It was the evening of October 31. I had
planned an elegant dinner and set a table that was inspired by friends I had joined in a blog hop to
celebrate All Hallow’s Eve. (You can access all their wonderful ideas below.)
It was the last of October, when evening comes earlier. I had just put
the finishing touches on the table when suddenly I saw a shadow flit across the
floor.
I turned in astonishment. “The birds!!” I gasped. I had heard the stories, but they had not massed here in fifty years or more.
Now came the soft
tapping, then the insistent rapping at my windows louder than before. Without
warning blows hammered against the door.
I mustered my courage and looked through the rustling drapes. Dozens of black
birds filled my sight, perched in the trees. As I turned I saw another shadow glide
across the floor, larger this time, which filled me with dread.
I realized the birds had come through the windows! And my table was littered with nesting materials — moss, sticks, feathers, who knows what.
The birds had left the school and the other houses in town, drawn to my table! The candlelight gleaming above their feathers threw their shadows on the
floor.
In that moment I vowed I would be unprepared — nevermore!
You can be prepared for Halloween visitors by setting intriguing, eerie, scary or fantastic tables inspired by the creative stylists listed below! Many thanks to Rita of Panoply who organizes these tablescape hops. Whether you've come directly here or are visiting each blog in turn — Welcome!
Panoply - Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun!
Home is Where the Boat Is - Pink, Eek and
Ghostly Sweets
Hyacinths for the Soul - Tartan Spice is Very Nice!
Everyday Living - A Grand Halloween at Wood's Edge
Pandora's Box - A Halloween Alfresco Dinner
My Thrift Store Addiction - BOO-tiful Brunch Buffet
The Cat's Whiskerz - Butterflies and Skellies for a Halloween Tablescape
Karins Kottage - Spooky and Stylish: My Outdoor Halloween Tablescape
Thrifting Wonderland - Jellicle Cats Tablescape
Corner of Plaid and Paisley - Happy Haunting
Life and Linda - Tea With Miss Pumpkinhead
The Painted Apron - A Frightful Night
The Bookish Dilettante - Halloween Tablescape Hop: The Haunted Forest
Me and My Captain - What do Motorhomes, Autumn, and Pumpkins Have in Common
Dinner at Eight - A Shadow on the Floor - The Raven (you are here!)
Celebrating Everyday Life - Easy and Elegant Ideas for a Spooky-Pretty Halloween Celebration
Red Cottage Chronicles - Shadows of the Sky Halloween Tablescape
Table details
Dinner plates | Mikasa 'Onyx'
Salad plates | vintage, used in Summertime Gardens
Wine glasses | Cristal D'Arques-Durand 'Domino Signature Black'
Decanter and cocktail glasses set | Farber Bros Krome Kraft 'Amethyst Art Deco'
Flatware | Mikasa 'Italian Countryside'
Inspiration | Alfred Hitchcock 'The Birds' and Edgar Allan Poe 'The Raven'
* Table details are provided for identification/information only. Dinner at Eight is not affiliated with nor compensated by other entities.
Shared with these parties
What a fabulous post and table!! The colors are awesome and the theme/accessories a put together so well! Enjoy the season!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Patti! Happy Halloween
DeleteI love a good Halloween story, Sandra, and this was super. The ravens are menacing just by their very presence but brining nesting materials implies they've come to stay. Your purple and black color scheme was a perfect accompaniment to the shadowy ravens. I bet they really enjoyed flitting amongst the candles and creating their shadows. Your dinner guests will be impressed with your Halloween visitors.
ReplyDeleteLynne
Thanks, Lynne, I do think they've come to stay! Happy Halloween
DeleteSandra, this is a wonderful Halloween table! I love the purple and black together and the ravens feasting about. Makes me want to fly in and join the fun. Your guests will certainly enjoy dining at this table. Happy Halloween!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sarah! I liked using purple this year. Happy Halloween
DeleteLove all these fabulous ravens! your table is lovely.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joanne! Ravens are magnificent birds, but I'd rather see them one at a time! Happy Halloween
DeleteOf course I love the literary reference to The Raven. You have a nice collection of ravens, and I like how you decorated the entire room with them. Your table is so pretty, and I love the purples and how they blend well with your blacks. My art teacher taught me to always add purple to shadows. Beautiful post! Happy Halloween!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ricki! How interesting about adding purple to shadows. I guess it gives them more depth. Happy Halloween
DeleteLove this Sandra! Just a gorgeous table and the perfect story to set the stage. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Denise, I'm so glad you enjoyed this! Happy Halloween
DeleteWhat fun Sandra, in an eerie creepy way!! Your table looks fabulous, love the purple, black, white, silver and the texture contrast the "nesting" materials add. Your black birds are indeed scary, and you told their tale like a master story teller! The sideboard looks great too, thank you for the frightful fun!!
ReplyDeleteJenna
Thank you, Jenna! I've always preferred the sense of foreboding in mysteries. Happy Halloween
DeleteSandra, your raven-inspired table setting is wonderfully wicked! Have a lovely October!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cecilia! I enjoyed telling their tale. Happy Halloween
DeleteSandra, this table has all of the elements of intrigue as you told the story perfectly! I was sitting on the edge of my chair waiting to see what would happen…eek! The purple and black work together so beautifully and yes a little scary with ravens! Your guest should enjoy and have a great time sitting and dining at your table! Happy Autumn!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Pam! I think Halloween is the perfect time to enjoy eerie stories, with candles sitting in for campfires.
