Our sixth annual pumpkins and soup party was on Saturday, and I think we’ve got the schedule down – at least for this season of life: 4:30 | arrivals and pumpkin carving 5:30 | soup is served 6:30 | dessert (warm chocolate chip cookies!) 7:00 | departures for little bedtimes This year, I tried something new for the first hour: a Halloween “charcuterie board” inspired by my friend Kayte! She makes the most creative themed spreads, and I figured an orange and black rendition plunked in the middle of the table, within easy reach of carving stations, would be a hit. It turned out better than I expected, so I thought I’d share! For this board, I used: — carrot sticks — orange bell pepper slices — sharp cheddar cheese squares — pimento cheese — Skinny Pop — black pepper crackers — blackberries — Smokehouse almonds — clementine slices — white chocolate covered pretzels — Wheat Thins — red pepper hummus — Concord grapes — salami I also added goldfish after I took this photo! The platter is from World Market and the little orange dishes are Target Dollar Spot. This was seriously so fun and easy, and it really has a wow factor once plated. I’m a bit addicted now and already brainstorming my next theme!! Three of my favorites from Kayte’s repertoire that are inspiring me: end of summer, Fourth of July, and pink for a little girl! P.S. This would make for a fun spread before trick-or-treating!

Happy Halloween, friends! Our fifth annual pumpkins and soup party was this weekend! With the completion of our backyard renovation, we got a bit ambitious this year and opened up the guest list from three families to nine, for a total of 32 guests (though to be fair, several of them were infants). We got a bit nervous when every single person RSVP’d yes, but after a few last-minute drop-outs, managed to squeeze everyone in for a cozy evening :) Thankfully the rain let up an hour before the party, and despite the gray and windy night we were left with, we were able to be outside for the pumpkin carving and s’more roasting, as planned. Our younger guests certainly weren’t afraid of the cold, and June had the best time chasing and being chased by the older kids! On the menu: — Pigs in a blanket (my favorite!) and veggies and dip — Hot apple cider plus various other drinks — Chicken Noodle Soup — Taco Soup — Black Bean Soup — Cornbread and bread from La Farm — A pan of mac and cheese — S’mores and raspberry brownies for dessert The nice thing about holding an annual event is that you can stock up on supplies over time, and we made a few good additions this year, including the gray gingham tablecloth above, generously-enough sized to fit our dining room table with all the leaves in. (I thought the price point, and the quality for the price point, were both very good.) We also added these tools to our carving arsenal, as well as a pumpkin gutter!! (Totally recommended if you plan to carve every year!) Since we had LOTS of little kids in attendance, we also set up a pumpkin painting station. (I just spread out