Wednesday, October 1, 2008

DECK the HALLS

OCTOBER 1st. Time to lug up those boxes! I did something really smart last year. I took pictures of my decorations. Something I DREAD at Halloween and Christmas is pulling out 2 million decorations and then wracking my brain half the day trying to remember where they go. I am psycho that way and I absolutely hate not remembering how I "did" it the year before. So yesterday I put everything up in half the time because I had these pictures to go from. I did change a few things and of course want to add a little more every year but this saved me loads of irritation!


One of my favorite things I bought last year were these window vinyls from Martha Stewart. I think they are so awesome! The skeleton is my favorite. I put a really cool black cat in my upstairs window but the sun melted it.


This bird freaks Camille. She keeps her distance for fear it will fall on her (like it did last year).


This fortune teller is a hit! It is noise activated (shoot me) and her eyes light up as she tells different fortunes and stupid advice. I couldn't pass her up since I spent years as the fortune teller back in my Haunted Forest glory days (but that's another story). Today Camille sat with her face two inches from the ball, responding sincerely to everything she said. She kept telling me, "He's my fren!" (friend)




This year I am trying to go for a black and white only theme in the dining room. I think I will use white pumpkins instead of orange. I don't really have any cute stuff though that isn't orange. Marshall's anyone?

I put orange lights around this black garland and loved driving in at night to a Halloweeny Glow. It really was festive. I hope all of you bloggy ghouls will let me peek at your Halloween stuff--I'd love some fresh ideas.........

P.S. I spy a freaky little face. Do you see it?


Do you take pictures
to remember where things go?

13 comments:

Mitch said...

Is Mitchell Crying or trying to make a scary face?

Take pictures to remember where things go? Why don't you just take a picture of the box in the attic, then remember that all the decorations should just stay there? Ba humbug! ;)

Lauralee said...

wow.. love your house.. great idea on taking the pictures.. love all the detail in your home!

Me said...

Ann came and helped me organize my daughters room a couple of months ago and I took pictures of that to remember where she put everything. I have a friend that takes a picture of her XMas tree (she bought a really ornate one from a charity here) to remember where everything goes. So I don't know why I never even thought of taking pictures for decorations. What a brilliant idea. Thanks for sharing the idea and the wonderful pics with us!

Anonymous said...

j-mark,
honeybear got outside the box this year and made a bunch of ghosts and tied them to the crab apple tree in the front yard (it's a prairie fire crab apple so the crabs are persistent and we just love not having all the dead fruit in the yard). It is kinda spooky for the neighborhood kids to see all the ghosts swinging in the breeze. Fun.
The rest of the halloween crap is spread around the house in pretty much the same place as it was last year...

Ann Marie said...

Great post!!!
I love the "freak in my bed" on the sidebar.. Too fun!!
I also look forward to seeing more about this Markoff's haunted Forest..
I know I'm going to get made fun of for stating this, but there is something seriously sick with me, that you do a post about Halloween decor, and I'm looking past that at your everyday stuff. :) I know.. I know.. I'm sick. But, that's why I like to come to your blog, because I can't believe we have such similar tastes in what we like.. I love your mirror, and cute floral picture above the mantle. So beautiful! We do have alot of differences in style and tastes, but Jen.. it's alot alike!!!

I have never taken pictures of stuff before.. I change my mind every year, so I'm not sure I would ever do it the same.
I love the reasoning behind it though! It makes sense..

You have quite the Halloween loot!
I'm with you.. I hope we'll see lots of decor pictures! I love them!
Now, I need to get up the driive to go down and pull up my totes!!
Yay for Fall Decorating!!!!!

VEGAS VIC said...

Your house looks great. I love the stuff you have. People might need an explantation as to why you are so into all this ghouly stuff.
Anyway, wish we could see it in person, but it won't be this year. For sure, the next.

MOM

Jayne Layne said...

Your house looks great! I need to start to get stuff to decorate, but seriously I don't have an ounce of desire.

I saw the little face in the left window, but did you see the FREAKY face in the right bottom window.... YOWZERS, it looks like Marilyn Manson, i am sure most wont see it, but I did!

JENNIFRO said...

Holy crap Jayne! Way to go eagle eyes! I would never have noticed it. It's a devil mask Nick bought somewhere along the way....... cREePy!

Suzanne said...

Love the volture, love the fortune teller, love the lamp behind the fortune teller, love the pumpkins on the pedastools. HATE, and FREAKS me out the skeleton in the window!! I would be haunted by that very easily. Trying to decide if I am going to put decorations up while my daughter is out of town or wait until she gets back. Hmmm...have to think about that one.

And yes, my family is in Las Vegas. That was the whole irony that lead me to meeting you. Your sister is friends with one of my sister's friends. And we both have family in Vegas. I just thought, I have to meet this woman and her blog is totally AWESOME!! My parents and sister live in Henderson, off of Valley Verde by the wash. Does any of this ring a bell with you? No, I did not grow up in Vegas, I was born and raised in Salt Lake, but spent many summers in Vegas growing up with my cousins. My family is very happy with the weather down there and I am happy here in my bubble. They have tried many times to get me to move there.
Anyway, still waiting in high anticipation about the haunted forest post. 16 years, wow that is a long time to run such an event. I bet he has got it down to an art. You cannot beat the scary stuff in October! Too fun!- Suzanne

Up in Bubbles said...

NEAT!!

jill said...

I don't think I've ever seen anyone decorate so insanely great for the holidays! Halloween and Christmas are AMAZING! Pictures do it no justice.

alexis said...

i love that she called the fortune teller her friend!
my parents totally take pictures of where things go.
your house looks awesome, halloween is my favorite holiday!

jessamyn said...

I love all your decorations! Your children must love how fun you make everything!
So festive, I wish I had the resources to go all out for every holiday! So seeing how there aren't very many decorations... no need for a picture.