Hey there, farm-ghoul readers! Spooky season is upon us! Fall is one of my favorite times of the year, and New England certainly is the place to be! Grab a cup of pumpkin spice tea, and come visit with me as I haunt my house for Halloween!
This year, the fall color that our area is so known for, and makes a great backdrop for outdoor Halloween decorations, is not as great this year, due to the still-ongoing, heavy rain we have been getting for months. This weekend marked our seventh weekend in a row that was a washout! Still, we try to enjoy what sunny days we get.
Many of this year’s leaves are turning brown and falling off before having color. Still fallen leaves are a beautiful harbinger of fall.
A few days later, I did see some stunning fall color, like on this sugar maple tree.
Since I was a kid, I have loved Halloween (my second-favorite holiday). I guess I passed that adoration on, because it is my daughter’s favorite holiday. I especially love old-school, vintage Halloween decor – not gory, not overly scary…just spooky in a kitschy, retro kind of way.
My favorite pic from Halloween 1970-something, the year I was the Bride of Frankenstein; notice the Libbey’s glass pumpkin in the background. Mama always filled it with candy corn.
Maybe it is because I grew up watching reruns of the Addams Family and the Munsters after school, but there is something about Halloween that I just adore! (I also still love the dark glamorous style of Morticia Addams and Lily Muenster)!
Halloween 2023 – this year’s attire
Here in New England, Halloween is especially fun. In Hallmark-movie style, it seems like everyone decorates, including store fronts. Pumpkins and cornstalks are found a-plenty, as are colorful mums, the last flower before winter’s cold arrives and turns everything frosty.
Edmond Town Hall on Main street – our town hosts a trick or treating extravaganza!
We always get invited to our dear friends’ Halloween Party each year. Everyone is expected to dress up. I love putting together budget-friendly costumes, usually utilizing both store bought and homemade pieces. Last year, Kim and I went as characters from the Wizard of Oz.
At home, I decorate for Fall at the beginning of September, when Labor Day is over. My favorite way to “haunt the halls” is the same as my style for any other season – a mix of vintage, retro and new to create a warm yet spooky feel for the season!
This Ellen Clapsaddle wreath by Primitives by Kathy perfectly captures the spirit of retro.
My friend Robin from Pennsylvania is known for her beautiful pumpkins with dried flowers from her farm. They stay fresh through to the holidays.
I like to decorate indoors and out. Even though we have a long driveway, I love that we still get trick-or-treaters!
An eight foot ghost warns you to trick or treat if you dare…
The camper is decorated for Halloween goblins to peek into haunted happenings, while the deck steps welcome visitors with flowers, pumpkins, and ghosts.
BOO!
The cool cat garland is a reproduction of classic Beistle.
Gidget the Glamper is from 1966, the same year Snoopy and Woodstock made their debut. The spooky light projector came from the dollar store.
Vintage blow molds and 1970s crepe paper and cardboard figures welcome Halloween guests. It took me a very long time to find the 1970s crepe paper and cardboard skeleton, over six feet tall, made by Hallmark. A nostalgic piece for me, as a child I knew Halloween fun was around the corner when my mom would pull out the same skeleton, greeting passersby in the picture window that graced the front of my childhood home.
Through the years, my favorite places to find cute retro and vintage Halloween pieces (without spending a fortune) have been thrift shops, flea markets, and stores such as TJ Maxx and even the dollar store. I also love putting together festive “vignettes” through the house.
My $15 dollar metal and LED light jack-o-lantern from Aldi looks exactly like the much pricier ones found at Pottery Barn.
This vintage looking mask is a gift from my daughter…it adds retro charm inside the curio cabinet.
The family room is where my trick or treaters and other guests arrive. The vintage treadle sewing machine is decked out for the season.
My favorite mix of old and new Halloween is found here, different pieces through out the years. Some are gifts from friends who know how much I love Halloween.
Remember buying books from the “Weekly Reader “ at school with your milk money? This was one of my favorites, and I love to reread the sweet story about a scruffy little pup who once belonged to a scary witch, but eventually finds a loving home.
Speaking of scruffy pups, my lil’ dinosaur is ready for Halloween. Don’t let the side eye fool you, he loves his cozy sweatshirt.
