Pumpkin Yard Art
by Denise

When I moved to the suburbs of Illinois, I did not expect to find so many homes decorated for Halloween. Every time we go out to eat or to run an errand, I turn down a different street, just to see what's down it, and every time we find house after house after house decorated for Halloween.

In most of these highly decorated yards, there are pumpkins. Real pumpkins - some carved, some not. Plastic pumpkins of all shapes, sizes and types. I didn't know there were so many types of plastic pumpkin yard decorations available! We've come a long way from the small plastic pumpkins with the light inside and the lawn and leaf bags that look like jack-o-lanterns.

Inflatable pumpkins are everywhere, Cinderella's coach gone bad is in a yard around the corner from us - along with a couple of other inflatables. I've seen so many yards with pumpkin lawn stakes that I'm surprised when I see a yard without them.

Now excuse me while I carry our carved pumpkins out to the front deck and consider whether we should join our neighbors and head out to purchase some plastic pumpkins. What do you think, do I need some plastic or inflatable pumpkin decorations?

~~Denise
Flamingo House Happenings

Submitted by Denise (view blog) on Sun, 10/12/2008 - 17:59

Comments

 

Real or Plastic? That is the Question.

No, I don't think you have to run out and buy any plastic pumpkins or those inflatables.  I also love going around my neighborhood to see everyone's decorations.  Those inflatables are really cute, but sometimes, I just prefer the traditional self carved pumpkins.  My kids love to get their hands "ooey" and "gooey" in the pumkin's "guts",  they call it.  It also gives us quality family time while carving.  I think it's just a matter of personal preference.  Happy Carving!!!

  Pamela Coley

www.momstheword.typepad.com

Submitted by lv2sing on Sun, 10/12/2008 - 16:59
 

I have a love/hate with inflatables

First, I'm thrifty so it doesn't make sense to buy those kinds of things and they are often really really expensive.

Next, I'm sort of trying to NOT buy stuff we don't need and who really needs a giant inflatable.

But then, I really love trashy yard art, so I'm drawn to them.

I have one inflatable - well actually I have two of the same inflatable (shipping problem, duplicate not intended) --- but that's a winter holiday post... so you'll have to wait. :-)

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings

Submitted by Denise on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 07:32
 

Need the seeds!

You can't eat the seeds if you get plastic pumpkins!  No roasted pumpkin seeds? Ack!  What will the preschoolers cook?

You can't plant the seeds if you get plastic pumpkins!  No bright yellow flowers, no cheery green leaves?  What will the preschoolers dump water on?

I have this thing about pumpkins, it's been one of the few things I can get excited about this year, my two year old and I feed off each other, digging through the boxes of pumpkins and squash, heaping compost around the pumpkin plants.  We also have the only house for well, most of town, that has Halloween decorations of any sort out. 

I view the secular Halloween as separated from Samhain the same way I assume most Christians are probably raised to regard Santa Claus Christmas as separate from the nativity Christmas, so I do the cheesy stuff outside my house and the religious stuff inside my house.  It saddens me that there's no cheesy stuff going on anywhere else, and that this town is so Baptist that the official downtown trick-or-treat is called "Fall Harvest Candy Fest" and held on the 30th of October instead of Halloween...so have fun with pumpkins even if you opt for plastic, enjoy the changing of the seasons no matter what you believe otherwise, and maybe still get a few real pumpkins for the sake of having fun making a crunchy seasonal snack.

Submitted by mothercrone on Mon, 10/13/2008 - 17:37
 

We had pumpkin seeds

from our pumpkin carving event. :-)

There's a church in Skokie that's actually having a haunted house! I can't remember which denomination (it isn't Unitarian, I know that) - and I was pleasantly surprised. :-)

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings

Submitted by Denise on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 07:34
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