Last week I had the task of dog-sitting my parents' hound, Major, while my parents were visiting the rest of our family out of state. Before leaving town, my mother had made sure to pull out all the autumnal stops, and when I turned the key and walked through my parents' door, I was immediately greeted by the familiar smell of home – warm vanilla and caramel and apples. My parents' home always smells the same (delicious!), and the way my mother decorates for the season is so cozy, no one ever wants to leave!
So I got it in my head that I, too, wanted to decorate for autumn, and promptly headed to Hobby Lobby. I mostly wanted a new centerpiece for my dinette table, but since I am very much centerpiece-challenged, this endeavor proved most difficult for me. "I wish I could just put things somewhere, and make them work like my mom does!" I thought. Seriously, my mom could scrape a dead racoon off the street and turn it into the most astounding, beautiful floral arrangement you've ever seen.
Not that she'd go anywhere near a dead racoon. Or the street, for that matter, since she's always home quilting or stitching or working or texting my dad to say that she's pretty sure he wants Arby's for dinner.
Anyway, when I was perusing the aisles in Hobby Lobby, I finally decided to stop over-thinking everything, and just BUY something already. I have a tendency to walk around the store with something I love, and then by the time I'm finished walking the store, I've thought up 35 different reasons why I shouldn't buy it, and I end up leaving empty-handed. I was determined this was not going to be the case this time, and I ended up purchasing a 3-tiered stand that I honestly had no clue what to do with. "But it looks like something my mom would buy," I thought. So I bought it.
As I drove home, I began thinking about what my mom would put on it, and then my buyer's remorse started turning into something a little happier… Here's what I ended up with, and I really like it!
As a matter of fact, I liked it so well, I took pictures from every angle!
After I was finished with the table, I moved on to the rest of the house. I decided I would decorate with all the Halloween models that were collecting dust in my dungeon basement. I had to do some rummaging bc they're all stuffed away in boxes, but I managed to find quite a few and got them upstairs.
Grim Gourds in the entryway…
Dead Man's Chess over the fireplace, next to Halloween Hornbook and Salem Sisters…
Here's mean old Emma Nettles…
And here's the next tombie sampler subject, watching me decorate…
Here's Ghoul, right behind one of The Boney Bunch figures from Yankee Candle…
Btw, this is the newest addition to my Boney Bunch figures (truth be told, I only have 3 of them), standing in front of Garden of Eerie…
Amos Figg… (his wife, Tillie, is hanging just above)…
(Btw, Mom got me hooked on these holiday candles by Bath and Body Works. This is one of my favorites! I also purchased a few more in Christmas scents, but I'll wait for the weather to turn brittle before I light them.)
I even placed a couple samplers in the bathroom. I thought Mehitable's epitaph was fitting for the back of the toilet…
(There's my first Boney Bunch figure, above, gifted to me by my mom as a fall present a few years ago!)
And here is Salem Sisters II on the wall nearest the sink…
Sophie loves the seasonal towels in my parents' bathrooms, so I decided to surprise her with one…
However, she decided to hang it on top of the crown towel my friend Chris got for me, which almost got the little Halloween towel returned to the store. 😉 Just kidding, Sophie!
Finally, here's one of the Blackbird Designs ornaments I stitched a few years ago to hang on my wire tree in the entryway. I have a few of them, and I love them all! (Who doesn't love Blackbird Designs?)
I had so much fun decorating this year! The pumpkins are on the front porch, the mums are blooming their burgundy best, and I even hung my Thimbleberries quilted pumpkin doorhanger on the front door. I can't wait for Sophie to start bringing home her artwork from school… the days of fingerpainting projects are gone, sadly, but I'm sure she'll have a new school masterpiece for the refrigerator this year. 🙂
I'm sure Mom would be proud of my fall decorating this year. I had fun with it, just like she always seems to. As a matter of fact, the only time I didn't see her having fun with decorating was when I was very little, and I'd bring home my school masterpieces.
But that's what my therapist is for.
Happy Decorating!
P.S. My sister got into the season, too!
