Spooky Tea

Spooky Tea at Old Lyme Inn

Group photo where everyone looks morose except for Sarah M and Aerial who seems to be disappearing into the window

October 2025 was really tough for Halloween events. Somehow almost every single event planner decided that they would have their Halloween events on Saturday October 25, because the next Saturday was November 1 and therefore NOT HALLOWEEN anymore. However, Jax and I worked together to convince the Old Lyme Inn to extend their Spooky Tea service to November 1, 2025. The inn gave our group the Peterson room (which fits up to 15 people) and left all the Spooky decor up just for us. Since it was actually held on November 1, I decided to go all out with the Day of the Dead theme. I used to teach a unit on Day of the Dead to upper elementary school students with picture books, music, snacks, of course art making and a slideshow. The holiday may have the word "DEAD" in it, but it's a celebration  and remembrance of one's ancestors. And supposedly at that time of year, the veil is "thin" and its easier to connect with one's ancestors during that time. 
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I decided that the best way to celebrate Spooky Tea and Day of the Dead was to dress up like someone celebrating their ancestors in a Day of the Dead parade. 

Danielle Full Coordinate

The main dress is from the Chinese indie brand AmaStacia. The name of this dress is "A Song Without Words". I had been looking for an all black long gothic dress for awhile and I found this one through Lolita Collective (a USA based store in Minnesota). It was the perfect dress to to layer a long sleeve high neck black mesh blouse under, but it was a little short for the effect that I was going for. I pulled out one of those long gauzy cotton hippie indie skirts that was really popular in the late 90's early 2000's out of my drawer to give it a little more length. To minimize the amount of mesh at the neck, I put on the Satin Ruffle Collar from Silversark. This is an exquisite statement piece and very comfortable to wear. On top of it I attached a silver spider brooch that has a pearl on its back. I wore drop pearl earrings and a long silver necklace with a large stained glass red coffin with a white rose pressed at the center. I wanted to fully cover my body, so I also wore black mesh gloves and a black veil over my hair with a red rose flower crown. I wore my Strangecvlt Coven boots with black tights under it all. 

And of course I did my makeup to look like a calavera (sugar skull). This is probably the third time in my life I have done calavera makeup, and I managed to do this in less than 30 minutes. I think I learned everything I needed to know about how to apply this kind of makeup to my skin at age 40 during the Clown Around City Point adventure and had acquired the right tools for the job thanks to Gothic Beauty Magazine Subscription Boxes with their Doom Dust Ultra Black Eye and Neck Powder and their Stark White Foundation along with a lovely group of black eye and lip pencils. The dark red eye pencil I found from a limited edition "Stranger Things" collection from Cover Girl. I didn't line around my lids or in my waterline because my eyelids are extremely sensitive and I avoid that area if I can. 

Close up of the beautiful textures in this dress

Pahl and I arrived separately to the event and when he got there he did not recognize me in plain sight. He said that I "looked like I had just come out of the grave, covered in rags, but then upon closer inspection the outfit was quite elegant." That's pretty much the vibe I was going for, so I'm glad I nailed it. 

The spiderweb decor is an extension of my makeup

The Tea Service

The table and room was beautifully decorated in tones of white, black and autumn and each place setting listed a small menu that included the tea sandwiches, sweets, scones, teas and any extras you may wish to order such as cider or an adult beverage. They let you take these menus home, so it's nice for a scrapbook or memory page. The tea trays are stacked high with shareable delights. I do enjoy the Old Lyme Inn's seasonally appropriate menu and confections made by their in house chefs. It is a wonderful experience and when we dress up the staff makes a big fuss over us in a good way and helps us take group photos. 

Jax telling a funny story to Sarah and Aly

Colleen blissfully drinks tea while Sarah and Elizabeth are having a secret twin exchange

If you thought any photo with me in it was going to be light hearted and fun like the others above, you'd be wrong. 

Pahl somehow looks more approachable as a classic Vampire than I do.

Pretend Tarot reading between Danielle and Bianca; Aly took this photo

Reading about Graven Images from other cultures; Aly took this photo

After the tea, I led a small group of folks across the street to the Florence Griswold Museum. The annual fairy exhibit was still up, but instead of going to see it, I just wanted to walk along the riverfront and take aesthetic photos. No one told us we had to buy tickets for the museum, and everyone along the way said that our outfits looked really great. 

Aerial under the tree; I can't remember if I took it or Aly did

This tree is older than my bones

The photographer in me knows there's something wrong with this next image as far as the light and the color balance, but it's really cinematic in relation to the theme of representing an ancestor who only had a few days to visit the earth before going back to the otherworld. 

It was such a gorgeous day and I'm glad I still got to get spooky with my outfit and makeup, even if it wasn't  October anymore. It was so fun to hang out with a large group and then a smaller group after the main event as well.