October! We've been waiting for you.

Okay so I’d be lying if I said I was waiting for October to research Halloween decorations, but now that it is October it’s perfectly acceptable to post about it. Halloween may be the only holiday that doesn’t conjure the sneering remark “they’re putting _____ out already- ugh.” Halloween decor and costumes could come out right after Christmas and you would not hear a complaint from me. Although I’m not ignoring the fact that October means more than just Halloween. It also means my birthday (the 24th so mark your calendars), the NC state fair, and maybe most welcoming, the change in seasons.
Along with preferring cooler weather to warmer, I’m also set up in the camp that likes Halloween to be scary and gruesome as opposed to cute. Nothing at all against cute - I love cute. I spend exceptional amounts of time ooohing and ahhhing over baby animals. But as I learned last year while planning a Halloween party with my dear, dear friend Steph and Megan, I tend to be drawn to severed digits and spattered blood while the decorations they chose were happy-faced and covered in glitter. Let me stress to you again - happy faces: yes, glitter: absolutely yes; but it just doesn’t beat cobwebs and creepy crawlies.
One of the best sources for finding great decorations and recipes that are both happy faced and scary - Martha Stewart.
So here’s a sampling of my favorites so far:

Im definitely doing this one, even though I live in an apartment and no one sees my front door. It's just a ripped up trash bag pulled and stretched into eerie spindles. Love it!


I thought this was a nice change of pace for a jack-o-lantern.


Very easy to do and looks awesome. Megan did some of these for our party last year.


See. Glitter.


See. Scary.


Craft store creepy crawlies and some hot glue and you're in business.


Again, black construction paper has endless possibilities.


Some are taped to the inside and some are hung by string to distort the shadows. Subtle. I like it.


Bat garland!


See. Glitter again! I really like this one.


Cupcake brains. Your kids class would love these.


Cheesecloth ghosts- a little involved, but look awesome.


YES! Gross edibles. That's what I'm talking about.


Cheesecloth curtains- again, a little more involved, but cheap and spooky.


Paper silhouettes. Only give your candy out to the brave trick-or-treaters with these. Or don't answer the door at all and really give them a scare.
Find all theses directions and how-tos here.