'A Little Scare to Go Around'

Feeling dark and sinister this Halloween weekend? Keep the Halloween spirit going all season long with décor and fashion staples inspired by the gothic resurgence. Designer Ricardo Tischi at Givenchy is doing it, with a broody collection of expensively tailored clothes ripe with hardware.

Lace, velvet and faux fur were as predominant as shearling (aviator trend to be touched upon in a later post) on the Fall-Winter 2010 runways. And if there is any way to enjoy a gothic romance this season, it’s with these luxurious fabrics in black and berry shades.

Make Halloween last all year 'round with these fun buys:

The costume party might be for only one night (or two depending on how much you love the holiday), but these bottle stoppers are unlike any other. For those rare occasions, there’s this skull bottle stopper from Urban Outfitters ($12) to put a cork on the festivities.

Mink faux fur throw

Cozy up with a sweetheart while watching your favorite scary movie with this mink faux fur throw from Décor Innovation ($64.99 smaller size, $84.99 bigger size). A glossy black coat on one side and a cozy plush lining on the underside, this is one living room must-have.

Skull candles

These mini black skull candles by Modern Alchemy ($75) really know how to set the mood. Don’t just light one. Go for five all together and make sure to light them around company. Then see what a conversation starter these little candles are good for.

Cross ornaments

Function meets fashion with a selection of silver cross ornaments. Evoke gothic charm if paired with skulls and other foreboding finds, or deck the halls during the holidays. Whichever time of year you choose to show off these crosses, pick unexpected places to show them off: around a lamp, candelabra, headboard, ceiling hook, etc.

Oh so creepy, but oh so cool. At least that’s what I think about this shower curtain at Urban Outfitters ($28). It’s unexpected spookiness in your bathroom – the last place one might think to get a little scare. But why not?

A little scare every now and then never hurt anyone.

-S. Gonzalez

'All Hallowed Spirit Continues'

Welcome party goers with pumpkins

The French poodle costume gathering is well underway with a few other Halloween alternatives: a flapper, firefighter, Bat Girl and peacock.

Not sure which costume I will wear to the Halloween party at the local nursing home, but the end result will likely be well-received by the seniors. Candy shopping has already been completed, including some sugar-free options for the diabetics.

Halloween decorating for the annual extravaganza, which I will help in planning and executing, is still not finished. Last week, I shared a few do-it-yourself tips for crafty decorations such as the Jack-O’-Lantern and tissue paper bouquets that seniors can even do.

This weekend, there will be DIY friendly ghosts, pumpkin painting and more to add to the mix. Here is what’s in store:

For the ultimate party entrance, spell out a greeting in lighted pumpkins (top). Carve out pumpkins and make an opening on the bottom – not on the top like most people tend to do. Use a drill to bore holes in the pumpkin and to spell out your greeting. Use Christmas tree lights, rolled in small bunches, to light each pumpkin. Tip: unscrew the bulb of the lights where it connects to the next pumpkin.

Friendly ghosts

Nevermind Casper this year. Try a hand at your own friendly ghosts with a little bit of cheesecloth and some small balloons. First, soak a strip of cheesecloth in fabric stiffener and have it dry over a balloon. Place it over a small paper cup. Pop the hardened balloon with a pin. Using craft glue, have the seniors glue tiny black circles out of felt onto the ghosts. Remove the ghosts from the cups and hang using fishing wire.

Use pumpkins to decorate a simple bookshelf

Use the entire length of a bookshelf or cabinet to create a ceiling-length tree with pumpkins. You will first need to decide the placement of the pumpkins. Tip: the larger pumpkins should be placed at the bottom of the shelving unit. Take a felt tip pen and trace the outline of a tree onto the pumpkins (once in its ultimate spot). Start at the bottom and gradually trace your way up. Remove the pumpkins and fill in the outline with black acrylic paint. Once dry, place back onto the shelf.

-S. Gonzalez

*Photos courtesy of countryliving.com

'All Hallowed Spirit'

Get in the Halloween spirit

“A French poodle,” I said. I gave my friend a dead-pan stare and continued, “I bought a bright pink wig and I’ll probably wear a pink leotard and tights with a dog collar.”

“Well, that’s original,” my friend replied with a furrowed brow.

By now, I was accustomed to the puzzled looks. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday and with the costumes (I am a fashion stylist, who doesn’t like dressing up?), pumpkin carving, haunted house visits, hayrides and decorations, I always managed to excessively plan my Halloween activities. Concepts for the Halloween costume might form as early as a year in advance.

I have my itinerary set this weekend with plans to scout Halloween stores for key costume accessories. (Actually, I plan on creating two Halloween costumes: one for both Friday and Saturday night0

To be checked off my list are also supplies for do-it-yourself Halloween decorating projects for a group of seniors at a local nursing home that I visit every Sunday. Each year, the seniors create their own crafts to decorate the main dining room for the annual Halloween party. This year is no exception.

Here are some ideas that I’ve selected for my seniors to do:

• Grab a set of inexpensive orange paper lanterns from the dollar or party store. Cut out the eyes, noses, mouths and stems out of construction paper. Have the seniors glue the cutouts on the lantern with glue dots to create a Jack-O’-Lantern. String some fish wire through the lantern (not the stem) and attach an ornament hook if you want to hang.

