October Obsession
                by Catherine Lanigan and Rula Sinara
     To say that I love the autumn is such an understatement that I have to laugh out loud. I dream about autumn colors, and frankly, I tend to plant orange, yellow and tangerine tulips for the spring; apricot impatiens in the summer and bronze, yellow and rust mums when the first plants are rushed into the garden centers. Yes, that’s me, cruising the Home Depot parking lot in August wondering where in the world are the fall flowers?  Never mind, I should be out at the beach picnicking with my friends and grandnieces. I’m scouting for anything autumn.
   This obsession is one that goes all the way back to my childhood. While other kids loved being out of school all summer, I dreamed of new boxes of crayons and brand new three ring binders filled with lined paper. I anxiously awaited the change of fall leaves outside the schoolroom window. I thought it was a privilege to rake Maple leaves. My mother made homemade taffy apples, popcorn balls and pumpkin chiffon tarts. Then came the pumpkins on the front steps. Corn stalks that we “stole” from the farmer down at the end of our road. My mother didn’t decorate for Halloween. I did.
                                               
    Today, I had to have a shed built in the backyard to house all the fall decorations I’ve collected over my life time. I truly have something mis-wired in my brain or my chemicals are off balance because when I go into a Pier One or Hobby Lobby, my knees get weak, my heart pounds and I grab two shopping carts. I don’t need a single thing, but there I am, holding up the rest of line because I have to run back to aisle 8 and get one more beaded pumpkin or amber glass gourd.  Granted, the shed holds half Autumn decorations and half Christmas. Christmas is my other obsession, but that’s another blog.
    Once all the decorations are hung and placed around the house. I’m ready for cozy fires in the fireplace, hot mulled cider and reading!  I will plow through several novels a weekend (when I’m not writing) and let my mind waltz among the soft golden glow of my candy-corn lights and twinkling garland lights.

I’ve included some shots of my decorations to give you an idea of my over-the-top obsession.


A word here. These two pumpkin decorations are reproductions of 1920’s Jack O’Lanterns that were popular back then. When I was very little, I remember Trick or Treating with a paper mache pumpkins like the one in front. It had paper eyes and a paper mouth. Later, we got greedy about the amount of candy we could collect in a single night and up-graded to full sized paper grocery bags or shopping bags. My brothers took pillow cases!










 Rula sent you a shot of her creation she made with foam paper, beads and pipecleaners. I think it’s adorable, but not as cute as Rula.

And here’s her scarecrow couple. Very romantic. The girl-crow is reading PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. (Of course. Why wouldn’t she?)



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To keep us all in the holiday mode, remember that Heartwarming is running a Thanksgiving promotion at Harlequin.com with several wonderful Thanksgiving stories to put you in the spirit of the season. Also, if anyone likes playing on Pinterest boards like I do, visit the Heartwarming Christmas Giveaway Books on  Pinterest Boards for a chance at a free copy of  my KATIA’S PROMISE and Rula’s AFTER THE SILENCE  and some really cool Christmas decorations and project ideas! 

Be careful---all these fun things and giveaways…you’ll probably become obsessed like Rula and me!

Tell us about your over-the-topness for the politically correct Autumn holidays, aka Halloween. 

Comments

  1. I love the decorations! If I could talk someone into putting them up and taking them down for me, I'd love to have them, too. However....

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  2. Thank you for sharing the beautiful pictures. Your home looks cozy and welcoming, and your post makes me want to cuddle up in front of a fire!

    Christmas is the holiday for which I tend to go over the top with decoration.

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    1. Okay...the competition is on. Wait till Christmas!!!! Thanks for dropping by.

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  3. Catherine, I'll be right over - after I stop at Rula's and borrow the hat. I love Halloween, too. I have a weird thing about pumpkins - I love the shape and color and therefore cannot carve them. They sit around everywhere just looking round and beautiful. I have witches and spiders and black cats sitting around - and two real gray tabbies that cuddle in among a big group on an old settee and go to sleep. Shocks everyone when they wake up. Fun, fun post! Catherine, your home is gorgeous! And nothing can be cuter than Rula in that hat.

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    1. I so very much agree with you about the pumpkins, Muriel. I never carve them. Actually, I have 6 out front right now. I have to get a Cinderella pumpkin closer to Thanksgiving and a couple white ones. Though I have carved white ones and let the orange insides shine through. With glitter inside!! And yes, nothing is cuter than Rula in that hat!!!

