Tag: halloween

halloween_milan monument cemetery

Beauty of the (Italian) Afterlife

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I promised that I would share pictures from our most recent Italian vacation. I am starting to make good on that promise although I do still need to put together a proper post. I’m working on it…I swear. I am continuing to sift through thousands of pictures but I did manage to gather a few that are most appropriate for today, Halloween, the spookiest of all holidays.

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When it comes to traveling, I have found that one of the most exciting ways to get to know a city is to simply get lost and enjoy new discoveries that literally cross your path. As Mr. B and I wandered throughout Milan on one particular day, we took note of a building off in the distance due to its beauty and scale. We continued to walk toward it hoping to learn more. It turns out that the building that caught our attention is part of Milan’s most well-known cemetery, Monument Cemetery (Cimitero Monumentale in Italian). Our curiosity led us past the gates and into one of the City’s largest cemetery’s developed in 1886.

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We ventured inside only to discover an open-air market with a treasure trove of art and architectural monuments. As we strolled the grounds, it was immediately evident that some of the most notable artists and architects were commissioned to build beautiful, grand structures to mark the location of where some of the most wealthy and elite Italians have been laid to rest.

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All iPhone images by Reviving Charm.

Feeling Dark and Moody

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Hello there! Mr. B and I are back from Italy. My long pause was not intentional but was the result of extreme jet lag (this has never happened to me before!) that rolled into the groove of getting back into day-to-day life, otherwise known as “reality”. Last night it finally dawned on me that the month is already over and Halloween is literally here today. So, speaking of Halloween… there’s no denying that black is the designated color of the day so let’s enjoy a bit of the dark, moody, and dramatic just for the heck of it. Happy Halloween! halloween art Reviving Charmblack walls_reviving charm 3black rooms_Reviving Charmmoody candle_reviving charmblack room walls_reviving charmblack walls bathroom design_reviving charmblack room gothic halloween_reviving charmblack walls_reviving charmblack chair_reviving charmgothic letters_reviving charmdark walls_reviving charm 2Black and white checkered floor_Reviving Charm

SWEET TREATS AND SCARY GOOD DESIGN ON HALLOWEEN

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Boo! Happy Halloween! In recent years Halloween was a HUGE event in our neighborhood with tons of people coming through. The traditional neighborhood festivities are no longer since the couple coordinating the Halloween event have moved. While the festivities were fun, I will admit that I really did not like the fact that it brought droves of people into our quiet little neighborhood. Many people don’t realize our neighborhood exists and, for security purposes, I kind of like it that way. I’ve never been big on Halloween (even as a child) so this year I happily anticipated a fairly quiet evening. We won’t be giving candy away to the masses tonight but we wanted to make sure that the neighborhood children didn’t miss out. I got busy filling these cute drawstring bags with chocolate and passed them out to the neighborhood children yesterday in case they won’t be home tonight. I would hate for them to miss out on a few extra cavities sweet treats.

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Original photo by Reviving Charm.

Instead of filling your inbox today with sweet treats to satisfy your sweet tooth, I have decided to pass along some scary good design. Specifically, some dark, moody spaces. And since black is one color, other than orange, that is most representative of Halloween let’s take a look at how the color black can create some of the most chic and elegant spaces. Enjoy….

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decorating-with-black-via-revivingcharm_com-5All images via Pinterest unless otherwise noted.

HAPPY FRIDAY, HAPPY HALLOWEEN WEEKEND

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During this time last year, Mr. B and I we were on vacation along the East coast. Our rented SUV took us through upstate New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. I was going through my photos recently and came across this picture I took while on that trip visiting Cape Cod. We were in Chatham, Massachusetts to be exact. I stood in front of this church taking what seemed to be a dozen pictures. It is the quintessential New England fall photo and it is one of my favorites from that trip. It seems most appropriate for this weekend’s post so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Have a great last weekend of October!

I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.    ― Henry David Thoreau

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First Congregational Church of Chatham. Original iPhone photo by Reviving Charm.

CAPTURING THE SPIRIT OF HALLOWEEN 

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I don’t decorate for Halloween but I gathered up some pictures to capture the spirit of the holiday. I also included a cocktail recipe and a few quick and easy decorating projects in the event you need any last minute decor ideas for your Halloween festivities.

Click on any photo to start the slideshow which will enlarge the pictures and provide more details.

A beautiful old iron gate with authentic cobweb detail was spotted during my recent trip to Massachusetts. Luckily for me, there were no spiders in sight.
Silhouette of a bird in flight.
Creepy or couture? I vote for couture.
An elaborate headstone was spotted at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery during my recent trip to Concord, Massachusetts.
If I ever decide to have a Halloween party I might just need to recreate this skeleton chandelier.
No, these are not my ancestors and this picture is not part of any of my family photo albums!
I recently spotted this dead crow in the middle of the road. I sure hope it’s not a sign of things to come!
Make sure your guest know exactly where the party is!
Witchy woman.
This picture is from my recent trip to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts. If you look close you can see the skull carved at the top of the headstone located on the right.
Don’t blame me for their crazy costumes. I don’t even own any dogs.
Skelton engraving.
Chic and glamourous. Image via modelmayhem.com
The recipe for “A Screwed Up Screwdriver” calls for: 1/4 cup ice, 1/2 cup freshly squeezed tangerine juice, 1 1/2 ounces black vodka and 1 black licorice twist as a garnish. Enjoy! Via Martha Stewart.
If you are looking for last minute decorations this might do the trick. Simply stamp words or phrases onto a pumpkin to create a simple display.
Create your own Halloween artwork. Paint or paste an image onto an old book page or newspaper. The newspaper can be aged using paint or a brown inkpad. When you are done decoupage the entire piece for a more finished look.
Nothing celebrates the Fall season and Halloween like a bright orange pumpkin. This picture is from my recent trip to a pumpkin patch in Cape Cod.