Happy Halloween! + A Party Recap

Our annual costume party was on Saturday night, but we're still recovering over here. I had planned to share details of the stair railing today, but since it's Halloween, we'll save that for tomorrow and share some details from this year's party with all of you!

It was our biggest party yet. There were over 200 people here, and by that I mean everywhere in and out of the house. Luckily, we had the best weather (sandwiched between two very rainy days) and our guests were able to spill out onto the back deck where we had our usual seating around the main fireplace, plus 6 hay bales to the left with blankets on top around an additional fire pit and the dining area, too.

There were also people everywhere on the first floor except our bedroom, where we pushed Faye's crib for babies that needed a quiet place to nap during the party--it happened!. We transformed Faye's room into the photo area. It was enough out of the way where the photo lights wouldn't put a damper on things, but also close enough that it was convenient for most everyone to pop in and strike a pose.

I pinned up some black spiderweb fabric (we actually bought and used since our 2nd party) and draped some spooky netting over it for added texture. I pushed Faye's rug right up to it on the floor so there would be no awkward gaps in the photograph. This year, I set up all the lights and camera settings and then had someone man the camera for me (in year's past, I took every picture myself). It was so helpful! We have a remote for the shutter, but have found almost everybody didn't feel comfortable using it--even with instructions. The photos are always a hit. Here are a few favorite costumes!

My parents were The Frankensteins! My dad (who's already very tall) had a big, square ice cream container on top of his head, platform shoes and knee pads for shoulder pads. The photo doesn't do how massive and scary he looked any justice.

Hobbits! The pointed ears and hair on the feet. These two knocked it out of the park.

Ellen and Clark Griswold! The cat food jello was the perfect accessory. It landed on the food table as a joke and someone ate some of it! Haha.

Beetlejuice and Lydia! Preston (the host of our podcast) and Corine never disappoint.

The tightest pants in all the land!

I loved this vampire and victim--those eyes!

And although we couldn't even touch the best costumes of the night, Chris and I dressed up as Wesley and Buttercup from The Princess Bride. I discovered in the past few years, a costume that I can put a wig on with is best for our parties since I never have very much time to get ready.

Almost all the kids gravitated downstairs, and this year we hired 4 babysitters to watch them all so the parents could socialize upstairs if they wanted. It worked great, was worth every penny and we'll definitely do it again next year.

One thing that maybe didn't go as smooth was the food. Chris spent 2 days shopping and making everything--4 different soups, 8 dips (sweet and savory) and a variety of foods to go with it and we ran out! Granted, only 44 people RSVP'd, we expected around 120 and there ended up being over 200 people that came, so it wasn't anyone's fault. The good news is, all the food was amazing and I think everyone got something to eat. Next year, we have plans to simplify the menu and just make MORE of a couple things, instead of trying to a lot of 20 things.

I always wish I had more photos of the actual party. I need to get a second camera to capture that for next year. But overall, a roaring success and our favorite thing about this time of year. Hope you all have a Happy Halloween! We're looking forward to getting the girls all dressed up (Greta is being a dalmatian and Faye already has her Minnie Mouse costume on) and Chris taking them out trick-or-treating while I stay home and pass out the candy bars.

See you tomorrow for all the stair railing details!