weddings and special events and private estates: Trick or Treat- Give a Great Halloween Party

Happy Wednesday!

Thinking about throwing a Halloween party for a few of your friends?

This week's blog has some fun ideas. Whether you live in an apartment or a home, your next party can be a success.

Since Halloween is less than two weeks away, you may want to consider a fun Evite.

We recommend mixing up your guest list with an even amount of guests...there is nothing worse than having a party with uneven numbers. xo

If your home or apartment is small, you can move your furniture into your bedroom(s) to allow for space. For additional seating, place big pillows on the floor to give your guests a place to sit. I love to add nice serving trays, so guests can place their drinks down and don't forget the cocktail napkins.

For the bar, check with your favorite liquor store or caterer to make sure that you have enough ice, alcohol, mixers, sodas, beer, water, wine and bottle openers, glassware, shakers, stirrers, plus fruit garnishes.

Creamsicle, it's dangerous! Just mix Whipped Cream Vodka (Smirnoff), orange juice, and Sprite or 7up

Make sure you have a " good friend" that can help you while you are entertaining or you can call us at 818-246-2288 and we will connect the dots. So many times we hear about the host or hostess working non-stop that he or she does not enjoy their own party.

Set the tone of the party and gather up your favorite music that can take the party from cocktails to dinner to high energy if you want dancing. If your place is small, please make sure that your guests are not blasted by the speakers. Allowing your guests to have conversations is key to having a great party.

iPod touch. Engineered for maximum funness.

Items to have on hand - plenty of TP, scented candles and hand towels for the bathroom(s) and trash bags.

If you are not into cooking or don't have time, you can pickup food from your favorite fast food chains such as hamburgers or fried chicken and serve on cool serving platters. We have had some great parties where we have had catering trucks on site such as In and Out. If you love to cook, we recommend checking out the TV Food Network - their recipes range from easy to difficult and some dishes are inexpensive to make. XO

Picture of Crispy Phyllo Wrapped Hot Dog Mummies Recipe

No need to be too meticulous when wrapping these spooky versions of pigs in blankets; the raggedy look suits the mummy theme to a "tee."

Ingredients

One 16-ounce package bun-size hot dogs (8 hot dogs), each halved crosswise
2 ounces Cheddar, cut into 16 thin slices
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 sheets phyllo dough
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Ketchup, yellow mustard, barbecue sauce or your favorite dipping sauce, for serving and decorating

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut a slit in each hot dog piece and stuff with a slice of cheese. Set aside. Combine the salt, garlic powder and pepper in a small bowl.

Working with one sheet of phyllo at a time and keeping the rest covered under a damp towel or paper towels, lay a phyllo sheet on a large cutting board or counter and lightly brush with melted butter. Lightly sprinkle with some of the spice mix and fold in half lengthwise. Brush the top with more melted butter and cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips. Using 2 pieces of stuffed hot dogs per phyllo sheet, wrap half of the strips around each piece of hot dog to create a mummy look. Leave a small section of hot dog exposed towards the top so it looks like the top part of the face peeking out from the phyllo wrappings. Don't worry about frayed edges or tears-- it will add to the mummy look.

Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining phyllo, melted butter, spice mix and hot dogs. Remelt the butter if it cools down too much while forming the mummies.

Bake until the phyllo is crisp and golden brown, about 25 minutes. If desired, dot ketchup or mustard eyes on each mummy using a toothpick and serve with extra sauces for dipping

Pretty and Simple Decor Ideas

This would be cute to do with Christmas colors too

Colored ribbons.

Gianna's Picks of the Week -

Shopping is a sport - I learned that from my Aunt Jean.

I spend time on the internet seeing what is in style and then, make time to visit Nordstrom Rack and TJ Maxx to see if I can recreate the look for less.

The savings can add up - sometimes up to 60% off, but it is important to allow enough time to go through the racks when you shop at these stores...