black paint isnt scary

Happy Halloween everyone!!

(Photos from: Abchao.com, Domino, Home and Garden Magazine, Unknown, House Beautiful design by Kirsten Kelli and photo by James Merrell, and Caldwell Flake Interiors)

Pumpkin what?

When I was little I feel like the only pumpkins to be had at Halloween time were the regular old jack o lantern pumpkin variety.  Maybe it was only kind at the pumpkin patches my parents too me too, or maybe I just lived under a rock.  But, these days I feel like there are so many choices when it comes to picking out your annual Halloween Pumpkin. 

Regular old pumpkins

Mini pumpkins in white or orange

More ordinary pumpkins, sugar pumpkins to be exact, 

and the perfect pumpkins to make pumpkin pie with.

or so I'm told, I don't actually know for sure because I always thought this is where pumpkin pie came from

Anywho- look at all these pretty varieties of pumpkins (or gourds, not exactly what the differences is anyway)

Fairytale Pumpkins, or the proper name is Musquee de Provence

Cinderella Pumpkins, or the proper name is Rouge vif D'Etampes

Carnival Pumpkins

Jarrahdale Pumpkin

Crown Prince Pumpkins

Bumpkins, or the proper name is galeux d'eysines

Turk's Turbin- I love all the colors these pumpkins have

Lumina Pumpkins

This past weekend I went to pick out our Halloween pumpkins and came home with a large Lumina pumpkin.  I love its white color and that its different from the normal Halloween pumpkin.  But because I'm also a stickler to tradition, I also came home with a small sugar pumpkin.  I had to have an orange one somewhere.  It just wouldn't be Halloween without one, right?

So, my friends, what kind of pumpkin is your favorite this season?

My head is filled with vodka dreams

The BF loves to visit the liquor store...I guess its like going to Homegoods for me so I just indulge him and tag along. When we were last there to get some New Years eve champagne I came across this bottle of vodka that I loved from the moment I saw it.

Seriously? Vodka in a cool skull bottle, talk about pretty packaging!

Well I didn't get it at the time, but I stored it in the back of my mind for the next time I had a fun party and wanted an over-the-top bar.

Fast forward to yesterday when I was drooling over all the detailed photos of Eddie Ross's window from the Big Window Challenge and I noticed his little bar set up over on one of the bookcases AND the HOT skull vodka!


(click to see larger)

I'm happy to know he thinks its hot too and I'm sure I'll have no problem convincing the BF that I need to go back to the liquor store ASAP to pick this bottle up.


PS- Vodka is Crystal Head Vodka and the Eddie window photo is from Addie Juell

A Frightful Halloween

This Halloween was filled with spooky, creepy and scary things all around! My Halloween party was great and went off without a hitch, everyone had a fun time and kept saying how amazing the decorations were- thank you friends!

Of course I wish I took more photos but here are some of what I did get:


Fireplace with a cauldron in front and spiders climbing up one side


Side view of the mantle


The bookcases were covered in spiderwebs


The furniture was covered in black fabric and ripped cheesecloth


The mantle was covered with cheesecloth I hand dyed black. The blood candles were on one side and the black flowers on the other. The cut out bats went up the wall and along the mirror

We didn't have one light on in the whole apartment, just candles everywhere.

Along the hall were the gravestones I made from foam core. I used names and dates from the Salem Witch Trials.

The bar was set up in the office (yes I cleaned up his mess finally) and I made it to look like a laboratory.

Water, tonic and club soda bottles got mini makeovers to go along with the theme.

Every frame I had in the house that could be switched out was. I found creepy portraits, antique insect sketches and lots of fun things on the internet. These two scary people were in the bar area.

A close up of the lab. I took old jars filled them with colored water and cleaned out my fridge of old food items to put in the jars. A black light behind made them all glow.

The food table set up in the kitchen.

with the light on and minus the pita chips...oops

Breadsticks shaped like bones and tomato soup shooters to look like blood in the test tubes were front and center.

For dessert I made monster finger cookies and brownies in the shape of coffins.

A close up

Of course like everything that takes planning the night went by so fast and all that hard work for months before was over in a few short hours. But it was so worth it and I would do it again in a heartbeat- I love any excuse to go all out and over the top.

I hope you all had a fabulous Halloween!!

muah ha ha ha ha.......

(the title of this post is me trying to be scary and creepy)

I'm up to my eye balls in Halloween decor, to-do lists and creepy things at the moment. I've got a million and one things left to do and no time to do them. Isn't that always the case when you are hosting the party?

I forgot to take pictures of everything so to hold you over here are some of my favorite Halloween set ups that are serving as inspiration for my own:

(photo from the one and only Eddie Ross)

(photo from A Brooklyn Limestone, the Halloween Queen)

Happy Halloween Everyone!!!

Photos not sourced are from Martha Stewart and Country Living