Mood Board: Char-BOO-terie

Let’s Plan a Gathering  

Halloween is always a festive and nostalgic time of year for our family. When our daughters were growing up, it was our tradition every year to gather with good friends for a night of trick-or-treating. The resulting collection of old annual photos of our costumed children with their giant smiles is something I treasure, particularly around this time of year.  

Since the girls are now grown, our traditions have since changed. While it isn't usual for me to host an evening of trick-or-treating, I love to decorate my home for Halloween, so I thought, why not throw a party? This year I’m hosting a gathering the evening before Halloween to catch up with our lifelong friends, their kids, and now... their young children {wow!}. 

Join me for my latest soirée, a “Char-BOO-terie" Celebration, where costumes aren’t required but always enjoyed. 

The Inspiration  

Mixing some “old” traditions that would be familiar to some friends attending from Halloweens past with some “new” is the main inspiration behind this gathering. 

The Mood 

My main goals for this gathering are to extend the fun of the Halloween festivities beyond one night - after all, trick-or-treating is the highlight of the year for most kids - as well as incorporate nods to our old traditions for a nostalgic feel.  

A cozy and dim candlelit space with a few statement décor installations for a fun “wow factor” will set the tone of the party.  

I’m enlisting help for the finishing touches from Sara Kate and Mary Parker, who have an especially keen interest in unique Halloween decorations and installations. I know they’ll help me add a few statements that will take the look to the next level. 

A few descriptions of the mood of the gathering: 

• Moody 
• Nostalgic {with a retro spin!} 
• Spooky, not scary  

 

The Colors  

My preferred vision of Halloween in general is less on the scary-creepy-crawly characters and more about the classic icons of the season. Picture darker-hued pumpkins, ghost décor, grinning skeletons, crows perched in unexpected places, and taper candles aplenty.  

Featured Hues:  

• Rust orange  

• Midnight black 

• Smoky grey 

• Deep purple  

• Ghostly white

So, what’s left to plan for this gathering?  

Autumn weekends tend to fill up quickly, so I plan to send my invitations sooner than later to ensure everyone feels included and has plenty of notice.  

Being a Char-BOO-terie gathering, a big check off the list will be finishing planning the menu, of course. I’m thinking a big charcuterie board to graze on with a savory assortment of grab-and-go dishes to ensure no one leaves hungry. 

Among a few other typical to-dos, I plan to enlist Sara Kate and Mary Parker’s help for the finishing touches, who have an especially keen interest in unique Halloween decorations and installations {just take a look at Sara Kate’s Sit for a Spell soirée from last year!}. I know they’ll help me add a few statements that will take the look to the next level. 

 

 

Want to host a Char-BOO-terie Celebration of your own? Print the mood board above, start scheming, and stock up on everything you need here. We’d love to take a seat at your table {even if it has to be virtually!}, so be sure to post the finished product and tag us @cotoncolors and #celebratewithCC so we can cheers to you, too!