Halloween is almost here, and I still have a ton to do. The annual Halloween party, which we normally have at my sister’s house, will be at my house this year. This will be the very first time I have ever hosted a party that didn’t have “bridal” or “baby” in front of it. So, this will be the very first time that I have hosted a party where the only draw was my company. Until now, my fear of throwing a party where no one bothered to show up prevented any such get-togethers. Actually, I still have that fear. It’s irrational, I suppose. I didn’t invite a ton of people (mostly because I don’t know a ton of people), but I am fairly certain that at least three people will show up. I’m a believer in quality over quantity, anyway.
No matter how many people are there, I still need to clean the house, put the final touches on the decorations, buy snacks, make snacks, fill my blood bag with wine and load my pumpkins with candles. Yes, real candles, not those flickering, plastic, LED things. Fire safety be damned. Plus, my pumpkins deserve the real thing.
I love carving pumpkins. Sometimes the pumpkin tells you what kind of face it wants, like the one with the worm hole in it up top. Gotta find a gummy worm to poke out of that hole. I’m kind of a purist in that I’ve never used one of those templates where you punch all the little holes first. I think they are cool looking, but I’d just rather do a quick sketch and start stabbing. I mean cutting.
That’s how we roll in Dethlehem.
Money saver instead of pumpkins: Take large paper shopping bags and cut out pumpkin face. Weight the bag with several cups of sand(so it won’t tip over or blow away). Place candle in candle dish/holder and light. (They won’t catch fire if candles are small/low and centered). Great to line walkway, say 10 each side. Other suggestions include one letter per bag for welcome…, happy birthday…., merry Christmas, etc. Of course nothing like real pumpkins. Envy you because not much Halloween my area(Caribbean minorities, particular religions, and little knowledge of or disdain for American cultural festivities means a neighborhood devoid of such decorated occasions including Christmas). I really don’t care if any kids come by, as is usual, because then I have two month’s supply of Baby Ruth candy bars all to myself!
We’ve done the paper bag lanterns before and they are very pretty going up a driveway. I don’t know how I would survive in an area that didn’t celebrate Halloween or even decorate for Christmas. That would be very weird.
Don’t get sick on all those Baby Ruths!
Great Pumpkins Amy!! Michael and I wish we could be at your 1st Halloween Party, I know it will be great! You guys have fun and know we miss you all. Hope to catch up with you at Thanksgiving!
XOXO T
PS. Feel NO pressure to respond to this post : )
I wish you could be there, too, but I realize that it’s a bit of a trip.
We miss you guys, too!
Are you crazy, everyone in Athens would love an invite to one of your parties, Queen of Halloween. Love your orange glowing goblins, Got a couple to carve, and I have help. Toasted my first pumpkin seeds (dry first, 375 for 10 min or til light brown, stir a couple times). Destin hasn’t decided to celebrate “TorT” on Sat or Sun, so probably will do both. Rocky Horror picture show at Harborwalk Sat and last day of Fishing Rodeo Sunday .. both costume encouraged events.
PS If someone shows up at your party and you don’t recognize them right away, axe ‘eml. It’s not me.
I’m not sure which day they are doing TorT around here either, but I’ll have candy both nights. Rocky Horror at Harborwalk sounds fun!
Yes, I will not be giving free wine to masked freaks this year until they identify themselves.
I love your pumpkins! My favorites are the one that looks like Jack from Nightmare Before Christmas and the one that is turned so its stem is the nose.
I just carved a pumpkin for the first time last year. Too messy for me.
Good luck with your party! I’m sure it’ll be great!
Your first ever pumpkin was last year?!? I . . . I don’t even know what to say.
I know, I know. I guess my mom was worried about me having sharp objects.
We carved about 14 pumpkins last year for our wedding. That takes a lot out of a person. We also have lots to do since we’re moving up north in less than a month. I shall live vicariously through others for Halloween this year. Have a great time and post lots of pictures for me!
