I've heard the mansion is haunted. I've heard there are spirits here and events that can not be explained. Perhaps this is the place where the spell originated. The place where, once one enters, one is enchanted forever. The place that has all of Sacramento, and places beyond, in it's power. For, in the months before All Hallow's Eve, people come. They come and cannot help but leave changed. And once they have come, they cannot but return, year after year. The place is called Evangeline's.

When one encounters the entrance to the mansion, one can choose to risk the ancient elevator with the iron door. I have seen some enter, and I cannot say I have seen them again.

But the tentative may choose to climb the stair to the inner chambers of the mansion.

At first, it may seem like a beautiful and magical place.

But......when one approaches another stair....things start to seem a little bit more....sinister.

One might feel a bit comforted by the fact that a woman is dressed like Minnie Mouse sits on a ledge half way up the stair. Until one asks, what exactly is she doing there?!

I have heard that the spirits walk these stairs. And that there are bumps...in the night.

Quickly, one is reminded that this place is not of the day...but of the night. The night the spirits come out to play, and witches dance by candlelight.

And candles shine brightly above the skulls of those that have passed before.

The Devil himself has been known to hold court.

And he is quite generous when it comes to offering up pitchforks to those unsuspecting.

The spirits are always on hand to watch the fun.

Many of the adventurous come to test their courage at the mansion. And to see the sights....the stained glass skylights and the polished wood antique bars and counters. They think they will be the ones who leave untouched with only a story to tell.

But many lose their heads.

Many are enchanted and lost in time.

But even in the past, the spirits are awake.

Perhaps a bit of a drink is in order to settle one's nerves. And at first, that drink seems to do the trick (or treat).

Until one realizes, that perhaps it is not normal to be seeing fairies hanging in swings.

Or meet Alice in Wonderland.

Time seems to stand still and overlap. How does a poodle skirt suddenly become so sinister?!

Things quickly go from bad to worse.

And the only escape is past strange mad creatures.

Careful.

You may not be able to resist a visit next year.

Evangeline's is surely part of the obsession that Sacramento has with Halloween. Housed in the three story Howard House mansion and the Lady Adams Building in Historic Old Town Sacramento, Evangeline's evolved from an antiques shop in 1974 to the Halloween fantasy it is today. To learn all about it's fascinating history, visit here. Both buildings are filled to overflowing top to bottom with costumes and all things necessary for a wicked Halloween season. There is a Renaissance Room, a Disco Room in honor of the former disco housed here, a Wild West Room, Fantasy land/Disney Room, Medical Room, Devil and Angel Room, and more I cannot remember. These all in addition to the ghouls, ghosts and witches one would naturally encounter this time of year. I hope that some of you will get the chance to visit. I promise you......... you will not leave unchanged.

An additional note....I have never had such a strange and difficult time trying to get a post to "post". I encountered some very strange "happenings". The photos were very fickle as to whether they would upload, and once they did, there was so much space between them, I almost thought they didn't upload at all. I went into the "edit html" tab to see what was happening and encountered a very strange code that repeated over and over! If anyone else has seen this, I would greatly appreciate and explanation! It was really sort of freaky. I tried to type the code, but it will not stay put, so I will describe it: 'less than' sign, p, 'greater than' sign, forward slash, 'less than' sign, p, 'greater than' sign. Any thoughts?! I am really not making this up.

In keeping with the season of spirits, I am planning a few posts this week to celebrate! I hope you come back and visit. I promise a hauntingly good time!!!!

i’m always so thrilled to see designers incorporating vintage elements into their work. this beautiful new stationery from liz at linda + harriett uses vintage wallpaper as the envelope liners and is cut and placed by hand. i love the idea that whoever opens them gets such a beautiful surprise on the inside. you can pick up a set of 50 cards right here (with your hand-lettered name at the top). thanks, liz!

Meg McGrath recently started selling prints of her original mixed media collage work on Etsy and would love to share them with you with a discount, of course! She said that decor8 readers can take 20% off of their order total until November 30th. Enter code “DECOR8″ in the notes section and wait for your revised invoice from Meg.

Enjoy!

(images from meg mcgrath)

I'd like to introduce you....if you have not already met....to a shop that will enchant you....and will not soon forget.

Gothic Rose Antiques is a shop that caters to those interested in the strange and unusual. And this time of year is quite a busy time for proprietress Crystal. Located in the Gold Rush mountains of Northern California, Crystal collects the "bizarre and the beautiful" and describes herself as "a Designer of the Dark and Purveyor of Fine Macabre Goods."

