About Last Night...Halloween 2021

Hello, bloggy friends and beyond!!  It's been a long time, and a very rough one globally.  Last night, we were able to celebrate Halloween.  We also took out last little one out for tricks or treats.  It felt so nice to return to some semblance of normalcy, since we had not taken her last year because of this horrible pandemic.

We were also able to have a sweet little get-together, nothing over-the-top, but by adding just a few simple steps, the simple dessert became a little less blah and a little more elevated.  Although we didn't use this table as such (my kiddos enjoy milk with their desserts!!), this idea could be used as a fun idea for a wicked tea, especially one that you plan impromptu and if you are entertaining a small crowd.  I hope you enjoy the post!!

Creating upscale but spooky ambiance:

Is there anything more ominous than a dark forest?  I know the notion of being lost in a forest, all alone (Cure lyrics, lol) gives me a shiver down my spine.  I absolutely adore this spooky shower curtain I found via Amazon.

It made for the perfect backdrop.

It reminded me of the scary forest in the opening credits of the 1980s series Tales From the Darkside, of which I was a huge fan in my teens.  I love campy 80s horror, lol:

Setting the table:

If you've been to my blog before, I am sure you are aware that not only do I adore Halloween, but I really, really love Victorian and/or Gothic elements this time of year.  Nothing says goth-chic like a beautiful damask, and this one did not disappoint, even though it's creamy white!!!!

A spiderweb runner was placed next,

(closeup of the detail)

followed by an arrangement of red dahlias, red and grey roses in an antique dish.

Ruby red saucers that will act as dessert plates

and spider dishes that will act as teacup saucers were placed next.

I love the faceted detail of these spiders; adore the way they catch the light!

In each spider dish, a corresponding teacup was placed.  The ruby color of the cup is just transparent enough to catch those beautiful prisms so that it looks like a bejeweled spider abdomen!

 

Love the spindly legs of the spiders, it makes them look not so creepy, but rather elegant as they dance down the table.

Matching ruby red candlesticks with black tapers add a little bit of romance.

I love impression glass, and this intricate pattern is no exception!

A little more ambiance was created with small scalloped-edge ruby dessert bowls that will serve as little dishes to display black votive candles.  The votives are self-contained, but I still liked the way the looked seated in those pretty little bowls.

I don't own a ruby teapot, so for this siorée, a pitcher will do, along with a ruby depression glass sugar and creamer.

To up the ante a bit, on each side of the table, I added a creepy-yet-whimsical red and black striped spider, and positioned each so they appeared as though they were in a mid-climb of the candlesticks.

To blot the lip, color and theme coordinated napkins were used.

  These are very inexpensive...however, just place in a gorgeous antique mail/napkin holder,

and violà!!  Instantly more elegant.

Finally, we must not forget the dessert.  Isn't that the main attraction always!?

To make a simple box cake a little more creepy-cool and upgraded, I did the following:

First, I began with a devil's food cake.  To make it more decadent and rich, I added a package of chocolate pudding into the batter before baking.  It made for a much more dense, moist cake.  I also added approximately a teaspoon and a half or so of Starbucks espresso to elevate the flavor just a bit.

After crumb-coating the layers with regular chocolate frosting, I added a homemade black crusting buttercream.  Crusting buttercreams are a wonderful way to make a cake look more uniform.  

You can see the recipe I've used before on my past post here.

  

For this Halloween cake, I used a simple Wilton recipe that you can find here.

To add a little sparkle, I added black sanding sugar.  Lastly, I drizzled flood royal icing in red to emulate blood. 

Adding a faux spidey definitely upped the eek factor on this cake, but I still love it!

Pretty accoutrement.  Antique silver forks for a devilishly decadent dessert.

Completed tablescape.

  

I hope you were able to get out and enjoy the evening with family and friends, and until next year, Happy Haunting!!

From my collection:

Ruby depression glass candlesticks, and cream and sugar, Avon 1876 Cape Cod Collection, antique
Ruby glass scalloped bowls, plates and cups, Anchor Hocking Royal Ruby Red Collection, antique
Dish used as vase, Wallace Baroque Collection, antique
Spiderweb runner, flowers, spider used as cake topper, spider saucers and striped spiders, The 99¢ Store

Victorian style cake plate, HomeGoods
Ornate Baroque Napkin/Mail holder, Godinger 20th Century, antique
Damask tablecloth, TJ Maxx/HomeGoods
Silver forks, Reed and Barton, antique

Ruby Depression glass pitcher, Anchor Hocking Ruby Roly Poly Royal collection, antique

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