The witching hour is near

After 364 days of anticipation, All Hallows Eve has returned at long last and I'm bubbling like a witch's cauldron with joy and merriment over this fact. I'd hoped to get in a pre-Halloween shoot of my costume, but haven’t feeling well enough lately for that, so hopefully we'll get some snaps later today and I can share my festive ensemble with you all in the very near future.

Like much of North America right now, though we're on the west coast, not the east, and thus haven't felt Hurricane Sandy's terrible wrath firsthand, we've had fairly rough weather all week. The rain that's been present since last Friday continues this morning, as I curl up in a corner of the living room couch and silently ask the The Great Pumpkin to send a little sunshine our way.

No matter what the weather has up its sleeve today, and even though I'm feeling less than stellar on the health front, nothing can dampen my spirits - or the spirits that may very well be lurking amongst us on this spooky holiday - in the slightest!

Though we don't have tons of Halloween decorations (no room in our past homes to store much in the way of seasonal decor), we do have a beloved little handful (certain items of which, such as the candles pictured here, have been with me since childhood), and I took snaps recently of some of our collection - as well as most of the pumpkins we picked up at Bear's fruit stand - to share with all of you today.

However you celebrate today, I really hope that you have a frighteningly marvelous Halloween (and if you don't observe Halloween, I hope that you have a beautiful last day of October). I look forward to sharing my costume with you very soon, and can't wait to see blog posts about what you sported on this fabulously haunted eve as as well.

Happiest, sweet-as-candy, eerily awesome Halloween wishes, everyone!

A charmingly fun trio of vintage image adorned votive holders

✯ Day 291 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

This, no doubt, makes me the odd (wo)man out, but I like - at least for a good portion of the colder months - the fact that the sun sets earlier and rises later.

The dark of evening and I long acquainted friends (as you may recall from my Summer nights, how I love thee post this past August), and I rather enjoy the fact that by the time my supper is on the table, the view outside has turned pitch black.

There’s something wonderfully lovely about a dark world set against the warmth one creates in their home with cozy sweaters, steaming hot bowls of hearty soup, roaring fireplaces (if, in this day and age, you should be so lucky as to have one), and thick knit blankets. This cocoon of comfort is a beautiful, nearly intrinsic feeling that soothes and inspires, mellows and yet equally uplifts the soul.

I rarely burn candles indoors during the summer months, but as the mercury begins to take a nose dive - perhaps channelling a glowing jack-o-lantern vibe - I find myself drawn once more to the rich amber light that candles cast against the murky jet hues of evening.

Having a very curious cat frolicking about the apartment, it's mandatory that I keep my candles protected to as much of an extent as they can be, to help prevent an eager tail or curious paw knocking over, say, a tall, slender tapper.

Instead, these days, I usually opt for squat pillars and smaller votive and tea lights that can be housed safely in holder and cups, such as the whimsically charming set of Modern Vintage Candle Holders below.

 

Though modern in the sense of being recently manufactured, this eye-catching three piece votive holder set (which retails for $9.00 from Plasticland) sports a delightful trio of vintage images of - playfully - items that cast light themselves (an Edison light bulb, gas lantern, and decorative electric lamp).

The simple, yet chic, nature of these vintage illustrations lends itself splendidly to many types of decor - even that of Halloween display or dinner party table.

As the days grow ever shorter, I could definitely see myself (as Ms. Kitty watches on in inquisitive amusement) using these charmingly fun votive holders all through the dark and stormy nights of fall and winter.

In turn adding a generous dose more of that aforementioned tranquil warmth to the indoor world via the timeless beauty of flickering candlelight.