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Sunday, October 28, 2012

Countdown to Halloween

How do you choose who'll be handing out candy
during a cold blustery Halloween night?

In our house we use the ever so diplomatic
rock-paper-scissors method to decide.

   Although I've never quite grasped the concept behind the game, I always win! 
 As in..... I'll be parked in front of the warm fireplace
 doing something much more constructive like knitting or Pinning,
 while the Candyman hands out candy to the little ghosts and goblins.
(Have you ever heard of a candywoman?  No, of course not.)

After all, it's only fair that I get to rest after doing all the decorating!


I recently won a $50 gift certificate to Shabby Apple (visit their shop here) from
 Sandi at A Cottage Muse (visit her here to see the vintage treasures in her home
 and the ones she uses to stock her space at Wrentham Country Store).

Sandi's mantel. 
 Don't you love the way she used the rusty old springs?


 For my gift, I chose a set of eight numbered cloth napkins which
 inspired me to decorate our dining room in black & white for Halloween.
I simply folded them and hung them on the rungs of an old ladder.
They add a bright spot to a dark corner and help
conceal some of the many cracks in the plaster walls!



Thank you Sandi and Shabby Apple!

The napkins came tied with the numbered ribbon I've used to hang silhouettes of our
 grandchildren created by my blog friend Tracy of Crow's Feet Chic.
I printed small images in black & white and framed them out
in a pair of matching thrift shop frames.  You can see them up close
in the first picture above.  Thanks again Tracy!


This is the first year we've had the circa 1960's Sears fireplace
in our dining room for Halloween and I used the same rock-paper-scissors
concept when it came to prepping the room for the boo crew.
Well, I guess there weren't any rocks involved, but I made
good use of paper and scissors.



I cut out a pennant banner using construction paper and newspaper I had in the house. 
 I stamped letters on the newspaper and taped each piece to the fireplace. 
No sewing!

A few of my old clocks, vintage black shoes, black licorice in the covered
apothecary jar, and a few dollar store crows to spook it up a bit.
I picked branches and rose hips from our yard and stuffed them into a
vintage vase for my rather sorry excuse of a "floral arrangement".
Floral arranging is not my cup of tea.


I removed my Blue Willow plates from the holder between the
windows and replaced them with 4 circa 1950 framed silhouettes.


Here's the whole set.



My blue & white stagecoach blinds weren't fitting in with the
black & white theme, so they've been temporarily tossed aside for
a no sew valance.  A few pieces of sheet music, some tape, a
paper punch and voila!  (That's what happens when I'm
stuck in the house on a wet, snowy day.  Do you see
the snow covered branches through the window?)



For the table, I filled my tool caddy with scented pine cones and tangerines (they're round and
orange and close enough to pumpkins for me!) and set it on a runner I made from leftover
kitchen curtain fabric.  As you can see there's no cauldron filled with candy yet.
  Why?  Somebody (me) can't leave the chocolate bars alone,
 so we don't buy them until the last possible minute.

In a few days, when you're discussing who'll be handing out
candy, remember the tried and true Ranger method of
rock-paper-scissors.

I always win.  :@

Vickie

I'm joining the parties at:
Knick of Time Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style Wow us Wednesday
Cedar Hill Ranch Cowgirl Up

36 comments:

  1. I've done NO halloween decorating, except for plunking a few pumpkins outside our door, but we live in such a rural area, with very few kids around and we'll be gone at our church's Trunk or Treat, so no one has ever had to had out candy at our house!

    Your decor looks wonderful - those little black shoes are precious and I love the numbered towels!

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  2. I love the vintage silhouettes in black and white. I also love that last picture ... is that one of those Prims? I think they're so cute. I'm sorry you have snow (unless of course you like it, then I'm happy for you). Do you usually get snow this early or is it a fluke? Anywho, your Halloween decorations look great, including that adorable mantel!

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  3. Love the tangerines and pinecones! The sheet music valance is fun! I could start a silhouette collection very easily, so I'm holding you responsible with this post if I pick up any silhouettes this week.

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  4. oh my gosh, where to begin, I love it all, the silhouettes are amazing, well everything is just beautiful, the music cut valance is something I have never saw before,

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  5. Vickie your home looks so cool dressed up for Halloween! You are so talented I am truly inspired!!! Now as far as handing out the candy that would me me! But I actually get the better deal.My husband has to walk around out in the cold with my daughter while she trick or treats!No way I am letting her out on her own.And her friends don't live in our hood :-(
    Happy Halloween!
    xx
    Anne

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  6. Love your Halloween decor. No kids here anymore, but it was fun when they were growing up. No one trick or treats on our street. Love that ladder with the numbered towels. I saw some great old ladders at the fair, but don't know where to use one.

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  7. I love everything about this. Your banner is so cute and I love that you just taped up the pieces. How clever. Your silhouettes are fabulous,and your valance is another great idea. You can leave that up right through Christmas. Perfect start to the holidays.

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  8. Vickie,
    everything looks amazing! Love the black and white, perfect for Halloween! The banner, the shoes, the pumpkin man at the end, heck, it's all my favorite! Lucky you not to have to hand out that dangerous stuff, from bowl to my mouth! I'm going to be at Kate's for Kailyn's 1st halloween!
    Rebecca

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  9. You've got some beautiful displays there! I'm loving those numbered napkins and how you've got them hanging on the ladder. You deserve to put your feet up on Halloween and let the Candyman hand out the treats! Looks just wonderful at you house as always!!

