Halloween 2013

Halloween is my favorite time. It’s a time of mystery where imperfection is warranted. I haven’t blogged for a while and what a perfect time to jump back…for my favorite season…Halloween.

This Halloween, I hosted our Book Club. I added some fun Halloween Décor this year that added a ton of wow factor  without the price. So, I had to get creative…… I added a Bat Mobile (tutorials coming soon), chalked new chalkboards , made my own chandelier, and handmade some awesome glitter letters. This has been the most creative things I have done in months (been busy, as you could tell by the lack of blog posts).

This is my Halloween tree with treat boxes, set by my spray painted purple chair. It took me two days to figure out what to do with my stacked trunk end table. Something just wasn’t right…

…until I was in the basement doing laundry and this mirror I had picked up at a yard sale for $3 last year was sitting there and it was a lightbulb moment. I could lay the mirror on top of the stacked trunks and have something fun on it. I added a scrabble game (minus the board) and the kids leave me messages (too cute!). My 2 year old will take all of the tiles, put them in the trick-or-treat bucket carry them around with her dollies and then she puts them back (thank goodness she doesn’t spread them around).

I added a grid of witch hats to the tall half wall (with 3M strips) and tried to use my Halloween décor that had any color except orange. I was tired of orange this year and only put out my other Halloween colors. I added a Chandelier to the Entryway to create a dramatic effect entering the house.

Before I had read the book for book club, I was planning on going with a Halloween Literature Vignette. I had expounded on this theme with chalkboards, literature references (AKA Carpe Diem with Skeletons. LOL I think that is so funny) and a old black upright typewriter (which I found at Sparks Flea Market for $25, that was top on my list of things to find…a black upright typewriter!) After reading the book (STIFF: the curious lives of human cadavers by Mary Roach) I knew I had to add more bones, and Science Stuff. The night before the Party, I added my X-ray’s to the storm door. They look amazing at night from the outside and they are so fun INSIDE during the day. It all depends on what way the light is shining. I will do a tutorial soon on my made-up chandelier out of an old light fixture and a candle holder. You have to get creative to achieve the look you want, without a lot of $.

I added my looking glass, a black hat atop a white pumpkin, and a few bones and moss under glass to add fun to the blanket chest/ coffee table.

I am in love with German Glass Glitter and I made my own font to make some awesome MAGIC  glitter letters and BOO letters for my dining room mantle (which served as the backdrop for the food table! Pics to come soon). I can’t wait until these tarnish and keep looking better each year as they age.

The mantle is filled with books (remember I started with a Literary Halloween theme and morphed into a more Science Theme)

This tea-dyed owl print looks out protectively over his books.

These Witch Boots (Victorian shoes) I found at Sparks Flea Market. I fell in love with them and think all the age and patina just adds to the witch boot affect!! I love great finds like this at Flea Markets!

My typewriter was my other great find at the Flea Market. I knew I wanted to have some Literary Phrase coming out of the typewriter but, I happen to set this sign on the typewriter as I was decorating and it was perfect and stayed.

The owl was the smaller print of my poster print (The little prints were $2 and the poster was $6…..that’s my kind of shopping. I had purchased the skeleton poster print last year from the same booth. I love tea dyed vintage looking posters for Halloween!!)

My Flea Market find Typewriter set the Literary Halloween Theme Perfectly (and still worked when I added in the Science). This vignette on my blue sideboard is one of my favorites! It is so fun!

Book Club Party was a success and the last picture I snapped before the party started was of the bat mobile with the light. It looked liked the bats were circling the moon. Oh so Halloween!!