# When do you start decorating for Halloween?



## SpookyFairy (Aug 17, 2015)

This is about the time when I begin putting out my Halloween decorations in my home. I know that most people would probably consider that too early. Perhaps starting in October would be good enough but this is one of my favorite holidays. One month doesn't seem long enough! When do you start putting out your Halloween decor?


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## memnet1 (Jul 22, 2017)

I start October 1st. It takes me at least a week to get everything out and in place,


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## Uncle_Duder (Jul 27, 2017)

This year I was considering starting September 1st, but I think I'm going to wait until the last week of September. My goal is to have pretty much everything set up by October 1st...at least on the inside. Outside I'm shooting for 2 weeks before Halloween for everything. Of course I'll probably be adding little things here and there until the last minute lol


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## SpookyFairy (Aug 17, 2015)

That's what I think most people do. I begin putting out my outdoor decorations much later. Maybe the 2nd week of October and finally finishing things up the night before Halloween. I really put a lot of lights outside. So much so that I'm pretty sure my neighbors think I'm crazy. That's ok. I can be the local Halloween crazy person! Haha.


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## Barbie K (Jul 1, 2015)

I will pick up the stuff from storage next week, start sorting and have most of it out the last week in September.
I also have to decorate at work but there I wait until the first week in October, otherwise I get the "isn't it too early for Halloween"


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## 31salem13 (Apr 19, 2013)

I start around Labor Day. It takes me weeks to get everything exactly how I want it. I like having everything as ready as possible by October 1st. Things that get bought or created after, get worked in as they come.


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## nicolita3 (Jul 4, 2014)

I started decorating the inside of my house 2 weeks ago. Will decorate my office on Friday.


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## Bobbiejo (Aug 9, 2017)

I've been decorating the inside of the house for two weeks now and am basically done. I'll do a final tweak this weekend to add things I bought over the last few days before putting away the things I decided not to use this year. The outside won't be started on until mid-October. There's a couple of crafts I'll work on over the next couple of weeks, so I'll stay busy until the actual holiday.


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## ShadyAcre (Jul 3, 2017)

My house is basically a cabinet of curiosities year round. (Read: I'm addicted to stuff, the odder the better.) I spend Labor Day weekend pulling the decidedly Halloween stuff out of the attic & the cemetary stuff out of the barn, start sorting, deciding my layout for the year, then mid September it starts. I try to be done by the first of October so I have time to fill in if I need to before our annual party mid-month.


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## SpookyFairy (Aug 17, 2015)

Bobbiejo said:


> I've been decorating the inside of the house for two weeks now and am basically done. I'll do a final tweak this weekend to add things I bought over the last few days before putting away the things I decided not to use this year. The outside won't be started on until mid-October. There's a couple of crafts I'll work on over the next couple of weeks, so I'll stay busy until the actual holiday.


Have you posted up pics anywhere? I'd love to see what you've done!


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## SpookyFairy (Aug 17, 2015)

nicolita3 said:


> I started decorating the inside of my house 2 weeks ago. Will decorate my office on Friday.


I'd love to see what you've done as well!


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## lisa48317 (Jul 23, 2010)

I have a bunch of new purchases sitting in my laundry room, so I may as well start putting them out! If I start dragging stuff out of the garage, the family will complain, but they also know I'll just tell them to suck it up!


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## Wolfman (Apr 15, 2004)

Like ShadyAcre, we have a large collection of Halloween related stuff in our house, knick-knacks, Coffee Mugs, ceramic witches and Jack O'Lanterns, whatever. But it's all " tastefull". The front yard, of course, is a different matter... But we have two teenaged daughters. NO WAY we're gonna be the freak show family, the Adams Family wanna-bees, ya gotta respect the kids. Kids First, that's our credo. This year, with the Big Night falling on a Tuesday, I'll set out the tombstones the previous Friday. Saturday, out come the Soul Reaper Sentinals. Animatronic puppets between 6'-4" and 8'-8" tall. Sunday, I'll work on lighting, and start work on the Walk-thru garage. These years theme is an Evil Circus featuring Psycho the Clown. The kid playing Psycho this year (6'-5", 280 lbs) hasn't done it before, so we will have a little orientation for him. Monday evening, minor tweaking, mainly lighting and the sound systems. Between watching Monday Night Football, of course. I will be using Green Flames for our main lighting, and I will need to address that, having no prior experience with it. By 4:30 on Halloween Night, it will be All Systems Go.

