I love relaxing Sundays. That’s what today has been. This morning, I got to sip my coffee while my Westie pup snuggled next to me and twinkle lights softly glistened on my headboard. (I keep twinkle lights up on my headboard year round because I love them too much to take them down ever.) Last night we had the first Halloween party we’ve ever thrown at our home with close friends. It was a blast! We kept it pretty simple and casual, and I’m really excited to share the details.
Menu
Since our party was kind of last minute, I tried to come up with the simplest menu I could think of, for the least cost. Here it is:
Brats are easy, and they make me think of fall. I had everything on hand to throw together a loaf of beer bread which was a huge hit. Everyone was asking me for the recipe. See my recent post about beer bread here. We picked up a couple bags of chips to snack on throughout the night, and of course we had to have a bowl of candy. I mean, it’s Halloween after all.
The hubby picked out Starburst flavored candy corn. This glass pumpkin was a favorite Goodwill find from a few years ago. It was such a steal at $3.99! The candlestick holder, brown leaf, and candle (from a pack of 2) were all from the Dollar Tree.
For dessert I made maple pumpkin cheesecake topped with caramel sauce. The recipe I used is from my Better Home and Garden cookbook, aka my favorite cookbook. (The one with the plaid cover.) This stuff is seriously good. Even a friend who doesn’t like pumpkin said it was delicious.
For drinks we had a lot of options. Water, soda, hard cider (in a variety of flavors) and a “Pick Your Poison” bar cart. It turned out really well as my first “bar cart” experience!
Pick Your Poison Bar Cart
I found the “Pick Your Poison” printable here.
How cute are these bottle stickers? I got them last year after Halloween was over for fifty cents! I was excited to make use of them at our party!
Decor
I think decorating is part of the fun. Holly and I planned and executed all of the decorations, and I’m so glad I had her help.
The banner I put together from a previous word banner I had made for my Mom’s surprise 50th. I just moved around some of the letters to make it say “It’s fall.” The tulle + lights Holly brought and craftily combined to make a festive addition to our mantle-area. The web was purchased at the Dollar Tree.
{fun with paper}
{Make white Christmas lights look orange with tulle!}
Dollar Finds:
The orange pumpkin, creepy skeleton garland, and fake fall leaves were all Dollar Tree finds. The glow in the dark fangs and Halloween sunnies were Target dollar finds. Little details can add a lot of character to events.
Party Fun
My hubby dressed up as a chef, and I dressed up as a baker. My costume was something I put together using things I had at home. Read more about my costume here!
For the most part we sat around eating, drinking, talking and laughing.
{Holly in her Greek Goddess costume, me in my baker costume, and one of our couple-friends in their Seahawk’s fan gear}
After awhile, we pulled out “The Game of Things.” If you have never played this game before it is a must! It is so simple, and one of my favorite group games. It guarantees a night of non-stop laughter!
Whew, that was a lengthy post! Hopefully, anybody looking to throw a Halloween party can find something useful out of it. :-) It really was a fun night, and next year will be even better.
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