Sunday, October 23, 2011

My Fall Mantel, Our Haunted House and A Winner

I am really not one for changing my fireplace mantel with the change of seasons. I usually only deck it out at Christmas. However, my son put his pumpkin up there, and it looked rather lonely and pathetic. So, I painted a few faux pumpkins and added some other natural elements to keep the lone pumpkin company.

It took no time at all, and now my mantel is ready for Fall...


Here is one side with two of the faux pumpkins. I painted one with sage craft paint and one with old white chalk paint. I cut a branch from a tree in our yard and put it in the urn.


Here's the other side with the real deal pumpkin and another faux white one. I put a branch and some ornamental grass in this urn.


There it is all together. Nothing fancy, but it works for me!

Warning:  If you scare easily, you may want to turn back now, because our house is officially haunted....


BOO!


I'm not sure which is scarier... this trio of ghosts or the dead yew in the background.


This is really freaky, because we don't even have a cat!


Perhaps he showed up to catch the spider!


This isn't scary. I just wanted to show you my baby cabbage. (I also wanted you to see that the boxwoods I planted in the spring are still going strong! Yay!)

Glad we got our spook on before Halloween arrived. Just need to make 4 jack-o-lanterns and we'll be ready to trick or treat.

Have I mentioned that my neighbor's house is already decorated for Christmas? Every year as I struggle to stake the ghosts into the ground, a team of decorators is decking the halls across the street. It's quite the production! We tried to outdo them by leaving lights in our trees since last Christmas. Yeah. We're those people.

The winner of the $30 gift card to whimsy studios is Tidden Tales!! Congratulations! Hope you enjoy your fresh picked whimsy!!


Thanks for stopping by! Have a great week :)


Linking up to:


Tuesday's Treasures
Open House Thursdays
Wow Us Wednesdays
2805: Potpourri Party
Common Ground's Fabulous Fall Fun

23 comments:

  1. Love those 'cat eyes' in the windows! What a cute idea! (never mind the neighbour's Christmas stuff....they've obviously got too much time on their hands!)

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  2. I love your mantel decor. Especially adore the outside ghosts!

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  3. I love your mantle. The room with looks very inviting
    Helenxx

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  4. You did a great job with the mantel...it looks totally ready for fall! Love that you painted the pumpkins!! And I like the tree branches.

    Your outside looks nice and spooky. We have tons of boxwood...I love them!! Your ghosts look amazing!!

    XO,
    Janie

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  5. Your mantel looks so pretty! I love those colors against the warm wood around the fireplace. Your Halloween decor is really great too. I love those window panels like that. I've seen those before and have always liked how they look. They make such a statement! I can't believe that your neighbor is already decorating for Christmas and it's not even Halloween yet! We have neighbors that start decorating soon after Halloween just because they have SO much stuff to put out that it takes them that long! Ha! I don't decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving.

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  6. I like the simplicity of your mantel decor, and the giant spider and cat eyes in the windows look awesome!

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  7. I don't think I've seen a piucture of the exterior of your house before. It is really beautiful! I love your pots with the box and cabbage plants, the brickwork and the beautiful colour of the shutters! x Sharon PS Like your mantel too!

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  8. Love your decorating and those eyes in your windows are really creepy. Christmas already? seriously? sheesh.

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  9. It looks awesome! Great job!

    Jenny
    www.simcoestreet.blogspot.com

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  10. Could this really be the home of four little boys? How do you do it? You have made such a lovely home.
    Linda @ A Toile Tale

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  11. I love your mantel, it looks really beautiful and warm. Your ghosts are soooo scary and that is a large kitty! :) I can't believe that your neighbors put up Christmas decor already, I thought I was bad! :)

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  12. I love the woodwork in that room. Super elegant, and yet cozy too.

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  13. I would SO totally do my house for Easter to beat them.. BIG bunny on the roof, eggs falling from trees.. CHRISTMAS?.. they should be ashamed-

    Love your little ghosts in the front yard!

    Maddie

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  14. Wow.. your house is so beautiful! I love the paneling walls!

    Enjoyed so much seeing your mantel. Simple, elegant and welcoming. Great job!!!


    Have a Blessed Week!

    xo

    Luciane at HomeBunch.com

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  15. I love your mantel. Simple definitely works for me. I'm doing a talk for young Moms at our Church in the morning on holiday decorating and trying to keep it simple. XO, Mona

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  16. Christmas??? That's just "wrong"!
    Your mantel looks so pretty- the pumpkins look great with your painting.
    Your halloween house is very festive... and scary!!

    happy halloween!

    joan

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  17. Wish you were closer! I need you to stage my house. Potentially having some fancy pants people over this weekend and my 10yr old plastic Halloween decorations from Target aren't going to cut it!

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  18. Hello sweetie,

    I meant to come here yesterday, but I've been feeling so tired and I'm trying to take it easy.

    You have no idea how happy I felt for reading your comment and knowing that everything went well w/ your son. I immediately thanked God for that. We do have to count our blessing, don't we?

    Wishing you a great day!!!

    xo

    Luciane at HomeBunch.com

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  19. Carolyn, The cat eyes are fabulous! Your Fall mantel is beautiful and I love the warm wood in this room. Thank you for linking to the Open House Party.
    Hugs,
    Sherry

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  20. My, what great cat eyes you have! Cute ghosts and lovely vignette!

    I am delighted you linked to Potporri Friday!

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  21. Love the Mantel & that painting is Beautiful..... Boo~tiful Decor outside!

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  22. It looks beautiful and EEKKK I'm so excited to go shopping with my gift card!! Thank you!

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  23. You did a great job decorating!!! And...you must be watering those boxwoods! I keep putting them in and they keep dying!

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