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:
Place cards for book lovers; ink and feather pens
Can you see the white feathers with the black tips? Such a perfect touch for the book lover’s table.
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.
But back to the dinner table. At each place setting is a black Raven perched on a grey, weathered stick.
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.
So although I placed the silverware and damask napkin inside a white glove and used white dinnerware with silver metal chargers…
…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!
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?
And when you glance overhead, there should be a nest for the Ravens too.
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.
Each chair is covered in black tulle.
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.
Click HERE to see how easy it was using Martha Stewart’s crows.
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
