This was one of everybody’s favorites this year. It’s my Mad Scientist Laboratory and Dessert Station.

I really had fun with this display by dropping small bits of dry ice into the beakers of colored water along the top shelf as the guests arrived, and added more movement by adding a aquarium fish pump with fizzer and bubbler into alternating beakers.

The grow a hands, heart and stomach on the main shelf I purchased at Hallmark. The bottles are lit from beneath by a small light rope in a wooden box painted black with a hole cut just smaller than the bottle.

Neon frosted cupcakes and various cookies, along with gummy worms rounded out the colorful display. I added small eyeballs with included bubble blower (like the mini bubble bottles at weddings) and Halloween clackers and ping pong eyeballs for the tricks.

It’s that time again, time to begin pulling out the Halloween decorations. What you say, it’s not even Fall yet?

Well for those not in the know about Halloween, it’s a 3-4 month process to set it all up. More a labor of love really, involving carefully executing each display. It seriously takes me 3 months to set up my Halloween and I start in the house in July working my way out as Fall nears.

I can hardly wait to see it all ready for this years Halloween party. Check back here to see it all in pictures.

Where you hold your Halloween party is as important as the theme itself. More room is almost always better, think creative and consider moving some of your furnishings into storage for the event.

It’s a risky proposal to plan an outside Halloween party in most of the northern U.S. The weather is cold and in some cases also cold and wet.

Our Halloween party has been held in the house in past years, with overflow and an area for any smokers in the garage. (I decked it out with retro Halloween cut-outs and decorations from the 60’s and 70′) Last year I also set up a tent in the backyard with a patio heater to warm it. Great idea because it offered just the right amount of additional room.

Get a pen and paper and sketch out the party room and or rooms. Mark important areas for decorations, props, food and of course seating. Also remember to include candles in your planning. You want about 50-100 candles of all sizes for your party. Try as in any party to break up the food areas, drink area and others to create conversation pockets. Make a check of available chairs and add an estaimate of how many you will need and add to your party list.

Get planning your party now, Halloween is only a few short months away.

Picking the theme of your Halloween party helps set the stage for the entire event, from invitations, decorations and costuming. So begin with picking a Halloween theme.

You could do a UFO theme, Canibal theme, Evil Clowns, A Masqurade Ball. This year we are doing a Carnival theme, called Halloween Carnevil 2008.

After you choose your theme, sit down with your helpers and brainstorm on some ideas, just write em down. After you have compiled a list you can narrow down the best and weed out the no’s.

Don’t forget to brainstorm on food ideas to go along with your theme. This will help when planning the Halloween party menu in a few months.

Then, get to looking for great props for your theme at yard sales, estate sales and flea markets. Think outside the box and remember, for most Halloween themes, the grungier, neglected props work best to set a mood.

Happy planning!

Halloween falls on a Friday this year. This means many more Halloween parties will be held than in some recent past years.

Halloween always falls on October 31st, but the day of the week can vary from year to year. When it falls on a Friday or Saturday we tend to almost always have our Halloween party on the night of Halloween. When Halloween falls on a Sunday or Monday, you might as well forget the party or, move it to a better date. Even having it after Halloween is better than holding it on a Sunday or Monday.

Having a party on Halloween can sometimes lead to a conflict wit the trick-o-treaters, but I always seem to find someone willing to do door duty and ’scare’, I mean ‘treat’ the little guys. If no one is available for the job, consider setting a large dish on your porch, and fill it slowly throughout the night.

Expect a higher than average turnout for your guest list this year, and don’t wait to begin planning this years Halloween bash. Yes, Halloween is