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

Of all the options out there for decorating with pumpkins, adding gold accents is my top pick. Five of my favorite examples: Top to bottom: Country Living | Martha Stewart | Martha Stewart | Twig & Thistle | Martha Stewart I particularly love when they’re mixed with cream and natural pumpkins — gives a little earthiness to this glam look! If you’re interested in trying this (I am!), I think the key is to get a darker, more yellow gold than white gold spray paint. I found some tips for gilding here, too, if you choose to go that route! Have you picked out/embellished pumpkins this year? We’re hoping to get ours this weekend — since we don’t carve, they might last through Thanksgiving!