21 Comments
Cathryn
Your new centerpiece is so cute! You did really well with it. I love how you decorated using your models. Really nice. As usual, thanks so much for sharing the lovely pics. 🙂
joann tx
i LOVE your new hobby lobby find for the dinette table! i’d love to go get one – you know i have to buy everything you do – but i have no dinette table! and my “kitchen” table, well, lets just say its got too much junk on it to even decorate! LOL!
i think you did a great job of decorating your home for the season! and all your designs and stitched works look great! you certainly are your mother’s daughter!
now i’m going to have to go to bath and body works and look for that carmel apple candle! anything to help it smell more like fall and less like dog…. LLLLLY!!!
KsMaryLou
The new centerpiece is fantastic! In fact, everything is fantastic! How cool to have all those cross stitch designs that are so perfect for Fall & Halloween. Can’t wait to see what you come up with for “the next tombie sampler subject”.
Breanna
you need to hang my flags up! 😉 just kidding
KarenV
Love your decorating! The table centrepiece is gorgeous!
Katrina
Gorgeous!!!! I love how you’ve decorated, want to come do my house ;-). Love the wrought iron piece too, I wonder if they have it at my hobby lobby? I may have to go look.
Catherine
Bravo!! It all looks great! Wish I had such stitchery hanging around in my basement!
Nancy
I think you must have inherited some of your Mom’s talents! I love your 3-tier Autumn decoration – it’s beautiful. Thanks for showing your Halloween samplers. I had no idea you had so many, and they’re all wonderful! I’m with Sophie – I love that towel!
Laura
You do know that Hobby Lobby will now be out of stock on that 3 tiered number you just bought? I’ll be so diappointed when I run out there this week (just because of YOU!) to find me one and do the same. I’m such the copy cat.
By the way, could you share a picture of that wire tree you have that BD ornament hanging from? It sounds interesting. Thanks!
Margaret
Love all the decorating! Gorgeous! I bet your mom’s house is pretty too. You two have a lot in common. 😀
Judith Poulos
Your Mom will be proud!! Your centerpiece looks beautiful. Loved loved LOVED ALL yourHalloween samplers!
michele
Love your new centerpiece! Wish we had HL here. I do love all our decorating .. love all your Halloween samplers! I purchased the Boney Bunch salt and pepper shakers, love them! Definately need more BB.
You should check our the Margarita candle from Bath and Body Works .. really great smell!
Spring Robin
Very pretty decorating, Paulette! I just LOVE Halloween! You’re lucky to have all of the models to decorate with. I would have some too, if I would stitch faster!
Linda Huson
I love your centerpiece!! Wish we had a Hobby Lobby here! And I’ve been jotting down designs I now want to purchase…… Especially Salem Sisters I & II and Mehitable!
Linda in VA
Valerie
I’m envious that you have a Hobby Lobby…there are none over here! Beautiful decorating! I love your dinette centerpiece and that all your spooky designs are out on display!
Julie H
Simply divine! That centerpiece is a work of art. And I love the Boney Bunch you are collecting. Makes me all the more ready for a full-time job and my own place, lol!
Betty
I really love the 3rd picture.
And what a lot of beautiful samplers you have.
Giovanna
Now I need to speed-stitch all of your Halloween charts languishing in my stash because I have this urge to decorate too… Tomb with a View on the back of the toilet, lol – genius, absolute genius!!
Sherry
I love your decorating. I want to go home now and decorate too!!!! Hopefully you won’t mind if I steal your idea for the centerpiece?! I love all your seasonal stitching too.
Siobhan
OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am in love. You did such a great job decorating, Paulette! I love that wrought iron piece that you bought. I have a tendency to do the same thing–pick something, then think of all the reasons why I shouldn’t buy it… and then kick myself afterwards when I’ve not bought it & it is sold out when I go back for it!! Like somebody already said, I need to go speed stitch your Halloween charts so I can do some fun decorating–maybe next year. 😉
Lynn
I love, love, love how you decorated that tiered stand!! It’s absolutely gorgeous. My imagination isn’t that good so I rely on people like you to help me out. Too bad we don’t have a Hobby Lobby here in my part of Canada. I’ll be on the lookout though! Thanks for sharing the pics.