A Wish for the Holiday Season

Photo credit: Margaret Taylor via About.com

To begin, please allow me to apologize for the long silence since All Hallow's Eve. I

have jokingly blamed it on "Post-Hallowe'en Malaise" and they do say that every joke

holds a thread or two of truth to it. While, like many of you, Hallowe'en is the

pinnacle of the year, and there are always (large) remnants of it year round in my

home and lifestyle, it is not so much the passing of the holiday that brings that

small, nagging drop of dread. It is the realization that the Holiday Season is upon

us and time will fly much too fast and be gone before we've had a moment to blink,

breathe, or even revel in it. My goal this year is to weed that self-fulfilling

prophecy out of my psyche, and instead.. revel. And I hope that through my writings

here and some of the hair-brained suggestions I commit to print, you will be able to

revel in the holidays, whichever you choose, with me and bring a bit more rich,

decadent colour, candlelight and ghostly glow to the wonderfully dark Winter days and

nights.

My other goal for the holidays and EVGA is to post my own 13 Days of Christmas. I

know, I know... it's 12 days of Christmas, but I prefer a Baker's Dozen..

besides...this is ME we're talking about. As usual, the holiday will be

Victorianesque and I will attempt to lace it with some lovely haunting touches

featuring rich Gothic colours and designs.  Does this mean it is only for Christmas? Of course not. I know many fabulously dark and skewed individuals whose Winter holidays do not include the fat man in the red suit. All Victorianesque, haunted and Gothic suggestions should translate to any decor and any celebration. And as always, please do share your ideas, and pictures should you find something of use in my posts.

Please always keep in mind that it is not so much about the decor as the sentiment,

and that decorating and preparation should always be fun. What better time of the

year than the last quarter to let your imagination run wild when Mother Nature has

given you a dark theater and a silver moonlight screen to showcase your creativity

and creations? Do not stress yourself over "just right", but rather, "just for fun."

If I have learned nothing else after many years of eccentric decorating and

experimental holiday cooking (don't ask), some of The Best family traditions are

completely spontaneous and came from last minute decisions because the Grand Plan

went to Hell in a handbasket. Murphy may have been an Irishman, but we all know he

gets around on an international level when our plans are concise. Be flexible, be

adventurous and be prepared to enjoy the Holidays.

Stay tuned...

Raven =)

A Victorianesque Hallowe'en: Hallowe'en Dinner

So this evening we had the big family dinner, as one does on any proper holiday.  We opted for Victorian red and black for the colours of the evening, purple lights overhead and dishes like Guinness roast, black rice with mushrooms, pasta in Hallowe'en shapes with a deep red, spicy red sauce and gourmet sausages. An assortment of pumpkin and red velvet treats served as dessert with a rich French Roast coffee and spiced cider.

A Victorianesque Hallowe'en: The Dressform and Coatrack

I realize I have said other ideas are easy. Well, this one is, too, especially for
anyone who has a coatrack (or tree) standing around somewhere collecting dust. Those
with dressforms seldom allow them to collect dust, and I will bet they already
understand the spooky, haunted Victorianesque home theme forming here.

A Victorianesque Hallowe'en: The Frame Up

This was meant to be last evening's post, but due to a few technical issues, I am
posting tonight. And my apologies for the cornball title that sounded a bit too much
like an old gangster film line. It is just so difficult to come up with a witty
reference to old picture frames. Although I'm certain at least a few of you will
immediately come up with a dozen or more phrases FAR better than mine. Or one will
occur to me as soon as I post. But I digress.

A Victorianesque Hallowe'en: Lattices

I know, I know. It took me long enough to get to this topic. Fortunately, it does not
take much time or financial investment, but yields probably one of THE best reusable
and versatile items of haunting Victorianesque decor one can add to their collection.

A Victorianesque Hallowe'en: Indoor Autumn Gardening

I have really been looking forward to writing this piece for a number of reasons. The
first being that while most see Autumn as the time of harvest and putting the garden
to rest, the Victorians had some of the best approaches to maintaining a garden year
round. Even though greenhouses have been around since long before the Victorians, one
of my favourite images of grand Victorian homes includes the ornate skeletal
framework and glasswork of their sanctuaries for all things green and flowering
during the coldest months.

A Victorianesque Hallowe'en: Literary Decor

This one probably goes without saying. However, that would make for a very short,
very boring post. Mind you, I am not referring to just having a few of the old scary
classics about. I am referring to books as a display, and with just a little
wordplay, imagination and a half-decent printer or brown marker, a very personalized,
haunted book display. Now that I think about it, this is so deceptively simple, it
may still wind up a very short post. Or shorter than most of my incredibly verbose
ramblings.

A Victorianesque Hallowe'en: The Home Apothecary

This is probably one of the easiest and most popular ideas out there for Hallowe'en
decorating with a Victorian flair: The home apothecary. Nothing says "Victorianesque
Hallowe'en" without some apothecary jars in all sizes, a few posters or banners, and
a collection of oddly coloured liquids, or dried "goodies".

A Victorianesque Hallowe'en: Wicker

Very few things are as Victorian as wicker furniture. And very few styles of furniture
are as unappreciated in this day and age as wicker. I am constantly seeing unloved,
abandoned wicker side tables sitting, slightly tattered in thrift shops and ignored
on front porches. The demand for more durable furniture has led to the creation of
patio furniture woven from strips of vinyl, which, ironically, dry-rots and falls
apart as well.