Halloween Ideas Anyone??

So if you know me, you probably know that I LOVE Halloween.

What better holiday is there for those of us who love to create? No limits.... no boundaries..... you can have ghosts hanging from the ceiling and rats on your bookshelves..... spiders on the stairs and cobwebs on the chandeliers. And best of all -- Sweets, Sweets and MORE Sweets!

So I was a pretty happy camper this week working on a Halloween Dessert table featuring my new Amanda's Parties To Go's Halloween Party Printables. I made the rounds about town (Hobby Lobby, Walmart, Target, etc.), found my goodies and thought of a plan.....

You must have a plan, you know!

I'm all about a "do-it-yourself-on-a-budget kind of party," so I went to work "do-it-yourselfer-ing." You'd be surprised at what you can find in the grocery store to help a busy mom have a cute party.... Oreo cakesters, fudge covered cookies, Oreo cookie sticks, marshmallows, Ding-Dongs. These things are MADE to help us mommies at "party-crunch time." Make use of them, ladies! Don't feel like you have to make it all yourself.

In fact, I think the only thing I made completely from scratch for this table were the cupcakes, and that was only the cake part -- I cheated on the fudge frosting, too!

So anybody can do this. Really. And your kids will love getting involved, too. I don't know a child out there who wouldn't want to pour a few sprinkles on something!

A Halloween Party Table

featuring my new Halloween Collection of party printables 

Shindig Halloween Collection 2" Party Logos used as cupcake toppers (punched out with a 2" scallop circle punch). I backed each of these with a circle of black and white stripe scrapbook paper and punched with the next size larger circle punch, glued them to a coffee stirrer and -- Ta-Dah! A cupcake topper!

Sweet cupcakes - you can't have a party without them!

The Amanda's Parties To Go's Halloween set Food Label Tent Card

used as a sign on the cupcake stand.

I also cut out some cupcake wraps for the bottom of the cupcakes

out of coordinating scrapbook paper.

Another 2" Party Logo used as a candy jar label (with a larger punched circle of striped cardstock behind), and those too-cute-to-eat Halloween Marshmallow pops, too.

More food labels tent cards and these scary little (or maybe I should say BIG)

snake suckers from Walmart. (I cut a scrap piece of board and placed it

inside the plate, drilled small holes for the suckers to stand in, and covered up

all the mess with black crinkle bag filler and purple foil - dark chocolate - Hershey's kisses).

I found these marshmallow candy corns at Walgreen's individually packaged. I put them on top of fudge marshmallow cookies (that I also bought at Walmart) and colored some frosting (from a can) with orange gel food coloring. Using a disposable decorating bag and a star tip, I swirled the frosting on top of the cookie, add some chocolate sprinkles and stuck the candy corn in with a toothpick. So easy!

These little babies are just Oreo cakesters (Double stuff) with some Halloween sprinkles for color and the Halloween Collection 8" Sign that I put in an ornate black frame

My favorite Halloween Trick -- floating candy!! Yes.... floating! Featuring the Halloween Collection's Mini-Candy Bar Wraps (they fit Hershey's miniatures)

The kids around here are fascinated each October when they enter my house

and see the urn full of candy on my foyer table, which just happens to be floating in the air!

They always want to know, "How? How Ms. Amanda did you do that? How? Tell me!!"

I don't ever tell them, but I WILL tell you.

No magic at all -- just Martha!!

(From a Halloween issue of her magazine a few years back -- I tried to find the how-to on the internet and couldn't so if anyone out there has a link, please let me know).

I saw these cute marshmallows in the new Betty Crocker Fall Baking publication at Target. They were featured on top of cut square brownies (also a great idea!), but I like my food on sticks, so I decided to pierce a couple of Oreos and some marshmallows and make these little treats!

My kids were oooohing over these eyeball cookies. So simple.... just an Oreo chocolate cakester with a little fudge frosting (from a can) on top. I found the eyeballs at the Dollar Tree (6 for $1). They were suckers, but I cut the sticks off and used them to embellish the cakesters.

I'm all about the cute-no-bake-goodies! It doesn't have to be hard to be adorable!

I also used the Halloween Collection's 2" Party Logos for various candy jar embellishments.

The Halloween Collection 4" circle logo used to decorate the spider plate. Again, the spiders were so simple. Use a Ding-Dong cake, cut a small marshmallow in half for eyes, and cut licorice for the legs. I also dotted the center of the eye with some black gel icing.

It must have been a success!
I've had all the kids in the neighborhood BEGGING for these treats to eat!
Well, guys, today's the day! Photo shoot over...... Yum-fest begins!

Remember, the  Halloween Collection of Printables

is on sale 40% OFF until October 15th!!
Get it now - time's a-wasting!!!

Pirate Party Printables Feature

My friend, Chris, from Celebrations at Home has been such an inspiration to me this year as I've been developing Amanda's Parties To Go. Chris is a party planner extraordinaire and has a very popular party planning blog, too! I've enjoyed getting to know her over the past few months, and recently she was telling me about a pirate party that she was working on for her son. Busy as she is making the "party world" a better place, Chris was running short on time completing her son's big birthday bash. So I helped out a little and made her some of the Pirate Party Printables sold in my shop. I was so glad to help, and she -- as usual -- pulled off quite the soiree.... uhhh, I mean piratey adventure!!

Pirate Party Table for her 8 year old son. Love the ship sail!

And my favorite -- the close-ups.... Our pirate ship sails can be used for cupcake toppers, hot dog toppers, sandwiches, etc. Chris used our toothpick flags around the skewers for her marshmallow pops, she used our favor tags on the popcorn boxes and of course, our pirate party 2" circle logos for cupcake toppers -- Arrghh!!