But, guys, setting up NOW??? Before the kids have even gone back to school??? Gimme a break...


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## nicolita3 (Jul 4, 2014)

SpookyFairy said:


> nicolita3 said:
> 
> 
> > I started decorating the inside of my house 2 weeks ago. Will decorate my office on Friday.
> ...


This is my living room...and my puppy modeling our halloween pillows I made. I like to hang the banners so that I can hang the cards that I get from the card exchange on them.


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## nicolita3 (Jul 4, 2014)

Wolfman said:


> But, guys, setting up NOW??? Before the kids have even gone back to school??? Gimme a break...


I don't have kids, but I know schools have been back in session for at least 2 weeks now, some even longer.


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## Halloweeeiner (Sep 20, 2007)

usually I'd like to start the inside the first official day of Fall. I don't start the outside decorations until October 1st


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## SpookyFairy (Aug 17, 2015)

ShadyAcre said:


> My house is basically a cabinet of curiosities year round. (Read: I'm addicted to stuff, the odder the better.) I spend Labor Day weekend pulling the decidedly Halloween stuff out of the attic & the cemetary stuff out of the barn, start sorting, deciding my layout for the year, then mid September it starts. I try to be done by the first of October so I have time to fill in if I need to before our annual party mid-month.


What sorts of odd things do you collect? I love that you mentioned your annual party. It's nice to have things done in advance. I'm going to host one this year too. I think I'll be getting most of the inside decor done this weekend.


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## GreenYamo (Oct 1, 2011)

SpookyFairy said:


> View attachment 461849
> 
> 
> This is about the time when I begin putting out my Halloween decorations in my home. I know that most people would probably consider that too early. Perhaps starting in October would be good enough but this is one of my favorite holidays. One month doesn't seem long enough! When do you start putting out your Halloween decor?


That picture has been the wallpaper on my laptop for the last month. 

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk


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## SpookyFairy (Aug 17, 2015)

nicolita3 said:


> This is my living room...and my puppy modeling our halloween pillows I made. I like to hang the banners so that I can hang the cards that I get from the card exchange on them.


Love it! I really adore the Halloween artwork that you have on the walls. Where did you get them from?


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## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

Wolfman said:


> Like ShadyAcre, we have a large collection of Halloween related stuff in our house, knick-knacks, Coffee Mugs, ceramic witches and Jack O'Lanterns, whatever. But it's all " tastefull". The front yard, of course, is a different matter... But we have two teenaged daughters. NO WAY we're gonna be the freak show family, the Adams Family wanna-bees, ya gotta respect the kids. Kids First, that's our credo. This year, with the Big Night falling on a Tuesday, I'll set out the tombstones the previous Friday. Saturday, out come the Soul Reaper Sentinals. Animatronic puppets between 6'-4" and 8'-8" tall. Sunday, I'll work on lighting, and start work on the Walk-thru garage. These years theme is an Evil Circus featuring Psycho the Clown. The kid playing Psycho this year (6'-5", 280 lbs) hasn't done it before, so we will have a little orientation for him. Monday evening, minor tweaking, mainly lighting and the sound systems. Between watching Monday Night Football, of course. I will be using Green Flames for our main lighting, and I will need to address that, having no prior experience with it. By 4:30 on Halloween Night, it will be All Systems Go.
> 
> But, guys, setting up NOW??? Before the kids have even gone back to school??? Gimme a break...


When my kids were teenagers, I LOVED being the freak show family Addams Family wannabes! Wouldn't have had it any other way!


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## nicolita3 (Jul 4, 2014)

SpookyFairy said:


> nicolita3 said:
> 
> 
> > Love it! I really adore the Halloween artwork that you have on the walls. Where did you get them from?
> ...


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## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

I'll probably start setting up my spooky town village this weekend and gradually bring out little touches around the house but I don't do a lot of indoor decorating. I like to buy those mini pumpkins and put them everywhere, mixed with regular decor so as soon as they're in the stores I'll have a bunch of them. I'll switch out things like kitchen towels and table linens whenever the mood strikes. Same for wall art and throw pillows.
Outdoors, nothing before October 1st at the earliest, most likely October 7 because my daughter will be home to help.


