Pumpkin Party!

Life should be a celebration, a running tab of remembering the good that's already happened and a hopeful anticipation of notable days to come. Beyond the traditional holiday gatherings, there are countless reasons to invite folks over and throw a party.

Our first child was born in May (15 years ago) and by the autumn of that year I was itching to have some friends over, to celebrate the fall harvest and to show off how much our "little pumpkin" had grown. Hence, a tradition sprouted; our annual "Pumpkin Party", chock full of strict directions and guidelines, has attracted friends and family for a decade and a half.

That first invite outlined the party "rules" which resembled a "Sesame Street" episode: our party was brought to our guests by the letter "P", the color orange, and pumpkins. This pot-luck type event encouraged participants to bring with them something edible that contained pumpkin, was orange, or started with the letter "P".

Over the years we've enjoyed peanuts, peanut butter everything, Cheetos, pumpkin bread, pop, peppermint patties, the Filipino noodle dish Pancit, popcorn, pretzels, pizza,  potato chips, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin cookies, pasta dishes, carrots, peppers, pea pods, (so many items can fall under "produce"), candy pumpkins, puddings and pancakes, to just name a few of the fun and festive offerings.

Our seasoned "Pumpkin Party Pros" take a particular pride in explaining the theme to newcomers, outlining the "rules" with a wink and a smile.

Decorating for these parties is fairly straightforward as I grow most of the décor myself. Strategically placed gourds, pumpkins, zinnias and dahlias go a long way in adding a colorful richness to our celebration. A festive doormat or front door hanging would offer an immediate warm welcome as well. Check out this beauty!

I encourage you look beyond the well-worn Halloween and Thanksgiving celebrations and put a little Pumpkin Party Pizzazz in your fall festivities.