Halloween decorating outside....started....

Estimated Reading Time.....3 minutes, 6 seconds

First things first- replenish the planters on the front patio and the guest room patio.  Summer is brutal here in Arizona.  I am lucky that anything survived.  I have kept about 80% alive but they all look a little sickly.  So Home Depot here I come.

Front window banner

The second thing I do is string a banner up across my front window.  The Halloween sign has been around for a couple of years and each year I add a few new embellishments.  I added the fabric banner and then the lights on the sides with more fabric ties.  It just seems to brighten things up a bit.

I have a couple of fake Jack O Lanterns that will be lit to welcome the trick or treaters.

I need a few mums from Home Depot and I really need a couple of new pots.  I was about to move one of the super, old terra cotta pots and it crumbled as I was trying to lift it up.  So it was in pieces- time to let it go.

Front window with Halloween fans hanging below the banner

I used to do the hay bales but they seem to attract insects or maybe they bring them along.  It never gets cold enough to kill flying things or crawling things until November or even December so I am not even going to give hay bales a try this year.

The biggest job outdoors are the lights.  I have a neighbor who puts up thousands of lights for Halloween.  I am directly across the street from her so I started doing a few lights myself.  Last year the only time it rained the entire year was when I had the lights strung and they kept blowing out.  So I am going to be uber careful this year and not plug them in until nighttime and then unplug them in the morning.  I am not sure if my new strategy will work but it is worth a try.  Last year we had hundreds of trick or treaters.  My neighbors house is a big draw and then they just land over here because I am across the street and I did have a few hundred lights strung.

My favorite cart filled with fake pumpkins, cart made by Marty

Oh my- since I started roughing out this posting my neighbor has started doing her lights.  I walked out to get the paper this morning really early and her house was all lit up for Halloween.  Marty said she must have done it yesterday--- really- my lights were on the dining room table and this morning I decided that I can't get to it until after we go to the Desert Trip so our house is a little desolate and will be that way for at least another week.

Projects in Motion:

1. Advent Food Project-continue to accumulate food for the food boxes to be delivered to food bank by Dec 24.  Encourage all friends and family to start their own boxes
2. Christmas Book Project- All books are ordered, need to gift wrap, ribbon and tag when they are all at the house.  Some of the books I ordered will not arrive until October, on their release date.  I know a couple of friends who also do the Christmas Book Project- Get those books ordered- I tried to do a few a day and just got it finished.  
3. Burlap Book Project- In process, watch for photos
4. Gratitude Book- On my desk upstairs...I want to have it ready before Thanksgiving this year
5. Birthday Book for one of the G kids- in process- need to finish
6. Halloween cards- Need to get the photos in the new costumes, then order and mail
7. Kitchen reno-  finalize tile orders, hire painter, end of October empty kitchen---this will be the awful part.  We finalized the appliance order today.  Lucky I took Marty to see the appliances because he did not like the range hood I selected.  So we changed range hoods and all other appliances were a go--- Paid for and ordered...

Ya-Ya's Book shelf: Please note Ya-Ya likes to read beachy books in the spring and summer and then after Halloween I like to read Christmas fiction--- all happy stuff- nothing heavy....

Robyn Carr- The Life She Wants

Jill Shalvis- The Trouble With Mistletoe

RaeAnn Thayne-Snowfall On Haven Point

Maybe I'm Amazed by Paul Mc Cartney- appearing at The Desert Trip next week on Saturday night---- Yahoo- just a few more days!!!

"Maybe I'm amazed at the way you love me all the time
Maybe I'm afraid of the way I love you
Maybe I'm amazed at the the way you pulled me out of time
And hung me on a line
Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you"

Coming Soon:

• Tribute to Papou
• The Desert Trip Realized
• Neighbors Craft A Thon
• Burlap Book Project
• The Kitchen Reno
• Friend Decorate for Halloween too and they let me take pictures
• Garage Makeover

Love, Ya-Ya