Already Getting Excited About Halloween!

I was in Pasadena today, volunteering at Assistance League of Pasadena (I'm a member there) and I decided to make a run to my favorite store for holiday decorating ideas-Stats. I'm particularly fond of the area, because of all the historic buildings. My husband and I even got married right across the street from Stats at Castle Green. The spot where Stats is was originally part of Castle Green. There was a covered bridge that went across Raymond Ave., so guests could cross to the next building without getting their clothes muddy on rainy days (back before the road was paved). That part of the hotel is now gone, but as my family and I were walking through the back half of the store, we noticed a lot of finely detailed moldings and columns that my husband and I suspect might be remnants from the old hotel.

 

 Photo of Castle Green taken today, by my husband Dave. This is the side facing Raymond, right across the street from Stats. The part that juts out on the far left is the remnants of part of the bridge that still exists.

 

 

Post Card of Castle Green circa 1911. The above photo is of the side of castle Green, as seen from the park, which is still there. You can see the bridge on the far right that connected it to the building across the street where Stats is now located.

Anyhow, to get back to Stats, it is a great store for decorators, carrying tons of silk floral stems, decorative items and more Christmas decorations than you can imagine. At this time of year they start stocking the shelves with fall and Halloween decorations and we got a little glimpse of what is in store for the upcoming holiday. I wish they had had more up, but my kids were with me and they probably would have been too scared to go inside if everything was out, so it probably worked out for the best. They had these great lamps that were decorated with tea and black stained cheese cloth and each wrapped with a different spooky character. They also had little plastic spiders attached. I tend to go for decorations that are more old-fashioned looking, so I might make one for this year myself, done in a more Victorian theme. As I was scratching around Michael's on the way home to get some spray adhesive for my vision board project I'm working on, I saw some wonderful old-fashioned looking hanging ornaments that I think will work quite nicely. I'll have to go back and get them, when I have time to think and plan. I wish I had snapped a couple of quick pics, but I was in a hurry and didn't think about it.

Jennifer