Halloween Party Invitations

Invitations are half the fun of parties for me. And this one's my all-time favorite. To invite the neighborhood to a Halloween party, we attached a ribbon to this Halloween bat invitation and hung him upside down from the front door frame of each house. A spooky surprise in itself -- then unfolding his wings uncovered the information about the party.

Another favorite from www.funproperlydone.com is the witch hat invitation. Pull the buckle on the brim and the spider spins her web to crawl up the invitation.

Best tips for invites:

1. Make it interactive (can it move? does it surprise? do you want to keep it on the fridge as just a dang cute decoration?)
2. Throw in some bewitching wording (Wand to party with us? I vahnt to see you next Saturday... etc.) Puns are fun -- just don't go too overboard.
3. Remember the basics: Who's giving the party, Where and When, What should the guest expect (wear a costume? will there be a meal/refreshments? should they bring anything?), How to RSVP

Got any ghoulish invite ideas to share?

Halloween Party Invitations: More Ideas

Here are a few other great ideas we've come across:

• Skeleton invitation. Its arms and legs move! (Credit to Martha Stewart)
• Mad scientist invitation. Spooky stuff in a test tube. (Martha, again.)
• Mummy invitation. Print your invitation on a paper mummy shape then wrap him in long, thin strips of toilet paper. Kids get a kick out of unwinding him.

Halloween Time: Wand to Party?

Witch kind of party is best? What skeletons of ideas are piled in my closet? What do I carve out the most time for every year? You ghost it...Halloween.

Okay, okay, I'll stop. But I do love Halloween to its very bones.

So, in the spirit of the fun-loving dead, check out the ideas coming this month that are sure to leave everyone involved with haunting memories:

- Halloween party invitations

- Halloween parties at school

- Neighborhood Halloween parties

- Halloween Night: Beyond the candy bowl

Check back every week to get suggestions for your spooky shin-digs, and please be sure to share the wicked ideas you've concocted!

Cash gift requests: Right or rude?

So ABC News reported on a bride who is requesting cash donations in lieu of gifts to help cover the cost of her wedding. One of my favorite sisters-in-etiquette bloggers, Khris Cochran of DIYBride, equates the request to an admission fee and calls it in poor taste. Etiquette expert Anna Post tends to agree.

My kids have been invited to birthday parties with similar requests. The invitation suggests a dollar or two instead of gifts so that the birthday child might purchase a certain item/experience they really want.

It's easy. But is it right? What do you think?