And what's a pirate party without a costume and a parrot??

Looks like Tyler had a GREAT 8th birthday!!
Thanks, Chris, for the shout out on Celebrations at Home! Happy Birthday, Tyler!

The PIRATE PARTY PRINTABLE SET can be found in the shop
with your choice of hair color for your child.

Auburn Family..... ALL IN!!!

We spent the day yesterday tailgaiting and heading to the stadium for the game last night. I've been so busy lately, it was GREAT to have a little family time and see some friends (in fact, I saw 2 that I hadn't seen in probably 15 years!!) It was a beautiful day.... great gameday weather. The kids bought all the junkfood they could possibly stand, and I loved spending a little time with them with no parties ANYWHERE in site!! Here are a few picts from the day:

Let's Get it Started! Macy sportin' the Tiger tail.

Jacob was loving his Finger. It was in all of our faces all night!!

(He even came down the stairs with it on this morning! Dye-hard I tell ya!)

Jonathan, Kevin, Heather & Sullivan at Tiger Walk

Stuart Up Front, Tiger Walk - waiting for Aubie!

I can't believe how big she is! Next year she'll probably be towering OVER me!!

Best seat in the house!

Whooo - Hoooo! Go Tigers!

Weagle! Weagle! War Damn Eagle!

Uhhhh........ feeling a little lightheaded up here!

It doesn't get much better than this!

Well, maybe it does.... 4-0!!!

PUMAS on the PROWL!!

Gosh, we're lucky!! The schools in this town are F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C.!!! Yesterday, my oldest had her first pep rally at her new middle school. Excellent school.... AMAZING principle (you may know Mrs. Debra Bebe from Survivor a few seasons back!) and home of the GREATEST pep rally I've ever been to.... YES, for 6th and 7th graders. The whole school was rockin, teachers included, war paint on, cheers practiced and ready, band fired up..... it was unbelieveable!

There are so many 6th & 7th graders (1,600) that they divide every grade up into teams and the pep rallies are all about out-cheering the other teams. They've got signs, BIG signs, a whole lot of face paint, glittery hair, team mascots, flags, shakers, the whole bit. I had such a great time it even made me want to go back to 6th grade!

The mood was electric -- the kids were so pumped up

See what I mean?? PUMPED UP!

I came to paint some Puma faces

And I got pretty lucky to get my baby, too

She was quite the giggle box today

Oh yeah.... even their hands were in the spirit

Casey and Maddie - how much fun is that??

Music was blaring, drums were beating, kids and teachers were chanting! And this picture is only one half of the gym

Here's the other half -- see how many kids!! And that's only 1/2 the school. It's so big, they have 2 pep rallies back to back for the other half of the school.


Madison and her friends had so much fun -- What a Great Memory!!

Thanks to all those wonderful, supportive and CRAZY teachers -- you're the Best!

Fairy Party Collection -- PRINTABLE PARTIES!

Party Printables are all the rage right now in the party business. It's really a great concept. In just a day or so you can select your perfect party designs, have them personalized just for you and then sent to your email box for you to print out. If you can open an email, press print and cut..... YOU CAN HOST A GREAT PARTY!

Over the past weeks I've been designing a Fairy Party line of printables to compliment my Shindig Fairy Birthday Party. I love the colors.... they just make me happy! What's better than some pink and green with a little punchy orange and yellow thrown into the mix! HAPPINESS!!

The collection FULL of everything you need to throw a FABULOUS personalized Fairy Party including a birthday banner, table and door signs, water bottle wraps, napkin wraps, toothpick flags, an adorable invitation and thank you note, and of course, all the 2" party logos that you can use just about everywhere! Use them for favor bags, candy jar labels, cupcake toppers and more. It's so easy. Just Print, Cut and Party!!

Here are photos from the photo shoot I've been working on for the new line. I hope you enjoy!

The Fairy Party table designed to incorporate many of the

Amanda's Parties TO GO Fairy printables.

The strawberry cake using a 4" Party Circle from the Amanda's Parties TO GO Fairy Collection. Just cut it out, glue it to a wooden skewer (found at any grocery store), and add a little ribbon -- a beautiful, personalized birthday cake topper.

Personalized Happy Birthday Sign, Toothpick Flags, Food Label tent cards, 2" Party Logo and Fairy Papers (cut and used as a ribbon for the candy jar.)

2" Party Logo and Fairy Papers (cut and used as a ribbon for the container)

2" Party Logos used for cupcake toppers.... easily punched with a scallop circle punch from Hobby Lobby. I used coffee stirrer straws instead of lollipop sticks (much less expensive!)

Make your own inexpensive but coordinating and adorable

party place setting with the 2" Party Logos

A favor bag made from the 2" Party Logos and the Fairy Papers (cut out the Logo, then use the papers to mat the logo and for the "ribbon" around the bag.)

These 2" party logos are so versatile! Use them for everything...

punch them with a 2" circle punch, a scallop punch or just cut them out as squares!

Another view of the Fairy Party Table.... the hanging paper lanterns are easy and adorable!! Add a little ribbon to the bottom to dress them up a bit.

One of my favorites! Personalized water bottle labels! How easy is that?

Just cut out the wraps... easy, straight cuts, wrap them around a water bottle

(with label removed), and secure with Scotch tape on the back.

The toadstool invitation, it swings up to reveal the invitation wording underneath.

Very simple to make and all instructions are included.

And personalized thank you notes.... you can't forget to thank your guests!!

And there is so much more, too -- banners, signs, butterfly templates to decorate with everywhere!! Go take a look at the Fairy Party Collection on Etsy.com --

It's affordable and adorable!!

Amanda Parties TO GO Fairy Collection on Etsy