Halloween Party Ideas 2015!

Every year we have a big Halloween Trick or Treat Party and every year it gets bigger and better!

This year I am having a Mexican food theme (dia de los muertos!). Here's my menu:

Appetizers:

Fabulous tamales from Corn Maiden
(My favorite is the roasted green chile and smoked gouda!)

Queso

Individual 7 later dips (from Pink Pistachio)

Main course:

Mexican Street Corn Salad (from Love Bakes Good Cakes)

Chicken Enchilada Casserole (from Gimme Some Oven)

Dessert:

White Chocolate Candycorn Blondies (from Averie Cooks)

And for the kids?
Quesadillas, Chicken nuggets and this skeleton crudites!!

Of course I am always looking to amp up the fun as well! Here are some amazing activities I am thinking about doing!

Pumpkin Bowling (from The Polo House)

Making Candy Corn Rocks (from Audiz Creations)

And maybe a Mini Haunted house??

More on that later!



Are you hosting a party? What's your plan?

Take the Vanity Fair Questionnaire

If you answer these on your blog let me know! I want to read it!!!

Or answer in your comment!



What is your idea of perfect happiness? A beach vacation with wine.
What is your greatest fear? My children dying.
Which historical figure do you most identify with? Lilly Pulitzer. I'm just a girl with a vacationy dream.
Which living person do you most admire? Carol Burnett
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Being judgemental.
What is the trait you most deplore in others? One upping.
What is your greatest extravagance? Dinners out.
What is your favorite journey? Self discovery
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
On what occasion do you lie? If it will hurt someones feelings.
What do you dislike most about your appearance? Getting old.
Which living person do you most despise? Anyone who demands that it’s their way or the highway.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
What is your greatest regret? Trusting the untrustworthy.
What or who is the greatest love of your life? My husband, kids, cats and dog.
When and where were you happiest? At the altar.
Which talent would you most like to have? Flexibility, and a great singing voice
What is your current state of mind? Amazed and slightly panicked.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? My weight!
What do you consider your greatest achievement? Parenting without a net.
If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be? A pelican who visits the Highlands Inn in Carmel.
What is your most treasured possession? My humor.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? No sense of humor.
Where would you like to live? Bahamas.
What is your favorite occupation? Doing the unexpected.
What is your most marked characteristic? My humor and knack for being people together.
What is the quality you most like in a man? Resilience.
What is the quality you most like in a woman? Loyalty
What do you most value in your friends? Being there through thin and thin. That’s friendship treasured.
Who are your favorite writers? Maya Angelou
Who is your favorite hero of fiction?Auntie Mame and Mary Poppins
Who are your heroes in real life? My father and my son.
What are your favorite names? Landon and Coco.
What is it that you most dislike? Braggarts
How would you like to die? I wouldn’t.
What is your motto? Save water drink Champagne.

Feeling Fallish at Underwood Farms! (even though it's 80 degrees)

One thing I will say about Los Angeles, we just press on with fall despite it being 80 degrees! We try to "dress" for Fall to feel the part. We trek out to Underwood Farms because it's simply the best!

I love this picture. She really loved this tractor! Does she belong on a farm?

I love the "cow train" and I love the view.

These were too good to believe....

As were the pig races! (who's head is that!)

A great fun family time!!! How's your Fall going?

The Outer Banks- 23 years of friendship

Our trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina was amazing. We stayed in a town called Corolla, which is just past Duck. I liked Corolla. It's not too touristy or built up. Just my speed.

We rented a fabulous house on the beach with 4 of my girlfriends from college, each sorority sisters (Kappa Alpha Theta!), and their families. Ryan, who was the president of our sorority, brought the Theta flag to hang on the house. I die. (Ps there's my husband setting up the umbrellas!)

Ryan also brought these fabulous hot pink terry tunics for us! I'm taking mine to the monogrammer TODAY.

It's hard to boil down this trip to a blog post but here are some highlights.

We went to see the wild horses of Corolla. This was something on my bucket list. I will never forget Nicoles husband driving like a maniac so we wouldn't get stuck and us following one of the horse tours so we could find the horses! We are tour stealers!!

I have never been in, or climbed a lighthouse. The Currituck Lighthouse was gorgeous and the view was incredible. It was HIGH up though!

My husbands favorite thing on earth is Blue Crabs. Even though no one else wanted any, I got him his own dozen and he was so HAPPY!

We saw so much wildlife while we were there! Deer on the beach, a fox in the dunes, sting rays, crabs, and....

Jelly Fish. Which can also be used for breast enhancement. LOL

Husband loves to cook and was happy to share two of our favorite recipes. Maralago Burgers and Cilantro Ginger Salmon! Both were huge hits!

Landon celebrated his birthday there. Complete with mini golf and bumper cars!

We took a road trip to the Lilly Pulitzer store in Duck called "Lifes a Beach!". It was so cute! I got this fabulous "Adriel" dress. ON SALE of course!

One night the kids did giant sparklers on the beach. It was magic.

Best of all, I had deep, meaningful, hilarious, heart felt, fabulous time with these women I adore. Each of them has been, and continues to go through lifes challenges, but these ladies handle it with grace and dignity.

 

The NIghtmare Of Returning From Vacation!

I have just returned from one week in the Outer Banks with all my bestie girls and their families. Twenty-three years of friendship with these fabulous women! It was glorious. We all relaxed and lived a beachy perfect life with this view!

Now I'm back to this:

Here's what's hard about when you really dial out. Your email piles up, bills pile up, laundry piles up, calls, errands, social obligations, school supply buying, are on the back burner and all come rushing back.

I'm trying to just slowly make my way through the fog. And trying to hold on to these moments forever.

Missing all my girls and the times we had.

More on the trip later!

Fun Things To Do With The Kids- Book Signing with Sarah Maizes!

Landon and Coco went to their first book signing at Chevaliers Book Shop! We were greeted by the author, and my pal,  Sarah Maizes, who wrote the cutest book called "On My Way To The Bath".

This book literally chronicles our bath time routine. The little girl in the story desperately does anything she can to avoid taking a bath while her mother becomes more frustrated. Of course the kids thought it was hilarious!

She read the book and personally signed it to them. The kids were riveted while she was reading, and I was so happy for them to meet a real author! Landon has been learning a lot about literature and was very excited.

Sarah, who I just love, also has a great blog called Mommy Lite.

After the book signing we looked all around the book stores kid section. I just love to see their excitement for reading! You can buy "On My Way To The Bath" right here on Amazon!

Inspiration

A few weeks ago my friend Beth Dunn, Author Of Social Climbers and head of the Preppy Mafia, did a post about inspiration. She asked what inspired us. Here was my answer:

"The documentary on Isaac Mizrahi UNZIPPED. How he puts on shows, feels so insecure but is genius. Watching GI Jane the movie. Watching Demi Moore kick butt amongst the men. Seeing concerts or great movies. Watching talented people at work. The show Iconoclasts inspires me too. Amazing to see what people can achieve."


But truly let me add on. What inspires me is brilliance. Brilliant ideas, concepts, and then execution. God given talent. God. Landon's use of his arm. My preacher. Michael Jackson. The Alvin Ailey dancers. Broadway shows. Auntie Mame. Gospel music. People with special needs kids. Beautiful houses. Vacations. My Dad. Mothers who try their hardest. Maya Angelou. Carol Burnett....and Coco.

What about you? What inspires you? If you want to post about it on your blog let me know you did!!