I love my white and shabby, and my white and frenchy, and my white and cottage-y, but I also love my "black". Especially when this time of year rolls around. We drag out the jack-o-lanterns, and the creepy and spooky, so I'm lovin' all things dark, Victorian, and a little off beat. The Victorians knew how to use "dark" so well in decor; heavy tapestries, lush fabrics, dark woods, and vibrant hues of the deepest colors.
These are the things that have inspired me this time around,
putting together my outside soiree.
Actually, this very old parlor table cloth was my inspiration.
I found it several years ago and have used it as a base
for many Fall and Halloween displays.
It's made entirely of silks with so many wonderful fabrics.
All edged and banded in black.
It's tattered and threadbare in places,
but it has always reminded me of a "party"
with it's gorgeous pieced patterns and festive "banner" design.
I rummaged through my storage room
dragging out this large black mirrored candle sconce.
I'd found these two sets of orange cups and saucers too,
they had to be used!
A couple of vintage cabinet cards
sugar and creamer,
old wire basket with some Fall flowers,
and of course my fine feathered friends are here.
The two caned seat antique chairs are a set that I keep downstairs
at a round table for games or computer work when the kids are visiting.
The small table is an old sewing machine base with a wood top,
which usually sets behind my loveseat in the fireplace tv viewing area.
An antique luggage stand with an old tray holds my heavy pottery teapot.
My napkins and silver are tied up with a jute string and a
freshly picked soft maple leaf or two.
I have a funny story to tell you. I'm my dad's daughter and I don't like to let things go to waste, so I tear up old bread and throw it toward the back of the yard for the birds and critters. We live by the lake and woods and we have "critters". The crows have been my lunch guests lately as they love the organic sprouted grain bread that I buy. The whole time I was out here setting up the table they were perched in the trees "talking" to me. If you've been around crows for long, you know they have a variety of "voices" that they use. It's a real chorus of strange and creepy...
So....I had taken some photos and came inside to download them, checking to see how things were looking. When I came back downstairs my husband said it had been really noisy outside and that the cats were spooked. I go back out to take some more photos and one crow was knocked over and the other one was on the ground; nothing else out of place. We think they saw my fake crows as interlopers and didn't want them to share in the goodies. very strange...
So glad you dropped by for the fun...
watch out for the crows!
I'm partying with
I'm up to my eyeballs in Fall!!!
xoxo,
