One of the joys I have discovered in blogging is connecting with and making friends with some seriously talented people.  At the suggestion of my pal Kirsty (lifestyle blogger of The Kirsty Files), she gathered a group of creative friends that meet irregularly to spend an afternoon collaborating, crafting…and cocktailing.  As such, we have named our small group “The Cocktailing Crafters.”  All moms, all entrepreneurs, and all creatives – I am honored to find myself among this group!

We met earlier this month to craft and catch-up over a Halloween-themed spread.  I promise more on the craft to come later this week, but in the holiday spirit, I’m sharing how to host an adult Halloween party that offers a subtle and sophisticated nod to this spooktacular time of year.

The TableSeriously, Erin of Yay Parties (an event planning & vintage party rentals business) thinks of every single detail!  She truly outdid herself with this amazing table scape and partydecor.  I loved the moody color scheme that definitely had a dark nod to the holiday yet was still classy and vintage.  Rather than the obvious black and orange, Erin choose rich brown and burgundy florals which complimented the pistachio green of the napkins and bright ferns and leaves of her floral arrangements.

And the devil is in the details.  Erin literally thinks of everything!  From vintage framed busts and antique books to glass cloches displaying animal skulls and actual toe tags (not used) to serve as signage for our food; this gal has so many fun pieces in her collection.

The MenuWanting to keep the food light and easy to eat on small plates, we served up a cheese plate complete with a crusty baguette and paired with pistachios and figs (which just so happened to also match out decor!).  A humus platter with veggies and flat bread offered a healthy alternative and a side of veggie chips provided the crunch and salty goodness of chips but without all of the guilt!

Roasted Beet Humus Recipe:

3 medium roasted beets (drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper) golden beets used here
1 14 oz. can of garbanzo beans (rinsed & drained)
1/4 cup olive oil
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 clove garlic (minced)
2 tsp sesame oil OR 1-2 tbsp tahini
1 tsp salt

garnished with “Not Without Salt” seedy salt

Recipe thanks to Sally Honeycutt.  Sally hosted our party in her beautiful new retail store, Anders Shop.  This shop is filled with unique home decor including beautiful pillows, handmade baskets, natural apothecary, one-of-a-kind jewelry, and delicious kitchen accessories – all mostly made by Seattle artisans. Come visit her wonderfully curated store in Ballard (you can also shop online too!)

The Signature Cocktail

What would a festive party be without a signature cocktail?!  And the fact that we meet before school pick-up won’t stop ‘The Cocktailing Crafters’ from sharing a bottle of bubbly!  We had a lot of fun both coming up with our cocktail (what else were we to do with the abundance of Italian plums in Kirsty’s kitchen) and naming our drink.  Due to it’s rich color and the theme of our party, we thought ‘The Vampiro’ was most appropriate!‘The Vampiro’ cocktail recipe:

mostly champagne
a splash of aperol
a spoonful of pureed Italian plums

garnish with colorful edible flowers (we choose orange and purple pansies)
Sweet Treats

We were truly spoiled by The Sweetside, who provided us with deliciously cute Halloween-themed treats.  In addition to decorated sugar cookies, we enjoyed mummy cake pops, ghostly meringues, and monster dipped oreos.  A delicious treat to close out our gathering!Last but certainly not least, our entire party was photographed by Seattle wedding and portrait photographer, Kristin Honeycutt.

Stay tuned later this week, as I plan to share our ‘Phases of the Moon’ watercolor craft we completed with The Crafter’s Box.

What are your Halloween plans?  I’m barely ready at our house.  We’ve decorated, have costumes mostly prepared, and pumpkins ready to be carved.  Such a fun time of year!

Thanks for reading. ~Jenn