Slightly Large Pumpkins & Fall Mantle

I promised pictures of the fatty pumpkins we picked up at Pack's Pumpkin Patch so here you go. The one in the upper picture is a little on the tall side for Claire to perch on and the taller one is about right for Hudson to sit on (it's the one that was over 80 pounds). These two shots also include two of my favorite gourd pics for this year...one looks kind of like a swan and the other a giant apple or green pepper. We don't see these varieties every year so I was tickled to find them at the patch this time.

I also FINALLY got my fall mantle done in the living room. It's been done for over a week now but I've been dragging my feet in the photography department. I know I did a shot of my harvest mantle last year but I like this year's layout better (not to mention that we didn't have anything hanging over the new mantle last year).

Some of the pieces are repeats and have been for years: the pilgrim and Indian figures, the fake berries and a handful of little fake pumpkins, the dried Indian corn, etc. But the gourds and real pumpkins are new every year. This year I have a few new favorites. One is the green and orange pumpkin in the picture just up from the bottom. Another is the teensy tiny white pumpkin I found at the market the other day...it's in the bottom picture, situated between two fake pumpkins and is only about 1 1/2 inches tall. So cute! I also love the super bumpy/warty gourd on the top right. I've always thought that those were really fun.

Halloween is still up all over the house but my Thanksgiving/harvest/fall mantle is one thing I can't help myself on...I want it up as long as possible and it always comes down within a few days after Thanksgiving. There's just something about the warm colors that comforts me.