Halloween in July
We're all mad here.
Keep reading for a curated list of Halloween hosting finds, available on eBay at the time of publishing, if you dare.
Every year, for some unknown reason, Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, and Crate & Barrel decide to send me into a full blown panic by launching their Halloween collections before the Fourth of July. I’m over here sweating, trying to pipe homemade buttercream onto a flag cake, when a chipper ding of my inbox alerts me to “scary good decor for my chicest Halloween yet!”
Because I’m not well, I entertain the idea. I scroll and fantasize about the Halloween party I won’t be throwing, I think about my non-existent children coming home from school on a crisp autumn day to see our house transformed to a subtle, spooky oasis. I think about this Martha Stewart Living catalog cover that my mom saved and brings out every year. I briefly wonder if I’ll ever own a home like this.
I’ll be honest, the collections are often hit or miss for me. Personally, I don’t like a modern Halloween aesthetic, I’m more into cozy vintage. I want to be drowning in tea lights. Nothing truly scary, but not too cutesy either. It’s a fine line. But sometimes, they get me.
And so, as I place the raspberries delicately in a horizontal line on my cake, I wonder if I should just snag a little something. How fun to bring it out in a few months, like a present to my future self! But because I am me, I pause. Knowing the true horror of what’s to come, I open a new tab and type in the most dangerous four letters known to man: eBay.
Listen, you have to work smarter not harder when it comes to second-hand goodies. That coat on Poshmark? Now is the time to make an offer. You need to get in the mind of the seller who is low on closet space, and didn’t make the sale last winter like she thought she would. For holiday specific items, timing is everything. Normal people aren’t shopping for Halloween decor right now, so the harvest is plentiful. If you make an offer on any of the following Halloween goodies in say, September, you likely won’t be alone. The seller might think they’re sitting on a cash cow of spooky salad plates and decline your offer. Not in July though. In July, they’re hot and cranky and bark at their spouse to “just sell the damn thing, I want my garage shelves back!”
This is our time.
These Lennox dessert plates are chic and fun for a sort of sexy Halloween moment. They’re a great alternative to Williams Sonoma’s new “Spooky Soirée” collection which, yeah. I’m into.
I really like these older, discontinued Pottery Barn Plates. They are kitschy in a way I enjoy.
Last year during my July panic, I discovered David Carter Brown’s Pumpkin Hollow collection by Sakura (hold for laughter). What a treat! Exactly my style and very well priced. There are many different Hollow designs. You can make an offer on these if you’d like.
Adjacent to the Pumpkin Hollow collection are these cutie cat plates, also by Sakura.
These sort of whimsy goth, Tim Burton-esque plates and matching mugs are not totally my style, but I have to respect them. Jokerman font on the box? I’m listening. I feel like if I had young, rowdy boys they’d be into this aesthetic during elementary school. Don’t ask me to elaborate on that feeling.
I love this spooked out cat candy dish originally from Pottery Barn.
I ordered a similar ghost lamp a few years back because my husband said he had one in his house when he was little. I have to say he’s one of my favorite decor items to bring out every year. I set him on a stack of books on a side table and he provides a comforting glow.
Okay hear me out. I found a similar set of these mid century modern ceramic cats and I put them on my mantle and they are very chic and witchy to me. Also on my mantle…
A tea light holder haunted house. I have two, this is the smaller of the sizes.
I also found this old Pottery Barn spooky tree tea light holder that looks incredible with the haunted houses. I can’t in good conscious recommend this one due to the insane price tag, but maybe make an offer and see what happens? I do really love it…
You know what? Maybe I will throw a Halloween dinner this year and use these spider web name card holders.
Every year growing up, our house was home base on Halloween night because we lived in a great neighborhood for trick-or-treating. My mom always made a big healthy soup to balance out the candy, but would display desserts on the table with her three tier display, and this one is so cute. Plus it matched the name card holders if you are doing a dinner party.
I do love that retro William Sonoma collection, and this serving plate is no exception.
Guys I’m not exaggerating when I say I could do this for hours. I’m going to stop myself here, but don’t worry, Christmas is next. Happy haunting and happy hosting!
Perhaps your inner child..?
That Martha Stewart magazine cover lives rent free in my mind