Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Apothecary's Mystical Halloween Laboratory

Today I invite you to come with me, into the Apothecary's Mystical Halloween Laboratory. Let's see what the scientist has in store for us, shall we? 
Ooh, it looks as though his laboratory is set up with a tablescape for lunch for us, yes? You go first, and I'll follow behind you, okay?😉 

Welcome to Panoply! Today I'm hosting a group of talented stylists who are bringing you some of the best in ideas for a Halloween tablescape, from cutesy to spooky and everything in between. Take some time to enjoy the entire list of bloggers near the end of this post, each with a link that will take you directly to their creations.

My tablescape is centered on the chilling sights of archaic medicine, where potions and even spells were utilized to cure human ails. The "apothecary" was the pharmacist of yesteryear, and the term became synonymously interchanged and known more commonly to most of us as the physical location or storefront where the apothecary worked; i.e., his laboratory.

My inspiration started with Fiestaware's Mystical Halloween series plates. 
With an Everything Fiesta outlet store less than an hour away, I would've been a birdbrain not to purchase these plates for my stash when I saw them on sale. It was a no brainer.
The tabletop magnifier had just been eyed (and nabbed) at a recent estate sale.
A couple elements in my Panoply booth at the antique mall were pulled for this table, knowing they'd flesh out 🩻 the look I was going for. The first was a large and rare scientific flask (used as pedestal dome, below), along with an apothecary bottle (the latter can be seen in both the photo below and in the lead photo of this post). Together with the magnifier, those items may eventually make their way back to the antique mall. 
Beneath that dome / flask are spellbook brownie treats purchased from a local bakery which celebrated the Hocus Pocus 2 September 30 release by recreating the prop from the movie (btw, they were to die for).
A spellbook proper rests on the table for the apothecary's reference. The old brass candelabra holds candles and glass globes with a spider and bat captured within. Globes were previously used on this table.
A murder of black crows found their way into the laboratory and landed both on the table and around the room.
Don't let the split screen collage of the fireplace below frighten you into thinking your eyesight is playing tricks on you. I just wanted to show the ledge detail. The moody oil canvas on the left caught my attention at another estate sale. The crow on the right is perched upon a skeleton hand holding a crystal ball, enhanced with mini lights.
Another crow landed among a small patch of pumpkins.
Black checked napkins at the place settings are doubled with blood red ones, and garnered with silver metallic rings embellished with anatomical and crow imagery magnets.
Now, before you become the apothecary's next specimen, make your way on to the list of bloggers below for more Halloween table treats.



The following is a source list of elements used in this tablescape (no affiliation or sponsorship). It's simply provided for your curiosity and my memory.

Apothecary's Mystical Halloween Laboratory Source List
Black Dinner Plates, Wine Glasses  - Dollar Tree
Mystical Halloween Salad Plates - Everything Fiesta Outlet
Web Placemats, Skull, Salt & Pepper, Crystal Ball in Hand - HomeGoods
Checked Napkins - Crown Linen
Napkin Rings, Mystical Image Magnets - Amazon
Skull Spells Book - Walgreens
Black Crows - Grandinroad
Tabletop Magnifier, Candelabra, Flatware, Leather Book, Ironstone Cake Pedestal, Apothecary Funnel (as Dome), Large Red Napkins, Oil Painting on Fireplace - Estate Finds
Hocus Pocus Spellbook Brownies - Rock CIty Cake Company

Thank you for your 'office' visit to the apothecary's mystical halloween laboratory today. I hope you'll leave a comment as to how you were treated on this visit and whether you were cured of your ails. Come again.....soon.


Rita C. at Panoply

A special thanks to Cindy of County Road 407's Farmhouse Friday 275  and Suzanne of Pieced Pastimes' Saturday Sparks 536 for featuring this post!



    

40 comments:

  1. Rita, You’re definitely NOT a birdbrain…love the plates and your apothecary-themed table! The addition of your tabletop magnifier is too clever as well as your flask as a cloche. I would love a to-die-four spellbook brownie treat before your murder of crows devour them. How fun that you can foster your antique mall purchases and borrow them for a table before sending them on to their final resting place. Such a fun touch to add the magnets to your napkin rings too! I so appreciate your organizing efforts in hosting these hops. As always it’s a treat to join you. Happy Tuesday! 🧡🎃

    ReplyDelete
  2. I loved this so very creative post. The fact that you recycle things between your home and the store is terrific. We all have been collectors and this aspect of your ‘collecting’ makes such good sense. I love the skeleton at the end beckoning. So fun. Thanks Rita for sharing your table!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! If I knew who you were, I'd email you personally.

      Delete
  3. Good morning, Rita. I love the Fiesta plates and your apothecary theme that you carried out so brilliantly! The drug store we have used all of our married life uses the word apothecary in their name. How wonderful to borrow from your antique business and then return if it is something you don’t wish to keep. Using the flask as a cloche is genius. The crows set the scene perfectly. I actually hear crows as I am typing. I would so enjoy one of those brownies with my coffee.

