Creepy, Spooky, Unexpected : Vintage Halloween

Halloween is a most sacred of holidays at our house. Maybe it's the cooler weather. Maybe it's all the fall goodness. Maybe it's the time of year we met. Maybe we both have a dark side. Either way, it's our absolute favorite and we do it up right!

Vintage items just lend themselves to great Halloween decor. A darker time gone by, a sense of decay, a hidden history...all these things and more make them perfect for your festive fall furnishings. What I also love is using items that do double duty around the house and throughout the year. Many folks don't want to put a lot of money out for what they see as a lesser holiday. So make your money go far! Here are some ways I use vintage to decorate for my favorite month of the year.

First, let's start with the basic things I use to compile my Halloween vignettes.

Bell Jars or cloches make wonderful places to keep creepy things, whether for ambiance or to keep them from a certain mischievous cat. The rest of the year, they make great displays or terrariums.

Spanish moss is a great bed for all your spooky items. It goes forever. I bought this bag three years ago and it is still half full. Also works great for fall and spring decor.

Every year, I look forward to the Dollar Tree's Halloween stock coming out. It's like a national holiday. They have amazing stuff, all for $1; skeletons, pumpkins, organs, body parts, insects, and more! Never ceases to amaze and delight for next to nothing. It may look cheesy in the store but once mixed with the authenticity of your vintage stuff, it's legit.

Last, my stock of vintage goodies to add to the mix. As you will see, I love a theme and vintage offers a variety of directions to go.

Mirror, mirror : I know that Disney has made the story of Snow White seem cute but The Brothers Grimm actually wrote some dark stuff! This simple vignette alludes to the story of that wicked queen and her poison apples. Just in time for apple season!

Mad Mixologist : Create a spooky vintage bar with these vintage decanters, mid century glasses, a mirrored tray, and some creepy dollar store goodies. Add some vintage poison labels to the decanters and fill with red colored water or liquor!

Wicked Writing Nook : Create a dark and disturbed writing space befitting the likes of Edgar Allen Poe. His chilling tale, The Raven, was the inspiration for this grouping. And you know you want an excuse to buy a fabulous vintage typewriter!

Set a Spooky Table : Create a Hannibal inspired spread. Lots of gross things to eat and a great way to use your vintage silver! Use your imagination. Lots of fun to be had. Great place to use old bottles and china!

Dark Doctor : Compile a ghastly collection reminiscent of Dr Moreau's laboratory. Apothecary jars holding potions, canisters of body parts, and vintage medical books complete the display.

Cabin in the Woods : It doesn't have to be obviously Halloween. This vignette has nary a skull. Different things are disturbing to different people. Look to your favorite horror movie for inspiration! This grouping was conjured from ideas from Cabin in the Woods and Saw. Rusty old tools, a vintage hikers map, and woodsy charm turn ominous!

So, have some fun this Halloween! Look around at what you have and think of how you could use it. Add some vintage pieces that can be used all year round. Check out the Halloween section of the shop for all your decor needs. From vintage china, silver, tools, and dolls to creepy art, tin types, and festive banners, there is lots to browse for purchase or inspiration!

Homage De Cabin Trip : A Feast for the Eyes

Well, I just booked our second annual March cabin trip into the Nantahala Mountains of Western North Carolina. And I am psyched! 

Last year, as I was booking our first annual March cabin trip, it was all for my better half to get the peace and serenity he desperately deserves but I was skeptical. How great could it be? No beach, no wifi, no room service...come on. I am here to tell you, it is pretty awesome! 

Cabin trip holds amazing relaxation and experiences. 

• We read books. I can never read unless I'm on vacation because there is always something else to do. Last year I stocked up on dark, ominous, and terrifying apocalyptic novels. Perfect for being alone in the middle of the woods. I read World War Z, I am Legend, and Never Let Me Go all in a three day time span. Love!
• We crank up the crock pot meals. I am on the Pinterest crock pot freezer meal band wagon and I am not afraid to admit it. Who wants to take a million ingredients but what's the alternative? Sandwiches? Uh, no. Meals in a bag, that's what! I made meals from here http://www.ringaroundtherosies.net/2012/02/freezer-cooking.html, and here http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/09/slow-cooker-freezer-meals-make-8-meals.html, with these super easy two cookie chocolate chip batches http://www.pinterest.com/pin/114138171778349840/. Let's just say we did not go hungry or want for a restaurant.
• No wifi. My better half likes to joke about how happy he is when I can't check my phone but he is on his just as much. Sounds like it sucks but it is nice not to even check your phone. You don't need to. No one can reach you. No bothers. No stress. You don't even realize how much a phone intrudes on your daily life until it doesn't. 
• We enjoyed the scenery. What an amazing area! First of all, our cabin was perched on a mountain with an amazing view. During the day, mountains. At night, no city light polution equals amazing night sky. With a cabin fully equipped with shuffle board, air hockey, pool, a fire pit, and hot tub, we had plenty of entertainment. When we ventured out, the Nantahala River, known for it's white water rafting, was just down the road and we discovered Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson, NC. Fantastic little brewery, brewing up amazing brews, including my personal favorite, Chocolate Cherry Stout. Check them out at http://www.nantahalabrewing.com/. If you don't live in North or South Carolina, I'm sorry. It's unassumingly amazing. I book our trips thru http://www.carolinamountainvacations.com/.
• We get to take the dogs! When we leave, it's always hard to leave our babies and it's hard for them too. Or at least I like to think so. After a harrowing couple hours of pacing, panting, and whining in the car, we arrive and they make themselves at home. It's nice to have the whole family together.
• We had a near death experience and lived to tell about it. Not really but kinda. I decided it would be a great idea to take a midnight ghost hike in the Smoky Mountains. Sounds fun. What could happen with a group of 20 people walking through the woods at night. Well, it wasn't 20 people. It was just us and the tour guide. I'm sure you can see that this is less human shields and less people that I have a chance of out running. It is pretty spooky alone, in the woods, in the dark where bears and mountain lions live, let me tell you. I almost took an unsolicited piggy back ride on the tour guide on the way down the mountain. If you feel the need to value your life just a little bit more, check them out at http://www.paddlefishbasecamp.com/. Of course, I am kidding. The only real danger I was in was of a heart attack because of my own anxiety and terrible night blindness. Whose idea was that?!

