EEK!! new pottery barn halloween for 2011!

okay, okay...never mind that it is only the middle of july...and never mind the fact that i've already seen the halloween stock change and preliminary roll out at Michael's a month ago...i always look forward to when Pottery Barn debuts their halloween merchandise for the new year.

 

these HAPPY HALLOWEEN! string lights are really festive, and i could see them hanging across the doorway on a spooky, dimly lit porch.  they are simply string lights with little burlap shades embellished with stenciled gothic letters.  can someone say 'DIY'??  lol...seriously...i bet this look can easily be replicated using one of your christmas light strands, some scrap burlap, a sharpie or black acrylic paint, and a couple of hours on a saturday afternoon.

this spooky burlap runner looks like it might be a little more complicated to reproduce, but equally as DIY as the string lights above...

these gothic inspired plates make me think i was right on track in thinking i would go for an old victorian theme to my halloween decor this year...i've had this vision that's been marinating in my brain for a few months already that is a cross between From Hell and Sleepy Hollow...lots of dark, rich jewel tones, tons of bunched branches inhabited by darkly feathered crows, a candlelit table set for a seance, a wicked witch's kitchen altar, stacks of macabre books...i could go on, but i think i'm digressing.

these embellished hats and masks are the perfect steampunk-y doodads, rather befitting of my theme, i think...i bet if i kept my eyes peeled at some of the vintage tag sales, i could find some old chapeaus and embellish them rather similarly with some feathers and vintage jewelry bits.

yet another simple DIY project suitable for the season are these text-adorned column candles.  its a look that Pottery Barn has featured before, especially around the christmas holiday.  i find it rather amusing when 'powerhouse' chains such as PB take their design cues from the 'smaller' arts community such as Etsy.  i mention this because i can recall a handful of talented Etsy artisans who crafted this aesthetic and sold it successfully over two years ago, long before the look ever showed up in the pages of a PB catalog...

further proof of PB imitating Etsy life, is the sinister wall decal above.  this one is particularly spooky and i love the fonts and flourishes...

so what about you?  have you started to daydream of crisp fall days, of apple cider and pumpkins yet?  take my advice:  beat the heat by heading on over to Pottery Barn and start planning out your fall decor...what ideas are you excited to try out this year?