Halloween's Popping Up All Over

It's going to be a "crisp" 78 degrees outside tonight for Trick or Treating, but that doesn't mean folks here aren't in the mood for All Hallows Eve.  As promised, here are just some of the crazy inflatable decorations (most of them gigantic) making an appearance today in and around my neighborhood.

Halloween in triple

A ghostly pirate ship

Frankenstein

This jack o lantern was so big it covered 1/2 this front yard . . . 

this enormous cat covered the other half.

Sweet Snoopy

Scary grim reaper in a Grinch-pumpkin horse drawn carriage?

A giant witch.  She's smiling because it's Halloween.

Pumpkins and whimsical black cats . . . 

just seem to go together.  

Pumpkin Carols

While I'm still doing some reconnaissance on the best Halloween house decorations in the area (photos to come), I thought I would share with you this lovely little Halloween card.  Did you know approximately 10 million Halloween cards were sent last year? I even sent a few of my own this year.

This pumpkin-shape card, however, was sent from my aunt decades ago to me and my sister.  I don't know the actual year, but the price on the back indicates the card cost 75 cents so, needless to say, it was a long, long time ago.  

I've never seen a card quite like it - a book of Halloween songs intended to be sung to the tune of Christmas carols.  I've included a few for your amusement the words don't quite seem to fit in every case, but still this little vintage card makes my heart happy (click on the image and they should be easier to read).

Sung to the tune of Jingle Bells, of course.

Sung to the tune of Winter Wonderland

Sung to the tune of Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Happy Caroling!

It's Fall, Right?

Fall has a way of sneaking up on me, especially since living in Texas.  After all, who in their right mind would describe days where the temperature brushes 90 degrees "fall"?  Where I'm from, that's not even Indian Summer.  Most annoying is that no one here seems to know what to wear; the calendar says October but the number on the thermometer screams June (at least in most parts of the country).  At church on Sunday, I observed folks in shorts and sandals and others brazenly wearing boots and sweaters.  Oh, the disparity!

Perhaps all this head-scratching is why it's taken until today for me to even think about my autumnal and Halloween decorations.  Last year, I posted about how many fun and interesting fall and All Hallows Eve decorations these Dallasites seem to possess.  I'm even tempted to post a few more this year.  Believe me, there's a lot to take in.

I noticed last week, that one of my favorites is back:

Since I'm more inclined to focus on the scarecrows, mums (though for the record, not really a fan) and pumpkins rather than the bats, skeletons and witches, this is a favorite spot in my kitchen 

Isn't that little ceramic scarecrow candle topper adorable?
And I love when my kitchen smells like pumpkin spice.

After Halloween last year, I did stumble upon this cute, yet somewhat spooky, picture  frame on sale at Target.  I couldn't resist.  

I used a few of these photos and I'm thinking this may be a new favorite. 

My friends tell me I should be perusing Pinterest, but I'm more interested in the fall decorating that I can see in person and that help define where we live. I'm keeping my eyes open for more clever and creative decorations. If I stumble on some, I'll share, even if it requires that the air conditioning be on while I do it!   

October 31

Pumpkin Fun

Did you know that Irish immigrants brought their tradition of Halloween and the jack o’ lantern (that o’ should have clued me in that it was an Irish custom) to America almost two hundred years ago?

According to legend, the jack o’ lantern began with a man named Jack.  Jack died and was rejected from both heaven and hell.  He then asked the devil to at least help light his path as he was forced to wander the earth.  The devil threw him a live coal from hell and in order to keep it from blowing out in the wind, Jack put the coal inside a turnip (a root vegetable) he was eating.

Consequently, "Jack of the lantern", shortened to jack o'lantern, has become a symbol of a doomed soul and is said to frighten away evil spirits.  

Despite this cheering and inspirational story (I kid), 

I am a bit partial to the fun and whimsical side of pumpkin carving/decorating.

Here are a few fun pumpkin ideas, including ours from this year:

A stencil and a black paint pen (+ my unsteady hand) made this happen.
I love the white pumpkins, but  I'm still contemplating a face for my jack-o-lantern.

Which was inspired by my neighbor's

A little wonky, I know.  But super cute.  

I love this UGA (University of Georgia bulldog) pumpkin.
I made a Georgia "G" pumpkin one year (but didn't photograph it, boo hoo).

One time I used crescent and star shaped cookie cutters to decorate my pumpkin. That was fun. 

Mine wasn't as cute or elaborate as this, but you  get the idea.  

Another year, I painted pumpkins and used them for a ring toss game at my son's preschool Halloween party.  They're still among my favorites.    

A little pink pig, a princely frog (with limes for eyes) and a smiley faced fun guy.  

Happy carving!

Halloween Couture

Sadly, our Halloween costume days (Trick or Treating) are coming to end.  But, I couldn't resist this walk down memory lane.

No costume this year, just a pumpkin all her own.

Nothing says Halloween, like a bunny!

One year even the grown ups got in on the act.
I made these costumes using contact paper and
black sweats I purchased at Walmart 

Meg from Disney's Hercules

With her brother in the background in his clown (pajamas)
costume and pacifier.  

Dorothy and the clown costume gets recycled.
Believe it not, this was our Christmas Card photo that year.  

A Hippie and a (cookie eating) Fireman

A Transformer with Barbara Eden (I loved I Dream of Jeannie).
You can't see it, but in her arms was a genie bottle that we
made using a Mary Kate and Ashley craft book.

Superman and a Snow Princess

Felicity with Spiderman

A girl pirate

 A soldier

A "friendly" witch with an unhappy knight

Indiana Jones (adorable)

Felicity (again)  

A Flapper and Darth Vader

Holiday Decorating, Day 3 - More Scary Stuff

For more than 10 years, we had this view from the front of our house.  Our across the street neighbors were incredibly creative types who each year, for years, added to their Halloween decor - even their interior was decorated! 

At night, it was really scary.

I haven't quite found anything this elaborate in Texas, but 
one house did have this great idea:

Yep, there are crazy blinking eyes in all the shrubbery in front of their house.  Which, you can almost certainly count on me replicating next year.  

Holiday Decorating, Fall Edition - Day 2

While I'm partial to harvest/autumn/fall type decorations, rather than the scary Halloween variety (much to my children's dismay), I can totally appreciate a spooky display.   I saw this one today, again not far from my house.

This scary guy guards his homeowner's door.
The photo is deceiving - he's about 8 feet tall.  Oh, and the eyes move and
the mouth opens.  Totally scary.

A closeup of the sign at the base of the scary skull.  I love that is  a bit whimsical.  

Spider Tree?  They're everywhere in Dallas.