Apothe'scary' Tabletop!

 

When my boys were little, Halloween was a major decorating event!  With two of my three sons home this past weekend, the decorations were limited to the dining room table for a casual ghoulish dinner with their girlfriends.  The chandelier got a spidery makeover first -

Tearing an old lace tablecloth into shreds substituted for 'spiderwebs' since I didn't have any and with the price of gas these days, couldn't justify a trip to town!  I draped the strips over and under the chandelier's arms, leaving the 'shreds' hanging.

Little glittery spiders grabbed right onto the shreds without tape, wire or anything!

Soon it was arachnaphobia all over again!

  

Next I added a skull tablecloth I found at a thrift store - it wasn't long enough to fit the table so I just put it in the middle.  

 A rugged black runner crossed over the top running the length of the table and then two matching place mats anchored the table ends. Next, Apothecary jars were placed over the runner and as many glass cloches as I could find. 

Rummaging through the "Halloween" tote I got out of my attic I found all sorts of 'body parts' I could fill the apothecary jars with!

Witches fingers. . .

Eyeballs . . .

Teeth . . .

 and a bunch of skulls!

Glow-in-the-dark bugs filled this apothecary jar!

This small metal rat was missing an ear but who could tell under the little cloche when he was surrounded by eyeballs?!

This sticky red blood found at the dollar store really set the mood - I wrapped it around the large apothecary jar and I had my accent color!  Fun labels with ghoulish titles were leftover from last year but still had plenty of stick left so each jar got one!

My tall red glass candlesticks were a perfect blood red and the big-eyed black owl candles came from Marshall's.

I had a few more big and little glitter spiders so I placed them on top of a silver pedestal dish.  This black web 'cloche' is really a wire basket I turned upside down to 'capture' the spiders.

 

Lastly - I rolled some rubber eyeballs out for 'scatter' and let them lie where they stopped rolling.

 With the apothecary jars and cloches filled, it was time to move onto the place settings.

I love using my plain white dinner plates and then adding a fun salad plate on top to go with the theme.  These black and white plates were a birthday gift from a friend.  Plain white paper napkins were placed in black crow napkin rings and look plenty fancy!  The red handled silverware was found at a thrift store.  Red water glasses echoed the red dripping blood!

The menu was simple - chicken enchiladas, green and fruit salad, and chocolate cupcakes for dessert.  Orange and black sprinkles topped the cakes made fancy by web design cupcake wraps.  The wire pedestal cupcake stand was another thrift store find.

My one decorating splurge this year for Halloween was this "Happy Halloween" burlap banner I bought at Pottery Barn - I couldn't resist!  The orange 'flicker' lights were a great find at Big Lots and really enhanced the mood of this casual Friday Fright Feast! Here's wishing you and yours a Happy Halloween!

I've linked up to 
Catch a Glimpse Thursday
The Weekly Creative #6 

Lipstick Gypsy's Vintage Trailer!

Step on into Lipstick Gypsy's vintage trailer - the Tin Gypsy!  
Last spring, at the Mes Amis Vintage Antique Show, 
Lipstick Gypsy had yet to 'reveal' her vintage trailer redo on her blog, 
so I promised I wouldn't post my pictures until her big reveal. 
 I'm glad I waited - the redecorating is complete and wow!

Robin Krall, aka Lipstick Gypsy, hauls her vintage 1965 trailer 
from Idaho to various shows throughout the country in order to sell her wares, 
some of which are these hand dyed and designed shabby slip dresses. 
I was lucky enough to catch up with her at the fall
 Mes Amis Vintage Antique Show in Roseville last week. 

As you enter the trailer, the attention to detail grabs you and pulls you in!  Robin tells me she's "always been a 'NESTER' and my surroundings are of utmost importance to me!"

 Just look at all the little touches -
 the wallpaper inserts on the cupboard doors, the vintage mirrors,
 the pink magazine racks, the beaded light shade, 

the vintage artwork of roses and dogs!

 As you turn, the banquette comes into view -

Robin says she "LOVES to create environments and set a tone of comfort for a space."
 She does it well!  I just want to settle in here for a cup of tea and relax with "mes amis"! 

Or read a romance novel under that crystal chandelier with a box of bon bons!!   

I turn again to take in the next wall -

 the homemade curtains flutter underneath the lovely scroll hooks,

 and why not have pink ostrich feathers in your blingy boots?!

Turning back to the 'kitchen' the tole tray sits waiting.

A beautiful towel rack is not too good for this trailer!

And do you see that backsplash? Vintage tin!

 Stunning! All beautiful vintage pink stoves should have oval mirrors behind them!

A pink dog sits on watch under the pink hood - and check out the match holder!

Roses appear everywhere - so romantic . . .

 But please, don't linger too long once you are inside!

There are lots of people waiting outside to get a look as the "Tin Gypsy" is notorious!
The Tin Gypsy started as a contractor's "job shack" - a place for the builders and contractors to meet and go over plans with Robin's husband while they were building their home.
 The trailer sat for while after they moved in and Robin says she
 used to "look out the office window and pity the poor little neglected gem"! 
Robin's husband traded it to her cousin for a hunting trailer 
but it was never picked up and Robin decided that no one could love 
the trailer more than she did, so the restoration of the Tin Gypsy began!

It was a labor of love.   
"Tin Gypsy really told me what she wanted and it was a seamless restoration . . . 
BLOOD, SWEAT, and TEARS . . . but Seamless:)"!
 No doubt you'll feel the love of all things vintage 

when you come upon her 'Tin Gypsy' and/or booth at any show! 

 How to find the "Tin Gypsy" at a show?  
Look for gorgeous dream catchers made from vintage doilies hanging around -

and PINK! Look for lots of pink, and lace, and feathers, and delightfully vintage goods!

So grab your boots and head out to San Luis Obispo, CA on 
October 19 - 21st to catch up with Lipstick Gypsy! 
She'll be a vendor at the wonderful Remnants of the Past show 
at the infamously PINK Madonna Inn Expo Center!  

 

And if you're lucky enough, you may get a glimpse of her shabulous "Tin Gypsy" trailer!
Thanks Robin for sharing your story and trailer with all of us!
Visit Lipstick Gypsy's blog and online store here!