    It is always a treat to take a seat at one of your tables. Thank you for organizing our hops!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Good Morning Rita, I am never disappointed when I visit your blog. I love your placesettings with all of your "Mystical" touches. You never cease to amaze me with your creativity! Thanks so much for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh Rita, looks like you've come over to the "dark" side and have come to enjoy aspects of Halloween! That skeleton hand beckoning at the end gave me a fright lol! Your tablescape is spooktacular, and I love how you mixed vintage with those wonderful new plates. So many great, spooky details that carry the fun theme. Three stand out in particular as oh-so-perfect and unique; the crow perched over the magnifier, using the giant flask as cloche, and the candelabra with the little glass orbs. Wish I could hop on a broom and visit --- and eat one of those brownies! Thanks for hosting!

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a wonderful table, Rita! You've given me some fresh inspiration by adding the magnets as part of the table pieces. And the antique brass candelabra and magnifier give the table some old-world charm.

    Thanks for including me in this blog hop. Putting my table together and looking forward to it gave me some much-needed creative relief. It was just what I needed!

    Hugs,
    Rachelle

    ReplyDelete
  7. Rita, what a unique theme for a tablescape. It's perfect for Halloween. Love the details of the apothecary flask and the magnifying glass. Those plates are so cute, too. The rows add the right touch of spookiness. Thank you again for hosting.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love your theme...so very frightful !!! Definitely sends chills to your bones! Happy Halloween and Happy Fall!.....
    xoxo's Shirley/Housepitality Designs

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your theme is spooktacular. Love your crows those are amazing. Your table looks fabulous for Halloween. xoxo Kris

    ReplyDelete
  10. Such a fun theme! I still want one of those treats.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Rita, I knew when I saw the title of your post that we would be in for a treat and you did not disappoint my friend! The crows are so sinister and I love the plates! Thanks for hosting us again! Blessings, Cecilia @My Thrift Store Addiction

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a cute table Rita! We have a chemistry teacher friend that would love this. This is such a fun blog hop! Clara❤️

    ReplyDelete
  13. Very clever - such fun details, and you didn't miss a trick! Love the crows and especially the skull and dishes! This is always a fun hop, thanks for hosting. Happy Halloween!

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is so fun, Rita. Love the theme! Gotta love those crows; we have a murder here every day. They think they own the place, but they do keep the hawks away. The brownies are so cute!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Rita, your apothecary theme is so fun. Great fun in those Fiestaware plates. Your magnifier is perfect with the crow. The magnets are so creative on the silver metallic napkin rings. The flask is such a great cloche. Wonderful and creative ideas here. Spooky and eerie is a wonderful way to greet us. Love the creepy skull at the end. Thank you for organizing all of us for this fun Halloween blog hop.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Rita! Wow your details in the tablescape are amazing! The apothecary jars, beakers and the magnifying glass with the black crow are just the best!! Plus your fabulous napkin rings and plates. What a fun and creative table. I love seeing everyones Halloween ideas thank you so much for putting these tablescape hops together!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love all of the elements on your table. My favorites are the crows and the magnifying glass. When you said laboratory, I spoke it with an emphasis on the "bor" syllable - the way the English say it. It sounds creepier that way! lol

    ReplyDelete
  18. Wow Rita, this is super creepy fun!! And here I thought you didn't like Halloween! LOVE your apothecary theme, and thank you for clearing up my confusion about the difference between apothecaries and pharmacies! You have so many wonderful details to match your theme, I feel like your table is telling a scary story or I'm watching a movie! The crows really provide a spooky feel, and using that laboratory funnel as a cloche is brilliant!
    The plates, napkin rings, skulls, it's all spine tingling!! Thanks for the scary fun and thank you so much for hosting our hops!
    👻 Jenna

    ReplyDelete
  19. FIRST and foremost, Thank you for hosting this blog hop. I have said it before and I will say it again...your organizational skills make me envious. Your follow-up and follow-thru are what makes these hops hold together while making them fun. The varied bloggers, and their interpretations will give inspiration to just about anyone's level of desired participation!
    As for your table...what can I say that hasn't already been said?
    It is a Perfect setting Rita for the Macabre intonation. Just enough to take you there to the laboratory but still allowing you to be an observer and not a participant. LOL I had not seen the Fiestaware salad plates....I really need to get out more.
    I, too have those black crows and used them several years ago in my "Quoth The Raven...Evermore" tablescape and I love them and what they bring to the table...so to speak. LOL
    Great job my friend and thanks again for being my friend.
    Kari

    ReplyDelete
  20. Rita, thank you for all of your hard work organizing this Halloween Blog Hop. What wonderful use of your antique mall pieces. I just love the lab funnel for a cake stand lid for your cool Hocus Pocus 2 brownies. They really do look delicious. Your plates are awesome especially paired up with your black crows Your napkin magnets are a fun idea to use on your silver metal rings. What a great and unique find. So is the brass candle holder with old drippy candles.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Rita, your apothecary table is so fun and perfect for Halloween! The Fiesta Halloween plates are just precious and add the perfect touch along with those scary looking black crows. You have so many wonderful antique elements that you have incorporated that add another spooky touch. Those brownies with all the frosting look delicious! Thanks so much for all you do in hosting these fun blog hops. It is always such a joy to join you and the other talented girls. Happy Halloween!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Rita, what could be more appropriate for Halloween than the Poe influence and a "Murder" of ravens. What fun! Really enjoyed the plates and mixing them with some antiques was the perfect touch. Apothecaries contributed so much to modern day pharmacists its nice to recognize them. The apothecary and spell making potions are lots of fun. Thanks for putting this hop together. Happy Halloween! Lynne

