I'M STARTING A DIET...RIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS!

Unfortunately, I do this every year. I start eating candy at Halloween, and I don't stop until the new year (of course, that's when I make my annual resolution about dieting, which only lasts for about a week, because at that point, my mouth and stomach are so spoiled from getting candy all of the time that I'm too addicted to quit.) For Tablescape Thursday, I am posting a table that is all about candy! I'll serve a very healthy salad with low fat dressing before we dig into the candy!


Who needs flowers for a centerpiece when you have Halloween candy?

The layers of each place setting include: a butter cloche over a votive candle holder that has been filled with candy; a pumpkin plate; a clear glass plate; a white plate with a candy corn circle on top of it; and my ruffly black place mats (given to me by Christine at Christine's Home and Travel Adventures - thanks Christine, I'm loving these).
I normally use a paper plate or a paper napkin for the design under the glass plate. I did have some Halloween paper plates and napkins, but since I wanted this table to be about CANDY, I printed a picture of candy corn from the internet and cut it in a circle with pinking shears to use for my plate design.

Guests may take home their votive container filled with candy and use it for a candle when the candy is all gone.

Flatware is in a plastic Halloween bag. After guests remove their flatware, they can start filling their bag with candy from the centerpiece. There's my cute pumpkin tag that I showed you in a previous post (Karen Harvey Cox @ A Scrapbook of Inspiration).

Little witches sit atop balls that open up to reveal even more candy!

I purchased the little leaf container that holds a pepper shaker and a salt bowl (and a container for something else) at an antique mall last year. I guess the price was reduced because it looks like it's supposed to have something in the center.

Now y'all know that looking at candy will not make you gain weight, right?
If only all I did was look! Ya know, it's kind of a Catch 22 with Halloween candy. If I buy something I don't like and we don't get many trick-or-treaters, I am stuck with a lot of candy I don't want to eat. If I buy something I do like, I have to buy more before Halloween, because I've already eaten it all!

The only things I bought for this tablescape were the candy (and we all know that was really for me) and the ribbon printed with "BOO". I found the ribbon at Michael's. I've had everything else for too long to remember where I purchased them(including the little bags, which I'm sure were bought on sale after H'ween one year. I found them in my H'ween decor and I had never opened them).

I had such a great telephone call today! Katherine at Lady Katherine Tea Parlor called, and although I know she is in pain, she sounded so great! You know, when I read a blog for awhile, I start feeling like the blogger is talking to me. Each time I've met a blogger, I am surprised that their voice sounds nothing like what I had imagined. Apparently, my voice REALLY sounds nothing like what others imagine. Although Katherine didn't say anything about my hillbilly Arkansas accent, it has come up with other bloggers I've met. The funny thing about the call from Katherine is that she called my office. When I answered the phone, she asked to speak to Laurie, and I told her that this is Laurie. Katherine said "you don't sound like yourself"! Now remember, I've never spoken with Katherine before. We've only left messages on each other's blogs for so long that we feel that we have spoken. We talked for a long time, and I hope I didn't wear her out, but it was just so much fun to actually talk to her. Even when she's in pain, she is a sweetie! She will not be able to blog for a long time, so please continue to send cards for her in care of me, as shown on my sidebar. Some of you have already sent them, and I have forwarded them to Katherine. She told me that she has received a lot of cards.

Also, don't forget to keep sending cards to Andrew in care of me (also on my sidebar). He and his family are home from the hospital now, but I know he must be very lonely, and his mother, Melanie, relates that he has severe headaches and nausea.

Thank you so much for coming to visit me (I hope you don't feel like you gained 10 pounds while you were here.) (I also hope there is still some candy left in my centerpiece when Halloween night gets here!). I'm linking to Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday and Fiberdoodles for the Halloween party. Don't forget to go to these blogs for links to more Blogville fun, and hopefully fewer calories than what I have shown! laurie