I’m not really into dressing up for that ghoulish holiday. I wish I were. I do, however, love decking the house out in dark, creepy-crawly accessories, especially to entertain for the occasion. It’s challenging to host a Halloween cocktail party though if you’re not inclined to dress the part. Here’s my out. We’re not hosting a Halloween party per se; we’re hosting a Netflix Stranger Things viewing party, or Halloween Spirit Party. Creepy crawly to the nth degree.
Decorating for Halloween was something I started when my oldest was just a toddler. My youngest is ten and still talks throughout the year about the scary Halloween man. He carries a scythe and lives outside on the porch though, by necessity. My son wouldn’t allow him inside. This year I traded out some of my slightly more childlike spiders and rats for the more elegant skull and bones. I am an advocate of candlelight for ambience. Here, it lends an entirely different kind of dark aura.
That golden hue you see- is from the lighting that I couldn’t seem to get clear of. The weather outside is dark and dreary, setting the scene for my murderous cocktail party. We’re innocent of course, but so were last season’s unsuspecting patsies. No one leaves unscathed.
You might wonder at my disco ball light. That’s fair. When on, it casts a blue strobe light, similar to the purple one on the table and brightens a very dim space. I also laid this mirror under my web tablecloth to embolden the space and reflect any small light. (I pried it off an old medicine cabinet and I use it often for weird tricks like this one). The cream and grape bottled sodas I stumbled upon at World Market and loved the fun labels. And roses are never wrong.
Purple martini glasses further purplized by the string lights are elevated on a silver tray. Insert MacGyver hack here: That tray is resting on my dog’s raised dog bowl apparatus. Yes, I was pleased with myself and yes, I cleaned it first.
Most of the photos demanded additional lighting but I expect a couple accent lamps and these blue lights will be sufficient for the party. If you look closely, Clouseau, you can find me in the above photo.
I considered laying a white tablecloth under my webbed one but wanted a darker look. However, I also didn’t want the black plates and wine glasses to get lost on the table. “I’d like a drink… but I can’t find my glass.” Party fail. I used some silver trays I had lying about to offset them and then using the string lights again, up-lit them. Looks a bit like a black light I think.
One of my favorite decorations is this spider plate, which I realize may be hard to make out… in total darkness. I’m a fan of varying heights, especially on a crowded table like this one and wanted this skull with the oozing cotton candy brains to be seen right away. Though the spirits are the main attraction at this adult party, I wanted to offer the guests some pickings.
I’ve never before used this criteria for choosing party food. Ugly, gooey, gelatinous… or purple – those were my directives.
Have string lights on hand. You never know when you’ll be working in the dark and need to create a scary vignette. I love the stark black and white in the cabinet. I am so glad I opted to use these purple martini glasses at the party. They set the entire scene and everything else truly was a work-around. When the lights go out, the cabinet glows.
When the table is cleared of all the food and drink, I will leave this cabinet as it is and enjoy it for a short while. How often do you have the opportunity to centerstage your spiders, rather than trying to sweep them under the rug?
As long as the big hairy one suspended from the chandelier doesn’t fall onto the table centerpiece, we’re good. On the sideboard, I displayed an antique photo I have of woman in dress, circa 1850. During the rest of the year, it’s hung in my hallway -where it looks perfectly normal. Here, in this light, with the ancient frame, it looks spirited. No offense, ma’am.
Whether you masquerade at a party, entertain at home, or stroll with the kids in the neighborhood, I hope you have a frightful time this ghouly holiday.
Lisa
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