And... SUCCESS!

 Last night's "CREEPY CAL'S CRYPT" Party was, in my humble opinion, a HUGE success!  I'm happy today, albeit, I've got a mess to clean up...  7 little boys running a-muck while moms & dads (and a few sisters + 2 older brothers) hung out w/the game on (some football game, I have no clue which teams they were) and tried out some creepy cocktail concoctions I made up:  too fun!  I really think I had a better time than the kids...  Well, maybe not.

A few mishaps along the way (couldn't get the sound to work w/the DVD player, kinda a bummer when the idea is for the kids to watch a SCARY movie!; then there was the "surprise" factor of my husband not quite understanding the part about a sleepover...; last, but not least and certainly NOT unexpected, by me anyway: the kids snuck out in the middle of the night to be cool & wreak havoc about the 'hood... AND then stayed up until about 5:30a, or somewhere along that time line).  I survived, the kids survived and most importantly, the husband survived - survived enough to hit the links bright eyed & bushy-tailed in his new golfin' digs at about 9a, so I ain't feeling too guilty at the moment.  However, when the credit card bill arrives, I will be lying low, batting my eyelashes and exuding sweetness for, probably, the remainder of the year.  Just sayin'.

So how did things pan out in the end?  See below for a quick update:

• grocery shop, check
• dust, check
• vacuum, er... update:  wonderful husband took care of this when he got home from his week long business trip
• clean up my closet!  update:  check, but not without alot of cussin'
• scrub the bathroom  update: somewhat check - I didn't get around to scrubbing the shower or floor and both could really, really use the elbow grease - ugh!
• fix the front porch decorations (storms for past 2 days)  update:  um, kinda sorta took care of that this morning so it does not count, wah!
• color my hair red (excited about this one!!!)
• wash drink glasses, check
• go to the liquor store  update:  hello, Raspberry Rum, glad to meet ya!!!
• decorate the pumpkins  update:  check & HUGE success!  Up until 2a but totally worth it - came out great!!!
• put goody bags together  update: totally forgot about this one until I just now came upon it; oops.
• pull out the last tidbits of Halloween decor (where is my witch's hat???)  update: partial check - got out the witch's hat, but left the rest.  Gggrrr!  The spooky tree is my favorite.
• come up with fun menu item names (Werewolf Stew anyone?)  update:  HUGE success here.  Have to admire my own creativity
• creative food name labels  update:  arrgggh!  missed this one
• go VOTE!  update:  yep!
• Buy a hostess gift & a birthday present for Saturday night's dinner  update: partial check - hostess gift, check; Christian's b-day present remains to be seen...
• clean the upstairs (oh my...)  update:  kinda sorta check
• put up caution tape if I don't get around to cleaning up the upstairs  update:  haha, this just makes me laugh
• buy plastic ware (how did I forget that?)  update:  check!
• buy 3 more pumpkins AND decorate them  update:  check!
• carpet fresh the master bedroom, clean & dust (ggrrrr!!!!)  update:  partial check; let's just leave it at that
• prepare mac-n-cheese, check
• get the BBQ going in the crock pot, check
• make ice cubes, in progress  update: this did NOT go so well.  Forfeit.
• give myself a mani & a pedi  update:  absolutely no way did I work this one in.
• pretend the this-didn't-go-so-well-red hair (what was I thinking?) is part of my costume & worry about fixing it later... maybe it will wash out???  update:  ok, it's not so bad.  I'm kinda diggin' it. 

Here's the final menu:
guacomole:  smashed bugs
sausage Rotel dip:  creepy caudron dip
pretzel sticks:  skeleton bones
salsa:  crow's blood
olives:  demon eyes
dark grapes:  raven eyes
strawberries:  raven hearts
tortilla chips:  crispy bat wings
cheese & crackers:  sneeze & coffins (however, after the fact, I thought of "sneeze attackers" - savin' that one for next year)
crescent wrapped hotdogs:  zombie fingers (note for next year:  "mummy fingers")
ketchup & mustard:  blood & guts
BBQ:  werewolf stew
mac & cheese:  shackeled & chained casserole
dirt cake:  graveyard surprise
cupcakes:  mummy cakes (note for next year:  "zombie cakes")
pistachio pie (could NOT resist!!!):  goblin goo pudding
3 flavored popcorn mix:  jekyl & hyde popcorn (I misspelled "Jekyll", darnit)
hot cocoa:  death by chocolate
margaritas:  marga-freak-as
cranberry, sprite & raspberry rum w/a splash of grenadine:  cranbloodies
coconut rum, orange & mango juice:  jack-o-juice
Strawberry Fanta:  Fang-a
Cranberry Lemon Lime Soda:  Bloody Good Sprite

Pictures later...  well, soon.  Sometime anyway.