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  4. Your decorations are fabulous. How do you find the time?

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    1. Marion, it took me three weeks after work and all weekend long. Plus, I didn't post the pictures of my Halloween village. Which I can't believe I forgot!! Next year!!!. Right now, the house just glows. It's so up lifting.

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  5. I love all things fall. Now that I live in SE Arizona, I covet fall things even more because it doesn't get that "fally" around here. :( So I make my husband drive me up to the mountains so I can see some fall colors and get my fall fix.
    I used to decorate my house and my classroom in tons of fall things, but with all the requirements at my school for what can and can't be displayed, I no longer have a seasonal bulletin board, and with my kids all grown, I rarely decorate at home anymore. But this post has me itching to do that...I wonder if the mice have invaded the fall decorations stored in the shed???? hmmm...

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    1. Go look, LeAnne! There's gotta be some things left!! I used to live in Arizona and we went up to Oak Creek Canyon to see the leaves and stay at The Garlands. I loved fall up there. Frankly, I decorated that house and outside even MORE. ( I know...just a little bit crazy there, huh?)

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  6. While I sell Halloween designs online for the North American market, we don’t actually celebrate the holiday here! It’s a pity, because it would be a fun one to do, and because we have no Thanksgiving we’re a little short on spring (it’s spring here!) holidays.

    Your decorations look great. I would go over the top if I had the chance. :)

    Every year we put out a few candles and a sparkly pumpkin and have dinner on the back deck (the weather’s hot here at that time of year), but we’re the only people around who even do that!

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    1. Sonya, I lived in Texas where it was very warm for Halloween, but I went crazy with outdoor lights. I only put up 1,000 outside this year. I know, that's a bit whacko, but it sure is pretty...all golden and orange at night. Sounds like you need some golden glow with no Thanksgiving either.

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  7. Awesome and beautiful! I can store all of my fall stuff in 3 coffee table-sized decorative trunks. Looks like I need to get on the (broom)stick!

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  8. Awesome and beautiful! I can store all of my fall stuff in 3 coffee table-sized decorative trunks. Looks like I need to get on the (broom)stick!

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  9. Wow! Your decorations are beautiful! I do enjoy decorating for autumn, but I tend to go all out for Christmas. Love the hat!

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  10. Wonderful decorations. Makes me want to find a maple tree and make autumn wreaths ... or something.

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  11. So cute! Makes me want to decorate!

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    1. We are hoping everyone can get in the spirit!!! Thanks for stopping by, Mel

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  12. I love to decorate but the last few years I'm running so fast that by the time I get to the decorations my husband, "But Thanksgiving is tomorrow!"

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    1. Pam, I laughed out loud! However, you were still in time, right?????

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  13. Love the pictures. New decorating ideas! Keep me away from the store...

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    1. Tara, here's the really sick and twisted part of my personality....I keep seeing places where I need more!?!?!?!?! Is that possible? There just something so wrong with me!

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  14. I love your decorations! I felt like I was on Pinterest reading the blog today. So gorgeous. Wish I had those skills, especially when I go to Michaels and wonder how on earth people put such lovely displays together.

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    1. Kristine, you are so sweet. What a lovely compliment. I will confess, I took lessons. Lots of them. Uh, huh. And I can't tell you the millions I spent on decorating magazines. Now, there's another obsession. I'm such a lost cause.

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  15. The decorations are so pretty and I love Rula's hat. When I was a kid, I always took a pillow case. :-) I love fall, too. The colors, the crispness in the air...the blue skies....the harvest...

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  16. Patricia....Now, I'm looking forward to some fall fires in the fireplace. Hot mulled cider. And then the Thanksgiving recipe magazines I read, re-read...drool over. It's such a lovely season.

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  17. I love all the decorations! Fall is one of my favorite seasons. I love the pumpkins and the leaves when they change color! So much beauty before the winter sets in. :)

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  18. WOW! Those decorations are gorgeous. I love fall, too and we always make a fuss, transforming out home into an indoor version of the glorious New England blaze and harvest scenes outdoors. Thank you so much for sharing your collections. I especially loved the table setting! And Rula is so adorable in her hat :)

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