Friday, August 12, 2011

Autumn Goodness

Autumn is my favorite season of the year, and Papertrey Ink is having sneak peeks of their autumn sets HERE.

THUD!

I'm not sure I'll be buying all the sets, of course, because I already have some amazing fall stamps that need love, but seeing Nichole's gorgeous post, I feel my will weakening. Plus, her post gets me all excited to see what the other companies I love will come up for this autumn.

Halloween, however, is NOT my favorite holiday. I'm a bit baffled by the number of sets StampinUp, PTI, Hero Arts, Mark's Finest, and other companies come up with every year. My objections to Halloween are not religious but rather focus on the fact that Halloween--a holiday that used to happily occupy one night of the year--has taken over autumn, leaving Thanksgiving--a much more meaningful holiday--disappearing between a commercial Halloween and commercial Christmas. Greed has taken over gratitude, and if you're a regular reader of my other blog, you know how I feel about gratitude.

I'm all about the attitude of gratitude. And right now I'm grateful PTI and other companies give us so much beautifulness with which to celebrate autumnal gratitude.

14 comments:

  1. I'm right there with you about Halloween. It never has been one of my favorite holidays. I guess I don't understand the hype. #1. Kids don't need candy #2. Why do we teach them to beg #3. buying costumes every year is ridiculous, #4. with all the weird and crazy people out there, it's definitely not a safe activity...need I go on?

    I guess I don't understand making happy Halloween cards either...Why? I never say that to anyone. Does that make me the Halloween scrooge?

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  2. Oh dear - I wish I hadn't followed your link to the PTI autumn stamps! I'm totally in love with the gingko leaves and may have to buy them.

    I agree with you on Halloween - I don't own a single Halloween stamp and will never make a Halloween card. I do my neighbourly bit and hand out treats to the kids and admire their costumes but otherwise I totally ignore Halloween. Canadian Thanksgiving suffers too because it's in the same month as Halloween so all of October the stores are focused on Halloween and never seem to do anything for Thanksgiving.

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  3. I'm always surprised at all the Halloween offerings, too. I understand if people want to decorate for it (I love doing the pumpkins and that is it), but I don't know a soul who sends out cards for it.

    Also, it is becoming very commercial, which is a huge shame.

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  4. I agree with you totally on both points! The latest PTI releases for autumn are wonderful ... those acorns!!

    I am not a Halloween fan either .. mainly because I am a scardy cat! I hate that every show and commercial on television for weeks leading up to Halloween scare the bejeezies out of me (I just don't bother turning it on). But from a crafting perspective, I just don't get it ... I mean who really wants or needs a "happy halloween" card??!! I get making little treat packages for the kids for school but how many sets do you really need for that? I refuse to buy halloween stamps .. I own a few $1.50 stamps that are Studio G from Michaels and I can get along just fine with those thank you very much!! I think that the designers (who actually do an amazing job of creating halloween images) should pair up with Tim Holtz and just make great images that are not halloween related .. if you get what I mean! Wow, sorry to go on and on and on about it.....LOL!! Guess it hit a nerve!

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  5. I know, I saw that post today, and loved everything - EVERYTHING! I'm not much into Halloween, but when it comes to anything fall, I'm all over it. So agree with you about how Halloween has grown to HUGE proportions, leaving the lovely Thanksgiving all but unnoticed. So sad.

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  6. I am so in trouble with the PTI release this month. Usually fall stuff does not appeal to me. While I don't mind Halloween, I don't make treats or cards or anything else for it. So, I thought I was safe for this release. Then, I read today's post. I want it all! The gingko leaves are wonderful, and the acorns are a must. So, I know where I will be Sunday night, waiting up way past my bedtime to place an order!

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  7. I enjoy Halloween: the costumes, the candy, the decorations... It makes me feel like a kid again, which is probably why it's so easy for marketers and retailers to exploit the holiday. Just like Christmas. But I like what PTI is doing this fall, even with the single Halloween offering this month.

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  8. I suppose i look at this time of year as one of saving, ie Halloween is not something Australians should partake, but partake they do. So I have no Halloween stamps, but the autumn PTI stamps are gorgeous. I object to the fact that we have to "hide" in our house on 31st Oct. as we refuse to answer the door. Completely agree with Susan G's comments.

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  9. I followed your link - sigh!! Such lovely stamps the ginko leaves are just fab. And the acorns - oh well. Shipping from PTI to the UK is very expensive - so I think I'll have to pass.

    As for Halloween - I've always enjoyed it. We don't do it like you guys in the States do it - but I like to have pumpkin lanterns, I like to have a party if we can - and I do enjoy sending silly cards - just because!! I love Halloween stamps :)

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  10. Another Hallowe'en scrooge here and have hoped this US tradition wouldn't be exported so whole heartedly to the UK but sadly it has and, furthermore, what has happened to the apostrophe?
    Love the PTI stamps although I am divided over autumn - on one hand I love the colours and smells but on the other hand it means winter is not far away :(
    Like Debgem I shall have to pass on these (and would love that bloom builders die set) because the shipping is exorbitant.

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  11. Fabulously said! I'm not a Halloween fan at all and don't own any themed stamps. Since we have our Thanksgiving in October here in Canada they both fall on the same month - ugh! I heard a stat last year that made me sick - Halloween is the biggest adult holiday of the year. Bigger than Thanksgiving and Christmas, two holidays our countries were founded on. I'd better stop there or I'll be typing forever. Thanks for your wonderful comment (((Hugs))).

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  12. I agree with you about Thanksgiving being the forgotten holiday. Of course, thankfulness is a largely forgotten sentiment in general.

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  13. I agree with your sentiments regarding Halloween. I also agree 100% with Susan G. My kids don't need to go out asking for lollies they don't need, particularly because we are in Australia where Halloween ONLY has a commercial meaning. Halloween themed parties can be fun, but traipsing the streets asking strangers for sweets doesn't appeal.
    Michelle.

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  14. I totally agree with you. I am not happy with how commercial ALL holidays have become. Just the fact that people want to even BUY Halloween cards baffles me. It's all about pumping up the frenzy to get people to buy stuff. Makes me run the other direction.

    And I am a TOTAL fan of non-traditional colors for Christmas. Gold and vanilla are perfect. :)

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment!