Dinner With Edgar Allen Poe

My table today is creepy and spooky and dedicated to Edgar Allen Poe.

One of my friends had a pumpkin she had made for herself and I loved it, so I commissioned one from her for me! As you can see the pumpkin is covered with words and quotes from Edgar Allen Poe and the raven on top has a locket with his picture. I love the storage bag also! Here is the table inspired by this centerpiece:

White tablecloth, black lace spiderweb runner, purple velvet place mats and black jeweled chargers all make up the eerie table.

I used white china and an orange silk napkin. On each napkin ring is a small "raven." Michaels may call them crows, but in this table they are RAVENS! I used pewter and red cut glass goblets at each place setting.

I used spider webbing and red candles in my candelabras and elevated the Raven Pumpkin on a cake stand. I also scattered clear, black, orange and red jewels everywhere. I made the mantle spooky also -

And also the teacart -

I added a few serving pieces on the table.

And Dinner with Edgar Allen Poe is ready!

Linking to Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch!

Haunted House Cake

Last night for my Bridge Club I made a Haunted House Caramel Pumpkin Cake and I wanted to share pictures.

I used my NordicWare Christmas Cottage Bundt pan.

You can see how changing the icing and candy decorations it gave it a whole different look! I used the recipe that is sweeping the internet where you just use a 15 oz can of pumpkin and cake mix (any flavor - I used Caramel by Duncan Hines), beat for 2 minutes and bake at 350 deg for 27 minutes. I had baked it before in a rectangular glass baking dish and was happy that it worked in the House Bundt pan also.

I used Wilton canned frosting in orange and black with the tips included, a candy corn, mellowcreme pumpkin candy mix and marshmallow ghosts to decorate. A photo from Williams-Sonoma for their Haunted Gingerbread kit inspired me.

I had forgotten how black icing can turn your tongue and teeth black, so I warned everyone before they ate! We all had a good laugh! Here is the back of the house.

I hope you enjoyed my Haunted House as much as I enjoyed making it!

Linking with Designs by Gollum. Visit her blog for more great recipes!

Pheasant Fest!

After an unplanned blogging break, I am ready to show you my newest Fall tablescape, that I am calling Pheasant Fest!

I started with off white table cloth which I layered with my paper runner. I got this years ago at Civil-La-Tea in Gettysburg and I still love it. It has Chinese lantern plants all over it.

At each place, I started with a wooden charger which I topped with Spode Woodland with the Pheasant. I used green and pewter goblets and a bronze colored napkin with a coppery leaf napkin ring. And I added a little gourd-covered goodie bag and each place also.

For my centerpiece, I used a mini cake plate to elevate my Fitz and Floyd Pheasant teapot and surrounded it with a silk leaf garland and scattered some glass pine cone ornaments around.

I added Fitz and Floyd Pheasant candleholders with Indian Corn candles to light the table and some Bobwhite salt and pepper shakers, also from Fitz and Floyd.

Over at the tea cart, I have a cornucopia tea set and pumpkin tea towel to add to the Fall mood.

And on the mantle, Turkey sit among Chinese Lantern Plants and bittersweet branches.

On the Hanging Shelf, more turkey have gathered to celebrate the autumnal season.

I will be linking to Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.

Fabulous Giveaway!

My wonderfully talented friend Karen is having a fabulous giveaway on her blog, Lavender and Lovage! Please visit her - you will be charmed by her wonderful recipes and dazzling photography! I TRIED to make the logo and picture below link to her blog, but no success! Here is her link: Lavender and Lovage Giveaway!

Outdoor Tables - Camping Style

This week carolinajewel's table goes outdoors! Over Labor Day, my husband & I camped at Deep Creek Campground in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. We had most of our meals outdoors whether picnicking or cooking at our campsite. This was the view from Newfound Gap Overlook. Here is a shot through the hemlock trees of our picnic site at Chimney Picnic Area. In such a setting any food tastes good! We always use my red and white tablecloth that I ordered from The Vermont Country Store in the early 1980's. It has really held up well! And we got this picnic basket in the early 80's also. At night we had several candlelit dinners- A meal of bratwurst and German Potato Salad prepared over an open fire! As you can see, Randy helped! We visited Cades Cove in the Park and saw a wild turkey and toured the preserved and operational grist mill. We had a great trip to officially end our summer! Now I am looking forward to gearing up for Fall Decorating! Two "plugs" before I go - Audrey Eclectic is having a wonderful give-away off her beautiful folk art at her blog! Please visit her here :AudreyEclectic. Also - my daughter Emily and I have started a hat making business and Etsy Shop called The Chapeau Chateau. Emily started a blog about it here - TheChapeauChateau and you can visit our shop here The Chapeau Chateau. Lastly, I am linking to Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday!

Summers of my childhood - Watermelons and Crepe Myrtles

Before saying good-bye to summer, I had to do a table based on Watermelons and Crepe Myrtles. (I had to look up how to spell crepe myrtle and either crape or crepe is acceptable!)



I always associate the two, because I remember one summer my grandmother planting watermelon pink crepe myrtles at her homeplace. So even though the lavender and white crepe myrtles are nice, it is the "watermelon" pink crepe myrtle that reminds me of my childhood!

I will be linking to Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.

I started with a white tablecloth and added a large tea towel from Crate & Barrel as a runner of sorts.



As a centerpiece I filled a green glass vase with 2 shades of pink crepe myrtles and a few magnolia leaves.

For each place setting, I used my green ruffled chargers from Crate & Barrel with Gibson white china plates, topped with glass watermelon salad plates from Pier 1.



I used green bubbled glass goblets and clear flatware both from Target along with Vera Bradley "Botanical" print napkins and Target watermelon napkin rings.



On the mantle I draped pink chiffon and filled a green pottery vase with more magnolia and crepe myrtle and flanked the vase with two extra watermelon plates.



Here is my table tribute to my childhood summer memories - Watermelon and Crepe Myrtle!