'Tis The Season To Be Spooky!

This time of the year makes me feel like a giddy little school girl.  I absolutely LOVE all things October/November.  I know, I know...I sound like every other person when I say it, but it's true. I'm notsomuch a fan of the "all things pumpkin" movement...although I do love a good chocolate chip pumpkin muffin...but I love the feeling this time of the year evokes.

For me, this time of the year reminds me of my childhood.  It reminds me of my Mawmaw's homemade pasta...Thanksgiving dinners at Grandma & Grandpa's...my mom's homemade costumes {there were 4 of us to dress-up}...kicking my way through crunchy leaf piles at Grandma Gloria's...trick-or-treating with my cousins...Halloween carnivals & parties at school.  The list could go on.  

I anticipate Fall decorating as soon as school starts.  I'd decorate in August if I could.  Not because I want to rush through life and get on with the next thing, but because I love that feeling I get when this time of the year starts to settle.  I definitely decorate way too early...and I have no plans of changing that any time in the near future.  My boys love it...I love it...and {thankfully} we don't get tired of it...we just like to enjoy the heck out of it for as long as we can :)

This year I started my Halloween decorating the 2nd weekend of September. I love a little holiday creep ;)  I changed things up just a little from last year's display.  I added a few new things...tossed a few things out {those darn squirrels in the attic mangled a few of my things...thank you, country living}...and changed a few things around.  Overall, I'm lovin' it.  I think I like decorating for Halloween more so than Fall because it lends itself to being a little whimsical with the decor...and I really, really love the orange/black/white combo!  Plus, I have a plethora of random Halloween stuff and I sure don't want it to go to waste :)  

Here's this year's mantle...

When I buy seasonal decor, I most usually don't have any idea where I'm going to put it.  As I was unpacking all of my Halloween stuff, I realized I had quite a few 31's, so I figured I'd display those together.  I think there's definitely power in a collection...especially when that collection is displayed together.  

Those white shutters tend to be a permanent fixture on my mantle throughout the year because they give a little height to that space.  Our fireplace goes all the way to the ceiling and the shutters seem to do a pretty good job of centering everything.  I propped up an old window pane in front of the shutters and then draped cheesecloth over it.  I love the way it turned out.

I drew the 31 on the white chalkboard.  The circular 31 that's hanging was a fun find at Ross last year.  I got it for $3.99!!!  I saw the same one at Kirkland's last year...a little bigger maybe??...for a lot more!  I love getting a good steal!  I found the large black and white October 31 sign at Marshall's a couple of weeks ago {$12.99}.  They had it in orange and black, too! 

I made the standing 31 with paper mache numbers, scrapbook paper, mod podge, and a distressing ink pad.  SUPER simple.  I also made the glittery 31 that's adhered to the damask board.  I just took a plain wooden square {Michael's}, painted it black, then mod podged the top with the damask paper, distressed the edges with the distressing ink pad, and then hot glued the numbers to the top.  First, I painted the numbers orange and rolled them in fine orange glitter.

The banner was from Michaels {last year} as were the cheesecloth & glittered spiders.  The jack o'man, the pumpkin sitting on the candlestick, and the BOO sign are all from Hobby Lobby.  I don't like paying full price for anything and was so excited to find those after Halloween one year for 75% off!!   That sweet little pumpkin man on the pedestal next to the black & white 31 sign was from Marshall's this year...$6!!!!  I love him!!!

This little display is sitting on a tray on my coffee table.  Speaking of coffee tables, my brother is building me a new one and I can't wait!  We've had this one for the last 10 years and well...it's about time to retire this one to the game room.  The sweet little Jack with the witch hat was from Hobby Lobby.  It used to stand on a pedestal, but my boys were playing, knocked it down, and it broke.  I actually like it this way  little better!  The cloche is from Hobby Lobby and the pumpkins inside were a fun find at Marshall's.  I think I got a whole box of them for $6!!    The tall apothecary jar is filled with moss covered stones {Dollar Tree} and a little pumpkin that didn't have a home.

