H-A-Double-L-O-W-Double-E-N

To say we're Meg is excited for Halloween would currently be an understatement.  This is the first time since I was in 4th grade that Halloween has the potential to bring in a massive amount of trick-or-treater and for there to be a reason to decorate the house.  I grew up in Salem, MA.  Witch City, USA.  Halloween celebrations begin October 1st and trick-or-treating is the event of the year.  Now that we're in our new home - in the cutest neighborhood ever - we're hoping for lots and lots of kids and family fun.  Without kids of our own we will focus on great decorations and fun treats.  We want to be a house that is remembered.

Sticking to our free and cheap project goals though, we're picked out several budget friendly decor ideas.

• Googly eyes - seen on bhg.com
• Window Shadows, also seen on bhg.com - we're aiming for a "Ghoul and Goblin Party" appearance (I refuse to scare little kids)
• Magnetic Spiders on the doors
• Black Pumpkins - via chalk board paint
• The good old - broom and with hat sitting on the coat hook at the front door (enhanced with a pirate hat and sword also hung up)
• Possibly some yard graves and a wheel barrel full of dirt and bones

Hopefully we'll find time for all of this to happen and not get our hopes up for just a few kids.

What are your plans for Halloween this year? Will you go all out? Are you dressing up?!

I can't say the chalk board pumpkin is an original for sure, but I don't think I've seen it before.  I just painted it when I was paining everything with chalkboard paint, why not paint a pumpkin.  Plus - black pumpkins without chalk look very creepy to me.  This guy above was decor at my craft fair over the weekend.  I should have just brought hundreds of these and sold them for $10 - everyone liked him... more than my jewelry...

A tutorial really isn't needed.  Pick pumpkin, paint two coats for chalk board paint, let cure, draw faces.  (Just don't use a sugar pumpkin.  This little guy rotted out in about a week - the regular ones last for months)

And Matt though I was crazy for telling him not to throw away any of the sticks from the yard.  Well, I made this awesome witch broom for FREE! This also doesn't need too much of a tutorial - bundle sticks together to look like a broom - secure with floral wire - glue gun hemp around like so.

We've also started the hunt for our costumes - Matt is growing out his beard to be Abraham Lincoln the vampire slayer, and I already got my bow and quiver for my Katniss costume.