Halloween wrap up!

Happy Halloween everybody!

My mantel acquired a spooky mood

for Halloween

I started out with a fall look using some

of my elements already on the mantel

and then I added some spooky elements

for Halloween...

When I saw these sparkly pumpkins at

T.J.'s I decided to go with them for my

mantel since I tend to decorate a little

more formal I thought they would be easy

enough to incorporate.

 A few leaves and candles give it a more

festive look

When Halloween is over I'll remove the

skulls and raven and add a few

pieces for Thanksgiving

It looks great at night...

 My more playful side came out this year!

 Had fun with some old a new

decorations!

Boo!

The dining table has a little bit of

fall and Halloween decorating...

This runner (which I've owned for

at least 10 years) is pretty long

so I put it on an angle

It has these nice black tassels of which 

my cats found very interesting almost

immediately!  That was another reason

for the angle- keeping them from having

a field day with them while sitting on a chair!

 Spider webs and bats

 Stacked pumpkins with moss in

cylinder glass pieces

This will carry through Thanksgiving too

with the exception of the runner

A combination of fall picks tucked in with

some fall decorated balls in the top of

my centerpiece

 This cabinetry divides the living room 

and dining room and I decorate it

like a sideboard...

 I fell in love with this frame at a gift shop

and put a printed picture of a witch in it-

but I will soon change it...

She's kind of  a witch/scarecrow in a field

 Luminaries always set the mood!

 In the living room I stacked these gourds, 

pumpkins and miniature corn pieces

I added some skulls for Halloween!

 Outside on the deck my fall arrangements

greets you (see the turkey feather stuck in

with the flowers?- we have quite a few

that visit our bird feeding station)

Happy Halloween

I've had some fun

with it this year-

I hope you've found a way to enjoy 

Halloween this year too !

I'm joing The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays
and
BNOTP for Metamorphosis Monday

Frost Has Finally Hit!

We've had a beautiful long fall season with great temperatures!

 A hazy sky...The sand dunes in the distance with

Lake Michigan barely showing at the top and

Crystal Lake showing in the foreground.

I have to prepare for winter now.  Time to
empty all the planters and get them stored
in the garage.  

I hate to see the season end.

All the lawn furniture will be tucked away 

in storage because we get so much snow. 

I am late on trimming back plants, but it's

been a nice long autumn and I chose
to enjoy it!

My hydrangeas were still blooming
and so was my grandiflora rose.  

It's all going to change rapidly now since

 we finally got our first frost.

Last weekend I planted 80 tulips bulbs, and
three lilac bushes.  We also planted 3 more
maple trees along our property lot line.
They seem small now but someday

we will thank ourselves for doing it!

A few weeks back I captured this scene on our driveway under the ash tree.
It always has beautiful golden yellow leaves- I just wish it would last longer!
In a few days it was all done!

I hope you have been enjoying your Autumn
and your gardens are ready for winter's nap!
I'm looking forward to seeing
my new tulips next spring and smelling the lilacs!

Bewitching Gathering

I'm recycling this halloween post from 2011.
Please join me once again for my
Bewitching Gathering!
I'm joining 
Cuisine Kathleen for
Let's Dish  

BNOTP for
Tablescape Thursday 


Halloween

Bewitching Gathering

Winnie Green flew in to check out

this dinner engagement

She brought along some of her favorite things and seated herself on the champagne bucket!  She's surrounded with purple roses, purple sunflowers, skeletons and spiders!

A black crow keeps watch over her as she 

casts her spell on this dinner table...

 She's brought some friends along to check out the food

 Skull bone candy is served

Salt and pepper shakers must be included too!

 Tonight's dinner is served on black dinner plates from the dollar store, Mikasa's Italian Countryside salad plates and the appetizer plates are by TAG called Halloween Black Plaid

 The purple placemats came from T.J. Maxx and the silver flatware are a set that used to be my Mother's called Reflection by Rogers Bros.

 I like their simple cute design!

 Skull and Cross Bones Wine Glasses
from T.J. Maxx

Evening has fallen and the trees look ominous 

in the dark sky!

Perfect for our bewitching gathering!

 Lots of hands help guide your eyes

 Some are rather creepy

She likes the darkness even more!

The chairs have been mummified and blood stains have appeared!

Time to enjoy some food and spirits!

Witches Brew is in order!

A black light adds some special effects!

Having fun with Halloween (adult style!)

Thanks for stopping in- I hope you enjoyed the visit!

Joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch
for Tablescape Thursdays

Fall Season Touring

A couple of weeks ago we took a tour of some 

small towns near us to check

out the fall colors. 

There are many small quaint little towns

around here and one can follow the

lakes and find many lovely spots

to view.

Up in the subdivision that we found a few years

ago we fell in love with the views.  It's

about 25 miles from our city that we

live in.  Unfortunately the contractor that

started this subdivision lost it to the bank

and only 2 houses have been built in it.

This is one spot we like and the above pictures

are views you could have from your home

if you built there!  This last picture shows a

small inland lake called Crystal Lake.  

To the north of this lot is a view from another parcel

that shows the bluffs and the sand dunes we visited

the week before.

 This is Crystal Lake in the foreground and beyond

the dunes at the top of the picture is part of

Lake Michigan

Another shot showing Lake Michigan

Sorry it's not better, it was a hazy day.

Further on we stopped at a roadside 

scenic look-out

Doesn't it look like you're in the New England area!

It's a ways up to get some good views....I'm down on 

the right by the railing...I chose to stay down

on the lower level...

 My husband and daughter checking

out the view....

It was so beautiful, I wish I could have

captured it better!  The sound of the waves

clipping the shore was mesmerizing.  I

could live with that sound all day!

Lake Michigan is big and beautiful!

On our way back home the moon

was visible as the sun was

still setting.

A pretty ending to a nice day!

We're just about done here with all the color.

Most of the trees have lost their leaves

and with November just around the

corner it's going to start getting

cold and wet soon!

Time to snuggle up indoors!

and soon we will be thinking about Thanksgiving!

Before that though we still have to prepare our yard

for the winter.  We get so much snow here that we

put all our lawn furniture inside our small barn

and all the flower pots get emptied and stored

away.  I hate to see it come, but it always does!