Another weekend down only one left.  I've decided that this year I refuse to be setting things up mere hours before the trick or treaters arrive!  So I'm in crunch time...good thing that the last weekend is a four day weekend for me!  My birthday is on Thursday (hint hint) so I took that off, then I already have the weekend off so I decided to take Friday off too...might as well eh?  So this weekend I got the tombstones up, then of course I sat there looking at it and decided that the graveyard was too big for only four stones so I decided to make two rows of stones, the back row having five and the front row having four (so you get a walk way).  My major qualm with this is that I'd have to come up with five new names...and decided the first three was just horrendous, so I copped out, I'm making only one named stone and four crosses...plain ordinary crosses...I know, I know, but thinking up and agreeing on the first three took DAYS and I just don't have the time to do all that again.  We've got two male psycho killers (Jason and Jigsaw) and only one woman (Lenore) so in the interest of fairness I've choosen Lizzie Borden for the final stone.  Now I've just got to cut the wood for it.  Originally I wanted to do the foam stones, but decided against it, one because they are so easily trashed (either by punk vandals or by storage); two I didn't want to spend that much money on foam; three I had plenty of wood lying around to make tombstone out of.  Bonus' of wood, it's durable (against aformentioned vandals and the elements), and fairly easy to work with (provided you have enought tools). 

I also got the hanging caged guy fixed and cleaned and hanging in the tree.  The cage was all beat up from over the season and the skelleton was wicked dirty and his leg fell off, don't ask me how all this happened concidering it was sitting in a covered shed over the seasons...go figure! 

I've also fixed up the funkin scarecrows and even have one of them lit up and working properly.  The ordinary funkins are also placed and lit up with the exception of the two shadow funkins I've got to place them later.

With the help of Susan I've got my cauldron mostly completed.  I've got the "coals" all worked out, now I've just got to place it and build a tripod...hmmm...I think I've got one lying around somewhere just can't think of where... I've also completed my mini zombie crossing sign, for the life of me I don't remember the user name of the person who orginally posted it on this site...so props to you unknown person, your idea was really awesome!

Now what's left...dear god this is the part I hate...

the inflateables STILL have to be put up, I know I say this every weekend, it's not a matter of where to put them its more a matter of getting them on the roof, and attaching them to said roof.  Granted they are kinda cute...maybe I could put two of them on the "cute side" of the yard (I live on a corner so I've got two front lawns to work with, the back yard we never do anything with...someday maybe). 

I've got four crosses and one Lizzie tombstone to make and place in the graveyard.  The dummy for the gallows is complete, he's just got to be placed...probably safer to do that the day of halloween...

but I've got to complete the gallows...since it's made of pallet wood, it needs some sort of covering...anything to make it look better than it is.

Placing and setting up the cauldron needs to be done

There is still talk of making a human-ish scarecrow...but I'm not sure if that's going to get done this year

I've also got two long strings of purple rope lights and two normal strings of purple/orange lights to figure out what to do with

Not to mention all the strobes and spotlights that have to be placed so that you can see the props...ugh...not looking forward to that one bit!

Well enough ranting for now, hope all is coming along with your props and other last minute details!