    ~Lynn

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  10. Ohhh! Loved the black and white prints! 1, Since Finley was your first, 2 for Mack, and 3 for The Baby On the Way! Did you mean to do that?

    If that black licorice is still there when we come, it won't last long. It is my number one pregnancy craving this time around.

    Looks like a lovely display. Can you believe I didn't decorate at all this year? Well....maybe a little. ;) See future blog post. Haha.

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  11. Love those little towels and how cute they look on that ladder. I love the black and white themed decor for Halloween! Very cute!

    hugs, Linda

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  12. Cool theme. Love the white pumpkins with rusty spring

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  13. Wow...everything looks wonderful!
    The napkins are perfect and I love the pinecones and tangerines!!
    Thanks for the shout out too!
    Have a great day ~ oh and I am so going to try rock paper scissors!!

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  14. I love the black and white theme. You never disappoint. Can't wait to see Thanksgiving at your house.

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  15. I'm loving your numerated ladder and I'm with Julie - the first thing I thought of was the numbering of the grandchildren. The girls have quite a bit of work to do to fill up all eight of those lovely napkins! You may have to count the granddog and grandkitties!

    I love the silhouettes in B&W and your new mantle perch. How fun to have another place to decorate! Really like the B&W, clocks, crows and your cute prim pumpkin man with the pencil thin legs. The valence is brilliant. Love the little touches of orange here and there, especially in your perfectly fitting bunting!

    I'll remember not to play rock, paper, scissors with you although I do prefer to hand out candy if it's really cold. I'll check with the weatherman before I try the patented Ranger911 method!

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  16. I let Hubby be the Candyman at our house too. The napkins are great on the ladder. I love, love the sillouhettes and the music valence. I've gotta try that. (after all-I'm a piano teacher). Your mantle with the black and white is wonderful.

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  17. I love to hand out the candy even when it is cold, the kids are too cute to resist. Love all your silhouettes, my sister and I had ones done in the 60's, I wonder what happened to them?? Your display is great! Laura

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  18. Vickie, love that mantle. You have your own vintage style and I like it very much. I will be home alone on Halloween but normally no one comes as we have zero street lights in our quiet neighborhood and are on a gravel road. We appear not trustworthy, I suppose, in the dark. Your grandkiddos silhouettes(boy would I lose the spelling bee on that word) are too cute. xo, olive

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  19. Even though we don't do Halloween decorations much here, we do get trick or treaters and I'm afraid I put a sign out saying 'Please don't stop here, it upsets the dog'. It's actually true as he barks every time the doorbell rings, but we don't like it much either - what old misery's we are !!
    Love the towels, so pretty on the ladder. I really really need a ladder, and now I want to make music sheet trims - such a fab idea that might find it's way into Christmas.

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  20. Love your win, they look great on your ladder. We are supposedly be getting a lot of ghosts and goblins, this is our first Halloween in our home.

    Take care and stop by my blog, I have a candle giveaway!

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  21. PDC. Pretty Darn Cute. I'll hand out candy if I also get to scare the little tykes.

    Bliss

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  22. Hello Vickie! Everything is fantastic!
    The pieces of sheet music, the old shoes, the tool caddy, you are so creative...
    Simple and gorgeous as always!
    When I was a child no one knew about Halloween here in my country. Now it's a bit more common to hear about it but not as much as there. And, it never snows here in Buenos Aires.
    Oh, this is very difficult for me... I'm very talkative but my English is very poor, sorry!
    Besos, Silvina

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  23. Great decorating Vicki! Found you through Mias Landiv. I only live about an hour from you! Love you mantle and the sheet music is oh so creative.

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  24. So pretty...please join me at www.vintageonadime.blogspot.com for Welcome Home Wednesday Debbie:)

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  25. Loving your black and white theme. I bet you made your window treatments for a song :)

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  26. My favorite, the banner, the silhouettes and the pumpkins on springs. I am right after you at the Cowboy up party.

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  27. Happy Halloween my sweet friend. May it be a super fun and safe one. Love, love, love your Haloween inspired dining room. Sending you a great big hug.

    ❤Ana

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  28. Love this Halloween post! I am always amazed by your creativity! Happy Halloween to you and your family!

    Jody

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  29. Oh my love those silhouettes and that wonderful fireplace. What a very cozy home.

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  30. I am loving your ladder and cutlery tray, and your blog...glad I found you!
    Bec x

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  31. I absolutely love ALL of this, Vickie! Whimsical and charming! Taping up the separate banner pieces is such a great idea and the sheet music valance is perfect! You have such a lovely home!!

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  32. I LOVE your decor! Your dining room looks so beautiful.

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  33. Another fun post... how exciting that you won the No napkins, and you knew just what to do with them. Everything looks so nice. Love all all the little silhouettes ... well, I love it all! Good Job Vickie!!!

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  34. Love your sheet music valances...so cute ! Jean

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  35. Love those sheet music valances!! So creative. I can't believe it's that cold up north. We had 70 degree weather for Halloween. The kids were really sweating. It amazes me that there is so much variation. Good thing the party was inside.

    Does your husband know the rules for Rock, Paper, Scissors or do you make up the rules? ha I do that sometimes.

    Enjoyed your blog.

    Judy

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  36. Vickie! Your decorations were so unique and adorable!
    Are you still getting snow?

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