Entertaining the Creeps

Halloween is a fantastic carnival of fear. Perhaps it’s fitting then that, for the last fifteen years, the approach of this holiday has inspired a certain mixture of dread and excitement in Jason and me. Yes, October means it’s Sabin party time and that means a lot of work. However, as tiring as it is to host, our Halloween gathering has become a diverting tradition for us and numerous of our acquaintances so it’s unlikely to ever fade into an apparition.

This year Jason and I dressed as Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. In a surprising plot twist, Jason didn't not get shot at the end of the night.
This year Jason and I dressed as Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. In a surprising plot twist, Jason did not get shot at the end of the night.

Our bash was well attended again this year. Nearly eighty friends and family members joined us for an evening of gruesome gaieties. We had all the standards: crafts, a piñata, a photo studio, piles of food, games, movies, Bingo, a costume contest…you know the drill.

I ideated and Jason built this swamp using Mylar, silk plants, and fallen leaves. We were pretty happy with out completed quagmire.
I ideated and Jason built this swamp using Mylar, silk plants, and fallen leaves. We were pretty happy with out completed quagmire.
I crafted a couple dozen of these adult goodie bags to distribute at our party.
I crafted a couple dozen of these adult goodie bags to distribute at our party.

The task of putting on this event was, as ever, a bit overwhelming but this time we did have a tad more help than we are accustomed to. Lee and Jacob came over one evening to give us some decorating assistance and Jacob, having not completely digested his creative juices yet, aided us a second night. That additional evening, he worked on a spooky scene in our basement for hours and was shocked at how little he accomplished in that time. Jason and I were not shocked. Such is the creeping pace of this inventive process. I’d guess that at least one guest at our shindig this year (probably one named Jacob) had some appreciation for the effort involved in our October enterprise.

Bart won first place in our costume contest with his Jareth likeness.
Bart won first place in our costume contest with his Jareth likeness.

And, wondrously, the help continued. During our party, a number of our visitors lent a hand with the children’s games. This assistance was crucial since Jason and I have yet to figure out how to be in four places at once.

A group of skeletons commandeered our front room.
A group of skeletons commandeered our front room.
I arranged for The Mouse Trap to feed our party with their artisan grilled cheese sandwiches.
I arranged for The Mouse Trap to feed our party with their artisan grilled-cheese sandwiches.

We also had some post-revelry relief. Andrew and Simone stayed after the other guests left to help pick up the cup corpses and disemboweled food strewn about our house. Thank you!

Brett and Lauren were off to see the Wizard.
Brett and Lauren were off to see the Wizard.
Cozy or creepy?
Cozy or creepy?

Even after those labors, our house was still goopier than Slimer on a lunch break. For instance, our kitchen looked like a ripper scene from an M&M’s horror picture. The floor had to be swept and mopped three times in order to properly inter the chocolate and potato chip remains smeared about. But I think the cleanup is under control now…just hours and hours of de-decorating to go and we will have all of our skeletons put away in their proper closets.

Jenn made malevolence look chic.
Jenn made malevolence look chic.
Foul bottles, glowing specimens, and eerie candles helped transmute our front room into a mad lab.
Foul bottles, glowing specimens, and eerie candles helped transmute our front room into a mad lab.

Our Halloween party doesn’t come about easily. It seems like perpetual preparations are required to pull it off smoothly. Could we scale back? Yes, but anything worth doing is worth doing perfect. Just ask me.

Elise and Emmit made a darling princess and frog pair.
Elise and Emmit made a darling princess and frog pair.
Need a hand with your food? Don't worry, there are plenty to go around.
Need a hand with your food? Don’t worry, there are plenty to go around.

Many thanks to our various helpers. You were instrumental in staving off “the institute” for another year. And thanks to everyone that joined us for our annual tribute to the terrifying. Minus you, we’d be crazy without cause.

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