Halloween Decorating

In honor of the quickly approaching holiday of Halloween, here are some fun decorating ideas to spice--or spook--up your house for the last of October. While traditional Halloween decorating revolves around witches, ghosts, and gore, there are plenty of ways to play up the lighthearted and festive side of Halloween and the fall season.

The first way to do this is, of course, through pumpkins! The basic rule is this: the more pumpkins, the better.  You can have orange, yellow, or white pumpkins, or anything in between. For a cute, unique approach to pumpkin distribution, we used mini white pumpkins to decorate our living area. Between the various large orange pumpkins grown from our garden and the adorable little white pumpkins, the festive holiday vibe is literally hidden somewhere on every surface in our family room. 
Another adorable tip is the use of candy. Of course, candy is always a major part of an American Halloween experience; after all, the majority of us have grown up believing the the "treat" part of "trick or treat" has, does, and will only ever mean "candy". For a more mature and longer-lived approach to using edible decorations to liven up your home, check out Godiva's pumpkin patch truffles to brighten up your kitchen or display tables. These adorable chocolates are wrapped in pumpkin-colored foils, complete with a bit of vine and a leaf attached to the top! In all honesty, I have never tasted these baby pumpkins because we continue to bring them out for fall and Halloween every year! Since they look decidedly less animated and decidedly more fall (not Halloween), these cuties can hang around until after Thanksgiving.
Finally, I must recommend the use of candles when decorating for late fall and Halloween. While you can always opt for pumpkin or ghost-shaped candles, IKEA has recently offered a lovely set of roughly 1.5-inch-tall candles that come in orange, red, and maroon. These are perfect for fall and Thanksgiving. Furthermore, these cube-like candles can make endless arrangements and combinations within their color and season set.

Adorable square candles!

These are just a few ideas to get you started on your decorating. For more inspiration, check out Martha Stewart or a home design company's website for Halloween-y decorating perks.