I have built-in's flanking both sides of my mantle and they're a beast to try and decorate.  I don't have near enough to fill the shelves with Halloween or Fall decor, so it's all spread out and not cohesive whatsoever.  I need to work on that.  However, I did take a few of my white pitchers from my ever growing collection and I grouped them together with this little Happy Halloween sign {Dillard's last year, I think} and displayed them above our TV.  It's not my favorite, but it's growing on me. It needs more color, for sure.

In the room right next to my living area I have these bookshelves on either side of our little couch.  I know these little jack o'lanterns are cheesy, but Lawd...I love 'em!!!  

This little arrangement is sitting on the coffee table in that same room.  Don't ask what the purpose of that room is.  Really...right now...it's just a sitting area.  The layout of this house still confuses me.

Right across from our sitting space is our "formal" dining area. We have a very open floor plan so you can see all the main rooms from...well...every room.  

These sweet little bats are from the Martha Stewart collection {Michaels}.  Those sticky dots they came with were a joke.  I put them up last year and they all fell down the next day.  This year I have them sticking up with painter's tape.  So far, so good.

I didn't change much about this set up from last year's.  However, I decided to forego the spanish moss this year because my boys enjoyed using it last year as toy.  I was finding random bits of spanish moss throughout the house for MONTHS!!!  Ha!!!  This year I just used a little cheesecloth which I probably could've omitted, too.  But I like it.

The table runner was a new find this year!  I LOVE Marshall's!!!  It was $12 and a great little addition to this little "tablescape".  Is that what you'd call this?!?!?!  Or centerpiece?!!?!  Whatever.  

Right next to the dining room table is this little corner table.  I recently painted it yellow and I'm a little obsessed.  I like having completely random pieces of furniture in the house.  Here's my theory on decorating...decorate with what YOU like.  It's too hard to keep up with the trends and I'm definitely not trendy enough to try.  If you like it, use it :)

I found the mercury glass poison bottle at Marshall's {$7} as well as the burlap covered trick or treat sign {$5}.  The black skull and crow are from the Dollar Tree.

I have this turquoise table set up on the wall right across from the yellow table.  Talk about color clash...but I love it.  All the colors tie in with my curtains, so that's how I justify the randomness :)

This little vignette is a hot mess and I'll probably be changing it up.  I got the sign and the cloche from Marshall's last year {shocker!}

This little table recently got a face lift.  It was brown and I painted it white...now I just need to go in and distress it.  All that aside, here's the random set up here, too.  I'm not a huge fan, but it's growing on me.  It's a space I never know how to decorate.  Grrrr.

The cute witch feet were from Kirkland's a few years ago.  I love them.  I found that Harvest subway art a few years ago at Marshall's for a whopping $3!  I was so excited!  I put my Queen of Halloween sign on top of an old distressed shutter I had lying around and now looking at it I can see that it's slightly askew.  Dangit.  How'd I not notice that?!?!  The big BOO was a fun find from Wal Mart just last week...$3!!!! 

Moving into the kitchen....

This is the only thing I've got set up.  Our kitchen is pretty open, so I don't need much in this area.  And now I'm realizing that my pumpkin blends in with the granite.  #decoratingfail

Mr. Spouse built these shelves for me and they're still a couple of my favorite pieces.  I never really know how to decorate these either, but here's how they look this year...

If you saw my Halloween post last year, you might remember my scary little Halloween boy.  Mr. Spouse says that this figurine gives him nightmares {{{shudder}}}.  I like to torture him with it.  Last year it was on the mantle and it watched him as he cozily sat on the couch watching TV.  He requested I not put it there again.  Now it sits in the kitchen watching him eat dinner instead :)  This little guy makes me laugh every time I look at him.  #winning

And here's my latest little chalkboard.  I'm kinda lovin' this one!!!  

Next week I'll be posting my Halloween porch decor :)  I'd do it today, but I haven't started on it yet...hahahaha.  I'm hoping I can cross that off my to-do list this weekend!!!