My door is decorated with Mr. Pumpkin, an engaging fellow from Simply Gianna. You may recall I was going to add him to my decor--and I did for this special season. He'll hang around through Thanksgiving.
All of us adore seeing the little ones who come to the door and delight in all the princesses, pirates, witches, and goblins with grinning faces. Moms and dads are usually hanging back with careful eyes on their young ones. It's a nice holiday when it's all in good fun.
Halloween is also definitely a season changer. After the masks are hung up, we adults start planning for Thanksgiving. I am a holiday kind of person. I love all the tradition, the good will and good spirits, and try to keep the stress level down. I'm always thinking about how to make our home prettier and more welcoming. And there are so many things to help us on the market these days. But aren't the best decorations the ones you and your kids make.? 'Tis the season to be creative and have a jolly good time.
Mr. Pumpkin is very cute sitting on the basket.
ReplyDeleteMr. Pumpkin is definitely a charmer. I love decorations made from natural materials. I have a trio of hollowed-out gourds that mark the three month period from Labor Day to Thanksgiving for me.
ReplyDeleteOne very special fall when I had a break from stress in my life, I took my time preparing for the holiday, spending a great deal of time gathering nuts and dried berries and brilliant leaves. Halloween came and went and was followed by a series a dark, dank November days. I had a tough time letting go of the season, and kept my jack-o-lantern burning for at least two days before - no pun intended - giving up the ghost.
Almost as soon as I let go of the fall, a period of great challenge began and lasted for several years.
That fall was so special.
I am looking forward to putting out my traditional November decorations, very sentimental and special to me, which include Pilgrim figurines, dried maize, and paper cutouts of two Pilgrims and two Indians which my children made when they were very small. The paper cutouts are special for obvious reasons, and they never fail to bring a smile to my face when I see the bold crayon strokes of their brightly colored outfits, faces, and hair. I can still remember vividly the day they colored them and then glued them onto construction paper so that they would stand up. They have graced our kitchen table every year since then.
ReplyDeleteThen there are the Pilgrim figurines and multi-colored maize. They were given to me by my grandmother, the one who first introduced me to Victoria magazine as a new bride. She had exceptional taste in most everything... classic elegance. She knew what it was to be genteel, and she wanted that same thing for me. She knew she had found a treasure in Victoria and wanted to share it with me. She purchased my first subscription to Victoria when I was just a young bride (starting with the second issue), and it made such a difference in my life. It made me want to bring beauty into our life in so many ways. Even my husband fell in love with the magazine because he saw and appreciated the impact it had on my tastes. I was reading through several of the November issues just this afternoon, and as I read the phrases on the cover and throughout the text a thought occurred to me. I have always had a love affair with words, and while the images of Victoria always brought such visual joy (especially those of Toshi Otsuki and Starr Ockenga), I believe the carefully chosen words and phrases throughout each issue were what captured my heart. I also believe that is why when I go back and re-read the older issues, they never seem to be old or go out of style. I am so thankful for the traditions I now have as a result of my relationship with my grandmother.
Christi
I couldn't agree with you more...thanks for saying those things, Christi! Only this past weekend, I put up a mantlepiece I snagged from a salvage place and on it, my grandfather's mantle clock, a big old lamp, a pair of watercolors (very old-fashioned), an autumn bouquet in a colorful tin, and a candle. That end of the room, once so bare, now exudes Victoria charm. I have found that the patina of those old "shabby chic" style items brings a warmth that few new things can ever aspire to. I owe it to Victoria's style mavens; they have guided me these many years on how to create a warm, comforting haven of peace and beauty. Top tip: Think DEEP RED!
ReplyDeleteSnuggled into home,
Karen Marline
There's that kindred spirit I used to love when I'd read your Jenny Walton stories and your editorials in Victoria.
ReplyDeleteSo when you say...... "I am a holiday kind of person. I love all the tradition, the good will and good spirits...... I'm always thinking about how to make our home prettier and more welcoming", I say Me Too!