question of the week: Halloween candy cravings

As a kid, one of my favorite parts of Halloween was rushing back inside after trick-or-treating and dumping my orange plastic pumpkin to see my bounty. I'd survey my candy kingdom and immediately start making piles: full-size candy bars (aka the holy grail) closest to me so nobody would take them, lollipops and hard candies in their own piles, stuff for trading in a separate area and a stack of those small raisin boxes (here, Mom). 

The piles were essential for the candy bazaar that would then ensue, as my friends and I scanned each other's stashes for the best trades and played up the supposed tastiness of the items we were trying to unload. It was always so surprising to see what people's favorites were, and how willing they were to give up their Kit Kats and Blow Pops for things like Laffy Taffy and candy corn.

twiigs.com

a cut above

There's a new trend in desserts, and it has nothing to do with cupcakes. It actually sort of has to do with geometry. Stay with me here....

Just look at the E-Z Slice Pie Pan (above). Wacky! Kitchen Krafts claims the hip-to-be-rectangular shape makes the filling less likely to ooze out while serving. And the pan is marked to guide you where to make make your cuts, so nobody will brat out about someone else getting a bigger piece.

There's also the maze-like Edge Brownie Pan from Baker's Edge, which promises at least two edges on every serving and fewer undercooked, goopy middles. I love how their website boasts, "The first and only pan for edge lovers." I didn't even know there was an "edge lover" community, but way to mobilize and get things done, edge fans!

It's not just pan shapes that are getting revamped. Slice Solutions' pan sets for brownies, cakes, loaves and pies include a divider you insert before baking to create perfectly even slices. Along with a removable bottom, they also help to cool your geometric gems.

Any way you slice it, dessert rules. And now with the help of mathematical rules, it may be even better.

chalk talk

Newsflash: Chalk isn't just for classrooms and sidewalks! Chalkboard tchotchkes have made their way into the home products and entertaining space, and I couldn't be more thrilled. Here are my favorite products for parties:

• Avoid rings on your furniture and keep your guests' drinks straight with blackboard coasters. And they're magnetic too!
• Chalkboard napkin rings double as casual and effortlessly chic place cards.
• You'll never need to stick little signs in your cheese again with this slate cheese board.
• Decorate the outside of a chalkboard candle to match your party décor.

The best part of this trend is that it's so easy to DIY (and this coming from a girl who's anything but a DIY'er). As much as I love those napkin rings, I don't see myself spending $65 on them. But buy a few plain, wooden napkin rings and some chalkboard paint (which can be found at pretty much any art store in both spray and can form), and I can have them for my next dinner party at a fraction of the price.

Also on my list to chalkify: A vase for a personalized flower arrangement and a large bowl for an interesting centerpiece. Chalk it up to simple creativity for the not-so-artistically-inclined!

the halloween countdown continues....

Like this design? Create an Evite invitation with this image.

Last week we brought you delicious treats from Halloween past. And now here are some cool tricks to help you get ready for that dark and stormy night.

• Q: You'd like to bring friends to a big Halloween party. Do you ask the hosts? A: Readers weigh in on the etiquette around the "plus 1."
• Make your own photo booth with a digital camera and a photo printer. It's easier than it sounds, and we give you all the step-by-steps.
• Dry ice is a classic ingredient in Halloween decorations and witches' brews. We add a new twist by using the dry ice to make slushies.
• Line the walkway up to your party with paper bag luminarias that welcome your guests with a bold, glowing greeting of your choice.
• Give your guests a real scare by making your own ghost decorations and becoming the Halloween Joneses everybody has to top.
• Want to throw a Halloween party but worried guests will stress about what to wear? Two words: prom theme. Because, really, what was scarier than high school?

a devilishly good time

Like this design? Create an Evite invitation with this image.

I love a good theme party. I attended one recently at the premiere of True Blood, HBO’s new vampire-themed, Southern Gothic series.