14 is a lot of pumpkins! I think we can credit you this year for that feat.
Carving punks: you either love it or you don’t. You either spend the first half of October moping around waiting until you can pull out the knives, or you shudder at the thought of pumpkin guts under your fingernails. Me, I live for the week. I can keep going until my wife actually yells at me to STOP WITH THE FREAKING PUMPKINS! I wish I could share some pics here of my latest, but i can’t figure out how to upload them.
It’s surprising to see that you don’t have any vomiting pumpkins Amy – always a crowd-pleaser – but they’re pretty 2003. The ones I’m having fun with this year involve the big sinister punk chewing on a tiny helpless screaming one. Great fun.
I love pumpkin guts under my nails! It’s so hard for me to wait to carve them. Down here, they will rot if you put them out too early cause it’s still pretty warm outside. I saw a couple that you posted on twitter and I tried to reply, but something messed up. They were very cool.
I did the vomiting pumpkin years ago, I’ve also done the big pumpkin eating a little one. One year I even carved little ones with arrows pointing up our walkway to our front door so the trick or treaters would know exactly where to go. So much fun!
I agree with your mom – EVERYONE would love to come to your party. I will miss T this year! And, can’t believe that I missed M at last year’s party. That is so ABSOLUTELY EPIC and the ONE year that we don’t stop by, she does.
AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Selfishly, I am a little glad that I don’t have to share you with all of Athens.
As I was looking over the pumpkins, The Kid walked by. He LOVES them, but has a particular fascination with the “worm hole”. He has talked about that for 5 minutes:
“Why is there a worm hole?”
“Is that a worm hole like in outer space?”
“Why did she use that worm hole like that?”
“Why don’t the others have a worm hole?”
“Mama, I think it is silly that she used the pumpkin with the worm hole.”
“Mama, I am going to check our pumpkin to see if it has a worm hole!”
I can only imagine the comments when he sees an actual gummy worm coming out of the hole. Yep – I will pack a suitcase for him so he can stay awhile, because he will NOT want to leave!
That is too funny!! You tell him that I found the pumpkin with the worm hole already in it, naturally made. And, if tiny aliens from another galaxy pop through he will be the first to know!
Last year was epic. One for the books. Sadly, I don’t expect such theatrics this year, but it will be fun times with good friends.
LOVE LOVE LOVE! makes me want to carve more. right now…
sigh.. maybe next year!
I have never been a fan of the templates either. But I have realized my pumpkins look the same every year!
Yeah, I kinda have reoccurring characters in my pumpkins, but it’s like being reunited with an old friend.
Pumpkin templates for you would be like giving a paint-by-numbers kit to Picasso- you are an artiste! Sooo looking forward to your party. I just hope I don’t outgrow my costume by Saturday- I can’t stay out of the dang Halloween candy!
I hope I have some candy left – Tom found the stash!
Can’t wait!
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Wait, do you live in Bethlehem PA? You know I lived in Pittsburgh for 27 years of my life? I did love it but Pittsburgh is the coolest town that I will never live in again. I was so happy to finally get out of PA! Are you stuck and staying?
Nope, sorry. Never even been there. Now, I’m not sure that I want to!
We used to live in Bethlehem, GA (about 50 miles east of Atlanta). We liberated that city limit sign which was posted right across the street from our house on a dead-end road. No one missed it.
You are the only one who even mentioned the sign! We lived on Manger Ave (get it?) and I so wanted to “borrow” that sign and turn it into Danger Ave.
New style? I will adjust, get set in my ways at my age. Haven’t bought candy yet (no temptations)and don’t want leftovers, maybe I’ll hand out pencils or packets of instant oatmeal. T said, buy Hershey bars, we all know they wont go to waste nor be around long enough to tempt me…private joke, more blog fodder.
Don’t hand out pencils and oatmeal unless you want your house tp’ed. Yes, get Hershey bars! They will never go to waste.