I'm sure you can just envision the rustic bliss we encountered. So here we go again and I can't wait! 

If you've ever been to a cabin, you know the horrific interior design that often times assaults your eyes. Mountain lions aren't the scariest things in the mountains, this decor is. So in anticipation of our trip, I put together my idea of cabin decor. Sometimes rustic, sometimes quirky, it's more about coziness and the outdoors to me. So without further adieu, I give you...Homage De Cabin.

It's a lot to take in. I'll give you a moment.

So yeah, as previously mentioned, cabin trip includes books, reading, and also movies. We got our luggage, a lantern, and a deer jaw as a nod to our wildlife friends.

Here we have a lot of random masculine stuff because I do what I want. But there is an Old Ezra Whiskey box because, obviously, drinking is happening and my praying hands salt and pepper shakers because if I come across a mountain lion, Imma do some prayin.

Ok, we got all our thermoses for delicious coffee and lots of it. And a typewriter, because if I was a writer, what better place to write? I guess I am writing now. Maybe I should blog up there...

All this on a Native American Wool Table Runner, since the Nantahala Mountains were found by the Cherokee Indians. 

One last look!

So, are you feeling it? While on my cabin trip I will be sure to keep my eyes out for coveted mountain junk spots and try to bring back some fabulous new items. All items pictured (except my typewriter) are available for purchase to decorate your own cabin or create a cabin feel at www.maliasmark.etsy.com. Plan your own cabin trip soon! You won't be sorry. Unless you take the midnight ghost hike. Then you might be sorry. Just kidding (not really.)

What I Wouldn't Sell : My Special Favorites

I sell stuff. It's what I do. I think my family thinks I would sell my own grandmother if I could. But everything is not just an object to be sold. Each piece has a personality, a story, a history. I get attached to almost every item, even the ones I sell. I'm sad when they leave me but happy to pass them along to someone that will love them. 

Sure, some stuff is just...stuff but some stuff is special and I wonder why these items weren't special to someone else. 

Here are some items that I will never sell. Some I just love, some have sentimental value, some are just super cool and I want to show them off. 

• Needlepoint Art made by my Grandma, with my Grandpa's signature beer tab hangers on the back. Love these. There is a lot of history and their personalities in these pieces. Since neither of them are still with me, even more special.

• Postcards that my great Grandmother received dating back to 1901. My grandmother just gave me these. I think she thought I would sell them but there is no way. I do love them and will be looking for some that I am not attached to for resale. :)

• Jewelry Box that was my Grandmas. The ballerina is missing. The music doesn't play. But every time I open this jewelry box it smells like my grandma.

• Antique Seltzer Bottle. No sentimental value. Just love the green glass, rusty metal around it, and who knows what the mystery fluid is inside.

• Enamel Gas Station Sign Letter M. A couple years ago I bought a pile of enamel gas station sign letters that spelled out "happy" and "m". How perfect is that? As you can see, I do not clean off my vintage dust. :) 

• Antique Mirror. Bought this at a junk store. The framing in the back makes me think it's old and possibly handmade. No stamps or identifying marks. I don't usually like traditionally antique things but I love the decoration on this and my favorite is how the mirror is fading and chipping away at the bottom. I would never find anything like this again.

• It is downright weird how much I love these corbels. They don't match, the paint chips off daily, they were in a fire and the backs are half burned off but I think that's why I love them.

• Super cool surveyors tripod which my brother turned into a floor lamp. Love the height, the spindly legs, the different metals and that my super analytical brother did something creative for me. This year I hope to learn more about rewiring fixtures. So many cool things to do with lighting!

So there you have it. I do have a soul.

I would love to hear about your favorite vintage items! Feel free to share in the comments section.