This Week's Top Picks

Longwool Black 14" Decorative Pillow

Getting into the Halloween holiday spirit means watching horror movies. When Frankenstein or Freddy Kreuger jump out from around the corner, squeezing the nearest pillow close to your chest is the best protection from being scared to death. Safeguard yourself in style with a Longwool Decorative Pillow. Longwool material is some of the softest and most luxurious wool that is warm and comforting to the touch and offers a distinctive aesthetic that will turn heads, maybe not all the way around but friends and family will certainly take notice.

Available in six different colors, though Black feels the most suitable for this time of year, this longwool pillow by Auskin measures 14 x 14 and is made from longwool sheepskins that are sewn together to create a decorative centerpiece or accent accessory to fit any home décor scheme.

But we think they work best on a couch, so you're never alone when those monsters are making all kinds of mayhem in your living room. Plus, they're a gorgeous addition to your home and bound to get a myriad of compliments when guests come over to visit anytime year-round.

Blue Pheasant Claire Clear Tumbler and Claire Clear Pitcher

A scary good Halloween party needs a scary good cocktail and whether you're entertaining a few close friends or you have a house full of costumed companions dancing the night away, you want to have the right mix of ingredients to keep the party going. The Claire Clear Tumbler and Pitcher set from Blue Pheasant are your best bet for crafting the perfect cocktail and serving it with a vintage flair.

The Claire Clear Tumblers come in a set of six and they are made from clear hand blown glass with a surface comprised of oval-shaped beads and offer a feast for the senses. The textured exterior recalls a classic visual style that is pleasing to the touch while the overall aesthetic of each glass is fascinating to behold and a joy to bring to your lips as your nose and mouth experience the cocktail like never before. Even better, these tumblers feature a subtle hint of teal in the glass and making them the perfect complement to your bar and the ideal choice for any dining table.

The matching pitcher features the same beaded exterior texture with a touch of teal and holds 93 ounces of liquid in a cylindrical profile. Made of hand blown glass like the tumblers, the pitcher comes with a smooth surface handle that you can trust to make each pour precise every time. No spilling and no worries about the handle cracking under pressure.

Skull Cocktail Picks

One of the main reasons we love Joanna Buchanan designs is her attention to detail. Case in point, her set of six Skull Cocktail Picks. They're made from stainless steel and each pick has a beautiful embellished skull at the top, making for a nifty and spooky cocktail accessory. Sure, they're a great way to enhance the presentation of your libations (perhaps served from the Claire Clear drinkware set from Blue Pheasant) during a Halloween party, but what about the rest of the year?

Did you know the skull represents a variety of different things in religion, pop culture, even politics? While most of us are familiar with skull imagery as a symbol of death and mortality, the skull can also be viewed as a symbol of power, rebellion, and change. It's not always about the morbidity of one's demise, it can also be viewed through less traditional prisms such as a fashionable aesthetic that has been embraced by some of the world's most popular clothing designers.

So you could say it's cool to have a skull sticking out of your drink. Even cooler when it's from the creative mind of Joanna Buchanan.

Bel Air Orange Napkins

Like the Skull Cocktail Picks, these napkins from Mode Living can be found under the seasonal department of our retail site. But that doesn't mean they should only be used around Halloween. A good linen napkin is an elegant and functional accessory to have for every meal.

The Bel Air line of napkins offer a tasteful orange hem accenting a pure white surface for a subtle complement to your dining table décor. Halloween may be the obvious time to use an orange-hemmed napkin but this set of four linen napkins can get plenty of use throughout the rest of the Fall season as the leaves start to drop from the trees. The orange hem of your Bel Air napkins will recall the outdoors as the trees turn color and the orange leaves outside match the napkins inside.

These linen napkins are easy to clean, simply drop them in the washing machine with similar colors and select the gentle cycle to ensure the material doesn't get abused or start to look worn out from excessive wear and tear of the machine. The holidays can get pretty rough on linen napkins, spilled wine and greasy foods are just two of the perils that white linen can face so you may be tempted to use a little bleach to help get them clean. But don't! Go with a regular detergent free of bleach. You don't want to put them in the dryer either, just lay them out on a flat surface such as a countertop, an ironing board, or a coffee table to let the air do the work instead. They may look a little wrinkled when they're finished drying so break out the iron and get rid of those wrinkles before guests arrive.

That's it for this week. We hope you enjoy our picks as much as we enjoyed picking them! Check back in next week for more top picks from the Belle and June catalog.