Throw Down: Vampires & Slayers



That's right, folks! It's time to tap into the current national obsession with vampires. From Count Dracula to Lestat de Lioncourt; from Van Helsing to Buffy; from the Lost Boys to the True Blooders, from the American Twilight phenomenon to the international creepfest of Let the Right One In - you have got a multitude of costume options. Now all you need to do is add some creepy touches to your house, and you've got a party you can, ahem, sink your teeth into.

Click here for a killer Vampire playlist. And click here for a photo gallery of costume ideas.

Decor

There are so many vampire eras to choose from, but I thought Victorian gothic would be the most chilling. To create this mood on a budget, I spent about $2.79 on red taper candles for my candelabra - everything else I used was found throughout my house. Score!

While I kept the living room fairly well lit for drink mixin', food eatin' and movie screenin', the dining room was entirely candlelit - it was a nice, creepy touch.

I used a black cape and a black silk robe to cover the two mirrors in the house - since I am nostalgic for a time when vampires couldn't see their reflections.

I decided to continue the Victorian funeral theme by surrounding an old sepia-toned picture in my version of crepe; a black and white lace scarf.

If you look closely, there are tiny bite marks on his neck.

I also went a little crazy and put vampire fangs on pictures all over the house. Oh, I crack myself up.

Videos
Whether screened silently in the background, or viewed in surround sound at the end of the night, some iconic vampire movies will help set the scene. I recommend the charmingly campy Buffy the Vampire Slayer; the gothic sex and violence of Interview with the Vampire, or the granddaddy of the vampire franchise - Bram Stoker's Dracula. For late-night afterparty viewing, I recommend the Norwegian film, Let the Right One In - it starts slow, but it delivers.

Sample Menu

Cater to your vampires AND your slayers. In my candlelit dining room, I put foods the color of bloooood: beet risotto; Molly's apple betty - dyed with red food coloring; and mulled wine. In the living room, I served vampire-repelling garlic: garlic lover's hummus and garlic-butter popcorn.

Featured Cocktail: Gluehwein