Halloween Dinner Party 2010

I've been know to celebrate nothing more than the sun coming up in the morning, but the truth is, the one dinner party I feel I really must give each year is for Halloween.



Many of the dishes and accessories I use are really non-holiday specific, but when put together, they work for this holiday.  I really don't care for the over-the-top look where every single thing is screaming "Halloween". 

Starting with a black tablecloth, I next use an orange straw placemat for contrast.  Then I use a French wire charger.

Doesn't it look like a spider web?

These napkins are vintage.

Plastic fangs can be found at any party store.  I like to use them for napkin rings.  Yes, our guests have been known to be smiling at each other with them in their mouths!

My very favorite flatware is this antique silverplate collection of mis-matched pieces.  I just stay with the same shape and buy whatever pieces I run across.  Our sterling stays in the bank lockbox and I use this almost every time I would use sterling.  I think it is so much more interesting.

See?  Same shape spoon handle.  This one even has our initial on it.  Then I chose knives with mother-of-pearl handles.  I don't use these if I'm serving beef, or anything hard to cut since these do not have a very sharp blade.

I always try to find persimmons for this dinner party's centerpiece and I was surprised to find them at Krogers this year.  These were actually much fresher than the ones at the floral wholesaler.

They look so much like baby pumpkins.

Then I found orange roses and put them in two chippendale-style cachepots.

They really show up against the black tablecloth.

These water glasses are etched and trimmed with black.  They are from Homegoods, and the wine glasses are Waterford, the Lismore pattern.

I just love these zinc tombstone-shaped placecards.  I found them at a darling store called Stash Style in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.  I just write on them with chalk.  I couldn't find any white chalk last night, so I used yellow.

I've had these salt and pepper shakers for years.  When our girls were little, they would even try to eat pepper on their food just to use the black cat.

How about this wine bottle? Christian Audigier designed this for Montpeyroux Estates. It's a 2006 Syrah from France.  We don't usually get so excited about "the perfect wine" but this sure is the perfect bottle!!!!

There were seven of us for dinner, as the husband of one guest is in Kenya on a mission for the House of Hope.  It's an orphanage that the United Methodist Church is supporting and I respect him so much for his work there.

A friend of mine who knows how we love to entertain for Halloween gave me this great apron.  It is made by her friend, Laurelei. I bought another one of her designs for my daughter for Christmas.

Look at how perfect this is.  Sparkly orange print fabric and these fabulous trims.  I love it!

These glasses were waiting for our guests out in the bar.  This tea towel was a gift from another friend.

These are more vintage napkins.  They are the perfect cocktail size.

Pardon my shadow in this one.

This is the way I served water.  The labels are from Martha Stewart's line from Michael's.

Here's the way the coffee tray looked.  The cream and sugar set is from T.J.Maxx, I think, from many years ago.

The coffee cups are by Waechterbach and come in four different designs.

The living room had a small facelift for the evening.  It was too warm for a fire, but this candelabra gave the same ambiance a fire would have.  I always have one candle that has a mind of it's own, don't I?

I glittered these bones last year. Sorry, Barb.  (She hates glitter!)

These are just grocery store mums in my new French pot. 

Here's a close-up of the candelabra.  I think it came from Michael's a few years ago.  I have another identical one that I didn't put out this year.

In the guest bathroom, I gave this sconce a little Halloween decor too.

The corner shelf unit got a lift from a small pot of mums,........

and this vulture eying a pumpkin.

And another thing I have tons of are guest hand towels.  Just one small thing that makes them feel welcome, I hope.

Menu:

Spiced Pecans

Savory Pumpkin Puffs

(Martha Stewart on-line)

Surprise Salad

(see my post from Oct. 28)

Cajun Beach Shrimp

(The Summer Book by Susan Branch)

Roasted Corn, Mushroom and

Spinach Risotto

Pita Bread "Bones"

Pumpkin Sponge Cake Roll

with Molasses Filling

I'm linking up with Between Naps on the Porch for her Tablescape Thursday blog party.  Please hop over here and see all the fabulous posts of some very creative bloggers.

Click here:
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/2010/11/tips-for-setting-beautiful-table.html