The Spooky Soiree

We’re sharing a behind-the-scenes peek from my family’s spooky soiree today!

For as long as I can remember we’ve had some version of an annual Halloween party called, The Spooky Soiree.

We’ve had it for so long now, I can’t ever remember not having it.

Some years, it looked like hearty bowls of chili and grilled cheese sandwiches in the shape of jack-o-lanterns before a night of trick or treating.

Other years, we started the day off with jack-o-lantern shaped pumpkin pancakes where the eyes, nose, and mouth were all made from chocolate chips.

In recent years, my Mom has been obsessed with finding unique ideas on Pinterest which truly delights us all.

She is absolutely the glue that holds our family together and brings the magic to every event she creates, including the Spooky Soiree.  

Truthfully, I don’t know how she did it because we moved around a lot as a military family.

Year after year, no matter if my Dad was in town and able to help or not, she worked for weeks to create an extra special day for us from start to finish.  

This year my Mom finally let us bring something to help.

So, I thought I would share a few ideas from the Spooky Soiree in case you’re looking for some last-minute ideas.

Just a heads up, I totally forgot my good camera and had to take all of these with my iPhone. I think you’ll get the basic idea of how everything came together though.

The Spooky Soiree Food Buffet…

As with most holidays, we try to keep the menu (my family loves little nibbles) the same to help make things as easy as possible.  

Here are the things we had on the Spooky Soiree buffet which my Mom sets up at the dining table, then we all head outside to eat on the lanai…

Pulled chicken and roast beef sliders,

hot dog mummies,

enchilada cups,

lots of veggies including a 7-layer salad,

chopped Asian salad,

a veggie owl courtesy of my baby sister,

as well as these super cute pepper jack-o-lanterns my niece made,

In addition, we had deviled eggs,

a cheese and cracker tray,

and green macaroni.

We also had Cheetos, pizza dip, and witch’s fingers made from pretzel sticks and almonds too.

The Spooky Soiree Dessert Table…

As far as the dessert table goes, we served this store-bought cake for Halloween idea with ice cream.

In addition, we dipped cookies and pretzel rods in melting chocolates covered with orange and white sprinkles for each family member to take home.

You can find how to make this quick and easy carvable pumpkin flower arrangement here.

Simple Decorations…

I ran out of time to take pictures because everyone was hungry but my Mom used white tablecloths, creepy cloth, spiders, rats, skeletons, snakes, kraft paper-covered “spell books,” pumpkins, tarnished silver platters, and trophy bowls as decorations.

We also ate off paper plates to make things easy. On a side note, how cool would the print on the plate be as wallpaper?

Costumes…

One of my favorite things about the Spooky Soiree is that everyone dresses up and save for the littles who are hot-natured stay in their costumes all night.

My Dad blew us away this year by dying his hair dark to be Superman. We’ve NEVER seen him with dark hair EVER, so we were screaming over his costume from the get-go.

My Mom, middle sister, and I wore royal-inspired outfits. I snapped this in the car just before we arrived.

I’m usually something spooky, and I have to say, it was really nice not to be worried about sweating off bruise and scratch tattoos or smearing moody makeup during the party.

Here are the links to our costumes if you’re looking for something similar…

(Amazon affiliate links have been provided for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Any sales made through such links will support us with a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read our full disclosure policy here)

Dress (size up if you have a large chest) * Crown * Belt (I use this all the time for special occasions)

Satin Sash (Dusty Lilac Ribbon from Joanns) * Jewelry (Vintage)

S wore a 70s-inspired costume…

Vest Set * Shirt * Jeans (Flare Jeans from Old Navy embellished with a bandana Joanns) * Wig

All in all, we had a blast.

We played games, took home treat bags, drank seasonal sangria, and laughed until our stomachs hurt in the best possible way.

As we were packing up to leave, one of my nephews wrapped his arms around my Mom’s waist and hugged her tight.

“Tonight has been my favorite night of the entire year, Mimi!” he said enthusiastically.

We all agreed he was right.

While I know not everyone celebrates Halloween, my nephew’s reaction made me realize how deep festive events like the annual Spooky Soiree are woven into the fabric of our family’s story.  

We don’t have to deal with the extra driving or trying to find places for all of us to stay as we do at Thanksgiving.

There is no drama over finding the perfect present or wondering what time Santa will arrive as we have on Christmas morning.

For one night, we simply savor the magic of an annual tradition my Mom created for us over 40 years ago and dream of black cats made from peppermint patties and moons made from butterscotch.

It’s truly one of the best nights of the entire year.

Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Many blessings,

CoCo