Hostess with the Mostess™

{pictured above} {pictured above} Blue Cheese Ricotta Dip and Mummy Dogs from bhg.com, and Pumpkin French 75 and Blackberry Widow cocktails from cocktailtimes.com

The October 07 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray has a fantastic article by cooking/entertaining author Erika Lenkert on how to throw a "Heaven & Hell" party (and a very chic one, I might add!). This theme is of course appropriate for Halloween, but definitely not limited to this one occasion - it’s a fun excuse to party at any time of the year!
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Martha Stewart has a special Holiday Halloween magazine out right now that has tons of fantastic ideas if you’re looking for some last-minute Halloween inspiration. (The ideas would work just as well next year, so it’s worth picking up and saving for later too!) Added bonus - see Martha decked out as both a “glampire” and a “goddess” on this double-cover “150 bad things” and “150 good things” issue, with details on how to recreate both costumes inside! A few of my favorite entertaining-related snippets from both sides are below…

{pictured above} A creepy bug made from a pitted Kalamata olive, rosemary needles (for legs) and snipped chives (for antennas) crawls along the edge of some “eye-popping soup“. And frozen blueberries in boiling water help turn carefully cracked hardboiled eggs into “spiderweb eggs“. (see magazine for full recipes & detailed instructions)

{pictured above} I LOVE this pumpkin cooler idea for a {pictured above} I LOVE this pumpkin cooler idea for a Halloween or harvest party idea!

{pictured above} “Mashed Boo-Tatoes” and “Sweet Potatoes Pumpkins” (Potatoes and yams never looked so cute!)

I know Halloween is getting close, but there seems to be an endless supply of cool products to highlight! Case in point, a few favorites from Z Gallerie’s Halloween collection…

{pictured above} skull and bones dinnerware (individual pieces are each sold in sets of 4. prices range from $39.80 - $51.80 per set of 4); skull wine bottle ($32.95/ea); faux glitter candelabra ($42.95); and bone candles ($8.95/set of 2)

{pictured above} glittered spiders ($12/set of 13 spiders, varied sizes)

I’ve been eyeing this cool “Last Meal Flatware” set from Urban Outfitters for a while now…and judging from all the other fantastic skull products that have been popping up around the web (many thanks go Halloween!) - it looks like the “fashionable skulls” trend is just as strong as ever! Here are a few fun picks for your party…

{pictured above} {pictured above} Last Meal Flatware Set ($38/20-pc set), and DL & Co. Porcelain Skull Plates ($180/set of 4)

{pictured above} {pictured above} Jeweled Skull Tray ($12.95) and Skellington Cocktail Shaker & Glassware Set (sold separately) - both from Z Gallerie. And if you can handle spending $200 on cocktail stirrers (!!) - these silver Skull Swizzle Sticks from Dean & DeLuca are pretty slick.

{pictured above} Spruce up the guest bathroom at your Halloween soiree with some mood-setting candles and a couple of these ultra-mod Skull Hand Towels ($20/ea).

To check out more fun entertaining-related skull products, check out the “No Bones About It” post on Toast and Tables!

A few Halloween favorites from Crate&Barrel: Black & White Stripe Bowls, Pumpkin Scoop, Halloween Runner (spiderweb print), Halloween Dishtowels, and Lumi Candleholders.

This milk chocolate “horror pizza” from Moonstruck Chocolatier introduces a whole new dimension in pizza topping options ($7/slice)…and for those of you who can’t decide between eyeballs, spiderwebs, ghosts, or pumpkins, Moonstruck’s Halloween Truffle Collection with give you a taste of all 4 ($10)!

These adorable kids’ skeleton aprons ($19 as shown or $24 personalized), oven mitts ($13/set of 2), and halloween spatulas ($9) are perfect for pint-sized Halloween bakers - or for keeping pumpkin carving messes or craft project spills at bay!

And some tempting WS treats (available online only!) for kids and adults alike…
And some tempting WS treats (available online only!) for kids and adults alike…The BIG Halloween Carmel Apple with Nuts ($22), Jack-o-Lantern and Creepy Spiderweb Caramel Apples ($16.50/set of 2), and hand-crafted Halloween Truffles by celebrated Oregon chocolatier, Moonstuck ($15/set of 4)…

4 of the new Halloween party themes are now live on hwtm.com! Still have 2 more to go…but it’s looking like they won’t be up until this weekend now unless I can figure out how to make time stand still for a few hours today (wouldn’t that be nice!). In the meantime, you can click on the image above to check out Spooky Chic Dinner Party, Modern Midnight Madness, Playful Mod Halloween (for kids & adults) and Ghoul’s Night (just for the girls!)…hope you like!

New HWTM Halloween party themes will be live on hostesswiththemostess.com tomorrow! (around 1pm PST) Here’s a sneak peek at 2 of the 6 new themes: “Ghoul’s Night” and “Modern Midnight Madness”…