I am #ThankFALL for Halloween Fun!

Disclosure: I am part of the Target #ThankFALL influencer program run by The Influential Network. I am compensated for this post but opinions are always my own!  And seriously, if you know me, you know I LOVE LOVE LOVE Target 🙂

See that gorgeous charger plate in this photo? $12.49!!! It’s even prettier in person and such a great buy at Target.

What’s your favourite season? For me, it’s Fall, hands down! I love the changing colours of the leaves, hiking through the ones that have fallen making that delightful crunching sound, that crisp feeling in the air. Fall is all about being cozy = wrapping up in a soft, thick sweater, reading a book by the fireplace, having a bonfire with friends, and getting together with family to celebrate love and gratitude and each other.

Fall is also about FUN! The next few weeks are busy ones for me – filled with apple bobbing, pumpkin carving, haunted hayrides, ghost hunts, and the annual Rocky Horror Picture Show viewing party. I love seeing the little ones get to dress up as their favourite characters and for me, it’s always fun to take on a different persona, even if just for a little while.

Just as I transition my wardrobe, my activities, and even my eating habits with the change of the seasons, I also change up my household decor. It makes me smile to be able to strip off the summer linens and make my bed over with flannel sheets, feather bed, duvet, and a pile of extra soft, warm blankets and quilts at the end of it – just perfect for snuggling in with a cup of hot apple cider at the end of the day.

My favourite place to redecorate, though, is the mantel over my fireplace. It’s such an eye-catching spot that’s instantly noticed by anyone who enters my home and grabs my attention every time I walk through the house. So, of course, I want it to be something fun and pretty and special.  That’s why I headed off to Target to shop for some new items to spruce up my mantel! 

Before I tell you more about my AMAZING purchases at Target, let’s first talk about Cyn’s 5 Rules for Seasonal Decorating:

1. Shop your home first. By that I mean just have a look around your house to see what you already have that you could use for your seasonal decorating (in this case, a mantel).  That way, when you do head out to purchase some new items, your shopping can be more “Target”-ed. (Ha! I just couldn’t resist).  Seriously though, often by refreshing my memory while I’m at home, then I can see something at Target and think, oh yes, those felted Jack O’Lanterns will look great on the antique books I have, that orange glitter pumpkin would look smashing sitting beside one of the gold glittered jars leftover from my daughter’s bridal shower, and so on.
2. Shop at Target. Everything that I purchased (and these photos only reflect a portion of it – stay tuned for more posts to see the rest!) was an amazing buy. Most items were either $3 or $4 AND they were on sale for 25% off AND in some cases I was able to use my Target RedCard to save an additional 5%. It’s not all about the prices though – look at the selection of items I was able to find there. You want fun and whimsical? They have it. You want spooky and creepy? They have it. You want something lovely and sophisticated? Target has it all.
3. Look for double duty items.  See those pretty felted pumpkins on my Fall mantel at the beginning of this post? Those are the same ones you see on the Halloween mantel – they’re just turned around so you can see the Jack O’Lantern faces on them. The same goes for the cream coloured pumpkin (which by the way, along with the black one, lights up). You’ll see more double duty items in future posts.
4. Use items in unique ways. I used some cheap glass candleholders as pedestals to give some height to the skulls and the glittery owl. The old books served the same purpose. I found some brown Kraft paper with black stripes on it at Target – this is great for covering items like books and boxes to make them blend in with your Halloween decor. Use a throw as a table cloth or runner, hang placemats or napkins up to create a bunting, recycle stale popcorn and an old fishbowl into a candleholder (that popcorn was in my pantry for HOW long?).
5. Don’t be afraid to purge previously used decorations and add new ones. I don’t think I’ve ever done a mantel – or any other seasonal display – the same way twice, Sure, there are some items that are favourites or traditions and they come out every year but there are also others that we’ve outgrown.  Trends change and new things spark our interest. So, we send those items that have kind of lost their spark off to a women’s shelter or a second-hand store where they can find a new loving home. Then, it’s off to Target to purchase a few new pieces to punch up what’s left!

 TWITTER PARTY ALERT!!!

Date: Thursday October 23, 2014 

Time: 9:00pm – 10:00pm EST

Hosts: @TargetCanada @ShesConnected

Hashtag: #TargetTrickorTWEET

Rules & Regs: No RSVP Required. Canada Only. Not open to QC residents. See more information here

I’ll be there – I hope you’ll join me!

GIVEAWAY!!!

Now you can have the chance to head off to Target and do some shopping for yourself! What would you buy?
Target Canada ‪#‎ThankFALL‬

What are you #ThankFALL for?