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## SpookyFairy (Aug 17, 2015)

GreenYamo said:


> That picture has been the wallpaper on my laptop for the last month.
> 
> Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk


I love the photo too!


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## A Little Odd (Jul 19, 2015)

Inside 9/3. My son's birthday is 9/2 and that is always his request. Outside 10/1.
Kids have been in school for 2 weeks here. College as well.

Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

I pull out the starter box this weekend (Labour Day). It has my fall decorations and my structure stuff - rebar, zip ties, command hooks, wreath hangers, tent pegs, white/off white candles, some generic lights, extension cords, timers etc. All the structure things I need to start decorating. As soon as it comes out I can start putting up the fall stuff, but I hold off on Halloween for as long as I can stand. Anything I get new or finish crafting can go directly out, because it doesn't make sense to hold it back, but the rest I try to hold off until closer to October first. One of my neices is into halloween like I am, and her birthday is on the 30th of September. I told her I would start turning on the lights on her birthday this year.


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## lisa48317 (Jul 23, 2010)

Wolfman said:


> But we have two teenaged daughters. NO WAY we're gonna be the freak show family, the Adams Family wanna-bees, ya gotta respect the kids. Kids First, that's our credo...


Same. My daughter's birthday is 9/28 so I won't start setting up outside until 9/29.



nicolita3 said:


> I like to hang the banners so that I can hang the cards that I get from the card exchange on them.


That is such a good idea!! I had been taping my cards on my glass kitchen cabinet doors, but the tape leaves residue. I've seen little bitty black & orange clothespins and couldn't figure out what to use them for...now I know!!!



nicolita3 said:


> I don't have kids, but I know schools have been back in session for at least 2 weeks now, some even longer.



Michigan's don't go back until after Labor Day. So next Tuesday. It's pretty awesome for them, since when I was a kid there were so many years that school would start on my birthday (8/29) and it just made for a lousy day!


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## RedSonja (Sep 18, 2004)

I usually start decorating inside on October 1st, but I'll be out of the country at that time, so thinking of starting a bit early, maybe the last weekend of September. Décor outside gets slowly put out starting Oct 1 too. Maybe this year, I should get my husband to do it while I'm gone....now that could be truly scary!!


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## Teresa.Macabre (Aug 8, 2015)

Our house honestly has a Halloween vibe year round but I start getting all the extra indoor Halloween decor out labor day weekend. I like having everything out by the middle of September so I can see what I have versus what I need to buy since most the stores will have or be getting their Halloween decor by then. 

This year I also get to have fun with buying decor because I am having a Halloween themed wedding on October 13th so I am going around looking for items that will go with the vibes of the wedding and can be used in the house afterwards!

Like others have mentioned, I also wait until October 1st to start taking out all of the outdoor decorations. Unsure how crazy I will go this outdoors this year though, there has been a growing issue in surrounding neighborhoods with people going around stealing items off of peoples lawns, checking unlocked cars to loot, stealing amazon packages, etc. It's really unfortunate.


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## dbruner (Aug 23, 2012)

I won't be doing anything outside until October 1st, inside I may start this weekend! I have some new things I bought this year that I am dying to display and this year I am not having a party so I don't have to leave space for party stuff.


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## Codec101 (Sep 5, 2016)

I think I start earlier and earlier every year but for a good reason, I do more and more every year!... Don't do a whole lot on the inside but outside I do a ton! Most of my display is connected to a computer and synchronized with music that runs nightly starting around the 1st weekend of Oct. and goes until Nov 1. I've already been busy building several new things and will probably start getting them out around 2nd week of Sept. I like to have everything up by Oct 1 and work out the bugs. This year I have added some motion activated props!


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## FIESTEE23 (Aug 6, 2017)

I will most likely have everything set up prior to Oct 1st aside from the maze we are building this year. That'll be done 1st week of Oct though 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk


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## ShadyAcre (Jul 3, 2017)

SpookyFairy said:


> What sorts of odd things do you collect? I love that you mentioned your annual party. It's nice to have things done in advance. I'm going to host one this year too. I think I'll be getting most of the inside decor done this weekend.


