Lets see your fall decorations!

1st off I want to apologise for not being active on the boards. So much to do and feeling a bit overwhelmed. But I have been reading. Will try to do better.

Please feel free to post your fall decorations, some of you may be putting up Halloween decor. I know some in our town has started already (personally I think it is too early). I like to lead into it, if I do Halloween at all.
I have had the tall one for many years, and the top hat guy I just bought in Holmes County this weekend.
Please share.

Here is my Autumn garden mini flag. Got to search for the other one, will post later if I find it.

Too early for me yet LadyG. I like that guy he sure is cute.

Good to "see" you Chris....I haven't gotten my outdoor deocarations up yet, did only some inside... for some reason I am not ready to do them yet...weird...I was planning on doing it next week. Will def post them then.

Chris, I know our fall decorations are not coming out of the boxes till we get back it 2 weeks. Ric

No apologies needed, Lady. I don't usually put anything up until October. Your guys are cute.

I don't have anything going on yet, except three yellow mums I got on clearance for 25 cents each (you gotta have the right pitiful look AND shop when its really slow in the store I guess) I should find my dried gourds and paint them up somehow. But for some reason I find it hard to justify gourd-scrubbing as a productive task here...

Chris, been busy around here as well and I haven't spent as much time on DG as I usually do. Your "guy" is cute and so nice to see your lovely garden in the background :) I usually try to pick up a few Mums for fall color around the front entry but the container plantings on either side are so large this year there's no room! BUT, I have my FIRST "fall decoration" - will try to get a photo soon. Holly and Ric stopped here yesterday on their way to Florida and they brought me the cutest pumpkin :) We walked the gardens in the rain, wonderful visit but no so pleasant weather :( I was so excited about their visit I forgot to thank them, again, when they were leaving for their thoughtful gift! So...Holly and Ric, when you have a chance to "check in" - THANK YOU! I now have a fall decoration that will last forever and I will always treasure it as a reminder of your first visit here - I hope there will be more :) Visits that is, not gifts! LOL

Debbie, it is a real treat to have fellow DG folks stop by to show off all your had work. Early Bloomer stopped by one day this spring and I gave him the tour. It was a pleasant surprise.
Being at Holly & Rick's swap and seeing their yarden sure helps when you see the pictures on the threads. (Funny I can remember the layout of someone's garden but forget everything else!) LOL

We are getting our much needed rain now, so today is inside jobs.

we went to HD on friday... they have christmas decorations out .... I looked at Randy and groaned

we started our halloween decorating ... the towns contest gets judged the 1st or 2nd week of october ... so we have to start early... I will post when we are done

Allison, how fun! Post away, this will be so cool! Good luck!

thanks... I was told we have tough competition though... we won 3rd place last year for christmas and nothing for halloween.. I wrote the town and asked if they could post photos on the website... I don't even know who won 1st and 2nd... they only put the family name in the town flyer... no addresses ... so we couldn't go see what they had... we do it more for the kids showing up to trick or treat though... we love to see the reactions.. the wows and whoos are worth it... I just keep wondering if we will help or hurt the house sale down the street... you can see our front lawn from it

:)

It is all in good fun, but some people get into the competition mode and turn the fun into a job!
So many movies and the Tim Taylor's about the Christmas competitive side that it must be wide spread. It's nice to win but there is always next year.

they gave us a free oil change for the prize... so now that I know it's not a huge deal... it is just for the fun of it

Chris, it was great to see Holly's expressions when she recognized different areas from "shapshots" of the gardens :) I wasn't able to give them the best tour I've ever given, in part due to the crappy weather and also because I don't get as excited because of the condition of the gardens in the fall. Most of my favorite plants are the spring bloomers and they're pretty pathetic this time of the year. Plus I knew they didn't have much time - usually it takes me at least two hours to give a decent tour - I just can't stop talking! We just don't have the time to hold an "official" outing here but I did show them the deck and all the seating that I thought would be perfect if other DGers make a trip to one of our Open Houses. Even though I wouldn't have a lot of time to participate, I would take the time to give everyone the tour :)

Allison - sounds like fun, good luck! We always decorated for the holidays when the kids were young and they really enjoyed getting involved. We lived in the middle of nowhere so not many people were able to enjoy our efforts but the kids had fun so it was worth it :)

Oops, forgot! I know Ric took some pictures but the one I'm waiting for is the one of my pets! Phoebe and Lucy were sitting outside at the front door and Lucky was inside looking out at them - he was teasing them - I'm inside, out of the rain and you're NOT! LOL



This message was edited Sep 28, 2009 4:57 AM

thanks RCN... the one thing I noticed about living here ... the 1st year we didn't decorate too much... but after the 2nd year... I see everyone else start to do a little here and there for christmas.. before we started no one had anything out... maybe someday they will catch up!

