It's not the gifts that usually blow my holiday budget, it's the wrapping paper. It's not uncommon to find me sprinting to the corner drugstore moments before I have to leave for a party for tissue paper, a glossy party bag and ribbon which, although it's easy and festive looking, is not particularly cost-effective. The other day, Lindsay and Kathryn suggested some creative ways to spruce up a brown paper bag. Here are some other suggestions: More

We didn't do anything elaborate at our house for Halloween - some pumpkins and gourds for outside, skeleton lights, banners, and pennants. Oh, and a huge spider and spiderweb in the entryway. About half of the decorations have been taken down and put away; the rest are up and as spooky as ever. More

This is coming a day late, but we'll be filing this away for next year: When we prepped our stoop for trick-or-treaters last night, we swept the stairs, turned on the lights, then went to light a candle in the jack-o-lantern. That's when we noticed his face had been gnawed away - eyes, nose, and mouth - into one gigantic hole: More

The first time I saw pumpkin soup served in a carved-out pumpkin bowl, I thought pumpkin carving had reached its evolutionary end. But with a series of recent and deserved accolades everywhere from a NY Botanical Garden to the Wall Street Journal, Ray Villafane has breathed new life into the old, triangle cut-out craft.

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Happy Halloween, everybody! If you've yet to carve a pumpkin (like me) or decide on your costume (like me), perhaps these fabulous pumpkins, carved by fabulous designers, might give you some inspiration… More

Although Christmas more readily comes to mind when you picture a book being read as part of a holiday celebration, we feel this tradition should spread to other holidays as well. Why not start tonight, with a Halloween tale? Don't worry if you find your bookshelf lacking when it comes to Halloween books. There is a beautifully illustrated free e-book just waiting to be read, right around the corner. More

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday, and even when I've lived in apartments where getting trick or treaters was rare, I have always decorated. This year, time and other commitments have gotten the better of me and I am tempted to turn off the porch light and hunker down until the kids all go home to count their loot. Though, knowing myself, I'll wake up and scramble to get some decorations up before night fall. More

Earlier this month we took a full tour of John Coulter's gorgeous Los Angeles home. During my earlier visit, John was excited to invite me back to see all his fun Halloween decorations. As he happily notes, it's his favorite holiday. More

For any of us a bit behind getting ready for the Halloween festivities but still wanting to play it up a bit for the kids we've found 5 ways you can add some creepy, spooky and even downright gross to their snack time with just a few basic ingredients or materials. More

Whether you're hosting a Halloween party, creating a creepy table setting, or looking for some dark illumination this DIY idea is the answer! These black mason jars, found at Pure and Noble blog, have a fun spooky look and make inexpensive candle holders and vases. More