I collect old bottles, old pill boxes, the little glass boxes that I fill with crystals/wasp nests/found objects, bones & carvings, mother figures, small wooden bowls that I fill with 'found offerings' from the grandbabies, and the list goes on. And on. And on. 

I'm lucky to have an indulgent family and a DH who built in shelves all over and doesn't mind the huge China hutch full of oddities in the living room. We do our party for the kids/grandkids and their friends every year bc we don't get ToTs. I'll post pictures when I get rolling. You'll see that a lot of my 'stuff' isn't really dedicated Halloween, it just ups the creepy factor when you mix it in.


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## SpookyFairy (Aug 17, 2015)

Teresa.Macabre said:


> Our house honestly has a Halloween vibe year round but I start getting all the extra indoor Halloween decor out labor day weekend. I like having everything out by the middle of September so I can see what I have versus what I need to buy since most the stores will have or be getting their Halloween decor by then.
> 
> This year I also get to have fun with buying decor because I am having a Halloween themed wedding on October 13th so I am going around looking for items that will go with the vibes of the wedding and can be used in the house afterwards!


That's why I'm starting to decorate a bit early too. I've accumulated quite a bit of indoor and outdoor decor. Before I get excited about what I see in stores, I want to decorate with what I have and not spend too much on anything new. 

That's a fun wedding theme! Congratulations  Are you doing Halloween themed colors? Will it have a gothic vibe to it?


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## SpookyFairy (Aug 17, 2015)

ShadyAcre said:


> I collect old bottles, old pill boxes, the little glass boxes that I fill with crystals/wasp nests/found objects, bones & carvings, mother figures, small wooden bowls that I fill with 'found offerings' from the grandbabies, and the list goes on. And on. And on.
> 
> I'm lucky to have an indulgent family and a DH who built in shelves all over and doesn't mind the huge China hutch full of oddities in the living room. We do our party for the kids/grandkids and their friends every year bc we don't get ToTs. I'll post pictures when I get rolling. You'll see that a lot of my 'stuff' isn't really dedicated Halloween, it just ups the creepy factor when you mix it in.


It sounds as though you're creating a little Halloween apothecary. I'm doing something similar. I've been collecting apothecary bottles from Michaels these past few years. I want to put my collection together. I'd love to see your collection once you're done!


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## Teresa.Macabre (Aug 8, 2015)

SpookyFairy said:


> That's why I'm starting to decorate a bit early too. I've accumulated quite a bit of indoor and outdoor decor. Before I get excited about what I see in stores, I want to decorate with what I have and not spend too much on anything new.
> 
> That's a fun wedding theme! Congratulations  Are you doing Halloween themed colors? Will it have a gothic vibe to it?


Exactly! Having everything out before really helps determine what you want to look for with new decor.

And thank you! The wedding colors are black, dark purple, and orange. And my dress has a gothic feel to it, but the vibe I want the decor and setting to give off is a more whimsical Halloween. Almost be nostalgic for some like me! We are asking our guest to wear all black and bring mask (any kind) and I drew a design to put on tote bags for a wedding favor to give out and we will have a candy bar so guests can "trick r treat" and fill up their favor bags to take home. I'm really hoping what I picture in my head comes out ok because I'm really looking forward to it!


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## Stochey (Sep 22, 2009)

Teresa.Macabre said:


> Exactly! Having everything out before really helps determine what you want to look for with new decor.
> 
> And thank you! The wedding colors are black, dark purple, and orange. And my dress has a gothic feel to it, but the vibe I want the decor and setting to give off is a more whimsical Halloween. Almost be nostalgic for some like me! We are asking our guest to wear all black and bring mask (any kind) and I drew a design to put on tote bags for a wedding favor to give out and we will have a candy bar so guests can "trick r treat" and fill up their favor bags to take home. I'm really hoping what I picture in my head comes out ok because I'm really looking forward to it!


That sounds amazing!


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## Teresa.Macabre (Aug 8, 2015)

Stochey said:


> That sounds amazing!


Thank you so much! I hope it turns out amazing!