I think you will enjoy this special tour I have arranged for you of this little shop of horrors.

Follow me.

Ram's skull

Black Cat Bookends , Mysterious Pair of Old Japan ware Pottery Bookends

Witch's Hollow , Decorative Book c. 1921 with Color Plates

If you have been reading Katiedid for awhile, you know I have been working on my younger daughter's bedroom, theoretically for her birthday. Well, her birthday has come and gone, and we are still not quite done. I can manage to get client's work done and meet a deadline at work, but at home.....the cobbler's shoe syndrome takes over. We have drapery panels to hang, a mirror to find, and art to hang. But the furniture is all in and the room is painted! Progress!

In the meantime, my older daughter had a party for Halloween. Which prompted a room cleaning. I thought I would take the very infrequent opportunity of a clean room to snap some photos. Just so I can remember what it looks like.

Hannah and I did her room a few years ago starting with the Marimekko "Unikko" Duvet Cover and shams as the jump off point. We chose a matlisse bedspread from Crate and Barrel with matching Euro shams for the "background". You probably recognize the Seagrass headboard from Pottery Barn. The nightstand is an antique Swedish pine table. Nate Berkus lamps from Linens and Things. Red drapery panels from IKEA. We chose things that a teenage girl could grow with that were affordable, and therefore changeable if tastes changed.

Above her antique pine dresser, I placed a flea market mirror that I painted red which made it pop off the walls, which are painted Dunn Edwards Whisper White.

The room is divided by French doors into two parts, the main bedroom (very small) and a sun room. It is a very charming space and one of the selling points when we were first looking to buy the house. As soon as Hannah saw this space she claimed first dibs.

The sun room is covered with bead board on the walls and ceiling and has windows on three walls. We made it into a cozy library using West Elm book shelves, which fit perfectly under the windows. There is an old pine armoire for storage....and Heaven knows a teenage girl has got to have storage. We used West Elm red lacquer nesting tables, a white slip covered chair from IKEA and a lambskin rug on the floor.

And that's it! A fun bright space for my teenage girl.

Speaking of Nate Berkus.......now that Linens and Things is closing, I was wondering where he might be selling his retail products. It turns out he is offering his line on the HSN website. He is also writing a blog for the website as well, which you can check out here. I went and did a little looking around and found THE mirror for my other daughter's bedroom! The Nate Berkus Moroccan Mirror:

Perfect size and price! I am determined to get this room done before.......Christmas!

Designing a modern addition on our home had been a long time dream for my wife and I. We were lucky enough to have a very talented friend, an architect, who sat down with us and listened to our needs and helped us to create a plan. There were a couple of things that we wanted to be able to incorporate into the design. First, we didn’t want a big house, 1,200 square feet was plenty for us and our dog, but we didn’t want it to feel small. To help increase the perceived space we wanted to have a long line of sight. Having that line of sight makes a house feel big even if it isn’t. Second we wanted lots of built in storage. We had spent too many years in small apartments with no storage and had learned just how valuable storage can be. Lastly we wanted it to have a strong connection to the outdoors. The final design incorporated all of these features, a long hall with built in storage gives line of sight and a place for everything, while the courtyard between the kitchen and master bedroom gives the outdoor connection. Best of all it could be built for around $125 a square foot. In return for designing a beautiful home for us, I built a simple modern birch kitchen for my friend, the architect, for the cost of material. It was a win win situation for everyone.

Lessons learned:

1. When it comes to designing a space find someone who is not only extremely talented, but also willing to listen to your needs.

2. Trade skills. Everyone is good at something. Good old fashioned bartering and trading goes a long way in the modern world.

I cover some of our design inspirations in this post.

More details on the kitchen I built here.

• Natural colors
• Mix of materials
• Rustic ornamentation

From Sarah:

Retractable garage doors are great solutions for dissolving the boundaries between indoor and outdoor space.

Below: This house in West Marin by Fernau and Hartman Architects features a spectacular indoor/outdoor lounge area; note the daybeds on wheels.

Below: A dramatic open-to-the-elements kitchen in Manhattan from Sixx Design.

Below: We love this kitchen in a house in Venice, California; photography by Verne.

Below: Washington, DC, architect Jeffrey Broadhurst’s Shack at Hinkle Farm features a garage door opening.

Below: Seattle firm Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects created the now-iconic Chicken Point Cabin (cousin of the Brain), featuring an Industrial Revolution–evoking crank window.

Below: A house in Amagansett by Sag Harbor–based Bates Masi features an open-to-the-outside room.