Tag: Halloween

A Look Back At October

As October comes to a calendar close I thought I would end it with a retrospective of  fall and Halloween images old and new.

a look back at October

Fall is historically slow to arrive in Louisiana.

What nature doesn’t supply we invent or improvise however, the sentiment is still the same.

jack-o-lantern

November keeps the harvest momentum going with festivals, cooler temps, and open houses.

front doors

This is the first year since 1998 that we are not hosting a holiday open house for the antique shop.

The owner of our mall retired and the shops within the mall collectively agreed to close, but Hopefully Classic continues on.

I do private consultations and keep choice pieces of inventory on consignment at a friend’s antique shop.

I will miss getting the shop holiday ready, baking and preparing food for days, and the holiday buzz around the mall.

dark candy apples

Don’t you love these red and black candy apples?

I found the stunning image and recipe for Adam’s Scary Apples on the delicious blog,  Matt Bites.

ironstone

An autumn find I could not resist.

halloween-grapevine-wreath1

Okay.  

You caught me.  

My mad Halloween wreath decorating skills did not translate at all to the page.  

Enter the crafty Halloween brains at Pic Monkey.  

I’ll deal with  it in Scarlett O’Hara fashion- tomorrow.  

Believe me, the kids will love it when I trick it out!

Trick-or-treating is more of a quality event rather than quantity in our neighborhood.  

Dave the Builder and my parents join along in the festivities and candy distribution.  

I’m on wreath and pumpkin carving detail, Dave pulls yard and decoration duty, and my parents love playing co-master of ceremonies.  

Color, candy and costumes.  

Thanks October for the fall and the fun!  

Love your style!

November will kick off a series of posts featuring ideas, tips, suggestions, and inspiration for all things home for the holidays.

Please join me for the Places In The Home For The Holidays series.

The Tradition At Our Haunted House: Trick or Treat Taco Soup

This taco soup recipe post is an updated version of last year’s post. It’s that good and worth a second run! Tradition lives on from Halloween to Halloween at our haunted house aka Places In The Home.

Trick or Treat Taco Soup is on the spooktacular supper menu  as per the request of family and friends who have come to expect it over the years.  It is the perfect and easy make ahead soup– one that warms the bones after a day of ghoulish fun and a night of busy trick or treating with the kids and/or handing out Halloween candy.

Trick or Treat Taco Soup

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion chopped

1 package taco seasoning mix

1 package dry ranch salad dressing mix

1 8 ounce can tomato sauce

2 cans pinto beans

2 cans whole kernel corn, undrained

2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can Mexican flavored tomatoes

2 ½- 3 cups water

 

Directions

Brown the ground beef and onion; drain off grease and add dry seasonings. Add the tomato sauce, beans, corn, tomatoes, and water. Bring to a low boil to allow all flavors to blend. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 1 hour.  Serve with corn chips or hot cornbread.  Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheese or green onions.

enjoy

 

Trick-Or-Treat Taco Soup

Trick-or-Treat Taco Soup is the traditional Halloween night meal at Places In The Home.

hand-hammered-antique-copper-cauldron

Easy.

Delicious.

Halloween season crowd pleaser.

Quite the wonderful make the night before dish, trick-or-treat taco soup is the traditional Halloween night supper we’ve long served to the after trick or treating crowd.

taco-soup-recipe

trick-or-treat-taco-soup

Trick-or-Treat taco soup is fantastic the day of, but even better the next day.

Trick-or-Treat Taco Soup

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 package taco seasoning

1 package ranch dressing mix

1 8 ounce can tomato sauce

2 cans pinto beans

2 can whole kernel corn, undrained

2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can Mexican flavored tomatoes

2½-3 cups water

Directions

In a large skillet, brown ground beef and chopped onion.  Drain off grease. Add dry seasonings, stirring to incorporate.  Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.

Simmer for one (1) hour.   Garnish with shredded cheese, chopped green onions, sliced avocado and/or a dollop of sour cream.

Serve with tortilla chips or hot cornbread.

White chocolate dipped strawberry ghosts-BOOeautiful!

Enjoy, My Little Pretties!

wicked-good-times-invitation

enjoy

Wicked Fun: Halloween Tablescape Ideas

I decided to throw my witches hat into the Halloween tablescape ideas ring for the fabulously wicked fun of it.

A trick here and a tweak there got the Halloween creative spirits alive and kicking.

The big kids (family, crew  & neighbors) love it.

It’s a real hoot!

Halloween-tablescape-pumpkin1

One can of black spray paint and several magnolia leaves and Poof!

I now have a pair of bat wings for the cupcake platter.

The Noritake plates and platter are part of my parents wedding china.

I thought I’d put a Billy Idol spin on things.

White.

Wedding.

Get it?

Halloween-tablescape

The “poisoned” apple is an homage to my favorite fairy tale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

My most memorable Halloween costume is the handmade Snow White full ensem my mother made for me.

There’s not one Halloween that goes by that I don’t think of that costume, or place a red apple on my Halloween table.

poison-apple-Halloween

I promise you my kitchen curtains only look like bad car upholstery in this picture!

***Update***

New kitchen paint color and the drapes are no more however, the deep crimson color the picture casts fits in with the theme.

The candelabra is a treasured find from an antique store in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Black Tulle fittingly adorns the candelabra for the thrill and spook of it.

Halloween tablescape

Chocolate cupcakes with orange icing & sprinkles, Kit Kats, Brach’s Autumn mix, and chocolate parfaits makes happy people happier.

Halloween cupcakes

We’ll count calories and walk an extra mile tomorrow.

Warning!

I had way too much fun and way too much time on my hands while editing these pictures.

View at your own risk, and know that I promise to limit the special effects in the future.

It’s Halloween and I simply couldn’t resist.

halloween-tablescape-2

Eerily gorgeous mood lighting.

Halloween candelabra

Dave the Builder surprised me with white roses for my birthday a couple of weeks ago.

In their present state of wilted goodness, they have been repurposed as the perfect Halloween tablescape accessory.

white roses

Our Halloween pumpkin has its very own Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde thing going on.

It is an owl on one side, and a sour half moon eyeballing a sweet Halloween cat on the other.

It’s a mad, mad, mad, Mod Podge world.

decorated pumpkin

I do love frogs, and this one has been in our family longer than I have.

A family friend purchased the frog in 1952 while in Tokyo, Japan as a gift for my maternal grandmother.

It’s so ugly that it’s absolutely beautiful.

Caw-Caw-Caw!

decorative frog

Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly.

“Eat, drink and be scary.”

 —Author Unknown

 

Love your style!