With Fall just around the corner, two other events will be here before you know it: Halloween and Thanksgiving. Today I'm collaborating with two other bloggers to bring you The Big Three Before the Tree - Inspirations and ideas to inspire your Fall decor, Halloween parties and Thanksgiving tablescapes. I'll be linking up with Julie of Simply Savvy who will be focused on Fall Decor + Trends and Kate of Dabble in Chic who will be focused on Thanksgiving Tablescapes + recipes. I will focus on: Halloween - Steampunk style (plus a few other inspirations towards the end!) So grab a cup of coffee (or glass of wine) and get comfy... Cool Steampunk cat :) First of all, just what is steampunk? Steampunk is more than an aesthetic tendency - It's the longing for the past that never was. From what I've read on Steampunk, it is a style taking place back in the Victorian Era and it also includes a merge of an industrial vibe as well. Other versions of Steampunk are also known as Victorian Fiction, Clockpunk and Dieselpunk. While researching the Steampunk style, I came across a very detailed & informative blog written by Gail Carriger. Gail does an excellent job of explaining the movement. You can learn more about Steampunk by going to The World of Steampunk: Goggles, Gaiters, and Glory. Gail even reviews what key pieces you need to thrift for this style - a great way to save money on your Halloween costume + still look fabulous! What other time of year can you dress in costume and explore? Explore here... STEAMPUNK STYLE BOARD Textiles for clothing were rich layers of glen plaids and pinstripes for the men while ruffles, full skirts, corsets and lace-up details could be found for women. With the tendency these days to shop for vintage finds and thrift, looking into Steampunk style can be a creative alternative to your Halloween inspiration for settings, parties, decor and costumes. Some of the pieces, you may already have in your collections. Steampunk style also includes gadgets and details such as vintage keys, spectacles, pocket watches, all types of timepieces, typewrites, and typewriter keys. Some of the gadgets and details can be easily found today at vintage markets (such as Sweet Salvage here in Phoenix). These gadgets can not only be incorporated into costumes and decor, the gadgets are also another alternative for decorating pumpkins with. No carving needed so this is a GREAT solution for warmer climates in October! Steampunk timepiece Steampunk Pumpkins Keys + Studs + Hinge Hardware Vintage Typewriter Steampunk spectacles Steampunk stopwatch & ray gun Steampunker Phineas Steel Steampunk goggles Since fashion + decor have strong links to one another, apparel textiles can translate into Halloween party decor for room settings ... especially this year with the Fall trend having a strong Menswear influence. Feminine details can come from the ruffles, lace trim, laced up boots and corsets... Corset back black chair Black corset & ruffles - Shareen Vintage Steampunk Couture Steampunk style - Mixed with military The infamous Steampunk top hat Rouching + ruffles + gloves Steampunk top hat - brown Steampunk Cupcakes (with Tootsie Roll Top Hats!) Not everything all needs to be exact to the period and not everything for Halloween always needs to be only black. For example, if your home decor is the whites, creams, and greige color palette of French Country, think of ghosts (white), mummies (linen) bones (cream), and looks of a haunted house to mix Halloween into your existing decor. The nod back to vintage can come from old books, cloches, silver platters, trays and candelabras - most of which can be collected through thrifting or at vintage markets. Let the colors you live with be your guide... Use what you have: Roll old book pages into into a cloche display + stack books with pages facing out for texture... A Ghostly Color scheme and theme... Textiles: Grey + Greige + Linen + Burlap + Gauze Bones treats Bone treats of Pretzels & Marshmallows dipped in White Chocolate Steampunk Pumpkin Vintage Apothecary Bottles Newsprint Goody Bags Vintage funnels as candle holders on a tray Collect vintage silver trays through thrift, as displayed at Bachman's House on Hammers & High Heels. Not only can they be used to serve treats at your Halloween party, they can be reused again during the holiday too... Antique gold painted pumpkins mixed with flea market finds to create a vignette. Steampunk style also can "bleed" (hee hee) into a more Gothic look, just by changing the color palette to black and red... HALLOWEEN NOIR Have yourself a Halloween Spooktacular! Alternatives to Steampunk style for Halloween can be other spooky theme inspirations such as period movies like Sherlock Holmes or Gangs of New York. Although they aren't horror movies, for their period style, you can have fun pulling together the costumes and it's easy to add a few haunting treasures plus thrift the look. Alfred Hitchcock movies like Dial M for Murder, Psycho, The Birds and Vertigo can also be alternate Halloween party themes, costume styles & home decor. Unless you are having a house party, sometimes just a small dose of Halloween decor is all you need to be in the "spirit" (hee hee). One of my fave vignettes I would do was on the buffet near our entry with my friend Skully (seen below). Jeff would have fun too, playing spooky music at the door when we gave out candy. Some DIY Halloween posts and decor I've done you can read at: (click links below images) GET YOUR SPOOK ON Halloween DIY Projects from $0 Hitchcock in The Hallway - Halloween Display One of my favorite Halloween party decor sets I've seen was The Legend of Sleepy Hollow theme Eddie Ross had done for an HGTV block party special. This special was also the first time I came across Eddie Ross and now love his style! He's a strong believer of "making use of what you already have", plus incorporating thrift finds into his decor. LOVE the spooky theme and the look... Eddie Ross: Behind the Scenes of HGTV's Halloween Block Party For more Halloween decor, costumes and recipe ideas plus more links to Steampunk style, click the following links to head over to my Pinterest Boards: HALLOWEEN INSPIRATION BOARD STEAMPUNK STYLE BOARD And stop by to see KATE of Dabble In Chic for FOCUS ON: THANKSGIVING TABLESCAPE and see JULIE of Simply Savvy to kick off your Fall season with a FOCUS ON: FALL DECOR Hope you are inspired! Thanks for stopping by to check out The Big Three Before The Tree!