    ReplyDelete
  23. There are so many fabulous touches here I can't begin to praise them all -- but I have to say, that raven on the glowing ball is just the best! I love your plates and how you incorporated elements from the shop. The cookies under that big beaker/funnel is a great idea! This is such a clever theme and how wonderful you maxed it out!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Loved this Rita! What a fantastic theme and you've done it to perfection! Love your Fiestaware and your crystal ball is amazing. The little touches that only you would think of like the magnets on the napkin rings... so cute! The crows are perfect and everything you brought in from the shop was spot on. Us, the mere mortals, are constantly in awe of your talent! Thanks so much for putting this all together!

    ReplyDelete
  25. What a great table Rita! Love your theme and how you carried it out to perfection. The salad plates are fab and how lucky to live so close to a Fiesta outlet! Love how the centerpiece picks up on the elements of the salad plates and you scored some wonderful items to further your theme from the tabletop magnifier to the apothecary bottle to flask turned cloche. I smile every time I hear the phrase "murder of crows". It all lends a deliciously spooky vibe! Wishing you a happy Halloween!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Ooh Rita, I’m sitting here smiling over your table! How wonderful to live an hour away from a Fiestaware store. Those plates are perfect. I love all the elements on your table and mantle. I’m particularly smitten with your brass candelabra. Thanks for the fun!

    ReplyDelete
  27. I love your apothecary theme, and the Fiestaware plates are fantastic! I've never seen any Halloween themed ones before! I also like the bird on the magnifying glass, and the brownies are so cute. We have't seen Hocus Pocus 2 yet. BTW the candelabra is fantastic! It makes the perfect centerpiece. I like that your table is spooky, not scary. Thanks for hosting these blog hops! They've given me something positive to focus on this year! :D

    ReplyDelete
  28. Oh my goodness! Rita! You are so right, there is nothing scarier than the way they used to practice medicine!!! What a great theme. I love the plates. The home of Fiesta Ware is not that far from me, and I have visited there several times to take advantage of their seconds sales. But they never have their specialty plates on sale - and boy, they were expensive!! So I hope you found these treasures at a good deal! The Hocus Pocus cookies are adorable!! Such a wonderful Halloween table!!! 🧡🎃and as always- thanks so much for organizing these wonderful hops!! They are so much fun!!

    ReplyDelete
  29. This is so fun Rita! I absolutely adore the crow on the magnifying glass! The way you perched him as though he’s looking through it is so fun! Love the dishes and how you displayed them under the decanter!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Thank you so much for hosting us all once again! I am enthralled with your crows and how they are wafting over your tablescape. You have added so many lovely elements for a thrilling Halloween table! How lucky you are to have the dish outlet nearby! The plates you picked up are great! The spellbook brownies under glass is just a great final touch! Yay, and Happy Halloween!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Rita, you nailed it! I love how you wove your story around each element in the table. I have never seen the movie Hocus Pocus, but those brownies look divine! The plates are perfect and I love the napkin rings too! I always found it amusing that they call it a "murder of crows"! But, they are spooky looking creatures, and seeing a whole bunch together definitely evokes visions of a very scary haunted house! Thank you for hosting!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Sorry Rita, I forgot to change it from Anonymous! The above comment is from me!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Ooooh -- a fiendishly mesmerizing visit to the apothecary shop! What fascinating spells will be invoked and secrets revealed! There'll be shivers all around as we enjoy dinner at the wonderful table set with spooky dishware and laboratory elements.The crows especially contribute to the eerie experience and I loved the magnifying glass! What a wonderful find.
    Thank you for so smoothly organizing such a fun tablescape hop!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Rita, your table is spooky fabulous! I love the apothecary theme, and you nailed it with the "specimens" from your antique booth! I wouldn't be able to pass on those plates, either. They are so unique! Thanks for organizing a frightfully fun hop!
    Rebecca (Zucchini Sisters)

    ReplyDelete
  35. Rita... your table looks darling! I love every detail! I wish I had an Everything Fiesta near me!! And those brownies looks like it is scary delicious!! Have a wonderful week, dear Rita.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Your mystical tablescape looks wonderful! My favorite decor are the crows!! I'd love for you to link up with us each week at the Home Matters Party (Thursday 9pm thru Monday) Hope to see you there!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Featuring this tomorrow on Farmhouse Friday! Thanks for linking up! pinned

    ReplyDelete
  38. Wow, Rita! So much detail!!! I LOVE those plates, and I love how those magnets embellish the napkin rings. Very smart! My husband (doctor) walked past and was immediately drawn to the skull. He just had to interrupt my scrolling to look it over. Dude! Get a life!!!🤣🤣🤣

    ReplyDelete