OK here are the Halloween decorations in front of my Birch. The ghost is metal and has stems that get stuck into the ground. The scarecrow is old and is hung on a metal rod. The pumpkin lights up at night. It was sun bleached to an off white. DSO ran down to HD and got a can of paint to spray it for me. I don't put out any real pumpkins and gourds or corn, because they make too tasty snacks for the voles.

This is my cackling witch. She is sound activated. She cackles with maniacal laughter whenever anyone approaches. Tradespeople, the mailman and trick or treaters get a real kick out of her. Her long black streamers also blow around a lot on windy days adding motion to the cackling.

This is my floating ghost who is noise activated. There are tiny blue lights that come on and it emits an eerie howling sound. It moves up and down while it's arms are raised and lowered. He also dances around a lot on windy days.

This silver glittery skeleton is new this year. DSO put orange bulbs in the spot lights for me. He should sparkle at night when the light comes on and really glitter on windy nights.

I think they make a nice pair of greeters for the front door.

These two plastic pumpkins have flashing lights inside of them at night. I would like to find a big black cat on stakes to put in this bed. I used to have a big rubber rat with a long tail that I put on the RR tie between the pumpkins, but I think one of the kids took it home as a toy.

looks great Stormy!!.. love all that stuff!!

Those stinkin' kids, get your own rat!

Princess pumpkin from a princess b-day party kids went to yesterday at the farmers market down the road.

One of my indoor scarecrows

Those are all very cute, Jen. A princess pumpkin, what will they think of next?

nice Jen.. the kids did a great job!

Hee hee, faces were already done for them they just had to do the hair and the crown and decorate with stickers.

ssssshhhhh no one will ever know!!

This little table in my dining room is where I set up fall decorated trays full of goody bags for the trick or treaters. The skeleton and two trees are all votive and tea light candle holders. This time of year I fill them with pumpkin & cinnamon spice scented candles.

The table has drop leaves and for parties I pull up one of the leaves and set up Hor D'oerves on it.

I love changing things around in the house to reflect the seasons.

When I have company, I cut some Mums and fill these vases. These vases are nice antiques. The gourds were a great finds years ago at the Big Lots. I love mixing stuff like that together.

I keep the mats on the table for everyday use as we often sit there for coffee and sometimes snacks or neighborly visits.

This gruesome creature gives me hours of laughs. I found him last week at a supermarket. He is noise activated. His eyes light up and he shakes back and forth rattling his chain and gives out loud startling screams. He just cracks me up.

nice stuff Stormy!!.. love your little guy

I love this time of year, particularly the decorating. It's so easy to transition from Halloween to Thanksgiving because so many of the items work for both holidays, The colors are all in the same family, minus the black. After Halloween, I put away the skeletons, witches, and ghouls and replace them with turkeys, pilgrims and more harvest items.

My hearth is always a fun place for larger items. The tall witch pumpkin houses a pillar candle. The bronze gourds were a nice post season buy a few years back.

Thanks, Allison. I love people's reaction when he startles them.

love the tile on the hearth!... I can say it's hard for us to transition to Thanksgiving.. so much stuff to put away... the house is depressing until December rolls around... good news is the judging is not until oct 28th... we have time to get everything out and ready... last year I swear they did it on the 10th

Thanks, Allison. There's actually a checkboard made with tiles in the center of it. At winter parties there are always one or two guests sitting there with their backs to the fire enjoying a cocktail and some lively conversation.

Love seeing everyones decorations, thanks for supporting this thread.

Stormy, really nice indoor decor.

I have a collection of pumpkins. The tall orange I can turn around for Halloween, it has a carved pumpkin face and a black spider painted on the other side. Takes me from Fall right into Thanksgiving.

stormyla- I remember last winter when you started posting your beautiful decor. Yu gotta teach me some day...
ladyg- that is a very nice arrangement. I might be able to handle that without extra help..

but where do you all keep this stuff between display times??