The Cookbook Club's dinner 

for October was going to be 

down in The Hollow - our 

lower property in the back.  

We have four acres at our 

new house and The Hollow, 

as it has been called for a 

couple of generations, is part 

of that. 

Well, a couple of days before, 

we had a big rain and it 

flooded The Hollow.  I had 

hung a black chandelier and 

had started to decorate the 

arbor, so now the event 

was moved inside.

It was easy to move as the 

Orangerie was already 

decorated for Halloween.

The theme of the house 

again this year is 

The Haunted Mansion, 

so Mickey and Minnie 

play a big role.

The plates were from 

Home Goods a couple 

of years ago and the 

soup mugs were from 

Wal Mart this year. 

I used my classic black

flatware and my copper 

chargers for the settings. 

They all went together so well.

My pewter glasses had 

black napkins tucked in. 

A runner was used on the table 

and we had plenty of candles.

I made this black velvet 

cake with purple filling - 

it is hard to get a purple 

just right!  I wanted a dusky 

purple, so I played with it 

a bit.  Then I dripped 

chocolate ganache and 

finished it with blackberries 

and Chocolate Raspberry 

Skulls.  I just used my skull 

mold and filled half with 

dipping chocolate brought down 

to 90 degrees, popped a fresh 

raspberry in and topped it 

with more chocolate.  

We had lots of good and 

spooky food.

Everyone brings a dish 

and each time we are 

sure this is our favorite 

meal.

I used my Red Velvet Cake 

recipe and just substituted 

a fairly small amount of 

black gel food color.  It 

didn't take a lot.

We all dressed in black, 

so I dressed as 

Wednesday. 

It was another great 

Cookbook Club.

Beaulah enjoyed everything 

as she watched from the 

kitchen, especially the 

decorating of the cake.

I will post this with

Love Your Creativity

and 

Tablescape Thursday

Huge Halloween Candle Holders

Beulah and I have been wanting to create these candleholders for a very long time!They seemed like the perfect craft for our home.

We finally did it and   they now reside in my Orangerie for Halloween.  

These were such a quick and fun Halloween craft. Each tall one took ten Pool noodles. The two Small ones my niece made using five noodles each.  

We just used a bread knife to cut them and then used a hot glue gun set on low. We started with the back row laying them flat on the counter and then after finishing the back row layingand making sure the bottoms were even we glued on the next row and the next. Always make sure the bottoms are even so it will stand. 

I kept my first noodle the full size.  Since they have a curve to them, I put a garden stake up in the first two to hold them straight.

When you have your stack 

all done, run a circle of 

glue around the top of 

each and then drip the 

glue down the sides. 

It took us a little over 

an hour to put the large 

stack or the two small 

stacks together and to 

run the drips. 

Then take them outside and using spray paint, paint them black.  Each tall stack took about a can of paint.  So easy and so fun.  

I just sat the black battery candles on the top of each noodle.  The glue circle keeps them in place.  

Beaulah is so happy you 

flew on over!

I will be posting this at 

Love Your Creativity

Metamorphosis Monday

Beaulah Welcomes Halloween Month

Welcome Halloween!!

Beaulah is so excited to 

come out and celebrate 

with us!  To tell the truth, 

she has been out flying 

around and decorating for 

a month now!  Can you 

tell we love Halloween? 

She is perched right where she 

can see all of our comings and 

goings - 

on our Pizza oven. 

Yes, we put another pizza 

oven in our new house.  

It has a custom built cabinet 

where we can place our 

pizza peels and other 

supplies.  It is another 

wood-burning pizza oven. 

I don't store my wood 

inside the house.  It is 

too messy and might 

bring in little creatures, 

but firestarters, matches, 

pizza peels and other large 

containers fit in here.

The pizza oven is again made 

by Mugnaini and our contractor 

installed it.  One of my husband's 

employees made this custom 

pizza oven door for us.  

It is one of the family's 

favorite dinners - always. 

Here is a crustless pizza 

my niece made the other day. 

The best part is everyone 

gets to make their own! 

I wonder what Beaulah 

would make.  Of course, 

she has to step aside when 

we are cooking!  

But then she flies right back 

to her favorite spot.

Beaulah has been flying in for 

Halloween posts since 

October 4, 2010! 

 

You may remember her from back then with her twin sister Zoulah, from Red Couch Recipes.

She and I love to be nice witches for Halloween!
Thanks for stopping by to enjoy our fun.

Salty Halloween Pirate Mirror

Halloween has been in full

swing here for a while.

As many of you know we are 

building a new house, and 

most of the Halloween 

decor boxes were already 

taken to storage.  

(You may not believe that 

if you see my house all 

decorated!)

But Beaulah and I decided we 

had to decorate to be happy 

while we pack endless boxes!

It has really lifted my mood 

to have the house decorated 

and it opened the way to 

having the house ready 

for all of the last parties 

we want to have in this 

Haunted House.

In the thrift store pile was 

this old frame - that I had 

no place for in the new house.

The pirate skeleton was also 

being tossed!  

Then I decided - since I wasn't 

busy at all - haha - that I 

wanted a Halloween Craft 

Project.  

We had the pirate skeleton 

for years and only used him 

once.  He is undersized and 

had a peg leg and I just didn't 

like him much.  

So I got out my bread knife 

and sawed his lower body 

off - ZZZZ  - and then took 

his eye patch off and gouged 

a hole - trying to sound 

Halloweenish here!  

Then I stripped him of 

his headband and he was 

ready to be transformed 

with some gold paint. 

I didn't have to do 

anything to the mirror.  

A crystal knob that I had 

around the house became 

his eye - my favorite part!!!

Then I glued his headband 

back on.  I tried him without 

and he just wasn't the same. 

And we are in love with him. 

My three year old 

granddaughter was oohing 

and aahing over the 

Halloween decor in the 

living room.  I took her 

back in and pointed him out.  

She said with eyes wide open, 

"OH!  I didn't see that!" 

Now instead of the thrift 

pile he will have a place 

in our Halloween home 

for years to come.

I will be posting with 

Metamorphosis Monday

Show Your Creativity