{pumpkin carving party}

Last night I had a pumpkin carving party with new colleagues. I had a really fun time decorating (which ensured that my place will be festive for trick or treaters next week).
I made bats out of black bristol board. Unfortunately, they never wanted to hang right, no matter how I applied the string. Although I think I still got the general effect. I made large ones for the front porch, and small ones for hanging from tree branches in my house. I also cut out some silhouettes, which look good against the white of my house (a witch's profile, a scaredy cat & a tree):

{check out that gorgeous fall foliage}

{the advantage of having a white house is that you can still see all the decorations at night, as the black silhouettes stand out nicely against the white}

{here I dangled small bats from this branch, surrounded by gourds}

{added a few spiders for good measure}

{this one was near the fire place, and I also cut out a silhouette of a black crow. caw caw}

I also made pom-poms in black & orange, and bought some skeleton lanterns. I've made pom-poms for my living space in pinks, & blogged about making these and the bunting (click here & here (for martha stewart directions on pom-poms click here)). 

{diy pom-poms}

{the kitchen has a window into the living room, which I opened up to facilitate talking/hosting. I decorated the kitchen window/opening with apples & a skeleton lantern}

{pom-poms against fall foliage}

I attempted to make yummy chocolate-chocolate cupcakes, but the cupcakes were quite wet (yet pretty delicious) and the experimental icing didn't really turn out either. But I decorated them with spider webs & spiders, and put them near a raven:

{black & orange spidery cupcakes}

I quite like that raven:

{in the words of Edgar Allen Poe: "Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'"}

Drinks were ready, food out & my guests arrived bearing pumpkins, knives & drinks (a perfect combo!!).
...& we got to carving:

{carving my pumpkin}

{our pumpkins!!}

thanks to all who shared in the festivities--it was loads of fun!
Enjoy pumpkin carving this season. If you'd like more hallowe'en inspiration, check out my blog from last year on the danse macabre, gravestones & costumes.
On a side note, today is my Dad's 65th birthday, Happy Happy Birthday bapu-ji...wish I could spend it with you!!!
xo
L