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Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Be My Guest…

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Have you ever been invited to a Halloween dinner party?

I haven’t yet. But I’ve always longed to have one… only the dates have never worked out. So do you mind being a guest at my blog’s dinner party?  I’ve decided that my guest of honor is none other than Edgar Allan Poe, so I’ve decorated with him in mind.

And you have a place at the table, won’t you join us?

My inspiration for all this décor? A pair of salt and pepper shakers from the Dollar Tree. That’s right, I had this sudden idea while I was running with my dog, and it led to this entire post. I know, it’s a bit scary how my mind works but I immediately went and bought three pairs of salt and pepper shakers for a grand total of $3.00 and this is what I transformed them into:

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Place cards for book lovers; ink and feather pens

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Can you see the white feathers with the black tips? Such a perfect touch for the book lover’s table.

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I used red stemware and red flowers in honor of the mysterious visitor to Edgar’s grave.

Did you hear about this? It’s a true fact. For over fifty years a mysterious person would leave three red roses and a bottle of cognac on Edgar’s grave each year. He would sneak in at night dressed in black and wearing a wide rimmed hat and no one ever discovered his identity. Sadly, he stopped appearing three years ago.

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But back to the dinner table. At each place setting is a black Raven perched on a grey, weathered stick.

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Perhaps he delivered your invitation to you. Hmm…click HERE to visit this English teacher’s blog. Bethany has wonderful Poe downloads available for your own invitations. Check it out.

Although Edgar Allan Poe began his academic life in a exclusive school in England funded by his foster father, his life was marked by illness, alcohol and severe poverty.

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So although I placed the silverware and damask napkin inside a white glove and used white dinnerware with silver metal chargers…

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…there is plain, affordable burlap underneath the black lace table covering. A reminder of his struggles.

It seems at one point in his writing career, Poe was so poor he couldn’t afford stamps to mail his manuscripts. And he died never knowing about his eventual fame. The more I found out about Poe’s life the fonder I felt. Such a tragic figure!

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Therefore, at a Edgar Allan Poe dinner party, each guest should receive a copy of The Raven tucked into a black velvet pouch. Don’t you agree?

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And when you glance overhead, there should be a nest for the Ravens too.

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Here’s a shot in the bright light. Can you see how I did this? I simply attached a plain wreath beneath the chandelier. I added LOTS of dried moss and black ravens throughout (hard to see) and I draped cheesecloth over each chandelier arm.

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Each chair is covered in black tulle.

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I even pulled out my Edgar Allan Poe wreath. You can see the tutorial HERE. And if you look at the dining room wall, you may notice my Crow Art that I made last Halloween.

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Click HERE to see how easy it was using Martha Stewart’s crows.

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In the meantime, seems I have a itty bitty problem.…. I…ah, sort of forgot about dinner.

Oh well. Food is so over-rated when you have books and drinks nearby, don’t you think?

xoxo

your hungry hostess,

Leslie

 

 

18 comments:

ℳartina @ Northern Nesting said...

I LOVE IT!! The wreath in your window is such a pretty shot!

Penny @ Penny's Vintage Home said...

I love your Poe Party! I think the chandy is my favorite. Hugs, Penny

Pitter and Glink said...

Oh my! This is such fabulous party decor! Thanks for linking to me! :)

Sherry @ No Minimalist Here said...

Leslie, I would love to be a guest at this party! The decorations are fabulous and very unique. Thanks for linking to the Open House party.

Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co. said...

I would love to join the parry! I especially love the place cards - so cute and clever. And the Ravens nest is awesome. You didn't miss a single detail. This would be perfect for my book club, especially with the Baltimore Ravens/Poe connection. I'll have to remember this for next year. And I did make two of your Poe wreaths for our fall tag sale and they were a big hit! Hope Halloween brings you lots of treats!

mary d said...

your table is screaming for a few of your girlfriends to come sit!
So, what time should we arrive?

Linda said...

What an amazing table scape. It's spootackular!!

Daniela @Frugal Aint Cheap said...

I absolutely love the ink and feathers!!!

Anita at Cedar Hill said...

Cute table, you really did a wonderful job with it. I am glad those are ink wells, I was afraid at first that you had converted them into bottles of fake poison. And is that ink in the bottles? See I would be afraid that someone would spill that. But you didn't actually have any guests there, so I guess that worked out ok. Looks great.

Tammy @ A Walk in the Countryside said...

So very creative! Once again, your Halloween decor has caught my eye! I love your chandelier and the little history lesson! You know I'm going to be pinning this to my Halloween board!

Calista said...

Extremely classy table! You're right - in such a setting food is overrated. Visiting Grace At Home link party & a new follower.

Unknown said...

What a beautiful creepy table and room setting! Just love all of your details. Very pin worthy! Wish I belonged to your book club. ;)

Cynthia said...

I love ALL of it. The inkwells, the chandelier, the black, white, red. . . and your background information on EAP. He's always been a favorite, and Halloween does seem the perfect time to celebrate him. Oh, and your wreath! Now, I really want to make one myself. Thans for the tutorial. I'm becoming a follower.

must love junk said...

Great post!! Love your tablescape and chandy!
Susan

Debra@CommonGround said...

Oh Leslie, I love this post, please come link it up at Vintage Inspiration Friday! It's just perfect!

Tea in Texas said...

Perfectly charming and the crows have a great view in their nest. Your creative side is very well developed and shows anytime you can have an inspiration. I love the ink wells! Your fabulous Halloween Poe tablescape is the best I have seen for the unusual and the unique in the Halloween theme. I love Halloween and designed a table with Masked characters. Totally Awesome!

Thanks, Pam

Megan @ Restoring the Roost said...

Wow this is Amazing!! all of the touches are perfect for a spooky Halloween dinner. Love every single detail of it!!

Decor To Adore said...

I think that this is the BEST tablescape I have seen for Halloween! I have pinned it for next year. :)

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