What I Learned in 2011.

1. More is more.

2. If lighting is the cake, cobwebs are the icing. Everything looks better with cobwebs. And fog. See #1.
    2.a. Don't get the ones from the dollar store--they don't stretch out nicely like the ones from wally world or Michael's.

3. Enlist the help of the neighborhood teens next year. Several came over and decided to hang out, light the pumpkins, pose as corpses in the yard, and let me know when the zombie corpse was stuck. (He had timing problems.) They had such a good time, I mentioned maybe needing help next year and they jumped at the idea.

4. I need more skeletons and skulls. And another fog machine. See #1.


5. Plant some bushes along the edge of the yard. This year, as last, some of the kids were just too excited to come in through the driveway and the cemetery arch. Even though I had pumpkins at the end of the driveway to help light it up, one little girl fell in the ditch. (This will also help to keep my dog from running headlong into the road, which she tries to do, even with her shock collar.)  I could try to make a fence, but I think the hedges will add a mystery and I can always do a smaller fenced area inside the yard.

6. Take a plastic knife or spoon with me to test pumpkins before buying. If they don't make a dent in the pumpkin, DON'T BUY IT! Enough with the gourds, already.
     6. a. Think about buying more foam pumpkins. Michael's had theirs on half price by the second week in October.

7. Acquire more "creepy cloth" from the dollar store. I've seen it used several ways on different blogs and want to copy them. I have lots already and even some unopened bags, but--see #1.

8. I don't have any pool noodles, but I have to say that old C-PAP tubing has come in pretty handy.

9. This is the second year I've used the tiki torches and I really like the atmosphere they exude. I got these for half price last year in late Sept., early October, when wally world was starting to put out their Christmas stuff in their garden lot. One jug of fluid has lasted both years, with some to spare, though I only have 3 torches now. (One bit the dust last year.)

10. No matter how much lighting I have, it's not enough. Again with #1.

(On a side note, I've had at least 3 people tell me this year's display was the best one yet. That's great to hear, since it seemed so last minute to me, but on the other hand, I need to figure out why it was the best so next year will be better. Oh, the pressure...)