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## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

OK, if you count things getting put up on the sly because I just bought it, then...oh....June or July. A skull here, a pumpkin there, a ginormous flying witch short circuiting light, that stuff starts in the summer. So it's not technically decorating but what I like to call "Halloween creep" aka "where can I hide THIS so he won't find it until October when it will just magically appear with all the other stuff so it blends into one big ball of Halloween."

If you mean decorating proper, taking down the non-Halloween stuff on shelves, changing out pics on the wall, putting up blow molds, etc., then inside will start Sept. 29th this year because I now have Fridays & Mondays off so I'll have a long weekend to do it all.

The outside blow molds will go up that same weekend too. 

And generally that's when I'd get stuff out anyway, the last weekend of Sept. or the first weekend of Oct. Heck, since I'm only working part time now & may get it out earlier!


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## HauntedHostess (Aug 31, 2017)

We start putting up our Haunted House the week of September 18 every year. The props we start building as soon as the weather is nice.


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## ShadyAcre (Jul 3, 2017)

SpookyFairy said:


> It sounds as though you're creating a little Halloween apothecary. I'm doing something similar. I've been collecting apothecary bottles from Michaels these past few years. I want to put my collection together. I'd love to see your collection once you're done!


Apothecary/cabinet of curiosities has always been my overall theme in the house, I just set it up different every year. One year, witches with potion bottles and all manner of 'ingredients' another I'll do a 'haunted apothecary' with skeletons, and another I'll do every shelf and cubby in the front of the house with little themed vignettes. This year it's a witches kitchen on the front porch. Got lucky when we redid our drain field. The backhoe turned up the old midden pile and we salvaged almost 100 turn of the century to 1940s bottles- from liquor to laudanum. Got a few really special ones in the picking. I layer in ones I've made from kitchen bottles and jars and added labels & such to some of the ones that were chipped or cracked.


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## SpookyFairy (Aug 17, 2015)

Teresa.Macabre said:


> Exactly! Having everything out before really helps determine what you want to look for with new decor.
> 
> And thank you! The wedding colors are black, dark purple, and orange. And my dress has a gothic feel to it, but the vibe I want the decor and setting to give off is a more whimsical Halloween. Almost be nostalgic for some like me! We are asking our guest to wear all black and bring mask (any kind) and I drew a design to put on tote bags for a wedding favor to give out and we will have a candy bar so guests can "trick r treat" and fill up their favor bags to take home. I'm really hoping what I picture in my head comes out ok because I'm really looking forward to it!


That sounds beautiful! Have you seen these masquerade masks from Pier 1 Imports? The cream one is actually much sparklier in person. Just in case your guests are in need of somewhere to go look and try on masks.


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## Wolfman (Apr 15, 2004)

It now looks like we will have to move up on our exterior set-up; My meddlesome sister has contacted the local newspaper and they want to do a photo shoot of the Animatronics. Whatever. If there ARE any bugs, I can attend to them way ahead of time. Plus, nothing wrong with a little media exposure, it might pump up our TOT numbers...


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Next week should be cooler than normal here so I am planning on getting into the garage for prep. When stuff is actually going out depends on weather. I am trying to get some stuff done inside but it's slow going for a number of reasons. If I hadn't just left the indoor stuff up from last year I'd be doing that now.


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## booswife02 (Apr 2, 2013)

I start inside September 1st. It takes me about a month to get it all done. October 1st I start outside. Since moving to MN I can't put big props out until Halloween day so the outside takes me all month as well


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## sneakykid (Sep 19, 2010)

Start of October! I fear if I have it out for too long that it'll take away from the spirit of the holiday and become too commonplace. I like keeping the holiday special.


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## sneakykid (Sep 19, 2010)

booswife02 said:


> I start inside September 1st. It takes me about a month to get it all done. October 1st I start outside. Since moving to MN I can't put big props out until Halloween day so the outside takes me all month as well


You never know what the weather will bring in MN. Wind, rain, snow, hotdish apocalypse.


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## Palladino (Aug 29, 2013)

I start putting out props and lights in the front on October 1. The planning starts in June, prep in July, backyard in August and September.


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## Col. Fryght (Oct 23, 2012)

I am starting to buy stuff this week- a new fogger and an angel statute for the graveyard. Does that count?


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## tzgirls123 (Mar 22, 2016)

I started this week! Just a lil sneak peak while I work on the rest of the interior!! I like a spooky vibe ?


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