My bookshelves are a mix of retro, vintage, and reproduction Halloween.
I love to haunt my home with old books. A set of 1940’s Childcraft books in orange and black make a perfect “riser” for a spooky, steampunk hat on a hatstand, while my favorite vintage picnic basket sets the stage for some modern and vintage pieces.
A vintage 40’s Childcraft book shows the lighter side of Halloween. Small pieces including a 1910 postcard and a small candy holder from the 70’s are spooky without gore of many modern decorations.
Nancy Drew books from my childhood, bought as “vintage” even back then, grace my little phone bench.
This cutie pail is from 1961. I love his toothy grin.
SUPERSIZE ME! Pails from 1961, 1977, and 2004.
Even the dollhouse is haunted!
Little vintage porcelain pieces, marked “Made in Japan” are $1.00 thrift shop treasures. The witch is actually a music box that plays a haunted tune.
For as long as I can remember, my home has been the house for the end of Halloween evening “Open House”. Friends and neighbors come by after the trick or treaters are done, for a festive meal of chili and pumpkin bread. It was a tradition started back when my daughter was little and we would all take our kids out trick-or-treating, and I love that we still have a group (it seems to get bigger each year) that gather for a quick festive meal before the end of the evening.
Last Halloween, Trooper thought our friend Bill was the largest “squeaky” he had ever seen!
The kitchen is the hub of our home, and decor is changed with the seasons, fall and Halloween included. I love the “Halloween Hoosier”!
Fall squash, pumpkins, and Halloween themed linens add festive Halloween flair to the kitchen.
Halloween hoosier, complete with candy corn in a vintage Libbey’s pumpkin.
A fall table runner I made a few years ago with my sisterhood chapter, a pumpkin-themed centerpiece and a cute soft sculpture from my friend Robin, along with Halloween-themed place mats make our breakfast table festive.
“Jack” was a long-ago flea market find.
In the dining room, the table is set for a spooky Halloween meal! The vintage milk glass bowl with a cloth pumpkin is offset by the lacy black, spider web-themed table runner, a great dollar store find! The plates are from the early 2000’s, a Facebook Marketplace treasure found years ago. Spooky vintage owl salt and pepper shakers stand ready, to be replaced by turkey-themed shakers after Halloween. The lanterns at either end are from the dollar store, filled with candy corn and a LED tea light.
During the month of October, at my house, we watch Halloween-themed movies (my favorites are Hocus Pocus and anything Bela Lugosi was in), eat and drink pumpkin-anything until we almost turn orange ourselves, and enjoy a festive Halloween night. After the 31st, the spooky decor will be packed away, until it is time to haunt the halls again next year. The pumpkins, leaves, and turkeys will stay out until after Thanksgiving, when it is time to bring out the Merry and Bright, and decorate for the cozy holiday season ahead.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this “haunted tour”. Please leave me a comment below (remember to do the “captcha” so your comment goes through).Wishing you all a safe and Happy Halloween!
Until Next Time…Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
So much to look at. What a wonderful home!
Hi Bonnie, thank you! I love holidays…they make our days special! Thanks for reading and commenting. Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Oh how lovely. My daughter and I just did our annual pilgrimage to New England from PA and got back last night. How awesome that I have the large vintage ghost holding the pumpkin oversized fiberglass decoration as well as some of the other decorations you have displayed. I know that I read before your location but can you email me where you are located.
This trip we spent alot of time in Providence RI which I fell in love with.
I truly love New England, especially during this season.
Jacqueline
Hi Jacqueline, thank you so much! It sounds like you had a nice trip to my area! I love Rhode Island, as well. We visit RI pretty frequently, since it is so close to CT. I also love Pennsylvania. I lived there for a few years before we moved to Connecticut, and one of my dear friends lives in PA so we have been visiting. PA has some great vintage and antique finds, too! Thanks for reading and commenting! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole PS I will email you! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Oh my goodness! What a lot of orange and black! Can’t wait to see how you decorate for Thanksgiving and Christmas. You really know how to decorate.
Hi Marge! Thank you so much. I love to decorate, and utilize things that I have that aren’t necessarily “holiday” in my displays. By the way, there is a card on its way to you in the mail! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole