ugly holding her black cat with her weird green hands..

but she looks so awesome when you plug her in!

THE DINING ROOM

I used the large buffet under the window to display Mr. Bones and a colorful arrangement of chinese lanterns and velvet pumpkin stems.  The highlight is my 'Witch's Cupboard', though - a bit of a curiosity with birds nests, mortar and pestle and various potions and skulls.

The bottles are a combination of purchased and concocted - I'm sure some are missing...must have missed a box this year...

LIVING ROOM AND ENTRY

(and I still don't have the curtains back up....)

I love bright orange chinese lanterns.  I remember real ones growing in the backyard as a child - they fascinated me.  They are probably a weed, but this arrangement makes me happy.

 I love the silly skulls ringing the top of the urn, too.  Over in the corner by the french shutters I filled a crock full of fall leaves.  These bright touches in my neutral living room really pop!

I switched out the botanicals for these vampire silhouettes this year!  Love them!

My boys think the coolest thing is this display case with skull and spider....

It never hurts to tuck a little Halloween into unexpected places...

Last year he welcomed visitors on the front door.

This year he hangs on the mirror at the staircase landing.

Also on the landing this year - 

This chalkboard and these fabulous shoes...

I ask you, would a Bad Witch wear shoes this fabulous?

Never.

ENTRY

Speaking of witches, Matilda had a spot in the entry again this year.

She's quite stylish...

That adorable witch tassel was a handmade gift from a friend

The rose hip wreath is perfect for the black front door...

and simple enough that it doesn't vie for attention with this guy...

Mr. Bones II has a perch on my big black urn right by the front door.

Tiny pumpkin lights and a festive hat help him welcome guests.

Mr. Bones III welcomes you to the Dead and Breakfast Inn at the end of the walkway.

Apparently, there are vacancies.....

He's in a bit of a dark spot, so I used a couple strands of battery wire lights to brighten him up a bit...

Welcome to the Dead and Breakfast Inn...

I think one of my favorite Halloween decorations are these pumpkin lights.

I've had them forever and I use them every year.  

Silly, smiling, orange orbs of light...

Girls, it was so fun!

Let's do it again next year!

(for those of you who want to follow Kristy Tate and her amazing books, here's her link...

I hope you are enjoying her book!)

Happy Halloween!!!

EASY SEASONAL PILLOW FOR HALLOWEEN - a tutorial (sort of)

So I was feeling a little lackluster the other day.

I've had a very busy season and I was feeling like I needed a little time off -

even if it was only a few minutes.

I decided to stop at HomeGoods to have a quick look around - 

relax a little - (retail therapy)....

Halloween was in full force.  

I found an awesome Halloween garland of little black and white felt skulls 

that I will put to good use next month.

As I was browsing through table runners, I saw this one.

I thought that colorful embroidered design on the end would make an awesome pillow.

Actually, with the design on both ends, it would make 2 great pillows.

I decided to buy it and see if I could grab a few minutes 

to make something kind of special.

The runner had this great black piping above the design, a perfect finish for the top of the pillow.

Check out the great details on this design - the embroidery, the beading and sequins.
This is very nicely done.

I would have to pay a pretty penny to purchase a pillow like this at Pottery Barn.

In fact, I have paid a pretty penny for Seasonal pillows at PB.

Here's the finished product,

and how it was done...
(I love this, by the way)

First, I cut through all layers of the runner, about 1/2 inch above the black piping (top of pillow).

The lining provided the perfect backing for the pillow - no sewing required - and a nice black piping all around is a great finishing edge for this pillow-to-be.

I happened to have a perfectly squishy pillow form that fit nicely.   

You could use polyester stuffing if you weren't able to find a pillow form the right size.

(Mine was actually a little larger than the pillow, 

but the length was good and it was soft enough that it still fit snugly inside.)

Once I had the pillow form inside,
I folded the raw edges under 1/2 inch and pinned the top edges together to close.

I used a heavy duty thread, and whip-stitched the edges together.

It only took a few minutes, and it was done.

So cute in my living room!

This was pretty simple and with the runner having this design on both ends, I have one to give away!

That's about $7.50 a pillow (not counting the filling).

This was by far the cutest Halloween runner I found, but I'm keeping my eyes out 

for some great Fall and Christmas runners to turn into pillows!