Halloween!

Though it took me a little while I finally got the house looking Halloweenie. Thought I would share some photos.  It is finished with the exception of the skeletons and the creepy head in the crystal ball.  The ball head cannot withstand any rain at all and the skeletons have been known to fly about the yard when the wind blows.  So those will not make their debut until possibly the day before Halloween providing there will be no rain or high winds.

This is the front door.  It will be much better when the skeletons and the head make their appearance.

 Close up of the garland, thick chain (painted styrofoam), small skeletons on a jute rope and lighted skulls on a motion sensor that plays the theme from "Halloween".  A couple of large skeletons will flank either side of the door.

This guy hangs from a shepherds hook holder a foot or so from the door.  I used to have this wonderful fake flaming oil pot that hung on the other hook, but I found the hard way it does not tolerate rain. I keep searching for a replacement but so far no dice!

The rats live at the bottom of the holder.  Last year there were 5 of them, but I suppose they became restless and ran away.  I really hope some little kid picked them up and put them in his/her treat bag.  I would give anything to have been a fly on the wall when the parents did an inspection of the candy!

Next is the pot of marigolds with a skeleton hand buried in it.  It holds another chain that attaches to the stair rail.  This table is where the head in the crystal ball will live and the marigolds will move to the porch floor.  The chain will be attached to another skeleton who hangs out on the steps.

Inside the front door is the candy station. It will be empty until Halloween afternoon.  Every year I give full size Hershey bars to all the little tricksters, and I have about 70 kids each year.  I just don't trust myself with that much chocolate!

More bats fly from the fixture in the foyer.  I have no idea why I like them there, but I do.  My theory is that every suspended light should have something hanging from it on every decorating occasion.

The monkey butler hangs out in the foyer all the time, but he seems to like dressing for special occasions.  He has been known to sport a mask for halloween,  a santa hat, leprechaun, hats or bunny ears.  He also has been seen wearing red white and blue bunting on occasion.

Ghosts and metallic scarecrows, and black cats hang from the dining room light.  This is really not crooked, but I took the picture at a weird angle.

I love flowers and what is more appropriate for Halloween than a bouquet of black roses. Yes they are silk and disappear the day after Halloween to be packed away for next years appearance. I have no idea what the green ball things are but they hurt like a son of a gun when you grab them.  Luckily you only grab them once and then you learn to be very careful with them.  If you are going to have black flowers what is more natural to have alongside it than a skull with a fully articulated jaw.  Sometimes when I pick it up and make it talk it says "Alas poor Yorick, I knew him, Horatio"  I am way to easily amused.

The last things occupying the opposite end of the dining room buffet are my animal skin pumpkins.  They originally were cheap carve-able pumpkins from Michaels.  I bought them one year after Halloween for next to nothing, painted them white then used a little tissue paper and Elmer's glue for a wildlife theme. So now I have a lion, tiger and leopard pumpkin.  They are showing a little wear and I might need to go on a tissue paper safari before next year.


How about sharing what you are doing for Halloween also?