• Create an eerie environment by creating black flower bouquets from sheets of tissue paper. Bend an 18-inch-long piece of floral wire in half. Wrap double-sided tape around bent end five times. Hold a tip of the streamer, still attached to its roll, against the tip of the taped wire. Then wrap the streamer loosely around the wire up to five times, enough to create a bud. As you roll, pink the bottom edge of the streamer. Continue wrapping, but gather the rest of the streamer around the base of the flower base so petals appear to fan out. Cut and secure the flower with floral tape to finish.

*For more of my Halloween decorating tips, read my next post.

Halloween shopping tip:

Shop the Spooktacular Halloween Sale Now!

-S. Gonzalez

'Join the Club'

Club Monaco capsule collection for Shopbop

Have a hankering for tailored wool blazers, chiffon tank tops and shearling jackets? Join the club.

For a limited time only, Club Monaco is testing the e-commerce waters with a 30-piece fall and holiday capsule collection at Shopbop. Launched Thursday, the hand-picked collection includes faux fur jackets, pleated trousers, wool shorts and fedora hats.

As the perennial online shopper, I clicked on the Shopbop banner that read “Club Monaco 7 Looks” to see the collection for myself. A majority of the styles can be found at the physical store locations, much to my satisfication, seeing as Club Monaco does not have an e-commerce site of its own.

“What did you think of the online collection?” the Club Monaco store manager asked me. I found myself at the store Thursday in a panic, looking for a blouse to match my newly-bought Pencey skirt for an upcoming dinner party. Club Monaco, with its easy separates in modern cuts, sounded like the best stop for a solid quality knit top at an affordable price point.

Look 2

“I was hoping to see more apparel is the capsule collection,” I told the gamine manager, who was appropriately dressed in a white blouse and low-slung chinos from Club Monaco. Of course, it would not be smart business and merchandise planning to create a large collection that outperforms and outshines its physical store locations.

But here’s hoping the trial collection sells well and Club Monaco finally decides open its own e-commerce store. (It’s about time, guys, really.)

Look 3

Here are some of my favorite styles from the collection:

Look 1: For casual chic, a fedora hat and brogues are this season’s essential accessories. Paired here with a button-down shirt and shorts, this is a perfect fall look for those warmer October days. Slip into tights and a wool petticoat in case it gets chilly.

Look 2: Appear like you just rifled through your boyfriend’s wardrobe by combining gents tailoring with easy accessories. Seen here: a blazer teamed with a military green scarf, Converse sneakers and knee-high flannel socks.

Look 3: Besides taking a stab at the knee-high look, this plaid jacket with short sleeves looks both incredibly warm and stylish. Don’t be surprised if this fall must-have winds up in my closet to keep my recent buys from Club Monaco some company.

-S. Gonzalez

*Photos courtesy of fashionologie.com

'Bag Lady'

Rebecca Minkoff

Everyone in fashion has seen the “It” bag: the sleek leather handbag spotted in a spectrum of colors perfect for the morning after a night of unspoken fun. “The Morning After Bag” has in fact been caught on the arm of various celebutantes, from Jessica Szohr to Rachel Bilson and Lindsay Lohan.

Yet little is known about Rebecca Minkoff and her eponymous line of handbags and apparel. Daily Candy takes a closer look at the life of Minkoff in an exclusive video interview.

Why we love her:

Playful, girly and with a slight edge, Rebecca Minkoff’s flair for style resonates with many women looking for quality apparel and accessories that are cool, yet not over-the-top. Even five years after the birth of “The Morning After Bag,” the iconic bag is still sold out in stores, now available in new fabrics and with interesting hardware.

How she started:

The California native has long been sewing and designing, eventually moving to New York after graduation. But Minkoff, who specialized in apparel, didn’t branch out into handbags until close friend and celebrity Jenna Elfman (“Darma and Greg”) asked her to design a handbag for her next film. Another good friend did a write-up on the bag, generating interest in the line.

"The Morning After Bag" version

What you will find:

A day-to-night handbag collection in colors from eye-popping to classic, in addition to a ready-to-wear collection launched back in 2009.

The coolest bag lady in town

Who’s got the bag:

Find a Rebecca Minkoff handbag worn by model Agyness Deyn, actresses Lauren Conrad, Keira Knightly, Reese Witherspoon. The enterprising designer has appeared on “Good Morning American” and “Fox Business News.” She was honored in 2009 by New York Moves Power Women for her entrepreneurial spirit and success in fashion.

What’s next:

Although not officially announced, Minkoff has openly said that in the future she would like to launch a shoe line. In addition to a shoe line, expanding her business overseas and opening her own store locations in international global markets are all eventual goals for the designer.

Where to find:

Shop Rebecca Minkoff bags and apparel at Bloomingdale’s, Shopbop, Searle, and Anthropologie among others.

-S. Gonzalez

*Photos courtesy of rebeccaminkoff.com; bagbliss.com; the dailyobsession.net