Angela Fincher says she’s not entirely sure why she decided to decorate her house pink, but she knows she had to do something to raise awareness for breast cancer survivors.
The 47-year-old mother of three was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2021 and fought it until September of that year. This October — Halloween month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month — she has decorated her home in North Richland Hills with pink Christmas lights and a pink pumpkin patch in her yard to raise awareness of breast cancer.
The home even has its own public Facebook page, called Pink'd Out House.
“This year for some reason — I wish I could give you this grand reason why, but I don’t know why — I just thought it would be kind of cool to do something for breast cancer awareness, being a survivor myself,” Fincher says. “I thought it would be cool to make my house pink and let people come see this pink’d out house.”
The UNT alumna started tossing around the idea for a “Pink’d Out House” in August and mentioned it to a girlfriend, who eagerly encouraged her. On August 25, the day of her biannual mammogram, she started working on a plan, creating the display’s name and Facebook page and mapping out the decor.
Creating the display was a community effort.Facebook/Pink'd Out House
At first, Fincher wasn’t sure how to elevate the display beyond just hanging pink Christmas lights, but eventually she decided to add a patch of pumpkins painted pink to her front yard. She says she didn’t think people would go see a house that just had pink Christmas lights and wanted to give visitors something more.
“If I can give you a pumpkin patch, and a pink pumpkin patch at that, then anyone can show up,” Fincher says. “You don’t even have to know anybody or be affected by breast cancer, but you’re at least knowing what the meaning is and showing up.”
Creating the display was a community effort. Fincher says she had eight friends help install the lights and paint pumpkins over several days. She also placed magnetic breast cancer awareness ribbons on her garage door that visitors can write prayers, poems, survivors’ names, or other notes on. There also are stones people can paint or leave messages on.
The public can write survivors' names or other messages on the display.Facebook/Pink'd Out House
Fincher wasn’t seeking to gain anything by decorating her house for breast cancer awareness — she just wanted to do it. She says she has three girlfriends currently fighting breast cancer, and their battles are much worse than hers was. While Fincher only had a lobectomy, her friends are having to undergo double mastectomies and losing all their hair, she says. Seeing her close friends still fighting instilled a compassion in her that inspired her to do something.
Her only hope with the display is to raise awareness of breast cancer, encourage women to get mammograms, and provide hope and support to those affected by breast cancer.
Within the first couple days after launching the Pink’d Out House, Fincher received encouraging support. North Richland Hills mayor Oscar Trevino, the city’s fire department chief Stan Tinney, and some police officers visited Fincher and her house.
Angela with the NRH mayor and members of the police and fire departments.Facebook/Pink'd Out House
Fincher says she has been an “emotional wreck” throughout the process.
“It has been a very rough journey to get to this,” she says. “I would go to sleep at night and I would have voices telling me ‘this is stupid, no one’s gonna come’ and ‘no one’s gonna come to your stupid house to see your stupid thing that you’re doing.’ And it was rough.”
Fincher says she would toss and turn at night, full of negativity. She had to convince herself that her idea was worth the effort, but the community’s response has shown her she was right.
The exhibit is free to visit, but Fincher has plans to eventually create a Venmo account for those who want to make donations. She plans to donate a portion of contributions to a local charity, which she has not selected yet, and use a portion to expand her display in the future.
Fincher’s home will stay decorated until October 31, and she plans to continue pink’ing it out annually in October. Those interested can visit the Pink’d Out House on Buck Street in North Richland Hills and follow the house on Facebook and Instagram.
