Tag: halloween

My Favorite Halloween & Fall Decor at Target

Chelsea HarperLeave a comment

For years, I have been trying to steal the title “Queen of Christmas” from Mariah Carey. I always put up a tree, but starting in 2016, I really turned the Christmas cheer up to an 11 (it’s been a rough several years for the world!) But this year, things might look a little different. As I’m expecting twins at some point between, well, later today and my to-be-scheduled induction on November 1, I may just not have the energy or the time to create my usual Winter Wonderland.

So this year, I am embracing all things fall! I didn’t even wait until September to start with the pumpkin spice lattes. Fall is definitely the best actual season, at least weather-wise, but as someone who doesn’t eat candy and hates scary movies, Halloween has never really been my thing (even though my anniversary is 10/30 and we had a candy buffet at our wedding…go figure).

As much as you may try to deny it before it actually happens, having kids does majorly change you, and I realize that I’m about to raise two Scorpio babes who may actually be born on Halloween. I definitely needed a spooky season attitude adjustment, so I’ve started a Halloween and fall décor collection that will hopefully be as insane as my Christmas collection by the time the kids are old enough to Trick or Treat.

  1. We are a cat family, so this kitty skeleton is a must. They also have a bat version…I’m planning on getting several bats to hang on the wall in our entryway.
  2. I love these skeleton dudes, and I want to get a bunch to pose on our furniture, but I’m such a jumpy person that I’ll probably have a mild heart attack every time I walk into a room and see one.
  3. Apparently I’m just really into skeletons, because this skeleton man is on my front door, and even though he annoyingly clangs around every time we open it, I would die for him. My favorite decoration I’ve ever owned.
  4. I love this bottlebrush Halloween wreath. Wreaths are one of my favorite ways to decorate seasonally, since they don’t take up any counter space, they’re easy to store and reuse year after year, and they don’t require any special skills or gear to hang, like Christmas lights do. A pushpin, Command hook, or over-the-door hanger will do the trick.
  5. This raffia wreath might just become a year-round decoration in our house.
  6. I hung this felt autumn wreath on the door in our main entryway. It’s protected from the elements by our glass door, and it’s super light-weight, which makes it perfect for such a high-traffic area.
  7. I’m drinking my morning coffee out of this ghost mug right now. This version is so adorable that I might have to get a few just to decorate with. Maybe I could fill them with candy? Does anyone else collect holiday mugs and swap them out every season? Just me?
  8. Thankfully they make this skeleton baby costume in a 12-18 month size so there’s a chance the twins can rock them in 2022. Although, dressing your baby as a pumpkin is a rite of passage…
  9. You know I’ve already ordered our buffalo plaid matching family Christmas pajamas, but these are a definite contender for next year.
  10. These neutral pumpkins come in two sizes and colors, and if I had unlimited money I would buy 400 of them.
  11. Couldn’t resist this plaid pumpkin. In my opinion, pumpkins are the best fall décor pieces, because you can leave them out well past Halloween. If the colors coordinate, you can even incorporate them into your Christmas decorations!
  12. This acorn garland is adorable.
  13. Amazed at my own willpower that I didn’t buy this turkey.
  14. I love this doormat, but anyone who knows me knows that I am too New England in my soul and cannot pull off saying “y’all.”
my skeleton man on my front door makes me happy every single day when i see him.

Week Links [4 November]

Chelsea HarperLeave a comment

*I wrote this before the election, so please bear with me. I’m not ready to address it, but I did sob profusely for several hours last night, and I’m pretty sure I went through all of the stages of grief and have come out the other side a bit numb, but otherwise unscathed. We can do this.

Spooky season is over, suckas! Now is my time to shine. I actually love Thanksgiving (because food), but all those browns and earth tones? Just not my aesthetic. In my house, the second Halloween comes to pass (or in this case, the day before…) it’s all Christmas time all the time.

i don’t usually do anything for halloween, but this year since it was on a saturday and i had nothing else going on, i did a bargain-bin version of midge maisel. i even posted an impression on my instagram stories, so i believe i achieved full holiday cringe.

Apart from disassociating due to election stress, I’ve been re-reading Rebecca, drinking lots of water, and filling my entire home with winter-scented reed diffusers. My eyes are permanently dry and itchy from constant doom-scrolling. Not everyone has the privilege/luxury of leaning into self-care, so I’m extremely grateful that I have the flexibility and means to take care of myself right now. I encourage you to find little joyful moments wherever you can, because even if “we win” (as flimsy and hollow as that ultimately is), it’s going to be months or years more of the pandemic and a lifetime more of fighting to repair (or completely overhaul) the systems that brought us here in the first place. Wear a mask, stay home if you can, and please, always punch Nazis.

  1. I would be lying to you if I told you I hadn’t bought this sweatshirt and also this top.
  2. This is my new Christmas tree. I’m blessed with a high ceiling in my living room, so 7ft feels appropriate for my level of enthusiasm. It does not disappoint IRL…it kicks the ass of any tree I’ve ever had. Are you a real tree or a fake tree person? We had a real one maybe once when I was a kid, but I’m a fake tree gal for life. My skinny rose gold tree is no longer in stock, but this one is very similar.
  3. Okay, so the spending freeze has been going pretty well, with the slight exception of Christmas-related items. I figured that technically that’s my household budget, not my personal one, so I got a few little things at Target, one of which was this comforter set. Our current duvet set is blush pink and just doesn’t have the appropriate winter vibe! I feel like this one is just “holiday” enough, but not so obvious that we can’t use it until spring.
  4. This instrumental EP is all vibes.
  5. I love love love Ramy Youssef, so I’m 0% surprised that his special, Feelings on HBO Max, is amazing.
  6. I finally started watching Never Have I Ever on Netflix, and even though I usually don’t have much interest in shows revolving around kids, it’s really pulling at the ol’ heartstrings. I just sobbed to U2’s “Beautiful Day,” actually, so I’m doing great!
  7. On that notes, I’ve been listening to Mindy Kaling’s new short story collection, Nothing Like I Imagined, and it’s so much fun. She’s such a sweet, funny writer, in addition to being a style icon and comedy legend. Every time I try to quit Amazon, they put out something like this. I finally understand drug addiction.
  8. Random, but this is my favorite hot sauce ever. My friend Gilly sent it to me (Recess is one of my favorite coffee shops, so we look forward to her care packages all year). 10/10 perfect flavor. She also sent me this tank, which I wear constantly. It’s made with some miracle fabric that somehow makes me look extremely skinny. Can’t be explained by science.
  9. Anthro’s ornaments section will bankrupt me.
  10. I started watching Nora from Queens on HBO Max, and it’s honestly worth it just to watch Bowen Yang perform “Bubbly.”