Halloween Hauntings

Black Cauldron with punch and dry ice.

Mortimer our head waiter.

Cheeseball and crackers.

Pecan Caramel Cheesecake Bites

Caramel brownies

Sausage and Olive skewers

Our guests: The Vampire and the Slayer

The Cowboy Sheriff and the Sargeant

The Cop and the Prisoner.

The Pirate wench and the Sorcerer.

The Hunchback and Esmeralda.

Costume Contest Winners from left to right: Funniest, Scariest, Best Overall (her costume was all made from Goodwill treasures and junk), Most Original (his cheesecloth suit overlay and his top hat he made himself), Best No Costume.

Party Like a Rock Star!

Ok, just to give you a heads up, I had no extra help for this party as far as taking pictures go, so there aren't many photos. Forgive me and trust that this party ROCKED!

All guests were sent a VIP All-Access pass to Garrett's 7th Birthday Bash. They got to walk the red carpet which was lined with black chain rope.

Kids came to enjoy Rock music, a guitar hero contest, dancing and lots of Rock Star food and drinks!

You need your VIP All-Access pass to get in here.

The VIP Room. Lined with rope lights and canopied in black tulle and white streamers.

The bar where the guests could order anything from pizza, popcorn, nachos, cake and ice cream to drinks like the Stratocaster (Ginger Ale and grenadine with a large Cherry 7-Up ice cube in the shape of fender guitar), an Ice Rock (Orange Crush and Blue Mountain Dew with a glow in the dark straw), Rolling Stone (Cherry 7-Up with a maraschino cherry in the bottom) or the Rock Star (a "suicide". In other words, a mixture of all the pop I had in stock).

The canopy.

Homemade confetti cake with a blue middle layer, whipped icing and hand drawn electric guitar. That thing took me forever! I'm not a professional cake decorator, people!

Wish on, little Rock Star!

Some of the favors included a CD of some popular songs that were more kid-friendly, like the Cha-Cha slide, Cupid Shuffle, Evacuate the Dancefloor, Party in the USA, Heartless, Love Lockdown, Baby, Whatcha Say, and more. I also gave out rock candy, pop rocks, temporary tattoos, rubber spike bracelets, bandanas, guitar pick necklaces, glow stick necklaces and a Rock Star poster.

Again, I am absolutely sick that I don't have more pics to share with you all but know this: Upon going to bed that night my son comes and gives me a big hug and a wet slobbery kiss on the cheek and whispered in my ear "Thanks mom! You're the best mom ever!"
So. very. Worth it!

Wonderland Adventure Party!

Welcome to Wonderland...where adventure and tea awaits!

Hurry! You're late!
(I made the banner letters and wanted it to be reminiscent of falling down the rabbit hole.)

Each place setting had a glorious cup of tea with a shortbread cookie, a bottle of "Drink Me" shrink potion, and "Eat Me" morsel for growing back to proper size, and a Mad Hatter hat box with a white chocolate covered fortune cookie inside.

The name place card and Mad Hatter Hat boxes. (Tutorial to follow in a later post).

What tea is complete without a shortbread cookie? I found these cats at Starbucks!

A piece of rose shaped pound cake with a candle for each guest to make their own Un-birthday wish!

Look who I found hiding in the teapot again!

The tablescape.

More fun decor. I opened the Annotated Alice book to a page where Alice was standing holding a birthday cake.

The Food Table. I love a Food Tablescape!

I kept the food sweet and simple. Things found in a box, for the most part or things I could easily throw together since the decor and costumes took most of my time.

Cucumber tea sandwiches.

Savory Stuffed Mushrooms.

Pastel mints, key lime cookie straws, smoothie flavored jelly beans...

...bunny cookies, chocolate covered shortbread cookies, caramel wafers, gummy mushrooms and gummy berries.

And look who was hanging around outside!

The Tea Party Guests in all their maddest attire.

The Hatter with his favorite guest, Alice.

Alice and Miss MADdie (lol, I couldn't resist).

Alice with Emily.

Alice with Morgan.

Alice with Lydia.

Alice and Mykala

Alice and Halee

"Off with her head, I say!"

At lunch the Hatter loses his thoughts on times of yesterday (when he was napping).

As the Hatter steals Lydia's food, the other guests are oblivious and indulge in sweets 

and more tea.

"Drink Me" potion chugging contest.

Pin the Smile on the Cheshire. Can you see where the winner placed her smile? Nearly perfect!

We're painting the roses red!

Hurry, or the Red Queen will have our heads!

The Hatter decided that nap is making a rerun from yesterday.

Time for cake and presents!

Make a wish my dear, and all your dreams come true!

The best part of a birthday party is the gifts, right?

The favor bags, filled with red heart shaped fans, heart shaped fruit-flavored candies, a lollipop and a colorful candy stick.