Black Friday/Cyber Monday SALE at Lovable Labels

A sample product was gifted from Loveable Labels in exchange for sharing this fabulous Cyber Monday promotion with Craft That Party readers. Opinions expressed here are my own. #spon #lovablelabels 

Quick Halloween Treat: Scary Mountain Mix

Need a quick treat to bring to a Halloween party this weekend?  Try making Scary Mountain Mix! I bought a few black cauldrons at the Dollar Store and filled them with the mix. Instant cute party treat!

DIRECTIONS

Mix the following in a big bowl…

• 1 pkg. 10 oz. mini pretzels
• 5 c. Cheerios
• 5 c. Corn Chex
• 2 c. salted peanuts
• 1 lb. plain M&M’s
• 2 bags of candy corn

Microwave the following for 4 minutes on half power (stir halfway)

• 2 10oz. pkgs. vanilla chips
• 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Pour liquid over dry mixture. Mix well. Spread in an even layer to dry on cookie sheets covered with waxed paper. Break up into chunks. Store in an air tight container.

Front Porch Halloween Makeover

You've seen my Eat, Drink, and Be Scary party, now take a peek at how I decorated my front porch for the shindig. Hello spooky old tree, Skully the Skeleton, 5 foot spider web, and ghosts. 

Here's the before...

And here's the after...

Special thanks to Birthday Express & Costume Express for all the Halloween decorations! 

5 Ways to Take Better Halloween Pictures {as featured on ediTORIal}

I recently shared these simple photo tips with Tori Spelling's readers, here is the re-post for anyone who might have missed seeing it on ediTORIal. 

My go-to photographer and friend Alli and I decided to test out our advice using our own kids. We brought 5 kids, 7 costumes, 3 props, 2 cameras, and 1 bag of M&Ms with us (the last item bought us an extra 15 minutes of smiles!).

1. DAYLIGHT. Night photography can be tricky. Rather than snapping a quick picture before your kids head out to trick or treat, take pictures ahead of time in natural daylight.


2. LEAN IN. Find a spot outside that would make an interesting backdrop, such as a brick wall, wood door, or a tree. Have the kids lean against it. This picture of my little Batman looks more dramatic leaning against this light pole than if I had just snapped a picture of him standing next to it.

3. HAVE FUN! Let the kids run, jump, and be silly. Let them act out their Halloween costume and capture some images of them having fun in character.

4. PROPS. Props make any photo shoot more fun. Our Superman hammed it up for the cameras once we brought out this bendable bar of steel and Alli was able to capture his priceless facial expressions.

Think about fun props like chalkboards, empty frames, balloons, or sunglasses.

5. CANDID PHOTOS. Another great way to photograph your kids in costumes is to capture some candid shots. Our kids love to dress up and we often find them napping, reading, or headed out to the grocery store in full costumes. These special moments make great pictures!

Happy Halloween and good luck with the picture taking! We hope you will share some of your favorite Halloween photos with us!

A very special thank you to Allison Duda from A Joy Photography and Costume Express for providing the costumes.

LOVABLE LABELS 10TH ANNIVERSARY SALE #spon #lovablelabels

A sample product was gifted from Loveable Labels in exchange for sharing this fabulous promotion with Craft That Party readers. Opinions expressed here are my own. #spon #lovablelabels 

 

Lovable Labels is turning 10 and celebrating with 10 days of deals between 

October 10, 2013 - October 19, 2013. Time to stock up on your favorite labels-- I recommend the Press n' Stick Clothing Dots. We use them in every jacket and sweatshirt that leaves our house! 

To find out about all the great deals going on right now:

• Check the deal of the day (up to 50% off!) over at 
  Lovable Labels 
• Sign up for the Lovable Labels newsletter for deals to be delivered right to your inbox
• Happy Shopping (hint, labels make great gifts- check out their household label section)

Eat, Drink, and Be Scary Halloween Party

It's the beginning of October and things are getting a little spooky around here! Time to Eat, Drink, and Be Scary with a Halloween Party that I created for Costume Express. I worked with The Creative Loft team for Birthday Express to create a party inspired by some of their products, especially this little black owl. 

PARTY COLORS: Traditional orange, black, gray, and pops of red
EAT: Red velvet cupcakes with cookies and cream frosting, hand painted skeleton key cookies, rock candy pops, a gorgeous fondant covered red velvet cake topped with fondant flowers and skulls, ghost meringues, and marshmallow pumpkins. 
DRINK: A beverage table with assorted wines and spooky frames hanging over the table. 
BE SCARY: Guests were invited to share their scariest faces for the camera using fun Halloween frames

Vendor Credits:

Photography and Styling: Jenny Dixon, Craft That Party

Desserts: Samantha's Sweets

Fondant Owl Toppers: Love and Sugar Kisses

Halloween Collection, party products, costumes, and decorations: Birthday Express and Costume Express

Halloween Invitations and Collection: Jenny Cherif of Creative Loft 

All photos are copyright to Craft That Party
Craft That Party is a proud partner with Birthday Express 
and as so recieves products for inclusion of products

Unexpected Ways to Use Syrup: Baked Brie with Sweet Pecan Glaze

I received coupons for complimentary items in exchange for my post about unexpected ways to use Log Cabin and Mrs. Butterworth's syrup. All opinions are 100% mine. #spon

When Log Cabin and Mrs. Butterworth's asked me how I use syrup in unexpected ways, I immediately thought of my most requested appetizer, baked brie covered with savory pecans, and sweet syrup glaze. It is so delicious and easy to make.

Ingredients: 

small wheel of Brie cheese

1/2 cup pecans

3 tablespoons syrup

3 tablespoons brown sugar

serve with crackers or bread

You can find the full Baked Brie with Maple Pecans recipe over on Martha Stewart, thank you Martha! I also highly recommend this recipe, very similar to the first recipe yet the brie, nuts, and glaze are wrapped in puff pastry. Mmmm, seriously wonderful either way.