Halloween Front Porch Decor

No. 880

Happy Halloween! And how about our black house?! I couldn’t love it more and it couldn’t be any more perfect of a backdrop for today’s holiday. More on the house and the paint job soon but I wanted to share our halloween decor because, it was too much fun dressing up our new porch, how could I not?

Bats, and feather wreaths, fog machines and skeletons, we’ve got Halloween covered over here. I got everything on Amazon… my middle name is amazon prime and I wouldn’t have it any other way. ha

Shop the Look // Hanging Bats // Human Skeletons // Cat Skeleton // Black Feather Wreath //Chairs // Metal Table // Thermos // Gold Skull Napkins // Marble Fruit Bowl // Fog Machine //

halloween the adult table

No. 727

Entertaining

I am a total holiday nerd, I think we’ve covered that before, so to me, Halloween is the mark of the beginning of my favorite time of year. And while I have never really dived into Halloween decor I wanted to have a little dinner party for a few girlfriends, so tonight is the night! What usually comes to mind with Halloween parties are of course pumpkins, skeletons, witches, spiders, ghosts etc. You know the usual suspects… but I wanted to to create something a little more unexpected, a table that is as elegant as it is spooky.

I kept the palette dark and moody, used this cheesecloth like fabric for the table runner, black plates, black napkins, and found the deepest darkest blooms that my local grocery store had on hand. How perfect are these drippy ox blood colored Amaranthus stems? And speaking of blood… in lieu of a placecard, which also doubles as a favor, I filled glass test tubes with Compari for guests to take as a shooter or make a Compari tonic (just have tonic water, ice, and orange slices on hand).

For the floral pendant hanging above the table I twisted a coat hanger into a circle and used wire to wrap a few floral stems into a wreath. I topped it off with a crow to up the spook factor and hung it from the ceiling with black rope. For the floral arrangements on the table I chose three similarly colored flowers (Amaranthus, Quince and Scabiosa) and lemon leaf greens. It is a recipe that has saved me more than once. Keeping the flowers monochromatic makes it fairly effortless to create something beautiful and I’m all about the big impact with minimal effort these days.

It has been a while since I pulled a table together just for a fun night with the girls and bloody cheers to that. x

Happy Halloween.

Shop the Post:
Plates from CB2 // Black Napkins from Pier 1 // Flatware is vintage // Vases from Dwell Studio // Table is a DIY (see the post here) // Black Halloween Fabric // Crows // Test Tubes // Wine Glasses

Photos by Sarah Sherman Samuel

Archer’s first halloween

No. 602

Family

For the first time since I can remember, I planned a costume out further than the day before Halloween. I mean, I have a baby now so I felt it was my duty. Seeing kids dressed up has always been the best part so when my niece told me she wanted me to be Ariel, it got me thinking that Archer sure would make a stinking cute Sebastian. Well turned out he did, but he was also a pretty pissed off Sebastian. The lobster outfit I got was like a big polyester sleeping bag, so there was that, paired with LA’s eternal summer weather and the lobster head/hat situation and poor little buddy was sweating within minutes. We ended up switching out the suit for a red onesie and kept on the hat. Maybe next year I will step it up even further and actually make his costume, I always love studio DIY’s homemade versions. Anywhooo, I didn’t give Rupe much say in his costume but he didn’t seem to mind going as Prince Eric. Hope you all had a happy Halloween. xo

Lobster Costume (if you don’t live in souther california) // Ariel Wig // Mermaid Tail/Skirt

Friday Links

No. 601

Photography

Happy Friday folks, we made it. I hope you are reading this dressed up in an amazingly ridiculous costume while your co-workers give you the sideways stink eye. I am typing this as Ariel at the moment, however at home it doesn’t make as much of an impact. Archie and our new studio manager seem to approve though. Hope you all have a great halloween and come Sunday let’s all curse the time change together.

Here are a few links for your reading pleasure if you don’t have children and get to sleep in.

The most gorgeous rattan daybed
You know I love a good entry and here are some more killer foyers.
Some coverall love
Copper, copper, give me some more copper
The perfect Halloween Cocktail
Last minute pumpkin decorating at its finest
A couples costume you can throw together in no time

Photo by Lou Mora interrupting my morning routine while they were living in our driveway.

5 minute DIY halloween costume

No. 501

DIY

Running a little behind on the halloween costume this year? ME TOO (insert clenched teeth emoji). I went to a costume shop yesterday and the line at the register was all the way out the door so I hightailed it out of there and turned to my closet to create a quick costume from things I already had. My maternity wardrobe isn’t all that grand yet, so I had limited choice, but a black and white striped dress (used as a shirt) was the perfect beginning to a sneaky little robber costume.

For the mask I sliced up a black re-usable grocery bag, cut two holes for eyes, tied it around my head, and done. I then drew a $ on a white canvas bag for my loot and called in my sidekick Pikku. A pattern mixing burglar of course tops it off with polka dot gloves.

One of these years I will start planning costumes before the day of, but it has worked ok for me for a mermaid last year and some creepy dolls the year before, and I swear some of the best costumes come out straight out of your closet.

Here are a few other easy DIY costumes that you may be able to find stuff around the house for.
A Pretty Pineapple
Audrey Hepburn
Rosie the Riveter
Mary Poppins

Sources: Maternity Leggings by Gap // Striped Maternity Tunic Asos // Black Suede Boots by Steve Madden // Gloves by Old Navy