Its Halloween! Almost!

  With the clue hunt falling in the month of October, I do a vast amount of decorating.  Things need to be festive for Halloween but, also, render the impression of the theme of the hunt.  This year, most of the hunt was in out buildings so I was able to do a bit of actual Halloween type decorating.  It made me happy to pull my boxes down from upstairs and sort the accumulated items.  I have a LOT!  Still when it came to doing a tablescape for the clue hunt meal, I was at a loss.  The first hunt of the season saw the table decorated in a typical "Bayou" style with seashells and Spanish moss but since the month has progressed and it is closer to Halloween, I decided to change all of that.  I went strictly Halloween.

  First, an orange base tablecloth, then a black lace over top set the mood.  I had acquired some orange and black dishes that would look perfect so those were next.  My silverware and some cheap dollar store wine glasses were added for a bit of creepy elegance.  Now all I needed was finishing touches.  The same base centerpiece that I had used for the previous hunt came back into play.  I merely pulled off the seashells and the lantern from the top.  A skull and assorted bones were added to the moss and several large spiders were thrown in for fun.  Yep, it is always quite tasteful to have bones on the dining table!  Since I would be using the black bowls to prepare a vegan pasta dish, the plates looked a tad plain.  That needed fixing!  Hmmm.  I tried just about everything I had on hand but always seemed to wind up with one short.  Mini skeletons were meant to be napkin rings but one was missing a head!  Not that this should matter but, hey, my theme was not the "Headless Horseman"!  I pulled some small skulls and, once again, I lacked one.  Geez!  Then inspiration struck!

  Folded black napkins were placed on the orange plate and a single tiny lantern was set on top.  With the miniature lanterns lit, it gave the table a wonderfully warm glow!  I completed the look with lanterns hanging between the windows around the table.  Yep, I am satisfied with my last minute tablescape and think I will use this again for the next running of the hunt. In the meantime, the table will stay decorated!  Love it!