Show Off Your Collection

Baseball cards, My Little Ponies, dinosaur figurines, dolls, and so much more: some of us are born collectors, and we begin accumulating from an early age. As adults, our interests change and diversify, and the resulting collections become a perfect way to personalize our homes. Instead of stuffing your collectibles in a closet or crowding them on a tabletop or mantel, showcase the items that give you pleasure and that make your home unique.

A collection of wax seals might seemed destined for a desk drawer, but we framed sets of them for a cool, historically-influenced yet non-traditional display that beckons guests to come closer for a better look. The wax seals match well with the surrounding rich, warm wood paneling and are offset by gold frames.

In the same home, lighters gathered from around the world (and through time) make a playful, artistic statement when spaced throughout a wall.

Be fearless with what and how you want to frame items in your collection. Vintage swimsuits are too cute to stow away in an old chest. The bold colors and throwback designs make for a nostalgic trip into the past while simultaneously and subtly helping form future dreams of beach time.

Photo Credit.Velvet & Linen

We adore the way that a collection of rainbow glasses and goblets becomes the star of this space. Set against a clean, white backdrop, the carefully curated, gradual color changes create an almost magical effect.

Photo Credit.A Beautiful Mess

Repurposing elements of your collection, as this collector did with her milk glass, is a sneaky way to keep them useful and occupying prime counter real estate. Contrasting with metallic bangles and other multicolored jewelry items, the white of the glass even makes the space appear tidier.

Photo Credit.Craft O Maniac

In addition to showcasing goods you have spent a lifetime gathering, displaying your collection is also a great way to keep travel memories alive. Plates selected from antique piles at the Marché aux Puces in Paris or haggled over in a Moroccan medina will find a happy home on walls or in hutches, where they can regularly be admired in their handcrafted, perfectly imperfect glory.

Photo Credit.Centsational Style

If you have a family heirloom that’s too fragile to frame or in poor shape, consider using the services of Oprah-approved Shana Novak, aka the Heirloomist. A still life photographer, Novak captures beloved and prized possessions (like this wine cork collection) through a distinctive lens and turns them into gorgeous, modern prints.

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Got a handbag, hat, shoe, or jewelry obsession? Give your cherished objects some time in the sun, especially when they aren’t often taken out and about in daily life.

Photo Gredit. This is Glamorous

Collections help your home reflect your passions and your pastimes, so save the closet space and storage bins for mismatched socks and your kids’ Shopkins, and give your favorite things a chance to shine…and perhaps inspire another collector.

Easy Halloween Decorating During a Pandemic

It’s safe to say that Halloween 2020 is not going to look the same as other years. In some communities, trick-or-treating is banned outright, and in others, the festivities are feeling more than just a little subdued. If you have little ones in your life, however, cancelling Halloween is simply not an option. You can still celebrate this fall favorite and herald the beginning of the holiday season with some home-focused activities.

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We are also fans of this modern pumpkin hoop wreath. Both of these can carry your décor through Thanksgiving.

Decorate Outdoors!

Putting up some Halloween decorations well in advance of October 31st will set the festive mood in your neighborhood. We love this dried golden wheat wreath, it’s unique texture will bring warmth to your front door.

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Whether your decorations skew creepy, like these oversized spiders, or slightly more playful, like this trio of bate garden stakes, you can create a eye catching display that’s a visual treat for me than just one night.

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Encourage friends and neighbors to decorate ahead to make the holiday atmosphere last for several weeks: seeing the spirit of Halloween will cushion the blow of a having a less traditional celebration this year. Your family can walk or drive by decorated houses, perhaps making a game of counting the number of spiders, ghosts, or bats along the way.

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Bring the Holiday Home

Especially if Halloween ends up being a home-based affair this year, adding little holiday touches around the house can actually go a long way in keeping the mood feeling festive.

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A cozy plaid throw will be in heavy rotation this fall (and is the perfect thing to hide under during the spooky parts of Halloween movies).

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We also adore this chic, subtle ghost tassel banner for adorning fireplaces and doorways.

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Grab a Pumpkin (or several) and Get to Work.

If pumpkin patches are open in your area and have set up appropriate precautions, going to select your own pumpkins is a time-honored tradition. If not, head to a nearby grocery store and select different sizes or colors, then come home and decorate! Add your finished beauties to your porch or steps to add to your house’s decorations.  Even left au natural, pumpkins look great when grouped together. But first…

Make Roasted Pumpkin Seeds.

We love roasted pumpkin seeds: by the handful, folded into granola, sprinkled on salads. We promise they won’t last long however you decide to use them. Here’s a tried-and-true recipe that you can spice up as necessary

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Play With Your Food

Halloween-themed food is so easy and so much fun to make, your kiddos may even forget all about the candy. Just kidding, they will definitely remember the candy, but at least they can nosh on these creations in between getting their sweet fix.

Mini Pumpkins: Peel a bunch of clementine. Chop up a celery stalk into small pieces to resemble a stem. Stick a celery piece into the clementine and voila-snackable pumpkins!

Ghost Bananas: This is such a simple and sweet idea. Add two chocolate chips as eyes to a peeled banana.

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Mini Mummy Pizzas: Place am English muffin half or a mini bagel half on a sheet pan. Spread on some tomato sauce. Pull apart a cheese stick into shreds and layer/cross the shreds on top to look like mummy bandages. Finally, add two black olives slices as eyes. Toast until warm if desired.

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We hope that everyone has a happy and spoooooooky Halloween Season!