The Non-Halloween Decorating

Usually by this time, the Little Bayou House is decked out in its fall and Halloween finery.  This is the first year in many, many that I have not pulled down the tons of decorations to adorn the entire house and yard.  It is hard..very hard..for me to resist but, alas, I must.  You see, we are hosting a Clue Hunt Party for my young niece and her friends come the last week in October.  One would think that I would still decorate (and I am) but the theme for the party is not in keeping with the holiday.  Sort of..maybe..who knows?  Anyway, for the past few weeks, I have been slowly turning the Little Bayou House into an abandoned house.  The theme of the clue hunt is set back in the mid 1800's and supposedly the house has set empty (save for one old woman) for many years.  One room especially is still being used by an old "Bayou Woman" (me!) and is relatively in good shape.  That room is the Apothecary Room..the room where she creates her herbal potions, elixirs and tisanes!  Actually, this room makes me happy!  It is filled with herbs, oddities of nature and specimens of natural science.  Michael and I have worked hard to create what we imagine to be the perfect Apothecary Room from the late 1800's.

Lots of old bottles, some books and, of course a skull are needed accessories in any apothecary room!

Lanterns, a birdcage, old traps and keys flanked by "creepy cloth" curtains!

Some old spindles, a "Crucifix" from a catfish and some coral decorate a small shelf.

I was really fortunate to start with a blank slate here.  This is one of the rooms that was being munched by termites and had to be totally gutted. The entryway was ripped apart and rebuilt from the inside out.  I was able to put in assorted little shelves and add many odd, wood curly-cues that I had salvaged from recent hurricanes.  With nothing at all in the room, Michael and I got creative with the decor!  A snakeskin was draped across a piece of driftwood and hung from the ceiling, assorted antique bottles were placed upon homemade shelves and artifacts from the Bayou were framed.  A stack of old books, owl feathers and a magnifying glass lend a bit of mystique.  Then there are the herbs!  Those unidentifiable potions, and elixirs that all good apothecary shops must have to be authentic!  Actually, my herbs are authentic!  I merely rummaged around in my stockpile of herbs to rebottle and relabel a whole shelf full of things.  Michael printed out some labels which I dyed in coffee and smeared with soot.  This aging added to the realism.  Now all that needs to be done is add a bit of eerie lighting and drape some Spanish Moss about the room.  My apothecary room is almost ready to hold a couple of well-hidden clues!  I will be showing how to do some of these things in later posts.  My methods are extremely budget friendly and simple!  Cheap and easy are two great traits when it comes to decorating for Halloween or even clue hunts!

Assorted herbs with aged bottles and labels.

A snakeskin draped on driftwood and hung from ceiling!

A lizard has made itself quite at home in the dried arrangement!

Earlier this evening, I mentioned to Mark that it seemed this was becoming more a room of  Natural Science than an Apothecary Room.  Little did I know that I was speaking such a truth!  As I was out taking a few photographs of the room,  a bit of nature decided to be included in the picture-taking session.  In a bowl of dried weeds, seed pods and lichens, a tiny green anole peered at me with bright eyes!  The little lizard had evidently made its way inside and took up residence.  When I showed my son, Michael, he asked if I wanted him to remove the lizard.  After pondering a bit, I shook my head.  Nope..leave him be.  We will just add a plant with and a bit of water to the room.  The lizard looked right at home and since I have no qualms about his visit, he might as well be comfortable.  That small piece of nature will now be able to observe a group of teenagers fumble around for clues in their quest for answers to weird and wonderful mysteries of the Little Bayou House.