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.

Halloween & How-Do-You-Do

Fall is a favored time of year around our house, with Halloween being Himself's favorite holiday. The moment summer's heat broke, he began sniffing the air for signs of autumn and now that the evenings are chilly, there's a definite bounce in his step.

I enjoy watching him slip back into boyhood as we pass the pumpkins & gourds piled high out front at Wal-Mart. The only reason he isn't peering wistfully over the side of the pumpkin corral with the other kiddies is that he's 6'4 and can scope out the choicest specimens from a respectable distance. Of course, he isn't fooling anyone, grinning ear to ear like that.

To keep things manageable, I've been doing a little each day to transform our apartment for this year's Halloween Party. Himself comes home from work at night and prowls around, saying "Wow!" each time he finds a new spooky feature and giving me a hug. Wow! for the black & orange-striped witch's tights I stuffed (with newspaper) into a pair of my old shoes and left poking out from under the patio table. Wow! for the motion-sensitive, black cat candy dish on the mantle. (Word to the wise, here. Do not put the batteries in until Halloween.) Wow! for the magnificently creepy way I set the dining room table. I got two hugs for that! And now we can enjoy the spooky theme all month at suppertime. It may seem like a lot of work for one evening of fun. After all, who's going to see it before then? Just us. The thing is, I love seeing him excited.

We are party people. Both love nothing more than flexing our culinary creativity and throwing a bash to remember. Himself is already knee-deep in Halloween party details: where to find straw bales? Should we have bugs in the ice cubes or eyeballs? Dry ice in a cauldron or a fog machine? Bloody Mary's or Mauled Cider with Cinnamon Schnapps for the signature cocktail? He is an accomplished cook and consummate host. Any party benefits from his jovial manner and thorough attention to detail. I'm thrifty and relish finding creative solutions to otherwise expensive party dilemmas. My mantra: Why spend X when you can make something tailored to your party for much less?

If you're stumped for party ideas, take heart. All this month, I will share my favorite ideas, recipes and inspiration for a fabulously memorable Halloween. I'll also throw in quite a bit of holiday joy. We're big on that at my house. Actually, we're big on joy in general. And on making memories. It would tickle me pink to help you make some too. Thank you, gentle reader, for perusing this first post of Ordinary Wonderment.

*photo by talekinker*