This soulless soiree (I'm referring to the vampires, not the celebrities) can easily be adapted into a pretty awesome Halloween bash with a vampire/monster slant. Here’s what I saw:

• Décor was red, red, red: red lights, red linens, red chairs, red floor.

• Plastic devil heads on tables added a nice creepy touch, as did a fake graveyard, lanterns and tarantula magnets.

• There were plenty of props for guests — including necklaces of plastic garlic, devil masks, plastic fangs and tins of mints labeled with stickers proclaiming: “Suck on this.”

• “Tru Blood” was the drink of the night, made with rum, pineapple juice and cranberry juice and served in glass bottles with red straws.

• Soul food made up the menu, such as ribs, gumbo and cornbread pudding. And for dessert? Red velvet cake, naturally.

question of the week: favorite Halloween songs

Some songs just screeeeam Halloween. Other songs have actual screams in them, which make them perfect for the holiday. Cast your votes for your fave songs, and help Halloween party hosts fill their dance floors with as many bodies — living, dead or undead — as possible.

Did we miss any? Yes, we did, in trying to keep the list to ten songs. It wasn't easy. "Dead Man's Party" made the cut when two coworkers broke out into song and a little dance in support of it. And I fought for "Welcome to My Nightmare." This clip of Alice performing "Nightmare" on a Muppets Halloween special should explain why.

twiigs.com

gabba gabba -- hey!

Like this design? Create an Evite invitation with this image.

Where's the party? In my tummy. How is it? Yummy!

Fans of the kids' TV series Yo Gabba Gabba now have the show's "Party in My Tummy" song in their heads. Sorry about that. It should be gone in a week or so.

To make up for it, I give you Evite's new Yo Gabba Gabba invitation designs! How could a party not be fun when you kick it off with one of these happy, silly invitations?

And when you create your guest list, do not forget to invite the carrots and green beans or they will be sad. Seriously, they will. Watch this Party in My Tummy video if you don't believe me.

beauty bazaar

Picture this: You're walking through a department store, and you see a tube of red lipstick. You've always wanted to buy a red lipstick, and this particular shade looks amazing on the model (natch). You swipe it across the back of your hand and decide you must have it. You buy it, take it home, try it on once and there it remains — a fixture on your vanity, never to be used again. We've all been there and have had those impulse purchases that got the better of us. But one girl's beauty blunder could be another girl's newest obsession.

As a new spin on a girls' night in, have your friends bring over their cast-aside products to swap with other guests. Add a few finger foods and a little background music, and you've got yourself a full-fledged party — a little beauty swap meet, if you will.

Keep reading after the jump to get all the info on what products you should and shouldn't swap and how to get them swap-ready.

something wicked cool this way comes...

Can you feel it? Halloween is in the air.... We're cooking up all sorts of spooktacular things for you in our big blog cauldron, my pretties. But first, throw on your Palin costume, and let's kick things off with some ghosts of Halloween past.

First up: Halloween treats to eat!

• Whip up our Slime Punch, a greenish, ghoulish lime sherbet punch in both non-alcoholic and alcoholic varieties.
• Jack-o'-lantern cheeseball. As awesome as it sounds. Amaze and amuse your guests with this cheesy showstopper.
• Want to make a sangria that looks and tasty bloody good? We play mad scientist to create the magic formula.
• Fill your pumpkins with more than just candles; try this Butternut Squash Risotto Served in a Pumpkin Bowl.
• Round out your candy consumption with our Pumpkin Bread Pudding topped with Cinnamon Whipped Cream.

How to turn your backyard into a bistro

Like this design? Create an Evite invitation with this image.

Summer’s over, but there’s no need to bring the party indoors just yet. Recently, my friend turned up the style by turning her backyard into a bistro, complete with live music.

She managed to wrangle the talented singer/songwriter Ed Harcourt (known for his dreamy, lyrical pop ballads) and a grand piano and set up a stage next to her garage. Now, not everyone has access to a British rocker and a Steinway, but it gave me lots of ideas for a backyard party that’s not just another beer bash.