You Invited Who?

Autumn in Maine
Originally uploaded by talekinker

Eat, drink and be scary. ~Author Unknown

This week, prep for the Halloween costume soiree begins in earnest. So far, Himself and I have been dancing around a guest list. We both see the wisdom in keeping the ghoulish compliment to 20 or 25--a manageable number for a horrifying Hors d'oeuvre buffet; and only slightly ambitious given the size of our spooky space and the likelihood at least one of our wacky contingent will come dressed in something gianormous. Still, we are procrastinating on the final draft. This won't do at all. We must decide on invitations and they must be mailed out this week! I, for one, will be a frowny Frankenstein if our favorite fiends cannot attend due to a tardy invite. Let's be honest, with Halloween more popular than ever, every little skeleton will have a full dance card early.

'Hold on, man. We don't go anywhere with "scary," "spooky," "haunted," or "forbidden" in the title.' ~From Scooby-Doo

Which leads me to the next devilish dilemma: the invite itself. True, any kitschy pack of Halloween party invites will technically do. And we are on a banshee's budget. But the invite sets the tone for your goblin gathering and economical should be enhanced by the cute factor.

The best way to do that is scope out your options. I'm all for fashioning a killer invite from scratch if you have the time. And the patience. And can cut in a straight line. But if not, let's do quick and dirty. We need to consult Resourcenista (Resource-in-ee-stuh) (a.k.a. me). Resourcenista's favorite invite haunts: Hobby Lobby; Michaels; JoAnn Fabrics; Home Goods; TJ Maxx and Target. They will always have something unique and interesting--check their scrapbooking & everyday party sections too--you might find something flashy or interesting (and cheap!) that works better with your theme.

Resourcenista always checks out Hallmark too. There are two types of Hallmark stores: the corporate store that carries a clever (if homogenized) holiday selection and the independent store. I am a big fan of corporate Hallmark's printable invitation section. If comparable in value to what I like at other stores, I will opt for these super-personalized gems. But if they're too pricey, I head for an independent store. Independent Hallmarks carry some of the corporate theme each season but also buy from outside distributors and will often have something unique to offer.

As a last resort, I'll check out those Halloween superstores that pop up like thistles in vacant department stores around the 1st of October. Be warned, though. They are rarely cheap.

This year, I am leaning toward the scarily-affordable Halloween photo card options available through walgreens.com and ritzpix.com. Many cute designs to pick from and you can upload your own photo (could even print out your party details, photograph that and upload it to use in place of a traditional pic). Worst case scenario, hand write the party details on the back of each photo card in black, silver or purple marker and pop them in the mail.

Bottom line on the All Hallow's Eve invite: make it cheap and gorgeous and tantalizing. Slipping in a piece of candy corn never hurt either.