I Am Batty For Halloween

I must admit....when it comes to Halloween, it brings out the mischievous child in me every year in spite of my growing age .  Perhaps it is because most of my memories of Halloween stem from the many wonderful years celebrating the occasion with my children.  The costume Halloween parties that we had complete with food, pinatas and treats, the shopping for costumes and the evening trick or treating, all make up a history of fun and cherished memories for the whole family, especially for me. Some times I believe I was the one more excited than the children when Halloween came around each year.

I often think back with warm fuzzy feelings over these eagerly awaited times, especially that one particular year I decided to make my own witch's hat pinata filled with an over abundance of candy for that year's party. How accomplished I felt when the hat was securely covered with the strips of wet newspaper dipped in a flour and water paste and finished off with colorful black, purple, lime green and orange glitter crepe paper after it was dried.  I was super happy and excited and could just imagine all of the fun my son, daughter and their friends would have as they took their turn swinging at the spooky hat with a baseball bat while blindfolded.  I could almost hear the squeals and giggles as each child swung and missed and on the third or so try took a hit at the stored treasure of sweet treats. With each hit there was growing anticipation of the final break resulting in the tantalizing confections spewing all over the lawn.  Oh wait... could it be the year my husband and the other fathers of families attending the party had to use the chain saw to create a crack to help the children get the pinata to finally break? Whoops! And who worked so diligently to make a pinata like a concrete pillar and strong enough to hold all that candy?   Yup...That's right ...I did.  And who can I say had the most fun?  You are correct once again.  I did.
  

So now I confess that I remain a child when it comes to the Halloween season.  My excitement over Halloween still continues to this very day even though my children have  long been adults for many years now.  Thus, you will still find the carved and lit jack o' lanterns on my porch, the friendly witch standing next to her fire lit, flickering cauldron and, of course, my hallowed out treat spell book which stores the trick or treat candy and from which spooky sounds are made when opened to little clowns, robots, witches and other cutely dressed adorable characters.

So as I continue my long-standing tradition of celebrating this frightful holiday, I have included in this post some of this years various treats and budget-friendly decor.

Yum....it was fun making these whimsical cupcakes. 

I fell in love with this fabric and made them into these cute vibrant napkins.

A bat napkin fold is fun and easy and makes a spooky impression.

Hanging ghosts, spider webs and creepy eyes hang from invisible fishing line and make for a wicked welcome on the porch, especially at night.

Some haunting eyes made from painted toilet paper rolls can have quite a eerie effect when night finally arrives.

An Afternoon At The Art of Tablesetting 2016 Exhibit

There are two special places to find relaxation and rejuvenation.  One is a health spa with steamy saunas, hot tubs and stress-reducing massage services.  The other is a visit to an art museum with its peaceful, quiet environment including soft background music, dimly lit rooms with spot lighting and comfortable padded benches to sit, pause and gaze at the expressive, thought-provoking art to daydream, reminisce or connect with misplaced plans for the future.

The exhibit, Art of Tablesetting 2016, at the Rahr Art Museum in Manitowoc, Wisconsin is now open and ready for the many visitors that come to enjoy the tranquil museum and this unique and influential exhibit about tablescapes. You can browse through the exhibit any day of the week except for Mondays when the museum is closed and until the exhibit concludes on November 6, 2016.

If you happen to miss my previous post, A Sneak Peek at the Art of Tablesetting 2016, on my blog last week, you can view the preparation of the exhibit and a sampling of tablescapes by clicking Peek Here.   This article will include many other tablescapes that are now completed for full viewing at the museum.  So grab your cup of coffee or tea, kick off your shoes, curl up on your favorite comfortable chair and take a moment to walk with me and enjoy the many diverse tablescapes.

The first tablescape is the brightly colored Corona Light tablescape. Any nachos and cheese with this beer-themed tablescape?

I am ready to put on my Easter bonnet when I viewed this cute tablescape.  The colors of lime green and lilac just screams Easter, doesn't it?

I love this toy shop tablescape.  I almost feel like asking where is Pinocchio.

I am always amazed at how far the designers will go to enhance their tablescape by decorating the surrounding area. 

With travel now open to Cuba, I find this to be my favorite tablescape....cigars and all.

This tablescape is entitled "Frozen".  During the set up of the tablescapes, I was delighted to see a mother helping and encouraging her young daughter with a tablescape that she created based on her own love for the movie.   I am certain she will be a future tablescape linky party participant, don't you think?  (Could that be a bottle of wine on the table?  If indeed it is, I think it might be for mom.)

The exhibit also includes something for the men folk too.  Poker and beer for game night? 

Some elegance in the park?

There is something down home country about this American Farmland tablescape.

The ladies Red Hat Society displayed their Christmas tablescape in their bright red and purple colors.  Such flair and bling, don't you think?

Don't you think there is some thing very familiar about this next tablescape?  The retro diner brings back so many memories of stopping at family diners on the many road trips across the country.

Yoga anyone?

I am certain that after this tour anyone designing a tablescape can come away with new enthusiasm and ideas.  Personally, I am always excited over the creative thinking and process of designing the entire tablescape from one inspiring item.

Come back again for my upcoming Halloween tablescape, I Am Batty For Halloween.