I didn’t always use to be a Halloween fan. I did love Halloween Decor but when I was a little girl, I loved the excitement of being out with friends at dark, and seeing other friends on the sidewalk. We’d run and yell and it was all so exciting. The part I didn’t love? Dressing up.
It seems as though I’ve changed my mind about the dressing up part. Ha! This is me last year as Maleficent!
I’m originally from Orlando, Florida. Home of the theme park. In high school we spent every year going to Halloween Horror Nights. What I loved was the romance of being out at dark with friends, and maybe (just maybe!) getting to talk through a haunted house with a boy I liked who would hold my hand (I was a shy high schooler and by no means fast with boys)! I hated every second of the scariness though. I still to this day hate to be scared!
What has changed is my love of dressing up. When our children were born I started loving getting them all dressed up. As they got older it became so fun and full of joy to dress up with them. They have more fun when my husband and I dress up. It’s all silly, it’s all in good fun, and you see and feel Halloween through a child’s eyes.
Here is the outside of our Halloween Decor on the outside of our home in past Halloweens:
To make the outside look so festive I change out my regular bulbs for orange lightbulbs both inside and out. Inside I use a regular orange bulb then outside are a mix of orange Christmas lights and orange flood lights.
This is actually a super unique way to make your house stand out. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anyone change up the lights inside and out.
A great thing about this set-up is it’s soooo easy to do! Your lights are already there, just a quick bulb swap and you’re good to go. These bulbs are so easy to store too so it gives your house the “I went all out look” without having to store totes an totes of halloween decorations each year.
Tip: Change out your light bulbs to orange lights. It adds a magical and fun touch!
I use spider webs everywhere and then our giant spiders add a fun touch. If you want the spiders, you better buy them now. They sell out so quickly!
These pumpkins aren’t the ones in the picture, however Pottery Barn is one of my most trusted decor places. I’m confident these will last for the long haul the way my Pier 1 pumpkins have.
I love using the wicker pumpkins because you can add to them. I grab some string lights to give it a bright glow that can’t be missed.
Tip: With Halloween decor big or go home! I love our giant spiders. One of them is named “Harry” at our house and I can’t remember the other guy’s names. They look amazing. Halloween is not a time to be subtle!
We decorate our home for almost every holiday. Our Dining Room has a manzanita branch centerpiece instead of a chandelier (you can read another centerpiece idea here), and it’s such fun to decorate it for each season for the holidays. It’s hysterical to me that my daughter and my one son both get so excited they can’t stand it to decorate it! My other son really doesn’t care but he pretends to!
Shop Centerpiece Pieces
I love Pier 1’s Halloween decor. I usually take a trip every year to find what fun little ornaments or table decor they have! I also layer burlap with fun Halloween fabric. It makes it nice and easy to transition to the Fall.
Shop Centerpiece Add Ons
My son (the one who surprisingly doesn’t get into this!) helping with the Halloween decor setup.
“The spider is sleeping” says my son when he put him there!
I love how the spider webs they look with these flameless candles! I love flameless candles, especially ones on a timer! One last thing to remember!
learn how to re-create the manzanita centerpiece here!
Tip: Decorate with your Halloween decor early in the month, but hold off on the final touches until the day of!
I love to get our spider webs, light up pumpkins and “Harry” out a few weeks early, BUT! I leave the orange lights until the night of. I also add a strobe light to the front door for extra fun. I always have this all decorated on the day of Halloween. Our bus driver has what’s called “The Boo Bus” and he drives to school with the lights off. It’s such fun (he’s a very safe driver by the way and the nicest man). It’s fun to have the house all lit up when The Boo Bus arrives!
BOO! Did I scare you? I loved my make-up I did for Halloween. Here are some great items you can use to re-create it!
Beyond home decor, I hope you find the fun and silliness in Halloween. It’s just the best night to be out with your kids watching them yell and giggle and while they are young – wanting you to be there witnessing and being a part of it. Life doesn’t get much better than that!
Your home is beautiful and I love that costume! You did a great job with that makeup. I am so impressed!
Marie, thank you!!! At some point on Halloween before going out to trick or treat my husband said “you do know Halloween is really for the kids, right?” Ha!!!! I love it. I wanted so badly to share our family costumes over the years for inspiration but my husband again said “we aren’t a reality show.” I’m still working on convincing him… 🙂 I loved your tour, Marie!