Dorinda Medley once called Halloween decorating “a sport” and her “favorite game,” so it’s no surprise that The Real Housewives of New York City alum works hard to outdo herself year after year. In the past, Dorinda has decked out Blue Stone Manor with everything from skeletons and fake blood to pumpkins and cobwebs, and her setup this year may be the spookiest one yet.
“It’s about taking people from their world and into your world,” Dorinda told BravoTV.com. “Isn’t it about that? Escapism [and] feeling like you’re doing something different for the night?”
To ensure her guests feel the Halloween vibe from the moment they arrive at her Berkshires home, Dorinda created a mini pumpkin patch outside, added a festive faceplate to her Ring Doorbell, and set up a “scream” chime tone.
Of course, the inside of the home has been totally transformed as well. “This year I added a bunch of great little lights, I added illuminated pumpkins, but a lot of this stuff I had from years gone by,” she shared. “I even ordered these fake flowers from Amazon.com.” When it comes to her go-to Halloween decor year after year, Dorinda declared: “There is nothing more beautiful than an array of multi-colored light up pumpkins.”
A setup like Dorinda’s is certainly elaborate, but it doesn’t need to come at a high cost. “It’s just about the effort,” she said. “It’s about the lighting. It’s about the mood.” Having seasonal decor that can last beyond Halloween is a great way to spend wisely, Dorinda explained. “I always have sort of a floral theme and a mini pumpkin patch. I take the spooky elements out of it after Halloween — the dead baby dolls and the skull heads and the bloody hands — and then I keep [the pumpkin patch] through Thanksgiving,” she said. “So that’s a great way of sort of making something last longer and saving money.”
When entertaining, thematic food and drinks are equally important. “It can be as simple as just making sugar cookies, cutting them out in pumpkins, and decorating them with candy corn,” she advised. Additionally, “everybody should have a great Halloween punch. I always try to put like eyeballs in it and, of course, it’s always dyed to red.” For another festive option, Dorinda offers guests “a great little champagne that’s maybe filled with raspberries,” and she has previously elevated the drink by putting “black sugar on the top.”
“Again, that doesn’t take a lot of money or a lot of time, but it creates a feeling,” she said. “It brings you into the moment.”
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