Halloween Is Cool. Come On In.

Hi friends,

By the time October gets here, fall has already started for me.

Usually sometime in August, when I start looking forward to the return of my pumpkin cream cold brew.

The calendar can catch up later.

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. I grew up watching Halloweentown every year, and at 36, Halloween is still cool.

As for whether The Nightmare Before Christmas is a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie, we can discuss that once you're inside.

I have pictures to show you.

The House I Used To Imagine

I always loved those scenes in movies where the whole house was decorated. Every corner had something to look at.

I'd go to the fall arts festival in Toronto, Ohio, and obsess over the handmade decorations. Even my favorite store at the mall was a handmade craft store.

I'd almost forgotten that.

Then I started looking through these photos.

Somewhere along the way, I started living in the home I'd been imagining.

Not one Halloween, or one finished room. These are little pieces of it from over the years.

Things I loved enough to bring home. Things I wanted to make. Ideas I tried just to see how they'd look.

My park-inspired decorating was supposed to stay in the dining room.

You can see how that went. 😂

A Little Main Street With My Coffee

I love having something small to look forward to.

That first pumpkin cream cold brew is one of those things. So is bringing out a favorite mug and finding a place for it again.

Life gets loud. Sometimes I forget to notice the things that make me happy.

Decorating helps me notice.

This shelf gets a new look every season. Sometimes a few times in the same one.

I'll put one of my signs beside something I already love, then move things around until it feels right to me.

And sometimes it doesn't.

I had cups to match the signs. That seemed like a good place to start.

It just wasn't quite what I wanted.

That's part of it, too. Trying something doesn't mean you have to leave it there.

If you're looking for a place to begin, a shelf you already use is a good one. Something you enjoy all year can stay, with a few seasonal favorites around it.

You don't have to start over to make it feel different.

I Still Come Back To Look

I wanted those movie scenes to reach every corner.

Apparently, that included the ceiling.

For me, decorating is a way to send the noisy spirits on their way and welcome a little fall magic in.

And when I'm done, I don't just walk away.

Well, I do.

Then I come back.

It's like there's a detail I haven't noticed yet, waiting to catch my eye.

Or maybe I just want to enjoy it again.

I love that I still stop to look.

And Then There Was Dinner

One Halloween, I put together a dinner party.

I used my Disney Homestead dining set, and I made the food from scratch.

Red wine marinara for the chicken parmesan. A homemade vodka sauce, too.

And apple crumb cake.

I'd never done anything like it.

I didn't know I could do any of it.

Then I tried.

And I nailed it.

The food. The table. Seeing it all come together.

Looking at the photos, I'm still proud of that.

I didn't know I could pull it off until I tried.

Is there something you've been wanting to try, too?

Come Show Me Your Little Corner

You don't need a whole house full of pumpkins to have something you love looking at.

What's a little spot in your home you keep coming back to see?

Thank you for coming over for a little Halloween.

Justin Ray ☀️

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A Little Shop News Before You Go

October 3 is the last day to order Halloween signs.

See The Halloween Signs

Then, on October 11, an old Christmas favorite has multiplied.

My “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” sign inspired an entire collection, and I'll be sharing peeks as we get closer.

Subscribers get first access at 5 PM ET, before the public opening at 6 PM ET.

If you're new here, I'd love for you to come along in my newsletter for more of my home, the stories behind what I make, and ideas you might want to try in yours.

Come Along With Me