DeleteA spooky Halloween table Sandra. Love your story. The ravens make for. Good scary table feasting about. Your plate stack is wonderful with black and purple. I always think of the movie, ”the birds”, scary movie.Of course The Raven is a classic. A pleasure hopping along with you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda! I love the color purple because it has so many sides to it. You can't beat Poe for describing eerie scenes. Happy Halloween
DeleteSandra, this is absolutely fabulous! I love the purple with the black, white, and silver and the place settings are exquisite. I love the birds and their nesting materials interspersed with the vintage candle holders. The buffet looks wonderfully eerie as well. I adored the story behind it too and I'm sure your guests will be delighted and impressed. Thanks for all this wonderful inspiration and I hope you have a wonderful October and Halloween!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kim! I liked the contrast of the beautiful dishware with the eerie ravens taking over. Hope you have a happy Halloween.
DeleteOOOH I love the purple and black for Halloween. Your writing is so fun about the birds! The black birds and nesting material is spooky and yet elegant. Loving your goblets! Such great ideas for a Halloween table!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Karin! I liked the moody vibes of the purples which helped me set the scene. Happy Halloween!
DeleteExcellent commentary on a very dramatic table, Sandra! I adore purple with black, and your beautiful glassware collection shines on this table! The thoughts of the birds breaching the safety of home is totally creepy, and the added touch of feathers (that red!), and the messiness of the moss throughout lends authenticity to what it might really look like. Shudder! Thank you for bringing your style creativity to this Halloween blog hop!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Rita! I think strange things happening in an ordinary setting is what creates that uneasy feeling of dread. Which is absolutely fun on Halloween! It was my pleasure to join the hop.
DeleteI love everything about this table. I love the color combination (I love purple), the ravens, and your cordial glasses are stunning! I am a big raven fan myself, and have quite a collection of Edgar Allan Poe things, so this really appealed to me. Well done!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Pattie! I don't know why table stylists don't use purple more often -- it can be moody, regal or light and airy. A color for all seasons! What a cool collection to have! Poe's stories always gave me shivers.
DeleteLove your table Sandra...and yes I did think of the Alfred Hitchcock movie "The Birds" as I viewed your story and your table. What a delight and your moody colors highlight it all. I did "Raven" tablescape several years ago and loved putting it all together "...saith the Raven nevermore", it is always a pleasure to table hop with you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kari! This was a fun table to do.
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ReplyDeleteI love your color palette for Halloween, incorporating the purple with the black and white for your table Sandra! Those amethyst and silver goblets and decanter are stunning. Your story telling upped the spook factor with the placement of your ravens. Love the addition of the spiderweb draping over your lamp shades too! As always, it’s a treat to hop with you. Happy October and Halloween! 🧹 🎃 👻🕸️💀🍬
Thank you, Mary! I thought the purple colors upped the moodiness of the table, and I love using vintage glassware. A single raven is cool, but a 'murder of crows' seems ominous!! Enjoy Halloween
DeleteHi, popping over from BNOTP. I love these colors for late fall, even for All Hallows Eve. And it gives me ideas for color combos for a few outfits too!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mia! I'm glad you enjoyed it and the colors would make a great outfit!
DeleteSandra! This is The Raven meets the Birds!! Two references that give me the heebee-geebees!! You certainly captured that same vibe here with your fabulous Halloween table! Those purple and silver goblets really help set the tone. For a dark moody feel. Excellent!! I hope you have a fun Halloween 🎃🧡🖤
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ann! Both The Birds and The Raven have always given me the chills so I couldn't help but be inspired! I'm crazy about the vintage decanter set and felt it was the perfect addition. Happy Halloween!
DeleteWhat a great post Sandra. It's delightfully written and your table is fabulous. The Raven and the Birds are both great foils for Halloween. I love the purple and black. Always fun to visit your table designs. XO- MaryJo
ReplyDeleteThanks, MaryJo! I'm glad you enjoyed my table -- and my tall tale! Hope you have a wonderfully spooky Halloween.
DeleteSo dramatic and elegant, Sandra! I'm delighted to be featuring your post at Tuesday Turn About this week! Loved how your wrote the post, too!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Julie! I'm thrilled to be featured.
DeleteOh my goodness Sandra, you are such a good storyteller! My daughter is obsessed with Ravens right now so this is especially fun for us! You did a wonderful job weaving your tale with your decor!! The spiderwebs on the lampshades are an extra fun touch!!! So fun celebrating with you! ~ Jennifer
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jennifer! I so enjoy styling Halloween tables. Hope you and your daughter have a wonderfully spooky Halloween.
DeleteThank you Sandra to like the the post and to like the Plaid cloth. Enjoy your season with your favourite things.
ReplyDeleteThank you, I will!
DeleteHi... Your table looks nice for Halloween the colour just apt. I missed to say that. We don't celebrate it. But we do have like this in our culture in different form. Have a fun filled Halloween.
ReplyDeleteThank you, I love using purples for a different look. I enjoy decorating for Halloween -- of course it's so much different now than when it started centuries ago. Happy Autumn!
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