Falling 2014

September: The official start to the holiday season.  

As the temperature vacillates between 50 and 80 and we start to dig out scarfs, socks and extra blankets there is usually a hint of excitement in the air.  This year, not so much.  This year fall feels like a bad omen.  A dark harbinger of winter coming.  This year, I feel like a Stark.  Winter is coming, and it's going to be the worst, so buckle up, John Snow.

Last winter has burrowed it's way into our phsyche.  Four months of sub zero temps.  Everyone hibernating inside.  Wearing 7 layers just to survive.  Four months of no walks for the pup, of running outside to do his business and running right back in again, like winter (the devil) was chasing him.

So this year it doesn't seem like the kick-off to the holiday season.  This year is seems like a dark shadow, corrupting the beautiful memories of the too short, too cool, summer.  I've never felt like this before, and let me tell you, I freaking hate it.

At any rate, let's put on our big girl pants and buck up.  I dutifully decorated even though I wasn't feeling it.  I have to say, it looks good.  Let's have a peep, shall we?

This picture hangs above the bed.  I've been in love with it ever since I spied it in a text book in high school.  The Lady of Shalot by John Williams Waterhouse.  It was the first time I'd ever seen a Pre-Raphaelite work of art.  From that moment on I was hooked.  Over the years I've amassed a nice little collection of JWW works.  Nothing stirs the spot in my soul reserved for fantasy as much as he does.  Also, I stuck a fall garland on it.  Whoopee.

This year I put many of my black cats on this shelf.  Most of my furniture is dark and black cats like to blend in with dark furniture.  Sneaky beasties.  

My boyfriend Pinterest and I made the killer straw wreath.  Maybe we should talk for a minute about how much I love black glitter.  That junk is straight up captivating.  It's mysterious.  Dark yet sparkling.  Just perfect for fall decor.

It's hard for me to find the right words to describe my fall holiday vibe.  Black and orange, glitter, cartoony, vintage, elegant, glowing.  Maybe I have more than one style?  The Kitchen and dining room decorations are very bright, vintage and slightly child-like and fantastic.  While the living room is a more dark and glowing venue, marked by colored glass and black glitter.  Slightly more elegant and put together.

I'm just loving the addition of some of my new collection of vintage paper lanterns this year.  There is something so celebratory about them.  You can't be sad when in the presence of paper lanterns.  Probably this winter I'll need to string them up on every surface of the house in every room.  Just to make it through unscathed.

Yes, this picture is blurry.  The lighting in my house is low and I don't own a tri-pod.  So sue me.  If you squint it looks fine.  So squint, already.

I'm really happy with this set up.  I love the addition of items hanging from the ceiling.  Almost nice enough for a window display.  One of my dream jobs.  Along with voice acting for cartoons.  Don't judge.

A new placement for these guys.  I love a dangling spider decoration.

A new display of potion making and resulting creatures.  I'm guessing I wouldn't be any better at potions than I am at cooking.

A glowingly gorgeous display in the kitchen.  Skeletons and black cats.

A tiny new wreath paired with a new crow.

The graveyard display. Slightly different every year.  What it really needs is the set of Disney Haunted Mansion grave stones to really fill it out.  I'm looking at you, Disney trip 2015.

More lanterns.  Come on.  That shit is cheerful.

Voila!  We are now at the end of the tour.  Hopefully these pieces of pretty will help you feel better about fall, the black cat that crosses your path signaling 13 years of dread winter.

So, In Summary:

I'm going to watch Golden Girls, stat. 

I need me some Miami, palm trees and a not just a little bit of Sophia's snark.