Pumpkin Carving and Fall Decor

Halloween is only a week and a half away (yikes, why is fall moving so quickly??) so I'm here to help you with the oh-so-important task of pumpkin carving. If you're anything like me, you may have a love/hate relationship with the task of carving pumpkins. I love the experience of going to pick out my own pumpkin (or two), and I relish the end product of whatever design I chose to carve. But I get lost around the part of trying not to lose any fingers while using sharp objects on a slippery and gooey pumpkin... and then having to clean up my mess. :-)

But I digress...

Pumpkin carving is an integral part of the fall season. And while some may attribute this tradition specifically to Halloween, there's no reason to not include carved pumpkins as part of your general fall/harvest or Thanksgiving decor as well.

Witch Silhouette by MarthaStewart.com

As always, the crew over at Martha Stewart has some great ideas for your carved pumpkins. They've even provided templates for you to help make the job a bit easier. And for those who are not so comfortable with carving a pumpkin (or for the little kids), browse through the templates and you'll find some that have been adapted for painting an image onto a pumpkin.

Haunted House by MarthaStewart.com

Some of the templates will serve you well as a centerpiece for a dinner or dessert table. The one pictured below is the Vine and Leaf Centerpiece.

Vine and Leaf Centerpiece by MarthaStewart.com

For those who are brave enough hosts, consider inviting others over to a pumpkin carving party. It doesn't have to be an affair just for the kids; it could also be a family party or an adults-only soiree.

Create My Event has a wonderful DIY project that I'm going to try myself, Haunting Halloween Hurricane Candles. I may have to adapt the project for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but I do want to attempt this project soon. See the photo below...

Photo by Create My Event

Best wishes for a wonderful Halloween celebration!

Puppy Pawty

Thanks to Amy of Stem Parties for sharing this party from Dinner Bells (click on the Dinner Bells link to go to the original "pawty" post).

I thought this party was so creative that I wanted to share it with you as well. What I love most about it is that a pet's birthday is yet another great reason to throw a party! :) Like you need a reason to throw a party...

Photos by Dinner Bells; collage by Stem Parties

Pictured above is Jack, the birthday puppy, along with some features of his party. The theme was tennis balls because that is Jack's all-time favorite toy.

Photo by Dinner Bells

I really love how Jack's mom incorporated party treats for both canines and humans, making this a fun occasion for all who attended. Check out the Dinner Bells link above to read a first-hand account of Jack's party and to see more photos and details of the pawty.

Punchbowl Halloween Contest

Ok, you creative entertainers! I'm here to tell you about Punchbowl's Halloween recipe contest. It's super-easy to enter, and they are looking for FIVE winning entries to feature on Punchbowl! If you don't know what Punchbowl is, it's a party-planning website that let's you take care of all the details of your event in one place. Click the link above to head to their home page.

Here's how the contest works:
- Submit your most creative, scary, imaginative Halloween recipe.
- You have until 11:59 PM EST on October 25, 2010 to enter the contest.
- Recipes must include a list of ingredients and directions of how to make the recipe. You may also submit a link to a blog post about the dish.
- Winners will be recognized in a special pre-Halloween e-mail newsletter, and they will also win a free Platinum Punchbowl membership.

If you're interested in learning more or entering the contest, please click here. This will take you to Punchbowl's blog with the official details of the contest and how to submit your entries.

Good luck! :-) And if you are a winner, be sure to let me know!!